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Haunted Mansion Expansion
- Thread starter Jasonflz
- Start date
tirian
Well-Known Member
Some of them do. The problem isn't the research so much as it's the PR. Many decisions are made in direct contrast to the "research," like closing the AC, and are blamed on "Guest surveys" in the official PR releases. SGE is another example—it's one of the least-enjoyed attractions in the MK, yet they're adding Stitch's Dance Party.
Honestly Steve, many of the execs are simply riding on WDW's past reputation, without regarding the resort's capability to STILL be the place with the world's most cutting-edge, exciting, family-friendly attractions.
Who knows how many young people could be future Marc Davises, John Henches, Tony Baxters, or Joe Rohdes? The Disney parks became the best in the world because Imagineering attracted and hired the most talented people they could find. Now it's primarily a Good Ol' Boys club whose legitimately great ideas are shot down from budgetary concerns. Development costs for new attractions are artificially high because of ridiculous amounts of red tape, research departments, and egos that need to be massaged. The old system accomplished great things because it had visionary leadership that didn't rely on spreadsheets. Walt didn't need to survey Guests to know they'd appreciate a roller coaster trip to outer space.
To get back on topic, I'd rather see a dedicated NBC dark ride at the Studios, and yearly maintenance for all the attractions. Pipe dream, I know.
hokielutz
Well-Known Member
The huge lines for the past 8 years clearly demonstrate Disneyland has done something right with this Holiday thing. At the very least, Haunted Mansion at WDW should get another rehab. Last time I went on it a lot of the '07 effects were disabled or noticeably failing. (Footsteps anyone?)
It needs a rehab again. Could we pencil something in for September?
Everything was working fine in January. I disagree that it needs rehabing again..... hope your comment was only in jest.
SirGoofy
Member
Yup. Where's the cutting edge in the past 10 years? Where's the creativity and true MAGIC(not the marketing crap spewed out non-stop) that Disney has always been known for?
That's another one of my biggest concerns with the company. Lasseter is the only one I can see making a leap, taking a chance, and pushing something through that will truly blow people's minds.
Everyone else is just to concerned with their own reputations to take a chance on anything groundbreaking.
To get back on topic, I'd rather see a dedicated NBC dark ride at the Studios, and yearly maintenance for all the attractions. Pipe dream, I know.
Problem with NBC in the Studios is, with the new direction they are taking with the park, where would you put it?
And yearly maintenance...what's that?
SirGoofy
Member
The effects are working...but the scrims are starting to look a little shabby again.
tirian
Well-Known Member
Either the Animation Courtyard area, or near Big Al's Toy Barn.
And yearly maintenance...what's that?
Once upon a time, in a magical kingdom, Mickey and all his pals made sure that Tinker Bell, her fairy friends, and her Brownies* kept everything in sparkling, marvelous shape so that all of Mickey's Guests could enjoy the magical kingdom. Dry-rot and bumpy attraction vehicles didn't exist in this fairyland, because they were banned to the domains of lesser fiefdoms like Six Flags. But over the years, wicked forces of evil overwhelmed Mickey and Tinkerbell, and soon they could only remember how clean and well-kept everything had been.
*a helpful, cleaning spirit, not a girl scout. Look it up online.
Preach it, brother.
NMBC1993
Well-Known Member
What I don't understand is that they say they can't put HMH at WDW because mostly tourists come to WDW so they can't miss any of the original attraction but we seem to get less than the other parks. If WDW is the more popular of the parks, shouldn't they get more money to update stuff and build new attractions? Disneyland gets yearly updates, TDL gets a new parade every month it seems, and WDW gets what....MILF? Oh wait, they're getting a Space Mountain rehab.....that only took 10 years to do. Even Disneyland got a nice addition with Pixie Hollow while WDW got a room in Toontown that is not that well themed. My point is Disney says that they can't change anything at WDW because people will complain, and that exactly what they are doing. For a park that is supposed to be the most popular, we the guests sure aren’t getting a whole lot. While next door I can go see a new roller coaster, and a new Harry Potter world, and an actual night time adult area for a lot less money.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Right now WDW ain't squeaking and will more than likely be ignored until it does.
tirian
Well-Known Member
It IS squeaking, and it's ignored anyway.
