Bob Iger at WDW now ... BoD to Follow?

[articos]

I just have to disagree, the company isn't really concerned about backlash to temporary outages on a ride for refurb. They post the notice, they apologize to guests who complain in park, and move on. It's not the driving force behind not going down for refurb or repair. It has way more to do with scheduling(labor and part availability),park capacity, and funding. Sure there are times when "everything should be on display" but usually that centers around a peak time, major event, etc.(Christmas, NFL "opening", 24 hour night) and usually there is a FLURRY of activity weeks before trying to get everything in the best shape they can. It isn't always perfect, sometimes real issues are discovered during it.

I like this one. Everyone be nice to him/her.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I can't believe I've been on these boards since sept. 2011. Crazy!
This Sept it will be 4 years! My little girls are going to be 4...where has the time gone?

Anyway...I think the next 4 years are going to be awesome for WDW!

Oh we hope so.

 

[ford91exploder]

hopefully, they wont spread it for years and drag it for so long.. like they did with NFL and Avatar.

Before we get excited let's at least see them pull some permits, So far all I've heard is yet another 'announcement' from the BoD that they've approved a HUGE budget for the Swamp Kingdom allegedly for DHS and endless fanboi foaming over how great it will be.

My rules for WDW rumors

1 - If a cut is announced at WDW - It generally happens
2 - If it will make/save money for TWDC it will generally happen if the incremental cost is low.
3 - If it COSTS TWDC money no it's NOT happening.

Unfortunately I've vever been disappointed with these rules the for the last 10 years or so, Before that there was always something new and amazing at WDW most of which actually COST MONEY.

 

[bakntime]

3 - If it COSTS TWDC money no it's NOT happening.

Unfortunately I've vever been disappointed with these rules the for the last 10 years or so, Before that there was always something new and amazing at WDW most of which actually COST MONEY.

There might have been a recent lack of groundbreaking e-ticket type rides, but you're just flat out wrong that they haven't spent money. New Fantasyland wasn't a breakthrough or anything, but it did happen, and it was a rather large project. Two family attractions, lots of great landscaping and rockwork, and one of the most popular restaurants in the MK. Pandora is a several hundred million dollar expansion that's already deep into construction, along with Rivers of Light which is under visible construction. Expedition Everest is within the last 10 years, as is Toy Story Mania (and Soarin right around 10 years old, and both it and TSM are getting a 3rd track/theater as we speak). The MK hub makeover was a fairly large, necessary undertaking, and is nearly complete. Maelstrom (regardless of how you feel about it) is getting a total makeover, and Test Track recently got a complete re-theme (again, regardless of how you feel about it).

None of this cost them any money? That's a neat trick.

Disney was partly a victim of its own rapid expansion in the 90s. Within a span of 10 years (1989-1998), Disney World doubled its number of theme parks. It's only natural that after that there would be a period of rest which would allow the resort to grow around those new theme parks. Then 9/11 smacked around the Orlando theme park industry, and both Universal and Disney felt the blow. Very little happened in Orlando for the 10 years that followed 9/11. Then, in the late 2000's, the economy took a nosedive. It wasn't until the last 5 years or so that the theme park industry is really getting back into the swing of things (Cars Land and new Buena Vista Street in California, Harry Potter in Universal, and now Star Wars + Pixar + whatever else WDW has in store for Frontierland/Epcot/etc).

So now we're sitting here in this upswing, and Hollywood Studios has closed a whole bunch of stuff on the periphery of the park (Animation, Jack Sparrow, Backlot Tour), and yet, despite it being leaked from legitimate sources that the park will be getting $2.8B in expansions, you instead choose to believe that it won't happen?

Alrighty then

 

[zakattack99]

It's not they they dole these out like Christmas presents and need to maintain equality among all three types. Any decision to expand within a class of Resort Hotel would be based solely upon occupancy rates and where demand is. Honestly, I think more likely than new resorts are expansions to existing ones. Like a new tower for Contemporary.

