5th gate anyone.......?

[NickMaio]

Disney & Florida Planning New Development Agreement Worth Up To $17B, Would Add 5th Park At Walt Disney World

Florida would see up to $17 billion in investment from Disney over "the next ten to twenty years." The deal also sets the stage for a fifth park at Walt Disney World.

deadline.com

Worth a read if you are wondering.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Soooo…. How many “will there be a 5th gate”post does this make? You’ll get the same positions posted as to why it won’t happen. No staffing, no guests to cover costs, not enough rooms, and on and on.
Now Unis Epic I’m sure has Dis very very concerned as to how they will be able to withstand the guests spending time and money elsewhere. Epic is the first real rise of competition Dis will be facing in a long time. This smattering of attractions and mini lands will not do a lot to help Dis. And even with the projected spending and builds, will it be too little tooo late? With the recent and ongoing budget shortfalls will they build quality or just meh? so just maybe Dis will be forced into doing it? But I doubt it . They aren’t even whispering about it as a possibility.

 

[HauntedPirate]

There is no 5th gate coming in the next 10 years.

Good god people need to stop with this crap.

 

[NickMaio]

Read much.........
Staff from California to FL?

Such a cynical, negative, and pessimistic bunch eh.......

Good forbid any positive news around here.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They are not building a fifth gate

The Orlando affiliates should be scolded for running that

 

[Master Yoda]

Soooo…. How many “will there be a 5th gate”post does this make? You’ll get the same positions posted as to why it won’t happen. No staffing, no guests to cover costs, not enough rooms, and on and on.
Now Unis Epic I’m sure has Dis very very concerned as to how they will be able to withstand the guests spending time and money elsewhere. Epic is the first real rise of competition Dis will be facing in a long time. This smattering of attractions and mini lands will not do a lot to help Dis. And even with the projected spending and builds, will it be too little tooo late? With the recent and ongoing budget shortfalls will they build quality or just meh? so just maybe Dis will be forced into doing it? But I doubt it . They aren’t even whispering about it as a possibility.

5,318,008.

 

[ohioguy]

They hedged their bets and said "laying the groundwork for a 5th gate". The competition from Universal is real and threatening. Unspoken on the expected flat rate of attendance and profit is the diversion of tourist dollars from Disney to Universal.

Deadline isn't some fan site; they have their sources. I don't think we can expect an announcement anytime soon, but it would be awesome if it happened. Expansion at all four parks is well underway, and adding a 5th gate would be the icing on the cake.

 

[ohioguy]

Read much.........
Staff from California to FL?

Such a cynical, negative, and pessimistic bunch eh.......

Good forbid any positive news around here.

I'm all for a 5th gate. I think the other parks need their expansions first, but a 5th gate is definitely needed and welcomed.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I wish I could make my imagination work as well as some of you can. If what they say is true and the attendance is way down, why in the hell would they spend billions for a new gate and what would be the theme and why would that bring enough in to justify it. They still have so much space to add to what they already have. Let's get them to do that first.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

5th gates make zero sense from the business end. They found that out in 1998…nothing has ever changed. Or will.

 

[mysto]

ESPN was the 5th gate. The sixth will be 'Wedding Expo USA'. Fantasy parks fans may be disappointed.

A massive wedding expo is a great business decision, hook young parents early and start putting pressure on them to bring the kids to the happiest place. The childless aren't really desirable, so pounce as soon as they start forming families and offer some DVC pitches. They will be dismantling the wedding pavilion in Bay Lake now that it's been ruined by the Polyday.

The concept art includes a "Villains Wedding Expo USA" land targeting goth and emo couples. I hear the concept art for a black wedding pavilion is stunning.

</satire>
</sort of>

 

[NickMaio]

It really is......

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I wish I could make my imagination work as well as some of you can. If what they say is true and the attendance is way down, why in the hell would they make spend billions for a new gate and what would be the theme and why would that bring enough in to justify it. They still have so much space to add to what they already have. Let's get them to do that first.

A new park would just shift people out of the old parks and increase the sunk cost.

It’s called park cannibalization and Eisner learned it well.

