News Disney to heavily reduce Capital Expenditures in the parks throughout 2020 during COVID-19 crisis

[peter11435]

I took some heat over the past two months for the things I've said. You'd better believe I'm going to make note that I knew what I was talking about.

Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even a Disney insider to know that with construction projects shut down and on hold around the world, CAPEX spending would be down for the fiscal year. If there’s no construction activity on the sites for 3 months that’s 3 months you largely aren’t spending money on them.

 

[Imagineer45]

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See DAKs opening.

I have no idea what Disney's attendance was that far back in 1998, as I could only find 2005-now. With that being said, the Orlando theme park market is radically different now, with two Universal parks on the heels of DAK/Epcot/DHS and SeaWorld a shadow of its former self. Disney has also increased loyalty and repeat yearly visitors since 1998 with the opening of thousands of DVC units, the construction of Golden Oak, etc.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I don’t hate the ride itself (haven’t even ridden it), I just don’t think it represents Walt’s optimistic vision of Tomorrowland. That’s fine in China but not in the US. I wish we would get the Shanghai Pirates ride technology here in the US but with a different theme.

Actually, if there was one thing they should bring from Shanghai to WDW it would be the Pirates Live Action Theater show. Everything about the way it is set up, from the preshow to the theater to the amazing show itself is wonderful. And I couldn't even understand a word of the dialogue lol.

 

[marni1971]

I have no idea what Disney's attendance was that far back in 1998..

In short WDW didn’t see a marked increase in attendance when DAK opened.

One reason why we won’t see a 5th park anytime soon.

 

[Lilofan]

No. And if I did hear rumors on that I probably wouldn't disclose them. People should be able to make those decisions without online gossip. Talking about a purposeful leak and deleting hundreds of social media posts is one thing... outing a normal person pondering retirement is another.

No one would know if a person willfully retired or the company retired the person. That's corporate culture 101.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Good. Hopefully they will decide to forgo Tron and not ruin Spaceship Earth.

Tron will become the best attraction in the MK, I can’t wait!!!!!!

 

[Tjaden]

Tron will become the best attraction in the MK, I can’t wait!!!!!!

I've seen videos of the one from Shanghai. What am I missing that will make it even in the top 5?

 

[ParkerLoLs]

Go check out the responses on March 24th. Plenty of people thought I was nuts and Disney had plenty of money to get all this stuff done regardless of a short term virus. Why the parks would be open by May no problem.

Please. Look at what I said back in February. I was skewered relentlessly. And then in March. And then in April. And now in May. And will be in June and July and August.

I was also skewered for suggesting that the economy would tank and that Disney would lose more money than we ever could imagine from "the flu".

People are only going to see what their leaders tell them to see.

 

[doctornick]

I think that you are vastly under valuing the Nintendo IP, which is not 1 IP like Toy Story but is a brand with multiple IPs like Marvel or even Disney itself.

...

Nintendo is the most beloved video game company of all time, and has the potential to be bigger then Harry Potter or Star Wars.

I know we've had some debates on here about this before and I'm really curious how it turns out. My gut feeling is that Nintendo is massively popular in Japan but not nearly as much in the US. I think there is a cohort of people in the US - maybe late 20's to 30's now - where Nintendo IP is more well know and regarded but that older folks don't know them as well as the youngest generations have been brought up on Playstation and XBox. How has the Switch done in sales compared to the other consoles? Most families I know seem to have a PS4 or XBox One more than a Switch but that could just be a small sample size bias.

I'm very curious as to see the response when Epic Universe opens. I do believe Mario has a big fanbase, just not as widespread as other IP in the US

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I have no idea what Disney's attendance was that far back in 1998, as I could only find 2005-now. With that being said, the Orlando theme park market is radically different now, with two Universal parks on the heels of DAK/Epcot/DHS and SeaWorld a shadow of its former self. Disney has also increased loyalty and repeat yearly visitors since 1998 with the opening of thousands of DVC units, the construction of Golden Oak, etc.

Exactly, Opening another park decreases crowds in the other parks while allowing more onsite guests overall without making the park experience as bad as it would be with less parks.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I know we've had some debates on here about this before and I'm really curious how it turns out. My gut feeling is that Nintendo is massively popular in Japan but not nearly as much in the US. I think there is a cohort of people in the US - maybe late 20's to 30's now - where Nintendo IP is more well know and regarded but that older folks don't know them as well as the youngest generations have been brought up on Playstation and XBox. How has the Switch done in sales compared to the other consoles? Most families I know seem to have a PS4 or XBox One more than a Switch but that could just be a small sample size bias.

I'm very curious as to see the response when Epic Universe opens. I do believe Mario has a big fanbase, just not as widespread as other IP in the US

The majority of people I know with younger kids go with the switch. I have no idea the sales numbers but Mario and Zelda stuff is pretty popular with kids, and while this is just my personal observation, I would say kids are way more into that than Star Wars.

 

[Bob Harlem]

I know we've had some debates on here about this before and I'm really curious how it turns out. My gut feeling is that Nintendo is massively popular in Japan but not nearly as much in the US. I think there is a cohort of people in the US - maybe late 20's to 30's now - where Nintendo IP is more well know and regarded but that older folks don't know them as well as the youngest generations have been brought up on Playstation and XBox. How has the Switch done in sales compared to the other consoles? Most families I know seem to have a PS4 or XBox One more than a Switch but that could just be a small sample size bias.

