So is the Hyperion Wharf project dead?

[flavious27]

I'm impressed that Disney made Best Buy go to the lengths they did to make the kiosks fit in with the garden district theme of Downtown Disney. The kiosks and all customer-facing equipment is sage green instead of bright blue, as one example.

It isn't that uncommon for businesses to follow any rules about the architecture in the towns and communities that they are building in.

Wildwood NJ is on a doo wop kick, so new building need to adopt those elements into its location.

Wildwood Wawa:

Typical Wawa:

 

[Testtrack321]

How is a kiosk selling goods out of place in a SHOPPING district?

As for need, no one needs any of the things for sale in any of the DTD shops. They want them and then buy them.

Sometimes people just aren't happy till Disney sells the electronics themselves in highly themed and hard to maintain custom shops.

I've actually *been* to DLR and DTD and saw one of those machines after passing it 5 times they're so well blended in. They're also handy, they sell some DS games and have chargers for various phones and devices. Rather have two Best Buy kiosks than one McDonalds, but that might just be me....

 

[flavious27]

How is a kiosk selling goods out of place in a SHOPPING district?

As for need, no one needs any of the things for sale in any of the DTD shops. They want them and then buy them.

It is the goods that this oversized vending machine is selling. These kiosks are selling a handful of gps devices, even though most of dlr and dtd guests are local and they somehow already figured out how to get there. For locals I don't see buying a gaming system or music player as an impulse buy; for guests, why would they need either when they are at an amusement park? Now cameras and power adapters are useful to sell in these machines.

 

[Tigger1988]

It is the goods that this oversized vending machine is selling. These kiosks are selling a handful of gps devices, even though most of dlr and dtd guests are local and they somehow already figured out how to get there. For locals I don't see buying a gaming system or music player as an impulse buy; for guests, why would they need either when they are at an amusement park? Now cameras and power adapters are useful to sell in these machines.

Did you take issue with the massive Virgin Megastore in DTD? It sold music players and other electronics including video game consoles. Who on vacation needs to buy an Xbox? Again it's not about need, it's about what someone may WANT.

 

[flavious27]

Did you take issue with the massive Virgin Megastore in DTD? It sold music players and other electronics including video game consoles. Who on vacation needs to buy an Xbox? Again it's not about need, it's about what someone may WANT.

True, but the virgin megastore primarily sold music, and it is no longer there.

 

[Kamikaze]

It is the goods that this oversized vending machine is selling. These kiosks are selling a handful of gps devices, even though most of dlr and dtd guests are local and they somehow already figured out how to get there. For locals I don't see buying a gaming system or music player as an impulse buy; for guests, why would they need either when they are at an amusement park? Now cameras and power adapters are useful to sell in these machines.

What exactly do you need as an impulse buy from 90% of DTD stores?

 

[Tigger1988]

True, but the virgin megastore primarily sold music, and it is no longer there.

It doesn't matter that it's no longer there, the store was on property for long enough. It sold WAY more than just music, if I remember correctly the entire upper floor was books and they had just as many DVDs in stock as they did CDs.

Fact remains they sold way more electronics that no one "needs" than the Best Buy kiosk.

 

[unkadug]

What exactly do you need as an impulse buy from 90% of DTD stores?

Aren't all purchases at WDW impulse buys?

Does anyone absolutely need to own a Disney Hat/Shirt/etc?

 

[Kamikaze]

Aren't all purchases at WDW impulse buys?

Does anyone absolutely need to own a Disney Hat/Shirt/etc?

Obviously not, but those types of purchases are souvenirs, and stuff you can't easily get elsewhere. I'm thinking of places like 'Basin' and 'Ridemakerz' which are even more of a waste than a BBY Kiosk.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Obviously not, but those types of purchases are souvenirs, and stuff you can't easily get elsewhere. I'm thinking of places like 'Basin' and 'Ridemakerz' which are even more of a waste than a BBY Kiosk.

I can't easily get a GPS, video game system, ear buds or charger for my iPhone on property, can you?

 

[jt04]

True, but the virgin megastore primarily sold music, and it is no longer there.

And if there had been a Borders Books it would be on the way out too. Times are changing and the Best Buy Kiosk is an attempt to keep up. If Apple was doing the same thing you can bet that most the people saying this isn't cutting edge would be claiming the opposite.

