Bring AE back

[CTXRover]

^^Unfortunately, the WDC does not just have stockpiles of cash they can throw around all the time. Things are finally coming together for the entire company once again and one division doesn't have to help out failing divisions as much (ABC is doing great (#2 over Nov. sweeps in key advertising demographics beating out NBC), the studios crossed the 1 billion dollar mark again, attendance at the theme parks is way up, Disney Channel and ESPN are some of the top rated cable channels, ABC family is coming around slowly, etc.) but all together it still must make a profit.

Really, the only way the Imagineers could have enough cash to really do what they wanted with Stitch (assuming they had something more impressive in mind) would be to cut back on the rest of the expansions around WDW and shift the cash over there. Since even here there has been questions raised on Stitch's longetivity and the "urgency" to put him into an attraction so soon in his "lifetime", giving 10s of millions more to completely re-do the joint might not be in their, or our, best interest. Its sounds like a cop-out, but Stitch is just one in a long list of great attractions that have opened or will open soon. Things like Mission:Space, Philharmagic, Wishes, Motors Lights Action stunt show, Soarin' and the subsequent update to the debatable dated appearance of The Land, Expedition Everest, Crush n' Gusher waterslide at Typhoon, the Nemo-izing of the Living Seas, etc. One of those would have had to be cut to create a 100% original Stitch ride. Since I really believe the basics for a great attraction are still within that building, I think it was a smart allotment of cash so the rest of the great stuff listed above can come too. Really, imo, all they need is an adjustment to the SGE's story-line. And not even drastic changes, really just some ironing around the edges, primarily the ending and the extended periods of unnecessary darkness. Fix those and I'll be a very happy camper

 

[FamilyMan]

At night on Thanksgiving, the wait was only about 15 minutes.

 

[Lee]

OK, folks....AE ain't coming back ( ), but......

I was at the parks for a bit today and picked up some Stitch information. (The person I got it from didn't say not to share it, so here goes....)

As it was told to me:
Disney decided to replace AE with a Stitch attraction, due to the fact that Stitch is currently the number three selling character for the company behind Mickey and Pooh.
The Stitch attraction was given to Imagineer Kevin Rafferty, a very talented guy. He was thrilled with the assignment, and went to work on a killer concept. He designed an attraction with the preliminary budget of $25 million. Soon thereafter, another ride-design firm said they could do it for $20 million. Thus began a "bidding war" for the attraction between WDI and outside designers, the end result being WDI getting the job and a budget of just $10 million.

WDI did the best they could on the limited budget, and the result is Stitch's Great Escape. Lots of hype, tons of advertising, huge promotional push at the resort....but awful reviews. True, it occasionally has a bit of a wait time, as all new attractions do, but not always...and even then few are repeat riders.

Seriously.

I am told that Stitch is generating more complaints now than AE ever did in it's entire run. Complaints about both the attraction's quality, and about the fright factor in a ride designed for kids. People apparently love Stitch...but HATE this attraction, much the way they felt about Imagination 2.0.

Now, faced with this situation, Disney has indeed decided to close the attraction after the busy Xmas season and completely rework it. That $5 million budget we were talking about a few days ago? Forget it. It's going to run quite a bit more than that, even possibly approaching the original $20-25 million figure. Why are they doing it? They can't afford not to after the huge promotional push they continue to give it. Frankly, it's making them look bad to hype an attraction that is getting such a poor reception. And I personally wouldn't want to be in Mr. Rafferty's shoes right now, thats for sure.

Anyway, that is what I was told today by a someone of very high reliability (Thanks, if you are reading this), and as always things are subject to change. We'll see.......

 

[dxwwf3]

Thanks for the info Lee. For those of you new to the boards, this guy knows his stuff.

More complaints than AE had huh? If I were a vengeful person I would be screaming "I told you so!" right now, but I'm not Seriously though, I believe alot of us could see this coming. All we can do now is hope for the best.

Kudos to Disney for putting some serious money into this and for TRYING to get it right. Good look to all of those that will be working on the rehab. It's not going to be easy that's for sure.

Again thanks Lee and good luck WDI.

 

[StuntDoomBuggy]

I Just Have One Thing To Say:

Bring AE To Disneyland In Replacement Of The Pizza Place In Tomorrowland That Replaced Mission To Mars..

 

[dxwwf3]

I Just Have One Thing To Say:

Bring AE To Disneyland In Replacement Of The Pizza Place In Tomorrowland That Replaced Mission To Mars..

Hey that's where it was supposed to start out anyways. I'm, of course, glad it came to WDW instead, but I wouldn't mind being able to see it again when I finally get to go to Disneyland sometime in the near future.

 

[Stitchfan712]

15 million?


If they can get that much money sunk into a rehab, I expect it will be spectacular. I am more optimistic about THAT, than a 5 million rehab budget!

With that, they can surely redesign the shoulder restraints so that they don't hurt. In fact with that they could redesign the whole thing top to bottom.


But Lee, here's what I want to know:


ARE they shutting it down completely for the rehab? Or are they keeping one chamber open??

 

[TikiBears]

Kevin Rafferty was also the Imagineer behind the Tiki Room Under New Management....

