Jim Hill strikes again PART II-Night Kingdom?

[Fun2BFree]

Mr. Hill got a survey and now we are discussing the possibility of a high end-high dollar park. I love the internet.

You misunderstand. The DISBoards member took the survey, and Jim Hill is merely reporting some of his "inside information".

I too love the Internet. And Firefox. :lol:

 

[wannab@dis]

NOT if it is in the AK park itself! Ever! :lookaroun

Have I made my point yet?

Not sure...

Is it associated with chicken wire?

 

[tomm4004]

How many people on this board would shell out $250-300 dollars for this?

Not me, but then I'm not an animal fan.

What exactly does it mean by feeding the hippos? The picture of the guy with his head almost in the hippo's mouth is obviously misleading. And certainly you won't be in the same space as the lions - without a barrier. As for there being too many employees. Well, the lions have to hunt something.

 

[jt04]

Not sure...

Is it associated with chicken wire?

Huh? Is that Ozark humor?

 

[KingStefan]

To add to the list of reasons why this WOULD work (if done right)

MVMCP/MNSSHP/MPPP $50
Keys tour $60 Backstage $200
Dive in The Seas $150, Aquatour $100
Sunrise Safari $55, Sunset Safari $150 + required AKL concierge stay

All of these current programs are very popular...so why wouldn't a greatly expanded Sunset Safari without need for concierge stay not work.

I'm not saying that this is necessarily my personal preference for the next expansion/capital expenditure. But I have NO DOUBT that it will be successful.

I hope I am around here long enought to hear a heated discussion on why an idea might work and might be successful instead of why it is sure to fail!

Just a nit pick: I believe you can do the Wildlife Discovery Excursion, which is what I think you mean by Sunset Safari, if you book concierge level at any of the Disney resorts, not just AKL.

 

[Fun2BFree]

Huh? Is that Ozark humor?

Oh, you Yanks and your silly names for each other. :lol:
(I had to look "ozark" up on Wikipedia)

 

[wannab@dis]

Huh? Is that Ozark humor?

Nah, you're just always talking about chicken wire... figured that had to be a part of your "point." :wave:

 

[amejr999]

Isn't the reason DAK closes so early because all the animals fall asleep? This doesn't make any sense (and if it does happen, will be roundly criticized by all the animal-rights groups).

 

[wannab@dis]

Isn't the reason DAK closes so early because all the animals fall asleep? This doesn't make any sense (and if it does happen, will be roundly criticized by all the animal-rights groups).

Yet another reason to like this idea!

 

[fillerup]

I suppose as a concept, anything's possible. Disney does have some history of seeing another successful concept and then competing directly. See PI in response to Church Street Station.

Some of the "specifics" seem absurd on the face of it.

Spelunking through a bat-filled cave? Calling Guano Joe, calling Guano Joe.

A "zip line ride over hungry crocs"? Uh huh. I want to be at the ceremony when the liability insurance folks sign off on that.

Observing "up-close" lions and hyenas going through their nocturnal hunting routines? Yeah. Hunting what? Frozen horse meat?

2000 people hand feeding hippos? Sure this is practical. And won't the American Zoological Association love this? Ditto "frolicking with penguins".

As mentioned, hippos are ill-tempered and aggressive. And if you've ever happened to witness one of these behemoths relieving themselves, then this will be a park like no other.

Memo to self: Check back here in 2011 for the first thread titled "A Hippo Crapped on my DH and the CMs didn't care."

All that said. I'd go, at least once. And I think WDW would have no problem selling this out every day of the year.

 

[WDW Monorail]

Isn't the reason DAK closes so early because all the animals fall asleep? This doesn't make any sense (and if it does happen, will be roundly criticized by all the animal-rights groups).

Not exactly.

 

[jt04]

Nah, you're just always talking about chicken wire... figured that had to be a part of your "point." :wave:

Now I get it. Off topic but a ride that is sponsored by a German company that shows the "future" by surrounding you with a plethora of chicken wire is NOT a good match! PS - the "memorial" out front looks strangely like a Memorial that was built in Berlin a few years ago. It is all a horrible coincidence but it really is discomforting. And I am not very PC. Just an "armchair Imagineer".

:wave:

 

[SirNim]

Build it on Bay Lake's Discovery Island! :lookaroun

(Er—or not...) :zipit:

 

[GameCocks11]

I think this will be really awesome! I am really excited about it! I do wish though that Disney would have taken that 520 million and fixed up the current parks but for some reason I am still really excited about this 5th gate.

 

[phichi17]

You misunderstand. The DISBoards member took the survey, and Jim Hill is merely reporting some of his "inside information".

