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

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Compared to 3 years ago... very optimistic lol

I was very critical of Disney over the past few years, and while I don't agree with everything, it's at least refreshing to see projects start to come online. We obviously don't have closure dates or anything, but it does look like Disney is ready to start proper construction quickly.

Closure dates is a huge part of the problem

 

[BrianLo]

…ummm

Are you saying Disney is overpaying people to work down the road? As in there’s tangible proof of that?

That would be a nice change if true…reversing a 15 year trend.

Yes, thats what I’m saying. The millennial way is job mobility.

Even our last real celebrity imagineer working today is a Universal poach.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

This is going to be a monster D23. It's going to be hard not to be optimistic.

I've heard there's even more information to look forward to this month alone.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes, thats what I’m saying. The millennial way is job mobility.

Even our last real celebrity imagineer working today is a Universal poach.

So in numbers? Or is this more a “that’s probably what they’ll do” based on the dynamics of what is going on construction wise?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

What’s an E ticket, again? The textbook reason

It's a ride that's built with the design classification of E-Ticket by its creators. Not that hard to understand, and not particularly subjective. The Imagineers are the authority here.

The biggest issue is that marketing has, on occasion, tried to upsell D-Ticket attractions as E-Tickets in publicity materials despite the designers fully admitting it isn't one.

The fact that the A-E Ticketing system is no longer in use for selling admission to attractions has no real impact on the very real ways in which the terms are still used today.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I've heard there's even more information to look forward to this month alone.

Say it…don’t spray it

I want the news, not the weather

 

[BrianLo]

So in numbers? Or is this more a “that’s probably what they’ll do” based on the dynamics of what is going on construction wise?

Yes, this isn't unusual. Imagineering notoriously dumps a ton of people after their new resorts are done.

We'll never get 'the number', I don't work for UC or WDI HR. I quite frankly can't even name a UC employee so it doesn't matter to me, but look at who is aggressively hiring and who isn't.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's a ride that's built with the design classification of E-Ticket by its creators. Not that hard to understand, and not particularly subjective. The Imagineers are the authority here.

The biggest issue is that marketing has, on occasion, tried to upsell D-Ticket attractions as E-Tickets in publicity materials despite the designers fully admitting it isn't one.

The fact that the A-E Ticketing system is no longer in use for selling admission to attractions has no real impact on the very real ways in which the terms are still used today.

Actually the audience is the judges. And to go one further…I’d submit (just opinion) the longterm viability is just as important. 5,10,20 years down the road - as it were.

I do agree about the D thing…trackless and junior coasters in Orlando don’t meet the standards of the E tickets as they originally came about - based on their innovation, time and place in their markets

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes, this isn't unusual. Imagineering notoriously dumps a ton of people after their new resorts are done.

We'll never get 'the number', I don't work for UC or WDI HR. I quite frankly can't even name a UC employee so it doesn't matter to me, but look at who is aggressively hiring and who isn't.

Grain of salt because one is aggressivley BUILDING and one has tumbleweed rolling past its little office behind horizons (or whatever is there now )

I don’t think little brother is done and will “yield the floor” so easily. They really haven’t let up for 12 years

 

[TalkingHead]

Money may not go as far as it used to, but spending upwards of $500 million on one ride is unsustainable and undermining the future of the parks' growth.

So theme park rides are the new movie tentpoles.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Say it…don’t spray it

I want the news, not the weather

With an attitude like that you'll be lucky to get the time of day.

 

[CJR]

I like the E.T. ride -- it's one of the few Universal attractions I enjoy. There's not much I care about at IoA either.

But USF is a wasteland for the average guest (the attraction lineup there was much stronger in the 1990s than it is now), and people with young kids are generally better served at WDW overall. I don't see many people with kids in that age group skipping a Disney park to go to USF.

It's not really a concern for Disney, which was my only point (had nothing to do with my personal preferences). I'm sure there are people that prefer USF to IoA, but they're minority -- and I'd be shocked if most of them don't prefer any of the four Disney parks to USF. I believe USF is rated by the general public as the worst of the 6 main Universal/WDW parks by a relatively wide margin.

This is exactly why we will have Disney passes next year instead of Universal. My DD would only get to enjoy a very small amount of attractions in each park. EU looks to have more to offer her than the other two, but it just isn't enough for the $$.

