Little Mermaid Track Layout (not a question)

[Animaniac93-98]

No one in the general public needs to be convinced MK is worth visiting. It's DCA that has been the subject of so many a joke and poor attendance that it needs help. A preview centre is the fastest way to show off how good things are going to get, since it takes time to redesign and significantly build on to a theme park, build intensest and spread the word.

MK is the WDW's most attended theme park and it's getting an expansion that's a fraction of the size and budget of the DCA near complete redo.

While a preview centre would be nice, it's not that hard to understand why one doesn't exist.

 

[misterID]

I think it has to do with TDA caring and having pride in their parks that much to do it... Not to mention they do go all out for guests and APers.

No one in the general public needs to be convinced MK is worth visiting. It's DCA that has been the subject of so many a joke and poor attendance that it needs help. A preview centre is the fastest way to show off how good things are going to get, since it takes time to redesign and significantly build on to a theme park, build intensest and spread the word.



MK is the WDW's most attended theme park and it's getting an expansion that's a fraction of the size and budget of the DCA near complete redo.



While a preview centre would be nice, it's not that hard to understand why one doesn't exist.

That's not true. If that were the case they wouldn't need to spend a dime on marketing to try and convince people to come to the MK. But they spend a ton. Like the discount commercials. And WDW used to do stuff like the Blue Sky Cellar, albeit on a much smaller scale, but they did do it.

 

[wdwmagic]

I've been saying that for over a year. The DCA Blue Sky Cellar is a fabulous space with a rotating schedule of exhibits and videos as things go through the construction phases.




But it would seem the Fantasyland Expansion project is also worthy of such a resource and space inside the Magic Kingdom. Perhaps it has something to do with the DCA Makeover/Expansion being budgeted at 1.2 Billion Dollars over four years, while the Fantasyland Expansion is budgeted at 300 Million Dollars over four years? But still, you might not need as big of a space as the Blue Sky Cellar is, and you wouldn't need to swap out the exhibits every 6 months and change the movie, but you should be able to do something somewhere in the Magic Kingdom.

At the very least, they could pull together an official preview website as WDI has done with DCA at http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...P=FY09BSC_DisneyCaliforniaAdventureCom&bhcp=1

.

Well you have Disney's most visited park VS Disney's least visited park in the USA. People don't need convincing to come back to MK, but they certainly need convincing that they should return to DCA. I think that is your answer right there.

 

[tirian]

Well you have Disney's most visited park VS Disney's least visited park in the USA. People don't need convincing to come back to MK, but they certainly need convincing that they should return to DCA. I think that is your answer right there.

I'll be the first to insist the MK needs a new E-ticket, but I do think it's on a decent track right now by refurbishing what it has (except for Space Mt) and adding the FLE. PP needs a huge overhaul, but we probably won't see it until TLM opens.

EDIT: I'll add to what Steve said: the DCA budget is practically paying for an entirely new theme park. In addition to WOC, they are bulldozing existing structures, adding Cars Land and Mermaid, and renovating three lands. No other Disney park in America needs as much work as DCA.

 

[Hoop Raeb]

Here's a great thread over at Micechat on the ride (among other things). Pretty much at the end of this page.

http://micechat.com/forums/blogs/da...uts-glow-fest-lights-up-blue-sky-preview.html

 

[RSoxNo1]

I'll be the first to insist the MK needs a new E-ticket, but I do think it's on a decent track right now by refurbishing what it has (except for Space Mt) and adding the FLE. PP needs a huge overhaul, but we probably won't see it until TLM opens.

EDIT: I'll add to what Steve said: the DCA budget is practically paying for an entirely new theme park. In addition to WOC, they are bulldozing existing structures, adding Cars Land and Mermaid, and renovating three lands. No other Disney park in America needs as much work as DCA.

While Animal Kingdom has a decent amount of space, I feel that to properly access that space would require a significant amount of demo that would be comparable to some of the work needed at DCA.

