From Orlando Sentinel:
Everest could take Disney to new heights
Mike Thomas
COMMENTARY
January 26, 2006
Disney doesn't build rides by slapping some track down and plopping a roller coaster on it.
Disney creates stories that surround its rides. This is the story behind Expedition Everest.
Last year, Disney's local parks had an attendance increase between 5 percent and 6.5 percent.
Meanwhile, Universal suffered a dismal drop in attendance of about 8.5 percent at its two parks.
The reason is that Disney came up with new material. This included its latest concocted promotion -- the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. The "celebration" included new rides, shows and lots of marketing.
Disney goes about this very scientifically. It diagnoses weaknesses in its parks and designs fixes for them.
This takes me to Animal Kingdom.
Architecturally, it is the best of Disney's parks. The details in the "continents" are superb. By this I mean the subtle touches like lush landscaping, faded paint, cracked sidewalks, worn wood and peeling plaster.
The park's problem is that it is too subtle for the theme-park crowd.
There is nothing to generate buzz like the Tower of Terror at the otherwise mediocre Disney-MGM Studios.
And so Animal Kingdom's attendance has lagged behind the other parks'. To fix that, Disney is adding Expedition Everest. It is ingenious.
Consider, for example, that the coaster does not go upside down, as do most new coasters. This means that you can put a 44-inch kid in it, several inches shorter than you can put in an inversion coaster.
Disney calls it a "ride for the entire family." It learned from Mission: Space. That was added at Epcot to fix its weakness: a lack of exciting things to do. Disney overdid it and cranked up the intensity a notch too high. A lot of people stay away from it.
The Imagineers backed off with Expedition Everest.
After riding it three times, I think they may well have hit the right compromise, providing enough thrills for the thrill-seekers without the stomach-churning impact that has forced Disney to put barf bags on Mission: Space. The only people this should terrorize are the head honchos over at Universal Orlando.
When General Electric swallowed the entertainment arm of Vivendi Universal in 2004, GE had little interest in its network of theme parks. Analysts said GE eventually would sell them off. The parks are expensive and not profitable enough.
GE shares ownership of the Orlando parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, with a private equity firm called the Blackstone Group.
I just don't see this partnership, in which parks are an afterthought to the partners, taking on Disney.
Disney is pumping big bucks into its parks. The parks are a big part of its identity and profits. They support an empire of resorts and restaurants.
Tourism is projected to gradually flatten in the future, and Disney is making sure it corners the market. To that end, it has overhauled the price structure of its tickets, creating better bargains for longer stays.
Disney enters the peak spring months with its blockbuster new ride. Universal has leftover worm smoothies from Fear Factor.
GE best decide soon if it wants to be in the parks business. Getting pummeled by Disney for a second year sure isn't going to boost the price if the plan is to unload Universal Orlando.
Mike Thomas can be reached at 407-420-5525 or mthomas@orlandosentinel.com.
Everest could take Disney to new heights
Mike Thomas
COMMENTARY
January 26, 2006
Disney doesn't build rides by slapping some track down and plopping a roller coaster on it.
Disney creates stories that surround its rides. This is the story behind Expedition Everest.
Last year, Disney's local parks had an attendance increase between 5 percent and 6.5 percent.
Meanwhile, Universal suffered a dismal drop in attendance of about 8.5 percent at its two parks.
The reason is that Disney came up with new material. This included its latest concocted promotion -- the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. The "celebration" included new rides, shows and lots of marketing.
Disney goes about this very scientifically. It diagnoses weaknesses in its parks and designs fixes for them.
This takes me to Animal Kingdom.
Architecturally, it is the best of Disney's parks. The details in the "continents" are superb. By this I mean the subtle touches like lush landscaping, faded paint, cracked sidewalks, worn wood and peeling plaster.
The park's problem is that it is too subtle for the theme-park crowd.
There is nothing to generate buzz like the Tower of Terror at the otherwise mediocre Disney-MGM Studios.
And so Animal Kingdom's attendance has lagged behind the other parks'. To fix that, Disney is adding Expedition Everest. It is ingenious.
Consider, for example, that the coaster does not go upside down, as do most new coasters. This means that you can put a 44-inch kid in it, several inches shorter than you can put in an inversion coaster.
Disney calls it a "ride for the entire family." It learned from Mission: Space. That was added at Epcot to fix its weakness: a lack of exciting things to do. Disney overdid it and cranked up the intensity a notch too high. A lot of people stay away from it.
The Imagineers backed off with Expedition Everest.
After riding it three times, I think they may well have hit the right compromise, providing enough thrills for the thrill-seekers without the stomach-churning impact that has forced Disney to put barf bags on Mission: Space. The only people this should terrorize are the head honchos over at Universal Orlando.
When General Electric swallowed the entertainment arm of Vivendi Universal in 2004, GE had little interest in its network of theme parks. Analysts said GE eventually would sell them off. The parks are expensive and not profitable enough.
GE shares ownership of the Orlando parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, with a private equity firm called the Blackstone Group.
I just don't see this partnership, in which parks are an afterthought to the partners, taking on Disney.
Disney is pumping big bucks into its parks. The parks are a big part of its identity and profits. They support an empire of resorts and restaurants.
Tourism is projected to gradually flatten in the future, and Disney is making sure it corners the market. To that end, it has overhauled the price structure of its tickets, creating better bargains for longer stays.
Disney enters the peak spring months with its blockbuster new ride. Universal has leftover worm smoothies from Fear Factor.
GE best decide soon if it wants to be in the parks business. Getting pummeled by Disney for a second year sure isn't going to boost the price if the plan is to unload Universal Orlando.
Mike Thomas can be reached at 407-420-5525 or mthomas@orlandosentinel.com.
