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

[KevinYee]

I'm sure it's been suggested by others long ago, but regardless, it would nice to call up and book "4 days and 3 nights at Progress City"!

Hm, I seem to remember visiting Progress City a decade ago... BEFORE your restaurant days!

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Hm, I seem to remember visiting Progress City a decade ago... BEFORE your restaurant days!

YES. Those were the days my friend. What a space. Of anything, I truly loved arriving at that "Progress City" office every morning. Dream job for sure. You may recall the talking Paul Frees "Orb" that greeted you when the elevator doors opened. I do so miss it! Thanks for the memory.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

All in the Details.

True "Imagineers" are addicted to details and getting things just right, no matter how much effort it requires. It's the research that really puts a project over the top. On their blog, Kevin Kidney (of Kevin and Jody Co.) describes how he went about gathering the details to recreate Walt's original Runabout car. It's nice to know what goes into these models. Their site has images of lots of other cool stuff they make as well. The upcoming Mine Train looks to be a winner too. Here's to Kevin and Jody! Another great job.

http://miehana.blogspot.com/

 

[Fable McCloud]

True imagineers are addicted to details and getting things right, no matter how much effort it requires. Kevin Kidney describes how he went about getting the details to recreate Walt's original Runabout car. It's nice to know someone is sweating it out to make the best merchandise possible. their mine Train looks to be a winner too. Here's to Kevin and Jody! Another great job.

http://miehana.blogspot.com/

I used to glue myself to the tv whenever the old Disney Channel would talk to the imagineers about the parks. I wish they would do a talk in the Future World area in Epcot. That'd be really nice.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Old Disney films found. Main Street Cinema

For those of you who are "right coasters", MOMA in NYC will be screening some lost Disney short subjects from his Laugh O Gram days.

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/10604

This is the kind of stuff that the Main Street Cinema should be cycling in. You'd think with all of those AP's they have in SoCal, that the Cinema (being video format) could not easily run like a real movie house, changing it up with D23 insider stuff and old silent shorts, etc. all of the time. It would truly be a great place to keep the fans happy. I know I'd love to see early and rare shorts there. Oswald the Rabbit on one set of screens, and early Mickey on the other? Alice in Cartoonland? Walt's home movies and early days at the Studio? Marceline? It's the YouTube of Main Street.

What about some good ol' historic Americana for families? Short 5 minute silent newsreels about turn of the century life? The Edison films. Heck, I'd give the joint to Ken Burns. How cool would that be? How hard can that be? Like an Art House of early Disney and Americana. Nothing over 5 minutes, all silent with great music. You'd walk out enlightened about where we are today and how far things have come. Maybe even proud? I'd drive out there just for that if it was good. IMHO the Cinema needs an Enema.

( Too bad Jean Laffite predates film!)




The early construction footage of the park has already been taken out.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Eddie, that is without a doubt one of the best ideas for WDW I've heard in years and I'm not kidding. To not only fulfill Walt's dying dream but do in a way that realistically makes sense from a business perspective by making the whole thing a resort - genius, sir. Pure freaking genius. And of course couple that with the fact that it's a resort theme that currently doesn't exist (if someone reading this thinks the Contemporary Resort is Disney's futuristic hotel, I have some lovely oceanfront property in Arizona I think you'll be interested in.) If Disney were to actually do it, I have no doubt in my mind they could charge far more than they do for the Grand Floridian and the resort would still be at 100% capacity. And the positive PR that could be generated from this? You can't put a price tag on that - it would be just that good.

The one thing I would add to that idea, is that I'd build the private airstrip for the Virgin Galactic Spaceplane as part of the Hotel grounds, so those who fly on the plane spend time in a Richard Branson designed Hotel first. Guests can dine in a glass cube suspended in a white hangar looking down at the spaceplane like in a bond film. The jewel in the crown of the Progress City Resort, tied by Peoplemover to EPCOT. Disney needs to aim as high as possible to deliver EPCOT's promise with companies that are truly pioneering the future.

 

[ChrisFL]

The one thing I would add to that idea, is that I'd build the private airstrip for the Virgin Galactic Spaceplane as part of the Hotel grounds, so those who fly on the plane spend time in a Richard Branson designed Hotel first. Guests can dine in a glass cube suspended in a white hangar looking down at the spaceplane like in a bond film. The jewel in the crown of the Progress City Resort, tied by Peoplemover to EPCOT. Disney needs to aim as high as possible to deliver EPCOT's promise with companies that are truly pioneering the future.

...I love it

 

[Eddie Sotto]

When will they be accepting bookings!?!? I'm THERE!

