News Spaceship Earth Refurb - 2 Year Closure

[Bender123]

Pretty sure Iger should get the credit. But that doesn't fit the talking points script here and elsewhere so nobody will give credit where it is due. With few exceptions.

Iger should get some credit...but its more due to business than his desire to be known as a savior of the parks. Remember, he has let the parks languish for almost his entire tenure and much of the reason there is so much happening now, is due to almost nothing happening over the past 10-15 years.

You also need to remember he is not on good terms with anybody from Uni/Comcast and having Uni make massive gains on WDW in the attendance ratings was a personal sting that a guy like Iger wasn't likely to accept. His thoughts on the parks for a decade was "People will come because its Disney"...until they didn't.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Martin, the one thing that confuses me is that if MK is only getting one new ride by 2021, how is it considered MK centric. To the uninitiated, it appears as though more has been done and will be done, especially to DHS and Epcot, leading up to the 50th. Whereas MK is getting Tron, as far as major attractions are concerned. Is everything else being refurbed/changed/added to help pull guests away from MK during its 50th anniversary?

The things MK will be getting for the 50th:

• a new fireworks show or a revised HEA
• a new night time 'electric' parade
• a new day time parade or a revised FoF
• the completion of the Tomorrowland refresh
• TRON Light Cycles
• TRON Racers (a thematic refresh of Speedway, if the budget holds)
• most assuredly a new castle show
• probably a new Move It Shake it with a company-wide theme
• definitely a new cupcake
• gate-front infrastructure continued to be upgraded for even larger crowds
• updated PhilharMagic
• maybe the explosion scene added to BTMR like it is for DL
• maybe a replacement for Stitch's Great Escape by then
• Carousel of Progress refurb, especially last scene
• likely a lot of temporary, pop-up streetmosphere
• bunting... lots and lots of bunting.

 

[jt04]

Iger should get some credit...but its more due to business than his desire to be known as a savior of the parks. Remember, he has let the parks languish for almost his entire tenure and much of the reason there is so much happening now, is due to almost nothing happening over the past 10-15 years.

You also need to remember he is not on good terms with anybody from Uni/Comcast and having Uni make massive gains on WDW in the attendance ratings was a personal sting that a guy like Iger wasn't likely to accept. His thoughts on the parks for a decade was "People will come because its Disney"...until they didn't.

I don't buy any of this. Shanghai, Pandora, DCA 2.0, Disney Springs and the years of planning that went into SW:GE were very resource intensive behind the scenes. They were not sitting still.

Massive infrastructure planning and investment were occurring at the DLR and WDW. Also resource intensive. This we see clearly was an absolute necessity.

You or anyone else can't gloss over these facts and expect to maintain credibility.

 

[Bender123]

I don't buy any of this. Shanghai, Pandora, DCA 2.0, Disney Springs and the years of planning that went into SW:GE were very resource intensive behind the scenes. They were not sitting still.

Massive infrastructure planning and investment were occurring at the DLR and WDW. Also resource intensive. This we see clearly was an absolute necessity.

You or anyone else can't gloss over these facts and expect to maintain credibility.

Except what you are missing in your statements on places like Shanghai, Pandora, Springs and SWGE is that these are all relatively recent reactions to outside forces. Im not saying that Iger is to blame for everything, but he didn't seem to motivated to fix the problems until Uni rolled out Harry Potter to flat WDW attendance numbers.

 

[marni1971]

I don't buy any of this. Shanghai, Pandora, DCA 2.0, Disney Springs and the years of planning that went into SW:GE were very resource intensive behind the scenes. They were not sitting still.

Massive infrastructure planning and investment were occurring at the DLR and WDW. Also resource intensive. This we see clearly was an absolute necessity.

You or anyone else can't gloss over these facts and expect to maintain credibility.

Credibility?

 

[marni1971]

Martin, the one thing that confuses me is that if MK is only getting one new ride by 2021, how is it considered MK centric?

It’s not just about new builds. The dust cloth will come out too.

 

[jt04]

Except what you are missing in your statements on places like Shanghai, Pandora, Springs and SWGE is that these are all relatively recent reactions to outside forces. Im not saying that Iger is to blame for everything, but he didn't seem to motivated to fix the problems until Uni rolled out Harry Potter to flat WDW attendance numbers.

