Mannequins and 8TRAX will be reopening soon?

Missing20K

Well-Known Member
How to make the AC instantly profitable: Cover charge for it alone. No free admission for anyone, including CMs.
Done. Fixed.

I'm curious as to both the price point needed by Disney to make it profitable in it's original configuration, as compared to the price point regular guests (not fanmen or APer's) would be willing to pay for the show in it's original configuration.

Kind of makes me want to open my own version of the AC somewhere in Orlando and charge $100 bucks a head to all the Lee and the rest of the fanmen. You know you would all be willing to fork over a Benjamin for a night at the AC. :)
 

Lee

Adventurer
I'm curious as to both the price point needed by Disney to make it profitable in it's original configuration, as compared to the price point regular guests (not fanmen or APer's) would be willing to pay for the show in it's original configuration.

Kind of makes me want to open my own version of the AC somewhere in Orlando and charge $100 bucks a head to all the Lee and the rest of the fanmen. You know you would all be willing to fork over a Benjamin for a night at the AC. :)
It was already profitable, just not HUGELY profitable. Far from losing money.
$20 cover, no free entry, no discounted entry, sell some merchandise...bingo.

As for paying a $100 cover for your AC....eh...maybe every once in a while, but not frequently. And it better be good!
 

Missing20K

Well-Known Member
It was already profitable, just not HUGELY profitable. Far from losing money.
$20 cover, no free entry, no discounted entry, sell some merchandise...bingo.

As for paying a $100 cover for your AC....eh...maybe every once in a while, but not frequently. And it better be good!

If it was profitable, why close it? I'm not arguing or disagreeing with your vastly superior knowledge on the subject, I just question why ANY business (let alone a money hungry one like Disney) would allow a profitable branch or aspect or division go under? Unless they think they would be able to make a better margin on something that would directly replace the original venture.

Is this Disney's thinking? That although the AC was profitable, they could make a better profit on whatever it is they plan to use on replacing it? Namely empty buildings? :ROFLOL:

Seriously though, did they close it as part of the greater PI closure? Was PI as a whole in the black? Just doesn't make much sense to close something that was making money, if it indeed made money (talking about PI as a whole here, not just AC).
 

Lee

Adventurer
If it was profitable, why close it? I'm not arguing or disagreeing with your vastly superior knowledge on the subject, I just question why ANY business (let alone a money hungry one like Disney) would allow a profitable branch or aspect or division go under? Unless they think they would be able to make a better margin on something that would directly replace the original venture.

Is this Disney's thinking? That although the AC was profitable, they could make a better profit on whatever it is they plan to use on replacing it? Namely empty buildings? :ROFLOL:

Seriously though, did they close it as part of the greater PI closure? Was PI as a whole in the black? Just doesn't make much sense to close something that was making money, if it indeed made money (talking about PI as a whole here, not just AC).
My post in the other thread touches on this. Having PI sit empty was not the plan. When the closure was approved, the economy was doing well, and they had several potential companies lined up to take over the buildings.
However, the economy tanked, the third parties backed out, and now they have a ghost town on their hands.
Easy solution would be to reopen the clubs until such time as the economy improves and new plans could be made. At least that way they make some money and guests have somewhere to go.
I was there Friday night. Lots of unhappy folks walking thrugh PI looking puzzled at everything being closed.
 

Missing20K

Well-Known Member
My post in the other thread touches on this. Having PI sit empty was not the plan. When the closure was approved, the economy was doing well, and they had several potential companies lined up to take over the buildings.
However, the economy tanked, the third parties backed out, and now they have a ghost town on their hands.
Easy solution would be to reopen the clubs until such time as the economy improves and new plans could be made. At least that way they make some money and guests have somewhere to go.
I was there Friday night. Lots of unhappy folks walking thrugh PI looking puzzled at everything being closed.

Yeah, we are having the same conversation in two threads.

So why in their infinite wisdom, didn't Disney force the third parties into contracts, BEFORE closing the clubs?

