News Disney plans to accelerate Parks investment to $60 billion over 10 years

[LSLS]

This just patently false. Disney if anything overstaffs project to make sure things get done how they want it. At least in WDW and in the China parks. I don't have any personal experience in CA or France.

As to timely, I actually haven't seen too many Disney project (other than covid timeframe) with huge critical path schedule delays. However, what Disney doesn't care about is what outsiders perceive as timely. Construction projects are run per the construction schedule, they don't care when announcements were made, when hints were given out as to what might be built or D23 blue sky topics. A baseline schedule is created, accepted, and construction begins and is managed per that schedule.

Now I have seen openings be planned based around certain marketing strategies...which is what a business should do. It makes absolutely no sense to rush and open a new ride in 20 months, if opening it up in 3 months later due to seasonal demand, other maintenance issues, or a myriad of other factors makes the later opening more commercially viable. Its not a race to just get things done as quick as possible.

I'm almost positive it has been discussed by insiders that they do push things out to make the costs hit multiple fiscal quarters/years instead of all at once. I have no idea about numbers of people or how well it's staffed for the work being done (other than Cake Bake shop which we have heard about with hilarious detail), but their construction schedule is purposely pushed for extend periods of time. I think it's a fair assumption to think that they stay on the schedule they want, but that schedule is drastically extended compared to what it could be.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm almost positive it has been discussed by insiders that they do push things out to make the costs hit multiple fiscal quarters/years instead of all at once. I have no idea about numbers of people or how well it's staffed for the work being done (other than Cake Bake shop which we have heard about with hilarious detail), but their construction schedule is purposely pushed for extend periods of time. I think it's a fair assumption to think that they stay on the schedule they want, but that schedule is drastically extended compared to what it could be.

Cake Bake Shop isn’t a Disney project.

There is also a lot of exaggeration of how much projects are pushed out mostly due to Disney announcing projects early in the design process.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

I'm almost positive it has been discussed by insiders that they do push things out to make the costs hit multiple fiscal quarters/years instead of all at once. I have no idea about numbers of people or how well it's staffed for the work being done (other than Cake Bake shop which we have heard about with hilarious detail), but their construction schedule is purposely pushed for extend periods of time. I think it's a fair assumption to think that they stay on the schedule they want, but that schedule is drastically extended compared to what it could be.

I don't believe the Cake Bake Shop was a Disney Contract/Project. I had thought the restaurant itself was doing the build out.

Almost any project "could" be built faster. A standard project schedule is going to be built around 1 eight hour shift, 5 days a week. If you wanted something built faster there are a myrad of methods to use to accelerate. You could work 10 or 12 hours shifts. You could work 6-7 days a week. You could go to 2-3 shifts. You could trade stack your operations flooding the job site, which kills efficiency and kills your costs, but you could see a project speed up.

But for almost any new Disney build, there is no reason once a design is set, a baseline CPM schedule set, to accelerate the work, or to build it as fast as possible. It's not an access issue, Disney doesn't have a carrying cost issue where it needs to complete work and sell off a completed asset as fast as possible to get rid of the holding cost/construction loan. Disney's scheduled aren't normally extended, they are set out to the date they want the project to be finished and up and running.

 

[LSLS]

Cake Bake Shop isn’t a Disney project.

There is also a lot of exaggeration of how much projects are pushed out mostly due to Disney announcing projects early in the design process.

I know it's not, hence why I wasn't really using that as a judgement of the number of people they use on a given project (just stating that is the one instance we have heard about number of people working on a project). And I'd agree part of it is announcing early. But that's not all of it, and like I said, I'm almost certain I've heard from insiders here that is because they prefer spreading the costs out.

 

[Ayla]

This isn’t even close to true. Disney’s project teams are massive. If anything they have too many people working on any one project.

(Except the corn dog stand.)

 

[Goofnut1980]

From announcement to opening, these attractions worldwide took the longest to complete (of dates we know, as World of Frozen at Disney Adventure World will be over 7 years):

1. Haunted Mansion at Disneyland (7 years, 7 months, 9 days) - December 31, 1961 - August 9, 1969
2. World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland (6 years, 11 months 29 days) - November 22, 2016 - November 20, 2023
3. Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea (5 years, 11 months, 23 days) - June 14, 2018 - June 6, 2024
4. Tron Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom (5 years, 8 months, 20 days) - July 15, 2017 - April 4, 2023
5. Pandora: The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom (5 years, 8 months, 20 days) - September 20, 2011 - May 27, 2017

The quickest though are:

1. Monsters Inc Laugh Floor at Magic Kingdom (6 months, 23 days) - September 10, 2006 - April 2, 2007
2. The Timekeeper at Tokyo Disneyland (7 months, 15 days) - August 31, 1992 - April 15, 1993
3. Magic Carpets of Aladdin at Magic Kingdom (7 months, 24 days) - September 30, 2000 - May 24, 2001
4. A Bug's Land at DCA (7 months, 29 days) - February 8, 2002 - October 7, 2002
5. Monsters Inc, Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! at DCA (8 months, 18 days) - May 5, 2005 - January 23, 2006

It is incredible to see timelines. How long did it take to build the Magic Kingdom Park? Wasn't it around 11 months of actual construction?

