Lord of the Rings and more coming to DHS?

[Ignohippo]

Spend 10 minutes in any of the many stores at WWOHP and try and add up the total of several transactions. That merch is gold, whether they're selling them at WalMart or not.

In fact, because it's NOT sold at WalMart, people are more apt to buy. It's unique and special.

Have you ever been to Tatooine Traders when there wasn't a line? Ever seen the mega-lines at the huge merch tent during Star Wars Weekends?

That's even with most of the same merch being sold at every big retailer (and for a lot less $$$)!!!

Besides, just wait until SW has its own "land"...

 

[Lord_Vader]

Have you ever been to Tatooine Traders when there wasn't a line? Ever seen the mega-lines at the huge merch tent during Star Wars Weekends?

That's even with most of the same merch being sold at every big retailer (and for a lot less $$$)!!!

Besides, just wait until SW has its own "land"...

100% Agreed, especially the droid factory and build-a-lightsaber stations. I even overpayed for the opprotunity to build a couple R2 units with my son and would never have spent that much on a small toy.

There are a lot of opprotunities for Disney to sell more merchandise that can be park specific now that they hold the licensing keys, similar to the "store" exclusives that Hasbro did during the prequel trilogy times. I just hope they don't focus on classic Disney characters in Star Wars costumes, but focus on obscure but fun toys, high-quality lightsabers, costumes, etc. The Jedi Training Academy merchandise is great, park specific and generates a lot of cash flow that can't be gotten anywhere else but a Disney park. How many guests stood in long lines to have themselves scanned and printed into action figures the last two years at $99.00 each, thousands?

The "special" blue milk glasses will be a license for Disney to print money.

 

[Tony Perkis]

Based on what?! You can't even find any Potter merch at any of the big retailers besides Lego sets and DVDs!!!

And books. Don't forget books.

 

[George]

Pity.

Awesome. Beyond Awesome.

 

[flavious27]

This is part of what we would like to see to come to WDW, maybe not all in DHS. But the grain of sand that comes with this is about the size of The Moon.

Also to make this a true nerd dream, you forgot to mention that there would be a better Trek Experience coming.

 

[HakunaMatata89]

Question....did this guy also tell you that they plan on having Wolverine chopping up Orcs and The Hulk carry Frodo down mainstreet during parades so that he doesn't lose energy lugging the ring around? because that's what my transportation veteran told me they got in the works.

 

[DisneyGentleman]

Given the tendency to do shows rather than attractions, we are more likely to see Lord of the Dance than Lord of the Rings.

 

[Glasgow]

I'm late to the thread, but I'm always curious why someone in transportation would know anything about top secret internal plans? Or any other dept for at matter. Lol

Regardless, another question I would have is, why would they double the size of an existing park when they have space to add another gate, essentially extending people's vacations so they can do another park? I suppose the counter point would be that it's cheaper to expand an existing park because all of the core infrastructure is already in place, however, another gate adds all kinds of long term earning potential and new customers. It has to happen at some point.. I guarantee that USO wants nothing more than to add a gate to promote longer on site stays. Sure, immediate capital expenditures are supposed to reduce, but I think that was just investor jargon. Every company is always looking for new ways to guarantee long term earnings

 

[danlb_2000]

I'm late to the thread, but I'm always curious why someone in transportation would know anything about top secret internal plans? Or any other dept for at matter. Lol

Regardless, another question I would have is, why would they double the size of an existing park when they have space to add another gate, essentially extending people's vacations so they can do another park? I suppose the counter point would be that it's cheaper to expand an existing park because all of the core infrastructure is already in place, however, another gate adds all kinds of long term earning potential and new customers. It has to happen at some point.. I guarantee that USO wants nothing more than to add a gate to promote longer on site stays. Sure, immediate capital expenditures are supposed to reduce, but I think that was just investor jargon. Every company is always looking for new ways to guarantee long term earnings

If a guest extends their days from 4 to 5 days they only pay an additional $10 for that 5th day ticket, but they will spend far more then that on food, and maybe merchandise, on that fifth day. So Disney can achieve pretty much the same thing by keeping people in the existing parks longer as they can by adding a fifth park, and they can do it a lot cheaper in the existing parks then by adding a new one.

 

[Glasgow]

If a guest extends their days from 4 to 5 days they only pay an additional $10 for that 5th day ticket, but they will spend far more then that on food, and maybe merchandise, on that fifth day. So Disney can achieve pretty much the same thing by keeping people in the existing parks longer as they can by adding a fifth park, and they can do it a lot cheaper in the existing parks then by adding a new one.

That's my point though .. They can justify the increase in price for at fifth day on your tix by having a fifth gate. You'd see people adding one or more days to their vacation, plus you'd bring in new customers by having new content in the new park that appeals to new customers. That's the theory anyway. Sure people might stay an extra day by expanding an existing park but you're probably not bringing in new money/visitors .. That's the main purpose of a fifth gate in my view, IMO of course

 

[CDavid]

That's my point though .. They can justify the increase in price for at fifth day on your tix by having a fifth gate. You'd see people adding one or more days to their vacation, plus you'd bring in new customers by having new content in the new park that appeals to new customers. That's the theory anyway. Sure people might stay an extra day by expanding an existing park but you're probably not bringing in new money/visitors .. That's the main purpose of a fifth gate in my view, IMO of course

One problem is this idea that one theme park equals one day of your vacation time. Some parks (Animal Kingdom) don't occupy a full day, while Epcot (at least in its heyday) was arguably a two day park. To really experience the Magic Kingdom, you need a second day there as well.

