ABC News Vault--Epcot Opening Video

rsoxguy

rsoxguy

Well-Known Member
Very nice find. It's interesting to see how EPCOT was marketed to an adult crowd when it opened (something that I remember well). I believe that their strategy with this park has changed greatly over the years.
 
PintoColvig

PintoColvig

Active Member
It's interesting that the reporter noted that financial analysts said that Disney was "financially sound". A little over a year after that, Disney was financially weak enough that corporate raiders began takeover attempts that nearly undid the house that Walt built.
 
hpyhnt 1000

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
Horizons1 said:
A theme park dedicated to adults and learning? One that promotes thought?! Blasphemy!
Click to expand...

I know, right? Good luck seeing that in a press release these days. :lol:

That being said, early EPCOT Center did think a little too highly of itself. Its Disney after all; you can't completely forget about the kids. Neat video though; thanks for sharing.
 
Flip83

Flip83

Active Member
Hahaha. How 20 years has changed. 15 dollars a ticket. And in 1980, I'm sure people were crying over that price.
 
mightynine

mightynine

Well-Known Member
I'm interested in the point that 70% of Disney's revenue then came from the theme parks back then. Wonder what that number is now?
 
mickey2008.1

mickey2008.1

Well-Known Member
a billion dollars for the whole park, wow, now look what we get for four hundred million, fle. money cetainly doesnt og as far as it used. Great find, thanks for sharing.
 
tirian

tirian

Well-Known Member
PintoColvig said:
It's interesting that the reporter noted that financial analysts said that Disney was "financially sound". A little over a year after that, Disney was financially weak enough that corporate raiders began takeover attempts that nearly undid the house that Walt built.
Click to expand...

Although the film division was practically dead, the entire Disney company was never really as weak as people claimed; and by the time Eisner and Wells took control, they reaped the benefits of the decisions Ron Miller made: the Disney Channel, Tokyo Disneyland, Touchstone, Splash, Tron, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and the Little Mermaid. By the time Roy Jr.'s campaign to replace the board picked up steam, the company was actually already in the middle of a turnaround! Funny how Eisner gets credited for most of Miller's successes (business journals still sometimes attribute Touchstone to him).

Of course, this is what we know now. At the time, corporate raiders were ready to tear Disney apart because its film division was terrible. Nobody could have predicted the successful turnaround that was about to happen. Hindsight is always 20/20.

"Waking Sleeping Beauty" gives great insight into the Company's issues during this time.
 
M

MonorailCentral

Member
It's funny...

It's amusing to read how few of you people weren't even around when EPCOT Center opened and don't know how GREAT EPCOT Center used to be. Not a Mickey in sight, w/every country having it's creepy 8ft high dolls, and Figment as it's mascot. Now it's a rag tag series of blunders held together by weak ideas and recycled themes.

I feel bad for all you folks who never got to experience Walt Disney World at it's purest most unspoiled state. It was amazing to go there and amazing to be part of that daily.

If you missed it...enjoy your post Eisner world of profiteering and sub part attention to detail. I for one will always treasure the Vacation Kingdom of the World and how details mattered, how the guest came first, how stringent things were on cast members, and how it changed EVERYTHING in Central Florida.

Oh and if anyone wants to buy a few unused World Passports let me know...I've got some.
 
MissM

MissM

Well-Known Member
Dammit. I can NOT get any volume to work on the video! Plays fine in both IE and Firefox and the ad before it played had sound but not the clip. :(
 

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