britain
Well-Known Member
On the topic of the Shanghai second gate: This will be fascinating to see what its identity will be, and very telling for what Disney thinks its top priorities should be.Doesn't HKDL have 3, not 4? Just land reserved for a fourth which, as far as I know, hasn't been announced. Not sure of the average occupancy there but if it's 80%+ and with the upcoming Marvel expansion, sure maybe it's worth the fourth.
And Shanghai, as we know, is actively preparing for their second gate, to which the fourth hotel is a key connectivity point between the first and second gates, in addition to more lodging capacity.
Both resorts are significantly different beasts from DLR in terms of maturity and tourist mix that would call into question anything more than a single hotel add without adding an additional park, IMO.
This will be Disney’s first second gate built since the rise and spectacular fall of the “studio park” concept. Every change to the two studio parks (or 3 if you count DCA) since then has been steering in the direction of large single IP lands.
Based on that behavior, one may expect SDR’s second gate to be another Disney Adventure World just with better bones built from scratch.
That indeed could happen.
Odds are that it will happen.
But if it DOESN’T happen, if maybe, just maybe they aim higher again… what might that more inspiring concept be?
Do they reinvent the other high-concept parks? (EPCOT, TDS, or AK). Or do they try something completely different?
I don’t think it’s over stating to say that regardless of how many billions they plan to spend and whatever yada yada story they spin about it, THIS decision will show D’Amaro’s true colors, and will be a ceiling on just how “back” WDI can get.