Magic Kingdom 50th Anniversary Plans

[Pi on my Cake]

You opinion on how cost would work may be educated, but was the audience of fans wanting it brought to America really large enough to justify building it? Sure, maybe before Test Track was refurbished and maybe even before it opened at SDL below the expectations Disney set for it, but I highly that's the case now. Does Disney honestly believe that fans would rather have this attraction over Indiana Jones Adventure or a ride similar to Shanghai Pirates (aka the ride that actually ended up being the signature attraction of SDL) if given the choice? If they do, not only are they missing out on saving 50-100 million assuming your cost estimarions are accurate, but they're completely out of touch with both the needs of their parks and desires of their fanbase.

The 50-100 would be compared to designing another innovative new ride system. Not compared to other E Tickets (assuming that without the cost of designing the new ride system the costs are roughly the same for the different rides). This rides aren't cheaper now, they were more expensive at first.

 

[dennis-in-ct]

I wonder if WDW s considering bringing Raging Spirits/Temple of Peril to Adventureland for the 50th … that seems like it could be built "quickly".

 

[Kman101]

They wouldn't relocate it. They'd make another copy. It's an option.

Ugh.

Why?

Are they that cheap?

 

[surfsupdon]

I’d love to see special plates and napkins for WDWs 50th. That would feel special.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

The 50-100 would be compared to designing another innovative new ride system. Not compared to other E Tickets (assuming that without the cost of designing the new ride system the costs are roughly the same for the different rides). This rides aren't cheaper now, they were more expensive at first.

So, are you basically saying the expenses saved on designing the ride system would be allocated elsewhere in the ride's budget?

 

[Pi on my Cake]

So, are you basically saying the expenses saved on designing the ride system would be allocated elsewhere in the ride's budget?

Not quite. For the sake of argument let's assume that an E Ticket costs 250 Mil to make. Any E Ticket.

Development of a new ride system would usually be an extra 10 Mil (such as something relatively simple like a rollercoaster with motorcycle like seats). For something very complex and new, that could be an extra 50-100 M for all of the R&D, testing, etc (such as putting a motion simulator on a complex/large dark ride base to create the first EMV).

So, a new ride like Pirates Shanghai would have originally cost the base cost for the E Ticket plus the R&D cost. So, 250+50-100=300-350 Mil. A ride like Tron would have originally cost base E Ticket plus just regular ride system design. So, 250 + 10=260Mil.

Cloning these attractions saves some money. Thats for certain. But they're still gonna cost that base 250. There wouldn't be tooooo significant a difference money wise between cloning Shanghai Pirates or doing a new ride with the same technology though as the 50-100 on R&D is already spent and not needed.

Overall, cloning can save some money, but it is not the huge amount people seem to think. Reusing already developed ride systems rather than creating brand new ones does save a lot of money though.

So, cloning Shanghai Pirates (or Flight of Passage or any other extra complex ride) would only be significantly cheaper compared to developing something new and insanely cool. Not compared to any regular kind of ride or reused ride system.

The reason clones are common is that they are safe bets and have already proven to be something people like. Saves the risk of opening something to an overwhelming chorus of "meh" like they did with Navi River Journey or Voyage to the Crystal Grotto.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Not quite. For the sake of argument let's assume that an E Ticket costs 250 Mil to make. Any E Ticket.

Development of a new ride system would usually be an extra 10 Mil (such as something relatively simple like a rollercoaster with motorcycle like seats). For something very complex and new, that could be an extra 50-100 M for all of the R&D, testing, etc (such as putting a motion simulator on a complex/large dark ride base to create the first EMV).

So, a new ride like Pirates Shanghai would have originally cost the base cost for the E Ticket plus the R&D cost. So, 250+50-100=300-350 Mil. A ride like Tron would have originally cost base E Ticket plus just regular ride system design. So, 250 + 10=260Mil.