I too love the Internet. And Firefox. :lol:

Whoopsie! Thanks for clearing that up. If by "inside" you mean his head, that would explain a lot.

 

[SoFlaDisneyFan]

I think this will be really awesome! I am really excited about it! I do wish though that Disney would have taken that 520 million and fixed up the current parks but for some reason I am still really excited about this 5th gate.

Is it my imagination, or can I clearly see the cast member’s face staring back at me from within Goofy's mouth?:veryconfu

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I think trying to think about this idea from the accounting side of things is a complete waste of time. They could do all sorts of things that could help the numbers look better. Say they use the already cleared area inside AK's boundry. They could make an entrance from the park, and a separate entrance from "outside the berm". The two parks could share facilities on the edges where they meet, and POW. Shared expenses. The new park could use already depreciated equipment from AK, too. They could do that any number of ways, really. They could put this park just next to AK, share the parking lots, and share expenses that way. So my guess is it would be profitable the first day they opened the doors. And that doen't take into account the potential souvenier dollars, either. Those possibilities are endless. Merch could be park exclusive only, and I could see that as making people want to buy more. "Well, this is probably the only time we'll visit this $300 park... We better all get T-shirts!!" I know that me and my fam would visit this park, and you could count me as one that wouldn't care about another couple hundred bucks to remember the experience, especially since I've already dropped big bucks getting in.

And Disney is (almost) always a step ahead in quality and presentation than the other parks in Orlando. I've got no reason to believe this wouldn't be the same way. Discovery Cove has been a HIT... No reason to think that Disney couldn't do it better. Especially if Joe Rohde is involved in this whole thing... This seems right up his alley. I could see unique ways to do this stuff. Say maybe there's a platform like 25 feet above the lion enclosure. That's a view you don't normally see. Maybe something similar for the hippo thing... Feeding from a safe (but still close) distance above.

That being said... The original point of the thread was to discuss the AC potentially moving. And I don't know that I'd like that idea. The point of the AC is to let your hair down and have a good, fairly adult time. I don't know that it would be good to have 6 kungalooshes, then head over to the lion enclosure to cheer them on in the hunt, or get wayyy buzzed and then go cuddle with a penguin. The AC should be the destination in and of itself for those that go there... Not a pit stop on the way somewhere else.

The bad thing is the theming could be dead-on. :zipit:

 

[flashinghelmet]

Your estimates for wages do make me giggle. $40,000 at DISNEY???!! Hahahahahahhaha

$100 a day??? oh boy.

I bloody wish.

 

[WDWFigment]

You guys are all treating it like this is definitely going to happen...this is just a rumor...and a JH rumor at that. I don't put much stock in this ever coming to fruition...

 

[KingStefan]

I have no comment on the rumor. It is a rumor and there are tons of them a day. I wanted to disagree with your above statements.

Having privilege is not how you get to Disney. Hard work, financial success and saving is how you get to Disney. Anybody can be a millionaire in this country. But that would have to be your priority and you would have to take the steps necessary to achieve it. Not everyone thinks that all the steps are worth it.

No one is discriminating against the poor. Everything does not have to be the same for everyone. Everyone has an equal opportunity to be financially successful in life. Those who strive and achieve it have earned the right to pay for nicer things. It is not discrimination.

Disney has its priorities right: making money for the stockholders. In Traditions, they teach you that a successful business is like a 3 legged stool. The needs of the company, the cast, and the guests must all be met equally to be successful. If you pay each cast member $50/hour, they will be happy, but the cost to the guests would be huge and people wouldn't come to the park and business would fail. If you tend to the guest and make the price of admission really inexpensive, you wouldn't be able to pay the cast and cover the cost of running the business. By the same token, if it is only about the business, cast and guests would run and down would go the business. So, you find a happy medium.

It is ok to have nice things that people are willing to pay for anad others are willing to strive for.

I certainly agree with you that everything does not have to be the same for everyone. If you want to spend the money, you should be able to experience nicer things.

However, I have to disagree with you on the bit about this being a country of "equal opportunity for all". I've heard this rhetoric so many times that it is very disturbing to me.

Not anybody can be a millionaire in this country. It requires either being born into a wealthy or famous family, or being very lucky, or being exremely blessed with some talent. The idea that all you have to do is take the right steps is just plain not true.

And everyone certainly does NOT have an equal opportunity to be financially successful in life. If you come from the right family and go to the right schools you have a MUCH better chance at success than a poor kid who grows up in the ghetto who would have to work so much incredibly harder to achieve the same thing.

Equal opportunity for all is in this country is a myth, and if you really believe that the privileged don't have an easier time getting what they want for themselves and their families than the underprivileged, then I think that you are just fooling yourself.