A Spirited Perfect Ten

[PhotoDave219]

Well, this is the last "DHS is in Dire Straits" chart of the night.

The simple distribution of Average & Below vs Above Average Crowds. Added in is the Resort Baseline from 2013 & 14 to show where they should be. Simply put, Studios is behaving a lot like 2013.

We'll see how the summer and the rest of this month plays out.

 

[WDW1974]

Which is where I'm at too. I expected a scenario like Lee presented, which means there was NEVER going to be a photo op and Cavalcade. Either A. Disney played it right and wouldn't have one or B. Disney played it wrong and China slapped their hands. Which is why it was so hard to follow Spirit going on and on about the lack of photo. The only way anyone should have had a reason to expect one, was if Disney was so perfect in their dealings that China took a very rare step to allow it, which would be the first time this Disney has been so perfect.

The story is not really about "bad China," but "foolish Iger and Co."

I agree with the last sentence ... that said, I'm not sure @Lee suggested there was never going to be a photo op or character cavalcade. With all the trolling and baiting and chumming, I've not been able to keep things clear here.

I'm also not sure whose narrative is pushing the 'no photos ever' deal, but it isn't true. Picture taking and pomp is all part of doing business there. I can only tell you what I have been part of, what I've witnessed and what I know to be true. And my experience and knowledge isn't because I ate orange chicken (a dish you will never find in China) at Panda Express for lunch.

It wouldn't have been rare. It would have been business as usual largely. That's why not having one ... and not EVER in the history of this project having ONE photo of Bob Iger, Tom Staggs or Jay Rasulo on site at SDL and released to American media is so very, very strange. The first time you'll likely ever see a photo of Bob at SDL will likely come on Opening Day (if he isn't held up in traffic and misses it ... these things do happen ... they have very bad traffic over there ...) if Stanley Cheung doesn't stand in for him (he has the face for it!)

 

[AEfx]

View attachment 95510

Well, this is the last "DHS is in Dire Straits" chart of the night.

Haha, you said that two charts ago.

You are a man on a mission!!

I will say you have increased my anticipation for the numbers that come out tomorrow, I really am looking forward to them now.

 

[TalkingHead]

Nope. Although they both have very limited time left (most things that are left in that park do ... but since someone resurrected a two-year-old thread saying the same thing, this is going to be a long and drawn out process, which truly will likely not be done until the early 2020s.)

If that relic Beauty and the Beast closed would anyone notice?

 

[WDW1974]

View attachment 95510

Well, this is the last "DHS is in Dire Straits" chart of the night.

The simple distribution of Average & Below vs Above Average Crowds. Added in is the Resort Baseline from 2013 & 14 to show where they should be. Simply put, Studios is behaving a lot like 2013.

We'll see how the summer and the rest of this month plays out.

Between my real life issue (which you are aware of, but I don't wish to stick it out here) and trying to keep up on the pricing news, Rasulo replacement and -- most importantly --the China news I haven't had enough time to read much of what you put up with your research.

But did you find a big bump at Studios last summer and also a drop-off at EPCOT? Because both in my experience and talking to people in OPs I was told that Studios really took off with the Frozen promo and the park that was hurt by it was EPCOT.

 

[PhotoDave219]

so, something else closed in a park that barely as much... heee.. what are they going to do? wait 7 years more to build something?


should we expect DHS's attendance numbers going to hell while MK gets even busier?

I'm not making another chart tonight. 2015 DHS is behaving a lot like 2013's crowds. Not as god awful as 2014's first 6 months but yeah, 2015 is not being kind to the Studios thus far.

However, one sign to be optimistic that they may break even somehow; past two weeks show they're following the Resort as a whole. The resort as a whole has seen peak crowds 10 of the past 11 days and so have the Studios.

We'll see how this plays.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Between my real life issue (which you are aware of, but I don't wish to stick it out here) and trying to keep up on the pricing news, Rasulo replacement and -- most importantly --the China news I haven't had enough time to read much of what you put up with your research.

But did you find a big bump at Studios last summer and also a drop-off at EPCOT? Because both in my experience and talking to people in OPs I was told that Studios really took off with the Frozen promo and the park that was hurt by it was EPCOT.

Yes, Studios got a bump but Epcot was solid. Epcot was "The Little Theme Park that Could" No real Down numbers in July-December, just solid. Up 7% over 2013 for that time period. Studios July-Dec 14 was up 13% over the same period in 2013. Perhaps the Studios took what would have been a nicer gain for Epcot, IDK.

My Data says the park that was "hurt" by Studios gains was DAK, as they had a fantastic first 6 months of 2014, showing a near 15% increase over the same time in 2013 but was absolutely flat in the second half of the year, mirroring the second half of 2013 to within 1%.

