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Slash and Burn ...
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
Also let me say that I do realize it is a business. But nobody complains about the gift shop after POTC because the attraction is good and it deserves a shop. Tower of Terror gift shop? Never heard any complaints. For these attractions, the merchandise supports the attraction, not the other way around.
Most people would agree that the addition of SGE certainly seems to be merchandise based more than anything else, including AE complaints.
Most people would agree that the addition of SGE certainly seems to be merchandise based more than anything else, including AE complaints.
I'm assuming you meant to say this the other way around.
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
No, but I can see how someone might read it that way. I meant to say that the merchandise is there in support of the attraction, not that the attraction is there in support of the merchandise available.
In other words the merchandise aids the experience and isn't the focus. That is more clear way
imagineer boy
Well-Known Member
Heck, they completely rediverted one of the exits of one of the theaters so that it exited into Mickey's Stat Traders...
Lee
Adventurer
Of course TV has always been like that....but not Disney parks. It has only in fairly recent years that merchandise sales has become the focus of the parks.
The best ride concept in the world would get shot down if it wasn't guaranteed to sell tons of merchandise.
Im assuming thats for new attractions as some of the older (and higher quality in my opinion) attractions like Hall of the Presidents and CoP probably sell little to no merchandise?
Lee
Adventurer
Exactly, which would likely prevent them from being built in today's MK.
docandsix
Active Member
A depressing assertion...
To reassure myself, I'm trying to think of an example to prove Lee wrong.
Expedition Everest broke a fairly long drought during which most major attractions represented reiterations of movie or plush franchises. The only significant exceptions (if one counts them, which I do not) were the off-the-shelf carnival rides in Dinoland, U.S.A. After Everest came Soarin', which might be the best recent example of a major attraction that stands to sell relatively few trinkets.
Test Track, Misson:Space, and Rock'n'Roller Coaster were not based on films, but obviously geared to push retail sales.
I can accept the notion of Disney trying to capitalize on the quality of a major attraction by selling related merchandise (Everest, Tower of Terror, or Misson:Space, e.g.), but it discourages me a great deal to think that something like The American Adventure wouldn't be approved in WDW's current corporate culture.
Can anyone think of a similar attraction (Hall of Presidents, etc.) that has made it past planning and been built in the past decade? Most of Animal Kingdom (my favorite park, partly for this reason) was immune from this nonsense until Countdown to Extinction was rebranded after a horrible movie. (I realize that this may have been the plan all along.)
What about something like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? Is even this sort of attraction now off the table? I know it's decades old, but it doesn't sell much if anything, as far as I can tell.
Finally, can those "in the know" tell us roughly what percentage of management remain true to Walt Disney's vision of family entertainment and theme park planning, and how high up in the food chain they have ascended?
To reassure myself, I'm trying to think of an example to prove Lee wrong.
Expedition Everest broke a fairly long drought during which most major attractions represented reiterations of movie or plush franchises. The only significant exceptions (if one counts them, which I do not) were the off-the-shelf carnival rides in Dinoland, U.S.A. After Everest came Soarin', which might be the best recent example of a major attraction that stands to sell relatively few trinkets.
Test Track, Misson:Space, and Rock'n'Roller Coaster were not based on films, but obviously geared to push retail sales.
I can accept the notion of Disney trying to capitalize on the quality of a major attraction by selling related merchandise (Everest, Tower of Terror, or Misson:Space, e.g.), but it discourages me a great deal to think that something like The American Adventure wouldn't be approved in WDW's current corporate culture.
Can anyone think of a similar attraction (Hall of Presidents, etc.) that has made it past planning and been built in the past decade? Most of Animal Kingdom (my favorite park, partly for this reason) was immune from this nonsense until Countdown to Extinction was rebranded after a horrible movie. (I realize that this may have been the plan all along.)
What about something like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? Is even this sort of attraction now off the table? I know it's decades old, but it doesn't sell much if anything, as far as I can tell.
Finally, can those "in the know" tell us roughly what percentage of management remain true to Walt Disney's vision of family entertainment and theme park planning, and how high up in the food chain they have ascended?
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
The truth can hurt sometimes
As for your other points, Soarin' and Everest are thrill rides and can be marketed to the teenage crowd that apparently hates Disney. Also, Everest does have a gift shop at the end of a ride unfortunately. The American Adventure? A 30 minute sit down theater show without characters to market? lolz
Southern Lady
New Member
Creatively not Slash and Burn
I first took my children to WDW in 1972. It was 26 years later that I took my grandchildren. What keeps me going every year is WDW creativeness. When it stops that, then I won't go. I go by myself now, and at age 72 still enjoy it. I have ridden every ride there except Space Mountain. I did not like Alien nor Stitch's Great Escape. I enjoy Its great to be a bug because its fun, and full of imagination.
