Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[WDW1974]

I'm sorry, but having an overly preachy story about a topic that most people really don't care about (though is an important topic, just not one most care about)...ending with a dead elephant (or even an injured one)...

Really, I go to church to get preached at, not theme parks. Especially since the ride offered nothing but awareness...no real actions an individual could take on the ride to stop real poaching...

It's insulting, preachy, and silly. And should never have been storyboarded. I don't go to Disney to reflect on real world issues, I go to Disney to escape from them.

I appreciate that people go to Disney to escape (although with the typical behavior I see amongst guests and CMs, that's easier said than done). But Disney was headed in the right direction. You can't open an animal park and act like all is hunky-dory with the planet and as caretakers of it, it is up to us to decide what type of planet we want this to be.

I will agree that the story was weak as done ... I would have left the dead elephant and gone for the shock value on one hand, but realize how you can't do that on the other. I dunno what the answer was/is ...but the attraction is worse than ever now and I think that's a shame because it is one of the best experiences at WDW.

Someone needs to tell this to Ricky 'I cover WDW but go to this park once or twice a year because like most fanboi bloggers and lifestylers if it isn't MK or EPCOT or Studios (but only during Star Wars Weekends) than I have no interest in it whatsoever' Brigante.

Maybe someone here who is a fan of his can Tweet him that the evil Spirit is attacking him ... they could also ask if he tried to talk to Georgie K today or if he has looked into the UNI expansion plans that I placed out here. If not there's always Frosted Josh, Pirate Fred, Wannabe Lou and any number of insignificant bloggers who are likely getting paid vacations this week. I hear theBRAND ADVOCATES are getting those new renovated rooms at the WL ... very nice.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm not attending as none of my clients are interested in what Disney has to market right now.

I don't blame them. But I'm sure the parties will be fun and the booze will be pouring and the whores will be grabbing as many pins and vinyls from the media rooms as they can ...

 

[englanddg]

I appreciate that people go to Disney to escape (although with the typical behavior I see amongst guests and CMs, that's easier said than done). But Disney was headed in the right direction. You can't open an animal park and act like all is hunky-dory with the planet and as caretakers of it, it is up to us to decide what type of planet we want this to be.

This part of your post captivated me.

Specifically, it's easy to preach about sustainability and the the impact humans have on the environment.

It's completely different to take it to the next level and instead of shaming people who are not poachers and will probably never purchase items that support the poaching trade (rather, they support items that support the "ok with us" foreign slave labor wages in asia which make all the Disney crap we purchase)...

Bit off track...

The point is, it's completely different to say "here is a sad story, and here is what you can do and here is what we are doing as a species to grow beyond this", rather than "here is a sad story, and you should feel bad and you can do nothing...Bambi dies because of selfish hunters...take that you kids! I hope you enjoyed the ride!"

 

[englanddg]

This is where EPCOT should step in. Instead of silly exhibitions about how to keep fires out of the house and how to make your own video game, they should be hosting exhibits from electric car companies, and new age energy companies.

In my youth, Communicores inspired me to care about electrical engineering and computers. The current exhibits do none of that...

 

[articos]

Iger would be a better fit on Wall Street. Wall Street loves him because he thinks like Wall Street. However, at TWDC, he slowly is killing the creativity and innovation that made Disney what it is.

Bob doesn't think like Wall Street, Bob is Wall Street. Bob's a Jack Welch. And I'm not saying that in a negative fashion, that's simply the world he inhabits.

Iger exemplifies the modern CEO: intelligent, well-spoken, professional, personable but, in the end, a number cruncher. A number cruncher tends to be dispassionate about one’s own product. A number cruncher often lacks vision. It takes vision to grow a company. Since Iger lacks vision, he grows the company through acquisition. He looks for incremental growth in businesses he knows rather than for new opportunities.

Walt Disney’s decision to build Disneyland represents exactly the kind of vision Iger lacks. The company knew absolutely nothing about amusement parks when Walt decided to launch this venture. Most told him he was crazy to do so.

In order to fund DL, the Disney brothers sold much of DL's ownership. For $500K cash and a guaranteed loan for another $4.5M, they sold 34% interest in DL to ABC. Another 13.8% went to Western Printing and Lithographing for $200K. Walt himself purchased 17.5% ownership for $250K. Bank of America funded most of DL with a $11M loan. At the time, Bank of America was nervous about that loan amount, not sure that the company could survive if DL failed. Walt supposedly was about $100K in personal debt until DL's finances fell into place. DL was a huge financial risk and it took several years to pay off the original loans. Eventually, WDP bought back 100% ownership of DL (using more loans to do it), including purchasing Walt's share and buyouts of all the concessionaires in DL.

