Lack of announcements aside I just think the whole presentation was poor. While I would have liked to see something new there was just no excitement. The Carsland presentation dragged on two long as well as the DVC clips. Disneyland piece was interesting and the president of that park seemed like the best person on stage all night.
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LIVE UPDATES: D23 Expo - WALT DISNEY PARKS AND RESORTS Presentation 6:30pm EDT
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
tirian
Well-Known Member
Maybe the patches seemed spectacular because my expectations were super low. :lol:
The reproductions aren't nearly as elaborate as they used to be. Remember the park map wheel? How about the full Christmas media packet? The giveaways were trite, but they were esoterica you couldn't get anywhere else. Now it's a patch here, a patch there. I'm not planning to renew.
Zummi Gummi
Pioneering the Universe Within!
I don't see how they sell tickets to the Expo after this, given that attendance was already down significantly this year.
djkidkaz
Well-Known Member
The next gimmick to sell tickets to it will be to have it in Florida. They've still gotta cash in on all the people who've wanted to go but won't fly across the country. Atleast at WDW people can make a week long vaca out of it.
Kamikaze
Well-Known Member
They will never not have it in Anaheim. Period.
FigmentJedi
Well-Known Member
D23's problem is that there's no damn point to it if you're not living on the West Coast. With the exception of the WDW Destination D23 and the occasional special screening, it's too West-focused and just an expensive magazine subscription otherwise.
Bring the magazine price and club fees down, do some more interesting stuff along the lines of the Armchair Archivist Web-Show, expand on the idea of history/art books being under a D23 label and generally use it as a medium/brand for the whole "Make the Archives available/open to all" initiative of the Archives now and it would be a lot more appealing.
Bring the magazine price and club fees down, do some more interesting stuff along the lines of the Armchair Archivist Web-Show, expand on the idea of history/art books being under a D23 label and generally use it as a medium/brand for the whole "Make the Archives available/open to all" initiative of the Archives now and it would be a lot more appealing.
I gotta give some serious kudos to Lee and Raven. You guys have been right on (as usual) with everything you've said. Even the timeline of the SWMC (as insane as 2014 sounded) was right on the money. The info you guys give us is really, really appreciated. Thanks.
Now, as for new announcements, I'm still gonna stand by my previous post that we probably won't see any major additions until at least 2013 (and probably not until 2015). TDO will ride the wave of the FLE for 2012 and 2013; tout the SWMC for 2014 and then the entire FLE for 2015. $400-500 million is an enormous amount to spend and they'll want to see dividends before spending more money.
I could see them beginning work on an expansion or addition(s) around 2013 (for completion in 2015-16) but I doubt they'll announce it until they need to - no reason to take away from the publicity of the FLE. The only thing that would change this would be another WS pavilion. Because if a country were willing to do it, I'm sure they'd jump at it.
I wish TDO would look at each park individually and add something new at each park every year like most other theme parks do. Unfortunately, history would tell us they view all of the parks as one entity. So, under that logic, the FLE will be enough to bring dividends to the entire resort.
I hate it, but you really can't argue with it from a business perspective. I do hope I'm wrong though.
Now, as for new announcements, I'm still gonna stand by my previous post that we probably won't see any major additions until at least 2013 (and probably not until 2015). TDO will ride the wave of the FLE for 2012 and 2013; tout the SWMC for 2014 and then the entire FLE for 2015. $400-500 million is an enormous amount to spend and they'll want to see dividends before spending more money.
I could see them beginning work on an expansion or addition(s) around 2013 (for completion in 2015-16) but I doubt they'll announce it until they need to - no reason to take away from the publicity of the FLE. The only thing that would change this would be another WS pavilion. Because if a country were willing to do it, I'm sure they'd jump at it.
I wish TDO would look at each park individually and add something new at each park every year like most other theme parks do. Unfortunately, history would tell us they view all of the parks as one entity. So, under that logic, the FLE will be enough to bring dividends to the entire resort.
I hate it, but you really can't argue with it from a business perspective. I do hope I'm wrong though.
Tigger1988
Well-Known Member
The issue with Armchair Archivists and the other webshows are they aren't even exclusive. You don't have to be a member to watch so where's the incentive?
Like you said unless you live in CA or have the money to fly out there all the time it's useless.
CJR
Well-Known Member
The problem is that this money doesn't put butts in Epcot, DHS, or AK. Anyone who visits Orlando is mostly likely going to visit MK. There might be small boost, but nothing big. I don't think the plan was really to boost MK's attendance (maybe a little) it was to increase food and beverage options as well as toss a few more highly themed stores in there.
If they don't put money into the other parks, people will start to cut their vacations short and only visit the park with the new rides. DHS does have ST going for it right now, but in five years, it'll be more than old news. You have to invest in your products in order for them to be successful.
Raising ticket prices for all four parks each year through 2015 with no additions aside from MK's FLE might hurt Disney more than help it if people cut their WDW vacations short and hop over to Universal for a day or two.
If the shareholders are smart, they will want WDW (as a whole) to be as strong as possible, not just the MK.
