Racing At The Track

[btb6mm]

I just want to let Grimone24 know that I understand what you are saying and agree with you. Disney could have races at the track as it is now with no problems. And that would be real cool to me. Disney could also profit from sponsoring a team and car not only by increased park attendance but from merchandise sells.
I have the monsters Inc. car that Terry Labonte drove, also the Toy Story cars that Bill Elliott, Johnny Benson, Kyle Petty,and another driver that I can't think of right now. The paint schemes would be awesome. For a Disney themed car to be called "The Pansie Car" sounds like someone that doesn't like Disney to much to me. I think the thing that most people have a problem with is the redneck thing. Some people think that racing would draw the type of crowd that they don't want to see at their park. (like they really own it) Disney does not need NASCAR or any racing to help promote it. But Disney could use racing to increase the bottom line(JMO). And if you are ever at any of the Disney parks and see someone with NASCAR garb on, it just might be me. :sohappy:

 

[Grimone24]

sorry

Originally posted by Badger Brent
I find it hard to believe that the Monster's Inc. replica car is #1 in sales. Do you have any proof of this? I have been following NASCAR for around 22 years now. I love the sport but don't believe that I should have to push my love for it on anybody. Just like people don't understand my love for WDW, I don't take it personally and tend to blow people's opinions off. It's pretty clear that Disney made a huge mistake with the building of the track at WDW. I think someday they will better utilize this space for something more profitable. Grimone 24 , don't take peoples opinions so to heart. Nascar may be one of the most attended sports in the world, but they are having their problem's also. The fact that they have been barely able to fill the 43 car field shows there is a problem. If you look at the Nascar Busch series (minor leagues to the novice) they have a lot of problems finding sponsors for cars right now. It just came out today that 19 cars are putting up their empty quarter panels for the last two races for free to any willing corp. sponsors. I'm sure there are some stipulations on this. But if this sport is so popular why the struggles for some of the teams? If I remember right, it was the IRL cars that had the most problems with the speeds and cornering. I seem to remember some nasty accidents from the open wheel cars at WDW speedway. The NASCAR trucks ran there also, but I don't think it was as competitive as NASCAR had hoped it would be.

I meant the DVD and VHS are first in sales right now not the car!

 

[Badger Brent]

Oh, now you make some sense.:animwink:

 

[Mickeyman819]

the indy car race would still be there if not for Disney. the race was in the spring time and Disney did not want it there during that season. they pretty much told indy car orginization to move the race to a later race or dont have it at all. So you can pretty much say it is disneys fault. Atleast the Richard Petty Driving Experience is there. if it wasnt then i would say it was a waste of money

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by Mickeyman819
the indy car race would still be there if not for Disney. the race was in the spring time and Disney did not want it there during that season. they pretty much told indy car orginization to move the race to a later race or dont have it at all. So you can pretty much say it is disneys fault. Atleast the Richard Petty Driving Experience is there. if it wasnt then i would say it was a waste of money

Well, that really is the last thing Disney needs to be worrying about that time of year, don’t you think? I mean, it seems like a good time not to have something if for no other reason than to free up the entire parking lot for the TTA since it is already the busiest time of year for Disney..

Someone talked about them being able to expand this area for bigger races. I’ll be the first to say I don’t follow this sport in any way so I can’t comment on the race aspect but I can comment on the space. There is a road directly next to two sides of the track. One is the entrance to the TTA parking lot and the other is the exit. There isn’t much space at all on the side facing the parking toll booths and all of the space on the only side that they can do anything with, is part of the MK parking lot. They can go back a little ways but not terribly far before they hit trees and a ditch... I’m guessing that the track was put where it was originally for visibility and so that they could take full advantage of facilities (like the parking lot) already there but honestly, wouldn’t something like this have fit in better over near WWOS? I mean, it is a sport, right? What business does it really have sitting in front of the MK?

 

[no2apprentice]

Let's not forget the golden rule (or at least one of them) in business is "stick to what you do best or suffer." Disney is suffering, because they tried to become a media giant, and that's not what they do best. Disney has great parks/resorts, and when the right people are on it, make great movies. And that's what they do best. Getting involved in a working race track would not work.

Not to slam racing fans, but racing is just that - racing. It's unique. It is a popular spectator sport, but it just doesn't fit into the unique themeing that exists in a Disney environment. Where's the Disney magic in watching VERY loud cars race around a track, listening to drivers curse each other over your scanners? I just don't see the pixie dust in that type of activity in WDW.

 

[wed050499]

Originally posted by no2apprentice
Disney is suffering, because they tried to become a media giant, and that's not what they do best. Disney has great parks/resorts, and when the right people are on it, make great movies. And that's what they do best.

Hey apprentice,

I agree about everything you said in your post except this comment. Disney, in all respects to the industry, IS a media giant. In fact, the second largest media based company in the United States. And it seemed to me, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're second and third sentences seemed to contradict your first sentence with respect to the quote above. If you could clarify this for me, please do so.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[donaldduck1967]

Originally posted by Mickeyman819
the indy car race would still be there if not for Disney. the race was in the spring time and Disney did not want it there during that season. they pretty much told indy car orginization to move the race to a later race or dont have it at all. So you can pretty much say it is disneys fault. Atleast the Richard Petty Driving Experience is there. if it wasnt then i would say it was a waste of money

The race used to be held in Janurary not in the spring

 

[no2apprentice]

Originally posted by wed050499
If you could clarify this for me, please do so.

