DHS CARS LAND

[GoofGoof]

If Cars 2 would of been a smash we would of seen Carsland. It was far from that and the intense merch sales that it had from the 2005-2007 area do not justify an entire Carsland for the powers at be anymore.

If construction started now it would take at least two years just to complete a value engineered version. There is no way they would put a resturant that was not really featured much in the film it was actually in. We would just get the value engineered clone of the main ride.

If anything Disney Florida is on the level right now of just doing something that in their minds is 'good enough' where we get a Mater flat ride in one of the smaller soundstages where we have painted flat sets inside and an overhead recording announcement of "Alright everybodeh, here comes that biiiiiig scene we got to film" as the flat ride starts from an annoying overdone voice.

Not sure how it wasn't a smash:
Cars (2006) Worldwide box office $462M
Cars2 (2011) Worldwide box office $560M

Sure ticket prices went up in those 5 years, but even adjusted for inflation Cars2 outsold the original. I personally didn't think it was a great effort, but that's not really relevant. If the Cars franchise can't draw people into a park then how do you explain the wild success at DCA? I don't know if they will build full Carsland or some cardboard cutout version of it or nothing at all in FL, but if they don't build it the reason will not be that Cars2 was a flop.

 

[doctornick]

Not sure how it wasn't a smash:
Cars (2006) Worldwide box office $462M
Cars2 (2011) Worldwide box office $560M

Sure ticket prices went up in those 5 years, but even adjusted for inflation Cars2 outsold the original. I personally didn't think it was a great effort, but that's not really relevant. If the Cars franchise can't draw people into a park then how do you explain the wild success at DCA? I don't know if they will build full Carsland or some cardboard cutout version of it or nothing at all in FL, but if they don't build it the reason will not be that Cars2 was a flop.

Yes, plus Cars merchandise still flies off the shelf despite any perceived "lack of success" of Cars 2. I don't think that Disney has any IP that compares to Cars in terms of selling merchandise to young boys and it's still going very strong.

I would think putting some sort of Cars attraction in DHS is a no brainer

 

[celluloid]

In terms of Florida, not worth it. Never said it did not make money.

Also, in box office terms that is not a smash hit. Sequels such as are projectd to make more money than the first. Also, it is not just ticket prices that raised, but much of the attendance paid for the 3D ticket as well as by 2011 it was a larger gimmick than in 2005. For reference Tangled had a larger success in box office and worldwide and domestic. All that gets is a bathroom homage.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Hey I just had a brain thing. What if DHS's version of RSR was designed around the Paris scene from Cars 2. It would lack the impressive Cadillac Range but could be replaced with a cool cityscape facade and bringing the building facade MUCH closer to the outside track portion would greatly increase the sense of speed. Then they could seamlessly drop in the Rat ride and Gaston's Restaurant.
PIXAR's Paris!

 

[celluloid]

They would just leave the facades and setwork for the Lights Mortors Action show.

 

[awoogala]

No doubt. I am one of them. I just don't see them passing DHS or AK in the next few years which is what the other person said.

I think Potter 2.0 sounds like it will be amazing, but I thought the original was too. I think a lot of the same people who loved the original will come back for phase 2, but the appeal for adding new visitors to the Universal property will be much less than when WWOHP opened. People who loved the movies have probably already been to IOA. Another ancillary benefit for WDW is when people go down to see Potter 2.0 they may spend a day or 2 at Universal, but a large number will also visit WDW for a few days too. A large number of people still prefer the week long vacation (especially if they are flying), but I don't know anyone who spends a whole week at Universal.

I adore the books, loved the moviess, still have not gone.
1. New stuff/crowds, don't like them!
2. Nothing in the universal parks appeal to me on paper, other than Potter.
3. I figured I'd wait a few years, until 2.0 opens and the crowds die down, and my kids are old enough to enjoy potter.
4. I can spend 7 days at disney world parks and not have a day left over yet.
so, they may gain me, in a couple of years. But so far, Potter is the only thing I am interested in seeing, so unless I go there and something changes my mind..

 

[GoofGoof]

In terms of Florida, not worth it. Never said it did not make money.

Also, in box office terms that is not a smash hit. Sequels such as are projectd to make more money than the first. Also, it is not just ticket prices that raised, but much of the attendance paid for the 3D ticket as well as by 2011 it was a larger gimmick than in 2005. For reference Tangled had a larger success in box office and worldwide and domestic. All that gets is a bathroom homage.

The box office never got close to Toy Story 3 either, but the merchandising exceeded it:
This is an older article, but it points out that Cars may be Disney's most profitable franchise.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/walt-disney-expects-cars-2-196568

Like it or not Cars is a money making machine even if they are not the best Pixar movies.
Now that Star Wars is under the Disney label they may have a franchise that surpasses Cars.

 

[celluloid]

No one is argunig that it did not make money. But not enough to suffice a rush to build a Carsland in Florida. If that were the case, we would already have one under construction. Cars has HUGE merch appeal in the current state and definitely in recent five years leading up to now, but DCA was desperate and low on crowds. DHS is lowest of the four Florida parks but TDO does not care that much.

 

[GoofGoof]

No one is argunig that it did not make money. But not enough to suffice a rush to build a Carsland in Florida. If that were the case, we would already have one under construction. Cars has HUGE merch appeal in the current state and definitely in recent five years leading up to now, but DCA was desperate and low on crowds. DHS is lowest of the four Florida parks but TDO does not care that much.

I am starting to feel that maybe nothing gets built too. I think we may need to see rock bottom before anything gets done and I don't think the current state of DHS qualifies as rock bottom in the minds of management (even if it does for some fans). Hopefully I am wrong and the insiders who say something is close to green lit are right. IMHO if anything is built at DHS, Carsland or some version of RSR will be first on the list. It's a proven commodity and presents the least risk of any of the ideas on the table.