 

[Gusey]

It is incredible to see timelines. How long did it take to build the Magic Kingdom Park? Wasn't it around 11 months of actual construction?

Magic Kingdom was announced on October 25, 1965 and opened on October 1, 1971 - 5 years, 11 months, 6 days later.

 

[SuddenStorm]

After seeing what they did to Splash Mountain, "Disney plans to accelerate parks investment to 60 billion over 10 years" almost sounds like a threat.

 

[John park hopper]

Magic Kingdom was announced on October 25, 1965 and opened on October 1, 1971 - 5 years, 11 months, 6 days later.

actual construction took 18 months think Disney can do that now-------NO

 

[Gusey]

actual construction took 18 months think Disney can do that now-------NO

But that is partly due to the way the construction business has changed in the last 50 years, with a lot more health and safety policies and conservation policies.
The closest we're getting to a whole new theme park opening in the US is Epic Universe, which began construction and was announced on August 1, 2019 and is set to open in Summer 2025 (Roughly 6 years factoring in a year's delay between 2020 and 2021). Things just take longer these days compared to the 1970s

 

[Gusey]

If you consider the most recent US Disney Parks:
It took 4 years, 6 months, 21 days from DCA being announced on July 18, 1996 and it opening on February 8, 2001.
It took 2 years, 9 months, 4 days from Animal Kingdom officially being announced on July 18, 1995 and it opening on April 22, 1998, with construction also beginning in 1995. However, a 4th park for WDW was first announced on January 15, 1990 as part of the Disney Decade but the theme has not been greenlit yet

 

[bwr827]

The new park will open after only a few weeks of preparation. Mainly enough to get lots of tools and equipment on site.

Then, Disney will invite all the armchair imagineers to come build the amazing rides they lament the company no longer is capable of creating.

The park will not have electricity, so as not to tempt the armchairs into lazily using screens on their rides.

 

[John park hopper]

Tried to find how many deaths occurred during the construction of WDW in 1971 could not find any data but there have ben many post construction. Like everything when the government gets involved it gums up the works.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But that is partly due to the way the construction business has changed in the last 50 years, with a lot more health and safety policies and conservation policies.
The closest we're getting to a whole new theme park opening in the US is Epic Universe, which began construction and was announced on August 1, 2019 and is set to open in Summer 2025 (Roughly 6 years factoring in a year's delay between 2020 and 2021). Things just take longer these days compared to the 1970s

When a project is announced is not when construction starts. Site work had already been under way when Epic Universe was announced. Comparing announcement to opening is a meaningless metric that tell you nothing of value.

 

[Nubs70]

But that is partly due to the way the construction business has changed in the last 50 years, with a lot more health and safety policies and conservation policies.
The closest we're getting to a whole new theme park opening in the US is Epic Universe, which began construction and was announced on August 1, 2019 and is set to open in Summer 2025 (Roughly 6 years factoring in a year's delay between 2020 and 2021). Things just take longer these days compared to the 1970s

It can be done safely in 19 months given enough people and proper scheduling.

 

[John park hopper]

It can be done safely in 19 months given enough people and proper scheduling.

agree

 

[Gusey]

When a project is announced is not when construction starts. Site work had already been under way when Epic Universe was announced. Comparing announcement to opening is a meaningless metric that tell you nothing of value.

I was just trying to give perspective of how long projects can take these days compared to the early days of WDW. Disney these days tend to announce projects a long time before construction actually begins, so it does give value to see how long any projects announced these days may take to build. For example, the Avengers Multiverse attraction at Disneyland was announced at D23 2022 and no construction. Tropical Americas was officially announced September 2023 and yet construction has yet to begin.

I think I worded the Epic Universe one badly as I meant to say construction had begun before the announcement in August 2019.

 

[John park hopper]

Disney should keep the mouths shut about any new project or lands giving people false hope. When construction actually starts then announce what is being done and projected completion

 

[LSLS]

When a project is announced is not when construction starts. Site work had already been under way when Epic Universe was announced. Comparing announcement to opening is a meaningless metric that tell you nothing of value.

Yeah, looking at satellite, I'd say it started in December 2018.

 

[danlb_2000]

It is incredible to see timelines. How long did it take to build the Magic Kingdom Park? Wasn't it around 11 months of actual construction?

There are not construction times, this is from announcement to opening. By this measure Universal can build a new attraction in a couple months.