A Spirited Perfect Ten

[spacemt354]

And yet Walt Disney World still eats Universal's lunch when it comes to park attendance. Why is that, I wonder? Well, it's obvious, actually - it's the Disney difference. Magic, enchantment, pixie dust, Walt, whatever...it's what helps keep Disney distinct and apart and above other parks like Universal, Busch Gardens, etc, which are quite nice places with some great attractions - but they're not Disney, and people know it and visit and spend accordingly. Because I beg to differ - most families DO know and DO care. Injecting more Disney into DCA is what saved it; even Iger acknowledges that.

Yes, WDW needs to build more and invest more into its attractions. That doesn't mean it has to look outside itself to find concepts that will attract more park guests. Its past and CURRENT success with its own creations proves that.

Park attendance isn't the best determinant when deciding which theme park is "best" Much of Disney's theme park attendance numbers (particularly at DHS and DAK) are from multi-day park hopper passes, not necessarily individual gate clicks.

I don't think the "Disney difference" is as obvious anymore because it's becoming more evident that competition is catching on to what the Disney difference is. Quality attractions, detail, holistic environments, on-site resorts, charming and helpful cast members, and most importantly, listening to what guests want.

You're claiming that most families simply care for Disney because its Disney, then why has Universal been doing so well? While the title above attractions can certainly attract guests, the quality of said attraction is what brings people back again and again. For example, if people only want "Disney" in the park then why is the Tower of Terror one of the most popular rides in Walt Disney World? It's because of quality.

I can agree to an extent that certainly the Disney name is popular, and the inclusion of "Disney" rides/shows/etc will attract guests.

But as Walt Disney said "Quality will out"

If Cars Land was not superb quality it wouldn't have mattered whether or not it was a "Disney" item.

 

[tribbleorlfl]

If Disney was happy with its performance, we would have had a sequel by now. Disney considered Tron a disappointment. Not a disaster. But not worth rolling the dice again.

I'm sure there's a nugget of truth to this, as TL probably barely made it into the black (if at all). However, it wasn't the high-cost bombs that Carter and Ranger were, and arguably had more factors going against it than the other films (chief among them, being a sequel to a 30 year-old, high concept niche sci-fi film).

Reportedly the 3rd film is still in the works, with the script going through rewrites. As another poster pointed out, I don't believe the company builds a major attraction without plans to use it again at some point.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

And yet Walt Disney World still eats Universal's lunch when it comes to park attendance. Why is that, I wonder? Well, it's obvious, actually - it's the Disney difference. Magic, enchantment, pixie dust, Walt, whatever...it's what helps keep Disney distinct and apart and above other parks like Universal, Busch Gardens, etc, which are quite nice places with some great attractions - but they're not Disney, and people know it and visit and spend accordingly. Because I beg to differ - most families DO know and DO care. Injecting more Disney into DCA is what saved it; even Iger acknowledges that.

Yes, WDW needs to build more and invest more into its attractions. That doesn't mean it has to look outside itself to find concepts that will attract more park guests. Its past and CURRENT success with its own creations proves that.

It could be that Disney has a 34 year head start in developing a reputation as a family vacation destination combined with a clean quality product. I believe that most people would rather have a high quality Star Wars attraction in their Disney park than something like Little Mermaid even though Mermaid is Disney and Star Wars is not.

 

[Donald Razorduck]

If memory serves me correctly, and it doesn't always, they were in Galveston for about a year up until Dec 2013 and they have cruises showing on their schedule for the holiday season Nov 2015/Dec 2015/Jan 2016. Not sure why they couldn't fill the ships without lowering prices, guess we're just frugal here in Texas.

After some Googling:

Galveston is spending 11 million to upgrade one of the two existing terminals to handle larger ships. Royal Caribbean has committed to using larger ships when done and Carnival will add a third freak show on water (sorry Carnival lovers) errr....ship. They are drawing up plans for a new, third terminal.

Bayport, up the Bay a bit, now has Norwegian and Princess sailing from there. There was nothing there in 2013.

That's a lot of competition. But that could lead to more folks looking to sail from there due to the options. Apparently, Canadians are a target demo.

All that only underscores my suggestion of a Marvel-centric Park in Texas.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The Weather Channel is absolutely horrible these days. It's all sensationalist junk, with very little actual weather.

