MiceAge.com reports the following in its article 1/6: this is from about page 3 I think. I bolded certain parts here for easier reading regarding wdw. And I know some of you dont care for Al's articles but I find him much more in the know and correct than Jim Hill.
The Imagineers assigned to these multiple DCA projects can't believe the luck they had in getting all of this work approved and fully funded when they did in ‘07, as the economic crisis of ‘08 has literally put a stop to nearly everything once planned for Walt Disney World, and put up smaller roadblocks for Hong Kong and Paris. If the DCA plans had been just one year later in the pipeline, they too would have likely been halted or dramatically scaled back as has happened to all current proposals for Florida. Parks Chief Jay Rasulo, who is infamous for not being interested with anything to do with the parks, has left the DCA project firmly in the hands of top Imagineer Bob Weis and top Disneyland fan John Lassetter.
When it comes to the plans for the other Disney Parks properties, the Imagineering leaders there have less stature than those currently involved with Anaheim, and with money now very tight it's been a struggle to get their plans on to Jay's radar screen. Not a day goes by that the Imagineers working on DCA don't thank their lucky stars that it all worked out at least for them.
With the few refurbishment projects slated for Walt Disney World repeatedly slashed, yet continuing to gain approval by the skin of their teeth, the executive planners in Orlando have to now be content with a drastically scaled down rehab to Space Mountain and some more DVC units as their main recession-era offerings for the next few years. Even the plan for Walt Disney World to take Disneyland's old Parade of Dreams has fallen through, due to a lack of funding and political will from Florida.
So kinda sad, no mermaid, no new parade, or anything else worth talking about it sounds like. :shrug:
The Imagineers assigned to these multiple DCA projects can't believe the luck they had in getting all of this work approved and fully funded when they did in ‘07, as the economic crisis of ‘08 has literally put a stop to nearly everything once planned for Walt Disney World, and put up smaller roadblocks for Hong Kong and Paris. If the DCA plans had been just one year later in the pipeline, they too would have likely been halted or dramatically scaled back as has happened to all current proposals for Florida. Parks Chief Jay Rasulo, who is infamous for not being interested with anything to do with the parks, has left the DCA project firmly in the hands of top Imagineer Bob Weis and top Disneyland fan John Lassetter.
When it comes to the plans for the other Disney Parks properties, the Imagineering leaders there have less stature than those currently involved with Anaheim, and with money now very tight it's been a struggle to get their plans on to Jay's radar screen. Not a day goes by that the Imagineers working on DCA don't thank their lucky stars that it all worked out at least for them.
With the few refurbishment projects slated for Walt Disney World repeatedly slashed, yet continuing to gain approval by the skin of their teeth, the executive planners in Orlando have to now be content with a drastically scaled down rehab to Space Mountain and some more DVC units as their main recession-era offerings for the next few years. Even the plan for Walt Disney World to take Disneyland's old Parade of Dreams has fallen through, due to a lack of funding and political will from Florida.
So kinda sad, no mermaid, no new parade, or anything else worth talking about it sounds like. :shrug:
