Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks

[HMF]

. (It may be a bit easier now, as Rivera just got "Best new Restaurant of 2009" in LA Magazine).

Congratulations.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

The Bookshelf.

This new book "Project Future", is said to be the most complete collection of details on how and why Disney ended up in Florida. Seems relevant for WDW fans. I have not read it myself. I did order "Warp and Weft", a new biography of Herb Ryman, one of WED's greats. Looking forward to that.

http://www.amazon.com/Project-Future-Inside-Behind-Creation/dp/0615347770

http://www.incanio.com/about/index.html

 

[Eddie Sotto]

"Myst Island" Gossip.

"Myst Island" came out of the WDI Concept Development Studio I was responsible for. My partner, Susan Bonds, the producer of the concept studio was very passionate about it and put most of our budget into trying to make it happen and got the project pretty far down the road to the point of getting Eisner to say yes (which still does not mean yes, we learned). I thought it was a very good idea, but to me, there were still some very big throughput and technology hurdles for her team to figure out. I believe the strategic planning department killed it. She eventually left Disney to become the CEO of Myst/Riven company and is very successful today in that new media field. Here's one account of what happened.

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2004/05/25/37.aspx

 

[misterID]

Isn't that basically the idea for that National Treasure attraction, albeit on a really smaller scale? I guess you could say Kim Possible sprouted out of it. It's a shame they're not doing anything with that island.

On the dinner theater, from some the clubs I've seen in South Beach and remembering how successful dinner theaters were in Orlando back in the day (no matter how hokey) I think there's a big market for it.

 

[Master Yoda]

"Myst Island" came out of the WDI Concept Development Studio I was responsible for. My partner, Susan Bonds, the producer of the concept studio was very passionate about it and put most of our budget into trying to make it happen and got the project pretty far down the road to the point of getting Eisner to say yes (which still does not mean yes, we learned). I thought it was a very good idea, but to me, there were still some very big throughput and technology hurdles for her team to figure out. I believe the strategic planning department killed it. She eventually left Disney to become the CEO of Myst/Riven company and is very successful today in that new media field. Here's one account of what happened.

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2004/05/25/37.aspx

This is one plan that I would love to see dusted off and revisited. It has been 15 +/- years since the original plans were fleshed out and as expected technology has grown by leaps and bounds. I do however agree with the idea that building it on Discovery Island is a bad idea from a logistical sense. I would much rather see Disney build an island somewhere else on property. This would solve the logistical problem of getting construction equipment in and solve the lack of space issue.

I feel that Discovery Island would be much better suited for a small high end resort.

 

[xdan0920]

Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for all your wonderful insight Eddie. It has been a great pleasure to read through this thread, I have learned so much. Also I want to thank you for all the recommendations you make, whether they be books, or articles, or blogs, I always enjoy those as well.

 

[hack2112]

Agreed and yes, I have lots of Restaurant concepts that I'd love to do and infuse theater if it made sense fiscally. (It may be a bit easier now, as Rivera just got "Best new Restaurant of 2009" in LA Magazine).

There was a time when "interactive theater" was a big topic at WDI. The actor driven "Renaissance Fair" was a repeated paradigm. These shows were out there and WDI even brought in an Imagineer (Craig Wilson) that had experience as an improv actor in these "Streetmosphere" type experiences to guide development. We felt that this was a crucial part of the show and needed to be thought of as a part of each land. This is evident by the talent that roams Hollywood Blvd. at the MGM Studios as "citizens" and interacts with the guests as part of the story. So in that sense, it did come true with the Street as the set or stage. Disneyland did this as well with Characters for each land for a time, but budgets kill this stuff in due time. But nothing on the scale of a complete 3 act show. The park in the early days had gunfights in the streets of Frontierland with "Sheriff Lucky", and Knott's did it the best with the "Funfighters", a raging gunfight with lots of guys being thrown through fake windows (that really shatter) above the streets and close to the guests. Train Robberies etc. Very cool. So you can see where my ideas came from. "Tony and Tina's Wedding" (Italian Wedding gone wrong where you are a guest) was the best thing I had ever seen in this realm and was the model for further thinking.

So you can see how the two worlds would meet and I'd just want to take it much further and blow it out to the next level, but weave in food, drink and dancing. There are period events where you dress up and attend an event from the past. My favorite of this variety is coming up!

http://clubcicada.com/armed-forces-tickets.ASP

I'm a big fan of interactive theater and I love Tony and Tina's Wedding. I saw it once as a patron, and once as an usher the next night. The actors seemed to have remembered me since before the show we all were talking. All I can say is they treated me as one of the family. And being one of the family hurt. I literally got picked up and tossed around by every member of the cast.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

There's hope.

