Ghostbuster626
Member
Jacobson is pretty much a shill for Tom Fitzgerald
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Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks
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HMF
Well-Known Member
I hope not. He should do what Marty did and stay as long as possible.
HMF
Well-Known Member
I was talking to someone a few weeks ago who said that she would only go to a Disney Park only if she was bringing kids. This is what Disney seems to want people to think and contradictory to what Walt wanted.I felt embarrassed.
SoccerMickey
Active Member
The jury is still out on the new Fantasyland. It's a dark ride and a restaurant surrounded by meet and greets. That doesn't necessarily scream the next golden ages of theme parks.
(For the record, I am really excited about the Mermaid attraction, I am a huge dark ride fan)
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Exactly. But they could sit down and say "the future is something we want to help lead" and let WDI come back with something to look at.
Jasonflz
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceviper123
Thanks for your excellent posts on the Fantasyland expansion.
What do you think WDI should do to fix Tomorrowland in MK, DL and TDL?
They seem to lack a complete thought.
Unlike the Paris, it has a strong cohesiveness as did the DL in 1998.
I don't believe Disney thinks like that. The powers don't sit down and think 'what should our vision of the future be?'
It's also not just a Tomorrowland issue, although that area is always the most problematic.
There's more of a desire to spread 'the Disney brand' and whatever hot properties the company has at a given time. That's how you get High School Musical or Monsters in Tomorrowland. Or cartoon fish at Epcot.
The strict adherence to story, time, place etc ... well, it doesn't exist anymore. The layering ... the details ... they aren't as important as selling Tink hoodies and Jonas Bros CDs.
How many guests believe Disney parks are all about 'toons and little else?
It wasn't that way for decades.
Tomorrowland certainly had a vision in 1971. A bold one. It had a vision in 1994-95 when the land was redone. Now?
And while DLP has the best version going, it has lost a lot of its cohesive narrative over the last few years. As much as I loved the Lion King show, Discoverland was a strange place for it. Now, sadly, they just show classic Mickey tunes inside. And losing their version of Timekeeper for Buzz Lightyear (even if it is a great version where you can't max out the game in the first room if you've been on it or read sites like this) muddied the theme completely. What does a cartoon space toy have to do with the European visionaries of the 19th and early 20th centuries? Then they took Space Mountain and swapped in Mission 2, which may be cool, but also isn't a story fit. The original was perfect. Jules Verne: Earth To the Moon ... doesn't get any better.
Without wasting too much of a sunny Sunday, I'll end on my belief that Disney adheres to story when it is convenient to do so these days. Branding and franchises and always selling merchandise takes precedent over whether things belong in the world they are placed.
I fully agree. If Timekeeper had been around today it could still have been relevant. AE leaving made some sense.
It seems Disney is losing sight of how this future should be like, and it shouldn't be promotional.
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
I do know him, but I have no idea what their plans are if any. I have read in forums from time to time that they are exploring new park ideas, but those "fire drills" have been going on since I was there. The nighttime park, etc. you guys know far more than I. IMHO the world economy probably has to give some clear indication of recovery before they commit to another park in WDW, but that's my own thinking. Maybe the dollar falling will help bring foreign guests?
jt04
Well-Known Member
_Scar
Active Member
Interesting. Good assumption about the dollar. I never even thought of that. I thought they had to have some kind of plan or big change for the 40th besides the expansion of Fantasyland, but reading about parks being planned over 7+ years in advance of opening and the never ending slump that is the economy I've lost all hope for a 5th destination within the near future. In Disneyland, they celebrate every 5 years. It's crazy!
Eddie, are you going to be working in Shanghai? Technically that is Iger's first park, and you know him sooooo.. Sci Fi City? :lookaroun:lol:
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Interesting. Good assumption about the dollar. I never even thought of that. I thought they had to have some kind of plan or big change for the 40th besides the expansion of Fantasyland, but reading about parks being planned over 7+ years in advance of opening and the never ending slump that is the economy I've lost all hope for a 5th destination within the near future. In Disneyland, they celebrate every 5 years. It's crazy!
Eddie, are you going to be working in Shanghai? Technically that is Iger's first park, and you know him sooooo.. Sci Fi City? :lookaroun:lol:
I don't work for the company. I have my own studio.
CBOMB
Active Member
Yes, but it would be a shame if such talent didn't get a chance to mold a small piece of the Shanghai project.
_Scar
Active Member
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Sure. I guess anything is possible, even "Sci-Fi City". I'm pessimistic as they have Imagineers in-house that would get first dibs on that kind of stuff.
_Scar
Active Member
Sure. I guess anything is possible, even "Sci-Fi City". I'm pessimistic as they have Imagineers in-house that would get first dibs on that kind of stuff.
There was "supposed" Shanghai artwork in another thread here that, when matched up with overhead maps, fit the pciture. The park looked nothing like any other Disney park and it was on a lake. It's TLand looked a lot like Sci Fi. It was very interesting. I hope they come and work with you again so we can see some Sotto magic in another DL!
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
Disney is making itself (at least in FLA, but to some extent world-wide) into parks where everything must appeal to 8-year-old girls or gay dudes.
At some point, you need a balance.
Even Iger sees this hence the Marvel deal.
But it's funny how for the first four decades or so of Disney theme parks how the formula worked fine. Most things appealed across many/all demos. And that was the goal.
It still should be.
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
Agreed on all counts.
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
I'm not Eddie, but I wish this question would stop coming up ad nauseum on fan sites.
Iger (and any other CEO with a quarter of a brain) isn't going to build another theme park when they simply spread your business out. People would visit a new Disney park, sure. But they'd take a day away from another Disney park to do so. This has been happening since Disney-MGM, but became an acute issue when DAK opened.
People don't have endless vacation time (especially in the USA where Big Business rules and people are supposed to feel good if they can get two weeks after a year or two at a company).
The Weatherman killed Joe Rohde's boutique animal park ... he isn't going to build another theme park. Nor should he. It would be nice if the fanbois realized that maybe the reason they want another park is because they just might be bored with what the current parks offer.
_Scar
Active Member
It's a fun question to ask and wonder about. I don't see why it bothers you so much.
Thanks I guess, but I still want to beleive a 5th park is coming. :shrug:
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
Please don't take this as an attack because that's not how I intend it, but it's a dumb question when you look at both the state of WDW's current four parks and all the work they need as well as all the rational, business reasons for why it will never happen.
Why do you (or anyone) want to see another park at WDW when they can't maintain, staff, grow or keep fresh the parks they have? Are you tired and/or bored with WDW?
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