Progress: It's Not Gonna Happen

[space42]

Originally posted by disneyprep50321
Given the recent situation in the US with tourism, and the economy being bad, I think Disney is doing a great job opening new attractions, and they have to build the small things, before bigger things can come.

Yes, the parks attendance numbers are down, but sill higher than say 10 years ago during the last resession.. funny, there were not as many cuts then... During that time Disney built a few big attractions like "Splash Mountain" and "Tower of Terror".

However, it should be brought into perspective that the parks are still very profitable. Last year, they accounted for almost 43% of the total profit of the company. Its the other parts of the company that are bleading cash. The parks profits are being used to hold up the rest of the company. Until that changes or they sell off the "not so profatible" portions of the company, expect more and more cutbacks and less big investments.

The only big attractions we will see in the near future will be ones that corporate sponsers pick up the tab for, ie "Mission Space".

 

[Just A Big Kid]

Originally posted by space42


Yes, the parks attendance numbers are down, but sill higher than say 10 years ago during the last resession.. funny, there were not as many cuts then... During that time Disney built a few big attractions like "Splash Mountain" and "Tower of Terror".

However, it should be brought into perspective that the parks are still very profitable. Last year, they accounted for almost 43% of the total profit of the company. Its the other parts of the company that are bleading cash. The parks profits are being used to hold up the rest of the company. Until that changes or they sell off the "not so profatible" portions of the company, expect more and more cutbacks and less big investments.

The only big attractions we will see in the near future will be ones that corporate sponsers pick up the tab for, ie "Mission Space".

Actually you have a good point there.. if the other areas of the company are loosing money they SHOULD cut them loose. No need in dragging down the parks just to be diversified. If they would focus on the 2 things that Disney is known for being the parks and movies, then i foresee things would be much better. And also.. while attendance and profits are down, why not just focus on what they already have instead of coming up with new things. Once they make a recovery and regain some of their old glory, BUILD BUILD BUILD..

 

[pheneix]

>>>The parks profits are being used to hold up the rest of the company.<<<

The only problem with Disney's logic is that when too much weight is put on a crutch it generally collapses.

>>>if the other areas of the company are loosing money they SHOULD cut them loose<<<

It is amazing at just how simple to road to recovery can be paved isn't it? It is just too bad that the CEO of this company built up his reputation (and his ego) on aqquisitions such as this, and he is not ready to eat crow just yet. Our only hope at this point is that our friend Michael Eisner will probably be gone sooner rather than later...

 

[sconti]

Disney is a publicly traded company.

They have shareholders to answer to.

Thefefore, in a recession, they are going to cut back the budget on every aspect of their business (including Imagineering, new attraction development, new resort development, etc.) in order to make a profit and make their numbers on Wall Street. In stinks that things are that way, but that is the way it is.

All four WDW theme parks are incredible. We should feel fortunate that they have continued to improve and expand the property in recent years...Animal Kingdom, Test Track, Rock n' Roller Coaster, Mission:Space, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge Villas, Beach Club Villas, etc.

 

[Jedi Osborn]

I don't claim to know Disney's budget or state of corporate affairs. I know there have been some wonderful things and some things I haven't cared for recently
But the one thing that I keep thinking is that the beginning of Animal Kingdom started in 1991. Before any of us had a clue what was going on. So who knows what they're dreaming of now........

 

[no2apprentice]

Originally posted by pheneix
Our only hope at this point is that our friend Michael Eisner will probably be gone sooner rather than later...

That, or maybe some other Japanese company besides Sony who is enthralled with American entertainment will make Disney an offer for ABC that Disney can't refuse.

Zarathustra, I haven't been there, what was it about Disney Studios Paris you didn't like?

 

[JungleJim]

Originally posted by zarathustra
Quit talking about all of these blue sky concepts you're discussing. Disney, currently under Eisner, is creatively bankrupt because he's not about to spend any money on anything worth looking forward to. Though there's a possibility he won't remain for long, you're still living in a fantasy world. Do I have to mention California Adventure and Disney Studios Paris?

Bashing Eisner is so old and tired! Plus saying Eisner has not moved Disney forward shows you really don't know much about the Disney Company or its History. How many new attractions went into WDW in from 1971 to 1982? Not as many as when Eisner took over. In the 90's Disney added so many A+ attractions to its parks. Do we need to list them all for you? What do you mean he wont spend money??? In the last six years we have seen three new Parks, great new Hotels, and new attractions.....you may not like them, but they are far from "cheap".
Go on Flying over California and tell me Disney is creatively bankrupt.

