Interview with Bob Iger about the Parks

[Phicinfan]

You have absolutely nothing to back up your claim...nor do I. It’s a gut feeling...so we shouldn't debate. If you want to look at the sales trends for the property - however - that is “arrow down” for several years...reception of product and performance of released material.

Question - while I can agree the later movies have dulled some of the appeal of Star wars, do you honestly think that the SW:GE won't be huge? There are more than enough fan boys and girls out there that are so into Star Wars that it will remain a draw. Even if the new movies are not all that, the older classics will keep up the draw IMO

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Question - while I can agree the later movies have dulled some of the appeal of Star wars, do you honestly think that the SW:GE won't be huge? There are more than enough fan boys and girls out there that are so into Star Wars that it will remain a draw. Even if the new movies are not all that, the older classics will keep up the draw IMO

It’s gonna be very popular in the short to medium term - say 10 years?

Beyond that?...it’s hard to say. Disney has not run the franchise well. They are making business choices with an IP that is emotionally grounded. You have to hit that nerve to maintain it.

Just as Lucas tried to redefine his own narrative with the prequels. Different error, Same path to consequences.

Star Wars has gotten “bigger” due to sheer volume/onslaught. It has not gotten better.

But I’ll also tell you this: in 2015 when they announced the lands, I NEVER would be questioning appeal 10 out. Even after jar jar. I trusted Disney...who doesn’t have an understanding of why it worked and has the wrong people in charge.

They need to generate new fanboys and that’s where we see some trouble signs. At the same time - the old ones with the money are getting frustrated and it’s hard to deny that.

 

[danlb_2000]

It’s gonna be very popular in the short to medium term - say 10 years?

Beyond that?...it’s hard to say. Disney has not run the franchise well. They are making business choices with an IP that is emotionally grounded. You have to hit that nerve to maintain it.

Just as Lucas tried to redefine his own narrative with the prequels. Different error, Same path to consequences.

Star Wars has gotten “bigger” due to sheer volume/onslaught. It has not gotten better.

But I’ll also tell you this: in 2015 when they announced the lands, I NEVER would be questioning appeal 10 out. Even after jar jar. I trusted Disney...who doesn’t have an understanding of why it worked and has the wrong people in charge.

They need to generate new fanboys and that’s where we see some trouble signs. At the same time - the old ones with the money are getting frustrated and it’s hard to deny that.

Does the popularity of a ride change over time based on the popularity of it's source material? I think once a ride has been around for a few years people either like it or they don't and the IP has less and less impact. Look at Splash Mountain. This is a IP that Disney has actively been suppressing, yet the ride is still very popular.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Does the popularity of a ride change over time based on the popularity of it's source material? I think once a ride has been around for a few years people either like it or they don't and the IP has less and less impact. Look at Splash Mountain. This is a IP that Disney has actively been suppressing, yet the ride is still very popular.

Generally speaking...I agree with you.

But Star Wars is kinda the X factor when it comes to IP tie in. It sold bad product with no new source material for almost 20 years at one point.

Now...with new material...the product has begun to fail.

I’d argue that even great rides will lose appeal if they continue to gut the IP

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Does the popularity of a ride change over time based on the popularity of it's source material? I think once a ride has been around for a few years people either like it or they don't and the IP has less and less impact. Look at Splash Mountain. This is a IP that Disney has actively been suppressing, yet the ride is still very popular.

LOL... Look at Pandora. Avatar made book but generally was a big "meh." Hasn't stopped Pandora crowds one bit. Everybody loves FoP.

...I’d argue that even great rides will lose appeal if they continue to gut the IP

Maybe, but there are a LOT of old school fans that will continue to go. Like Star Trek, the later movies stunk, but you still love TOS.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Even if the new movies are not all that, the older classics will keep up the draw IMO

This is what will be interesting to watch. People talk about how people expect Disney characters at a Disney park. How much are people going to expect Darth Vader in a Star Wars land?

 

[ChrisFL]

This is what will be interesting to watch. People talk about how people expect Disney characters at a Disney park. How much are people going to expect Darth Vader in a Star Wars land?

Maybe he gets reincarnated in Episode 9

 

[Jenny72]

I think we all agree that great rides will have staying power no matter what, but certain IPs can give a park a dated feel. Isn't Woody Woodpecker in Universal? That feels dated. Fast and Furious will feel even more dated (although it doesn't help that it's a pretty lousy ride). Splash Mountain won't feel dated for the exact reason that it doesn't feel like a movie IP at all -- it's a bunch of cute animals singing. Pandora may do ok, but the more the ride depends on the specifics of a particular movie, the more it will age poorly unless that movie really achieves timelessness. It's one of the reasons I don't like Universal that much (Men in Black? Waterworld?) and why I hate to see this mindset brought to Disney.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Allow me to take a middle ground here.

Of course, Disney is a business. They are a far from alone in making maximizing shareholder value their primary goal. It’s a major issue with corporatism in this country. That doesn’t mean it’s a good thing or even the smartest way to run their business. That’s just what everyone is doing.

