DHS CARS LAND

[spacemt354]

The attendance boost and merchandising opportunities are too large for corporate Disney to pass up. They could build something new and original which could be even better than Carsland, but it would cost more and you run the risk that it would not be as successful. If you take the sentiment and emotion from the equation it makes perfect business sense. Because of all this, building RSR is a no brainer for DHS in my opinion.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[flynnibus]

I'm gonna call you on that Submarine comment. Lassiter was no where's near Disney when that attraction was being re imagined

Lassister did have a hand in the attraction, as he came on board while it was being constructed and gave his input and changes before they allowed it to be finished. Yes, he wasn't there when the project was conceived and started, but he was involved before they were finished. Disney bought Pixar in Jan 2006. The subs didn't open until June 2007. They started on the lagoon construction back in spring of 2005.

Lutz cites Lasseter's influence on the project several times..
http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al061207a.htm - citing the budget bump once Lasseter was there
"Instead, all of John Lasseters additions and tweaking he's done over the past year have created a scenario where the subs are going to be going a bit slower to give the passengers a better chance at taking in the entire underwater spectacular"

"That original 50 Million budget has grown to double that figure, although the exact tally is an extremely touchy subject as any project that exceeds the 100 Million mark requires a different set of corporate approvals than the original project received.
Suffice it to say however, that the submarine rides budget has been significantly expanded at John Lasseter's insistence"

- http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al022007a.htm

It was widely reported at the time that Lasseter had taken a direct role in the attraction and was plussing it to get to what he thought the attraction should be.. which bumped the spending on the project significantly.

 

[flynnibus]

Yeah, I was referring to Pixar movies. Ideas for attractions are run by him at Imagineering, but we all know he has a much greater involvement in Pixar. Your point on attractions is well taken, but I would rather have someone championing for higher quality and nostalgia even if it misses the mark. You're right, he's a fanboy when it comes to the theme parks and it's hurt on things that he's pushed for like Luigi's and the Submarine Voyage. But I'd much rather have his influence on these things than anyone else outside of Imagineering.

That's just it.. people often have taken his success at Pixar.. and believe he is Walt reincarnated when it comes to theme parks. His presence will bring back the scale of attractions like POTC.. etc. People talk like he's in charge of Imagineering, etc. Basically everything gets blown out like he's the second coming and Hallelujah JL is involved! When we know in reality he isn't in charge of WDI.. he's primarily and 'influencer' role.. his power comes largely from his respect and power position wrt to the larger Disney company.. and his presence hasn't really brought a new level to attractions prior to Carsland. The one thing we have seen more than anything since his return, is the dominance of Pixar properties. But of course that isn't unexpected since his presence coincides with the pixar aquisition

It's great to have a creative force with significant influence that high in the company.. no doubt. But Theme Park god he has not proven himself to be.

 

[SirLink]

Keep in mind the idea that he is against moving Cars to DHS is not a proven fact, just speculation and rumors. He never publicly commented either way about it. There is definitely a perception that he does not care as much about WdW.

I would personally say if @marni1971, @Lee and @WDW1974 are saying this I would go with the infer that this is FACT not just a rumour started by a bus driver. Also personally the vibe I get is if TDO asked WDI for a $600million Monstropolis built in DHS - you can bet your bottom dollar Skipper John would still be demanding the same care and quality.

Plus John has a lot on his plate - young family, vineyard, Pixar, WDFA and adviser role to WDI.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Basically everything gets blown out like he's the second coming and Hallelujah JL is involved! When we know in reality he isn't in charge of WDI.. he's primarily and 'influencer' role.. his power comes largely from his respect and power position wrt to the larger Disney company.. and his presence hasn't really brought a new level to attractions prior to Carsland.

I agree with what you said in this post but it would be nice if some of that influence extended to WDW. He's not the second coming of Walt Disney, I doubt there'll ever be someone like Disney again, but Lasseter is the closest we've come in a while. As Carsland at DCA has proven, if Lasseter puts his mind to it he can have a huge input in creating an immersive and entertaining attraction that is also a big draw financially. Like I said before, if he really doesn't want Carsland at WDW then rather than throw his toys out of the pram as some have suggested he would, he should come up with an equally immersive and entertaining alternative. At the end of the day, Carsland isn't going to solve all of DHS's problems, the park would still need more even with that addition so the sooner something actually begins to happen, the better.

 

[GoofGoof]

I would personally say if @marni1971, @Lee and @WDW1974 are saying this I would go with the infer that this is FACT not just a rumour started by a bus driver. Also personally the vibe I get is if TDO asked WDI for a $600million Monstropolis built in DHS - you can bet your bottom dollar Skipper John would still be demanding the same care and quality.

Plus John has a lot on his plate - young family, vineyard, Pixar, WDFA and adviser role to WDI.

