News Blue Sky Cellar has reopened for Pixar Pier Exhibit. And TDA gossip.

[Disney Irish]

Quite the opposite actually. Star Wars was a project largely driven at the time by Disneyland. The extravagance decisions included. WDW got a far nicer SW:GE than was planned as part of the initial DHS Redo plans to keep up pace. Apparently TDO even pushing back for some downgrades in the process.

However, soon after all the city council resistance to multiple planned DLR projects held everything up. The Eastern gateway was quite the debacle.

What Chapek did in the interim was somehow finally open the WDW purse strings. The situation kind of flip flopped since in a very big way. Orlando being the key project driver. But that literally all came to pass about 18 months ago.

DLR is still seeing quite big investment, but frankly the Eastern gateway is responsible for derailment of the planned project flow. Marvel, the gateway and probably Frozen should have all been well underway by now.

You also cannot undersell the subtle investments in the last few years. The 60th refurbs and pluses, Rivers of America, Fantasmic, Paint the Night, the Grizzly peak redo... far more controversial things like Guardians and Pixar Pier. They are not insignificant and that is the type of things WDW was not doing in the 2015-2018 period.

No one is denying WDW isn’t the clear project driver worldwide right now, but it was far far far overdue and there is a lot of catch up needed. Disneyland just needs a Tomorrowland plan, but it’s really not in that bad of a spot right now.

Exactly, DLR has been getting lots of investments during the past decade. They are not going to announce large scale projects every year. The domestic parks switch back and forth in terms of large scale projects. Its WDW this time around, next time around it'll be DLR turn again.

 

[Ismael Flores]

I'm hoping they continue using it and give us some more information about the Marvel area or even the remodeled new DTD and hotel.

I also think they should change the actual door to this small preview center and put it where the DVC area kiosk is. have the main door there and then remove the unnecessary old season of the vine queue that is on the patio. turn that upper level into more seating for the wine area so that we can enjoy our wines.

This would improve guest flow to the preview center with the entrance along the parade route, have the exit be the side door. It would also open up space for the winery for the actual winery and cut back on the AP foot traffic that will mingle in an already busy area of guests waiting to be seated in the nearby eatery.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

While I don't doubt your friend @TP2000, it seems a little late in the game to make Blue Sky Cellar a Pixar Pier preview center. The thing opens in 2.5 months - seems like too little too late.

Of course the smart thing to do would be to keep Blue Sky Cellar open indefinitely to showcase new projects on a rotating basis. But noooooooo

And your friend is spot on. They started reporting the resorts' results together to cover up how badly WDW does numbers-wise compared to DLR. Kalogridis has been coasting for awhile, and he knows better than to pull stunts like those Tomorrowland tents. WDW is poorly run and has been for 10+ years, to the point where the management culture is just rotten from the top down.

DLR's parade of rotating presidents benefit from the experience of the long-timers who stay in TDA and keep things running smoothly.

 

[Bairstow]

Are the home office's concerns focused primarily on per-customer spending? Because given WDW's consistently high resort occupancy and park attendance since the financial recovery, even in the face of constant price increases, staffing cutbacks, and meager (and sometimes no) investment in park offerings, I would imagine that Disney could not help but be tremendously pleased at the amount of money the place is bringing in. Their expectations and targets must have been totally unreasonable.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Are the home office's concerns focused primarily on per-customer spending? Because given WDW's consistently high resort occupancy and park attendance since the financial recovery, even in the face of constant price increases, staffing cutbacks, and meager (and sometimes no) investment in park offerings, I would imagine that Disney could not help the be pleased at the amount of money the place is bringing in. Their expectations and targets must have been totally unreasonable.

One of the big promises behind NextGen was a double digit increase in guest spending.

 

[Bairstow]

One of the big promises behind NextGen was a double digit increase in guest spending.

Well that's what I'm asking- is that what this is all about?
I thought initial reports of band-enabled merch sales and photopass subscription were very optimistic.
Disney Springs, for its part, remains very very busy.

 

[Curious Constance]

One of the big promises behind NextGen was a double digit increase in guest spending.

Did they think that guests were going to magically have more money to spend?

 

[Phroobar]

Did they think that guests were going to magically have more money to spend?

Does Disney take Bitcoin?

 

[Disney Irish]

Does Disney take Bitcoin?

Only whole bitcoin, no partial.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Did they think that guests were going to magically have more money to spend?