You make a good point, however the numbers are that the resort and the parks are maxing out, they need more rooms. Not only that but the other two categories show that they have roughly 3,000 more rooms than moderates. It would make sense that his would be the addition, not hard to convince a few people to pay a few bucks more for a better experience. Plus if there would be a DVC portion attached Disney would only be footing a portion of the bill. Think about if it was a point or two cheaper per night you might be able to squease an extra night out of your points making DVC owners think they are getting something from it as well, and they would be sharing the cost of maintenance! With out devaluing the price of points! The fact is that Disney will want to keep people on property and they have no more room, they need rooms and it dose not mater where they build them or how they build them they need them in support of this $3b expansion (or Two new Disney Ships or 2 AK parks) worth of expansion! Just the more I read about this expansion and the more leaks that come out, the shear scope of this project is starting to appear. Its starting to seem that this is not about DHS but about making WDW the standard in the industry again, not just in Florida but in the world. I just hope I am right.

 

[Cesar R M]

Correct. Hard to argue with increasing capacity at MK. It has gotten to the point where it is far from comfortable much of the time.

I have a question.
Does the MK management increase the maximum total accepted capacity every time they add real capacity to the park?

Example, let's say that MK on opening had capacity for 75k. now let's say that almost all the days its at 80% capacity (very crowded).
They add additional attractions, services.food...
Do they instantly increase the total park capacity to 80k or more?
or it would stay the same?

Because I see no point in adding 10 new attractions if the MK management want MORE people in. The parks will remain as crowded as they are!

 

[Cesar R M]

There might have been a recent lack of groundbreaking e-ticket type rides, but you're just flat out wrong that they haven't spent money. New Fantasyland wasn't a breakthrough or anything, but it did happen, and it was a rather large project. Two family attractions, lots of great landscaping and rockwork, and one of the most popular restaurants in the MK. Pandora is a several hundred million dollar expansion that's already deep into construction, along with Rivers of Light which is under visible construction. Expedition Everest is within the last 10 years, as is Toy Story Mania (and Soarin right around 10 years old, and both it and TSM are getting a 3rd track/theater as we speak). The MK hub makeover was a fairly large, necessary undertaking, and is nearly complete. Maelstrom (regardless of how you feel about it) is getting a total makeover, and Test Track recently got a complete re-theme (again, regardless of how you feel about it).

None of this cost them any money? That's a neat trick.

Disney was partly a victim of its own rapid expansion in the 90s. Within a span of 10 years (1989-1998), Disney World doubled its number of theme parks. It's only natural that after that there would be a period of rest which would allow the resort to grow around those new theme parks. Then 9/11 smacked around the Orlando theme park industry, and both Universal and Disney felt the blow. Very little happened in Orlando for the 10 years that followed 9/11. Then, in the late 2000's, the economy took a nosedive. It wasn't until the last 5 years or so that the theme park industry is really getting back into the swing of things (Cars Land and new Buena Vista Street in California, Harry Potter in Universal, and now Star Wars + Pixar + whatever else WDW has in store for Frontierland/Epcot/etc).

So now we're sitting here in this upswing, and Hollywood Studios has closed a whole bunch of stuff on the periphery of the park (Animation, Jack Sparrow, Backlot Tour), and yet, despite it being leaked from legitimate sources that the park will be getting $2.8B in expansions, you instead choose to believe that it won't happen?

Alrighty then

hold on.. since when Maelstrom is getting a "total makeover"?

also, the majority of these changes are for capacity issues.

Soarin' is always packed.. obviously they need to expand it.
Toy Story? as well.. so they are adding more tracks.

The rest? well see when they finally start building.

as for landscaping.. NFL was actually not so good in that aspect.
The roads and walkways were mostly for efficiency purposes (very wide, limited themeing)

 

[bakntime]

hold on.. since when Maelstrom is getting a "total makeover"?

Um, since they gutted it of pretty much everything but the boat flume? That's what a total makeover is. Short of demolishing the building, you can't really get much more of a total makeover than that before you call it "starting over from scratch".

also, the majority of these changes are for capacity issues.

Wait ... You're telling me Expedition Everest, Toy Story Mania, Soarin, Avatar, Rivers of Light, Maelstrom to Frozen, Test Track 2.0, New Fantasyland, Little Mermaid, and Seven Dwarfs mine train were all for "capacity issues"? Sure, the adding of a 3rd theater to Soarin and a 3rd track to Toy Story is obviously due to wanting to increase capacity in light of their popularity, but that is not by any stretch the majority of the changes. A majority???? That's two of the changes.

