A Spirited Perfect Ten

[ford91exploder]

You know, I've seen this sentiment before and it gets repeated a lot, but is there any reason to think it is true? Maybe its true for the actual leadership of Disney, but that's specific individuals. But if you take a group of financial types, surely some segment of them enjoy visiting theme parks. I don't think there's any intrinsic reason why business executives would de facto not like theme parks.

The problem is TWDC executives don't like theme parks... And the majority of Wall St guys hate attractions which the 'little people' frequent. Classism is alive and well in America.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Big Thunder Mountain comic is out today. Has that character they based off Tony Baxter pouring himself a drink in his very first scene.

He looks exactly like Powers Boothe's character from Deadwood.

 

[BrerJon]

It never went away and 'Blue Ocean' is a valid strategy, TWDC through the late 1990's was true blue ocean, Apple is blue ocean as is UNI.

In the end true blue ocean is create a product which customers did not even KNOW they wanted, Disneyland, iPhone, Disney Cruise Line and competition for a time is irrelevant.

The Disney vision of Blue Ocean was to stop building attractions, ignore the competition, and instead spend the money on Magic Bands and a new Fastpass system - something guests didn't know they wanted - very Blue ocean.

I question whether it's that genius a move really, as just because a guest didn't know they wanted it doesn't mean they'll rush to spend more money because of it, not any more than had they followed a traditional business model of building new attractions.

Blue ocean works if the public want that new thing, like a new circus or a new cruise line, but is it still great if all they do is try something nobody has much interest in, like MyMagic?

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

Have you seen EE from the parking lot? Nice unfinished wall. EE is great but not on the same level as Splash.

To be fair, WDI did go back and theme the part of the backside that is visible from the parking lot to look like a village carved into the mountain. This shows they do care about the details, especially considering the majority of guests couldn't care less about seeing part of the show building before entering the park (and from a parking lot no less). In any case, I'm not sure it is fair to criticize an attraction based on how it looks outside the confines of the park. Everest looks stunning inside AK, and I think that's what matters most.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3099/2678836074_8a12e93e32.jpg

I do agree Splash Mountain is a better attraction than Everest, but I wouldn't use the unfinished show building of Everest as an argument for it being better. If you look backstage in Frontierland, you can see the backside of it is also unfinished like most attractions.

http://www.disneypix.com/MagicKingdom/Adventureland/2004c/Exclusive/ALe1104-01.jpg

This would be a different argument if the unthemed show building was visible to guests inside the park, like Forbidden Journey at IoA (the white building is still visible despite their attempts to paint most of the in-park portion).

 

[Finiamh123]

The Disney vision of Blue Ocean is to stop building attractions, but instead spend the money on Magic Bands and a new Fastpass system - something guests didn't know they wanted. I question whether it's that genius a move really, as just because a guest didn't know they wanted it doesn't mean they'll rush to spend more money because of it, not any more than had they followed a traditional business model of building new attractions.

New Fantasyland and Magicband/Fastpass+ were both under construction/design I'm sure at the same time in some ways so to say they "stopped building attractions" to concentrate on the bands does not hold water. Many things were undergoing design/refurb/construction while MB/FP+ were being initiated. Just because a new E-ticket or even "D-ticket" doesn't open every year doesn't mean Disney has stopped caring.

 

[ford91exploder]

The Disney vision of Blue Ocean was to stop building attractions, ignore the competition, and instead spend the money on Magic Bands and a new Fastpass system - something guests didn't know they wanted - very Blue ocean.

I question whether it's that genius a move really, as just because a guest didn't know they wanted it doesn't mean they'll rush to spend more money because of it, not any more than had they followed a traditional business model of building new attractions.

Blue ocean works if the public want that new thing, like a new circus or a new cruise line, but is it still great if all they do is try something nobody has much interest in, like MyMagic?

I think the O town market has spoken on that one, Disney just eked out a couple percent gain, UNI 38% gain AFTER spending millions on HPL 2.0.

 

[ford91exploder]

New Fantasyland and Magicband/Fastpass+ were both under construction/design I'm sure at the same time in some ways so to say they "stopped building attractions" to concentrate on the bands does not hold water. Many things were undergoing design/refurb/construction while MB/FP+ were being initiated. Just because a new E-ticket or even "D-ticket" doesn't open every year doesn't mean Disney has stopped caring.

