ChrisFL
Premium Member
Maybe not in the U.S. but that's ok, they're still selling cars everywhere else in the world. They've also got BILLIONS of dollars in reserve for just these kinds of situations.
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GM and Test Track
- Thread starter DisneyparkFreak
- Start date
Maybe not in the U.S. but that's ok, they're still selling cars everywhere else in the world. They've also got BILLIONS of dollars in reserve for just these kinds of situations.
MythBuster
Active Member
I think we should be supporting car companies that are supporting American workers. Honda just opened a new car factory in Indiana and is hiring plenty of American workers. What about GM? They just opened a new car factory in St. Petersburg, Russia and is hiring Russian workers. So a bailout for them is for also all the other countries around the world GM is involved in, that means we would be bailing out Russians, Chinese, Mexican, and Canadian workers also!!
PREMiERdrum
Well-Known Member
True, to an extent, BUT...
A Honda (or Toyota) worker hired in the US... Yes, they are paying American workers, but where does the profit go? Back to the homeland. Toyota especially has painted a picture of itself as an "American" company because they build plants here. We're in a global economy, and it is much more cost effective for Toyota to build cars here, and for Ford to build cars in Canada.
An interesting note, though, is that Toyota, Nissan/Renault, Honda, and Volkswagen/Audi/Porsche have all been bailed out by their respective countries.
And, grouping the "Big 3" is somewhat wrong. They're all in trouble, to some extent, but are in very, very different situations.
GM is facing liquidity problems, although their newer products have been very competitive (the Lambda CUVs, new Malibu), but are still in the mentality that they have to sell more, so they give them away with huge incentives.
Ford is concerned mainly because a Chrysler or GM bankruptcy would likely crush the supplier base, which they use. Their products are great, and actually made a profit in Q1 of this year.
Chrysler has been in freefall, especially since the Cerebrus purchase this year. Bad products, zero sales, far too much reliance on fleet sales.
Back on topic, I wouldn't be surprised to see Honda come in for the sponsorship, should GM leave the pavillion.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
The switch from GM to Honda worked great for Disneyland several years ago, and Honda has proved to be a good partner for Disneyland events.
Honda has also proved to be a good partner for America, building factories and assembly lines in America, while GM sends them to foreign countries staffed by foreign workers building their "American" cars on foreign soil.
The Chevrolet Impala, 2010 Camaro, Equinox, Silverado, Sierra, and the Buick Lacrosse and Allure are all built in Canada by foreign workers on foreign soil. The Chevrolet Avalanche, HHR, and Suburban, the GMC Yukon, and the Cadillac Escalade ESV and EXT are all built in Mexico by foreign workers on foreign soil. The Pontiac G8 sedan and upcoming G8 sport truck is built in Australia and then shipped acrosss the ocean to be sold here in this country as an "American" car. Same thing with the Chevrolet Aveo that is built in South Korea and shipped across the ocean, or the Saturn Astra that is built in Belgium and shipped across the ocean.
The myth of a 21st century "American" car is pure folly. And try telling that to the good and honest Ohioans who build the Accords from the tires up, or the good and honest Californians who build Toyota Corolla's and Tacomas, or the Texans who build Toyota Tundras, or the Alabamans who build all those Hyundais, or the South Carolinians who build all those BMW's, etc., etc.
General Motors doesn't deserve one penny of my tax money for the past 30 YEARS of their poor management and lowered expectations wrapped in an American flag. SHAME ON DETROIT for flying in to DC in their corporate jets with their hands out!
Disney could, and should, find a much more suitable sponsor for the aging Test Track attraction. The pavilion overall needs an update, and I would think Honda would be a good place to start. Honda seems to really like being at Disneyland, and I bet they'd be open to considering moving in to WDW as well.
Lance
Active Member
You must be an SUV owner? The industry put it in everyone's head that you'd be safer in an SUV. Well, duh, if a Suburban is a bus on the road compared to a Toyotta Corolla, obviously the people in the Corolla are all dying if the burban hits em head on, right?. Let's sell it off as safety is more important than anything else, well sure, everyone will buy that. Obviously, I don't want to die on the road, but come on. GM didn't want to lose money and invest in making perfectly safe cars that aren't as big as a bus. I know crazy, and they don't eat gas like its going out of style.
Kudos to Ford for trying to mask their inability to make reliable cars though, but are we going to continue to be bamboozled by "industry news stories" about how safe Ford cars are now??? Again, all who want to stick up for Ford, keep drinking the kool-aid and go out and buy yourself a Ford. We'll see how long before you'll be at the dealership waiting for your car to be serviced for another thing going wrong... but its worth it, because Fords are SAFE now!!! Yay!
I used to be blind too... thought the right thing to do was be Patriotic and buy American. I was young and stupid, bought into the idea... and realized those people who say that are either in a union or dumb. Always buy foreign...
but I hate contributing to thread drift, guilty so many times...so
I hope Honda or Toyota, or you know, any foreign automaker, VW, BMW sponsor TT... then I could actually take some time to view the autos as I walk out... and buy a Honda T-shirt, etc....
ChrisFL
Premium Member
disneymoc
Active Member
VW is building an American plant in Chattanooga. I wouldn't hold my breath on them going that far yet though.
miles1
Active Member
I thought it would be timely to revisit this tread today after watching the Senate hearing today on the "big three" bailout. For those of you that didn't see this, the CEO's of Ford, Chrysler and GM were back at the Senate pleading their case for federal bailout money to avoid imminent bankruptcy. The reception they received was, well- less than warm and fuzzy. (Actually it made the Texas Chainsaw Massacre look like a tea party.)
