As the title of the thread says:
Source - http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_h...monday-mouse-watch-coasting-through-2009.aspx
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Last month, the very last piece of track for Manta was bolted into place. Which means that -- starting this summer -- SeaWorld Orlando guests will get the chance to experience this new mega-attraction. Twisting through four different inversions as they whiz along 3,359 feet of track at nearly 60 MPH.
Meanwhile, over at Universal Studios Florida, construction crews are hurrying to get Hollywood Rip, Ride Rockit ready for its May 2009 debut. Which is when this new Central Florida thrill ride promises to take its very first passengers to new heights. Some 17 stories above that studio theme park before this coaster then hurtles toward the ground at 65 MPH.
So what is Walt Disney World doing in response to these high profile thrill rides? Well, the Resort had hoped to begin construction of a "Monsters, Inc." -themed family coaster for Disney's Hollywood Studios sometime later this year. But that project is now on hold as Disney meets with potential sponsors. While the Mouse searches for some corporation in this economy that's still willing to pony up the dough necessary to transform Soundstage One into the Door Hangar from that 2001 Pixar Animation Studios release.
From what I hear, construction on this new DHS attraction will begin just as soon as that sponsor signs on the dotted line. Which means that this "Monsters, Inc." coaster should still be open in plenty of time for WDW's 40th anniversary celebration, which is now tentatively scheduled to begin in January of 2011. But the very fact that Disney isn't willing to proceed on its own with this can't-miss project, that Mickey won't allow construction to begin until outside funding is in place speaks volumes about the Mouse's monetary mindset these days.
Mind you, there are a lot of folks in WDW management who aren't all that thrilled with how tight-fisted the boys back in Burbank have become. They're arguing that -- instead of being so fiscally prudent right now -- this is when The Walt Disney Company really needs to be bold. Greenlighting construction of all sort of E-Tickets for its Central Florida parks which can then open in 2010 and beyond.
"What's so important about 2010 and beyond?," you ask. That's when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expected to come on line at IOA. And the worry right now -- at least among Mouse House managers -- is that the American Idol Experience, Disney's Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, Stitch's Supersonic Celebration and the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! Street Party won't really be strong enough to go head-to-head with J.K. Rowling's much-beloved characters. And that in spite of all those roadblocks that the Mouse has already put in place (i.e. Disney's Magical Express making it difficult for Guests to get off-property all on their own, the Disney Dining Plan making it seem extremely wasteful to eat anywhere other than the restaurants at WDW's theme parks & Resorts) people will leave Walt Disney World next year and go over to Islands of Adventure to see Harry. And if these WDW Guests like what they see while they're visiting IOA, they may wind up staying at the Universal Orlando Resort rather than Disney World during their next trip to Central Florida.
This is why -- in addition to that "Monsters, Inc." -themed family coaster for DHS -- WDW executives were hoping that Disney Company management would fork over the dough necessary to build a clone of DCA's "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure" dark ride for the Magic Kingdom. So that Disney World would then have two new high profile attractions featuring well-known Disney & Pixar characters to hype in the face of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
But these days, the suits in the Michael Eisner Building aren't willing to look two & three years down the line. They're more concerned with nursing WDW through the next two & three months. Which is why they're insisting on increased efficiency. Putting in cost containment measures wherever they can. Which is why typically 20% of the requisitions that are currently being made for the Resort are routinely rejected for being unessential.
Of course, if on-property occupancy rates start to improve by late Spring, the boys back in Burbank may loosen their vise-like grip on WDW's purse strings and then allow that Resort to move forward with construction of some high profile projects. But what concerns Disney World managers is ... Well, that means postponing any real decisions 'til almost six months from now. A time when two of their Central Florida rivals will have already opened brand-new major thrill rides. More importantly, when the Universal Orlando Resort will be entering the final phase of construction on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Now I know that many Disneyana fans -- given their I-only-pay-attention-to-what-Mickey-is-doing-and-I-don't-care-what-the-Mouse's-rivals-are-up-to attitude -- don't really give a rat's @ss about what goes on off-property. But believe it or not, the executives who run the Walt Disney World Resort don't operate in a vacuum. These folks are always aware of what Universal & SeaWorld are up to. They pay incredibly close attention to their Central Florida competition. Which is why these suits are concerned that the boys back in Burbank -- by putting the brakes on construction of anything of size for the WDW theme parks for at least the next six months -- may unintentionally be hobbling Disney World into 2010 and 2011. And that -- by coasting through the first half of 2009 -- the Resort may then be forced to pay catch-up with its competition for the next five years or so.
Obviously the executives back in California have a very different take on this situation. They argue that -- because the Walt Disney Company is a publicly-held corporation -- that they have a obligation to the company's shareholders to be fiscally responsible. And given that Parks & Resorts' own surveys show that Disney World could go a full six years without adding a new ride or show to WDW's current assortment of attractions before there'd then be any really noticable drop in attendance and/or occupancy levels ... Well, why spend money now on Disney World when the company really doesn't have to? Would it be better -- or, at the very least, more fiscally responsible -- to ride out the current economic situation? And then -- on the other side of this crisis -- re-evaluate. See if it's then really necessary to make any sizable reinvestment in the WDW Resort.
Which is why -- for now, anyway -- there's nothing gone on inside of Soundstage One at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As the Walt Disney Company tries to coast through the first six months of 2009 by spending as little as possible on the WDW Resort.
Your thoughts?