You may want to read
The Disney Touch by Ron Grover
A work in progress by Michael Eisner

 

[pheneix]

>>>How many new attractions went into WDW in from 1971 to 1982? Not as many as when Eisner took over.<<<

But they sure were of much higher quality...

 

[darthdarrel]

YA,but how many high quality rides have gone up in the last 5 years? maybe 1 if that!

 

[steve2wdw]

Disney, like everyone else, is in the belt tightening position right now. Creatively bankrupt they are not. The imagineers are surely dreaming, sketching, and designing attractions as we speak. And we're really not in a drought when it comes to new attractions either. There are currently two attractions being constructed. One, Mission Space, will probably blow the lid off the theme park industry when it comes to technology and creativity. The other, Mickey's Philharmagic will probably do the same for the 3-D movie format. And Disney has opened lots of attractions in the last 10 years, but I think that everyone forgets that those attractions are spread throughout 4 theme parks. If they had all been added to just one park, I don't think anyone would be complaining about any of this. We should all be thankful there is a Disney out there, creating all this magic for us. And as for Eisner, I'm not counting him out yet. There may be two out in the bottom of the ninth for him, but I wouldn't be surprised if he hits a homer, when this is all said and done. His ego is too big to be remembered like that.

 

[JungleJim]

Originally posted by pheneix
>>>How many new attractions went into WDW in from 1971 to 1982? Not as many as when Eisner took over.<<<

But they sure were of much higher quality...

Really?? You think Tower, Splash, H.I. Shrunk the Audience, Star Tours, Great Movie Ride, MuppetVision, Pooh, Test Track have less quality than attractions made before 1982?

 

[pheneix]

>>>You think Tower, Splash, H.I. Shrunk the Audience, Star Tours, Great Movie Ride, MuppetVision, Pooh, Test Track have less quality than attractions made before 1982?<<<

With the sole exceptions of Splash Mountain and the Tower of Terror (and on the west coast Indiana Jones), yes! I'm having a hard time thinking of a new attraction that had HALF of the message and thought that Horizons had (even though it did open in 1983, I am lumping it in to the '82 and earlier crowd because it was designed during the same time frame as the rest of Epcot Center's attractions).

 

[darthdarrel]

But how is it that Cedar Point can add A new AWESOME ride every year and it takes Disney atleast 4 years to get a good ride in?The last good ride that Disney has put in was what? TOT? Rock n roller coaster? and that was what 10 years ago. The new ride at epcot looks Awesome! But it is so long in coming.

 

[pheneix]

And before anyone jumps in with the "But a bare bones roller coaster is cheaper than a real E-ticket!", remember that Cedar Point's revenues are also much lower than Disney's.

 

[cymbaldiva]

RnR was so not 10 years ago!

Sorry to sound huffy...it wasn't though!

 

[MonorailBlack]

Rock n Roller Coaster was 1999

 

[Sketch105]

ITs called freedom of speech. If we want to live in a fantasy world and talk about blue sky concepts that mr. Paul Pressler would never even dream about, then so be it. Better that the concept live on in our discussion than die in the WDI morgue.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Originally posted by MonorailBlack
Rock n Roller Coaster was 1999

Thanks for backing me MonorailBlack! It was SOOO not 10 years ago!

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by pheneix
And before anyone jumps in with the "But a bare bones roller coaster is cheaper than a real E-ticket!", remember that Cedar Point's revenues are also much lower than Disney's.

It's even simlper than that. or maybe not so simple. A park like cedar point purchases a stock ride from the manufacture, and fits it in to an existing space based on the footprint of the ride. Disney designes there own attraction from scratch and then contracts a manufacture to custom build the elements thats is needed for the attraction in most cases. case in point is MS. With mission space there was a technology available from a manufacture and it was modified to fit the design that they wanted for the Attraction instead of just installing a stock product and designing the attraction to fit the design specs. yes there would be obvious limitations tothe engineering maxes for the centerfuge, but I bet it is and will be the only one of its kind of that design.

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by MonorailBlack
Rock n Roller Coaster was 1999

...And ToT was 94 when it opened