cdd89
Well-Known Member
Disney are promoting the heck out of Inside Out. The WDS park in Paris has the movie adorning every spare inch of poster space in the park. I'm sure it'll be great, but between it and the glorified Tomorrowland trailer in EPCOT... well, I'm just not sure where they're going with this. I know Disney think their parks are a branding tool for their property, but I don't think most visitors go to the parks to be sold forthcoming Disney movies (the product placement in Art Of Animation is equally objectionable IMO).
Having done 3 resorts this month (yes, time for a break I think... now I've done Tokyo Disneyland park I can slow down!) I was a bit surprised by how much material Paris sees fit to re-use. Not only Disney Dreams of Christmas (/Christmas Wishes etc) but also the Easter parade, which was playing in TDL as well. I've nothing against sharing of materials per-se, but it seems Paris rarely does anything original. Why does my local park have to be the derivative one?
Seeing DisneySea once again really spells out the trouble WDW is in frankly. Universal would never survive in Tokyo because the OLC doesn't take guest satisfaction for granted, and Universal wouldn't be able to build up the moment required for success... meanwhile, WDW's complacency has given rise to competition that I would suggest they are now powerless to stop, even if they did start pouring in obscene amounts of cash. Even if I prefer the WDW atmosphere several times over that of UOR, I don't think anyone with half a brain can deny that UOR has the better attraction lineup... and that's comparing two parks against four.
Perhaps part of the reason why screen-heavy attractions seem to have become "preferred" for high-budget investments is just a matter of Disney copying what works for Universal. Certainly if you look at Sindbad's Storybook Voyage, it proves that the traditional dark ride is far from dead. I must have enjoyed that at least 7 times. If all Disney knocks out is a useless Little Mermaid attraction, it's not surprising the public's imagination isn't being captured any more... and that's a shame because an exceptional dark ride is infinitely more repeatable than the likes of Harry Potter, Ratatouille, etc.
I think it's an interesting observation that WDW presses merchandise at every opportunity (and blocks off non-gift-shop exits to attractions), and yet a minority (a significant minority, but a minority nonetheless) brandish Disney products as they tour the park... and meanwhile TDL rarely forces you through a gift shop, and yet 95% of people I saw had some piece of Disney merchandise (ranging from small to waaaay-over-the-top).
I also thought it's interesting that meals (both table service and counter service) are delicious and great value in TDR (although I'm beginning to think the Secret Room in Mallegans is actually the Get-The-Underdressed-Idiot-Western-Tourist-Out-Of-Everyone's-Sight room, since I was ushered in there without even asking). It certainly beats the rip-off joint known as Be Our Guest, where I paid a small fortune for by a long way the worst meal I have eaten at a Disney restaurant... including Disneyland Paris, which is saying a lot (and I chose a Dinner slot under the illusion that would make the food better... think again).
Sorry for the long post, but hey, I feel better for having got that random assortment of nonsense off my chest - so if you read this, consider it your charitable contribution for the day
Having done 3 resorts this month (yes, time for a break I think... now I've done Tokyo Disneyland park I can slow down!) I was a bit surprised by how much material Paris sees fit to re-use. Not only Disney Dreams of Christmas (/Christmas Wishes etc) but also the Easter parade, which was playing in TDL as well. I've nothing against sharing of materials per-se, but it seems Paris rarely does anything original. Why does my local park have to be the derivative one?
Seeing DisneySea once again really spells out the trouble WDW is in frankly. Universal would never survive in Tokyo because the OLC doesn't take guest satisfaction for granted, and Universal wouldn't be able to build up the moment required for success... meanwhile, WDW's complacency has given rise to competition that I would suggest they are now powerless to stop, even if they did start pouring in obscene amounts of cash. Even if I prefer the WDW atmosphere several times over that of UOR, I don't think anyone with half a brain can deny that UOR has the better attraction lineup... and that's comparing two parks against four.
Perhaps part of the reason why screen-heavy attractions seem to have become "preferred" for high-budget investments is just a matter of Disney copying what works for Universal. Certainly if you look at Sindbad's Storybook Voyage, it proves that the traditional dark ride is far from dead. I must have enjoyed that at least 7 times. If all Disney knocks out is a useless Little Mermaid attraction, it's not surprising the public's imagination isn't being captured any more... and that's a shame because an exceptional dark ride is infinitely more repeatable than the likes of Harry Potter, Ratatouille, etc.
I think it's an interesting observation that WDW presses merchandise at every opportunity (and blocks off non-gift-shop exits to attractions), and yet a minority (a significant minority, but a minority nonetheless) brandish Disney products as they tour the park... and meanwhile TDL rarely forces you through a gift shop, and yet 95% of people I saw had some piece of Disney merchandise (ranging from small to waaaay-over-the-top).
I also thought it's interesting that meals (both table service and counter service) are delicious and great value in TDR (although I'm beginning to think the Secret Room in Mallegans is actually the Get-The-Underdressed-Idiot-Western-Tourist-Out-Of-Everyone's-Sight room, since I was ushered in there without even asking). It certainly beats the rip-off joint known as Be Our Guest, where I paid a small fortune for by a long way the worst meal I have eaten at a Disney restaurant... including Disneyland Paris, which is saying a lot (and I chose a Dinner slot under the illusion that would make the food better... think again).
Sorry for the long post, but hey, I feel better for having got that random assortment of nonsense off my chest - so if you read this, consider it your charitable contribution for the day