Source - http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_h...monday-mouse-watch-coasting-through-2009.aspx
-----------
Last month, the very last piece of track for Manta was bolted into place. Which means that -- starting this summer -- SeaWorld Orlando guests will get the chance to experience this new mega-attraction. Twisting through four different inversions as they whiz along 3,359 feet of track at nearly 60 MPH.
Meanwhile, over at Universal Studios Florida, construction crews are hurrying to get Hollywood Rip, Ride Rockit ready for its May 2009 debut. Which is when this new Central Florida thrill ride promises to take its very first passengers to new heights. Some 17 stories above that studio theme park before this coaster then hurtles toward the ground at 65 MPH.
So what is Walt Disney World doing in response to these high profile thrill rides? Well, the Resort had hoped to begin construction of a "Monsters, Inc." -themed family coaster for Disney's Hollywood Studios sometime later this year. But that project is now on hold as Disney meets with potential sponsors. While the Mouse searches for some corporation in this economy that's still willing to pony up the dough necessary to transform Soundstage One into the Door Hangar from that 2001 Pixar Animation Studios release.
From what I hear, construction on this new DHS attraction will begin just as soon as that sponsor signs on the dotted line. Which means that this "Monsters, Inc." coaster should still be open in plenty of time for WDW's 40th anniversary celebration, which is now tentatively scheduled to begin in January of 2011. But the very fact that Disney isn't willing to proceed on its own with this can't-miss project, that Mickey won't allow construction to begin until outside funding is in place speaks volumes about the Mouse's monetary mindset these days.
Mind you, there are a lot of folks in WDW management who aren't all that thrilled with how tight-fisted the boys back in Burbank have become. They're arguing that -- instead of being so fiscally prudent right now -- this is when The Walt Disney Company really needs to be bold. Greenlighting construction of all sort of E-Tickets for its Central Florida parks which can then open in 2010 and beyond.
"What's so important about 2010 and beyond?," you ask. That's when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expected to come on line at IOA. And the worry right now -- at least among Mouse House managers -- is that the American Idol Experience, Disney's Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, Stitch's Supersonic Celebration and the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! Street Party won't really be strong enough to go head-to-head with J.K. Rowling's much-beloved characters. And that in spite of all those roadblocks that the Mouse has already put in place (i.e. Disney's Magical Express making it difficult for Guests to get off-property all on their own, the Disney Dining Plan making it seem extremely wasteful to eat anywhere other than the restaurants at WDW's theme parks & Resorts) people will leave Walt Disney World next year and go over to Islands of Adventure to see Harry. And if these WDW Guests like what they see while they're visiting IOA, they may wind up staying at the Universal Orlando Resort rather than Disney World during their next trip to Central Florida.
This is why -- in addition to that "Monsters, Inc." -themed family coaster for DHS -- WDW executives were hoping that Disney Company management would fork over the dough necessary to build a clone of DCA's "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure" dark ride for the Magic Kingdom. So that Disney World would then have two new high profile attractions featuring well-known Disney & Pixar characters to hype in the face of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
But these days, the suits in the Michael Eisner Building aren't willing to look two & three years down the line. They're more concerned with nursing WDW through the next two & three months. Which is why they're insisting on increased efficiency. Putting in cost containment measures wherever they can. Which is why typically 20% of the requisitions that are currently being made for the Resort are routinely rejected for being unessential.
Of course, if on-property occupancy rates start to improve by late Spring, the boys back in Burbank may loosen their vise-like grip on WDW's purse strings and then allow that Resort to move forward with construction of some high profile projects. But what concerns Disney World managers is ... Well, that means postponing any real decisions 'til almost six months from now. A time when two of their Central Florida rivals will have already opened brand-new major thrill rides. More importantly, when the Universal Orlando Resort will be entering the final phase of construction on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Now I know that many Disneyana fans -- given their I-only-pay-attention-to-what-Mickey-is-doing-and-I-don't-care-what-the-Mouse's-rivals-are-up-to attitude -- don't really give a rat's @ss about what goes on off-property. But believe it or not, the executives who run the Walt Disney World Resort don't operate in a vacuum. These folks are always aware of what Universal & SeaWorld are up to. They pay incredibly close attention to their Central Florida competition. Which is why these suits are concerned that the boys back in Burbank -- by putting the brakes on construction of anything of size for the WDW theme parks for at least the next six months -- may unintentionally be hobbling Disney World into 2010 and 2011. And that -- by coasting through the first half of 2009 -- the Resort may then be forced to pay catch-up with its competition for the next five years or so.
Obviously the executives back in California have a very different take on this situation. They argue that -- because the Walt Disney Company is a publicly-held corporation -- that they have a obligation to the company's shareholders to be fiscally responsible. And given that Parks & Resorts' own surveys show that Disney World could go a full six years without adding a new ride or show to WDW's current assortment of attractions before there'd then be any really noticable drop in attendance and/or occupancy levels ... Well, why spend money now on Disney World when the company really doesn't have to? Would it be better -- or, at the very least, more fiscally responsible -- to ride out the current economic situation? And then -- on the other side of this crisis -- re-evaluate. See if it's then really necessary to make any sizable reinvestment in the WDW Resort.
Which is why -- for now, anyway -- there's nothing gone on inside of Soundstage One at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As the Walt Disney Company tries to coast through the first six months of 2009 by spending as little as possible on the WDW Resort.
Your thoughts?
