KODAK Wanting Out of Imagination?

[OFTeric]

Excellent, I'll look at this stuff when I go home I know attendance over the last 10 years is available as well, I just have to look for it.



So you look at this list and you see three things that were intended to increase attendance: Test Track, Mission: SPACE and Soarin'

Test Track came on line around Animal Kingdom and was built largely because they didn't want Epcot's attendance to drop too much as a result of Animal Kingdom opening. It was delayed, and the park attendance dropped.

Mission: SPACE replaced another high capacity attraction, and wasn't the smash hit that was expected. I'm not sure what the capacity numbers were between Horizons and Mission: SPACE, but I always remember short waits for Horizons and short waits for Mission: SPACE.

Really the only thing that should have done anything to the attendance has been Soarin'. Replacing Food Rocks should be a decent boost, as that show was rarely crowded. I don't think the theater was that large so I can't imagine it was capable of accomodating more people than Soarin'

Looking at the problems in the park right now, you see huge capacity attractions with limited demand for that capacity:
Universe of Energy
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Gran Fiesta Tour
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Spaceship Earth
Living with the Land

To me the top two are the biggest opportunities for replacement. Pooh's Honey Hunt Technology over in the Imagination Pavilion will be a huge improvement, but it's possible that the replacement of the current ride would also take over the show space, and then you actually drop the capacity of the park but raise the attendance.

I personally agree with you. I THINK (my own personal opinion with no facts to back up) what the real conundrum is, is that there is a real case to close facilities.. i.e. imagination, energy... but Epcot is SO spread out that closing any facility makes it feel like a ghost town.. (WOL works only because it was shoe horned snuggly back) So I think that it is an impossible choice to close a pavilion.

So do you invest like you have in the past with a history of little return on investment or do you begin to cut your losses?

While if I had my disney fan boy geek dream, I would all sorts of wonderful crazy things, but at some point the dreams have to meet real business needs.

So on my own personal list of things that I would do if I were currently in charge... from a real business point of view.

1. Destroy the innoventions plaza, and redesign that area, with better shopping and attraction access.
2. Close Universe of Energy/slate for long term redevelopment
3. Redevelop Imagination Pavilion into 3 attractions
4. Add a weenie to the back of World Showcase

That would be my "fix" but alas i am not in charge.

 

[RSoxNo1]

ThemeParkInsider.com has articles about each of the attendance things that TEA-ERA has done. I pulled 2006-2009, but I can't find the direct link to the 2005 report pdf file. Here are the reports from 2006-2009

2006
2007
2008
2009

 

[mightynine]

Not to split hairs, but...

huge capacity attractions with limited demand for that capacity

...how do you know there's limited demand, if it's supposed to be a people-eater?

 

[OFTeric]

Not to split hairs, but...

...how do you know there's limited demand, if it's supposed to be a people-eater?

I think he menas by limited demand that people are not interested in experiencing it.

You could build a ride that can accommodate 10,000 people per hour, but if it is just watching paint dry you probably won't see 10,000 people per hour going through it.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Looking at the problems in the park right now, you see huge capacity attractions with limited demand for that capacity:
Universe of Energy
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Gran Fiesta Tour
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Spaceship Earth
Living with the Land

To me the top two are the biggest opportunities for replacement. Pooh's Honey Hunt Technology over in the Imagination Pavilion will be a huge improvement, but it's possible that the replacement of the current ride would also take over the show space, and then you actually drop the capacity of the park but raise the attendance.

Not to split hairs, but...

...how do you know there's limited demand, if it's supposed to be a people-eater?

I think he menas by limited demand that people are not interested in experiencing it.

You could build a ride that can accommodate 10,000 people per hour, but if it is just watching paint dry you probably won't see 10,000 people per hour going through it.

Yeah, that's exactly right. The attractions that I listed often have short lines because the demand for those attractions is less than the hourly capacity.

This is what I look at when the Fastpass argument pops up as well. People will always throw out the misconception that omnimovers should never have Fastpass, when in reality it's not the ride system but rather the capacity of that ride.

Something like Kilimanjaro Safaris has a greater hourly capacity than any omnimover in the parks, but the demand for the attraction is so high that it still generates waits, and validates the use of Fastpass.

Comparitively an omnimover like The Seas with Nemo and Friends doesn't have a demand that approaches it's hourly capacity and probably only generates waits on the busiest days of the year - This attraction wouldn't require Fastpass.

The middle ground, something like Haunted Mansion or Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin could/should operate with Fastpass Seasonally.

 

[Enchantâmes]

Epcot improvements since test track

1998
Sponsored by General Motors, Test Track makes its debut at the former site of World of Motion in Future World at Epcot.

2000
Journey into Your Imagination opens at Epcot.

2002
Journey into Imagination with Figment opens at Epcot.

2003
Mission: SPACE, a state-of-the-art thrill ride, opens at the site of the former Horizons attraction at Epcot.

2004
Turtle Talk with Crush! opens in The Living Seas at Epcot.
Food Rocks closes at Epcot's Land Pavilion.

2005
Soarin’, a “high-flying adventure,” opens in The Land Pavilion at Epcot.

2006
The Living Seas Pavilion becomes The Seas With Nemo and Friends Pavilion.

2007
El Rio Del Tiempo at the Mexico Pavilion reopens as Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros.
The Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future exhibit opens at Spaceship Earth.