Then again, they're playing with real numbers, I'm looking at crowd distributions and how they changed.

 

[WDW1974]

I think it's a little of both, actually.

The narrative I've taken from '74's posts, and he can (and will) correct me if I'm wrong, is that Iger has mishandled the move into China. Much like the article that was pulled (not for any conflict of interest, either) '74 has painted Iger as someone that rushed into a deal with China without fully understanding what he was getting into. The info from last night would appear to bear that out.

I won't correct you because you aren't wrong and I don't want to kick you when DD can't kick me back!

Your facts are facts:

Iger has mishandled the company's move into China (and this dates back many years ... since I witnessed the Shanghai delegation's awful treatment at DLP in 2006 by people who clearly weren't prepared to host a group of this magnitude);
The HuffPo piece was pulled because Iger didn't want it out there or read. And there was no conflict of interest as it was an Op-Ed complete with disclosure just like when the NYT or USA Today or the O-Town Sentinel runs an opinion piece;
Iger rushed into a deal (without getting what he wanted -- demanded originally, I guess everyone here forgot the 2005 NYT piece at HKDL's opening that I placed here) and it was a bad one, one I'm sure he regrets now.

My only issue would be with your use of the term ''painted'' ... I'm no artist. I just tell it like it is and complain about things that aren't as they should be!

The issue about the lack of photos is not that he didn't push himself into some, but that he couldn't. It was to illustrate the sort of restrictions Disney is working under, and to educate the readers here that this isn't like other deals/countries.

I'm seeing all the predictions coming to pass...

Agreed on all counts.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Haha, you said that two charts ago.

You are a man on a mission!!

I will say you have increased my anticipation for the numbers that come out tomorrow, I really am looking forward to them now.

Nah, just trying to show that to the lurking Disney management types exactly what the Studios are doing.

I'm excited too, i wanna see how the data I've found correlates.

 

[WDW1974]

Any thoughts on The Good Dinosaur teaser trailer? I wasn't sold on the character design.

(And not that it's spelled out in the trailer, but the boy-dino dynamic reminds me a little of How to Train Your Dragon.)

Haven't seen it yet.

The only 'new' thing I saw today was the Sapphire Bay art. Looks good, but I expected it to.

I still think that Inside Out and Jurassic World will be the two best films I see this summer, but I keep being told I need to see Mad Max.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Haven't seen it yet.

The only 'new' thing I saw today was the Sapphire Bay art. Looks good, but I expected it to.

I still think that Inside Out and Jurassic World will be the two best films I see this summer, but I keep being told I need to see Mad Max.

You need to see Mad Max because its mindless eye candy and viceral escapism for 2 1/2 hours and will hopefully take you away from your real life drama.... Its a simple story but executes flawlessly.

 

[WDW1974]

If that is what you've gotten out of his posts... You really just need to stop posting - you are digging yourself quite a hole....

Nope. He's the latest in the tag team of 'We're Going To Bring Down The Big Bad Spirit' ... folks, with the world the way it is, you really have nothing better to do than try and bring down someone you view as a threat to the good name of The Walt Disney Company? You can tell by the day who it will be ...

He was trying to highlight what is MISSING trying to get you to think about WHY. Not arguing Disney needed to do more. Sorry that subtly is lost on you... But you should really try taking a break and reading in hindsight with a clear head. You really need a snickers break.

Now I've been one of the most critical of spirit's posts in the past given multiple factors... And even this latest stuff I'm not taking as gospel or as untwisted ... But at least follow the narrative correctly before going on for pages in some alternate reality

And that's why, even though I frequently disagree with you (although much less than I once did to be fair), I respect you and wish to drink and dine with you in the future (preferably on a DCL voyage, but a free open bar in O-Town would work!)

But you shouldn't take anything anywhere as gospel. I can only guarantee you one thing: that I put out the most accurate information at the time as I am able, and that I don't make things up to play with the fanbois. This situation is VERY fluid. You have huge bureaucracies in the Chinese government and at TWDC. One of which has some high level folks (and low levels like Cupcake) who truly hate me (and it ain't the one whose favorite color is red). Getting this kind of intel and being able to place it out here is like hitting the lottery (and I do it with some regularity to pat myself on the behind, even if fanbois are lined up to do it for me).

It doesn't come easy. And things do change. It's much easier to say that ''construction walls are going up on the Street of America on Sept. 1st'' because stuff like that will generally come easily and directly. I'm not in either Burbank or Beijing right now. Even the time difference plays a factor. But I vet my sources better than probably 99% of 'real reporters' and I also wait on things when I am no certain. In this case, I've been hounded and pushed by people who want 'evidence' but really only want Disney press releases and photos that they can turn around and use in a lame- way of discrediting me in their minds.