Who is the captain of this boat anyway? :lol::ROFLOL: There must be executives and managers in the company that think they are on a three hour tour. I would bet there were some people happy to take the bailout, considering the direction the company appears to be headed in. I hope I'm wrong.
 

CaptainMichael

Well-Known Member
Who is the captain of this boat anyway? :lol::ROFLOL: There must be executives and managers in the company that think they are on a three hour tour. I would bet there were some people happy to take the bailout, considering the direction the company appears to be headed in. I hope I'm wrong.

Jay Rasulo is captain of the SS Fail, and he is safe until the financial statements can no longer save him from the wrath of Iger.
 

hrcollectibles

Active Member
My post in the other thread touches on this. Having PI sit empty was not the plan. When the closure was approved, the economy was doing well, and they had several potential companies lined up to take over the buildings.
However, the economy tanked, the third parties backed out, and now they have a ghost town on their hands.
Easy solution would be to reopen the clubs until such time as the economy improves and new plans could be made. At least that way they make some money and guests have somewhere to go.
I was there Friday night. Lots of unhappy folks walking thrugh PI looking puzzled at everything being closed.


If they did reopen the clubs they should rethink the price od admission I think city walk charges 11.95 whay could they (Disney) charge that much for say 4 clubs?
 

overdrive

New Member
Original Poster
My post in the other thread touches on this. Having PI sit empty was not the plan. When the closure was approved, the economy was doing well, and they had several potential companies lined up to take over the buildings.
However, the economy tanked, the third parties backed out, and now they have a ghost town on their hands.
Easy solution would be to reopen the clubs until such time as the economy improves and new plans could be made. At least that way they make some money and guests have somewhere to go.
I was there Friday night. Lots of unhappy folks walking thrugh PI looking puzzled at everything being closed.

I think your right on with that statement, and could you imagine what harley davidson and curl are paying to sit in an empty stretch of dtd. They have to be loosing their shirts with the lack of traffic going by their store. With these clubs gone and the stores gone thats a third of the island vacant. The quick fix would be to open up some clubs and call it a day till the economy rights itself.
 

sillykid

Member
Lee...hits it right yet again. Disney just wanted to get rid of the hassle of hiring, firing, benefits, etc. Why not charge someone for the space and have the atmosphere in place. I can only imagine what they expected those leases to go for. As far as AC goes, I am one that unfortunately missed my chance to fully enjoy it. I left before I got it. I can only imagine others did as well and am sorry for it. After seeing youtube etc. I only wish I stayed longer to see more, and wish I could go back. It will be very interesting to see PI 2 years from now. One wonders if it will float away.
 

71jason

Well-Known Member
Kind of makes me want to open my own version of the AC somewhere in Orlando and charge $100 bucks a head to all the Lee and the rest of the fanmen. You know you would all be willing to fork over a Benjamin for a night at the AC. :)

You think too small! I've seen market research indicating you could get $225 a night... :D

My post in the other thread touches on this. Having PI sit empty was not the plan. When the closure was approved, the economy was doing well, and they had several potential companies lined up to take over the buildings.
However, the economy tanked, the third parties backed out, and now they have a ghost town on their hands.

I agree the original plan was to build a clone of Sand Lake Road, with "themed" adult-oriented, high-end restaurants (conveniently run by third parties, as seems to be the ultimate goal for all on-property eateries). It's classic Disney--find your number one Orlando competitor in a particular area, then clone them. Cf. Sea World/Living Seas, Church St. Station/PI, 192/All-Star Resort...

Had this worked, it very well may have resulted in increased profit margins over the already profitable PI. But I don't believe that agreements were ever in place--I think most restaurants realized this was never going to work. The only one rumored to have anything resembling a deal is Cheesecake Factory, which supposedly pulled out when the clubs closed, taking away their anticipated customer base. The economy argument is a smokescreen to hide the fact that this was just a short-sighted, unworkable idea from the start. It didn't work with the West Side, and would not work with PI--a high end "Restaurant Row" needs to be segregated from the kids and the plush stores for its customer base to buy into it. You can't build Sand Lake Road in the middle of WDW because part of what defines Sand Lake is not being on Disney property.