The weather channel has always been that way. I can remember back in the 90's watching it before heading from Vermont to Disney. I would listen to the forecast and the current conditions and then feel confident that it was actually the opposite of what they were saying on the air. I believe that their offices are located in a big huge building with no windows and, except for Jim Cantore no one has ever gone outside. Jim travels everywhere with his backup wind machines and fire hoses for the proper tropical downpour/hurricane effect.

Are you trying to tell me Canadians don't all have flapping heads and watch Terrance & Phillip on The Canada Channel, the only channel in Canada?!?! Next you'll tell me all the stereotypes are completely wrong. You just flipped around my whole world view!!!!!!!!!!

Not all the stereotypes are completely wrong, eh!

 

[Phil12]

Yeah, at some point in the last 8ish years, TWC lost their dang minds. Their website is now nothing but "Could THIS Be The Most Deadly Year For Weather EVER??" and similar sensationalist cr@p. I used to like their site back in the day, too. Oh well.

It happened on July 6, 2008 when NBC Universal, Bain Capital and Blackstone Group purchased The Weather Channel from Landmark Communications. In a very short period after the sale was complete in September, 2008 the original "brain trust" of The Weather Channel were all fired.

 

[Travel Junkie]

And yet Walt Disney World still eats Universal's lunch when it comes to park attendance. Why is that, I wonder? Well, it's obvious, actually - it's the Disney difference. Magic, enchantment, pixie dust, Walt, whatever...it's what helps keep Disney distinct and apart and above other parks like Universal, Busch Gardens, etc, which are quite nice places with some great attractions - but they're not Disney, and people know it and visit and spend accordingly. Because I beg to differ - most families DO know and DO care. Injecting more Disney into DCA is what saved it; even Iger acknowledges that.

Yes, WDW needs to build more and invest more into its attractions. That doesn't mean it has to look outside itself to find concepts that will attract more park guests. Its past and CURRENT success with its own creations proves that.

If the most popular meant the best quality than movies like Avatar and Transformers would win best picture Oscars. Generations of people have been going to Disney theme parks and many more will continue to due to force of habit. Disney has a history that Universal parks do not. You still see a portion of the Disney fan base that refuses to even try Universal after all they have done in recent years. That mindset is tough to crack.

WDW built a wonderful foundation and they are currently riding its coattails. If Disney started building theme parks in Florida in the late 80’s or early 90’s when Universal did look at what Disney would have. DHS and AK. Do you think those parks would outdraw USO and IOA? The blueprint for MK’s success was Disneyland, which was designed in the 1950’s. There is no way the current company would build anything like EPCOT. Looking at the creative and box office successes post EPCOT you have to look at TOT, Soarin, and Midway Mania. As nice as they maybe, you can’t convince me they are more impressive than what Universal has done in that same time period.

The so called Disney difference is dead. The service I receive at the competition is roughly the same now. The newer attractions aren’t any more special than what the competition is doing. The only difference is the innovation and brilliance of early Disney still shines through.

 

[H2O_Mouse-Ears]

Disney is sitting on its history, its legacy, its IPs largely. Time Warner is not a great analogy, although there probably isn't one.

Disney is unique in the media/entertainment business. As soon as it becomes just a collection of BRANDS, the core of what made it special and unique is diminished. I'd argue that is exactly what has happened. I'm not an ESPN fan for life. I didn't grow up pretending I was Captain America with my friends and dressing as him for Halloween. I may love the Muppets, but I also realize that Disney likely wasted their chance to be truly relevant in a big way again. I saw the original six Star Wars films in multiplexes. But my desire to see The Young Bobba Fett Chronicles isn't even on the charts compared with seeing EPCOT get some love or the MK or anywhere at WDW. I am struggling to name three shows on ABC Family or the Disney Channel right now.

What I am saying and, likely not very well as it's been a long ar$e day, is that the day that Mickey, animation and theme parks don't define the company to the masses, then it's time to break it up and sell off the pieces. Because SportsCenter, Handy Manny, Darth Vader and the Hulk sure as hell don't.

Disney is Mickey Mouse, an animation legacy dating to the dawn of film making and Disneyland.

That is it.