Great idea Eddie but do you think anybody at Disney who controls the $ is enough of a visionary to commit the money to pull this off? We need Walt.

To me, when it comes to Imagineering EPCOT, Richard Branson may be the new Walt, or at least Howard Hughes. He dreams big and takes the risks. That Galactic Plane of his screams EPCOT. The whole category of space tourism is something to pay attention to. There will be others, but he's it for now. Check the video out.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

 

[janoimagine]

To me, when it comes to Imagineering EPCOT, Richard Branson may be the new Walt, or at least Howard Hughes. He dreams big and takes the risks. That Galactic Plane of his screams EPCOT. The whole category of space tourism is something to pay attention to. There will be others, but he's it for now. Check the video out.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

I was recently shooting at the Mojave Air and Space port and they were doing test flights on that, incredible looking plane, with some very elegant lines. They must have been photographing it for the media because they kept doing touch and goes with a chaser plane. You also have to love the name, the virgin galactic, it's a great retro name. Now that would be an advertising campaign you could have a lot of fun with, because the client is just as much a dreamer as the creatives.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I was recently shooting at the Mojave Air and Space port and they were doing test flights on that, incredible looking plane, with some very elegant lines. They must have been photographing it for the media because they kept doing touch and goes with a chaser plane. You also have to love the name, the virgin galactic, it's a great retro name. Now that would be an advertising campaign you could have a lot of fun with, because the client is just as much a dreamer as the creatives.

Wow. Sounds fantastic and truly elegant design. The interesting thing is that RB is using the sensation of "Space" and "Zero G" to enhance something he is creating. He's designed the space crafts as their own unique "Sci-fi meets James Bond" design. He is putting his own signature on this experience and will own that. Galactic is luxury, it's a singles bar where you float up to someone new. Very smart. He's not trying to emulate the Shuttle or anything else, he's gone beyond it. The same way a jetliner interior is not a military craft. He's making his own future and it is exciting.

Obviously, the pricing of that experience is beyond most all of us, but like the beginning of the "Jet Age", the rich got there first, but the prices eventually came down as they added capacity and amortized costs. Pan Am and the 707 began that revolution by ordering the first 45 707s, then every other country had to have them. Like the iPhone, it was a game changer and they call start copying. So here we are on another precipice as we will see other firms head this way and perhaps improve on Galactic's experience. I'm hoping he does his version of Nemo's Nautilus next!

 

[Fable McCloud]

I would love to see the Nautilus done!!!

 

[RSoxNo1]

To me, when it comes to Imagineering EPCOT, Richard Branson may be the new Walt, or at least Howard Hughes. He dreams big and takes the risks. That Galactic Plane of his screams EPCOT. The whole category of space tourism is something to pay attention to. There will be others, but he's it for now. Check the video out.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

I think that's a really interesting observation. Branson is certainly an innovator and a risk taker. Do you think his willingness to take risks separates him from someone like John Lasseter who is the more common Walt Disney comparison?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I think that's a really interesting observation. Branson is certainly an innovator and a risk taker. Do you think his willingness to take risks separates him from someone like John Lasseter who is the more common Walt Disney comparison?

Good point, but I was only "Walt"-ing him as to futurism and EPCOT. He and Jobs are leading the future. I still think you can compare JL to WD.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I would love to see the Nautilus done!!!

Me too. The Nautilus is truly one of my favorite pieces of design. The ultimate "Steampunk" object for which others are measured. A 21st Century update would be interesting to see. But it's been tried to a degree. As a kid, I used to think the "Seaview" with it's picture windows and hidden "Flying Sub" from the TV Show "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" was the coolest sub of all. There have been lots of attempts at cool modern subs like "Seaquest DSV", but only one Nautilus.

Why is it so cool? The rivets? The fantasy of it being a personal expression, an underwater "treehouse" of sorts? I love the idea of it having a living room with picture window. A fantasy for sure. I think it's bug eyed monster-like shape gives it a personality in addition to the juxtaposition of victorian elegance against industrial rust. He also did one thing that made it work. He designed it as if it were real and embedded a deep logic in everything so you could buy into what you saw. Very important. No rivets for rivets sake, which I see alot. A tribute to the immense talent of its designer Harper Goff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Goff

Here's some other links to great Nautilus stuff, including a site that really does justice to the original in the book. No doubt, the path that Goff took in his creation. Very interesting.

http://www.vulcaniasubmarine.com/

http://www.20kride.com/home.html

Jules Verne lives!

http://vernianera.com/Nautilus/

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Rumors abound.

In Kevin Yee's latest article about WDW, he mentions a Seven Dwarves Mine Coaster as part of the remixed F'land upgrade. Rumors about what is in or out are getting interesting.