So, the info is out. More info is on the way -- on my schedule -- when I can place it out. But, as I've said before, it's only going to further back up everything I've been saying all along. And the doubters and haters will doubt and hate and pick someone to be on the site 18 hours a day tossing up crap (and, hey, that's great for the site because clicks matter, right?)

 

[VJ]

... Which will likely NOT give us any Star Wars announcements,

Or maybe you're just saying that because you hate spoilers and don't wanna ruin it for us! I know how you tick, Photog.

 

[WDW1974]

An interesting read that was forwarded to me in light of all the talk about that censored HuffPo Op-Ed (Disney CEO Fumbles Entry to China)

http://tktk.gawker.com/hell-is-working-at-the-huffington-post-1707724052

The following paragraphs appear particularly relevant. Let's not forget that Willow Bay Iger remains Senior Editor/Part Owner and remains Arianna's bestie!

The ultimate priority at HuffPost is making the dictator look good. Arianna has Google alerts for “HuffPost” or “Huffington Post” or “HuffPo” and loves to forward attacks on the site to editors, whose job is then to explain why they didn’t do whatever they’ve been accused of. Sometimes her friends write in demanding that editors not use certain pictures of them, or that criticism of them be taken down from the site. Arianna usually sides with her friends.

Work at HuffPost for a little while and you’ll soon learn which people—Bill Maher, or Mika Brzezinski, or the Dalai Lama, to name just a few—need to be treated delicately. If any of Arianna’s people get caught in a public mess, there can be lots of internal delays while editors figure out whether they actually have permission from on high to mention the scandal. You will also be expected to dutifully and fawningly cover any of her friends’ new projects, no matter how stupid.

If a person is not Arianna’s BFF but is still a celebrity, it’s a very good bet she’ll side with them too. Aaron Sorkin, to cite just one example, almost got people fired because he didn’t like something that had been written about him (the article has now been completely scrubbed from the site). If a person is actually a corporation that threatens to pull tons of advertising from your site, like WalMart once did, it’s a decent bet that Arianna will side with the corporation too, as she did by planting an unbelievably fawning interview with a WalMart executive in the business section after WalMart expressed outrage over some tough reporting in that same section.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Or maybe you're just saying that because you hate spoilers and don't wanna ruin it for us! I know how you tick, Photog.

While accurate, I specifically asked about Star Wars and I was told not to expect anything until post movie release.

 

[PhotoDave219]

An interesting read that was forwarded to me in light of all the talk about that censored HuffPo Op-Ed (Disney CEO Fumbles Entry to China)

http://tktk.gawker.com/hell-is-working-at-the-huffington-post-1707724052

The following paragraphs appear particularly relevant. Let's not forget that Willow Bay Iger remains Senior Editor/Part Owner and remains Arianna's bestie!

The ultimate priority at HuffPost is making the dictator look good. Arianna has Google alerts for “HuffPost” or “Huffington Post” or “HuffPo” and loves to forward attacks on the site to editors, whose job is then to explain why they didn’t do whatever they’ve been accused of. Sometimes her friends write in demanding that editors not use certain pictures of them, or that criticism of them be taken down from the site. Arianna usually sides with her friends.

Work at HuffPost for a little while and you’ll soon learn which people—Bill Maher, or Mika Brzezinski, or the Dalai Lama, to name just a few—need to be treated delicately. If any of Arianna’s people get caught in a public mess, there can be lots of internal delays while editors figure out whether they actually have permission from on high to mention the scandal. You will also be expected to dutifully and fawningly cover any of her friends’ new projects, no matter how stupid.

If a person is not Arianna’s BFF but is still a celebrity, it’s a very good bet she’ll side with them too. Aaron Sorkin, to cite just one example, almost got people fired because he didn’t like something that had been written about him (the article has now been completely scrubbed from the site). If a person is actually a corporation that threatens to pull tons of advertising from your site, like WalMart once did, it’s a decent bet that Arianna will side with the corporation too, as she did by planting an unbelievably fawning interview with a WalMart executive in the business section after WalMart expressed outrage over some tough reporting in that same section.

I worked for HuffPo during the RNC & DNC.

I will never speak bad of any client for any reason. Beyond that? All I have to say on the matter.

 

[AEfx]

Nope. He's the latest in the tag team of 'We're Going To Bring Down The Big Bad Spirit' ... folks, with the world the way it is, you really have nothing better to do than try and bring down someone you view as a threat to the good name of The Walt Disney Company? You can tell by the day who it will be ...