As it turned out, DL became a cash cow for Disney for decades. The company’s financial success in the 1950s to 1980s was built primarily on theme parks. Even today the parks are big money makers for TWDC. But they aren’t seeing the aggressive growth Iger wants exactly because he lacks the vision to expand them the way Eisner did. TWDC could build (for example) a Fifth Gate but there’s no assurance it would be a financial success because there’s no one at today’s TWDC capable of making the right creative decisions to make sure it was a financial success.

For Iger, it’s much better to build DL versions 5 & 6 in the Far East, cruise ships #5 & #6, DVC resorts #12 & #13, Iron Man #3, Star Wars #7 #8 & #9, etc. That’s Iger.

Iger is one of the most difficult kinds of CEOs to redirect because he makes the kind of short-term decisions Wall Street loves. But in 10-20 years, what does Disney offer? Cruise ships #11 & #12? Iron Man #6? At some point, the well runs dry and creativity is required. Vision is required. A visionary creates IP that can be built on for decades to come.

Like Walt did.

My love for you(r spectacularly accurate reasoning) knows no bounds.

I remember the 2005 DVD (the one with Erin) and they were advertising "Figment/The Imagination Pavilion" - from that DVD, I didn't even realise that there was a ride in there - I thought it was just a gigantic kids playground.

...it does feature a clip from the seats of the ride, but it is in the middle of the playground, so it doesn't seem that it's an actual ride - just part of the playground!

To me, everything about this is painful, from the writing to the talent to the "comedy". "Bonus, this is where you can find Nemo, the little guy inspired by Walt Disney's presentation of the Pixar Animation Studios Film "Finding Nemo"" Um, excuse me while I shred this dvd.

Ive heard 300-500 million. Depending on who you ask.

It was/is more than 300mm.

The BAH was a marketing deal that was supposed to be there for two years. They're still deciding when it will be coming down (sooner rather than later).

WoL and World Showplace were given to Convention Services as temporary loans. Do you think attractions will ever see them again?

Sooner than later indeed. And no.

Your photo safari was interrupted as-"something went wrong!"-your guide gets a call that there are poachers who killed an elephant and have captured "Baby Red," a young elephant. You "save" the elephant from the poachers. The elephant is an obvious fake, a cheap AA, which works fine for the Jungle Cruise, but when you put it in at the end of the Safaris, guests went away wondering how many of the other animals they just saw were fakes. Not exactly what you want happening in your very expensive new safari ride, with real animals. And a safari is certainly exciting enough without a lame, preachy "story" about conservation.

It was a hideous pockmark on an otherwise perfect attraction.

This is theme park story development 101. We sometimes call it theme park mad libs. "Blank and Blank are happening over by Blank, during the course of Blank. AND THEN SOMETHING GOES HORRIBLY WRONG!" You can plug the formula into attractions all over the world. Including Mystic Manor.

 

[articos]

@Clever Name

Alright, from wikipedia -
"In 2007-9, the trucks were extended with an extra row of seating, allowing for more capacity. Also, the safari script/story, along with the Wilson/Jobson story has significantly changed. There is less of a story about "Little Red", and more about the animals in the Reserve and the need to find a lost elephant at the end. This led to a somewhat confused plot in which guests are searching for a lost "mother elephant" and eventually find her baby which, according to the story, had already been safe the whole time.
The ride originally featured a cast member in the role of a gun-toting reserve warden who captured the poachers and saved Big Red and Little Red. This element of the attraction was eventually eliminated. During Cast Previews of Disney's Animal Kingdom, there was a "Dark Ending" in which the safari vehicle encountered the slaughtered corpse of Big Red. This scene proved too shocking for families and children, and thus was eventually changed to give the attraction a happier ending.
Long before the safari or even Walt Disney World opened, Walt Disney wanted to use real African animals for the river attraction Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. However, due to several reasons, Audio-Animatronics replicas were placed instead.
In July 2010 it was announced that guests will soon be able to go on "guided treks" around the savannah. This will include areas that are not part of the regular ride experience.[1]
On February 10, 2012 it was announced that the "Little Red" portion of the ride was to be removed, and replaced with a zebra exhibit. It has been confirmed that the ride will remain open during construction, and this exhibit opened in the fall of 2012.[2]"


Looks like the dead elephant story line was removed pretty early..Now, I wonder if I saw it or just read about it. We were there about 2 months after opening, my parents, my fiance (now wife) and me. I mostly remember being awed by how beautiful the park was and thinking that they'll have to open more rides and whatnot soon. What a crazy thought process that turned out to be!

