Jim Hill on XPass attraction line-up

[Mawg]

If I were presenting the idea of X PASS to the board, I would present it as a way of getting more money out of guests without raising the price of a daily ticket. The guests that are not local and plan a large vacation like this every 3 years who spend the money on a delux resort have more money to spend in the parks. You don't want those guests waiting in line, you want them in the gift shops spending more money. It's all about how do we get the guests with money to spend it in the park. In the end more money means more profits and more money that can be put back into the park benifeting all.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

All this drama and knowing the WDW expeirnce will end, makes me wish SaveDisney had NEVER happened. Who knew Roy and us would unknowingly put a Type-A, tech obessesed (tech is his religion?), CEO in charge. Eisner was right. Iger DOES NOT know how to run the Company! :fork:

1. Iger was Eisner's pick. Roy Threw out about a billion different suggestions, none of which included the name Bob Iger.
2. All things considered, and of all the potential outcomes that could've occured from Eisner hand-picking a successor, Iger is hardly the devil in disguise.
3. Things were MUCH worse before SaveDisney. I'm not sure any fan who's done his research would ever want to go back to those days.

Sorry for the off-topic rant but despite some obvious reservations towards these new Next Gen projects the sky isn't falling. It's just cloudy right now is all.

That could take a generation.

That only means it could also take a generation to potentially fix any damage done.

 

[HMButler79]

1. Iger was Eisner's pick. Roy Threw out about a billion different suggestions, none of which included the name Bob Iger.
2. All things considered, and of all the potential outcomes that could've occured from Eisner hand-picking a successor, Iger is hardly the devil in disguise.
3. Things were MUCH worse before SaveDisney. I'm not sure any fan who's done his research would ever want to go back to those days.

Sorry for the off-topic rant but despite some obvious reservations towards these new Next Gen projects the sky isn't falling. It's just cloudy right now is all.


That only means it could also take a generation to potentially fix any damage done.

In Feature Animation and DL, YES. But not anywhere else.

 

[lebeau]

In Feature Animation and DL, YES. But not anywhere else.

Might wanna re-read Disney War sometime...

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

In Feature Animation and DL, YES. But not anywhere else.

Really? Does anyone need reminding of the fail that is Home on the Range, Chicken Little, DinoRama, Spinners of Agrabah, WDSP, the cheap MK knock off that was HKDL, Cinderella 2, the Pixar break-up and the ill-advised attempt from Disney making Toy Story 3 solo, the hostile take-over attempt, the off-putting of various big stars from even coming close to Disney and also parting ways with some previously successful partnerships (Lucas and Spielberg). Need I continue? As I said, the sky isn't falling. That was happening 10 years ago. Now it's just a rough patch in an otherwise real good time for the company.

 

[lebeau]

Really? Does anyone need reminding of the fail that is Home on the Range, Chicken Little, DinoRama, Spinners of Agrabah, WDSP, the cheap MK knock off that was HKDL, Cinderella 2, the Pixar break-up and the ill-advised attempt from Disney making Toy Story 3 solo, the hostile take-over attempt, the off-putting of various big stars from even coming close to Disney and also parting ways with some previously successful partnerships (Lucas and Spielberg). Need I continue? As I said, the sky isn't falling. That was happening 10 years ago. Now it's just a rough patch in an otherwise real good time for the company.

You left off some of the biggest blunders. Go.com? Fox Family? The really big stuff had nothing to do with the parks.

Eisner signed his death warrant by chasing off Lasseter. Whatever else Iger has done, he kept Pixar around. He may not be great, but he's much better than Eisner in his final days.

 

[lebeau]

good read, if a bit dry for my tastes at times

I thought it was a page turner. My only complaint was it made my blood boil.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

You left off some of the biggest blunders. Go.com? Fox Family? The really big stuff had nothing to do with the parks.

Forgot all about those! Not surprisingly though, I think I'm gonna try forget 'em again.