Cloning these attractions saves some money. Thats for certain. But they're still gonna cost that base 250. There wouldn't be tooooo significant a difference money wise between cloning Shanghai Pirates or doing a new ride with the same technology though as the 50-100 on R&D is already spent and not needed.

Overall, cloning can save some money, but it is not the huge amount people seem to think. Reusing already developed ride systems rather than creating brand new ones does save a lot of money though.

So, cloning Shanghai Pirates (or Flight of Passage or any other extra complex ride) would only be significantly cheaper compared to developing something new and insanely cool. Not compared to any regular kind of ride or reused ride system.

The reason clones are common is that they are safe bets and have already proven to be something people like. Saves the risk of opening something to an overwhelming chorus of "meh" like they did with Navi River Journey or Voyage to the Crystal Grotto.

Again though, not an insider. Most of my knowledge so far is theoretical. I could be entirely wrong.

Also, just using estimates for simplicity. I know not every E Ticket costs the exact same amount other than the price of R&D on the ride system. Just a simplified explanation.

 

[WDWMPrincess]

I hope the do a little something for the 45th since we're going next August. I didn't realize it until I pulled out our old pictures the other day after we picked our dates but it turns out we were last there for the 35th. At that time they were selling buttons that lit up during the parade for I think $19.99 each. Pretty crazy expensive I know, but we split the cost with friends who were there a couple of weeks before us. The cool thing was CM's in the parade were taught to watch for the buttons and wave toward them. My kids thought they were real VIP's.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

I hope the do a little something for the 45th since we're going next August. I didn't realize it until I pulled out our old pictures the other day after we picked our dates but it turns out we were last there for the 35th. At that time there were selling buttons that lit up during the parade for I think $19.99 each. Pretty crazy expensive I know, but we split the cost with friends who were there a couple of weeks before us. The cool thing was CM's in the parade were taught to watch for the buttons and wave toward them. My kids thought they were real VIP's.

The 45th was in 2016. No major pomp and circumstance other than the day of the anniversary and some merch.

BUT it might not be as much as yhe light up anniversary buttons, but go to guest relations or one of the stores in Main Street (or near yhe fromt of any park) and ask for buttons. Are you close to an anniversary or graduation. Thats a button! Happy Birthday is the best button to have! If nothing else, generic I'm Celebrating buttons and give a reason like "celebrating returning to WDW!" Or something cheesey like that.

You WILL get special treatment for any button you have one at most places. Usually in very small ways, at most a free treat with your meal probably. But the majority of cast members will be sure to say something to anyone wearing any button.

Kids with happy birthdays or old people with anniversary buttons got the most in my experience during my college program working there. Plus, the buttons are free

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I can’t believe that...they’re buttering your bread.

I could see refreshing those areas...but no significant additions. Speed of construction and amount of money spent already makes it low probability.

I see no way that they tell rank and file any plans 5 years out either...the “leaders” wouldn’t have a clue either at that stage. That’s not how “the company” works.

 

[WDWMPrincess]

The 45th was in 2016. No major pomp and circumstance other than the day of the anniversary and some merch.

BUT it might not be as much as yhe light up anniversary buttons, but go to guest relations or one of the stores in Main Street (or near yhe fromt of any park) and ask for buttons. Are you close to an anniversary or graduation. Thats a button! Happy Birthday is the best button to have! If nothing else, generic I'm Celebrating buttons and give a reason like "celebrating returning to WDW!" Or something cheesey like that.

You WILL get special treatment for any button you have one at most places. Usually in very small ways, at most a free treat with your meal probably. But the majority of cast members will be sure to say something to anyone wearing any button.

Kids with happy birthdays or old people with anniversary buttons got the most in my experience during my college program working there. Plus, the buttons are free

Welp drat. And whups on me for not catching how old this thread started.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

I seem to remember some of the insiders saying a “50 new things” advertising campaign was going to be a part of the 50th, which would include anything from new attractions to small plusses to existing attractions, is that still going to happen or has that died out?