The rest? well see when they finally start building.

We'll see WHAT when they start building? Avatar is being built (and Rivers of Light). Where do you think the approved $3.5B are going to go? A new snack stand and toss the rest in a bonfire? smh

as for landscaping.. NFL was actually not so good in that aspect.
The roads and walkways were mostly for efficiency purposes (very wide, limited themeing)

I kind of misspoke in terms of using that word, because Seven Dwarfs is partially "fake" landscaping, but what I meant is that it's beautiful. Limited themeing? What the @#$*& ...? The entire area is gorgeous. Doesn't anyone care about this kind of thing anymore? Has it become ALL about the rides?

https://flic.kr/p/oJ6YV9
https://flic.kr/p/nJooFh
https://flic.kr/p/oZH58j
https://flic.kr/p/e54Y9x
https://flic.kr/p/oJ6MNj
https://flic.kr/p/pF2day

That doesn't even cover the entire area!

 

[marni1971]

If it's the incident I'm thinking of, the guest himself admitted that he was entirely at fault.

That he did.

 

[GhostHost1000]

DVC bookings are already a mess with home resort priority, point values, etc. Adding in a new tier of moderate owners to the booking equation would be a disaster. Will they significantly diminish the number of points a moderate owner receives when purchasing? Then what prevents a deluxe owner from booking several stays at the moderate level to get longer stays? Leaving moderate owners in the dust for availability. Not doubting the idea was explored, but at this point I think Pandora's box is sealed for a good while.

I always thought they could/should offer multiple tiers of DVC membership... something like:
Deluxe tier - (those members today) able book Deluxe resorts, Moderate Resorts, and Value Resorts.
Moderate tier - able to book Moderate resorts, and Value resorts
Value tier - able to book value resorts only

now of course they would need to designate or build dvc moderate and dvc value rooms however.... or use existing resorts today to open this option up and just build some additional hotels as well

 

[PREMiERdrum]

now of course they would need to designate or build dvc moderate

Apparently CB will be the first to get this, right?

 

[GhostHost1000]

Apparently CB will be the first to get this, right?

that's the rumor I've heard... but I would think they are going to have to have different DVC tiers though otherwise people could buy into DVC to a moderate level resort with fewer points and lower cost and still get all the same benefits with the ability to still book the deluxe resorts at 7 months. If that's the case... those who bought into DVC just looking for a room each year might dash to sale what they have and buy into it for even less. I don't know... depends on how they do it. If they redo the rooms then that might be different. I could see some of the moderates being appealing, especially Port Orleans as well. My guess is they would treat it like a deluxe DVC resort even though it's at a moderate resort

 

[zakattack99]

My guess is they would treat it like a deluxe DVC resort even though it's at a moderate resort

This is what I am trying to say. If they don't they risk devaluing the brand and lose money. DVC or DVC wings, will always need to be treated as Deluxe acomidations no matter what resort teir they are built at.

 

[George]

DAK is getting love and its great. I would argue, however, that even once RoL/night safaris/Pandora is all up and running, that DAK still would need an expansion of a few more rides and maybe a larger scale daytime show to fully occupy everyone for a full day. Yes, there will be plenty to do given all the live animal encounters, but the park will still be too short on rides once Pandora opens (will only have 8-9 rides depending on whether to count the train).

I personally feel with the animal exhibits this park if you do everything it has to offer is a full day. Those that don't enjoy the parks and the animals are not ever going to be satisfied at this park and they will be missing the best part of the park in my opinion.

These statements aren't mutually exclusive. I have read versions of both of these arguments many times over the years and in large degree agree with both. DAK has wonderful things to do. The animal exhibits are very well done and I love to walk around the park taking it all in. It is very pretty. However, it is short on rides. So, I find that for me, whether or not DAK is a full day park or a worthwhile experience depends on my mood. I also find that arguing things in the abstract is always different than reality. On paper, I lean a bit towards @doctornick 's position. However, there is a more than fair chance that after Avland opens, I will visit DAK and find that it is hard to argue the park needs a lot more. For now, I will ogle the pictures of cranes and steel and hope for the best.

 

[GhostHost1000]

This is what I am trying to say. If they don't they risk devaluing the brand and lose money. DVC or DVC wings, will always need to be treated as Deluxe acomidations no matter what resort teir they are built at.

