Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[Eddie Sotto]

I was surprised to read today that Carsland may be the next major addition to Tokyo Disneyland. Locating it in place of the current Westernland seems like a good idea. I could not imagine that in any American park, but in Japan I think it might be a good idea given the lack of interest in that land and the amount of land it occupies. I was on Buena Vista Street at DCA a week or two ago and saw a group of Oriental land Company executives touring that area. They were posing with a statue of Walt Disney. Their visit probably centered around seeing all of the new enhancements. I had an opportunity to speak with them, and they were still extremely appreciative of the performance of the Winnie the Pooh attraction in TDL. According to them, it is still very very popular more than a decade after it opened. For a group that usually chooses attractions that have already been built elsewhere, I reminded them of what a bold move that was for them to take the risk to put such an innovative, un tried attraction into that park. I am sure that if the Carsland goes forward in Tokyo Disneyland, that they will insist on their version being even better than anything done here in the states. You gotta love 'em.

 

[HMF]

I was surprised to read today that Carsland may be the next major addition to Tokyo Disneyland. Locating it in place of the current Westernland seems like a good idea. I could not imagine that in any American park, but in Japan I think it might be a good idea given the lack of interest in that land and the amount of land it occupies. I was on Buena Vista Street at DCA a week or two ago and saw a group of Oriental land Company executives touring that area. They were posing with a statue of Walt Disney. Their visit probably centered around seeing all of the new enhancements. I had an opportunity to speak with them, and they were still extremely appreciative of the performance of the Winnie the Pooh attraction in TDL. According to them, it is still very very popular more than a decade after it opened. For a group that usually chooses attractions that have already been built elsewhere, I reminded them of what a bold move that was for them to take the risk to put such an innovative, un tried attraction into that park. I am sure that if the Carsland goes forward in Tokyo Disneyland, that they will insist on their version being even better than anything done here in the states. You gotta love 'em.

I don't know, I really think it is a bad idea to have an entire land themed to a specific franchise in a Magic Kingdom-style park.

 

[Taylor]

I'm convinced they miss the most common factors on what guests like and dislike and why and why some things are worth having even if they don't directly affect the bottom line because you have a culture at Disney where execs are hardly ever in the parks. They need to be out and experiencing and observing. Simple and basic and something Old Dead Guy Walt knew so well.

Even a good ops guy like my pal Georgie K (who does like being out in the parks) is largely confined to being at a desk all day. He was smart enough to get plenty of face time with fans in his first few months (wonder whose advice he took for that one ... nope, not Andy's!), but now isn't seen nearly as often.

You learn far more from basic observation and interacting with guests and cast regularly than you will from surveys and spread sheets and cost analysis etc.

BTW, did you ever get to know my old LaughingPlace.com buddy Lee MacDonald at all? Heard your name had been bandied about on that site of late.

I used the search function on the site I couldn't find anything bad. I saw that you and merf somewhat got along over there

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I don't think they would dump Big Thunder, so it may not be that all encompassing. I think you are right that in a guide book, you have these generalized areas with variety and then one movie based land. Agree that it seems one sided or limiting.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I used the search function on the site I couldn't find anything bad. I saw that you and merf somewhat got along over there

All I could find was this...not sure if it was what he was referring to...

Oh, and I also saw Eddie Sotto whoring his latest restaurant venture and wanted to pop into that thread ... I do hope he doesn't hear about this and think I am too serious and decides to not give me a MAGICal discount when I visit Rivera at Emmy-time!​

 

[trs518]

I think there are two important parts about Carsland going to Tokyo Disney.

1. Cars is a big hit there. Part of Cars 2 and one of the Cars shorts take place in Japan.
2. From Al's article on Miceage, it would replace a couple very low volume, not very popular attractions with larger volume ones.

 

[Taylor]

All I could find was this...not sure if it was what he was referring to...

Oh, and I also saw Eddie Sotto whoring his latest restaurant venture and wanted to pop into that thread ... I do hope he doesn't hear about this and think I am too serious and decides to not give me a MAGICal discount when I visit Rivera at Emmy-time!​

Wow some people are just boneheads . Can't beleive I didn't find that

Editk after reading more into that it looks like he was being saracastic

 

[Taylor]

Eddie do you know why Disney hasn't put in a trackless dark ride in the states? I would really geek out if they would

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Eddie do you know why Disney hasn't put in a trackless dark ride in the states? I would really geek out if they would

It used to be money.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Wow some people are just boneheads . Can't beleive I didn't find that

Editk after reading more into that it looks like he was being saracastic

It made me laugh. First I'm a then I'm a discount.

 

[Taylor]

It used to be money.

What's the reason now?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

What's the reason now?

Don't know. I don't work at WDI anymore so I don't know if they are developing one for the US parks or not. I'm sure they have developed them for the local parks as I did in the 90's.

 

[HMF]

What's the reason now?

Same.

 

[WDW1974]

Not really. I have some old interviews on the history of TDL and Encounter over there, but that was years ago.

To answer your question, I am a firm believer in informed observation over surveys or studies. Asking guests what they want does not often lead to breakthroughs. I doubt the iPad was invented in a focus group. Data can be interpreted many ways, but prolonged observation gives you data in context, and in some ways that alone can yield wisdom.

I so agree, Eddie.

I believe that is where Disney and WDI have gone off the rails ... because they do ask guests what they want. If that had been the mindset years ago, we never would have had a DL or a WDW or an EPCOT Center or anything that Disney did in the parks business beginning in 1955.

You wow people by giving them products they had no idea they wanted or could have ... that's sorta bringing me back to your iPad comment. But it's no different in theme parks.

 

[WDW1974]

I don't know, I really think it is a bad idea to have an entire land themed to a specific franchise in a Magic Kingdom-style park.

I doubt that will happen. Al Lutz wrote and I have heard as well that much of Frontierland will remain like CBJ, DH, BTM etc ... this will take up the real estate that the RoA sits on. It is a big piece of land. I'm a bit sad as it looked beautiful, I missed the boats and TSI on my 2010 visit, but they don't have land to really expand on there.

And they want a third gate and I wonder where that's going!

 

[WDW1974]

I used the search function on the site I couldn't find anything bad. I saw that you and merf somewhat got along over there

I didn't say it was anything bad, just that Eddie had been a topic of discussion in one or two threads of late.
I don't post or read there anymore, so I couldn't tell you where ... but they were posts by Leemac.

 

[WDW1974]

All I could find was this...not sure if it was what he was referring to...

Oh, and I also saw Eddie Sotto whoring his latest restaurant venture and wanted to pop into that thread ... I do hope he doesn't hear about this and think I am too serious and decides to not give me a MAGICal discount when I visit Rivera at Emmy-time!​

That's an OLD post of mine. And it reminds me that I still haven't been to Rivera yet!

 

[WDW1974]

It used to be money.

It's always money, isn't it.

By 2014 that ride system will be in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris (and I believe is also being used in Shanghai) yet all these years after its development, nothing in the domestic parks ... but a similar system will debut at SW next year.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I doubt that will happen. Al Lutz wrote and I have heard as well that much of Frontierland will remain like CBJ, DH, BTM etc ... this will take up the real estate that the RoA sits on. It is a big piece of land. I'm a bit sad as it looked beautiful, I missed the boats and TSI on my 2010 visit, but they don't have land to really expand on there.

And they want a third gate and I wonder where that's going!

So they'll lose all or part of their RoA.

 

[WDW1974]

It made me laugh. First I'm a then I'm a discount.

I hear the food is wonderful, Eddie. But I'm sure it's even better at half off!