2008
Spaceship Earth relaunches at Epcot.

2009
Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure opens at Epcot.

JIYI opened in 1999.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Epcot improvements since test track

1998
Sponsored by General Motors, Test Track makes its debut at the former site of World of Motion in Future World at Epcot.

2000
Journey into Your Imagination opens at Epcot.

2002
Journey into Imagination with Figment opens at Epcot.

2003
Mission: SPACE, a state-of-the-art thrill ride, opens at the site of the former Horizons attraction at Epcot.

2004
Turtle Talk with Crush! opens in The Living Seas at Epcot.
Food Rocks closes at Epcot's Land Pavilion.

2005
Soarin’, a “high-flying adventure,” opens in The Land Pavilion at Epcot.

2006
The Living Seas Pavilion becomes The Seas With Nemo and Friends Pavilion.

2007
El Rio Del Tiempo at the Mexico Pavilion reopens as Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros.
The Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future exhibit opens at Spaceship Earth.

2008
Spaceship Earth relaunches at Epcot.

2009
Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure opens at Epcot.

You forgot one...

2010
Captain EO returns, replacing Honey, I Shrunk the Audience for a limited engagement.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

So on my own personal list of things that I would do if I were currently in charge... from a real business point of view.

1. Destroy the innoventions plaza, and redesign that area, with better shopping and attraction access.
2. Close Universe of Energy/slate for long term redevelopment
3. Redevelop Imagination Pavilion into 3 attractions
4. Add a weenie to the back of World Showcase

That would be my "fix" but alas i am not in charge.

Innoventions is fine. It's a way for Epcot to constantly be updating without having to put in a new major attraction every couple years or so.

UoE is due for a renovation. Ellen has run her course and should be replaced with something a little more current. I'd honestly like to also see the dinorama section either replaced or updated with more modern animatronics.

Imagination should simply be restored to it's original glory days. How I'd do it:

1. Captain EO replaces HISTA (Completed)
2. Close Journey into Imagination with Figment as well as Imageworks for overhaul. Restore the original track route or replace current ride system with new one. Imageworks would be returned to the upstairs area.
3. JII Version 4 opens alongside the new Imageworks.
4. Captain EO closes to be replaced with new 4-D show in the Magic Eye Theater.

World Showcase could use a new country, but it's not as dire of a need as improvements in future world. The other one which should be an easy fix is:

Replace Circle of Life with a Wall-E Environmental film.

That should almost be a no-brainer...

 

[Enchantâmes]

Innoventions is fine. It's a way for Epcot to constantly be updating without having to put in a new major attraction every couple years or so.

UoE is due for a renovation. Ellen has run her course and should be replaced with something a little more current. I'd honestly like to also see the dinorama section either replaced or updated with more modern animatronics.

Imagination should simply be restored to it's original glory days. How I'd do it:

1. Captain EO replaces HISTA (Completed)
2. Close Journey into Imagination with Figment as well as Imageworks for overhaul. Restore the original track route or replace current ride system with new one. Imageworks would be returned to the upstairs area.
3. JII Version 4 opens alongside the new Imageworks.
4. Captain EO closes to be replaced with new 4-D show in the Magic Eye Theater.

World Showcase could use a new country, but it's not as dire of a need as improvements in future world. The other one which should be an easy fix is:

Replace Circle of Life with a Wall-E Environmental film.

That should almost be a no-brainer...

How bout the return of Kitchen Kabaret in a new theater? I'm in need for some Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Innoventions is fine. It's a way for Epcot to constantly be updating without having to put in a new major attraction every couple years or so.

UoE is due for a renovation. Ellen has run her course and should be replaced with something a little more current. I'd honestly like to also see the dinorama section either replaced or updated with more modern animatronics.

Imagination should simply be restored to it's original glory days. How I'd do it:

1. Captain EO replaces HISTA (Completed)
2. Close Journey into Imagination with Figment as well as Imageworks for overhaul. Restore the original track route or replace current ride system with new one. Imageworks would be returned to the upstairs area.
3. JII Version 4 opens alongside the new Imageworks.
4. Captain EO closes to be replaced with new 4-D show in the Magic Eye Theater.

World Showcase could use a new country, but it's not as dire of a need as improvements in future world. The other one which should be an easy fix is:

Replace Circle of Life with a Wall-E Environmental film.

That should almost be a no-brainer...

I was thinking if anything should replace it it should be some sort of Disney Nature show.

 

[marni1971]

Technically Spaceship Earth was open to guests in December 2007...

 

[cslafferty]

I was thinking if anything should replace it it should be some sort of Disney Nature show.

That might be something that would fit better in AK. I teach 1st/2nd grade, and the kids LOVE the old Disney nature shows!

 

[ryanduggers]

Technically Spaceship Earth was open to guests in December 2007...

I can verify this because I rode
it in mid december

 

[epcot85]

Hello Canon!!!! Bring on some new blood

How about Apple?