Kevin Heimbach Explains It All For You

[celluloid]

They don't theme the parking lots, though. They put some names on them to help people find their cars, but there's no actual theming.

The Magic Kingdom entrance is designed specifically to separate the lot from the theme park, and Animal Kingdom does this as well to a lesser extent. I guess you could argue DHS and EPCOT also do, but not at the same level.

The promotional material at DHS lot carefully in the art deco style as well as the themed/inspired Skyliner station point to the balance of that. It is not a show as in the immersion of a theme park, but it is the start of an attitude to whisk the guest away.

This is right down to how EPCOT Parking was designed so you are walking to and under Spaceship Earth.

Its kind of semantics as words are a part of the "show' of Disney. nomenclature such as Cast Member, Courtesy Tram etc...

So the characters and names of the lots are carefully chosen too. And this has taken a decline for many.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Agreed. But hopefully when they do have all of the new parking signs installed, there won't be evidence of the new signs just stuck over the old. I think that's what's upsetting for me, that and not power washing the asphalt where the old names were. That wouldn't pass muster at my house if I had painters just try and paint the street address over the existing old address that was still viewable.

I don't think they'll power wash the asphalt, I think they'll mill it and repave it entirely. But that's obviously a much bigger project.

 

[Ayla]

You can't have a sign that says "Moana" and a sign that says "Amaze" or whatever in the same lot at the same time. It confuses people. So you need to cover all of the "Amazes" with "Moana" until ALL of the "Moana" signs are built, delivered, and installed.

Orrrr, here's a novel idea. Wait to change everything over until you have all the signs available and ready.

This isn't rocket science, folks.

 

[thomas998]

It’s exactly the same thing with Broadway. The prices are out of control. You can’t get a halfway good seat to Josh Groban in Sweeney Todd for less than $200. You can’t get a halfway good seat to see Lea Michele in Funny Girl for less than $300 and you can’t see one of the final performances of Phantom of the Opera in a semi-good seat for less than $400. People on Broadway boards complain about this endlessly. But yet people keep paying for the tickets and therefore producers keep charging these prices. I agree that in both cases (Disney and Broadway), you have to vote with your wallet.

The problem with Broadway is a bit different than Disney. With Broadway they have rents that are forever going up. Disney owns their space outright so they don't have to worry about rents increasing.

And with Broadway shows you can just catch the touring shows which when it comes to value for your money is much greater than what you get with a Broadway show. When I lived in Connecticut it was so much cheaper and less of a pain in the backside to watch a show when it came to Hartford or New Haven than to go to New York City and pay a fortune.

 

[TalkToEthan]

This isn't rocket science, folks.

Unfortunately for us
somebody in Epcot's parking lot might disagree.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

It’s exactly the same thing with Broadway. The prices are out of control. You can’t get a halfway good seat to Josh Groban in Sweeney Todd for less than $200. You can’t get a halfway good seat to see Lea Michele in Funny Girl for less than $300 and you can’t see one of the final performances of Phantom of the Opera in a semi-good seat for less than $400. People on Broadway boards complain about this endlessly. But yet people keep paying for the tickets and therefore producers keep charging these prices. I agree that in both cases (Disney and Broadway), you have to vote with your wallet.

Aside from the obvious, the next biggest difference between Disney and Broadway that I can see in this scenario is declining quality. They both are increasing prices staggeringly, but Disney is doing it while reducing quality and cutting costs making their margin even more ridiculous. If they were increasing supply and quality at a rate with prices, I'd be completely onboard with the increased prices, but that's not the case. Declining quality, and skyrocketing prices. Until dissatisfied fans stop paying Disney's ridiculous prices for an inferior product (compared to itself in years past), it won't change. At least Broadway is still delivering quality which is why demand is so high.

 

[celluloid]

Aside from the obvious, the next biggest difference between Disney and Broadway that I can see in this scenario is declining quality. They both are increasing prices staggeringly, but Disney is doing it while reducing quality and cutting costs making their margin even more ridiculous. If they were increasing supply and quality at a rate with prices, I'd be completely onboard with the increased prices, but that's not the case. Declining quality, and skyrocketing prices. Until dissatisfied fans stop paying Disney's ridiculous prices for an inferior product (compared to itself in years past), it won't change. At least Broadway is still delivering quality which is why demand is so high.

Well said.
Something else to consider, besides Off Broadway, once you are there, there is not a lot of competition and they only need to fill a theater to turn the profit.