Oh, I forgot to mention Carsland. Begun well before Disney discarded the Potterverse to Universal. So there's that. Lots of revisionists on these boards.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

Iger should get some credit...but its more due to business than his desire to be known as a savior of the parks. Remember, he has let the parks languish for almost his entire tenure and much of the reason there is so much happening now, is due to almost nothing happening over the past 10-15 years.

You also need to remember he is not on good terms with anybody from Uni/Comcast and having Uni make massive gains on WDW in the attendance ratings was a personal sting that a guy like Iger wasn't likely to accept. His thoughts on the parks for a decade was "People will come because its Disney"...until they didn't.

Iger took over Disney when the most urgent parks-related emergencies were DCA 1.0, WDSP, and HKDL (and arguably getting a second chance in China via SDL). He immediately got to work on restoring quality in those parks, which required many years and billions of dollars. Major WDW expansion was always intended to happen after that, in my understanding (plus don’t forget NFL and Pandora).

He inherited a mess with the parks, and had to make difficult decisions in the long process of cleaning it up.

 

[Rteetz]

It’s not just about new builds. The dust cloth will come out too.

A much needed dust cloth.

 

[disneyC97]

A much needed dust cloth.

Can the dust cloth come out and stay out?

 

[jt04]

Iger took over Disney when the most urgent parks-related emergencies were DCA 1.0, WDSP, and HKDL (and arguably getting a second chance in China via SDL). He immediately got to work on restoring quality in those parks, which required many years and billions of dollars. Major WDW expansion was always intended to happen after that, in my understanding (plus don’t forget NFL and Pandora).

He inherited a mess with the parks, and had to make difficult decisions in the long process of cleaning it up.

Not to mention there was even talk of WDW being sold off in lots. The company truly was at risk of a hostile takeover. There was even a certain spirit trying to nudge it that way.

 

[jt04]

Iger took over Disney when the most urgent parks-related emergencies were DCA 1.0, WDSP, and HKDL (and arguably getting a second chance in China via SDL). He immediately got to work on restoring quality in those parks, which required many years and billions of dollars. Major WDW expansion was always intended to happen after that, in my understanding (plus don’t forget NFL and Pandora).

He inherited a mess with the parks, and had to make difficult decisions in the long process of cleaning it up.

I'm quoting this twice because it is so accurate. Thanks for shining some light on the subject.

Maybe I can retire from the magic. Again.

 

[rnese]

It’s not just about new builds. The dust cloth will come out too.

Hopefully they'll fix the phone in the Hat Shop!

 

[Timothy_Q]

I'd say it's time Epcot got its own sub forum under the DHS one

@wdwmagic?

 

[trainplane3]

I'd say it's time Epcot got its own sub forum under the DHS one

@wdwmagic?

This has been brought up before. Basically we were told that once construction walls went up, then we'll get a subforum. There's a lot of talk but not much action right now.

 

[Timothy_Q]

This has been brought up before. Basically we were told that once construction walls went up, then we'll get a subforum. There's a lot of talk but not much action right now.

Not much action?
There's plenty happening already

Ratatouille
GotG
Illuminations replacement
Space Restaurant
Skyliner

 

[trainplane3]

Not much action?
There's plenty happening already

Ratatouille
GotG
Illuminations replacement
Space Restaurant
Skyliner

Action as in the FW overhaul which hasn't started. That's what we were told a little over a year ago. Maybe it's changed. Those are all their own "small project", not an entire land overhaul/expansion.

 

[Timothy_Q]

Action as in the FW overhaul which hasn't started. That's what we were told a little over a year ago. Maybe it's changed. Those are all their own "small project", not an entire land overhaul/expansion.

Whatever you wanna call it, Epcot hasn't gotten this much attention in more than 20 years.

I'd say it's a good time to group all threads to make it easier for people to follow the changes the park is going through

 

[trainplane3]

Whatever you wanna call it, Epcot hasn't gotten this much attention in more than 20 years.

I'd say it's a good time to group all threads to make it easier for people to follow the changes the park is going through

Definitely not disagreeing, was just stating what we were told before.

Trust me, I'm all for a subforum.

 

[Haymarket2008]

Whatever you wanna call it, Epcot hasn't gotten this much attention in more than 20 years.

I'd say it's a good time to group all threads to make it easier for people to follow the changes the park is going through

Agreed! Let the subforum happen! The seal has been broken, I think, with all Marni tidbits.