The difference is the attendance at Animal Kingdom is substantially higher than DCA, and the park certainly had far more cohesive theming. However from an attractions stand point, I think Animal Kingdom does need a substantial influx of cash.

 

[aladdin2007]

True DCA deserves all the work and attention its getting to become something worth while and classic. Im glad they are rethinking/redoing the place.

Would still be great to have a small preview center here though for fantasyland/mermaid, I think a great spot would be the art of disney theater/store on the right side of main street! Disney do you hear me? :wave:

 

[tirian]

While Animal Kingdom has a decent amount of space, I feel that to properly access that space would require a significant amount of demo that would be comparable to some of the work needed at DCA.

The difference is the attendance at Animal Kingdom is substantially higher than DCA, and the park certainly had far more cohesive theming. However from an attractions stand point, I think Animal Kingdom does need a substantial influx of cash.

Yes, but still not as much as DCA. :wave:

on a tangent: I'd rather see a massive Narnia land at DAK than the old Beastly Kingdom...

 

[Animaniac93-98]

That's not true. If that were the case they wouldn't need to spend a dime on marketing to try and convince people to come to the MK. But they spend a ton. Like the discount commercials. And WDW used to do stuff like the Blue Sky Cellar, albeit on a much smaller scale, but they did do it.

Preview centres of the past were for entire theme parks or WDW itself. Was there a preview centre for New Tomorrowland? I think not.

There's a difference between "spending a ton" on convincing someone to come in general and going above and beyond to make a preview centre attraction to change public opinion completely, even to those who have visited before or are in the park at the time.

Why go above and beyond to change opinion? See other posts in this thread.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

on a tangent: I'd rather see a massive Narnia land at DAK than the old Beastly Kingdom...

Narnia alone? I'd prefer BK.

At least then we could mix franchises/stories (like Narnia) and original ideas.

 

[tirian]

Narnia alone? I'd prefer BK.

At least then we could mix franchises/stories (like Narnia) and original ideas.

The BK of concept art is dead.

Mysterious Island would be great—and hey, if WDI had its way, MI would be opening soon. How about that?

Narnia would still be great, though, and could easily be shoehorned into the MI attractions. WDI would have to use all the books instead of just the Disney movies. There's an expedition to the center of the earth in The Silver Chair, a trip to the end of the world in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, an Eden-like garden in The Magician's Nephew, and of course the animals and such from Wardrobe. Heck, throw in a Cair Paravel castle and a dragon's lair and call it a day.

But I know it'll never happen.

So about the Little Mermaid Track Layout (not a question)...

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The BK of concept art is dead.

But that doesn't mean an area with that name couldn't still have have Narnia, MI or whatever else Disney could build or combine.

I like the name because it implies fantastical creatures without sounding too much like a land in MK.

 

[misterID]

I've read the other posts. And you're wrong if you think WDW can just ride on their past accomplishments, which is what they've been doing. They've actually been lucky about the recession in that it's allowed for the discounts which helped with attendance.

But I've said this before, it looks very likely that WDW is not going to be the #1 visited park this year, DL will be, which you guys are claiming is the reason they don't need to try to entice people to come. And soon, they're not even going to be the top theme park in the world anymore, TDL will.

They are going to be in the position soon of having to entice people, and yes, cater to Florida residents like they once did. They can't just rely on tourists anymore.

And they DID preview attractions once upon a time for WDW.

 

[tirian]

But that doesn't mean an area with that name couldn't still have have Narnia, MI or whatever else Disney could build or combine.

Yeah, similar to how Discoveryland at DLP isn't titled "Jule Verne Future Land." :lol: But marketing would never allow it.

misterID: I definitely don't think WDW can ride on its past accomplishments, but that doesn't mean it needs $1.2 billion worth of changes.

 

[misterID]

Yeah, similar to how Discoveryland at DLP isn't titled "Jule Verne Future Land." :lol: But marketing would never allow it.

misterID: I definitely don't think WDW can ride on its past accomplishments, but that doesn't mean it needs $1.2 billion worth of changes.