If you think the other stuff is more important (and more valuable), then you've gone over to the real world dark side.

Agreed "it all started with a mouse", but wasn't Disney built on outside "brands" from the beginning? The golden age of Walt Disney Animation was built on existing intellectual property such as Snow White, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, etc. Similarly the Disney Renaissance was ushered in through the adaptations of non-original works such as Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. Regardless of whether or not this is "right", I feel this ability to re-brand, re-tell existing stories and intellectual properties is what made and makes Disney unique and extremely successful.

 

[Cesar R M]

Well, they pulled Korra off of the TV schedule for the final season and only aired it online.

honestly, it was more violent and extreme than the other seasons or anything I've seen animated since japanese adult series.
not to mention the supposed gay ending didnt help.

 

[Sped2424]

You miss my point. I strongly doubt that someone who can afford DCL cruise rates and goes on one of the iteneraries that involves Norway (or any country) is going to avoid Port Excursions in said country.

What makes me upset is them using Frozen as some sort of "cultural ambassador" for Norway.

At least Mulan makes SOME sense, as it's based in China. Or Snow White in Germany. Or Belle in France.

Frozen is based in a fictional land "inspired" (they say) by Norway, and "based" (also a joke...it's not even close) on a Danish fairy tale. It's about as accurate and effective as learning about Canadian Culture by watching South Park.

If you dumb subjects down, you'll end up with dumb subjects. If you dumb experiences down, you'll end up with dumb experiences, and that's exactly what that is. Why someone needs "Anna and Elsa" to "help" (as the Disney blog says in their marketing for it) learn and experience Norway is beyond me.

Oh I am getting your approach. Which is such a cynical view point. Yes Frozen is not a a 1 to 1 representation of norway in the slightest. But neither is Mulan (huns climbing the great wall?) or beauty and the beast or even snow white. These films do little to teach you about the area or locations and instead much like frozen focus on a fantastical fairytale. But if these excursions or cruise lines use these properties as the bait to get people who would have never cultured themselves in the first place in order for them to try a little culture well, I think that's a very good thing. Regardless of their initial purpose for doing so at least they are doing so. It's a little uppity of you honestly to get mad at people for actually taking the plunge to visit these locations. No matter how they weave Anna and Elsa into the story there is just no way that actual Norwegian history, facts, food, or otherwise won't be apart of the actual excursions when visiting Norway. Let them use Anna and Elsa as bait to get folks to visit a real great country, because people will actually see and learn about a place they would have never visited otherwise. These people are going to go in clueless, and perhaps walk out with anything more than they would have ever learned from watching Frozen. And that is a very VERY good thing. There are reasons to hate the use of Frozen (Maelstrom) but them using it as a weenie to get people to visit the actual Norway? Not one of them.

 

[Sped2424]

honestly, it was more violent and extreme than the other seasons or anything I've seen animated since japanese adult series.
not to mention the supposed gay ending didnt help.

Not supposed it was confirmed canon by the creators themselves. And the only violence that was a jaw dropper was the Pi li death at the end of season 3 (which was awesome. lol).

 

[RayTheFirefly]

It happened on July 6, 2008 when NBC Universal, Bain Capital and Blackstone Group purchased The Weather Channel from Landmark Communications. In a very short period after the sale was complete in September, 2008 the original "brain trust" of The Weather Channel were all fired.

And there we have the answer.

 

[ford91exploder]

Oh I am getting your approach. Which is such a cynical view point. Yes Frozen is not a a 1 to 1 representation of norway in the slightest. But neither is Mulan (huns climbing the great wall?) or beauty and the beast or even snow white. These films do little to teach you about the area or locations and instead much like frozen focus on a fantastical fairytale. But if these excursions or cruise lines use these properties as the bait to get people who would have never cultured themselves in the first place in order for them to try a little culture well, I think that's a very good thing. Regardless of their initial purpose for doing so at least they are doing so. It's a little uppity of you honestly to get mad at people for actually taking the plunge to visit these locations. No matter how they weave Anna and Elsa into the story there is just no way that actual Norwegian history, facts, food, or otherwise won't be apart of the actual excursions when visiting Norway. Let them use Anna and Elsa as bait to get folks to visit a real great country, because people will actually see and learn about a place they would have never visited otherwise. These people are going to go in clueless, and perhaps walk out with anything more than they would have ever learned from watching Frozen. And that is a very VERY good thing. There are reasons to hate the use of Frozen (Maelstrom) but them using it as a weenie to get people to visit the actual Norway? Not one of them.

