Frozen in Tokyo vs Epcot

[misterID]

Take Age of Ultron for example. The budget for this movie is 250 Million. It will gross in theaters alone a billion dollars! and thats just a safe estimate. Thats a 400% return on your investment. Now, add merchandising, DVD sales, royalties, back-end and what ever else they make on it and it will be $2 Billion. and 800% return. Thats why he is more interested in movies. The parks don't come close to that return. Plus you have Episode 7 right around the corner which will bring in as much if not more.

In regards to OLC we have to remember that they pay Disney to make that stuff so its in their best interest to make jaw dropping attractions so that they can sell them and charge OLC a ton of money for them. WDW is company owned therefore they need to nickel and dime everything because they are not selling it.

I'm not bashing Iger, personally I don't know him or know what the strategic objectives he and the board have put into place, I do know he is tasked with making sure stock holders get an honest return on their investment and if I were him I would take the 250 million and make another marvel or star wars movie. Its the path of least resistance and has the greatest opportunity for return. Just my two cents.

Actually, advertising is never included in a films budget and it's usually quite significantly larger than the budget for the film. They're probably easily spending an extra 300 million in advertising.

And let's not forget it wasn't that long ago that TWDC film division was a disaster and it was ESPN and WDW/DLR that was making the company look good, even despite his apparent resentment of that division of his company. Iger's genius was his acquisitions of Pixar, MARVEL and, eventually, Lucas Films. Even though it took a while for Disney to really reap the rewards.

 

[Kman101]

I could not justify going to Tokyo just to go to Disney... I love Disney but traveling to Tokyo has never been on my life goals list.

Ah, in that case, that's very true. I wouldn't go just for Disney either but I do want to see Tokyo.

 

[Communicore]

Is it possible to trade Iger for a half cup of warm beer?

 

[JordanNite]

All of these expansions will have attractions and offerings that will leave American Disney fans drooling. Or extremely angry.

Probably both.

Both.

 

[JordanNite]

Take Age of Ultron for example. The budget for this movie is 250 Million. It will gross in theaters alone a billion dollars! and thats just a safe estimate. Thats a 400% return on your investment. Now, add merchandising, DVD sales, royalties, back-end and what ever else they make on it and it will be $2 Billion. and 800% return. Thats why he is more interested in movies. The parks don't come close to that return. Plus you have Episode 7 right around the corner which will bring in as much if not more.

He also lost nearly half a billion dollars on expensive flops like John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger ... his job was pretty much on the line. He got lucky with Frozen. It's well known in the trade (especially if you look at the marketing budget) Iger didn't anticipate Frozen would be such a massive hit - that movie saved him.

Movies do bring you back investment on your capital within a few years. But i don't agree that investing in the parks won't bring you back profits quickly. Look at other parks who have invested in their parks, look at the jump in attendance - you see double digit growth.

Had Iger had the vision to build a Frozen land, we would have seen double digit growth at any park. But he doesn't have the love, vision to want to do that.

You have great visionaries, who love what they do, who leave lasting legacies - think Steve Jobs, Walt Disney himself - Bob Iger is a corporate man, he is nothing else.

He is an utter disgrace to these parks - even the most ardent of Disney fans can't be a little dissapointed with his tenure.

 

[Sage of Time]

Leave it to Tokyo to get it right and WDW to get it so miserably wrong.

 

[JustInTime]

Okay. We got a new FL expansion. A new parade. Animal Kingdom is getting an expansion and a new night show. DHS is about to get a complete overhaul. While it's not what the OLC is doing in Japan, it's a step in the right direction.

 

[Magenta Panther]

This is yet another topic someone ought to bring up at the annual Disney stockholder meeting...how come Japan gets all the truly innovative, lavish attractions while we Americans get the cheap uninspired versions?

 

[JordanNite]

This is yet another topic someone ought to bring up at the annual Disney stockholder meeting...how come Japan gets all the truly innovative, lavish attractions while we Americans get the cheap uninspired versions?

I've said it many times, it dangerous to put a corportate CEO in charge of the Disney Parks, especially when his salary is determined on profit. Walt wasn't a corporate guy. Guys like Steve Jobs weren't corporate guys - they had vision, they had love, and carried out their vision.

