News Disney Not Renewing Great Movie Ride Sponsorship Deal with TCM ; Attraction to Close

[wdisney9000]

I responded to a post that stated the Pandora was no risk based on the success of Potter in Uni. I was merely stating that if you compare the two, Pandora is a much bigger risk then Potter was or is.

Just to clarify,...you said that "people get upset when Disney doesnt take chances, and then they get upset when Disney finally does take a chance".

I merely stated that Pandora was not taking a chance, it was not some decision that was made by the executives to be risky and shake up the theme park world. They would have NEVER built Pandora if Potter hadnt been built by Uni. Thats not taking a chance. Thats mimicking. The only possible perceived risk would be financial, but Disney is spreading all this out over such a ridiculously long period of time that it eliminates a huge financial commitment up front. Its akin to putting furniture on layaway for 4 years and paying $20 a month.

 

[ChipNDale79]

The problem I believe if they had just decided to close the park temporarily, while they could have fast tracked the work better, we might have lost out on TOT and Muppetvision as well as a few others that might have been on the chopping block.

Not to mention the huge number of Cast Members that would be out of a job for a year. I mean you can move some around to other places, but you can't move the amount that is required to run a park to other areas of the resort.

 

[doctornick]

So far the whole DHS project is managing to move numbers around, not increase them.

Exactly. It seems like a shell game in terms of capacity instead of the true expansion they really need.

 

[CanadianGordon]

Not to mention the huge number of Cast Members that would be out of a job for a year. I mean you can move some around to other places, but you can't move the amount that is required to run a park to other areas of the resort.

Exactly. As painful as it is, I think people would far more upset by that.

 

[Jrn14]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think around 2018.

Thanks!

 

[Biff215]

Not to mention the huge number of Cast Members that would be out of a job for a year. I mean you can move some around to other places, but you can't move the amount that is required to run a park to other areas of the resort.

And less important but no doubt an issue would be the guests that would be pushed into the other parks, as attendance overall probably wouldn't be affected all that much. The MK certainly can't handle too much more during peak periods, and Epcot and AK lack the proper amount of attractions. Even though DHS is a shell of its former self, it's still giving thousands of guests a day somewhere to go, particularly at night.

 

[wdisney9000]

Exactly. It seems like a shell game in terms of capacity instead of the true expansion they really need.

That was the same concern with MM/FP+. Many people defended it because they truly believed it would decrease wait times and spread people out more. Those of us that could see past the Scarface size mounds pixie dust realized it was little more than a data collection program wrapped up in a brand new shiny box with a wristband and an app.

And no, Im not bashing MM+, but I dont herald it as some type of vacation enhancing miracle simply because I dont have to reach in my pocket for cash or CC. Im not brainwashed enough to get all warm and fuzzy inside when a mickey head turns green. It has its pros and cons, but it did little to spread out guests and improve wait times. Attraction capacity has been, and still is the problem.

 

[ChipNDale79]

That was the same concern with MM/FP+. Many people defended it because they truly believed it would decrease wait times and spread people out more. Those of us that could see past the Scarface size mounds pixie dust realized it was little more than a data collection program wrapped up in a brand new shiny box with a wristband and an app.

And no, Im not bashing MM+, but I dont herald it as some type of vacation enhancing miracle simply because I dont have to reach in my pocket for cash or CC. Im not brainwashed enough to get all warm and fuzzy inside when a mickey head turns green. It has its pros and cons, but it did little to spread out guests and improve wait times. Attraction capacity has been, and still is the problem.

That 2+ billion dollars could have been spent to actually create new attractions and therefore fix the capacity issues....

 

[lazyboy97o]

That 2+ billion dollars could have been spent to actually create new attractions and therefore fix the capacity issues....

While the technology infrastructure continued to crumble.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It would seem Disney is lost. This type of remodel would be appropriate for Epcot, which has adequate infrastructure and just needs more compelling content in its buildings. DHS needs more attractions.

 

[ford91exploder]

While the technology infrastructure continued to crumble.

