A Spirited Valentine ...

[seascape]

That's close enough really. Millennials also are not a great gauge of customers when a third of them aren't working at all and another third still need help from family to support themselves because they don't earn enough. No, you don't ignore them, but most Baby Boomers and Gen Xers have more disposable income according to multiple studies I have seen.

I do think your point above is interesting, though, because it fits with an anecdote. When I was staying at CB a few weeks ago, a UNI TM was giving a tour to a couple that appeared to be business types and she told them "We don't really need to advertise. Our product sells itself." If I weren't in a bathing suit and dripping with water, I might have tried to get into that conversation because it is telling.

UNI now believes, rightly or wrongly, that their product needs no help to get people in the gates and at the resorts. WDW once barely advertised at all because it absolutely lived on a much-earned rep. Now ... I guess those Mommy Bloggers are important ... and the local Lifestylers who need free cupcake parties to sell Disney.

I see Universal vacation commercials all the time. In fact even more than WDW. I am not saying it matters because I watch things aimed at people who can afford to go. It would be very interested for some college student to conduct a study of who these two companies are advertising to and compare it to the attendance breakdown of vacationers as that is where the money is.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

You remember how before they went with shoehorning Nemo into the Disneyland Subs, they were considering using Atlantis the Lost Empire as a new theme?

Yeah, it was going to be waaayy more involved then just an overlay.

http://insightsandsounds.blogspot.com/2017/03/rare-art-for-disneylands-unbuilt.html

If I'm opposed to SW taking over the northwest part of the park, then I would've resisted Atlantis Land taking over the northeast part.

It looks nice enough, and all of Baxter's rides end up awesome, but would Fantasy Island Volcano Toon Castle Land really look all that swell between the Matterhorn and Space Mountain?

 

[ford91exploder]

And now the 3D printer-replicator

Guess we are a geeky family as we like Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel and Dr Who (along with all the TV sci-fi) - In fact oldest DD just talked me into a comicon in April-several actors from Eureka/Warehouse 13 and a companion from Dr Who will be there.

Loved Eureka and Warehouse 13 the steampunk vibe of the 'Warehouse' was part of the show's unique charm

 

[FigmentJedi]

If I'm opposed to SW taking over the northwest part of the park, then I would've resisted Atlantis Land taking over the northeast part.

It looks nice enough, and all of Baxter's rides end up awesome, but would Fantasy Island Volcano Toon Castle Land really look all that swell between the Matterhorn and Space Mountain?

Would have been a stronger anchor for Tomorrowland 98's intended "Let's rework the area into something like Paris's Discoveryland" conceit then the Rocket Rods

 

[wogwog]

[

See, I think in your haste to take a shot at me you missed me saying that I still like the BRAND. When I'm gone from here, I'll be visiting four Disney resorts (three international) so not sure what your point is beyond plenty of people love Disney. When exactly was that ever in dispute?

Great idea visiting the other resorts outside of the swamp. We will take a smaller trip to Tokyo and Shanghai this year. I encourage people to visit the rest of the world instead of just their own country. Even the Spirit.

 

[Absimilliard]

[


Great idea visiting the other resorts outside of the swamp. We will take a smaller trip to Tokyo and Shanghai this year. I encourage people to visit the rest of the world instead of just their own country. Even the Spirit.

Enjoy the trip to Asia! As much fun as Disney parks are overseas, you will also fun things on the side. One suggestion for Tokyo: for the best selection of Tokyo Disney merchandise, get out of the resort and make your way to a train station called "Nakano" near Shinjuku. You can then walk to Nakano Broadway and inside, you will find many stores owned by Mandarake. Mandarake is a local chain of used "geek" stuff and one of their store (3rd floor if I remember correctly) has a huge selection of Disney things. Last February, you had incredible things such as an awesome Tokyo DisneySea opening day collectible glass plate.

 

[Absimilliard]

On the water park side, Volcano Bay lit a huge fire under everyone in town. In addition to the new slide at Typhoon Lagoon, Gaylord Palms Resort has just opened a new waterpark expansion exclusively for their guests. It has an adult pool area, a Double Flowrider (I love those!) and three water slides, one of those a world's exclusive.

Great Wolf Lodge is also supposed to be starting construction soon and that will also bring a new water park to the area.

 

[wogwog]

Enjoy the trip to Asia! As much fun as Disney parks are overseas, you will also fun things on the side. One suggestion for Tokyo: for the best selection of Tokyo Disney merchandise, get out of the resort and make your way to a train station called "Nakano" near Shinjuku. You can then walk to Nakano Broadway and inside, you will find many stores owned by Mandarake. Mandarake is a local chain of used "geek" stuff and one of their store (3rd floor if I remember correctly) has a huge selection of Disney things. Last February, you had incredible things such as an awesome Tokyo DisneySea opening day collectible glass plate.

Great tip. Printed and put with my travel docs. I lived in Japan a few years long ago and have been fortunate to visit a few times since. Don't tell @WDW1974 about the shop. He might buy up all the good stuff.

 

[brb1006]

[


Great idea visiting the other resorts outside of the swamp. We will take a smaller trip to Tokyo and Shanghai this year. I encourage people to visit the rest of the world instead of just their own country. Even the Spirit.

Don't miss Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights

 

[wogwog]

Don't miss Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights

What a great concept. A night parade. Smarter than the people running the swamp.

 

[ford91exploder]

What a great concept. A night parade. Smarter than the people running the swamp.

Clever people over in Tokyo, Give the guests what they want to see. What a concept...