 

[googilycub]

I enjoyed your rant. It was entertaining. However, if I painstakingly plan my agenda 6 months ahead which is what everyone is complaining about, the 1 positive to come out of it is that I won't have to "run from one end of the parks to the other, desperate to make 'reservations' for dining, attractions, & M&Gs", because I will have scheduled those to avoid that.

Thank you for pointing that out and I agree with that, however it doesn't sound all that good when someone is ranting.....

 

[HMButler79]

You left off some of the biggest blunders. Go.com? Fox Family? The really big stuff had nothing to do with the parks.

Eisner signed his death warrant by chasing off Lasseter. Whatever else Iger has done, he kept Pixar around. He may not be great, but he's much better than Eisner in his final days.

And WHAT good has THAT done?? Meet the Robinsons was SO memorable. I mean that movie is timeless right? umm let's see......the destruction of the Living Seas, TS PLayland at HK, TSMM (let's make a ride out of a Wii that you can do at home), umm..MORE Nemo (DAK show, Subs), CarsLand (did ANYONE "dream" of visiting Radiator Springs?), oh yes, and Bolt was soooo amazing too. Lasseter is totally derived from Walt's DNA......

 

[coolbeans14]

Honestly, this isn't a major problem. Legoland in the uk has been using a similar system for years. Imagine a robot standing in the queue holding a spot for the Xpass user. Therefore the people with Xpass go do a lower wait time attraction.

Absolutely nothing scary about this system.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Honestly, this isn't a major problem. Legoland in the uk has been using a similar system for years. Imagine a robot standing in the queue holding a spot for the Xpass user. Therefore the people with Xpass go do a lower wait time attraction.

Absolutely nothing scary about this system.

The scary part is that these very expensive robots now make the line move more slowly for us middle class folk and will be standing in popular parade and firework viewing spots and making our obnoxiously-long, hot waits for characters even more obnoxiously-long and hot. All of this may leave us middle class folk feeling marginalized...by robots.

And this is only phase 1 in the robots' planned takeover...

 

[disney fan 13]

Might wanna re-read Disney War sometime...

That's really funny actually, since I just finished rereading it a half hour ago

 

[disney fan 13]

And WHAT good has THAT done?? Meet the Robinsons was SO memorable. I mean that movie is timeless right? umm let's see......the destruction of the Living Seas, TS PLayland at HK, TSMM (let's make a ride out of a Wii that you can do at home), umm..MORE Nemo (DAK show, Subs), CarsLand (did ANYONE "dream" of visiting Radiator Springs?), oh yes, and Bolt was soooo amazing too. Lasseter is totally derived from Walt's DNA......

To be fair, Pixar was great up until a few years ago...

But yes I hate the amount of Pixar in the parks.

 

[HMButler79]

The scary part is that these very expensive robots now make the line move more slowly for us middle class folk and will be standing in popular parade and firework viewing spots and making our obnoxiously-long, hot waits for characters even more obnoxiously-long and hot. All of this may leave us middle class folk feeling marginalized...by robots.

And this is only phase 1 in the robots' planned takeover...

^^THIS. WDW for the 1%. All Hail Her Imperial Majesty Queen Meg.

 

[puntagordabob]

It won't be stupid for visitors like us who stay at DVC Deluxe Resorts (assuming they get some perks with X-Pass) and don't do rope drop and aren't theme park commandos.

When we get to the parks later in the day, fast pass is usually gone. Now you don't have to be at the park earlier in the day to be able to participate.

I have a fear we DVC owners are going to find out we are being left out in the cold.

I think this is a great idea, your telling me I can go to the magic kingdom and ride big thunder, space mountain, and mickeys philharmagic without waiting in lines? Sign me up! Ill set up my ADRs around ride times or vice versa depending on how this works.

Youll still be in lines lol...the fastpass lines

Excuse my language but as a local, ________ this whole thing.

As a Premium AP holder I would be highly peeved if we were left out in the cold.