 

[Prof Ecks]

Sure...

That doesn't look like much fun...

 

[celluloid]

Sadly these days it seems if anything the resort likes to build one no actual attraction/ride at a time and focus all of the media on that and hope for a bleed over. They have a lot invested in Avatar and are hoping for a bleed over into other parks since people can't go to WDW and just visit Animal Kingdom without visiting the Magic Kingdom in their minds, but that is likely going to blow up in their faces as not as many squeeze in third and fourth days. (as attendance for parks not MK show)

 

[SirLink]

Personally, I think they should save money and go with MI, Rat clone, Indy clone, and Cantina character meal (that instantly upgrades DHS) ... then take the savings from RSR (using the assumption that an Indy clone would be cheaper than a RSR clone) and do something in EPCOT.

I even feel if they did that I would be kinda disappointed because after you add those we get nothing new for what another 10, 15, 20 years after this has been completed....urgh

 

[tomman710]

I even feel if they did that I would be kinda disappointed because after you add those we get nothing new for what another 10, 15, 20 years after this has been completed....urgh

True ... but at least it'd be a stale full day park instead of a stale half day park.

 

[SirLink]

True ... but at least it'd be a stale full day park instead of a stale half day park.

True ... true

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Put your money where your mouth is. $100 to Give Kids the World that a Universal park passes a Disney park in attendance by the first full year of Potter phase 2 on the TEA reports.

Change it to the Make a Wish Foundation and you got a nice little side bet.

But...

I fully expect you to pay up to a charity of your choice when it don't happen. If you cannot talk the talk, you should not walk the walk so to speak.


Jimmy Thick- Channeling Ric Flair...

 

[twebber55]

its not that uni will pass diney in attendance but the fact that uni is taking money from disney and will continue to take money from disney as ling as the mouse doesnt continue to expand

 

[Mike K]

I've said it plenty of times already but while Cars Land at DCA is an incredible land, it truly is the crown jewel that makes that particular park special now and that's where it should stay. I understand all the reasoning behind just lifting it from Anaheim and bringing it to Orlando because it has been such a proven hit and replicating something is far simpler than risking it on something new. But, why can't the same thought process that gave us Cars Land be used in implementing new experiences at DHS. Come on, TDO. The potential is endless in that park and it's in serious need of a truly immersive makeover. I'm completely supportive of finally seeing that Monsters Inc. Door Coaster come to fruition and DHS has always been the ideal park to house it. In addition, while I have always agreed that Pixar Place is in need of an expansion, I don't necessarily think that all DHS needs is just more of a Pixar presence. DHS is a park about the magic and escapism of the movies and they really need to get back to the mission for that park. Send me to places that only the magic of the movies can take me without Woody or Buzz as my only guides.

Like I mentioned, Pixar Place should see an expansion that gives us unique experiences like the Monsters Inc. Coaster as well as an Incredibles attraction that utilizes really cutting edge technology. The Incredibles is a Pixar property that has been grossly underused in the parks considering its popularity so perhaps it's time to give it their due. I think beyond possibly converting Honey, I Shrunk the Kids into A Bug's Life playground, I think that's where the expansion of more Pixar should end in DHS. I always felt that attractions for Ratatouille and even Up were better suited in Epcot so when the time comes for their own TLC, this could be a start.

While I will always prefer unique experiences over replications from other parks, I will admit that seeing the Indiana Jones attraction from Disneyland come to DHS would make me and plenty of others happy. In a perfect world, I'd love to see TDO take Indiana Jones and craft a completely new attraction for DHS but the chances of that seem beyond slim. DHS would truly benefit from a real sense of adventure with a better Indiana Jones attraction. Hot off the heels of the Lucasfilm acquisition, the best thing that DHS could have happen to it would be a full Star Wars Land expansion but unfortunately any movement of a bigger Star Wars presence in the parks seems many years off which is a real shame. Other than that, I personally would like to see a slightly bigger Muppets presence in DHS in the form of maybe a new stage show or something.

 

[yeti]

Sure...

 

[PeterAlt]

Here's my official take...

Disney still has to respond to Universal's $1.5 billion. Avatarland was a response to HP. If you look at the timing of that announcement (Avatar), it took quite a while before Disney made that announcement after the clear success of HP. After the clear success of Carsland in CA, Universal was quick to respond by announcing HP for CA (at the same time they announced $1.5 billion for FL). HP clone for CA is Universal's obvious response to Carsland at DCA. The $1.5 billion for Florida could be seen as a copying Disney's successful $1.3 billion redo of DCA, since Universal Florida is similar in layout as the DLR (with two parks, parking garages, and a shopping and nighttime entertainment complex connecting the two).

A quick response for Disney would be to clone Carsland for DHS, but that won't counter the full $1.5 billion Universal will spend. It may counter the HP expansion or TF ride, but that won't counter the barrage full-on assault enabled by Universal's $1.5 billion investment! If I were a general in Disney's war room, I would draw up a wide response that would bring Carsland to Florida as part of a much larger plan. The plan would construct Carsland sooner than the other elements of it. It would follow in the years afterward with a counter-barrage of missiles aimed at Universal.

Assuming the executives think like me (and they're smart people, so they probably do), a plan like this takes time to develop. Knowing the time it took for Disney to finally respond to HP with Avatarland (and that was just an announcement absent of details other than a projected construction cost), it could be some time before we hear how the mouse will respond. In any case, the plan will most likely include an early build-out of Carsland at DHS.

 

[twebber55]

cars land is great not because of cars but because the proper amount of money was used to make it great...that said i would be pretty happy if cars land came to DHS along with the other planned expansions at the resort