If you were Mr. Staggs (who is not an Imagineer, but oversees development), what elements would you consider replacing if any and why? What would you ask WDI to look into? Now he does not come up with the shows, but senses the needs, so what kinds of things would add to the mix of attractions in the land, what does it need formatically, etc? Would you ask for more male oriented elements? More classic dark rides? Keep the Princesses? How many Dumbos? Is 2 enough? Too many? What movies have not been well represented? It might be fun to discuss the thought process of an operator or strategist, not an Imagineer, and try and see how that side lives. Any takers?

http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky102110a.htm

 

[Daannzzz]

I actually liked the look of the original presentation with the Tremaine house and Aurora cottage. I thought the Fantasy Forest would be awesome looking once the trees fill in and up. BUT I hated the idea of the meet and greets. I thought perhaps increasing the Aurora cottage look and forest setting and making a new dark ride climaxing with the dragon would please everyone Or that they could have done a dark ride on the lower floor with a mine coaster on top.
I like the two Dumbo idea even though I do not ride it but I hate the expansion of the Circus theme. It just doesn't seem Fantasy oriented enough. I would have preferred it to be more of the Casey Jr./ Storybook land style.
Mostly I would like to see more dark rides of any kind whether or not they are oriented toward boys or girls.

 

[HMF]

In Kevin Yee's latest article about WDW, he mentions a Seven Dwarves Mine Coaster as part of the remixed F'land upgrade. Rumors about what is in or out are getting interesting.

If you were Mr. Staggs (who is not an Imagineer, but oversees development), what elements would you consider replacing if any and why? What would you ask WDI to look into? Now he does not come up with the shows, but senses the needs, so what kinds of things would add to the mix of attractions in the land, what does it need formatically, etc? Would you ask for more male oriented elements? More classic dark rides? Keep the Princesses? How many Dumbos? Is 2 enough? Too many? What movies have not been well represented? It might be fun to discuss the thought process of an operator or strategist, not an Imagineer, and try and see how that side lives. Any takers?

http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky102110a.htm

OK' since you asked.
*Re-do all Attraction Facades' Ala DL Fantasyland 83
*Keep Snow White
*Replace Pooh with Mr. Toad or Robin Hood.
*move the Teacups.
the rest Mr. Staggs and I fully agree on.

 

[Horizonsfan]

In Kevin Yee's latest article about WDW, he mentions a Seven Dwarves Mine Coaster as part of the remixed F'land upgrade. Rumors about what is in or out are getting interesting.

If you were Mr. Staggs (who is not an Imagineer, but oversees development), what elements would you consider replacing if any and why? What would you ask WDI to look into? Now he does not come up with the shows, but senses the needs, so what kinds of things would add to the mix of attractions in the land, what does it need formatically, etc? Would you ask for more male oriented elements? More classic dark rides? Keep the Princesses? How many Dumbos? Is 2 enough? Too many? What movies have not been well represented? It might be fun to discuss the thought process of an operator or strategist, not an Imagineer, and try and see how that side lives. Any takers?

http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky102110a.htm

Man that's hard to keep what you want as a fan out of the equation. From an operations perspective I would:

- Re-do PPF, gut it to the studs, so that it could accommodate a track for 4-person boats (like DLP) and have properly updated scenes.
- Add a second path (like what has been discussed) to LS where the skyway currently is.
- With the SWSA space becoming available, I think they really would need to look into an attraction based on 101 Dalmatians. It's my personal favorite but more importantly, it's the #2 top-grossing animated movie of all time.
- The whole FLE is pretty well put together though it seems that Belle should have gotten the boot from her M&G along with the rest of the princesses. That is a prime spot for another C or B ticket to boost capacity.

That's all I could think of.

 

[Krack]

Admittedly, I haven't read through the whole thread (and I apologize if you've already discussed this), but I was wondering if you can comment on WDI's thoughts/concerns/approach to the strollers and motorized carts. I know it's a continual heated topic on these boards (the increased use) and I know that at times, internal Disney discussions have considered the need to widen choke points and improve traffic flow.

Is this the kind of situation where WDI has just shrugged its shoulders and said "It's not going away, but there's not much we can do about it" or is there any hope that people can be weened off these devices?

 

[KevinYee]

Eddie asked earlier about futurism. I'd like to see Disney really push the envelope. Forget Asimo. How about a synthetic, bipedal robot with realistic facial features and, oh yeah, realistic enough movements to dance on stage?

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

Others are doing it - why couldn't Disney be the theme park leader in this kind of thing?