She was removed before the park grand opening. And it wasn't grotesque, but it wasn't pretty. The team experimented with how much of the fake elephant to show, but it was simply a mistake. Towards the end of previews, it ended up with mostly just her tusks sticking out from under a tarp, then the entire figure was removed. It was the wrong emotional beat to end on.

It's in the Universal Studios Florida park in soundstage 44 where the old and temporary haunted house on Halloween Horror Nights used to be. There will also be an Express Pass line and a Single rider line as well right from the get go.

Hehe, you know the building as a HHN temporary venue, but this was originally Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theater and then Herc & Xena before being used as simple warehouse space given over to HHN.

 

[Darth Sidious]

And here's Georgie:

« Back to article

• 
  
  
  Walt Disney World President George Kalogridis hangs back and takes some photos.
  Jim Carchidi

Oh he just wanted to send a snapchat in front of the map.

 

[openendedsky]

And here's Georgie:

« Back to article

• 
  
  
  Walt Disney World President George Kalogridis hangs back and takes some photos.
  Jim Carchidi

I feel like every time George does show up it's like coming across an extremely rare Pokemon or something.

 

[Darth Sidious]

Iger exemplifies the modern CEO: intelligent, well-spoken, professional, personable but, in the end, a number cruncher. A number cruncher tends to be dispassionate about one’s own product. A number cruncher often lacks vision. It takes vision to grow a company. Since Iger lacks vision, he grows the company through acquisition. He looks for incremental growth in businesses he knows rather than for new opportunities.

Walt Disney’s decision to build Disneyland represents exactly the kind of vision Iger lacks. The company knew absolutely nothing about amusement parks when Walt decided to launch this venture. Most told him he was crazy to do so.

In order to fund DL, the Disney brothers sold much of DL's ownership. For $500K cash and a guaranteed loan for another $4.5M, they sold 34% interest in DL to ABC. Another 13.8% went to Western Printing and Lithographing for $200K. Walt himself purchased 17.5% ownership for $250K. Bank of America funded most of DL with a $11M loan. At the time, Bank of America was nervous about that loan amount, not sure that the company could survive if DL failed. Walt supposedly was about $100K in personal debt until DL's finances fell into place. DL was a huge financial risk and it took several years to pay off the original loans. Eventually, WDP bought back 100% ownership of DL (using more loans to do it), including purchasing Walt's share and buyouts of all the concessionaires in DL.

As it turned out, DL became a cash cow for Disney for decades. The company’s financial success in the 1950s to 1980s was built primarily on theme parks. Even today the parks are big money makers for TWDC. But they aren’t seeing the aggressive growth Iger wants exactly because he lacks the vision to expand them the way Eisner did. TWDC could build (for example) a Fifth Gate but there’s no assurance it would be a financial success because there’s no one at today’s TWDC capable of making the right creative decisions to make sure it was a financial success.

For Iger, it’s much better to build DL versions 5 & 6 in the Far East, cruise ships #5 & #6, DVC resorts #12 & #13, Iron Man #3, Star Wars #7 #8 & #9, etc. That’s Iger.

Iger is one of the most difficult kinds of CEOs to redirect because he makes the kind of short-term decisions Wall Street loves. But in 10-20 years, what does Disney offer? Cruise ships #11 & #12? Iron Man #6? At some point, the well runs dry and creativity is required. Vision is required. A visionary creates IP that can be built on for decades to come.

Like Walt did.

I think, first off this is a wonderful post, as most of your posts are. That being, I don't think a fifth gate is a good idea at this time. They should focus on expanding and revamping the pre existing four parks first. Though I'd have the new park blue skyed so that you have everything as planned as possible in order to expedite the process.

Had Iger paid attention to WDW and its competitors it may be more of an option, but he didn't and still hasn't.

 

[xdan0920]

What do you have against Stitch? I know little about him (think it's a guy) other than he's obsessive over Disney merchandise and was in Japan last week, which I give any Disney fan credit for.