Adding a fifth gate wouldn't necessarily add more days to ticket length; People would just spend less time at the existing parks (or skip one) in order to fit the new gate into the same number of days as before.

 

[Glasgow]

One problem is this idea that one theme park equals one day of your vacation time. Some parks (Animal Kingdom) don't occupy a full day, while Epcot (at least in its heyday) was arguably a two day park. To really experience the Magic Kingdom, you need a second day there as well.

Adding a fifth gate wouldn't necessarily add more days to ticket length; People would just spend less time at the existing parks (or skip one) in order to fit the new gate into the same number of days as before.

I'm sure that was the same argument used when adding animal kingdom .. I'm sure some execs argued against adding a fourth gate. Who says four parks is the perfect amount? Maybe it's five? I don't know .. I'm sure there is mega-research done on this very conundrum. Point being, to add additional customers, you have to do something sufficiently different to bring people in that wouldn't otherwise come. Is that expansion? Is it fifth gate? I don't think there is a definitive answer, at least not one that bus drivers don't already know about ..

 

[flyerjab]

Enjoying the theoretical discussion concerning expansion of existing park to creation of a new park. Speaking to the original intent of this thread, however, I am assuming that the reason for the current path of this discussion is due to the fact that the rumor was utterly bogus from the start? Am I correct in that assumption? If so, why does an established site post something in so bold a fashion with no follow-up? I know they posted the term rumor in caps but it was adorned with pictures from the LOTR movies. It was very brazen to do so, especially when it was based off of hearsay from a bus driver.

That is one thing I like about this site. That type of announcement would be buried in a thread and not plastered across the main page as if it was moments away from becoming true. Was that simply a vain attempt at increasing visits to that particular site?

 

[wm49rs]

Enjoying the theoretical discussion concerning expansion of existing park to creation of a new park. Speaking to the original intent of this thread, however, I am assuming that the reason for the current path of this discussion is due to the fact that the rumor was utterly bogus from the start? Am I correct in that assumption? If so, why does an established site post something in so bold a fashion with no follow-up? I know they posted the term rumor in caps but it was adorned with pictures from the LOTR movies. It was very brazen to do so, especially when it was based off of hearsay from a bus driver.

That is one thing I like about this site. That type of announcement would be buried in a thread and not plastered across the main page as if it was moments away from becoming true. Was that simply a vain attempt at increasing visits to that particular site?

Yes.....

 

[danlb_2000]

I'm sure that was the same argument used when adding animal kingdom .. I'm sure some execs argued against adding a fourth gate. Who says four parks is the perfect amount? Maybe it's five? I don't know .. I'm sure there is mega-research done on this very conundrum. Point being, to add additional customers, you have to do something sufficiently different to bring people in that wouldn't otherwise come. Is that expansion? Is it fifth gate? I don't think there is a definitive answer, at least not one that bus drivers don't already know about ..

It could be argued that AK was a mistake and they would have been better off expanding the existing three parks. I do believe there is diminishing returns as you add more parks, and you are right, it's hard to say what that point is. One of the big factors is the length of vacations, which for Americans at least, is not increasing.

 

[danlb_2000]

Enjoying the theoretical discussion concerning expansion of existing park to creation of a new park. Speaking to the original intent of this thread, however, I am assuming that the reason for the current path of this discussion is due to the fact that the rumor was utterly bogus from the start? Am I correct in that assumption? If so, why does an established site post something in so bold a fashion with no follow-up? I know they posted the term rumor in caps but it was adorned with pictures from the LOTR movies. It was very brazen to do so, especially when it was based off of hearsay from a bus driver.

That is one thing I like about this site. That type of announcement would be buried in a thread and not plastered across the main page as if it was moments away from becoming true. Was that simply a vain attempt at increasing visits to that particular site?

A lot of other sites have repeated the story, but I have yet to see any corroboration of it.

 

[cheezbat]

It could be argued that AK was a mistake and they would have been better off expanding the existing three parks. I do believe there is diminishing returns as you add more parks, and you are right, it's hard to say what that point is. One of the big factors is the length of vacations, which for Americans at least, is not increasing.

And yet Brazilians, Europeans, Austrailians, etc seem to come for two or three weeks at a time.

 

[Beholder]

I don't think believe LOTR or a fifth gate is coming, but if anything deserves its own gate, it would be LOTR. There's the fifth gate!

 

[JimboJones123]

I'm late to the thread, but I'm always curious why someone in transportation would know anything about top secret internal plans? Or any other dept for at matter. Lol

Regardless, another question I would have is, why would they double the size of an existing park when they have space to add another gate, essentially extending people's vacations so they can do another park? I suppose the counter point would be that it's cheaper to expand an existing park because all of the core infrastructure is already in place, however, another gate adds all kinds of long term earning potential and new customers. It has to happen at some point.. I guarantee that USO wants nothing more than to add a gate to promote longer on site stays. Sure, immediate capital expenditures are supposed to reduce, but I think that was just investor jargon. Every company is always looking for new ways to guarantee long term earnings

5th gate is unnecessary with 2 half day parks and one on life support.

 

[Glasgow]

5th gate is unnecessary with 2 half day parks and one on life support.

I understand your point, I just wonder if "finishing" an existing park is going to bring new guests. I don't think so .. Personally I'd prefer a better AK or DHS as well, I just think mgmt would favor a big splash rather than an in park evolution. Speaking strictly from a business standpoint ..