This is one plan that I would love to see dusted off and revisited. It has been 15 +/- years since the original plans were fleshed out and as expected technology has grown by leaps and bounds. I do however agree with the idea that building it on Discovery Island is a bad idea from a logistical sense. I would much rather see Disney build an island somewhere else on property. This would solve the logistical problem of getting construction equipment in and solve the lack of space issue.

I feel that Discovery Island would be much better suited for a small high end resort.

Good idea. They've considered that and it almost happened as well.

Discovery Island fits into a frustrating creative scenario. At least it did when I was there. I may have said this before, but it wasn't enough to have a big idea that makes "truckloads" of money. You had to have ideas that made "supertankers" of money or forget it. At that time, things were in a growth mode and you needed to make what they call a "hurdle rate". What something cost had to return its investment with very high rate very quickly or it died. Each idea had to compete for a finite amount of investment and only the biggest return winners usually won. There were exceptions, but that was the business environment. Bernie Madoff could have gotten turned down!

So, when you are proposing something truly unique (lots of R&D) that accountants cannot compare anything to, and when the cost of operating that idea is high as it's an island, which limits the amount of people it can handle (limits the return), then it gets very hard to sell. Not to mention making the experience work with the technology of pre WiFi, broadband, 3G and iPhone 1999. If you are the operator, there are many other ways to make more and faster money than to have boats running stuff to and from a tiny island all day with utilities to run across the lake, etc. You can have the best idea, but it's too much hassle when you can simply add a convention center, vacation club wing or another Water Park with the same money and be sure of making more. Eisner at the time, loved the idea and at first was willing to do it anyway till the business side took over. That was then.

I do agree with you that things are a bit different now. The operational/technical issues I had concerns about then, are much more solvable now. Devices exist the guest can use, so that's huge in itself. Even the guest is more prepared to do the kinds of things we'd be asking them to do as technology has trained them to intuitively accept these kinds of interfaces. WDI is always testing stuff like that and in a way that does not require building new "worlds" but using the ones they have.

The time may be better now than ever to see something on Discovery Island (or at WDW that is just as fun) as the days of making the easy, mega money are gone and they have to work harder to get the guest to shell out. Harry Potter is down the street. Technology has come down in price and moved ahead in function so the development cost is lower. You can use your own phone or they can rent you something that exists. The company even has more creative franchises to use as a story that they don't have to license, so it's kind of all good. We're all aware of WDI's (and Bob Iger's) passion for this kind of thing so it will all happen and be executed better than the original idea.

Stay tuned!

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Inspiration pieces.

Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for all your wonderful insight Eddie. It has been a great pleasure to read through this thread, I have learned so much. Also I want to thank you for all the recommendations you make, whether they be books, or articles, or blogs, I always enjoy those as well.

My pleasure. Here's another really cool thing to check out. It's a Chris Isaak music video that is HEAVILY inspired/rippedoff by the 70's future world's fair in Osaka, Japan. EXPO 70.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UypfpcuVckw

Why share this?

At WDI you would often bring in something, like an article in a mag, a movie, a toy, etc to riff on for a new idea. Or to inspire others as you were not sure of the big idea but liked something about it. So I'm doing that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9xdkG-ht0U&feature=related

It's a fantasy of a night at the Tomorrowland Terrace. I see this as a great "mood piece" to spur other thoughts.

This IMHO, is a new Tomorrowland and styled as part retro, part hyper future, this is kind of the look and feel. It's "TokyoPop meets Minority Report" with lots of screens, color galore, architecture, optimism and romance. It's still fantasy, but lets the technology play big and wow. the graphics are too Tokyo, but the shapes are great. The story is a Tokyo concert where this fan meets Isaak and goes from there. I would watch this and daydream that this could be the Tomorrowland Stage or something, and they're lost in this cool video mirror maze, or fun house of technology. The color palette is really great too. He's on stage with this land behind him with Peoplemovers, etc. Great mood piece. How cool the land could be with lots of layers of media and glass, cool retro shapes wrapped in gesture based technology. I have lots of books on the fair and it's insane design, so this brought it to life and is a favorite video. For some reason, it's a more romantic vision and less geeky. I'd settle for a just doing a hotel.

 

[HMF]

I believe the strategic planning department killed it.

The place where ideas go to die.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

The place where ideas go to die.

Don't make me nostalgic.

 

[tirian]

don't make me nostalgic.

:roflol:

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Chris Merritt

Here's a podcast interview with Chris Merritt.

http://cdn4.libsyn.com/mousetalgia/...37&nva=20100327010637&t=0ebc2ffa3ca85bd300e94

 

[misterID]

Eddie, have you followed or read up on the new Harry Potter attraction? What do you think about it and its possible impact on WDW? If HP is successful, could this start a real arms race between the 2 brands to see who has the more advanced attractions?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Eddie, have you followed or read up on the new Harry Potter attraction? What do you think about it and its possible impact on WDW? If HP is successful, could this start a real arms race between the 2 brands to see who has the more advanced attractions?