No, they thought Magic Bands would make people more irresponsible. It’s an idea that has some scientific basis, as studies have repeatedly shown that people spend more freely when the concept money is more abstracted. This is why arcades went from quarters to tokens to digital credits. I don’t think such studies show such huge differences but the ability to plan every minute was also supposed to increase satisfaction which also helps to increase spending.

The massive investments being seen at Walt Disney World aren’t part of some cycle of spending where attention shifts between Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. The Company hasn’t been that small in decades. Walt Disney World is getting new investments because NextGen has failed spectacularly. It has not delivered it’s huge increases in guest spending nor has it squeezed more capacity out of the existing facilities.

 

[FerretAfros]

I don’t think such studies show such huge differences but the ability to plan every minute was also supposed to increase satisfaction which also helps to increase spending.

I recall they quoted a pseudo-science study that claimed satisfaction increases the farther in advance people pay from the actual experience. In theory, this gives you time to forget about the pain of spending money and allows you to focus more on enjoying the experience.

So rather than people buying their park tickets when they arrive in WDW, the FP+ system incentivizes advance purchase by giving you an to schedule your vacation earlier, when more options are available. And if you want to use any of the questionably-worthwhile Vacation Packages that they offer, those also must be paid in full 45 days before your vacation

While there may be some psychological advantages to advance purchase, I have to think that the downsides of having a micro-managed vacation far outweigh it. Sure, it removes some of the pain, but when you're trudging from appointment to appointment all week long, it only serves to remind you of all the time, effort, and money you wasted trying to get the trip set up in the first place

 

[Rich T]

Did they think that guests were going to magically have more money to spend?

Y'know, in Ready Player One, if a customer gets too far into debt with the company providing the VR gear and access... they get shanghaied into indentured servitude in company "Loyalty Centers"...

 

[Ismael Flores]

In regards to art and Pixar Pier, did anyone see the concept art that The site that should not be mentioned posted? It shows the lower Inside area of the previous Ariel Grotto.

I actually like that they are opening the wall and making a two sided bar. Supposedly they are also extending the roof lines and will be replacing the roof of the additional seating area of the cove bar to be more permanent.

 

[Curious Constance]

No, they thought Magic Bands would make people more irresponsible. It’s an idea that has some scientific basis, as studies have repeatedly shown that people spend more freely when the concept money is more abstracted. This is why arcades went from quarters to tokens to digital credits. I don’t think such studies show such huge differences but the ability to plan every minute was also supposed to increase satisfaction which also helps to increase spending.

The massive investments being seen at Walt Disney World aren’t part of some cycle of spending where attention shifts between Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. The Company hasn’t been that small in decades. Walt Disney World is getting new investments because NextGen has failed spectacularly. It has not delivered it’s huge increases in guest spending nor has it squeezed more capacity out of the existing facilities.

Gives me a little faith in humanity that having a band on their wrist that gives them the ability to purchases anything they desire, hasn't effected how much they're actually spending.

I understand the fact that people tend to spend more when money is abstracted. It's just hard to believe people could be so dumb.

 

[Rich T]

I know Ready Player One is completely on my mind just now, but seriously...

Walt=Halliday (we can run a business making people happy without ripping them off)
Current Disney Management=Sorrento (shake 'em upside down 'till very penny's out of their bank account)

 

[TP2000]

Anyone know what’s with the new topics attached to each thread now? This thread is now tagged a “Rumor”, but I didn't do that.

When they announce that the Blue Sky Cellar is reopening for a Pixar Pier exhibit, how do we change this from “Rumor” to “Fact” or “News” or whatever the right identifier should be?

 

[Disney Irish]

Anyone know what’s with the new topics attached to each thread now? This thread is now tagged a “Rumor”, but I didn't do that.

When they announce that the Blue Sky Cellar is reopening for a Pixar Pier exhibit, how do we change this from “Rumor” to “Fact” or “News” or whatever the right identifier should be?

I noticed that too. Must be WDWMagic trying to be like a real forum now. I kid I kid

 

[BrianLo]

I think Steve tags it so if a news story about Blue Sky Cellar opening occurs he will link the main page to this discussion rather than create another.

 

[ford91exploder]

Did they think that guests were going to magically have more money to spend?

Yes they did, The Mouse Arrest band was supposed to take away inhibitors to spending.

 

[Curious Constance]

Yes they did, The Mouse Arrest band was supposed to take away inhibitors to spending.

I'm all for personal responsibility. If you spend more than you can afford because you only have to swipe your wrist to pay for something, you have no one to blame but yourself. But it doesn't necessarily feel good to think of Disney investing all that money to try and make that the norm.