I admit I didn't read through all 60+ pages of this thread. I have been in and out. In the pages I read through none of the people you listed said that RSR or Carsland would not come to Florida specifically since Lasseter was against it. There was some mention that he could block it if he wanted to, but I think some people jumped to the conclusion that he actually is blocking it now. I don't think anything is a fact at this point, nobody really knows what is going to happen.

 

[NoChesterHester]

I admit I didn't read through all 60+ pages of this thread. I have been in and out. In the pages I read through none of the people you listed said that RSR or Carsland would not come to Florida specifically since Lasseter was against it. There was some mention that he could block it if he wanted to, but I think some people jumped to the conclusion that he actually is blocking it now. I don't think anything is a fact at this point, nobody really knows what is going to happen.

Right. When the insiders even say nothing is certain or that plans are fluid everyone just needs to settle down. Things are in motion and for that there is some reason for optimism. However, until ground breaks I will try to hold on any celebration.

Besides, as stated earlier, if ground broke tomorrow it would be 2-3 years before Cars Land would open at DHS. That would give DCA the exclusive on it for nearly 4 years.

 

[SirLink]

I admit I didn't read through all 60+ pages of this thread. I have been in and out. In the pages I read through none of the people you listed said that RSR or Carsland would not come to Florida specifically since Lasseter was against it. There was some mention that he could block it if he wanted to, but I think some people jumped to the conclusion that he actually is blocking it now. I don't think anything is a fact at this point, nobody really knows what is going to happen.

I never said that they said it was or wasn't coming. But they have said he will block it with all his might, because Skipper John doesn't want DCA to lose its headline draw.

 

[GoofGoof]

I never said that they said it was or wasn't coming. But they have said he will block it with all his might, because Skipper John doesn't want DCA to lose its headline draw.

If he threatens to quit over this issue (which would be his final play if he wants to block it) then it's not coming. I just don't think anyone really knows for sure that he wants to block it. All speculation at this time.

 

[SirLink]

If he threatens to quit over this issue (which would be his final play if he wants to block it) then it's not coming. I just don't think anyone really knows for sure that he wants to block it. All speculation at this time.

Again not speculation when our Spirited insiders know for sure that he wants to block it - and have been vocal about said issue.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Which still grossed almost $100M more worldwide than the original Cars.

5 years later with 3D ticket prices. Lower domestic total too.

 

[Rasvar]

5 years later with 3D ticket prices. Lower domestic total too.

Bringing in $300M over production cost, I don't think they really care where that comes from. I don't understand why everyone is so quick to dismiss global numbers in a global market. Sure, some of the accounting is different but when you are a global company, those numbers do matter. Cars 2 was a much easier sell globally because the original one relied on more Americana. (Plus, I'm not going to get into the critical arguments. It was not really a movie I thought was great) Therefore, maybe for WDW if they do bring a cars attraction to DHS, using Cars 2 as the base could make some sense due to the wider international market draw for it compared to DCA (trying to get back on thread topic). International visitors have not really been growing. So it all depends on how you look at it. I will say, I don't think I can come up with a good story to work up for a RSR style attraction using Cars 2. But if they go that direction, I know there are talented people (so much more than me) who can in the right situation.

 

[Turtle]

Bringing in $300M over production cost, I don't think they really care where that comes from. I don't understand why everyone is so quick to dismiss global numbers in a global market. Sure, some of the accounting is different but when you are a global company, those numbers do matter. Cars 2 was a much easier sell globally because the original one relied on more Americana. (Plus, I'm not going to get into the critical arguments. It was not really a movie I thought was great) Therefore, maybe for WDW if they do bring a cars attraction to DHS, using Cars 2 as the base could make some sense due to the wider international market draw for it compared to DCA (trying to get back on thread topic). International visitors have not really been growing. So it all depends on how you look at it. I will say, I don't think I can come up with a good story to work up for a RSR style attraction using Cars 2. But if they go that direction, I know there are talented people (so much more than me) who can in the right situation.

they couldn't find a good story for the movie itself, so how do we expect a good story for a LAND based off of a movie that didn't make sense! and if anything that would be too similar to the world showcase with the different countries

 

[AndyMagic]

Some posters seem to think that Cars Land is the only way for Disney to compete with Potter but the truth is that the success of that land has little to do with Cars and everything to do with execution. If the company builds something of similar quality to Cars Land, people will come. Mind you, with Potter 2.0 and the additional rumored billion dollar cash infusion from Comcast, I don't think anything short of the entire collection of rides from Tokyo DisneySea will be able to top what will be coming online in the next 5 years at Uni.

 

[GoofGoof]

Again not speculation when our Spirited insiders know for sure that he wants to block it - and have been vocal about said issue.