As for the news, they're also going to announce the renewals of the Magic and Wonder and that new winter food and wine ... and tech fest.

That's all big stuff ... I've also told @Lee to interrupt my secret holiday if George Kalogridis comes out of hiding and appears!

Winter Food & Wine?!?!?!?

If that's the case, Epcot will have F&W happening more often then not.

That's bad for a number of different reasons, one is obviously over saturation, see ABC's treatment of Millionaire.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I appreciate that people go to Disney to escape (although with the typical behavior I see amongst guests and CMs, that's easier said than done). But Disney was headed in the right direction. You can't open an animal park and act like all is hunky-dory with the planet and as caretakers of it, it is up to us to decide what type of planet we want this to be.

I will agree that the story was weak as done ... I would have left the dead elephant and gone for the shock value on one hand, but realize how you can't do that on the other. I dunno what the answer was/is ...but the attraction is worse than ever now and I think that's a shame because it is one of the best experiences at WDW.

"Alright folks, here we are in the deepest, darkest part of Africa... miles away from civilization and totally enveloped by Nature... please ignore the stately Wild Africa Trek building off to your right."

 

[openendedsky]

Iger exemplifies the modern CEO: intelligent, well-spoken, professional, personable but, in the end, a number cruncher. A number cruncher tends to be dispassionate about one’s own product. A number cruncher often lacks vision. It takes vision to grow a company. Since Iger lacks vision, he grows the company through acquisition. He looks for incremental growth in businesses he knows rather than for new opportunities.

Walt Disney’s decision to build Disneyland represents exactly the kind of vision Iger lacks. The company knew absolutely nothing about amusement parks when Walt decided to launch this venture. Most told him he was crazy to do so.

In order to fund DL, the Disney brothers sold much of DL's ownership. For $500K cash and a guaranteed loan for another $4.5M, they sold 34% interest in DL to ABC. Another 13.8% went to Western Printing and Lithographing for $200K. Walt himself purchased 17.5% ownership for $250K. Bank of America funded most of DL with a $11M loan. At the time, Bank of America was nervous about that loan amount, not sure that the company could survive if DL failed. Walt supposedly was about $100K in personal debt until DL's finances fell into place. DL was a huge financial risk and it took several years to pay off the original loans. Eventually, WDP bought back 100% ownership of DL (using more loans to do it), including purchasing Walt's share and buyouts of all the concessionaires in DL.

As it turned out, DL became a cash cow for Disney for decades. The company’s financial success in the 1950s to 1980s was built primarily on theme parks. Even today the parks are big money makers for TWDC. But they aren’t seeing the aggressive growth Iger wants exactly because he lacks the vision to expand them the way Eisner did. TWDC could build (for example) a Fifth Gate but there’s no assurance it would be a financial success because there’s no one at today’s TWDC capable of making the right creative decisions to make sure it was a financial success.

For Iger, it’s much better to build DL versions 5 & 6 in the Far East, cruise ships #5 & #6, DVC resorts #12 & #13, Iron Man #3, Star Wars #7 #8 & #9, etc. That’s Iger.

Iger is one of the most difficult kinds of CEOs to redirect because he makes the kind of short-term decisions Wall Street loves. But in 10-20 years, what does Disney offer? Cruise ships #11 & #12? Iron Man #6? At some point, the well runs dry and creativity is required. Vision is required. A visionary creates IP that can be built on for decades to come.

Like Walt did.

Like everybody else has said, this sums up the current situation perfectly and the company can't sustain on a business model like this. (Well, they could, and maybe finally people would catch on and stop supporting it, but as long as it sells, their incentive to do otherwise is probably little) There's little innovation with it, though.

 

[George]

Winter Food & Wine?!?!?!?

If that's the case, Epcot will have F&W happening more often then not.

That's bad for a number of different reasons, one is obviously over saturation, see ABC's treatment of Millionaire.

Many people will be over saturated which will make it awkward when you're in WS with kids....makes you wonder if they could have a separate area with bars and nightlife. That seems like a good idea.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

You know, I think last week I saw George at the AP conversion center. It was as I was exiting so I didn't get a close look, but it looked alot like him.

 

[jt04]

Not at present. But my whole family has been and I feel left out, even though they say it is too crowded.

But I doubt you are there ... why not come to WDW sometime and I'll let you buy me drinks. We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll make fun of the other guy with the same initials.

I will be at the ribbon cutting for Pandora. See you there.