 

[MisterPenguin]

I seem to remember some of the insiders saying a “50 new things” advertising campaign was going to be a part of the 50th, which would include anything from new attractions to small plusses to existing attractions, is that still going to happen or has that died out?

Last we heard from insiders, it's still a thing. Though, don't be surprised if anything added in the previous few years before the 50th or rather minor things get counted.

 

[WDWMPrincess]

Last we heard from insiders, it's still a thing. Though, don't be surprised if anything added in the previous few years before the 50th or rather minor things get counted.

I can be ok with that as long as I get to be there for it. Here's hoping.

 

[TTA94]

I seem to remember some of the insiders saying a “50 new things” advertising campaign was going to be a part of the 50th, which would include anything from new attractions to small plusses to existing attractions, is that still going to happen or has that died out?

I hope they finally change the property entrances that still have the Year Of A Million castle in the clouds and sign that says Where Dreams Come True.

 

[peter11435]

I hope they finally change the property entrances that still have the Year Of A Million castle in the clouds and sign that says Where Dreams Come True.

We can only hope. Especially because of how faded they are.

The lighting and paint on the entrance arches are desperately in need of some TLC.

 

[brb1006]

I hope they finally change the property entrances that still have the Year Of A Million castle in the clouds and sign that says Where Dreams Come True.

We can only hope. Especially because of how faded they are.

The lighting and paint on the entrance arches are desperately in need of some TLC.

This is wishful thinking, but I really hope WDW finally updates the entrance design with something special in the coming years. I think the entrance arch might had debuted sometime in the mid 1990's as WDW was approaching it's 25th Anniversary Celebration in 1996. The only notable changes was swapping Mickey and Minnie on the signs every few years.

 

[peter11435]

This is wishful thinking, but I really hope WDW finally updates the entrance design with something special in the coming years. I think the entrance arch might had debuted sometime in the mid 1990's as WDW was approaching it's 25th Anniversary Celebration in 1996. The only notable changes was swapping Mickey and Minnie on the signs every few years.

There was a plan to drastically alter them in the mid 2000’s but it obviously never happened.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Not quite. For the sake of argument let's assume that an E Ticket costs 250 Mil to make. Any E Ticket.

Development of a new ride system would usually be an extra 10 Mil (such as something relatively simple like a rollercoaster with motorcycle like seats). For something very complex and new, that could be an extra 50-100 M for all of the R&D, testing, etc (such as putting a motion simulator on a complex/large dark ride base to create the first EMV).

So, a new ride like Pirates Shanghai would have originally cost the base cost for the E Ticket plus the R&D cost. So, 250+50-100=300-350 Mil. A ride like Tron would have originally cost base E Ticket plus just regular ride system design. So, 250 + 10=260Mil.

Cloning these attractions saves some money. Thats for certain. But they're still gonna cost that base 250. There wouldn't be tooooo significant a difference money wise between cloning Shanghai Pirates or doing a new ride with the same technology though as the 50-100 on R&D is already spent and not needed.

Overall, cloning can save some money, but it is not the huge amount people seem to think. Reusing already developed ride systems rather than creating brand new ones does save a lot of money though.

So, cloning Shanghai Pirates (or Flight of Passage or any other extra complex ride) would only be significantly cheaper compared to developing something new and insanely cool. Not compared to any regular kind of ride or reused ride system.

The reason clones are common is that they are safe bets and have already proven to be something people like. Saves the risk of opening something to an overwhelming chorus of "meh" like they did with Navi River Journey or Voyage to the Crystal Grotto.

Thanks for clarifying. Using the concept of a base cost to help get your point across really put things into perspective for me. But since there is no shared base cost for all E-Tickets, I would assume that a ride's individual base cost would be one of the determing factors when it comes to deciding which attractions to clone. Yes, how an attraction is recieved by audiences is a big determing factors, but there has to be reason why some E-Tickets are less cloned than others despite sometimes being more popular than those that get cloned more frequently.

 

[Otamin]

RIP hub trees, you will be missed.