The thought was “people will add days”…nope…they just shifted days inside the same 7 day window. That’s how travel works…especially when you need masses to pull profits.

None of this is new…nothing has changed.

What this “development agreement” - which by definition means nothing - does is serve all the interests:
1. It allows Disney to not look flat footed
2. It allows Florida to repair some of the damage and show it’s still looking to grow
3. It allows Orlando to keep the service workers placated by saying “big things and a $0.50 raise coming your way”
4. It allows Bob to tell the brokers on the other end of his leash that he can still manipulate markets with no actual promises

This is really PR 101

 

[NickMaio]

I wish I could make my imagination work as well as some of you can. If what they say is true and the attendance is way down, why in the hell would they spend billions for a new gate and what would be the theme and why would that bring enough in to justify it. They still have so much space to add to what they already have. Let's get them to do that first.

To draw more people in.
60 billion is a heck of a lot of expansions - don't you tink

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

To draw more people in.
60 billion is a heck of a lot of expansions - don't you tink

Did they last park they opened draw more people in?

 

[mysto]

Disney's Happily Ever After Wedding Celebration Universe?

That one will terrify Universal's lords, stomp all over their brand recognition. Talk about a response to EU.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Disney's Happily Ever After Wedding Celebration Universe?

That one will terrify Universal's lords, stomp all over their brand recognition. Talk about a response to EU.

…weddings is big business

This came up recently…did you know that weddings in wdw used to be a good deal/value?
Totally true.

Not the case now.

Very much like dvc

 

[Goofyernmost]

Seriously, if the really wanted to draw more people in. Add more attractions to the expansion pads that already exist or create new pads, fill those damn empty buildings that once housed some really nice attractions, lower the admission fee, get rid of the god awful Genie+ and Lightening Lane, lower the park hopper fee to make it easier for people to leave an overcrowded park and go to one of the others, Stop building new hotels and allow the area just off property to thrive letting more people with budget concerns have the opportunity to visit the parks without having to take out a second mortgage.

They are still riding on the coattails of a guy that has been dead for 56 years. That piece of material has started to get pretty threadbare as we are now into the third or forth generation of people that never heard of Walt Disney.

They have done everything that would have killed any other business by increasing the number of people that are going to be just one and done and faced so much frustration that they will never return. They have also made the situation a job instead of an adventure. For many of us once very loyal and addicted people that find the whole thing currently not worth the effort needed. Or the cost for not having anywhere near the fun experience we once were afforded.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Seriously, if the really wanted to draw more people in. Add more attractions to the expansion pads that already exits or create new pads, fill those damn empty buildings that once housed some really nice attractions, lower the admission fee, get rid of the god awful Genie+ and Lightening Lane, lower the park hopper fee to make it easier for people to leave an overcrowded park and go to one of the others, Stop building new hotels and allow the area just off property to thrive letting more people with budget concerns have the opportunity to visit the parks without having to take out a second mortgage.

They are still riding on the coattails of a guy that has been dead for 56 years. That piece of material has started to get pretty threadbare as we are now into the third or forth generation of people that never heard of Walt Disney.

They have done everything that would have killed any other business by increasing the number of people that are going to be just one and done and faced so much frustration that they will never return. They have also made the situation a job instead of an adventure. For many of us once very loyal and addicted people that find the whole thing currently not worth the effort needed. Or the cost for not having anywhere near the fun experience we once were afforded.

Agreed

Park additions involve much less sunk operational costs than new developments

Why create more stress/problems?

This announcement is just to save face from a PR standpoint…any changes will be in the form of working on existing areas

 

[Dead2009]

They hedged their bets and said "laying the groundwork for a 5th gate". The competition from Universal is real and threatening. Unspoken on the expected flat rate of attendance and profit is the diversion of tourist dollars from Disney to Universal.

Deadline isn't some fan site; they have their sources. I don't think we can expect an announcement anytime soon, but it would be awesome if it happened. Expansion at all four parks is well underway, and adding a 5th gate would be the icing on the cake.

I still have my hunch that Disney is going to announce a 5th gate on the opening day of Epic Universe to take away a lot of their buzz.