Disney Giveth, and Disney Taketh Away

[Bairstow]

I do find it odd that Disney once knew that having speciality shops on site that operated at a loss could somehow contribute to your overall "product" and enhance your offering.

...and then somehow un-learned this in the late '90s.

Shops can be attractions too. California still knows this.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

We went from this...
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2259/2282335012_0b3938ea63.jpg

And this...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/5759228204_cbf5114f76.jpg

To this...
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/photos/images/gastons-tavern-concept.jpg

 

[Tip Top Club]

I can do lost flamingo's plus lost food in one shot. Flamingo's at the beach at EPCOT's Odyssey, 1986:

Good stuff (well, no it's not but you know what I mean). I'll add most of these as well.


These moved over to DAK, but I'll add that as well.

I can actually confirm that these did not move over to DAK. Pictured here are Caribbean flamingos. DAK only features Great Flamingos on the Safari, and Lesser flamingos on Discovery Island.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Fair points, I guess this is declining by degrees but not necessarily a true cut. I'm talking about semantics at this point though. As for Imagination, is that $53 million accurate? Is that for the first refurb, or the second one?

I can't find a link to save my life now, but reputedly, when Eisner rode the new Imagination (first refurb), upon exiting, he exclaimed 'what the **** did you do with my $53 million dollar?'.
It's expensive to rip out 40% of a ride's track to make way for a giftshop and a single-floor postshow.


Also, for everybody out there, here's the splendour of The Land at dusk. :floggingdeadhorse:
The beautiful indoor sky:

The fountain. Notice its genuine artistry, the way its elements are fully integrated with the story of the Land. Indeed how a spring in the middle of The Land is not coincidental, but serves to show water is the source upon which is depenedent all the food you see in the ride and eat at the restaurant. Water - the essential companion to the land - it's no coincidence that in all of FW only this pavilion has a boat ride.

And there's no Pixar toon on top either!:

The fountain was removed for extra seating space. I guess one could argue that both 'a fountain' and 'seating space' serve to make the experience better for the guests.
But that is deceitful. The removal of show to streamline park operations is a decline.

 

[Bairstow]

They really did butcher that poor building, didn't they?

 

[Bolna]

First of all: thanks to all the posters who posted about the inside of the Land pavillion! I never liked it - it does not work as a well designed space to me at all. But then I first saw it in 2004. I think it works much better the way it was originally designed, even if some aspects of that design do look outdated today.

Two minor details that I noticed that seem to have gone away since my first visit in 2004 - and both are napkin related.

First, a number of table service restaurants used to have cloth napkins and now only have paper. I am certain that it is the case for Boma and think there are others as well, but am not sure about every single restaurant.

Second, at California Grill in the bread basket the bread used to be wrapped in a cloth napkin as well, now the basket is only lined with a flimsy paper.

 

[asianway]

Someone just posted in another thread, prime rib on the buffets. That may have been the first time Wdw used the "because our guests demanded it" lie.

 

[MissMorrow]

I must assure you I was very busy enjoying all this wonderful, classic Disney creativity.

Compare this handpainted ceiling with the one below:
(And the painted walls. And the fun electric umbrella's. And the lighting which doesn't make it all look like a hospital)
(Which also reminds me to add the Fountain inside the Land to the list)

Oh wow, I'd forgotten what it used to look like. Looks rather like an airport now vs. then.

 

[mickey2008.1]

I get the napkin thing, being not printed, as it costs a lot of money, say .o4 cents each for dinner napkins, multiply that by the attendance times two and its huge for all the parks. My point here, is if you cut here and save, where are the savings going?
EmpressLilly, great pictures, I had forgotten how beautiful the land used to be. But with time, things unfortunately change with style, whether right or wrong, and this time wrong.

 

[flynnibus]

My point here, is if you cut here and save, where are the savings going?

Prop'ing up the profitability numbers in the face of stagnant growth.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I can't find a link to save my life now, but reputedly, when Eisner rode the new Imagination (first refurb), upon exiting, he exclaimed 'what the **** did you do with my $53 million dollar?'.
It's expensive to rip out 40% of a ride's track to make way for a giftshop and a single-floor postshow.

I can't find the quote, but I did found that Steve had this from 1999:
http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions...isner-rides-Journey-into-Your-Imagination.htm

Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney, visited WDW October 26 1999 to check out the new Millennium shows at Epcot. Whilst everything else got the seal of approval, the new Journey into Your Imagination ride didn't do to well. Reports indicate that he hated it, and has order a reworking of the ride with an additional $5million budget.

 

[asianway]

Galaxy Palace Theatre torn down for exec parking
Tree of Life crumbling

 

[fmingo36]

I personally think the $10 no show fee is a plus. It is hard to get some of those ADRs even with it. If there was no punishment for not showing up It would be even harder.

Agree! I think this is a GREAT idea. It should have been done sooner.

 

[Scuttle]

Agree! I think this is a GREAT idea. It should have been done sooner.

I agreed until the fastpass return window was enforced. Now when you have reservations it creates conflicts and ultimately(sometimes) you are forced to miss out on a fastpass attraction due to this.

 

[GoofGoof]

I agreed until the fastpass return window was enforced. Now when you have reservations it creates conflicts and ultimately(sometimes) you are forced to miss out on a fastpass attraction due to this.

That is a very valid point that I hadn't thought about when i originally suggested it was a good thing. Especially a ride like Toy Story Mania where the fast passes at 10am are for 6pm returns if any are left. The good thing is they only charge you for signature and character reservations not all ADRs or has that changed too?

 

[Captain Chaos]

Tim, what about the effects in The Great Movie Ride??? Some of the effects have been turned off or never fixed, such as the first scene with the spinning dancers... I know that has been off for a long time now...

 

[Scuttle]

Tim, what about the effects in The Great Movie Ride??? Some of the effects have been turned off or never fixed, such as the first scene with the spinning dancers... I know that has been off for a long time now...

Good call a lot of broken effects in the great movie ride.


Oh and how about the end of Space Mountain and how unsyncronized the re entry blast is. Even if your sitting in the back the sound doesn't start until your clearly through the tunnel. Not sure if that's considered a cut, but I find it to be absolutely horrible.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

DAK ('Missing in Daktion'?):

The fun discovery pathway between Africa and Asia
Pocahontas And Her Forest Friends

 

[unkadug]

DAK ('Missing in Daktion'?):

The fun discovery pathway between Africa and Asia
Pocahontas And Her Forest Friends

Also, the Hidden paths around the Tree of Life have been closed for a while now.

 

[COProgressFan]

Someone just posted in another thread, prime rib on the buffets. That may have been the first time Wdw used the "because our guests demanded it" lie.

I don't think it was the first time. But it certainly ranks up there as one of the most egregious and arrogant uses of the "guests demanded it" excuse, and was insulting to anyone with a mind who can read words on a page.

Did anyone actually believe that?

I'm sure guests demanded less time for evening EMH's too...