A Spirited Perfect Ten

Section106

Active Member
Sorry for starting the wheelchair/stroller debate. I was just trying to say that strollers are for more than convenience. Mea Culpa.

And do we know if the fake grass is a hybrid or straight up astroturf? There are products out there like Desso Grassmaster that are synthetic strands interwoven in real grass. That would allow for strength and durability and be more drought/heat resistant. Just a thought.
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
Sorry for starting the wheelchair/stroller debate. I was just trying to say that strollers are for more than convenience. Mea Culpa.

And do we know if the fake grass is a hybrid or straight up astroturf? There are products out there like Desso Grassmaster that are synthetic strands interwoven in real grass. That would allow for strength and durability and be more drought/heat resistant. Just a thought.

We dont have any specifics. I'm the one responsible for suggesting that field turf has links to cancer (Here's the link to the NBC report) and its an assumption on my part that Disney is using that kind of turf, mostly because thats the most popular turf out there these days.

I think that if you just brought in a tough grass that they use on sports fields, it would be fine.
 

thehowiet

Wilson King of Prussia

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
From today.

When you run a multi billion dollar brand and miss the mark on the world's largest consumer market...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-snyder/disney-ceo-fumbles-entry-to-china_b_6682090.html
Iger might believe Shanghai will be his theme park legacy but Parks & Resorts' international revenue expansion has slowed under Iger, growing at an anemic 3.5% over the last 3 fiscal years. Fiscal year 2015 has started off even worse, with international revenue flat.

Rather than build a head of steam, Disney's overseas properties have stalled as the Disney brand fails to gain traction. As the article states, "The Walt Disney Company has a history of stumbling if not outright tumbling in its efforts to export Disney's brand of Americana."

It's a pity all that money is being invested in China and France rather than domestically where North & South American consumers continue to feast on Disney products. :(
 
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ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Next time I go to the parks I'm taking one of these. It clears the crowd quite nicely.

01d8b52cbf852661f6a8827a2d8c8d86.jpg


It's an upgrade over my ol' trusty

Tactical_Stroller1.jpg

Don't forget ear and eye protection when using the vulcan guns GE or Bofors?
 

Mike S

Well-Known Member
Iger might believe Shanghai will be his theme park legacy but Parks & Resorts' international revenue has practically stalled under Iger, growing at an anemic 3.5% over the last 3 fiscal years. Fiscal year 2015 has started off even worse, with international revenue flat.

Rather than build a head of steam, Disney's overseas properties have stalled as the Disney brand fails to gain traction. As the article states, "The Walt Disney Company has a history of stumbling if not outright tumbling in its efforts to export Disney's brand of Americana."

It's a pity all that money is being invested in China and France rather than domestically where North & South American consumers continue to feast on Disney products. :(
What stinks even more is if the investments in China and France don't pan out as well as Disney hopes it'll probably be even less likely that they'll approve big expansion domestically.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
Iger might believe Shanghai will be his theme park legacy but Parks & Resorts' international revenue expansion has slowed under Iger, growing at an anemic 3.5% over the last 3 fiscal years. Fiscal year 2015 has started off even worse, with international revenue flat.

Rather than build a head of steam, Disney's overseas properties have stalled as the Disney brand fails to gain traction. As the article states, "The Walt Disney Company has a history of stumbling if not outright tumbling in its efforts to export Disney's brand of Americana."

In their defense though... Europe has been in a slump since our 2008 dump.. and in many ways hurt much more. They've been far slower to recover than the US has. That kind of uncertainty on the continent certainly hasn't been any help to DLP... but through this period Disney has been able to reposition itself to try to turn DLP from the lead brick it's been. And add to that Japan's nuclear issue... alot of outside influences pinning them a good bit.
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Converting WDW's real grass to astroturf will save a ton on water waste, so good for the environment in the long run. I hear Disney's Astroturf... I mean Animal Kingdom is next in line for the conversion.

Can't decide whether you are serious here as it rains practically every day at WDW and without turf to hold some of that water storm runoff will increase
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
From today.

