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

[Figments Friend]

Oh my goodness! Is that Tony's senior high school yearbook photo?

Indeed it is....

 

[Eddie Sotto]

On page 23 when avatar was first annouced the following was posted (I'm catching up),



All business and tour planner logic aside, I really like the idea if Disney would annouce things more Apple or John Hammond style. In today's world, social media can be utilized to advertise a movie bigger and better than tradtional ways. Take the recent Disney Optimist game for Tomorrowland or more so, anyone remember those youtube videos of that girl that ended up being a big advertisement for a horror movie? I don't remember the movie at all, but I remember those ads.

With D23 recently passing (may be spoilers here?), imagine instead of introducing the Crate that hinted at Star War goodies to come at the D23 expo (limited exposure) and instead, just dropping it off in the middle of DHS where thousands could see it. And like a lot of people, I am pretty lacklustered over Avatar as a movie and more so as a theme park addition but if I came to AK and saw floating, glow in the dark plants appear overnight (as hinted at the D23 expo), and was introduced to Avatar that way, I would be much more excited about it in the first place. News article "Mysterious floating glowing plants pop up at Disney AK...What could Disney be up to..."

One last example, what if we didn't know what theme the new rollercoaster at the MK was. We would be looking through the fence everyday looking for hints for what it could be and having a daily buzz about it...instead of the "Eh, is it even a D-ticket ride?" I'm not saying announce new rides at the last possible second...but introduce things in an exciting way inside the parks might be a better route. Everybody loves a good Mystery. Agatha Christie outsold the Bible pretty much her whole life. I wonder how many people today are still saying "Andy's Coming" to Buzz and Woody at the theme parks thinking they'll faint because of social media.

Agree. The "tease" always works and in today's digital world and in the parks themselves you can do that in many fun ways.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I don 't usually come into this thread, but you hit the nail on the head here. There are disclaimers EVERYWHERE on the internet about the Andy's Coming thing because social media was so big there.

Disney uses social media in the most lackluster way (a picture everyday of "wouldn't you like to be here") or a promotion for a movie on BR that hasn't been announced, that makes people think it will be announced, and then it's never announced. Disney misses a lot of that potential.

It might be scarier to yell "Avatar's Coming!". Then you'd wish it was a hoax...

 

[MOXOMUMD]

imagine instead of introducing the Crate that hinted at Star War goodies to come at the D23 expo (limited exposure) and instead, just dropping it off in the middle of DHS where thousands could see it.

And imagine how many people would have to stop and take their picture by that crate. Then you have them posting their pictures on the internet and others asking, hey, what was that crate? Now you have more people talking about it.

 

[yankspy]

Has anyone read Marty Sklar's new book? Have not gotten mine yet,but plan to scan it.
http://www.amazon.com/Marty-Sklar/e/B00DXGWXRG

I just finished it. I thought it was a good read. Not much controversy but he did speak about different divisions trying to take over Im
agineering over the years.

It was full of little anecdotes about Walt and short stories about the challenges of building different attractions, parks, etc.


He did speak very highly of a certain Imagineer when it came to Paris. He told a story about how Frank Wells seemed rather upset with you about the bareness of the arcades on Main Street. (sorry if if I messed up the details of that).

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I just finished it. I thought it was a good read. Not much controversy but he did speak about different divisions trying to take over Im
agineering over the years.

It was full of little anecdotes about Walt and short stories about the challenges of building different attractions, parks, etc.


He did speak very highly of a certain Imagineer when it came to Paris. He told a story about how Frank Wells seemed rather upset with you about the bareness of the arcades on Main Street. (sorry if if I messed up the details of that).

I just finished ordering his book when I opened this page! Now the story...Frank walked with me through the arcades when they were still incomplete as strings of worklights under white drywall with no skylights. Naturally he thought they were dark and simplistic and told me so. I tried to explain what would be there upon completion but he would have none of it. This emotional backwater concerned him and he was worried that guests would feel like they were in "the black hole of Calcutta" and that both arcades better be just as good as walking down Main Street. Of course, they were destined to be really beautiful anyway, but who can resist the opportunity to make them a little bit better? This resulted in getting some extra budget when the time arose. Who was I to disagree? We dutifully made them really great, lit by 80 Gaslights, only to have Michael Eisner come after me post opening claiming that we spent too much and they were "too good".
Guilty as charged with permission.

 

[trs518]

Hey, Eddie. Your picture made it into the current edition of the Disney Files magazine that they send out to DVC members. Marty Sklar wrote an article and include a picture of you, George Lucas, himself, and several others reviewing a model of Star Tours in a hallway. He noted you by name in the caption.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Hey, Eddie. Your picture made it into the current edition of the Disney Files magazine that they send out to DVC members. Marty Sklar wrote an article and include a picture of you, George Lucas, himself, and several others reviewing a model of Star Tours in a hallway. He noted you by name in the caption.

Really? Wow. I remember that day. George Lucas...I had just been hired and thought every day would be as thrilling as that! If it's the picture I think it is, I was showing George a model we had done of the Carousel Theater at DL, redone as a Starship. Was to have a Droid vs. Droid gladiator show inside or something. I don't recall a Star Tours model review as I did not work on it. I'll have to thank Marty for plugging the old Sottoman. Scan the pic and share it with us, would love to see it.

