I notice on the poll that Beastly Kingdom has the most votes so far. Well, I'm wondering what you'd put in BK and how much you think it would cost to build?
Judging by the cost of 'Dinoland', I'm not sure Disney is willing to invest much money in AK at all.
IMHO, the purpose of BK should be at add 2 to 3 hours of time to the average visitors visit and should therefore have stuff for the whole family to do. It would include at least one Disney level thrill coaster (see the redone Indy coaster in paris and their discovery mountain), one 15 minute boat AA ride similar to Pirates, a simulator ride (journey to the center of the earth, anyone?), and a dark family ride (with a ride vehicle similar to omnimover), one great show pavillion, a sit down restaurant, and a fast food restaurant.
That's four rides (at least), a theatre, and two restaurants. My estimated cost:
Coaster $50-70 million (go ahead and buy an off the shelf ride but theme the hell out of it)
Boat AA ride $30-40 million (think Jungle cruise with fantastical beasts)
Simulator ride: $50-70 million (possibly a bit low, I don't know what simulator vehicles cost these days)
Family Ride: $20-30 million (less possibly)
Theatre: $15 million to build, $15 million for first production
Area theming, stores, food, and backstage support: $120 million (again, theme it right or don't do it at all).
So we're looking at $300 to $360 million. Close to the amount they're planning on spending at EPCOT. So, I don't think this is outside the realm of possibility.
How fast would they earn back this investment... (Assume 30% is paid for by sponsors). If it brings in an additional 1 million visitors a year and ups perday spending by $30 a person ($10 for each extra hour adjusted for additional staffing costs), it could pay it off in as little as 14 months. Even if my numbers are bit off, I still think profitabilty for the area could come in less than 3 years.
Judging by the cost of 'Dinoland', I'm not sure Disney is willing to invest much money in AK at all.
IMHO, the purpose of BK should be at add 2 to 3 hours of time to the average visitors visit and should therefore have stuff for the whole family to do. It would include at least one Disney level thrill coaster (see the redone Indy coaster in paris and their discovery mountain), one 15 minute boat AA ride similar to Pirates, a simulator ride (journey to the center of the earth, anyone?), and a dark family ride (with a ride vehicle similar to omnimover), one great show pavillion, a sit down restaurant, and a fast food restaurant.
That's four rides (at least), a theatre, and two restaurants. My estimated cost:
Coaster $50-70 million (go ahead and buy an off the shelf ride but theme the hell out of it)
Boat AA ride $30-40 million (think Jungle cruise with fantastical beasts)
Simulator ride: $50-70 million (possibly a bit low, I don't know what simulator vehicles cost these days)
Family Ride: $20-30 million (less possibly)
Theatre: $15 million to build, $15 million for first production
Area theming, stores, food, and backstage support: $120 million (again, theme it right or don't do it at all).
So we're looking at $300 to $360 million. Close to the amount they're planning on spending at EPCOT. So, I don't think this is outside the realm of possibility.
How fast would they earn back this investment... (Assume 30% is paid for by sponsors). If it brings in an additional 1 million visitors a year and ups perday spending by $30 a person ($10 for each extra hour adjusted for additional staffing costs), it could pay it off in as little as 14 months. Even if my numbers are bit off, I still think profitabilty for the area could come in less than 3 years.