I'm very curious as to see the response when Epic Universe opens. I do believe Mario has a big fanbase, just not as widespread as other IP in the US

The Switch is globally more popular than the Xbox, https://www.vgchartz.com/article/443079/switch-vs-ps4-vs-xbox-one-global-lifetime-salesmarch-2020/ On a month/month basis the switch has been doing the best of all the big 3 lately (by far). Mario is EXTREMELY popular right now (and animal crossing).

 

[CastAStone]

Exactly, Opening another park decreases crowds in the other parks while allowing more onsite guests overall without making the park experience as bad as it would be with less parks.

Yes, it makes a lot of sense the way the crowds have increased the last several years.

But what’s most popular by far is still MK, and Disney already has a TON of financial exposure in a part of the country that’s blitzingly hot and humid to the point where crowd levels in the summer- peak vacation season - are actually falling as annual attendance Rises.

If I were them I’d be far more interested in opening a 3rd US castle park somewhere Like a (for example) Louisville with less climate change exposure but an ability to still operate year round.

 

[Touchdown]

Nintendo Switch sales have been doing fantastic. Here’s an article on sales, but it’s surpassed X-box 1 sales despite a late start in this generation and I believe have surpassed lifetime SNES sales as well.

Currently you can’t buy a regular switch because sales have been through the roof with the quarantine and the recent Animal Crossing release. Unlike the Wii boom, this isn’t fueled by casual gamers, not only are they reaching families but many hard core gamers who already have a PS4 or X-box are buying them and using them for mobile gaming.

 

[disney4life2008]

Disney has recently opened lands themed to Star Wars and Toy Story, and has upcoming rides to Guardians, Troy, and Rat. Universal is countering with How to Train a Dragon *land*, an underwhelming Fantastic Beasts land, classic monsters land, and a Nintendo land. (All rumored).

Universal's available IP isn't necessarily bad. Disney's advantage will always be more compelling IP. For better or worse that's why we see so much on Disney's side. Universal can drop the same ride as, say, Slinky Dog and brand it to How to Train Your Dragon and Slinky Dog would likely still draw more people. Universal will certainly take a short term bump, but I'd still question sustainability on IPs alone. Their likely best shot is to take the potter lands and scale lessons to an entire park to make people not care about attached IPs. But that's going to take buckets of money and is currently a huge financial risk.

Nintendo if done correctly will stomp star wars

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Yes, it makes a lot of sense the way the crowds have increased the last several years.

But what’s most popular by far is still MK, and Disney already has a TON of financial exposure in a part of the country that’s blitzingly hot and humid to the point where crowd levels in the summer- peak vacation season - are actually falling as annual attendance Rises.

If I were them I’d be far more interested in opening a 3rd US castle park somewhere Like a (for example) Louisville with less climate change exposure but an ability to still operate year round.

I totally agree. I imagine putting one near Dallas Texas would do well too(hub airport, lots of buildable land, warm climate and middle of the country). Something like Shanghai there would do well. Or well would have before COVID.

 

[Piebald]

I know we've had some debates on here about this before and I'm really curious how it turns out. My gut feeling is that Nintendo is massively popular in Japan but not nearly as much in the US. I think there is a cohort of people in the US - maybe late 20's to 30's now - where Nintendo IP is more well know and regarded but that older folks don't know them as well as the youngest generations have been brought up on Playstation and XBox. How has the Switch done in sales compared to the other consoles? Most families I know seem to have a PS4 or XBox One more than a Switch but that could just be a small sample size bias.

I'm very curious as to see the response when Epic Universe opens. I do believe Mario has a big fanbase, just not as widespread as other IP in the US

Nintendo is still very popular with kids. My friends kids love Mario. The Switch has become the best selling console of all time and the release of Animal Crossing mixed with covid19 has made people joke that Nintendo is secretly behind covid19 because of how insanely successful it has been.

Unless Universal bungles the land with less than stellar rides (I dont know anything about the project here although a friend is working on the one in Japan and I guess I could ask them) it could potentially be the most popular land in that park when it opens. And honestly it has the potential to exceed any Disney IP.

 

[surfsupdon]

In short WDW didn’t see a marked increase in attendance when DAK opened.

One reason why we won’t see a 5th park anytime soon.

I agree we won’t be seeing a 5th park.

I also know times were different in 1998. The internet and a computer in every home was at the beginning stages, and there were no bloggers, vloggers, and fanatics rushing in. You really only got news on the Park opening from tv commercials and ABC programming. Big, great rides get people excited to visit a park. AK opened without Everest, Kali, and Pandora. In many eyes, there just wasn’t much to do and word of mouth was negative, as I remember with families we knew.

If AK opened brand new now with its current roster of attractions, in the current social media climate (minus the pandemic), do you think there’d be an uptick to WDW Guest numbers? I think so, I think it would bring in guests who haven’t come in a few years, and also bring the locals and fanatics more often to get those perfect Insta posts. But who really knows, that’s just my speculation. Have a great day everyone!

 

[marni1971]

If AK opened brand new now with its current roster of attractions, in the current social media climate (minus the pandemic), do you think there’d be an uptick to WDW Guest numbers?

No, I really don’t. Nothing to make an impact.

 

[surfsupdon]

No, I really don’t. Nothing to make an impact.

Did Avatar and FoP bring more bodies into WDW, or just bring more bodies over into AK??