Disney has a lot more direct competition that continues to grow and invest to divide their audience away, and they need a lot more than a broadway theater full of guests to profit.

 

[WondersOfLife]

You can't have a sign that says "Moana" and a sign that says "Amaze" or whatever in the same lot at the same time. It confuses people. So you need to cover all of the "Amazes" with "Moana" until ALL of the "Moana" signs are built, delivered, and installed.

So get it done. And get it done quickly. They have the resources.

What's with the lack of self-respect from grown men on this board lately? Just yesterday somebody was bragging about how he uses his mom's Netflix account. "I'm so cheap that I'm going to inconvenience myself for two hours to save $25" is a weird flex, but okay.

...What's wrong with using someone else's Netflix account? I use so many people's accounts for different paid platforms. ...25 bucks is a meal for two for the day. Also, we resort hop anyways.

I think you might be losing money with that scheme.........

That's not my main concern. I'm just refusing to spend any money on Disney property until I use up my free passes. Mentally, it makes me feel like I got a portion of my "final" $14,000 August trip back lol.

Say Epcot costs $140 and opens at 8am, closes at 9 and Dis Springs opens at 10 am. Then there is the waiting for buses and riding the buses via resort transfer.

You might get to Epcot at 11:30 am....I'm not sure

But it looks like you would be missing out on more than $25 worth of park time

You guys are really so ho hung on this, eh? Not everyone spends their day from park opening to park close. I personally like to resort hop and do some work in the lobbies of some hotels on my laptop and then do an evening at the parks.

Not to mention if more people end up do this (which I'm sure a lot do already), it makes parking at DS MISERABLE to find a spot for those of us who do drive there! Not cool.

Who says I'm not spending some time at Disney Springs as well? Omigooood y'all must be fun at parties.

 

[celluloid]

You can't have a sign that says "Moana" and a sign that says "Amaze" or whatever in the same lot at the same time. It confuses people. So you need to cover all of the "Amazes" with "Moana" until ALL of the "Moana" signs are built, delivered, and installed.

You mean like Disneye-MGM Studios?
Or The Purple sign changing going on?
Or the sign still out front that says Splash Mountain with characters on it at a ride that is apparently trying to be erased from existence but not?

There are so many examples of why this is not the case.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You mean like Disneye-MGM Studios?
Or The Purple sign changing going on?
Or the sign still out front that says Splash Mountain with characters on it at a ride that is apparently trying to be erased from existence but not?

What says Disney-MGM Studios anywhere?

A purple sign conveys the same information as a blue sign.

Splash Mountain is very clearly closed to the naked eye, and the digital and paper park maps have been updated to say "Tiana's Bayou Adventure - Coming Soon." Nobody is confused why they can't ride Splash Mountain when they see a Splash Mountain sign in front of an obviously-closed attraction completely surrounded by construction walls.

There are so many examples of why this is not the case.

Those are actually perfect examples of why this is the case. Updating signage isn't as instant as internet fanboys would like it to be.

 

[celluloid]

What says Disney-MGM Studios anywhere?

A purple sign conveys the same information as a blue sign.

Splash Mountain is very clearly closed to the naked eye, and the digital and paper park maps have been updated to say "Tiana's Bayou Adventure - Coming Soon." Nobody is confused why they can't ride Splash Mountain when they see a Splash Mountain sign in front of an obviously-closed attraction completely surrounded by construction walls.

It did when the process was going on.

The colorization is not uniform, that is naturally confusing to some people whether they are on property or not. So if your argument is they care and that is why they would have to wait for all the Moana, its not accurate to reputation. That was my point.

You are thinking people would see that sign and know that is what it is going to. you want to think people won't get confused at the parking situation due to context, but would be immune to Splash mountain's main marquee signs.

In short, you delivering apologist situation to direct contradictory to your proposed point.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

So get it done. And get it done quickly. They have the resources.

Exactly.

...What's wrong with using someone else's Netflix account?

Absolutely nothing, actually... per Netflix themselves years back. They used to WANT people to share accounts. They hoped they could get more people hooked on Netflix assuming it would grow their base in the future. As you get older they assume with higher levels of income you'll just get your own account for convenience if you're hooked. Only recently does newer N leadership now find it appalling and are focused on making money off of those piggy back sign-ins. Fair enough. I get it. I'm actually burned out on Netflix myself and don't see the value anymore.

That's not my main concern. I'm just refusing to spend any money on Disney property until I use up my free passes. Mentally, it makes me feel like I got a portion of my "final" $14,000 August trip back lol.