It's so convenient, isn't it, to label people like you do. You really seem to enjoy this whole "hater/lover" mentality. Everything is black or white. People must be salivating fans or they are haters out to get you.

I'm literally laughing right now because labeling me as you have is ludicrous, I'm extremely tough on the Walt Disney Company when it is warranted. And I have been very supportive of you until your vendetta has become so blatant and so obvious that you've become exactly what you rally against - an obsessed lifestyler who has an agenda.

You have been very open for awhile that you would be having some sort of underground "campaign" against Iger. You have tried to create this narrative starting with the Snyder article (which was obviously removed because of the blatant conflict of interest as he is a member of the Redstone family which owns Viacom) and it has completely fallen apart at the seams. People like myself ask a few questions and you go off the rails pretending they are out to get you personally, not just questioning your inconsistencies and contradictions.

Some of your friends have even given you some really kind outs in the past few pages, but your ego is just so large that you don't take them.

I don't think you are a threat to the WDC. There goes that ego again. The same one that thinks this thread has 1.2 million clicks just because of you. Sure, people check for your posts, but this thread is so long because it's a catch-all Disney and Entertainment thread where moderation doesn't keep things to a topic. It's just as busy when you post as when you don't. It's just easier to discuss things here than to keep track of a dozen different posts and threads. If Steve created a "catch all" thread and left it up for six months, the results would be remarkably similar.

I've lost a great deal of respect for you over the past week or so. I'm sure you'll claim that you don't care, but if you didn't care about my opinion you wouldn't have dragged out a dozen different posts I wrote and reply to them all at once yesterday, and you wouldn't be commenting now.

It's OK, your core fan club is rallying around you - the ones that allow you to rewrite history, but you've also really shown your true colors and anyone who isn't wanting to rub some shine off of you can plainly see it right here in the progression of events that have transpired.

All that said, since you have mentioned several times how busy you were today fielding all these calls from journalists, I'm sure we'll see the media pick up your narrative and run with it. I expect those article links to go up anytime now. If not, you'll just blame it on Big Bad Evil Iger foiling your well laid plans. It's so convenient how you've set that up. Not everyone is as dumb as you think, though - or so blindly loyal that they turn off the logic and common sense parts of their brains just because you've shared a few accurate tidbits in the past.

It's a shame that wasn't enough for you, that you needed to weave this tangled web - but like many, you have become exactly what it is you rally against.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Interesting. That makes sense because of proximity. The advertisements are highly segmented in the US - on the East Coast, I have never seen a single Disneyland ad. I recall at some point someone saying that they only advertise Disneyland within X hundred miles of the park here, but I don't remember what the number was.

That's kind of what we were talking about earlier, how Disneyland just doesn't need as much promotion - because Los Angeles is such a huge attraction in and of itself. Particularly for international tourists, some of whom can't speak English but they sure know how to get off the plan and ask for "Disneyland?"

Most of Los Angeles' international tourists pick Universal Studios Hollywood for their theme park destination, given it's actually in Los Angeles, unlike Disneyland. Disneyland gets some international tourists, mainly from Australia, Japan, and China, but it doesn't compare to the amount Universal Hollywood receives, from all over the world.

 

[PhotoDave219]

TEA Numbers? Boy I was way off everything other than DHS.

MK 4%, Everything else 2%. Gotta apply this somehow..... Especially odd that MK would be that low given their crowd distribution as compared to other parks. Ce la vie.

 

[AEfx]

Most of Los Angeles' international tourists pick Universal Studios Hollywood for their theme park destination, given it's actually in Los Angeles, unlike Disneyland. Disneyland gets some international tourists, mainly from Australia, Japan, and China, but it doesn't compare to the amount Universal Hollywood receives, from all over the world.

That definitely makes sense. I only have spent a day here or there at USH, so I haven't particularly noticed - especially because that place is so spread out it's difficult to tell.

When I have been at Disneyland, though, it has really stood out to me - particularly Asian tourists. I remember being in the old fashioned switchback line at Alice and realizing that in the full queue, I was literally the only American in line (or at least the only one speaking English, I shouldn't assume).

You definitely see International tourists at WDW, and it may just be the times of year I go, but it seems it's largely British and Austrailan. There was one week I went where every time we were in line or went to a show, he people next to us were one or the other. I really enjoy it because it's so funny comparing notes - they hear us complain about gas prices, they are like "oh you have no idea" etc. I've had some of the best conversations at WDW and actually learned quite a bit about life in the UK and Aus just from chatting with folks casually like that.