I'll try. Disney has invested heavily into it's "media empire", especially TV. Unfortunately, the money that Disney is losing in many of these investments, is being made up by drawing profits from the parks, which is what is keeping Disney from entering very dangerous financial ground. There are always posts being made about condition of the parks, the need for more e-rides or at least quality theming in the rides that exist, etc., etc. Need I say the much debated word "monorail expansion?" Many of these things aren't doable because the money is not there. Because it's being used to keep the "media giant" part from sinking.

So, while it may be true that they are, by numbers, a "media giant," it is one that is not successful.

 

[Grimone24]

wait a minute

Originally posted by no2apprentice
I'll try. Disney has invested heavily into it's "media empire", especially TV. Unfortunately, the money that Disney is losing in many of these investments, is being made up by drawing profits from the parks, which is what is keeping Disney from entering very dangerous financial ground. There are always posts being made about condition of the parks, the need for more e-rides or at least quality theming in the rides that exist, etc., etc. Need I say the much debated word "monorail expansion?" Many of these things aren't doable because the money is not there. Because it's being used to keep the "media giant" part from sinking.

So, while it may be true that they are, by numbers, a "media giant," it is one that is not successful.

Disney really is not doing so bad all things considered! You are all over them about losing money and such but when the economy suffers everyone suffers! Give them space and watch them grow back up to a more appreciable amount! Monorails are not important right now or else they would build it! If they were really hurting they would slow there expansion which has not happened.

 

[wed050499]

Re: wait a minute

Originally posted by Grimone24
Disney really is not doing so bad all things considered! You are all over them about losing money and such but when the economy suffers everyone suffers! Give them space and watch them grow back up to a more appreciable amount! Monorails are not important right now or else they would build it! If they were really hurting they would slow there expansion which has not happened.

I agree with Grimone on this one. If you look at the number one media giant in the country, AOL Time Warner, they aren't doing any better than Disney is in the numbers game. They're stock has dropped more dramatically than Disney's (I know bc I used to own some of theirs) and they're being hit by the same economic factors that Disney is. In all reality, I believe that Disney is fairing quite well through the last two years. We'll see when the financial report comes out for Q4 this afternoon. Check it out on Disney.com.

Brian

 

[no2apprentice]

Re: wait a minute

Originally posted by Grimone24
If they were really hurting they would slow there expansion which has not happened.

But they have slowed/stopped expansions, in the parks, where it counts the most. Several years ago, there was even going to be a green light for a monorail expansion. Didn't happen. It's anyone's guess what the real reasons were, but I feel it would be safe to say that money played a large part of it. Other new rides and park expansions have hit the "inactive file" drawer, because of money.

 

[no2apprentice]

Re: Re: wait a minute

Originally posted by wed050499
I agree with Grimone on this one. If you look at the number one media giant in the country, AOL Time Warner, they aren't doing any better than Disney is in the numbers game.

Oh, I agree, everyone has taken a beating. I just can't help but wonder where Disney might be right now if they had kept their noses out of some very unstable places. And network TV can be very unstable.

 

[wed050499]

Originally posted by no2apprentice
Oh, I agree, everyone has taken a beating. I just can't help but wonder where Disney might be right now if they had kept their noses out of some very unstable places. And network TV can be very unstable.

Well all of us can't help but wonder what Disney would be like without ABC, however, one can also wonder what Disney can do now that they have ABC. Not all of which will be bad.

Brian

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

There would be more $ into the big Disney account if they demolished the speedway and built more accomodation.
Disney was definitely wrong when they meddled with motor sports.

 

[btb6mm]

More accomodation for what?

Why so wrong to meddle in motor sports?

:hammer:

I guess you would want them to tear the track down and make another parking lot?

Wow that would create more $$$ being empty all the time.

This thread started out pretty good but has gone down the tubes.

 

[Mr Bill]

looks at btb6mm's screenname. I predist... you are a ... Mark Martin fan.

 

[btb6mm]

Mr. Bill you are correct in you preception yes I am a Mark Martin Fan.

It's Mark all the way for me! And hey when Mark wins this Championship it'll be little blue pills for everyone! and we'll have one heck of an up lifting party!

GO 6!!! GO BLUE CREW!!!!

 

[dreamer]

I think Disney could make a Winston Cup race work but it would require an incredible investment of time, promotion, building infrastructure, etc. Race fans like to get into town a week before the race and hang out in their campers. The challenge would be to get them to spend another $500 per person more to see the parks IN ADDITION to the big bucks they're spending on the race. I don't think the average race fan is into all that walking.

I also think that bringing in Winston Cup would keep current Disney fans away. (I would certainly not go to DW during a Winston Cup race week. I wouldn't want to be afraid of having a 24 on my shirt -- although I wouldn't anyway -- or watching someone else get attacked for being a fan of the wrong driver. It happens all the time.) So they'd just be filling the parks with different people, if they could fill them at all.

Winston Cup is not just people driving in for a race and then driving out again. It's a whole culture which to some extent is incompatible with "Disney magic." (I know because although I'm not a NASCAR fan I live in a NASCAR town -- Bristol.)

However, I think getting promotions from some drivers like the Pettys and Jeff and Dale, Jr. etc and bringing them in for a mini NASCAR week and getting people into the cars with Disney character involvement may be a profitable idea. Who knows, it may be a start for something bigger --- but I think Disney should build an off-site track, or better yet buy an existing off site track if they want to get involved with Winston Cup.

 

[Niacin]

I'd pay $125 to drive on the Disney track...in my car.

Max