Once she's 40+ inches and if we have no more children, then we'll probably be all about Universal for a bit.

That's it though, many families have more and that pushes that ideal trip (where we can enjoy most things together) back. Before you know it, by the time Universal becomes a good option, the oldest child is close to graduating high school.

This is exactly why people keep returning to Disney. People want to do quality stuff together and Disney mostly grants that wish.

 

[UNCgolf]

It's a ride that's built with the design classification of E-Ticket by its creators. Not that hard to understand, and not particularly subjective. The Imagineers are the authority here.

The biggest issue is that marketing has, on occasion, tried to upsell D-Ticket attractions as E-Tickets in publicity materials despite the designers fully admitting it isn't one.

The fact that the A-E Ticketing system is no longer in use for selling admission to attractions has no real impact on the very real ways in which the terms are still used today.

Did the Imagineers really consider TRON an E ticket?

 

[BrianLo]

So theme park rides are the new movie tentpoles.

100 percent. Though they seem to have cracked the code with ILL. If they can monetize the uber expensive attractions for a decade, it does justify more of them.

A la carte. What's old is new again.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

With an attitude like that you'll be lucky to get the time of day.

…so…nothing to add?

 

[TalkingHead]

100 percent. Though they seem to have cracked the code with ILL. If they can monetize the uber expensive attractions for a decade, it does justify more of them.

A la carte. What's old is new again.

Just have to get the algorithms to account for the portion of the customer base that won’t bother to visit because of perceived inconvenience, paying twice, etc.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

100 percent. Though they seem to have cracked the code with ILL. If they can monetize the uber expensive attractions for a decade, it does justify more of them.

A la carte. What's old is new again.

That approach is going to run out of runway…but let’s sit back and watch what kinda moves they make?

 

[MrPromey]

While I'm not really sure how you read my posts and came away thinking I was solely talking about myself and not the general public, I personally don't care about thrill rides unless they're heavily themed. Physical thrill alone doesn't do much for me -- neither USF or IOA have much I care about (most of the non-thrill rides are mediocre at best), and EU doesn't look to have an especially great attraction lineup either.

Regardless, I think it would be hard to look at all the data and think anything other than EU seriously hurting USF for split trip visitors. While I don't have any trouble believing there are people who like USF more than IOA or any of the Disney parks, the information we have says those people are a minority (and probably a relatively small one).

Universal is aware of this and knows they need to spend significant money on USF going forward.

No argument here other than to say that USF apparently saw more guests than two of the four Disney parks in 2022, the most current year we have info for.

Maybe those USF folks were always heading there anyway and maybe the Disney folks just took shorter trips, I guess.

I'm sure EU could pull from both (per-existing Universal) parks but I'm not sure it'll offset the number of people that'll take advantage of new multi-day tickets Universal is sure to start offering to entice longer stays.

In any event, my hope is that EU pushes both companies to up their offerings and especially in the case of WDW, causes them to move back to the guest-centric approach to business that they were once renowned for.

Paying more for worse service and an increasingly frustrating experience is why I haven't been going to WDW. If they'd reverse course on some of that way of doing things, I'd be back in a heartbeat.

I have way more sentimental attachment to that place than up the road.

 

[celluloid]

Which park has gone 10 years without a new E-ticket, again?

Notice I said "new" as in not rethemed dynamics to make relevant.
That being said.
Animal Kingdom is about to go through it twice. Everest, then Avatar. From Avatar to the new attractions in the Tropical Americas.(or dang close to it by the time it opens)

If you don't count Frozen and (but the appeal is there, just not the scale) EPCOT has done it too.

Neither Test Track or Frozen's ride dynamics are really new unless you count adding the small scene from an old loading platform.

Toy Story Mania to Toy Storyland had ten years.

Universal has gone through this luckily only once in their dark years and it did not work well for them at IOA. They only had minor additions that expanded the park a bit for fleshed out variety(Flight of the Unicorn Storm Force, and an altered Poseidon, High in the Sky Suess Trolley) the first 11 years of their new theme park and then getting a new land and E-ticket.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

…so…nothing to add?

I've added plenty.

You're welcome to start any time . . .