From what I've been able to glean on it, it seems to be a breakthrough attraction that will, as Spiderman has, reset the bar for what Rides can be. Who knows what Disney will make of it. I hope something powerful happens as a result if it is as good as they are saying it is. Of course, this has to take away enough WDW market share to mean anything. i'm sure they are taking a "wait and see" attitude. the princess thing does not seem like a response, just the right thing to do. The world economy seems more of a threat to the future than Harry Potter. If you can't go on vacation, what does it all matter?

 

[HMF]

Here's a podcast interview with Chris Merritt.

http://cdn4.libsyn.com/mousetalgia/...37&nva=20100327010637&t=0ebc2ffa3ca85bd300e94

Very cool.

 

[fyn]

From what I've been able to glean on it, it seems to be a breakthrough attraction that will, as Spiderman has, reset the bar for what Rides can be. Who knows what Disney will make of it. I hope something powerful happens as a result if it is as good as they are saying it is. Of course, this has to take away enough WDW market share to mean anything. i'm sure they are taking a "wait and see" attitude. the princess thing does not seem like a response, just the right thing to do. The world economy seems more of a threat to the future than Harry Potter. If you can't go on vacation, what does it all matter?

Eddie, thanks for your contribution to the forums. Assuming Harry Potter has a negligible impact on WDW, what is, from your experience, the decision making process for greenlighting a major attraction. In other words, why are attractions proposed (I doubt imagineers sit around all day without direction about what sorts of things they're supposed to be working on), and, more importantly, why are attractions given the go-ahead? It's easy to think of why something is rejected. I think it's more interesting to hear why certain attractions get to see the light of day.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Eddie, thanks for your contribution to the forums. Assuming Harry Potter has a negligible impact on WDW, what is, from your experience, the decision making process for greenlighting a major attraction. In other words, why are attractions proposed (I doubt imagineers sit around all day without direction about what sorts of things they're supposed to be working on), and, more importantly, why are attractions given the go-ahead? It's easy to think of why something is rejected. I think it's more interesting to hear why certain attractions get to see the light of day.

The parks have Master Planning teams that have Finance, Marketing, Operations,and Imagineers involved to help address the coming years and where the growth opportunities lie. There is only so much money to spend on upkeep, rehab, and new attractions so there also has to be a return on those investments. So they have a 5 or 10 year calendar that may say they have an anniversary in two years, a new parade required, or the opening for a new E Ticket attraction or expansion if they think it will draw the right crowds. This has to do with the ebb and flow of revenue, attendance, tourism and so forth. These plans, once approved get presented up the ladder for capital approval and funding. WDI can either suggest a new idea of get a commission to solve for a demographic target audience and budget.

There are many hurdles along the way that must be met in order to make the cut. It's like passing a bill in Congress and you are the lobbyist. Compromises to make it fit for each division (more kid friendly, more edgy, less cost, more thrill, more girl centric, double the capacity, etc) and eventually a project comes out the other end..or not.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Here it is!

Eddie, have you followed or read up on the new Harry Potter attraction? What do you think about it and its possible impact on WDW? If HP is successful, could this start a real arms race between the 2 brands to see who has the more advanced attractions?

Disney and More (as usual) has the best and latest sneak preview of the Harry Potter Ride. Just now posted, hot off the French crepe machine.

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Disney and More (as usual) has the best and latest sneak preview of the Harry Potter Ride. Just now posted, hot off the French crepe machine.

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/

I'm very much looking forward to the Harry Potter ride, but I have a couple things that seem to bother me that I'd like to get your take on:

1. The idea of this land being set in the climate of central Florida bugs me. There's all this great artwork that makes it seem like it's in London in the Fall. There's even a few pictures showing snow falling and people in heavy clothing and coats. Most of the year, it's going to be 90's and people are going to be uncomfortably hot! :lol: So is this just me thinking too much? Or is it weird to anyone else? This is just a land that, to me, has a climate that we're inherently used to associating with it. It just feels weird. Like... When I see the polar bears at our local zoo in their outdoor area in the Summer. There's fake snow on the rocks, but come on. It's 100 degrees. The polar bears know better.

2. The other concern I have is that attractions that are extrememly reliant on cutting edge technology can suffer quite a bit more noticeably when upkeep is not "spot on". I think judging by some of the threads on the site alone, we've all noticed effects seriously effecting show. What's UNI's track record on effects upkeep, do you know? Do you think that there may be certain "service level agreements" in the contract that Rowling signed, or is that not something that's thought of in these cases (i.e. Lucas's involvment with Star Tours or Indy, or Spielberg's with JP at UNI)?

Lastly... Are you in your restaurant very often? We're planning on visiting on our upcoming trip to SoCal, and wonder what the chances are of running into you there.