In the case of Mulan - the great wall WAS built to keep out the Huns (nomadic tribes from the steppes of mongolia) and some of them found their way to central europe and became the Magyar's of which Attilla ut-te-luh if you want to pronounce it correctly is the best known.

 

[Sped2424]

In the case of Mulan - the great wall WAS built to keep out the Huns (nomadic tribes from the steppes of mongolia) and some of them found their way to central europe and became the Magyar's of which Attilla ut-te-luh if you want to pronounce it correctly is the best known.

I guess I should have stated that it didn't happen the way the movie suggested. Where one hun took the wall as a invitation to raid the country up until trying to assassinate the emperor only for him to be stopped by mulan upon a rooftop lol.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Change of Topics.... from the FAILING TO PAY ATTENTION Department..... The Epcot Starbucks Mugs were pulled. Why? Because they depict monorail purple.

And as we all know, monorail purple was the one involved in a fatal accident.

So clearly someone in management wasnt paying attention here. Maybe they were off at Perkins while it was approved?

http://mynews13.com/content/news/cf...icles/cfn/2015/1/28/disney_starbucks_mug.html

 

[PhotoDave219]

Heck of a nice guy. My wife did one of her internships at SHS when he did a fundraiser to help with the baseball team's expenses. Signed autographs and took pictures for over an hour, and was far more engaging with the fans than most of the athletes I've encountered in this hobby.

One of the nicest guys I've met in professional sports. Cole Hamels would be the opposite.

 

[Clamman73]

Change of Topics.... from the FAILING TO PAY ATTENTION Department..... The Epcot Starbucks Mugs were pulled. Why? Because they depict monorail purple.

And as we all know, monorail purple was the one involved in a fatal accident.

So clearly someone in management wasnt paying attention here. Maybe they were off at Perkins while it was approved?

http://mynews13.com/content/news/cf...icles/cfn/2015/1/28/disney_starbucks_mug.html

and they're becoming a hot item on eBay.

 

[71jason]

Didn't know that, how long ago? With the continued growth in Texas, I wonder if it is becoming more feasible again. Galveston still needs more improving but things are looking way up. We went there last summer, between Kemah Boardwalk, Galveston Pleasure Pier, Moody Gardens and Shlitterbahn there's plenty of stuff to do right before and after a cruise with kids and there's more coming to the area. When I was there, Galveston was in the process of expanding or adding another a terminal. Plus Houston has it's terminal going.

DCL still relies heavily--too heavily?--on the hard core Disney fans who can't imagine not pairing a visit to the parks with their cruise or who are hard-core enough that they've moved to SW Orlando. Not to mention cheap rates for 40,000 CMs to fill last-minute openings.

While I'm a huge DCL fan, their failure to attract guests who fear it will be "too Disney" has to be their biggest hurdle.

 

[bhg469]

One of the nicest guys I've met in professional sports. Cole Hamels would be the opposite.

Photodave, naming names! When's your tell all dropping?

 

[hopemax]

Change of Topics.... from the FAILING TO PAY ATTENTION Department..... The Epcot Starbucks Mugs were pulled. Why? Because they depict monorail purple.

And as we all know, monorail purple was the one involved in a fatal accident.

So clearly someone in management wasnt paying attention here. Maybe they were off at Perkins while it was approved?

http://mynews13.com/content/news/cf...icles/cfn/2015/1/28/disney_starbucks_mug.html

And I missed being able to get one by 1 week! Ugh. I loved the color and design of that mug.

Returning to the lifestyler discussion for a moment. This popped up on my Feedly, and it made me smile, because "if you find yourself irritated when other people don't use a Disney thing's "proper" name, you might be a lifestyler." And yes, I'm a pin person... but anyway. Pin blogger had a copy of the Epcot Center book, and then found under the dust jacket found someone's itinerary from their park visit. And I just love how the attractions are listed

https://www.disneypinsblog.com/rare-find/

World of little people and the Pirates of Pen (I'm assuming Penzance)