I think we have thouroughly beaten this to death so this is the last I will say on this issue. I hope you are wrong. If you are right and he wants to block it at all cost then this whole 60+ pages are for nothing. It's not coming. He's like a big baby who is going to take his ball and go home. I get that he has been successful with Pixar movies, but where does it end? What if he decides he hates the Patriots and threatens that he'll quit unless they agree to never give them a MNF game on ESPN? Seems ridiculous, but it's not that far from this situation. He is definitely not cut out for running the Walt Disney Company if he is going to let petty personal issues dictate major corporate decisions. Again, my comments are based on your suggestion that it is a fact that he is trying to block this which I am not convinced is actually the case.

 

[GoofGoof]

Some posters seem to think that Cars Land is the only way for Disney to compete with Potter but the truth is that the success of that land has little to do with Cars and everything to do with execution. If the company builds something of similar quality to Cars Land, people will come. Mind you, with Potter 2.0 and the additional rumored billion dollar cash infusion from Comcast, I don't think anything short of the entire collection of rides from Tokyo DisneySea will be able to top what will be coming online in the next 5 years at Uni.

This is totally off topic, but imagine if Comcast was successful in buying Disney when they tried. Would they be investing $1billion in Disney parks? Would Universal have gone bankrupt? Would Harry Potter be at DHS right now? I personally think we are better off having 2 major players that compete. They are forced to raise the bar to match each other and we as consumers benefit from both sides.

 

[FrankLapidus]

He's like a big baby who is going to take his ball and go home. I get that he has been successful with Pixar movies, but where does it end? What if he decides he hates the Patriots and threatens that he'll quit unless they agree to never give them a MNF game on ESPN? Seems ridiculous, but it's not that far from this situation. He is definitely not cut out for running the Walt Disney Company if he is going to let petty personal issues dictate major corporate decisions. Again, my comments are based on your suggestion that it is a fact that he is trying to block this which I am not convinced is actually the case.

I agree that it's better to take a wait-and-see approach regarding Lasseter's feeling towards Carsland at DHS but I can sort of see his point. He's gone in and focused on the problems that existed at DCA since it opened and out of that mess he's spearheaded the creation of a new land that has made the park a bigger draw than it has ever been. But if Carsland is cloned at WDW, it will inevitably draw visitors who otherwise might have considered visiting DCA. We're all dealing with hypotheticals here because the situation is so unclear right now but I could see why Lasseter might be upset if the efforts to improve DCA ultimately result in guests on the East Coast travelling to WDW to experience Carsland rather than California. I feel like I've said this a hundred times now so sorry for repeating myself but if Lasseter is dead set against Carsland at DHS then he should focus on coming up with an alternative of at least an equal quality. Either way, I guess we'll find out what's happening if/when Carsland is announced at DHS and either Lasseter or Iger leave the company as a result, if that really is the case here.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Bringing in $300M over production cost, I don't think they really care where that comes from.

You missed my point. You tried to make it sound impressive that the sequel made more money, but I'm saying it's not really when you factor in two types of inflation (general ticket price and 3D), and one market brought in less.

I also read on BOM (I believe) that Cars 2 had the lowest attendence of any Pixar movie. The only reason the numbers are higher than others is, again, ticket price inflation.

Edit, quote from another site:

"Depending on which inflation-adjusted list you look at and the parameters you consider, Cars 2 ranks anywhere from 7th place to dead last compared to the box office earnings of the other eleven Pixar films"

http://www.pixarportal.com/blog.php?id=2011-movie-theater-turnout-lowest-in-16-years

Plus this chart:

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=pixar.htm

 

[techee]

IMO, Disney shouldn't be Pixar-centric. It's not Pixarland or Pixar World, it's Disneyland and Disney World. Disney does have plans for something, but, when it comes to Carsland, we have no external resources, except for what people has said at the beginning and major hype, and that's all.

 

[misterID]

I agree that it's better to take a wait-and-see approach regarding Lasseter's feeling towards Carsland at DHS but I can sort of see his point. He's gone in and focused on the problems that existed at DCA since it opened and out of that mess he's spearheaded the creation of a new land that has made the park a bigger draw than it has ever been. But if Carsland is cloned at WDW, it will inevitably draw visitors who otherwise might have considered visiting DCA. We're all dealing with hypotheticals here because the situation is so unclear right now but I could see why Lasseter might be upset if the efforts to improve DCA ultimately result in guests on the East Coast travelling to WDW to experience Carsland rather than California. I feel like I've said this a hundred times now so sorry for repeating myself but if Lasseter is dead set against Carsland at DHS then he should focus on coming up with an alternative of at least an equal quality. Either way, I guess we'll find out what's happening if/when Carsland is announced at DHS and either Lasseter or Iger leave the company as a result, if that really is the case here.

My problem is that the biggest impact Lasseter will have had in regards to WDW is blocking a major attraction from coming to one of its parks. It's not that I even want RSR.

So far, he and Tony have concentrated on the next prjects(s) for new attractions for DLR's TL and FrtL, along with more blue sky work that could involve another gate out there.

He sent out a corporate memo about Next Gen in WDW.

Where is John in regards to WDW?