Stockholders don't care. They want profits. Investing in anything usually results in a operative profit downer for the following year. Disney will be hurt in the long run by Igers lack of vision. It always happens - look through the masses of big companies that failed - all have one thing in common, they rested on their laurels, got complacent, and didn't invest.

We could essentially say Iger is performing a a corporate type asset stripping of the parks - breaking the Disney parks down to their bare bones, just enough to keep generating profits. But no investing. The parks will be okay in the short term, but mark my words 10 years down the line when Iger is retired on his luxury Yacht, the new Ceo will be hastily putting new attractions in place to try and save the parks.

What has happened at Disney Hollywood Studios is a disgrace - he has actually closed down rides to save operating costs !!!! Mark my words, nothing is planned for DHS.

 

[JordanNite]

Scene at Bob Igers home. Imagineer theme park designer and Iger.

IGER : We should probably do something with the Frozen attraction at one of those parks in Oklamaho.

IMAGINEER DUDE : You mean Orlando.

IGER : Yes Orlando. We need to do something probably. Any ideas?

IMAGINEER DUDE : Yes! We have drawn up plans. Let me show you some drawing. Look here, a new world. A castle. Snow themed background, shows, live performers, and wait till i show you the ride !!!

IGER : Woah slow down cowboy. How much this going to cost? Also will there be shops there?

IMAGINEER DUDE : I won't lie. It could cost around a billion.

IGER : (falls of his chair) Are you crazy? We don't have that kind of money.

IMAGINEER DUDE : But you just spent 500 million on John Carter and The Lone Ranger. Besides these will be breathtaking new attractions, research shows these will give us double digit growth, it will leave a lasting legacy, and will leave people happy !!!!

IGER : Can we get the cost down? And are you sure there will be shops there to sell merchandise?

IMAGINEER DUDE : Well i suppose we could curtail the world, and maybe just concentrate on the ride !

IGER : Good, now you're talking. How can we proceed with a ride? Also don't forget the shops.

IMAGINEER DUDE : It's going to be magical, floating across the snow, live animatronics, music, sounds, really immerse the guest into the world of Frozen. It's going to be amazing. Projected to cost around 500 million.

IGER : Could you take a zero of that cost?

IMAGINEER DUDE : 50 Million?!

IGER : Now you're talking, 5 million !

IMAGINEER DUDE : I thought it was 50 million?!

IGER : Great 5 million, now we're onto something. What could we do that will blow people away. We need more shops to sell Frozen tat.

IMAGINEER : Okay, i guess we could do something at Hollywood Studios, maybe try and do an immersive experience over there with something.

IGER : (watching John Carter of Mars on his Projector screen). Yeah yeah, do that !

IMAGINEER : I guess we could do a brand new ride in place of all those rides you closed down.

IGER : Could we do that for $500,000 ?

IMAGINEER : I thought we have 5 million?!

IGER : (puts on DVD of Lone Ranger) I don't get why this movie flopped. (turns to Imagineer dude) Look you have $50,000 now go away and do something with this Frozen ride, it will have people queing up.

IMAGINEER DUDE : $50,000 won't even cover any construction firm.

IGER : Just get Tony to do it.

IMAGINEER - But it will take Tony 3 years to do everything on his own. We need more investment to get this moving at least !

IGER : Look there's Maelstrom, just change that. Just do a paint up job, change the signs. No one will notice they will love it! Hell, have you seen the 'Stitch' attraction? Those people love 'It's a small World' they won't notice a thing.

IMAGINEER : But Walt's vision of Future world didn't mean tarnishing with it this. You can't do this, one day the guests will see what is going on and stop coming. Don't you want to create a legacy for yourself, make people happy?

IGER : Sorry did you say something? I have to work out my profits, this $50,000 is going to cut into my salary. We'll probably have to close down Mission Space to pay for this.

IMAGINEER : I quit.

IGER : I'm such a creative genius. Let me sign this off. Can't wait, i can already see the lines stretching back to Chicago. Investors will love me.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[ford91exploder]

I was wrong on that- the $4.2 includes infrustructure changes over the next 10 yrs too that accomodates the added growth. But Id wager the large majority of that is spend on these 3 areas.