 

[WDW1974]

I just finished ordering his book when I opened this page! Now the story...Frank walked with me through the arcades when they were still incomplete as strings of worklights under white drywall with no skylights. Naturally he thought they were dark and simplistic and told me so. I tried to explain what would be there upon completion but he would have none of it. This emotional backwater concerned him and he was worried that guests would feel like they were in "the black hole of Calcutta" and that both arcades better be just as good as walking down Main Street. Of course, they were destined to be really beautiful anyway, but who can resist the opportunity to make them a little bit better? This resulted in getting some extra budget when the time arose. Who was I to disagree? We dutifully made them really great, lit by 80 Gaslights, only to have Michael Eisner come after me post opening claiming that we spent too much and they were "too good".
Guilty as charged with permission.

nice anecdote, Eddie ... Been so caught up in other threads that I, sadly, haven't checked in here in ages (gotta do something about that musty smell). Waiting for my copy of Marty's book, BUt everyone I know that has read says it is a good read , but largely leaves out the chaos and politics that were and are a part of WDI.

A real shame. But also expected.

The true tell-all of WDI would be an incredible read, but also place it and the parent company in a bad light.

Anyway, nice to see you still chugging along here. Hope you and the family are well.

 

[trs518]

Really? Wow. I remember that day. George Lucas...I had just been hired and thought every day would be as thrilling as that! If it's the picture I think it is, I was showing George a model we had done of the Carousel Theater at DL, redone as a Starship. Was to have a Droid vs. Droid gladiator show inside or something. I don't recall a Star Tours model review as I did not work on it. I'll have to thank Marty for plugging the old Sottoman. Scan the pic and share it with us, would love to see it.

Here is the pic.

A droid vs. droid gladiator show? Sounds interesting, but not directly tied to something in the Star Wars movie.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Here is the pic.

A droid vs. droid gladiator show? Sounds interesting, but not directly tied to something in the Star Wars movie.

That's the picture, thanks for posting it.... and we are looking at the entrance to the giant starship, which Lucas saw as a sister ship in appearance to the Millennium Falcon which he affectionately referred to as a "Hamburger". Inside was to be a newly created show to be part of a Lucas-driven Tomorrowland. It was not associated with Star Tours.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

(gotta do something about that musty smell).

The "smeller's" the "feller"?

 

[trs518]

That's the picture, thanks for posting it.... and we are looking at the entrance to the giant starship, which Lucas saw as a sister ship in appearance to the Millennium Falcon which he affectionately referred to as a "Hamburger". Inside was to be a newly created show to be part of a Lucas-driven Tomorrowland. It was not associated with Star Tours.

Interesting...they were thinking about a Luca/Star Wars based Tomorrowland back then.

 

[Captain Neo]

That's the picture, thanks for posting it.... and we are looking at the entrance to the giant starship, which Lucas saw as a sister ship in appearance to the Millennium Falcon which he affectionately referred to as a "Hamburger". Inside was to be a newly created show to be part of a Lucas-driven Tomorrowland. It was not associated with Star Tours.

Isn't that the "Tomorrowland 2055" project that would had Plectu's Intergalactic Revue in the Carousel building and Lucas's original version of Alien Encounter replacing Mission to Mars?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Isn't that the "Tomorrowland 2055" project that would had Plectu's Intergalactic Revue in the Carousel building and Lucas's original version of Alien Encounter replacing Mission to Mars?

No, 2055 came later. This was an exploration with Lucas in 1986. Jean Giraud Moebius worked on it too..I had the Carousel first as a Droid show before it was turned over to another producer and became Plectu's. That was post Lucas..

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

No, 2055 came later. This was an exploration with Lucas in 1986. Jean Giraud Moebius worked on it too.

I didn't know that. I loved his work on Fifth Element, and the now-defunct Airtight Garage bar/video game center at the San Francisco Sony Metreon. Too bad AG couldn't turn a profit. The HyperBowl game was really fun!

 

[Captain Neo]

No, 2055 came later. This was an exploration with Lucas in 1986. Jean Giraud Moebius worked on it too..I had the Carousel first as a Droid show before it was turned over to another producer and became Plectu's. That was post Lucas..

Oh Wow I did not know that. Do you know what other attractions or concepts were pitched when Lucas or Moebius were involved?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I didn't know that. I loved his work on Fifth Element, and the now-defunct Airtight Garage bar/video game center at the San Francisco Sony Metreon. Too bad AG couldn't turn a profit. The HyperBowl game was really fun!

Tim Delaney and I visited his office above 3rd St Promenade in Santa Monica where he did a few T'land sketches (and his "Made in LA" book). What a kind and humble man. George Lucas recommended him and credited him as the inspiration for the alot of the design of Star Wars. I sat next to him at the premiere of Captain EO and the only thing he liked was the spinning rock at the beginning.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Oh Wow I did not know that. Do you know what other attractions or concepts were pitched when Lucas or Moebius were involved?

I can't talk about it. Stuff that's out there already like the Carousel theater thing, yes. The idea was that the ship travelled like a Circus from planet to planet..I had hoped for more of a travelling Droid Gladiator arena as a Spaceship.Moebius did not do that much but I remember his sketched take on Space Mountain and that was psychotically cool.

 

[Captain Neo]

I can't talk about it. Stuff that's out there already like the Carousel theater thing, yes. The idea was that the ship travelled like a Circus from planet to planet..I had hoped for more of a travelling Droid Gladiator arena as a Spaceship.Moebius did not do that much but I remember his sketched take on Space Mountain and that was psychotically cool.

That's really awesome. Moebius was a true legend. Right up there with Syd Mead and Ralph Mcquarrie.