What's Still On and What's Now Off

[marni1971]

It is too soon to know what is going to happen - think we should hang on a little before declaring things ruined. (although some may argue the original plans were already ruining things lol)

Indeed. I’ve said it elsewhere that one of the few good things to come out of this might be salvaging some sense for what happens to the park.

The new entrance will happen
The kids get their 120 second coaster (shame but hey)
France gets a new marketable attraction that can be forgotten about if one wants to
The park will get a new night time show - for better or for worse - eventually.
SSE will have to see what’s left and what can be done with what’s available.

So far as I know new China CV footage should have been shot before CV19 reared it’s ugly head. How it’ll be projected remains to be seen.

Hopefully the spine project is reassessed and more sense prevails.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I think it's safe to say that anything nearing completion - will be finished. Things that haven't even started yet, or minimally started, will be cleaned up and put on hold for at least a few months, or cancelled if they'll run into the anniversary. Disney won't leave things half-arsed and in shambles in the parks. Behind construction walls, sure... But that's something else. All will be good again... THE SPICE MUST FLOW! Err, money.

 

[marni1971]

Disney won't leave things half-arsed and in shambles in the parks..

Did you see Disneyland’s Peoplemover?

 

[Jon81uk]

Great. EPCOT Overhaul is doomed. Galactic Starcruiser doomed. With those now being defunded, it’s gonna be just cheesy, half-baked and incomplete. We got to raise that money. We were promised a massive Epcot transformation, but now that is ruined. That limping park needs that update. Too cheap now.

I don't expect the Star Wars hotel to be half-baked, just significantly delayed.
Similar to when Pop Century got delayed and eventually became Art of Animation, that was probably actually more-baked than Pop, AoA was an improvement on the original plan.
I expect the Star Wars hotel will open as planned, but just 3-5 years late.

 

[Horizons '83]

Indeed. I’ve said it elsewhere that one of the few good things to come out of this might be salvaging some sense for what happens to the park.

The new entrance will happen
The kids get their 120 second coaster (shame but hey)
France gets a new marketable attraction that can be forgotten about if one wants to
The park will get a new night time show - for better or for worse - eventually.
SSE will have to see what’s left and what can be done with what’s available.

So far as I know new China CV footage should have been shot before CV19 reared it’s ugly head. How it’ll be projected remains to be seen.

Hopefully the spine project is reassessed and more sense prevails.

My hope is that the beer tower as I call it (fancy festival tower) will get axed. Seems like a complete waste of money then and especially now.

 

[Horizons '83]

I don't expect the Star Wars hotel to be half-baked, just significantly delayed.
Similar to when Pop Century got delayed and eventually became Art of Animation, that was probably actually more-baked than Pop, AoA was an improvement on the original plan.
I expect the Star Wars hotel will open as planned, but just 3-5 years late.

Well it was nearly 10 years before they started work on it again, so it may very well stay abandoned until WDW starts to see progress financially again.

 

[TTA94]

Indeed. I’ve said it elsewhere that one of the few good things to come out of this might be salvaging some sense for what happens to the park.

The new entrance will happen
The kids get their 120 second coaster (shame but hey)
France gets a new marketable attraction that can be forgotten about if one wants to
The park will get a new night time show - for better or for worse - eventually.
SSE will have to see what’s left and what can be done with what’s available.

So far as I know new China CV footage should have been shot before CV19 reared it’s ugly head. How it’ll be projected remains to be seen.

Hopefully the spine project is reassessed and more sense prevails.

What’s the 120 second coaster? Guardians??

As for the new nighttime show, there’s no way that will still happen this year right? Especially if the parks do not open until June ish.

 

[LSLS]

Actually, most experts are saying it
You're confusing 2 different things:
1 -- masks are useless when it's just a few healthy people wearing them. It won't protect a healthy wearer..
2 -- marks are helpful when widely adopted, as they prevent asymptomatic carriers from transmitting. They aren't a complete solution alone, but part of a solution when combined with other measures.

Would everyone wearing face masks help us slow the pandemic?

Some argue that masking everyone would slow the spread of COVID-19—but the evidence is spotty

www.sciencemag.org

The CDC is said to be considering asking people to cover their face in public — but would reserve masks for medical workers

So far, the CDC advises social distancing, handwashing, and staying home as the main ways to avoid the coronavirus. Medics have lacked equipment.

www.businessinsider.com

Hang on, you didn't prove to me at all that opening the parks at a certain percentage would be fine as long as there are masks. Even your articles with people who argue that everyone should wear masks state that wearing them would have modest at best results. You also ignored the part about how we can't produce at anywhere near the rate we would need to for the parks. I still have yet to see any way masks could be incorporated into the parks and they are open anytime soon. It's really going to rely on the ability of the researchers at this point.