New and shiny does not mean better, Disneys reservation systems have yet to reach feature parity with the green screen systems they replaced but they have a shiny new GUI interface.

 

[ford91exploder]

It would seem Disney is lost. This type of remodel would be appropriate for Epcot, which has adequate infrastructure and just needs more compelling content in its buildings. DHS needs more attractions.

What does one expect from a management team who never walks the park as a guest?

 

[ChipNDale79]

While the technology infrastructure continued to crumble.

wrong time to spend that amount of money on technology. Surely it could have been upgraded without all the bells and whistles while spending far less money, and pumping some of the remaining money into attractions in the parks.

 

[George]

I hope this rumor happens. Really, GMR stood out as an exemplar of place and thememaking. The way things are going, this would've looked weirder and weirder.

 

[lazyboy97o]

wrong time to spend that amount of money on technology. Surely it could have been upgraded without all the bells and whistles while spending far less money, and pumping some of the remaining money into attractions in the parks.

It wasn't the wrong time. A lot of it had to happen. Pouring the money into attractions would not have fixed those infrastructure problems. It shouldn't be an either or choice for Disney or even fans. The direct experience and what makes it work need to be maintained.

That said, why wish for more of the type of attractions that have come out of the edict to only follow box office and merchandise metrics?

 

[Magenta Panther]

It's kind of sad, really. Not even for Mickey Mouse - MICKEY MOUSE - will a brand new ride be built. God, Iger sucks.

 

[ChipNDale79]

It wasn't the wrong time. A lot of it had to happen. Pouring the money into attractions would not have fixed those infrastructure problems. It shouldn't be an either or choice for Disney or even fans. The direct experience and what makes it work need to be maintained.

That said, why wish for more of the type of attractions that have come out of the edict to only follow box office and merchandise metrics?

Here's the point i was trying to make. They were rolling back discounts, increasing prices, and pumping out a new technology that was a headache to their guests. When we went in 2014, my wife spent a total of 6 hours combined on the phone with disney prior to our trip trying to fix issues that we had with the new technology during our planning phase. We ended up being comped a couple hundred bucks because of the dismal problems we had. It was a nightmare.

I can't tell you how many times we lost dining reservations, fast passes, or other family members getting disconnected from our account. We went with a group of 10, so I'm sure that played a part in it.

This was a pretty bold infrastructure upgrade, during a time they were allowing their parks to get stale. That's all I'm saying. I just think there could have been a less glitzy infrastructure upgrade while pumping some money into the parks as well. JMO though.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Here's the point i was trying to make. They were rolling back discounts, increasing prices, and pumping out a new technology that was a headache to their guests. When we went in 2014, my wife spent a total of 6 hours combined on the phone with disney prior to our trip trying to fix issues that we had with the new technology during our planning phase. We ended up being comped a couple hundred bucks because of the dismal problems we had. It was a nightmare.

I can't tell you how many times we lost dining reservations, fast passes, or other family members getting disconnected from our account. We went with a group of 10, so I'm sure that played a part in it.

This was a pretty bold infrastructure upgrade, during a time they were allowing their parks to get stale. That's all I'm saying. I just think there could have been a less glitzy infrastructure upgrade while pumping some money into the parks as well. JMO though.

Disney's incompetence in rolling out the upgrades doesn't negate the need for the systems to be updated and properly integrated.

 

[ChipNDale79]

Disney's incompetence in rolling out the upgrades doesn't negate the need for the systems to be updated and properly integrated.

Not disagreeing they needed an upgrade. I'm saying the upgrade had a lot of bells and whistles that maybe weren't needed, and are more "nice to haves".

 

[doctornick]

It would seem Disney is lost. This type of remodel would be appropriate for Epcot, which has adequate infrastructure and just needs more compelling content in its buildings. DHS needs more attractions.

Exactly. once they've build TSL, Star Wars and this Mickey ride, we're still gonna be at a point where we say "DHS needs a lot more attractions". Will they still continue to build beyond that when the crowds come for Star Wars and the park is overflowing?