FigmentJedi
Well-Known Member
That's why you use them the whet the appetite for a line of D23 branded documentary DVDs. Like a legit version of Extinct Attractions Club with the Archives resources behind them. Less emphasis on the Club part because of the limited reach and more on making it a Disney Heritage brand.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Yeah, George Kalogridis is a good guy and very good to Disneyland. :wave:
What I found more interesting was that Tom Staggs had the Disneyland President share the stage with him, yet there wasn't a single exec from TDO in the house. No sight of Meg Crofton or anyone from WDW's executive ranks in the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend, even though a big chunk of the Staggs presentation and the Parks & Resorts Carousel of Projects Pavilion in the exhibit hall is dedicated to WDW property.
Couldn't TDO find a flight from MCO to LAX this week? Virgin America now has non-stops from MCO to LAX, in addition to non-stops on United, Delta, American, and USAirways. :veryconfu
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Yup. We've been through this many times, but aside from the politics and logistics of having it in SoCal, to move D23 Expo from Anaheim to WDW you would have to scale it down a great deal and split it up amongst a half dozen various smaller convention facilities around WDW property, and the whole thing would be a real downer that way. No event planner worth their headset would ever want to be a part of such an attempt at cohesiveness and buzz-building vibe. :lol:
The Anaheim Convention Center - directly across the street from Disneyland and literally in the shadow of the 150 foot tall Cadillac Range of Cars Land - is the largest convention center on the West Coast, bar none. Bigger than LA's center, bigger than San Diego's, bigger than the Moscone Center in San Francisco where Steve Jobs holds court each year at MacWorld, bigger than Portland's, bigger than Seattle's convention center. It's big.
They could theoretically fit D23 Expo in the Orlando Convention Center, but then you are off property a long bus ride away from WDW. At the Anaheim Convention Center you are a 10 minute walk from either the theme parks or Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel, which is reportedly PACKED tonight with D23 attendees. :lookaroun
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Captain Neo
Well-Known Member
That's because Disneyland's president always gets the most attention (thanks to people like Al Lutz) and George K is pretty well respected in Anahiem. He's more hands on with the park then the TDO people.
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
I was correct in not mentioning any new attractions for WDW with D23 this year in terms of not mentioning Monster Inc. Coaster.
If there is a D23 in 2013, there might be one new announcement for WDW since Snow White Mine Coaster could be the only thing to talk about otherwise.
If there is a D23 in 2013, there might be one new announcement for WDW since Snow White Mine Coaster could be the only thing to talk about otherwise.
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
No kidding. The only that would change at TDO is if people retire or get fired from there in terms of TDO people being more hands on.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
The most enjoyable part for me was seeing Mickey Mouse jam on the drums!
Mickey, the talking-blinking version, already does that twice a day, at 4:30 and 6:00, in the Mickey's Soundsational Parade at Disneyland. That wasn't new stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zthLnPETAQQ&feature=related
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71jason
Well-Known Member
Looking to another park, Universal has made an artform out of the guessing game for Halloween Horror Nights. Dropping clues for months through Facebook and the official website, even delivering physical clues to prominant webmasters, helping the fans piece together what the houses will be--they've learned to adapt to the new normal, and use it to build interest at a time most people wouldn't even be thinking about Halloween. I pretty much know (or think I know) what all 8 houses will be themed to this year--because there was so much of an online effort to find this out, I don't expect to feel cheated when I walk into the park opening night and see them first hand. Of course, it helps tremendously that HHN usually delivers.
I guess what I'm saying is the genie is out of the bottle--if you want to continue to charge outlandish fees for something like D23, you have to find a way to make the event exciting, not just rest on, "well, if this was 1992, you'd be impressed."
TP2000
Well-Known Member
But Staggs and D23 Expo have announced new theme park projects today. WDW fans aren't the only Disney Theme Park fans out there. This was a great day for Disneyland fans, and Disneyland got quite a surprise from Tom Staggs when he announced the transformation of the existing Plaza Gardens into the new Fantasy Faire village. http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...y-faire-experience-coming-to-disneyland-park/ Plus the news about the Mary Poppins bakery coming to Main Street, and the re-Imagineering of the Candy Palace, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, and Carnation Cafe
Okay, actually Al Lutz had already leaked that proposal to turn Plaza Gardens into that concept a few months ago, but the idea had been pushed to the back burner for Disneyland fans and it was a surprise to see it resurface and be given the green light by Staggs.
And the videos and information offered on the Seven Dwarves Mine Train, in addition to the AMAZING new visuals and detailed information about Cars Land and Buena Vista Street at DCA, all added up to an exciting day, especially for Westerners who are Disneyland visitors and fans. :sohappy:
Today wasn't a total wash for a lot of Disney theme park fans. The Disneyland websites have exploded with surprise and happy chatter today, thanks to D23 Expo and Tom Staggs presentation this afternoon.
disneyrcks
Well-Known Member
Yes but since this is a WDW site, it is only natural that people will be put off by the lack of WDW announcements.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Well, yes, and that's understandable. But the original statement was that Disney didn't announce "any projects" at all for Disney theme park at D23 Expo today. They did announce surprisingly new stuff for theme parks today, just not anything we didn't already know was heading to WDW.