I read an article a few years ago from the OBJ that explained Disney no longer felt it was a good strategy to compete directly with the other resorts in the area. Rather business would be better if they adopted a more 'cooperative' strategy. It was a fascinating article but troubling to me as a believer in competition.

You should really use your connections at the Journal to try and get a copy. I can't find it anywhere but I think it would help you understand better why everything is unfolding as it is. Its author is apparently prophetic.

I think Disney might be under pressure not to bury the competition. They did not want what happened to Microsoft to happen to them. The mouse was "encouraged" to 'play nice'. That is my theory.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I remember that too, but that couldn't have lasted long. I'm thinking maybe the first 6 months or something the park was open. I really should quit now or look stuff up on the internetz.....

The dead elephant storyline didn't make it to opening day.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Was talking about a friend named Tim who came on TV just as soon as I started typing my response to you!

But, hey, you should straighten your tie too. None of this slovenly typical WDW guest stuff is acceptable in any thread I start (also no strollers or ECVs, unless medically required, allowed!)

You're right, I should have figured that out...
For the record, I hate neckties, I had a no tie policy at my own wedding.

 

[twebber55]

You're right, I should have figured that out...
For the record, I hate neckties, I had a no tie policy at my own wedding.

i respect you even more now..putting your foot down to the mrs. before she became your mrs.

 

[RSoxNo1]

If you're the O-Town Biz Journal and you run a blog post such as that (was it in print too?), you don't do so without vetting the information through your own sources first. No matter what skeptical 'tinge' you place on it, it speaks to the veracity of the information placed there or why else would you even bother doing so? I would suggest that the writer is playing it safe with the skepticism, aware of the big rodent in town.

And UNI is going after Disney. It is no secret. Perhaps, the extent of which may be to some but by 2015 it will be VERY clear. Harsh truth here, I would be very surprised if the writer ran that piece without FIRST getting comfirmation of much/all of what I posted from his sources ... his sources at DISNEY! Yep, they do know what's coming.

Boy, I can't wait to hear the Disney fanbois talking about 2021 and WDW's 50th and how they'll have to add real major attractions for that! (Oh, wait, a fanboi minion just whispered in my ear -- get the tongue out -- that they already have started with that!)

The attendance #s are going to show it. Universal is poised to overtake one or more Disney parks in Orlando once Phase 2 opens.

 

[George]

The dead elephant storyline didn't make it to opening day.

Yes, I have become aware of that. I'm actually surprised at the amount of posts that my ramblings about the end of the ride, the partly remembered endings, and my "false memory" have created. I've had an epiphany about all this and my view of the KS story, but in order to increase readership, I will reveal that an EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING INCIDENT from earlier in my life will be revealed somewhere in the midst of this post. So, we all, on occasion, remember things incorrectly. I know this, yet, when I have trouble remembering things or recalling where I got certain ideas from, I don't look things up in advance since I feel it gives my posts a weird veracity. Plus, it gives you and folk such as @marni1971, reason to correct me. However, I know the reason for my trouble with recalling the end of KS is that I have read things (such as the dead elephant story line) and been on the ride itself maybe 30 times in my life that the ending/story has never really had an impact on my ride experience which I suppose is somewhat damning for my view of the story. However, I'm not at the @Calvin Coolidge level where I loathe the ending/story (which would cause much better recall of the details), so I wouldn't deny @Lee the enjoyment of story. In any case, I started analyzing cases where my memory is false (in case you're wondering if I would really analyze myself in this fashion a few on the board have met me and know me...they may comment on this, I am a weirdo) because of the following TRUE and extremely embarrassing incident based on not remembering a fact correctly. Whilst in grad school, I lived in a 4 BR craphole and each BR had one college kid, so I had 3 room mates. I was watching a nature program or something with room mate 1 and somehow or the other the topic turned to big cats and I was SHOCKED that room mate 1 was arguing with me the very basic fact that "lions were the male of the species and tigers were the females of the species". Then, room mate 2 came home, and immediately took room mate 1's side. I was DUMBFOUNDED. How could people not know something so basic? Then, room mate 3 showed up. I was then out numbered 3 to 1 and we were all relatively smart guys. It was at this point that my brain began to wonder if I had been wrong about this for 18 years.

On the other end of the spectrum, I can recall snippets from all 4 SSE narrators (though not entire scripts like some). In the case of the first 3 it is due to intense like, and in the case of the 4th it is due to intense annoyance, which is different than indifference.