I have seen somewhat related applications such as virtual grocery stores in high traffic areas in korea. Seems very futuristic.

 

[xdan0920]

And if there had been a Borders Books it would be on the way out too. Times are changing and the Best Buy Kiosk is an attempt to keep up. If Apple was doing the same thing you can bet that most the people saying this isn't cutting edge would be claiming the opposite.

I have seen somewhat related applications such as virtual grocery stores in high traffic areas in korea. Seems very futuristic.

In response to your sig. Cars 2 is the poorest performing Pixar movie ever.

 

[disney fan 13]

In response to your sig. Cars 2 is the poorest performing Pixar movie ever.

i second this

 

[juniorthomas]

It is indeed. Internally it`s the biggest mess since.... well, DCA comes to mind. Let alone the FLE debacle.

It`s safe to say what comes at the end of the story for DTD central will be a crisis-avert route to cover up the sorry state of affairs the project has become.

What we may or may not get could in the long run be worth waiting for, even if it has nothing to do with the original PI site. But what will come will be nothing to do with the original ill conceived, short-sighted and poorly planned idea that was HW.

How is FLE a debacle?

 

[juniorthomas]

People come to Disney to escape real life. I know if I was a best buy employee I would hate seeing that while on vacation!! That's what I love about disney world is that I'm not seeing businesses and branding that is smacked in my face all day when I'm not on vaca. It's what makes it feel like a special place where the outside world hasn't encroached upon. Today its a best buy kiosk, what's next??! to me it's a sign that Disney is cashing in on some easy marketing dollars by allowing this, so if this is ok then where is their boundary? I'm sorry I just think there should be no major businesses on Disney property other than Disney owned ones. I'm not even really a fan of all the non Disney restaurants at dtd.

I don't know. A DTD kiosk isn't something that would destroy my vacation. This is no different from the soda machines that are there.

 

[juniorthomas]

i bet he never ate at a rainforest cafe either.

TRUTH. (He's better off because of it too.)

 

[Kamikaze]

In response to your sig. Cars 2 is the poorest performing Pixar movie ever.

Depends on how you judge. If you're going Worldwide gross, you're wrong, it isn't (simply because of ticket prices being so much higher.) It is also ahead of 'A Bug's Life' domestically. If you're talking number of tickets sold, the studios don't report that, so even though it is correct, there is no way to prove it.

Regardless, it is still the 118th (at the moment) highest grossing movie of all time. $440m is nothing to sneeze at. Disney made their money on it, and DVD/BD and merch sales only go on top of that.

 

[juniorthomas]

Depends on how you judge. If you're going Worldwide gross, you're wrong, it isn't (simply because of ticket prices being so much higher.) It is also ahead of 'A Bug's Life' domestically. If you're talking number of tickets sold, the studios don't report that, so even though it is correct, there is no way to prove it.

Regardless, it is still the 118th (at the moment) highest grossing movie of all time. $440m is nothing to sneeze at. Disney made their money on it, and DVD/BD and merch sales only go on top of that.

It's not doing nearly as poorly as everyone else seems to think it is - but you have to factor in that the budget for Cars 2 was considerably higher than 'A Bug's Life':

A Bugs Life $162m domestic gross / $120m budget = 1.35 ROI
Cars 2 $184m domestic gross (still active) / $200m budget = 0.92 ROI

So yeah, it's not Toy Story 3, but a lot of studios would kill for that kind of return on such a large budget.

And of course, merchandising will be huge for Cars 2. They wont worry about losing money on this picture...

 

[devoy1701]

It's not doing nearly as poorly as everyone else seems to think it is - but you have to factor in that the budget for Cars 2 was considerably higher than 'A Bug's Life':

A Bugs Life $162m domestic gross / $120m budget = 1.35 ROI
Cars 2 $184m domestic gross (still active) / $200m budget = 0.92 ROI

So yeah, it's not Toy Story 3, but a lot of studios would kill for that kind of return on such a large budget.

And of course, merchandising will be huge for Cars 2. They wont worry about losing money on this picture...

Are you throwing in Marketing Campaigns into those #s are well or just production costs?

 

[Skipper Dan]

Aren't all purchases at WDW impulse buys?

Does anyone absolutely need to own a Disney Hat/Shirt/etc?

Do you know that your avatar is the barcode for a Derma Roller? :lookaroun