The LAST E-Ticket at WDW was 11 years ago, Sorry thanks for playing

 

[Mike S]

The LAST E-Ticket at WDW was 11 years ago, Sorry thanks for playing

In 2017 it'll be 11 years. Now it's 9.

 

[Finiamh123]

The LAST E-Ticket at WDW was 11 years ago, Sorry thanks for playing

I also mentioned D-tickets as well. Regardless of semantics, Disney didn't HALT money or all effort to do MB/FP+. There are things always in motion and development. Rides considered E-Ticket or not, Fantasyland was no small deal.

 

[flynnibus]

It's DIsney's interpretation of 'Blue Ocean' which is flawed, Not Blue Ocean itself, DL and DCL were 'Blue Ocean' concepts'

I wouldn't even say it's their interpretation - but rather their product choice that people didn't like. The problem is people using keywords to bandwagon on things... creating negative connotations and throwing those around haphazardly. I just wish for more intelligent conversation at times...

 

[cheezbat]

How long is a while? I was last there over NYE and it hasn't been working unless it was addressed during a refurb after that

They fixed the jumping fountains in the latest refurb. That was one of the things that (surprisingly) was working when I rode it yesterday.

 

[Frankie The Beer]

DIS down 2 bucks today to $105.00.

Doing a little research on DIS stock split history, here are the last 3 times DIS has split.

Jul 10, 1998 3 : 1 38.13 111.00 (Jul 09) 3.05%
May 18, 1992 4 : 1 39.63 152.87 (May 15) 3.70%
Mar 06, 1986 4 : 1 35.75 142.63 (Mar 05) 0.26%

If DIS gets to $120, I bet there will be a three to one split.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Unless anyone's head has been in the sand for decades, talk of cuts to a project should come as no surprise. However, since perhaps when the park was first built, has there been any large project that didn't experience cuts in its budget?

Sure!

Shanghai Disneyland's budget was increased by $800 million to add a bunch of exciting, new attractions.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I couldn't agree more. I haven't seen the park as bad as you described, but it's no secret that it needs more high capacity attractions. There are plenty of options:

• New attraction in Adventureland... perhaps a 20K Leagues variant, evidently it belongs in Trader Sam's alongside Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise and Pirates content.
• Have an actual bridge/land connection to Tom Sawyer's Island, there's room for at least one ride
• Relocate it's a small world and/or the Tomorrowland Speedway. Use the additional real estate for more Fantasyland content.
• Start over in Tomorrowland. Nothing is safe.

I wouldn't be surprised if a Tomorrowland overhaul is coming, but realistically it would be 5-6 years away at the earliest given what else is in the pipeline. Sure, they could have $500-$1 billion projects all going on simultaneously in each park, but we've been conditioned to expect far less than that.

I mean this in the nicest way but ...

No, no, no.

The Magic Kingdom needs nothing.

WDW needs 3 other theme parks that have so many exciting attractions that they actually draw people away from the Magic Kingdom.

WDW needs the "Cars Land Treatment Times Three".

 

[GoofGoof]

Sure!

Shanghai Disneyland's budget was increased by $800 million to add a bunch of exciting, new attractions.

That and Nextgen

 

[Lee]

He looks exactly like Powers Boothe's character from Deadwood.

Ah, good ol' Cy Tolliver...
Bonus points for invoking the name of my favorite show ever.

Also, if they want it to look like Tony, they need to make his clothes more brown.

 

[Nubs70]

Ah, good ol' Cy Tolliver...
Bonus points for invoking the name of my favorite show ever.

Also, if they want it to look like Tony, they need to make his clothes more brown.

I really loved Ian McShane's character. It would be really cool and absolutely highly inappropriate if the dubbed in one of his tirades on the mist screen in PotC

 

[Lee]

I really loved Ian McShane's character.

Greatest TV character, and possibly performance, of the 21st century.
I've got a signed photo on my wall..

 

[Nubs70]

Greatest TV character, and possibly performance, of the 21st century.
I've got a signed photo on my wall..

Is the salutation "Dear corksucker"? I ask in reference to the character not being accusatory.

I think I am going to schedule some binge watching on Amazon this weekend.

 

[Lee]

Is the salutation "Dear corksucker"? I ask in reference to the character not being accusatory

That would've been awesome, but no.