 

[bcoachable]

@marni - your causing me concern b/c I know your right...
The company must answer to stock holders AND do right by their employees. To do whats best for those interests will force their budgets to make major adjustments to what they had planned.
EPCOT will become a very interesting shell game with the money that was alocated prior to this pandemic and what will be left to spend going forward.
Small concern, I guess, in the big picture of things going on right now. It will be interesting to see how things unfold.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Cancelling or postponing the Star Wars Hotel makes sense as it's peripheral, unrelated to anything else and invisible from the rest of the property.

But leaving the Epcot spine as essentially a vacant lot? Every visitor to Epcot will have to either traverse or skirt around the area.

It's almost like Disney is putting itself up for sale with a big sign in the middle of Future World that says, "Build to Suit".

 

[trainplane3]

I'll laugh if they end up rebuilding or building something similar to the original CC West building again. They could stick a bar on top, make it a "green roof", and call it a day. I wouldn't complain at all honestly.

 

[havoc315]

Hang on, you didn't prove to me at all that opening the parks at a certain percentage would be fine as long as there are masks. Even your articles with people who argue that everyone should wear masks state that wearing them would have modest at best results. You also ignored the part about how we can't produce at anywhere near the rate we would need to for the parks. I still have yet to see any way masks could be incorporated into the parks and they are open anytime soon. It's really going to rely on the ability of the researchers at this point.

I never said masks alone. Masks are 1 of a long list of measures that are part of the next phase. Temperature checks. Disinfecting. Closing theater attractions.

I’d recommend this detailed analysis of the next phase in general, in which masks are but 1 piece:

https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/national-coronavirus-response-a-road-map-to-reopening/

and yes, over 2-3 months, not really an issue to ramp up production if $0.50 masks.
Disney clothing suppliers can stop churning out t-shirts and do masks instead.
The current mask shortage is very temporary.

 

[marni1971]

But leaving the Epcot spine as essentially a vacant lot? Every visitor to Epcot will have to either traverse or skirt around the area..

That wouldn’t happen. But I could see a vastly scaled down and simplified centre of the park to get guest flow up and walls down. Could even be a good thing depending how you see it.

 

[marni1971]

@marni - your causing me concern b/c I know your right....

Not all the time!

 

[wdwmagic]

Cancelling or postponing the Star Wars Hotel makes sense as it's peripheral, unrelated to anything else and invisible from the rest of the property.

But leaving the Epcot spine as essentially a vacant lot? Every visitor to Epcot will have to either traverse or skirt around the area.

It's almost like Disney is putting itself up for sale with a big sign in the middle of Future World that says, "Build to Suit".

I could easily see the eastern side of Innoventions quickly put back together as quick service and merchandise and then the center of the park reopened. There would be nothing in the middle or on the western side, but it could open for guests to pass through.

Perhaps it might be best to leave it like for a few years and do something actually worthwhile in the center of the park? Maybe even an attraction?!?

 

[monothingie]

I'll laugh if they end up rebuilding or building something similar to the original CC West building again. They could stick a bar on top, make it a "green roof", and call it a day. I wouldn't complain at all honestly.

How much of the underground "Utilidoor" structure do you think still remains? As I recall most of the infrastructure is in there.

 

[Lilofan]

I could easily see the eastern side of Innoventions quickly put back together as quick service and merchandise and then the center of the park reopened. There would be nothing in the middle or on the western side, but it could open for guests to pass through.

Perhaps it might be best to leave it like for a few years and do something actually worthwhile in the center of the park? Maybe even an attraction?!?

I know this is not a money maker but is possible to expand the first aid area at Epcot to move into part of this vacant space.

 

[Clamman73]

Still don‘t know why they didn’t just make exterior improvements to both East and West, gut inside of southern West and make it festival area with a cool outdoor seating area, redo the north section for new meet/greet and revolving exhibit area.

Do East improvements as they’re doing.

Go ahead with middle section with Walt statue, fountain, garden area and call it a day.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Disney won't leave things half-arsed and in shambles in the parks. Behind construction walls, sure...

Depending on one's point of view, those are contradictory statements!

I imagine there won't be walls, but there will be a fairly large area with flower beds, patches of grass and a non-functional fountain. Which I would consider to be a shambles (at those prices).

I don't even want to think about the cancelled or indefinitely deferred repairs and renovations that these financial cuts imply.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Oh no. But what about Bob’s Table? Surely they have to save Bob’s table. Right?