I'm not saying it does. It's more about keeping things exciting. WDW doesn't have to be in DCA's position to have a Blue Sky Cellar.

 

[TP2000]

Well you have Disney's most visited park VS Disney's least visited park in the USA. People don't need convincing to come back to MK, but they certainly need convincing that they should return to DCA. I think that is your answer right there.

Great point! The vastly different attendance statistics between these two parks could have more to do with the lack of a FLE preview center than the vastly different budgets.

But still, I have to wonder why TDO doesn't try at least a small exhibit somewhere. The Blue Sky Cellar is at DCA, but even Disneyland next door has a preview of "things to come" in glass cabinets in the first of two lobbies leading to the Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln show. The displays in that pre-show lobby now show models and WDI artwork of the revamped Star Tours attraction coming to Tomorrowland in 2011.

You would think WDW management could find some little corner of Magic Kingdom property to pull something together. I'm sure WDI would jump at the chance to display their wares, as the Imagineers passionately do at Disneyland in the Disney Gallery, the Blue Sky Cellar, and the Mr. Lincoln show lobby.

TDA also uses the Blue Sky Cellar for swanky wine-n-cheese events where they host local politicians and corporate bigwigs to let them know how much money Disney is pouring in the Anaheim property. So a well-done preview center like that serves a dual role in both educating the tourists by day, and shmoozing the power players at special events. The Orlando-based WDW management just seems to be missing out on that type of facility and the powerful visuals it provides. But then, I'm sure TDO knows exactly what they are doing and feels they are making the right decisions for their business.

But it's always fascinating to me how the two coasts differ on decisions like that. And Disney Geeks like us always love a good preview center! :lol:

.

 

[SJN1279]

I would certainly say no more than that, and probably less. It is quite a short ride.
I'd love to know the length in ft. of the other FL dark rides. I don't have that info in front of me.

What length do you consider a short dark ride? I think 3-5 minutes is the perfect length for any attraction.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Yes, but still not as much as DCA. :wave:

on a tangent: I'd rather see a massive Narnia land at DAK than the old Beastly Kingdom...

While Joe Rohde, and pretty much anyone else important has considered Beastly Kingdom dead (at least in it's original state), wasn't that formal declaration decided upon by Eisner? Has Iger said anything to support this?

Along the same lines, several people have speculated an Australia land, but it doesn't seem this is founded in any real fact.

While Mysterious Island seemed to have some legs not long ago, that also seems to be off the table as well.

Unfortunately it seems that nothing concrete is in the works - even 5 years out. I'm sure things could get fast tracked if need be, but right now none of the Animal Kingdom stuff seems legit other than they're doing "something" with the Yeti, and what seems like a small non-descript Africa event.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

And they DID preview attractions once upon a time for WDW.

But was it ever an entire attraction dedicated to selling one ride/expansion?

WRE was sold to guests at the end of the Walt Disney Story, but it certainly wasn't the focus of the presentation.

Disney is previewing FLE by putting up large posters with text on the construction walls. A model of some sort could be displayed elsewhere on property (such as One Man's Dream), but an entire "Blue Sky Celler" for just FLE sounds pretty unnecessary. There just isn't the extensive list of offerings to chose from to display concept renderings and such.

Finally, the amount of construction walls for the FLE expansion cannot compare to the ones that exist throughout DCA blocking large areas once open to the public, causing a greater need for explanation as to what is going on.

Disney is desperately trying to completely re-brand DCA, an entirely different issue than what WDW marketing is about or is required, regardless of how "stale" you or I think WDW is.

 

[tirian]

I'm not saying it does. It's more about keeping things exciting. WDW doesn't have to be in DCA's position to have a Blue Sky Cellar.

But still, I have to wonder why TDO doesn't try at least a small exhibit somewhere. The Blue Sky Cellar is at DCA, but even Disneyland next door has a preview of "things to come" in glass cabinets in the first of two lobbies leading to the Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln show.

They could show all the concepts that were shot down because someone's bonus check would have shrunk one year.