Walt Disney's movie of Snow White came out in 1937. It was planned during the depression. People went to movies! In his book, Neal Gabler said "For Depression audiences specifically as well as for the audiences who would see the film in succeeding decades, Snow White's effect then was not so much in its escapism, as critics at the time of its release reported, as in its suggestion of vicarious power-for children over their own lives and for adults over the real world that often seemed beyond their control."
Where else do CM say, "Have a Magical Day". That says it all!
I first took my children to WDW in 1972. It was 26 years later that I took my grandchildren. What keeps me going every year is WDW creativeness. When it stops that, then I won't go. I go by myself now, and at age 72 still enjoy it. I have ridden every ride there except Space Mountain. I did not like Alien nor Stitch's Great Escape. I enjoy Its great to be a bug because its fun, and full of imagination.
Walt Disney's movie of Snow White came out in 1937. It was planned during the depression. People went to movies! In his book, Neal Gabler said "For Depression audiences specifically as well as for the audiences who would see the film in succeeding decades, Snow White's effect then was not so much in its escapism, as critics at the time of its release reported, as in its suggestion of vicarious power-for children over their own lives and for adults over the real world that often seemed beyond their control."
Where else do CM say, "Have a Magical Day". That says it all!
EpcotServo
Well-Known Member
And it certainly deserves it!
:sohappy:
I'm all for shops at the end of rides as long as they are as thematically linked with the attraction as Everest's, RNR's, and Tower's shops are.
marcriss
Member
"But look at Disney ... Everest, the new 'signature' attraction at DAK runs with most of its effects inoperable (something that back in the 1980s and 90s would have had the ride shut down until things were fixed!) ... the highlight of the Nemo clam ride's angler fish hasn't worked in months ... the Davy Jones effect hasn't been working most of the time on PoC.
So ... I'm not looking to complain about the competition. I'm looking for Disney to get its damn act together. For $79 a day, these things should all be running in 100% show quality. Period. No excuses.[/QUOTE]
I asked someone about the Angler fish a couple of weeks ago. The CM said "it's not working right now" in a strange way. It led me to believe that they have the angler fish turned off, perhaps because it scared the kids.
I say "Turn it on!" The witch from Snow White still gives me the creeps, but I lived. And before I get criticized, I have a 6yr old and a 2yr old. You adapt (and for the record my 6yr old has "issues" so I'm used to anxiety-ridden kids).
I agree that quality has diminished all while prices increase. Disney's "brand" is "The Happiest Place on Earth." It's tough to live up to, but that's what they've chosen. I'm frustrated over the loss of value for my many dollars, but like many others I'll continue to go back. I just hope Disney realizes that they are hurting their core, the nuts who do keep coming back.
And one last thing: CoP, Swiss family, keel boats, river boat, etc have all been seasonal for decades. Same with TS Island. Your indication of how busy the parks are or how bad the weather is (for CoP) is whether these attractions are open.
So ... I'm not looking to complain about the competition. I'm looking for Disney to get its damn act together. For $79 a day, these things should all be running in 100% show quality. Period. No excuses.[/QUOTE]
I asked someone about the Angler fish a couple of weeks ago. The CM said "it's not working right now" in a strange way. It led me to believe that they have the angler fish turned off, perhaps because it scared the kids.
I say "Turn it on!" The witch from Snow White still gives me the creeps, but I lived. And before I get criticized, I have a 6yr old and a 2yr old. You adapt (and for the record my 6yr old has "issues" so I'm used to anxiety-ridden kids).
I agree that quality has diminished all while prices increase. Disney's "brand" is "The Happiest Place on Earth." It's tough to live up to, but that's what they've chosen. I'm frustrated over the loss of value for my many dollars, but like many others I'll continue to go back. I just hope Disney realizes that they are hurting their core, the nuts who do keep coming back.
And one last thing: CoP, Swiss family, keel boats, river boat, etc have all been seasonal for decades. Same with TS Island. Your indication of how busy the parks are or how bad the weather is (for CoP) is whether these attractions are open.
Lee
Adventurer
Nope. It's turned off because it doesn't work properly, if at all. THE major effect on the ride (other than the projections)and it is allowed to just sit there in the dark. Sad.
Danhockey04
New Member
The angler fish was working a couple days ago and I was stunned cause it was working! Just thought I'd throw that in there.