I agree... to some extent... but will it be worth the point values (whatever they end up being) to stay at Caribbean Beach on DVC points v/s cash over the nicer deluxe resorts? That'll be the question

 

[Shaman]

What does a moderate/value DVC room even look like? In terms of timeshare villas, some of the current DVC room offerings/amenities already seem kind of basic. The latest DVC offerings leverage location (MK) or some kind of novelty (Polynesian Bungalows or Kidani balconies)...I guess that's the selling point? Perhaps they use the AoA concept for moderate/value DVC?

A Tatooine themed moderate/DVC would be awesome somewhere near DHS. Maybe with some kind of connection to the park?

 

[ford91exploder]

There might have been a recent lack of groundbreaking e-ticket type rides, but you're just flat out wrong that they haven't spent money. New Fantasyland wasn't a breakthrough or anything, but it did happen, and it was a rather large project. Two family attractions, lots of great landscaping and rockwork, and one of the most popular restaurants in the MK. Pandora is a several hundred million dollar expansion that's already deep into construction, along with Rivers of Light which is under visible construction. Expedition Everest is within the last 10 years, as is Toy Story Mania (and Soarin right around 10 years old, and both it and TSM are getting a 3rd track/theater as we speak). The MK hub makeover was a fairly large, necessary undertaking, and is nearly complete. Maelstrom (regardless of how you feel about it) is getting a total makeover, and Test Track recently got a complete re-theme (again, regardless of how you feel about it).

None of this cost them any money? That's a neat trick.

Disney was partly a victim of its own rapid expansion in the 90s. Within a span of 10 years (1989-1998), Disney World doubled its number of theme parks. It's only natural that after that there would be a period of rest which would allow the resort to grow around those new theme parks. Then 9/11 smacked around the Orlando theme park industry, and both Universal and Disney felt the blow. Very little happened in Orlando for the 10 years that followed 9/11. Then, in the late 2000's, the economy took a nosedive. It wasn't until the last 5 years or so that the theme park industry is really getting back into the swing of things (Cars Land and new Buena Vista Street in California, Harry Potter in Universal, and now Star Wars + Pixar + whatever else WDW has in store for Frontierland/Epcot/etc).

So now we're sitting here in this upswing, and Hollywood Studios has closed a whole bunch of stuff on the periphery of the park (Animation, Jack Sparrow, Backlot Tour), and yet, despite it being leaked from legitimate sources that the park will be getting $2.8B in expansions, you instead choose to believe that it won't happen?

Alrighty then

Disney is on track to spend the lowest amount of domestic maintenance and expansion CAPEX in the entire HISTORY of TWDC, Even Six Flags is spending 25% more on CAPEX as a percentage of gross park revenue than TWDC. That's what I mean by "Not Spending Money",

As to a bad economy being an excuse for not building as I recall the economy was a wreck with a double digit prime rate when a much smaller Walt Disney Productions built EPCOT in just over 2 years. Now parks are crowded and effective corporate interest rates are now effectively ZERO and all TWDC does is close attractions and cut back the quality of everything else.

As to not believing the latest round of BRAVO SIERRA from TWDC, I seem to recall huge plans for DHS announced before stuff like the Monsters Inc door coaster - that got as far as engineering drawings being created and yet it all went POOF when someone got the idea of MM+ if we spend a couple of billion on computer code we can redistribute the crowds to less popular attractions and obviate the need to build new ones.

As long as Burbank can squeeze a GPM of +20% out of it's existing infrastructure NOTHING will be done except perhaps some road construction to keep the FL DOT and OC Sheriff's Dept off their backs.

Sorry guys I look at actions and not words and TWDC's actions indicate this is all one giant PR stunt to puff the stock (and it's working). The biggest indicator that NOTHING will happen is not a single permit has been pulled - not even a demolition permit to clear backstage land.

As to funding - well if TWDC cut back stock buybacks by 50% for ONE year that would fund the ENTIRE project, That will never happen though as that's the method TWDC inflates the EPS numbers by. It's easy to show increasing EPS if you have a constantly decreasing number of shares on the market

 

[Cesar R M]

Um, since they gutted it of pretty much everything but the boat flume? That's what a total makeover is. Short of demolishing the building, you can't really get much more of a total makeover than that before you call it "starting over from scratch".