BTW, I agree with the rest of your post, Lee. As they leave PI sitting empty, it's had a noticable effect on the businesses left behind. According to Screamscape yesterday, even an executive from Haines--whose store is about as far from PI as DTD gets--was upset about the situation. Re-opening 3 or 4 clubs could be profitable and build good will with existing/potential tenants. But it would also be an admission of failure, and I think most MBAs would rather commit hari kari first.
 

MousDad

New Member
Jay Rasulo is captain of the SS Fail, and he is safe until the financial statements can no longer save him from the wrath of Iger.

Are you saying that Iger is looking for a reason to can him? Because I get the impression that Bob and Jay are completely on the same page, if not cigar club buddies.
 

SoccerMickey

Active Member
I think enough time has past that people that miss the Adventurers Club and PI would fork over money to enjoy it for the time being. If they offered a PI annual pass for twice what they originally charged, people would jump at it.
I don't think they should let CM's in for free, and that effects me because I am a CM.
But I would buy the five nights for +5.00 or whatever that pass was called. Would I buy one every week? Probably not but at least twice a month.
PI can be profitable again. Walked by the waterfront last week again and saw the 8-Trax disco lights were still on, the house lights were still on inside as well as the lava lamps in the window and the restrooms sign. The girl working in CURL was BORED OUT OF HER MIND with no customers.
 

CaptainMichael

Well-Known Member
Are you saying that Iger is looking for a reason to can him? Because I get the impression that Bob and Jay are completely on the same page, if not cigar club buddies.

The way I see Bob Iger is this: He is not the least bit hands on. He is the total opposite of Michael Eisner. He relies on the heads of their respective divisions to run those divisions, and as long as Rasulo's numbers are strong, the PIXAR overlays work, and there are other managers to lay off/move around, Rasulo is safe from any threat. Iger manages with spreadsheets. Eisner actually cared about the product in the early days of his reign.
 

71jason

Well-Known Member
I think enough time has past that people that miss the Adventurers Club and PI would fork over money to enjoy it for the time being. If they offered a PI annual pass for twice what they originally charged, people would jump at it.
I don't think they should let CM's in for free, and that effects me because I am a CM.

Just to play devil's advocate, I would note that, barring the final weekend, the absolute busiest PI I've seen PI since the gates came down was about two years ago with the "Carpe PM" promotion where a one-night ticket bought you admission from March through June or something like that. You need a small crowd to attract a large crowd, no one wants to hang out in empty venues. Even the AC needs a certain critical mass of people to be funny. The trick is more marketing to get more people.

Best way to increase AC profits? Keep out the under-21 CMs (really, anyone under 21, tho I know a little boy who would kick me in the shins for saying that), and more merchandise. Maybe blackout Friday and Saturday on APs. And improve the rest of PI, so people feel a desire to cycle through the rest of the clubs.
 

SoccerMickey

Active Member
Just to play devil's advocate, I would note that, barring the final weekend, the absolute busiest PI I've seen PI since the gates came down was about two years ago with the "Carpe PM" promotion where a one-night ticket bought you admission from March through June or something like that. You need a small crowd to attract a large crowd, no one wants to hang out in empty venues. Even the AC needs a certain critical mass of people to be funny. The trick is more marketing to get more people.

Best way to increase AC profits? Keep out the under-21 CMs (really, anyone under 21, tho I know a little boy who would kick me in the shins for saying that), and more merchandise. Maybe blackout Friday and Saturday on APs. And improve the rest of PI, so people feel a desire to cycle through the rest of the clubs.

I remember the Carpe PM promotion. A lot of people blame the disapperance of the turnstiles of the death of PI...WHO KNOWS! And the AC needs to add a drink minimum to the cost. I was talking to Jessica the bartender before it closed and she was commenting on all the people who would tell her how outraged they were that the place was closing and only order a cup of ice water!

I agree also with the black out days of the week for AP's...Disney quest annual passes are $80 and PI's were only $55. I think PI could increase the price of their AP.

And CM's free for one night a week is a good PR move...but 7 is just ridiculous. And I would like to see the under 21 CM's not being able to go in either.
 


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