My thoughts as well. This is horrible for us locals and we are the ones that spend thousands and thousands at WDW EVERY year. There better be something in this for passholders.

Agreed

Say I decide to save a good spot for a night show well in advance (which, btw, those night shows are my absolute most favorite things about the Disney parks), will a CM just kindly remove me from there because someone can walk in at the last second and just take my place, because they paid? Why should my viewing experience be any different from someone else's? You see unlike the rides, this part bothers me because my experience will be lessened because someone else paid up. It's not about 'plussing' someone else's vacation so much as it is about detracting from mine.
.

My #1 concern as well...

Also to all those who compare the pass over at Universal to WDW.... their "Premium Annual Pass" over there is $342 while ours is over $500...

Theirs includes: 365-day unlimited park to park admission
Free self-parking
Free valet and preferred self-parking
Discounts on theme park & special events tickets
Free Halloween Horror Nights® ticket
(non-peak night)
Free admission to select special events
(e.g. Mardi Gras)
Discounted food, merchandise & specialty items
(in park & CityWalk®)
Discount on Blue Man Group tickets
Free CityWalk® club access*
(excludes concerts & special events)
Discounts at on-site hotels
Universal ExpressSM Plus
(after 4:00pm)
8 free bottles of Zephyrhills water

..... So over there paying a few bucks for their version of the Xpass is a lot less of a hurt in the pocketbook since the costs over there are clearly far less... as is the food prices, etc...

For the record I am not a lover of Universal...have not been there since 2001 and Yes I am a Florida Local (though my teenage kids are starting to pull on me to go there lol ..I always say to them BUT ITS NOT DISNEY lol). .. I love Disney plain and simple...

I hope the Florida AP holders (suppose it would be premium AP level only...whatever thats fine I guess) are not left out in the cold and I hope the DVC members are also not left out in the cold...DVC resorts are a step above Deluxe according to the Disney resort listing structure and price structure...

Still my #1 problem with it is really the parade/fireworks restrictions...if they block off the hub area closest to the castle for this it will really be crappy.

 

[ChrisFL]

And WHAT good has THAT done?? Meet the Robinsons was SO memorable. I mean that movie is timeless right? umm let's see......the destruction of the Living Seas, TS PLayland at HK, TSMM (let's make a ride out of a Wii that you can do at home), umm..MORE Nemo (DAK show, Subs), CarsLand (did ANYONE "dream" of visiting Radiator Springs?), oh yes, and Bolt was soooo amazing too. Lasseter is totally derived from Walt's DNA......

First, I LOVE Meet the Robinsons...second, that movie and Bolt were not Pixar movies, so I'm not sure I see your point there.

 

[invader]

First, I LOVE Meet the Robinsons...second, that movie and Bolt were not Pixar movies, so I'm not sure I see your point there.

Lasseter was the producer of Bolt.

 

[wm49rs]

First, I LOVE Meet the Robinsons...second, that movie and Bolt were not Pixar movies, so I'm not sure I see your point there.

Not a bad film, perhaps for some not the best though. And quite a few movies left off his list. As was the fact that Nemo and Turtle Talk helped revitalize what had become a stagnant Seas pavilion. Or the fact that TSMM, regardless of your enjoyment of the ride, has become a very popular attraction at DHS. I'm not crazy about the over-emphasis of any one brand at the parks, but for the most part they've done a fair job integrating Pixar into them.

Now if we could just do something about that Duffy mess....:dazzle:

 

[RSoxNo1]

To be fair, Pixar was great up until a few years ago...

But yes I hate the amount of Pixar in the parks.

First, I LOVE Meet the Robinsons...second, that movie and Bolt were not Pixar movies, so I'm not sure I see your point there.

Lasseter was the producer of Bolt.

Disney Animation hasn't been up to par with Pixar animation. Since Pixar has been making movies, they have bested every Disney animated movie made during the same time frame. Pixar has been the best thing to happen to the Disney corporation since Epcot opened.