Now something that is even better- is that they technically said "500 billion yen"- and at the time they first announced it in 2014, it was more like $5 billion- not 4.2. It's only 4.2 because the yen has devalued substantially in that short amount of time.


The moral of the story though is- they spend money to make money. They don't cut corners to make money. That's the biggest difference.

Over the long term thats the only way to make sustainable profits

 

[ford91exploder]

I've said it many times, it dangerous to put a corportate CEO in charge of the Disney Parks, especially when his salary is determined on profit. Walt wasn't a corporate guy. Guys like Steve Jobs weren't corporate guys - they had vision, they had love, and carried out their vision.

Stockholders don't care. They want profits. Investing in anything usually results in a operative profit downer for the following year. Disney will be hurt in the long run by Igers lack of vision. It always happens - look through the masses of big companies that failed - all have one thing in common, they rested on their laurels, got complacent, and didn't invest.

We could essentially say Iger is performing a a corporate type asset stripping of the parks - breaking the Disney parks down to their bare bones, just enough to keep generating profits. But no investing. The parks will be okay in the short term, but mark my words 10 years down the line when Iger is retired on his luxury Yacht, the new Ceo will be hastily putting new attractions in place to try and save the parks.

What has happened at Disney Hollywood Studios is a disgrace - he has actually closed down rides to save operating costs !!!! Mark my words, nothing is planned for DHS.

Glad i'm not the ONLY one who thinks that way

 

[RSoxNo1]

Okay. We got a new FL expansion. A new parade. Animal Kingdom is getting an expansion and a new night show. DHS is about to get a complete overhaul. While it's not what the OLC is doing in Japan, it's a step in the right direction.

Right, but it's two steps taken in 10 years... they need to take 12 more steps to get to the next floor.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

Looking at the new Extended Meet & Greet Area planned for Epcot
Look's like we need to see how that area goes by design will it look
like a Norway expansion or will it completely be Different as looking Arrendale of Frozen.
A small version of the town setting for Epcot. It has to appear more than a meet & greet plaza with restrooms right?

As much I hope it stay's Norway scenic otherwise it would be a reck for World Showcase
between Mexico & Norway and to WS Lagoon & Illuminations.

 

[Bocabear]

Okay. We got a new FL expansion. A new parade. Animal Kingdom is getting an expansion and a new night show. DHS is about to get a complete overhaul. While it's not what the OLC is doing in Japan, it's a step in the right direction.

Has anyone truly confirmed that DHS is getting a complete overhaul? All I have heard is rumors and someone saying there will be more Star Wars presence in the park....that could be an added shop or show...
Not necessarily a complete over haul...

 

[wm49rs]

Has anyone truly confirmed that DHS is getting a complete overhaul? All I have heard is rumors and someone saying there will be more Star Wars presence in the park....that could be an added shop or show...
Not necessarily a complete over haul...

The most recent rumor involved some flat rides akin to those at DLP. But yes, the "increased presence" of SW in the parks has been a veritable mantra by Iger during several of the last investor calls....

 

[Brer Panther]

In regards to the "Iger, good or bad?" thing, I personally believe that the guy has done more for the company than he has the parks.

 

[FutureCEO]

Okay. We got a new FL expansion. A new parade. Animal Kingdom is getting an expansion and a new night show. DHS is about to get a complete overhaul. While it's not what the OLC is doing in Japan, it's a step in the right direction.

Overhaul? Since when? Fours years ago when they started closing everything.

 

[Dice50]

Has anyone truly confirmed that DHS is getting a complete overhaul? All I have heard is rumors and someone saying there will be more Star Wars presence in the park....that could be an added shop or show...
Not necessarily a complete over haul...

I've wondered this too, everyone keeps speculating that there is going to be a Star wars land but nothing has been announced. It's probably best to assume it isn't happening until we hear otherwise. The best thing that could ever happen to Disney fans is if Universal keeps getting better and better and people stop going to Disney parks and over to Universal. If attendance ever started dropping then maybe they'd be forced to spend a ton of cash and go big on the parks.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

This is yet another topic someone ought to bring up at the annual Disney stockholder meeting...how come Japan gets all the truly innovative, lavish attractions while we Americans get the cheap uninspired versions?

I would love it if at a D23 panel Q&A someone asks why the Frozen presence in Tokyo will be so much bigger and better than its O-Town equivalent.