No Magic In The Numbers ...

[TURKEY]

Anyone see where HKDL is raising their prices?

Or where Oriental Land Company is expecting record profits this year?

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Or where Oriental Land Company is expecting record profits this year?

Oh, what I would give to have the Oriental Land Company purchase the domestic parks.

 

[WDW1974]

Just read in a trade from Hong Kong that Disney has approached the HK government about paying their loan back in shares of the park in lieu of cash.

The problems are worse in regions beyond Orlando.

Disney's problems are wide-ranging ... shockingly (or maybe not with all the discounting) but it was the studios and the incredible drop in DVD sales that hurt Disney's bottom line more than P&R did.

But stop picking on HKDL ... it is run better than WDW by far, cleaner, fresher (obviously), has much better food than MK and much better entertainment ... whenever it actually gets some more high quality signature attractions, this park will be an amazing destination.

~Pass the Pixie Dust~

 

[WDW1974]

It's easy to say they should be investing, but with what money? Those cuts are going to help them survive in the short-term. It's clear that things are bad, money is being lost, and it's bound to get even worse. Who knows how long it will last? If it lasts 5-10 years longer, those major expenditures at Universal may end up being quite a burden. It's great to plan for the long-term, but you have to survive short-term for any of it to matter. And really, it's not like there's no plans for WDW. There's seems to be quite a few rumors floating around about additions over the next several years.

When people have been facing a loss of job, home, and who knows what else, I think when the economy turns around they will just be happy to take any kind of a vacation. I don't think the general population is going to worry too much about the types of steaks being served in the restaurants. WDW can probably survive for quite a while on reputation alone.

You make very valid points ... but I just keep going back to the FACT that Disney hasn't made substantial investments in all of ifs Florida parks (MK and TPFKaTD-MGMS especially) over the past decade.

So even in times like the late 90s when WDW was practically spitting out Franklins by the milisecond to Burbank, the reinvestment wasn't there ... and the cutting of quality (what the consultants termed 'fat') was.

Now, things are really, really bad (UK prime minister Gordon Brown says the USA is actually in a depression and that American media are ignoring it/downplaying it and, sadly, I agree).

It's very difficult, as someone who understands business, to say 'Now's the time Disney should spent $300 million at MK ... and another few hundred millions at DAK ... and' ... but I don't feel Disney has any choice at all.

They have an incredibly stale product. They have had this problem largely (DAK excepted) dating back many years.

If Disney does nothing or just replaces track on Space Mountain, adds Obama to HoP and sticks balloons on a tired eight-year-old parade, then they run the risk of forever damaging the WDW brand when things do get better and people see they have other options in Orlando and even at other Disney locales.

~Pass the Pixie Dust~

 

[WDW1974]

Anyone see where HKDL is raising their prices?

Or where Oriental Land Company is expecting record profits this year?

The HKDL deal really isn't that big ... it'll affect locals more than anyone.
When I went in August it was considered peak season ... with the exchange rate that meant it cost about $46 for one day ... a few weeks later it would have been $40.

They are struggling at every resort worldwide that they actually own fully or in part. The only one that is doing gangbusters is the OLC-owned TDR, which is wrapping up its 25th celebration now and has just opened a great new resort hotel, has an amazing, unique state of the art Monsters E-Ticket opening as soon as the 25th ends, has announced PhilharMagic will be replacing the MMR and that a version of Turtle Talk is coming to TDS ... in addition both the new DCA World of Color show and a version of TSMM are also planned for TDS ... all in addition to MANY NEW seasonal parades, live shows and other entertainment.

I'm sure that has nothing to do with their record business in Tokyo.

~Pass The Pixie Dust~

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

They are struggling at every resort worldwide that they actually own fully or in part. The only one that is doing gangbusters is the OLC-owned TDR, which is wrapping up its 25th celebration now and has just opened a great new resort hotel, has an amazing, unique state of the art Monsters E-Ticket opening as soon as the 25th ends, has announced PhilharMagic will be replacing the MMR and that a version of Turtle Talk is coming to TDS ... in addition both the new DCA World of Color show and a version of TSMM are also planned for TDS ... all in addition to MANY NEW seasonal parades, live shows and other entertainment.

I'm sure that has nothing to do with their record business in Tokyo.

~Pass The Pixie Dust~

If they had an EPCOT at TDR, I would totally move there in a heartbeat.