I totally got where you were going with this. They gave you free tickets to get you back in the door and spend more money on grossly overpriced but fairly average food, and merch. It costs them nothing to let you back in the parks for free. Taking their passes and refusing to spend another dollar in the parks while you're there is the only way that it doesn't benefit Disney for you to return. I'm sure they figure you'll be so overjoyed by the free trip that you'll spend that money in your pocket on merch and food instead, right? I mean, why not? You're getting a free trip to Disney. Why not spend it on the other stuff you don't normally do. Nope... take the freebee and run. Don't fill their pockets and reward them for an inferior experience if that's how you feel.

Btw, if you're getting into the parks for free, cutting out a couple of hours here or there for commuting on their buses is not a loss of dollarsper hour being spent in the parks. You're already there for free, so I believe the calculation of your return on investment is actually infinite. A mathematician can check my logic there, but I believe if you get in for free, your return is literally infinite.

 

[celluloid]

.

I totally got where you were going with this. They gave you free tickets to get you back in the door and spend more money on grossly overpriced but fairly average food, and merch. It costs them nothing to let you back in the parks for free. Taking their passes and refusing to spend another dollar in the parks while you're there is the only way that it doesn't benefit Disney for you to return. I'm sure they figure you'll be so overjoyed by the free trip that you'll spend that money in your pocket on merch and food instead, right? I mean, why not? You're getting a free trip to Disney. Why not spend it on the other stuff you don't normally do. Nope... take the freebee and run. Don't fill their pockets and reward them for an inferior experience if that's how you feel.

Btw, if you're getting into the parks for free, cutting out a couple of hours here or there for commuting on their buses is not a loss of dollarsper hour being spent in the parks. You're already there for free, so I believe the calculation of your return on investment is actually infinite. A mathematician can check my logic there, but I believe if you get in for free, your return is literally infinite.

I totally get what you are saying and agree. It is silly for anyone else to judge how someone else is enjoying it. That being said, more than ever Disney will at least get to assult you with branding and synergy while you are there. But I agree. Get a nice WaWa hoagie or PubSub and have the fun and bail.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

Updating signage isn't as instant as internet fanboys would like it to be.

I'm sorry, but this is a lame excuse. Changing parking lot signs can be done in a single day. They don't have 2 guys doing it. They can have 50 guys doing it. It's really not that difficult. When you assign the appropriate resources, you can accomplish amazing things. It took them 2 years to build the entire park. You're telling me that several months of that construction was spent putting signs in the parking lot?

 

[celluloid]

I'm sorry, but this is a lame excuse. Changing parking lot signs can be done in a single day. They don't have 2 guys doing it. They can have 50 guys doing it. It's really not that difficult. When you assign the appropriate resources, you can accomplish amazing things. It took them 2 years to build the entire park. You're telling me that several months of that construction was spent putting signs in the parking lot?

It seems like the poster ends the posts with attempted insult. Which you can really just add the word "Disney" in the statement. Plenty of companies can update and do update and construct things faster than Disney currently does.

 

[Andrew C]

They can have 50 guys doing it.

50 guys changing signs...seems like a waste of resources and money....

 

[celluloid]

50 guys changing signs...seems like a waste of resources and money....

They had a team in the hundreds designing and approving them.

The number it would take is irrelevant to the supposed point of not wanting to confuse guests. I am sure 50 was a hyperbole from the poster, as long as you don't think the delay was likely for the guest service. If you do, you are kidding yourself as there are many examples to the contrary where they have no issue with that. Splash Mountain sign up nearly a month after closing, being just a recent but glaring example.

 

[TalkToEthan]

Updating signage isn't as instant as internet fanboys would

Changing signs in a parking lot is a one day job but Disney will stretch it out like just about every other construction project they undertake.

 

[Andrew C]

They had a team in the hundreds designing and approving them.

Did they? That would be a waste of resources and money as well.

The number it would take is irrelevant to the supposed point of not wanting to confuse guests. I am sure 50 was a hyperbole from the poster, as long as you don't think the delay was likely for the guest service. If you do, you are kidding yourself as there are many examples to the contrary where they have no issue with that.

Understood. Just keep in mind if they shift additional people to one area, something else will not get done as planned. Finite amount of people to cover WDWs infinite amount of maintenance, etc....

 

[celluloid]

Did they? That would be a waste of resources and money as well.

These projects typically do, then you have the resources to brag about (parking signs) on Social Media etc.. and I agree. That is why I brought it up.