You're implying too much.

Wait ... You're telling me Expedition Everest, Toy Story Mania, Soarin, Avatar, Rivers of Light, Maelstrom to Frozen, Test Track 2.0, New Fantasyland, Little Mermaid, and Seven Dwarfs mine train were all for "capacity issues"? Sure, the adding of a 3rd theater to Soarin and a 3rd track to Toy Story is obviously due to wanting to increase capacity in light of their popularity, but that is not by any stretch the majority of the changes. A majority???? That's two of the changes.

hold on, since when are we talking about Expedition Everest?
That thing opened almost 10 years ago.
And was a necessary addon for AK.
Maelstron for Frozen was just a cheap way to throw Frozen on a Park that barely had something new in a long time.
Wasn't Test Track actually a downgrade from Test track 1.0?
Also the changes in MK are pretty much capacity related right now. (from the hub changes to the "bypass")

We're talking of "now". not of 10 years ago.

We'll see WHAT when they start building? Avatar is being built (and Rivers of Light). Where do you think the approved $3.5B are going to go? A new snack stand and toss the rest in a bonfire? smh

Approved is one thing, being built is another.
Avatar took eons to finally got vertical, they dragged their feet big time.
ROL was recently started, we're not talking as in "as long as avatar".
the 3.5 bill as nothing to do with Avatar and ROL as far I know.
and again.. like many people said here.. approved is one thing.. start to build is another.

I kind of misspoke in terms of using that word, because Seven Dwarfs is partially "fake" landscaping, but what I meant is that it's beautiful. Limited themeing? What the @#$*& ...? The entire area is gorgeous. Doesn't anyone care about this kind of thing anymore? Has it become ALL about the rides?

https://flic.kr/p/oJ6YV9
https://flic.kr/p/nJooFh
https://flic.kr/p/oZH58j
https://flic.kr/p/e54Y9x
https://flic.kr/p/oJ6MNj
https://flic.kr/p/pF2day

That doesn't even cover the entire area!

You're getting too emotional and taking it personally.

Also, Id give more credit the the photographer for making the area look so good.

heres what it looks for a normal person that walks in:
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/new-fantasyland-first-look-600x450.jpg
http://www.mynews13.com/content/dam...isney-new-fantasyland-be-our-guest-101212.jpg

 

[Cesar R M]

that's the rumor I've heard... but I would think they are going to have to have different DVC tiers though otherwise people could buy into DVC to a moderate level resort with fewer points and lower cost and still get all the same benefits with the ability to still book the deluxe resorts at 7 months. If that's the case... those who bought into DVC just looking for a room each year might dash to sale what they have and buy into it for even less. I don't know... depends on how they do it. If they redo the rooms then that might be different. I could see some of the moderates being appealing, especially Port Orleans as well. My guess is they would treat it like a deluxe DVC resort even though it's at a moderate resort

I wonder.. we will see "tiered" points as well? Platinum points for deluxe only, gold for moderates and silver for value? or something like that?

 

[Incomudro]

Like a one dimensional mat painting?
That's not remotely true.

You're implying too much.



hold on, since when are we talking about Expedition Everest?
That thing opened almost 10 years ago.
And was a necessary addon for AK.
Maelstron for Frozen was just a cheap way to throw Frozen on a Park that barely had something new in a long time.
Wasn't Test Track actually a downgrade from Test track 1.0?
Also the changes in MK are pretty much capacity related right now. (from the hub changes to the "bypass")

We're talking of "now". not of 10 years ago.



Approved is one thing, being built is another.
Avatar took eons to finally got vertical, they dragged their feet big time.
ROL was recently started, we're not talking as in "as long as avatar".
the 3.5 bill as nothing to do with Avatar and ROL as far I know.
and again.. like many people said here.. approved is one thing.. start to build is another.


You're getting too emotional and taking it personally.

Also, Id give more credit the the photographer for making the area look so good.

heres what it looks for a normal person that walks in:
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/new-fantasyland-first-look-600x450.jpg
http://www.mynews13.com/content/dam...isney-new-fantasyland-be-our-guest-101212.jpg[/QUOT

Like a one dimensional mat painting?
That's not remotely true.