A Spirited Perfect Ten

[ford91exploder]

Do you have numbers to back this up?

In my line of work I deal with the 5%'ers and C-level executives and at least the ones I know are skipping WDW and going to Universal instead.

Just my personal experience and every time the reason is the same 'there is nothing NEW at WDW' and they find the WDW hotels overpriced for the services provided.

 

[ford91exploder]

Anyone else get "An Exclusive Offer for Florida Residents" from the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World? "Enjoy rates from $295 that include Valet Parking and Wi-Fi. Available for select dates now through July 1, 2015 and August 17 - October 4, 2015."

Compare that to the Grand Flo rate of $361/night on average for Outer Bldg - Garden View that I just looked up on the Disney site.

Yep I got that one too.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

This would be amazing but I'm remaining cautiously optimistic. I would love to have a Disney park less than two hours from my home!

I would advise strongly against any optimism at all, be it cautious or otherwise.

 

[Bairstow]

Well any other way of using a Gyrosphere as a ride vehicle I would imagine would be way too complicated. There's nothing inherently wrong with screens. Like other things in life, it's how you use them. Star Tours imo is one of the best examples because of the fact you're supposed to be looking out a window in the StarSpeeder so it fits really well. If Uni could make a ride that takes that and fully surrounds you (above, below, behind, and to the sides) it could be an amazing experience.

Like Turtle Trek?

I'm just afraid it would end up being like MachStorm or Star Wars: Battle Pod.

 

[ChrisFL]

New article about Disney's Mom Army

http://www.businessinsider.com/disneys-powerful-marketing-force-social-media-moms-2015-6

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Breaking News: Jurassic World Sets Box Office Record Topping Avengers for the #1 Spot

Jurassic World set records for Opening Weekend both domestically and worldwide with $208.8 Million and $524 Million, respectively.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottme...c-world-scores-record-breaking-209m-us-debut/

With Furious 7 and Minions, this should be a good year for Universal.

 

[Mike S]

Like Turtle Talk?

I'm just afraid it would end up being like MachStorm or Star Wars: Battle Pod.

I was talking rides, but yeah.

For the pod I guess the ride vehicle would be bigger. Maybe 4-6 riders per Gyrosphere? Also a much more surrounding screen, 3D, and a motion base.

Ok, that's enough imagineering. Really sorry guys. Got caught up in JW hype since last nights news of its success.

 

[BrianLo]

I usually enjoy what Robert Niles has to say. Unlike most lifestylers and worse, the ones who proclaim themselves to be journalists, the man actually was one. He doesn't appear to be most interested in growing his BRAND by feeding at the whoring trough.

That said, his column today really got my dander up (and it doesn't get up as easy as it once did). He was quoted in that Washington Post story from Friday on Disney's pricing and how they have priced the vast majority of Americans out of their parks in Florida, despite ever lowered standards and what you are actually getting for your money.

Robert also gave Fast and Furious: Supercharged a fairly positive review (he may be just about the only person to do so)... I'd say he's having an off week.

 

[flynnibus]

Breaking News: Jurassic World Sets Box Office Record Topping Avengers for the #1 Spot

Jurassic World set records for Opening Weekend both domestically and worldwide with $208.8 Million and $524 Million, respectively.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottme...c-world-scores-record-breaking-209m-us-debut/

With Furious 7 and Minions, this should be a good year for Universal.

I wonder what the final marketing spend on this thing will be... its had more ads than any movie I can recall in recent memory

 

[PhotoDave219]

So lets talk CM Maingate blackouts at MK... AGAIN. (as @akayw0718 reminds us, a maingate is just getting friends/family in and does not block out a CM's admission)

2014?

• 42% of the entire year (153 days), a CM maingate was blacked out.
• 2014 through June 13th? 54 days out of 164. 33% of the time.
• February 2014 has zero days. July was blacked out 28 times, or 90% of the month.
• 25% of the blacked out time, a peak crowd showed. (38 times)
• 9% of the blacked out time, an off-peak crowd shows. (14 times)
• 6.5% of the blacked out time, a crowd level of 1/2 showed. (10 times, split evenly)
• 66% of the blacked out time, an average crowd showed. (101 times)
• Of those, A crowd level of 7 showed 42 times or 28% of the blacked out time.

So for 2014? They clearly blew it about 9% of the blacked out days. At least 25% of the time, it was justifiable, with a peak crowd showing. The other 66%? Thats an excellent question.

Here's the visual breakdown by crowd level.

