It also costs Disney more to build 1 attraction now than it did for them to build an entire park in the past. The price tag for Cosmic Rewind is almost as high as all of DCA when it opened in 2001.
Yes, DCA had many (many) flaws, some of which they’re still trying to repair. Yes, there’s been two decades of inflation in the interim. But it’s hard to argue that any single attraction could ever have the same return on investment as an entire park.
Cosmic Rewind is fun, but it’s not impressive in a way that really sticks with you after the ride is over. It used a (massive) existing facility, and still had to expand horizontally and vertically beyond what fit in the park. It’s got catchy songs and famous actors, but there’s no depth to the experience. It’s a “good” attraction, but it’s a very long way off from being a “great” one.
Remind me again how this one attraction is ever going to recoup the hundreds of millions spent to build it? It just doesn’t make any financial sense, which is why they so seldom make meaningful additions to the parks.