 

[Figments Friend]

If I'm opposed to SW taking over the northwest part of the park, then I would've resisted Atlantis Land taking over the northeast part.

It looks nice enough, and all of Baxter's rides end up awesome, but would Fantasy Island Volcano Toon Castle Land really look all that swell between the Matterhorn and Space Mountain?

The concept art likely shows the volcano in a larger scale then what would have actually been built.
Concept art is notorious for that....showing things more as a grand work of art to 'sell' the idea and not always a good gage to what the actual scale of it will be once built.

I am confident that had 'Atlantis' been built, the designers would have been very careful with the scale of the volcano element in regards to the other present 'mountains' in the general area.


-

 

[Absimilliard]

Great tip. Printed and put with my travel docs. I lived in Japan a few years long ago and have been fortunate to visit a few times since. Don't tell @WDW1974 about the shop. He might buy up all the good stuff.

I picked up an awesome building brick set of Space Mountain for 1500 yens when I visited Mandarake. Some stuff is really expensive, but you can find gems like that.

For Tokyo Disney music CD's, skip the stores at the parks and head to Ikspiari, the mall near the JR station. Shinseido on the 2F in "Museum Lane" has the best selection of Disney music ever.

What other interests do you have beside Disney?

 

[Absimilliard]

Yup. It's just like how every Disney blogger/podcaster/Lifestyler now gets free movie previews and free 'review' copies of every Blu-ray because suddenly these people are all qualified to review films.

Well, they all are clearly industry pros, right? They aren't just at IAAPA for free Dipping Dots and churros, right?

Both of the above are just examples of 'any publicity is good publicity' and why Disney and IAAPA are more than willing to toss out a few crumbs to the online masses out of the idea that it is worth any publicity they gain. ... I am not a regular at IAAPA, but can only imagine someone who attended 15 years ago, and hasn't been since, returning. It's like watching a blogger pretending to be a journalist. Funny and sad at the same time.



You are one of the few here lucky enough to travel regularly to places beyond the familiar. I don't think it means your opinions don't count, just that you are atypical. Most theme park fans here who have never traveled to Hong Kong are not going to skip HKDL and (unless they are simply Disney addicts) Ocean Park. I lived there and would still not skip them!

There is a huge difference between 2012 and 2016 at IAAPA. Back in 2012, you had maybe 3-4 press conferences scheduled for the whole show. Now? You have one every 30 minutes all the way until Noon on Friday! Sadly, by the time Friday comes around, there was no one left ... and I ended up the only media covering a press conference.

I've travelled quite a bit out of Disney parks and I must be the only Disney fan to have made this choice: a day at Tokyo Disneyland or a wrestling show at Korakuen Hall? (famous fighting sport arena in Tokyo) I picked the wrestling show and I had a blast!

I've discovered a love of water parks and my favorite right now is Piscilago, an hour and half away from Bogota in Colombia. Picture a huge park in a beautiful tree colored mountain and instead of roller coasters, you have incredible water slides. Food is cheap and drinks as well as the park is owned by a retail giant from Colombia.

 

[wogwog]

I picked up an awesome building brick set of Space Mountain for 1500 yens when I visited Mandarake. Some stuff is really expensive, but you can find gems like that.

For Tokyo Disney music CD's, skip the stores at the parks and head to Ikspiari, the mall near the JR station. Shinseido on the 2F in "Museum Lane" has the best selection of Disney music ever.

What other interests do you have beside Disney?

I don't collect things but my Daughter does and will be on this trip. All things geek and Marvel for her. Her office and home looks like a booth at Comicon. So your shopping tips will be for her. I have traveled extensively my entire life on business and pleasure and lived in several countries. I have visited about eighty the last I counted. I am on a cruise ship 80 or more days a year for several years recently. Florida has five cruise ports with good discounts for residents. The trip to Asia will end with a cross Pacific cruise home. Thanks for your tips.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Enjoy the trip to Asia! As much fun as Disney parks are overseas, you will also fun things on the side. One suggestion for Tokyo: for the best selection of Tokyo Disney merchandise, get out of the resort and make your way to a train station called "Nakano" near Shinjuku. You can then walk to Nakano Broadway and inside, you will find many stores owned by Mandarake. Mandarake is a local chain of used "geek" stuff and one of their store (3rd floor if I remember correctly) has a huge selection of Disney things. Last February, you had incredible things such as an awesome Tokyo DisneySea opening day collectible glass plate.

Thanks for the tip... now do you happen to have a time machine so I'm not making t-shirts on red bubble?

 

[choco choco]

It's obvious Iger isn't a theme park fan.

It's also obvious Iger isn't a movie fan.

 

[Magenta Panther]

It's also obvious Iger isn't a movie fan.

Or a Disney fan. Aside from the money it makes.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Moana has reached Japanese shores.

http://deadline.com/2017/03/kong-sk...-international-box-office-results-1202041853/
MOANA

Disney’s Moana landed in her final market this weekend with Japan sailing to $6.3M and a No. 1 debut. This is the 3rd biggest opening frame for any Disney Animation title ever, behind only Frozen(-21%) and just below Big Hero 6. The session was worth a total $7M offshore in 29 markets and lifts the Polynesian princess to $348.8M internationally. Moana will soon cross $600M worldwide with a current cume of $596.3M. The Japan bow was notably above the 2nd session of the latest Doraemon pic. Moana dominated an estimated market share of 78% of the western titles in the market.

 

[MisterPenguin]

It's also obvious Iger isn't a movie fan.

Iger who bought Marvel and LucasFilm Studios?