Judging by today's events, it looks like at a minimum, GM and Chrylser will be headed to a regular bankruptcy, possibly a "pre-arranged" bankruptcy (which is basically the same thing except all of the involved parties agree on the terms in advance), or government takeover as soon as the end of the year. Either way there will be some sort of government/court oversite of the firms. Which means GM's sponsorship of Test Track is probably over.
So, where does this leave WDW? The GM sponsorship is completely intertwined with the attraction, from the preshow to the post show; it's not like they can instantly remove it like they did with SSE. The only scenarios I can envision are the following:
1. Test Track continues to operate as-is, giving GM free advertising (albeit dated) to hundreds of thousands of people per year, or plugging a company that possibly no longer exists.
2. Another sponsor is found quickly, but this would require a long shut down for an unanticipated refurb,
3. The entire pavilion shuts down after the Christmas rush, and remains so indefinitely.
Which do you think it will be?
Judging by today's events, it looks like at a minimum, GM and Chrylser will be headed to a regular bankruptcy, possibly a "pre-arranged" bankruptcy (which is basically the same thing except all of the involved parties agree on the terms in advance), or government takeover as soon as the end of the year. Either way there will be some sort of government/court oversite of the firms. Which means GM's sponsorship of Test Track is probably over.
So, where does this leave WDW? The GM sponsorship is completely intertwined with the attraction, from the preshow to the post show; it's not like they can instantly remove it like they did with SSE. The only scenarios I can envision are the following:
1. Test Track continues to operate as-is, giving GM free advertising (albeit dated) to hundreds of thousands of people per year, or plugging a company that possibly no longer exists.
2. Another sponsor is found quickly, but this would require a long shut down for an unanticipated refurb,
3. The entire pavilion shuts down after the Christmas rush, and remains so indefinitely.
Which do you think it will be?
epcotWSC
Well-Known Member
I can see #1 being the most logical for a time and then #2. #3 wouldn't work. It's such a popular attraction... unless they knock it all down and build something new.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
My father retired from General Motors. He has been gone for several years, but my mother still depends upon his retirement check.
I'm not so sure that GM's continued sponsorship of this pavilion is the wisest investment of their advertising dollar. Public goodwill is basically dried up also, so that argument is moot.
I'm pretty certain that the government will force GM to drop this sponsorship.
I'm not so sure that GM's continued sponsorship of this pavilion is the wisest investment of their advertising dollar. Public goodwill is basically dried up also, so that argument is moot.
I'm pretty certain that the government will force GM to drop this sponsorship.
Horizonsfan
Well-Known Member
I think you're closest with #1 but, I don't think that a removal of most of GM's promotion would be that difficult.
It seems far more likely that we would just see them remove the brief line mentioning GM in the Pre-show (as well as the test ground aerial pictures); change the in-car screens so that they don't show a "test for insert GM car type here"; and make the post show devoid of any cars, making for some very empty rooms with flashy lighting.
Logistically, this seems like stuff that could be done within a few days or less and could hold TT over until a new sponsor and/or pavilion direction is decided upon. The hardest thing to get rid of would be the GM cars in the queue, and the logos on the actual cars.
wvdisneyfamily
Well-Known Member
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
kingslyZISSOU
New Member
so do they have any kind of contract with disney? I'm sure Disney isn't dumb enough to set it up where GM can just stop sponsorship the attraction whenever they want.
How do the sponsorship contracts work?
How do the sponsorship contracts work?
Good analysis.
I think this would be a good time to retool the ride and either change up the existing ride with new special effects and better theming and a new "storyline" from a new sponsor or start over from scratch and create a new ride themed to the future of alternative energy cars or something more akin to the original world of motion.
The ball is in WDW managements hands but they have proven to be totally incompetent so it will be curious how this all goes down.
Disneyson 1
New Member
Easy fix. Just say that at Test Track (simply the future company's name) they're creating a indestructible car. Of course, zero-emission cars (not to mention flying cars) have been created by this time of 2055 (I'm guessing the Future World time period?) and now we're moving on to bigger and better things. At the finale, the test track proctors (could be changed over to robots..?) find out that there are fundamental problems with the car from the previous tests and that your'e gonna blow up at the crash test. But miraculously, you survive! It's so easy to change around!. All they have to do is change some things around.
kingslyZISSOU
New Member
hopefully, the whole thing will get a pixar retheme.
Who wouldn't want that?
It's a fool proof plan...
Just kidding guys.:hurl:
Who wouldn't want that?
It's a fool proof plan...
Just kidding guys.:hurl:
scottnj1966
Well-Known Member
Disney can easily remove everything that says GM pretty fast.
They are good at that.
Space mountain's fedex sponsership was all over that ride and at the end moving walkway.
They did the same with RCA.
Disney does have signed contracts with GM but after a bankruptcy that usually does not matter.
I have a feeling Disney may leave things the way they are until they are approached by another auto manuafacturer.
Only time will tell.
They are good at that.
Space mountain's fedex sponsership was all over that ride and at the end moving walkway.
They did the same with RCA.
Disney does have signed contracts with GM but after a bankruptcy that usually does not matter.
I have a feeling Disney may leave things the way they are until they are approached by another auto manuafacturer.
Only time will tell.