~Enjoy the 1970s-era Fantasyland, minus two attractions~
NMBC1993
Well-Known Member
And when it does squeak, they just get rid of that part. Pretty soon WDW will be on bricks in some rednecks lawn:lol:
But two others are squeaking louder. As long as the guests and the money keep pouring in I doubt we will see any change in the current policy unless the rumors about Lassiter wanting to turn his attention to WDW after the DCA reboot is finished are true.
whylightbulb
Well-Known Member
Please don't look up to these "decision makers" who have no opinions of their own other than those that are self-serving. There used to be such a thing as common sense and there used to be what was called, "entrepreneurship," in American business. Sadly, those traits have been replaced with skewed marketing surveys and methods supposedly designed to eliminate as much risk as possible. We see this in American business across the board, not just at Disney.
It's almost cutting off their nose to spite their face but the motivation is not from anger but more from a need to feel secure in their "safe" decisions and the ability to blame the statistics and not a person for making a bad judgment. The problem is you can institute so many policies and procedures, as well as "safe" decisions that eventually they end up working against your original intent.
An example I can use happened to me a few years back in my business dealings. The client was extremely nervous in spending the money for our product. Despite our positive record in past projects and a detailed proposal, he wanted to ensure that he would not be burned. We negotiated back and forth until he got almost everything he wanted. This included a price reduction of almost 20%, a clause that would make us liable for 10% of the total project if we were more than 2 weeks late, unusual auditing rights and several other measures that were put in place to give him the piece of mind to move forward. To make a long story short, the measures he put in place cost us money and time that could have been used to complete the project faster and with better show quality. There was more than ample safeguards in place before all the changes. So instead of a top-notch attraction he ended up with just enough to meet the contract requirements but nowhere near as good as we could have delivered.
Do you see what I mean by cutting off their nose to spite their face? Their intent was to use these "failsafes" and studys to determine their next move. Everyone knows, except the MBA drones, that if they green lit more quality attractions everyone would win. It's common sense. They're already wasting the money in paying for these useless surveys and research projects, why not redirect it toward actual product that will improve the brand and the guest experience? Walt Disney didn't need all these "experts" to tell him what would work. In fact, the "experts" told him it wouldn't. I'm afraid we have placed these same "expert" types that predicted Disneyland's failure in places of decision making for the very same company that became successful in spite of their bad advice.
Now that I reread the example I used above I think it's more an illustration of how Disney mismanages the projects that are green lit but that's another post.
Back to the point at hand. The survey questions are misleading and usually result in skewed outcomes. The erroneous results may not always be purposeful. For example, someone may ask me if I liked or disliked Soarin'. Given the choice between like or dislike I suppose I'd have to say I liked it. I mean things I dislike are brussel sprouts, boring lectures, going shopping for shoes with my wife etc. Now given the choice between those activities and riding Soarin' I'd have to pick Soarin' hands down. The problem is in how the question is phrased. If it were constructed something like, "would you prefer Soarin' to have been a dark ride wherein your inverted ride vehcile would take off and fly over elaborate sets before the finale dome projection sequence that would have been similar to the current cutback version with digital projection to eliminate the terrible film quality, or do you think you'd like the current version better," I believe the results of the survey would be quite different.
Anyway, I hope you see what I'm saying regarding these MBA decision makers that have very little real-world common sense and rely completely on book knowledge or are just acting out of self preservation.
disnyfan89
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately the pencil pushers see things differently. They look at park attendance and see what park is doing worst in attendance and decide to invest in that park. Not a bad idea, especially when that park (AKA DCA) really needs the improvements. But it's not perfect either. So while you poor billions of dollars into this one park the other parks get the short end of the stick. So in other words, as long as the MK continues to be the number one park in attendance you can kiss that Fantasyland update, Little Mermaid, or any other major project good-bye. You'll be getting nothing more than newish parades and unneeded stitch enhancements.
tirian
Well-Known Member
It is true, and I'm looking forward to it.
/////Signing off for the weekend//////
Happy Easter! (in advance)
I for one hope you are right. I would love to get back to the days of Disney doing stuff for no other reason other than they can.
sublimesting
Well-Known Member
Jim Hill tends to be very chimerical.
That's a new word I learned today and thought this would be an appropriate time to use once in my life.
That's a new word I learned today and thought this would be an appropriate time to use once in my life.
TubaGeek
God bless the "Ignore" button.
While I'd love to see it happen, I don't see the Haunted Mansion getting anything new anytime soon, let alone the fantastic Nightmare Before Christmas overlay.
It all comes back to the fact that there's other places that need the money more.
Though I am consistantly shocked that such a popular attraction doesn't have a gift shop...
It all comes back to the fact that there's other places that need the money more.
Though I am consistantly shocked that such a popular attraction doesn't have a gift shop...
SirGoofy
Member
:lol:
Oh wait, you're serious? That actually used to happen!?
But in all seriousness, I wouldn't complain half as much if Disney just got back to doing this the way they used to/should.