When you run a multi billion dollar brand and miss the mark on the world's largest consumer market...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-snyder/disney-ceo-fumbles-entry-to-china_b_6682090.html

Unless you have BEEN there as @WDW1974, myself and a few others on this forum you cannot appreciate HOW different China is, My recommendation check your western expectations and attitudes at the border, Disney is likely to fall on their face here and 'lose face'.

The concept of 'face' in China is probably the most important for an outsider to understand.
 

Lee

Adventurer
From today.

When you run a multi billion dollar brand and miss the mark on the world's largest consumer market...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-snyder/disney-ceo-fumbles-entry-to-china_b_6682090.html
Finally...something worth talking about.
I like this bit:
To further illustrate this point, visit Disney's outpost on Lantau, a parcel of reclaimed land near Hong Kong International Airport, and you will notice a different Disney. Some call it 'Disney-lite'. Others refer to it as 'McKingdom'. Regardless, there is a definite feel of a diminished product -- of a diminished brand -- on stage for the public's consumption.
A diminished product. A "McKingdom".
I wonder if the desire to avoid that sort of impression in Shanghai played a part in that mystery $800million that was allocated late in the game.
Surely that money is going to additional attractions. Isn't it? Maybe? :cautious:
 

NearTheEars

Well-Known Member
Iger might believe Shanghai will be his theme park legacy but Parks & Resorts' international revenue expansion has slowed under Iger, growing at an anemic 3.5% over the last 3 fiscal years. Fiscal year 2015 has started off even worse, with international revenue flat.

Rather than build a head of steam, Disney's overseas properties have stalled as the Disney brand fails to gain traction. As the article states, "The Walt Disney Company has a history of stumbling if not outright tumbling in its efforts to export Disney's brand of Americana."

It's a pity all that money is being invested in China and France rather than domestically where North & South American consumers continue to feast on Disney products. :(

I thought from the glorious reviews and trip reports, that Tokyo was booming. Seems like they've done well there. Why not just use that model for Shanghai?

Obviously DLP has had its problems, but it seems like they are going to win that battle.
 

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Iger might believe Shanghai will be his theme park legacy but Parks & Resorts' international revenue expansion has slowed under Iger, growing at an anemic 3.5% over the last 3 fiscal years. Fiscal year 2015 has started off even worse, with international revenue flat.

Rather than build a head of steam, Disney's overseas properties have stalled as the Disney brand fails to gain traction. As the article states, "The Walt Disney Company has a history of stumbling if not outright tumbling in its efforts to export Disney's brand of Americana."

It's a pity all that money is being invested in China and France rather than domestically where North & South American consumers continue to feast on Disney products. :(
According to the TWDC 2014 annual report, the company only generated $2.77 Billion from its international resorts. (Pg. 35)

Let that sink in.
 

Lee

Adventurer
I thought from the glorious reviews and trip reports, that Tokyo was booming. Seems like they've done well there. Why not just use that model for Shanghai?
Two distinctly different cases.
Japan sought out a Disney park. The characters and brand were very well known there, as was the Japanese love of western pop culture. And, of course, those aren't Disney's parks in Tokyo.

China...very different. There you have Disney trying to establish a market for its brand where one didn't previously exist at the level it did in Japan. Much more of an uphill battle, and one frought with pitfalls.
 

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
I thought from the glorious reviews and trip reports, that Tokyo was booming. Seems like they've done well there. Why not just use that model for Shanghai?

Obviously DLP has had its problems, but it seems like they are going to win that battle.
Tokyo's doing fine, it's just that Disney only receives a licensing fee from the Oriental Land Company and the Japanese have a long embedded attachment to Disney. Not the Disney BRAND, but the movies, the characters, the songs and most importantly the values. To the average Chinese consumer, their first exposure to Disney is BRANDED merchandising, not going to see a great Disney movie and falling in love with the story, the characters, and the songs. When you have no context there is no, how you say, MAGIC.
 

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