 

[Lee]

Not sure.
Last I heard it was probably just one chamber at a time, but that was before the new info. about a much larger reworking.

And the $15 million is not an official figure, just sort of the top end of where it could, in theory, go. I don't see it going that high myself.

 

[Stitchfan712]

Kevin Rafferty was also the Imagineer behind the Tiki Room Under New Management....

Oh god no....I HATE the new Tiki room. I can't stand it. I'll take walt's tiki room anyday, more magical.

The new Tiki room feels cheap and stupid, sorry, but that's how I honestly feel. I avoid the new tiki room unless I'm with new guests that want to experience it.

My party of 9 on the last trip, and party of 3 on this trip, were all, unanimously, disappointed in the new Tiki Room.


To Lee: I sure hope they keep one chamber open during this. With all the promotion they have sunk into SGE...it would be a large setback to close the ride completely after so much heavy promotion.

 

[dxwwf3]

I sure hope they keep one chamber open during this. With all the promotion they have sunk into SGE...it would be a large setback to close the ride completely after so much heavy promotion.

Well they didn't keep one chamber open for the AE rehab. At least I'm pretty sure they didn't. And that turned out all right :lol: And they had alot of promotion into it as well.

I don't think it would hurt the attraction AT ALL to close completely down. It wouldn't set the attraction back one bit. Close the whole thing down and don't open it back up until they have a decent attraction. However long it takes, get it right this time.

 

[Stitchfan712]

As long as its back open by July......


Hey, how long did the AE rehab take? (the original one, not the transformation into SGE)

 

[General Grizz]

Oh god no....I HATE the new Tiki room. I can't stand it. I'll take walt's tiki room anyday, more magical.

The new Tiki room feels cheap and stupid, sorry, but that's how I honestly feel. I avoid the new tiki room unless I'm with new guests that want to experience it.

My party of 9 on the last trip, and party of 3 on this trip, were all, unanimously, disappointed in the new Tiki Room.


To Lee: I sure hope they keep one chamber open during this. With all the promotion they have sunk into SGE...it would be a large setback to close the ride completely after so much heavy promotion.

Right with you on that TIKI sentiment.

I was talking to Guest Relations, asking if Disney would ever alter the show. They said, "Oh gosh, we can hope." It's my understanding that a lot of these Cast Members don't like what Disney did to the Tropical Serenade.

 

[TikiBears]

The current Tiki Room is pretty bad... I still see the show out of nostalga for the original. The rap, caribbean and 50s doo wop music just doesnt fit. Disney tries too hard to be cool and fails miserably. Be magical and timeless. Think romantic sounds of the South Seas. Martin Denny...

 

[PurpleDragon]

The current Tiki Room is pretty bad... I still see the show out of nostalga for the original. The rap, caribbean and 50s doo wop music just doesnt fit. Disney tries too hard to be cool and fails miserably. Be magical and timeless. Think romantic sounds of the South Seas. Martin Denny...

I agree with you whole heartedly. I think that is the whole issue with Disney these days, they are trying to make their characters "Cool". I'm sorry this is Disney, not your local mall hangout, its supposed to be timeless and magical. I'm sorry Stitch falls into this category of trying to make Disney character "cool" to appeal to todays youth. Disney has stopped trying for timeless classics in order to aim for present day demographics. This is what keeps a number of these characters from having the staying power like the charaters of old. See Mickey has been around for years, he has an innocent charm to him, timeless and magical. Now lets look at say Mushu for instance, they tried to make him cool and now look, he has all but dissappeared, simply because he was appealing to the demographic of that time, but now his coolness is old and played out. If Disney would shift their focus back to making timeless characters then they would return to making magical movies and attractions.

 

[General Grizz]

Hit the nail right on the head. Who will remember Mr. Whiskers from "Brandy and Mr. Whiskers" ten years from now? (Ha!!!)

It's a shame, and you see it everywhere at Disney: theme parks, television, animated movies. They don't know who they are.

 

[Stitchfan712]

Hit the nail right on the head. Who will remember Mr. Whiskers from "Brandy and Mr. Whiskers" ten years from now? (Ha!!!)

It's a shame, and you see it everywhere at Disney: theme parks, television, animated movies. They don't know who they are.

THAT, is a "no-second-season" series if I ever saw one...

 

[PurpleDragon]

Hit the nail right on the head. Who will remember Mr. Whiskers from "Brandy and Mr. Whiskers" ten years from now? (Ha!!!)

It's a shame, and you see it everywhere at Disney: theme parks, television, animated movies. They don't know who they are.

I've never heard of that character I don't think!!?!?!?:veryconfu

 

[General Grizz]

I've never heard of that character I don't think!!?!?!?:veryconfu

It's Disney Channel's attempt to capture Spongebob fans. The show, Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, is a cartoon about a spoiled brat teenage girl dog and what seems to be a Spongebob mutant rabbit.

I swear, those awful characters are the worst I've seen on television.

Gotta love the TIMELESS Disney works, right? Kick Walt off and bring on truckpiles of crap. Thank you, Mrs. Sweeney. . . Walt would really be proud of all you've done to diminish his name from this identity-crisis network.

(Sorry about the thread drift. )

 

[Stitchfan712]

You're on-topic in this pickin'-on-disney thread.