2015 So Far?

• 50% of the year THUS FAR (through June 13th) was blacked out. 82 out of 164 days. Or 28 more times than 2014, thru same time period.
• March has the most (sofar, that will change) with 21 days blacked out/67.7% of the time. January had the least, six times or 19% of the month
• June through the 13th has the most percentage wise, with 84% of the this month, 11 of 13 days. (That will change.)
• 45% of the blacked out time, a peak crowd (8+) showed. (37 times, also 22.5% of the year thus far)
• 3.6% of the blacked out time, an off-peak crowd (1-3) showed. (Three times, one crowd level 2 and two crowd level 3. )
• 51% of the blacked out time, an average crowd (4-7) showed. (42 times)
• 33% of the blacked out crowd, a crowd level 6 or 7 showed. (27 times)
• The most frequent black out days happened on either a crowd level 6 day or a crowd level 9 day, each 16 times.

Observations? Well, they're more accurate with which days could be justifiably blacked out, only blowing it three times. 45% of the time, its justifiable IMO. Did blacking out those 27 days of a 6 or a 7 really work? IDK.


Here's the Comparisons of 2014 v 2015 for the first 5 months. Clearly, many more blackout days in 2015. When June ends, I'll include that data. And June will spike.

More fun with numbers at the beginning of next month, we'll look at the first six months of 2015 vs 2013 & 2014 and see what trends emerge.

Sources: Blackout days, Disney. Crowd Level, Touring Plans. Peak Crowds are defined as 8+. Average 4-7 and Off-Peak 1-3.

 

[AEfx]

Again, feel like Universal jumped the gun boxing Jurassic Park in with the new Kong ride.

Come on, though - this is Universal. I mean, they connected TWO PARKS with a RIDE...surely they could lead you from the Visitors Center to another plot of land for the Gyro experience. I have no doubts they will figure out a way to build it.

 

[AEfx]

I wonder what the final marketing spend on this thing will be... its had more ads than any movie I can recall in recent memory

Honestly, maybe it's because I watch a lot of ABC/Disney channel, but I saw just as many ads for Tomorrowland...if not more.

 

[AEfx]

I milk the hell out of material. Cost effective that way.

Well, just be careful - we wouldn't want to endanger your BRAND!

 

[PhotoDave219]

I didn't go back far enough. My apologies.

As far the 50% of the year so far...that just feels mean.

Looking at what is scheduled sofar? Its completely mean. It may change but the entire summer from now until end of August (or when Florida schools go back) is blacked out for Maingates.

 

[AEfx]

You're talking about the oscars right?

LOL, no, the Tony's.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Well, just be careful - we wouldn't want to endanger your BRAND!

I have no Brand. Maybe I should. Maybe a nice map of Hawaii could be my logo?

 

[wdisney9000]

And yet, the parks are still jammed full. Something isn't adding up.

MK is jammed full, not the others. And how does it have anything to do with the company alienating customers or adding blockout dates for CM's? It doesnt, unless your an apologist.

If you think MK being crowded excuses the company from doing such things, then your just the type of rube they want.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Figment sequel officially announced: FIgment 2: Legacy of Imagination

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...n-new-disney-kingdoms-comic-series-this-fall/

Plot summary sure sounds meta

“Our new journey picks up right where the previous mini-series left off. Figment and Dreamfinder are now in the modern world and they’re going to discover that a lot of things have changed in their absence. The legacy of dreams and imagination they left behind more than a hundred years ago is greater than they ever expected, but they’re going to find it hard to live up to their own legend. Couple that with a young dreamer inspired by the Academy Scientifica-Lucidus and a dark threat from an unexpected source and we’ve got all the ingredients for high adventure.”

 

[Goofyernmost]

MK is jammed full, not the others. And how does it have anything to do with the company alienating customers or adding blockout dates for CM's? It doesnt, unless your an apologist.

If you think MK being crowded excuses the company from doing such things, then your just the type of rube they want.

Nothing, and thanks for taking the high road and not resorting to name calling. Very mature of you! Anyway we were talking about how all those things were driving people away which obviously it is not, at least not yet. Adding blackout or subtracting blackout has zero affect on how the paying public sees WDW. That fact is that most of them do not even know what the CM's perks might or might not be. That is a completely separate argument for a completely different topic.

 

[AEfx]

I was talking rides, but yeah.

For the pod I guess the ride vehicle would be bigger. Maybe 4-6 riders per Gyrosphere? Also a much more surrounding screen, 3D, and a motion base.

Ok, that's enough imagineering. Really sorry guys. Got caught up in JW hype since last nights news of its success.

No no no no!!

No simulator.

I think you guys are getting too complex. The gyrosphere doesn't actually have to simulate the ones in the film exactly. Indoor, dark ride, outside portion, scary Dino's, track based is fine, but it would be really awesome if they used a trackless type system that they have at the International Disney parks.

I think you guys are getting too wrapped up in getting the ride vehicle to be exactly like the one in the film and not seeing how dead simple it could be - omnimover with a outer shell.