Before anyone anoints the pre-Eisner Disney leadership as saints, they seemed to be running the parks quote idiotically. Prices for tickets and parking were absurdly below their real value in 84. They had ignored obvious revenue streams where there was obvious demand—like building more hotels at Disney World—and because of the film studio’s dearth of hits for almost 15 years, there really wasn’t new IP worth basing attractions on.

Not to mention how those leaders were still basing decisions on asking “What would Walt have done?” 18 years after he had died. You may have loved how Disney parks were in the late 70s, early 80s, but that management style came close to killing the company.

The "Disney is a business" defense can only go so far when they're making poor business decisions.

Next Gen was a poor business decision.
I maintain that not having a direction for Epcot is a poor business decision.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Does the popularity of a ride change over time based on the popularity of it's source material? I think once a ride has been around for a few years people either like it or they don't and the IP has less and less impact. Look at Splash Mountain. This is a IP that Disney has actively been suppressing, yet the ride is still very popular.

Exactly. The IP connection is predominantly a year 1 marketing issue. After that it still exists in the park for 20-30 years and if the IP was forced into an area where it dilutes the theme it hurts the product long term.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I think we all agree that great rides will have staying power no matter what, but certain IPs can give a park a dated feel. Isn't Woody Woodpecker in Universal? That feels dated. Fast and Furious will feel even more dated (although it doesn't help that it's a pretty lousy ride). Splash Mountain won't feel dated for the exact reason that it doesn't feel like a movie IP at all -- it's a bunch of cute animals singing. Pandora may do ok, but the more the ride depends on the specifics of a particular movie, the more it will age poorly unless that movie really achieves timelessness. It's one of the reasons I don't like Universal that much (Men in Black? Waterworld?) and why I hate to see this mindset brought to Disney.

Splash Mountain is a rare example of a ride concept that doesn't technically fit the area that it was placed into, but is such a high quality attraction it doesn't matter. Had they done a new build of a Frozen ride and put in a ground breaking attraction into Norway, we'd still object to a certain extent but probably less than we do now.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Iger is all about risk-aversion. Anyone who thinks the spending on the theme parks under him is in any way, shape, or form "risky" is sadly mistaken.

 

[Indy_UK]

Give it to the end of 2020 and Star Wars will be very different to what it is now. Everything with Last Jedi and solo will be forgotten and the fandom will be back together

 

[danlb_2000]

Iger is all about risk-aversion. Anyone who thinks the spending on the theme parks under him is in any way, shape, or form "risky" is sadly mistaken.

That's not just an Iger things, it's corporations in general.

 

[HauntedPirate]

That's not just an Iger things, it's corporations in general.

True.

 

[networkpro]

LOL... Look at Pandora. Avatar made book but generally was a big "meh." Hasn't stopped Pandora crowds one bit. Everybody loves FoP.


Maybe, but there are a LOT of old school fans that will continue to go. Like Star Trek, the later movies stunk, but you still love TOS.

You've neglected to take into consideration the increase in population and the viewership of the first trilogy {OT} (hense recast as the second) aging out. New fans who could care less about silly midi-chlorians and if Jar Jar is or is not Snook.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

LOL... Look at Pandora. Avatar made book but generally was a big "meh." Hasn't stopped Pandora crowds one bit. Everybody loves FoP.


Maybe, but there are a LOT of old school fans that will continue to go. Like Star Trek, the later movies stunk, but you still love TOS.

Pandora has been there 20 months. No way to know If the appeal will fade. I will say what that land has going for it is that it was overbuilt in the theming department...that is a good template to follow.

The old fanboys - now 40-50 with the money - are the ones they are in danger of causing damage to. That’s what to watch. Who cares if a millennial prequel fan still Ioves it? Statistically, they’re living in the cranky old Fan boys basement anyway

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Pandora has been there 20 months. No way to know If the appeal will fade...

I'm sure the land will lose its appeal at some point. Not so much because of the movie (which wasn't that good to begin with) but because FoP and NRJ, the only two rides in the entire land - will have been visited to death and be old hat. I know I already feel that way. The surroundings are nice to look at, but let's be honest - they won't draw numbers on their own. Once SWGE opens, people will be packed into DHS anyway. They'll be like, "Pandora who? Oh that was so last year."

 

[Missing20K]

What's the easiest way to grow the share price? Stock buy backs, cost cutting, efficiency gains (fewer employees), new technology, synergistic acquisitions, etc. Capital expenditures are NOT popular ways to grow Shareholder value.

Eisner chose much more conservatively when it came to doing his job for the Shareholders. He was successful, the price DID go up a lot. Iger has been very different, invested MUCH more $$ in things like theme park attractions, and he's been even more successful than Eisner.

So which is it? Do you think Iger is going for the short term value? Or long term value? Or both?

Despite being "unpopular", do you believe CapEx is better for shareholder value over the long term, as opposed to "easy" share price growth due to stock buybacks, cost cutting, etc.? No snark intended, just hoping for a bit of clarification on your viewpoint.

I'm shocked he responded at all. Why give the internet any fodder?

"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Maybe he gets reincarnated in Episode 9

I hope they reincarnate a decent story in Episode 9