Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[TalkingHead]

And if they do that you can bet plenty of us here will call them on it, just as we call Disney on what they're doing now. Or rather, what they're not doing now.

*If* Comcast is serious about being a vacation destination independent of Disney, then they can't afford to follow Disney's model of doing as little as possible.

And judging from the rumors, they may add spinners or other flat rides, but they won't rely on those rides to drive attendance.

 

[ParentsOf4]

OK, so I just have to quote fully from the Universal investor call. It's just too good not to share:

"We love the Theme Park business. We think there’s a real opportunity to increase the pace of new attractions. We have far too few hotel rooms in Orlando and the one thing we know, when people stay in our hotels, they stay – they visit our parks an extra day or two – and so we have 2,400 hotel rooms. We think we have room and capacity for 10,000 hotel rooms. So you’ll see us add attractions at a more rapid rate, add hotel rooms at a more rapid rate, and we think the returns in that business are great and there’s great running room."​

And later:

"Well. Our park business continues to be strong. We’re on a cadence now of opening one attraction in Florida and one attraction in California every year. We opened Transformers, the Transformers attraction in Hollywood two years ago – and it was so successful we sped up the development of Transformers in Orlando and opened that in the beginning of this summer. We have two parks in Orlando, but the park where we opened Transformers has been up 20% most weeks since that attraction opened. And our feeling is that if we open the right kind of attractions – they have to be well executed, they have to be things that are easy and created a market – that we can really grow these businesses.

"The thing that we’re most excited about, what really transformed our park in Orlando was opening Harry Potter, which happened a few years ago. We’re opening a second Harry Potter attraction in Orlando, which I think is one of the most creative ideas I’ve ever seen in the theme park business. The first attraction is in one of our gates – it’s called Islands of Adventure. The second attraction is in the other gate and the way you get from one gate to the second gate is you take a train, and the train is the Hogwarts Express, and so the actual transition or the movement from one gate to another gate is part of the attraction which has never been done before and it’s a wonderful, creative idea. That opens next spring. We think that’s going to be a very big draw. And then we’re opening Harry Potter in Hollywood and in Japan.

"So I think our feeling is, first of all, the economy is seems to be positive for theme park attendance and people are coming to Florida and Southern California. But within what’s going on a macro level if we can continue to invest in innovative attractions, get the right kind of marketing that explains to people what Universal Studios is – that it’s a destiny, a family destination in and of itself, not an add-on attraction for somebody who’s spent three or four days someplace else – that we can continue to grow that business and that’s our plan."
​

I hope laurels are comfortable because WDW has been resting on theirs for far too long.

 

[Lucky]

Has WDW room prices gone up this year yet? I know tickets have.

They're going up way more than ticket prices.

 

[WDW1974]

So, anyone's wife, boyfriend, cousin's lawn man, etc want to defend a blogger/podcaster/lifestyler tonight?

That was a hoot, wasn't it?

But MUCH, MUCH more importantly, what do you guys/gals think is the difference in mindset between the way Universal views its park buiness, particularly in O-Town, and the way TWDC views its theme park business, particularly in O-Town? And what is the better vision for fans of quality themed entertainment in general?

 

[englanddg]

So, anyone's wife, boyfriend, cousin's lawn man, etc want to defend a blogger/podcaster/lifestyler tonight?

That was a hoot, wasn't it?

But MUCH, MUCH more importantly, what do you guys/gals think is the difference in mindset between the way Universal views its park buiness, particularly in O-Town, and the way TWDC views its theme park business, particularly in O-Town? And what is the better vision for fans of quality themed entertainment in general?

I think while Disney is off looking for Blue Oceans...one enterprising fisherman found that the Ocean wasn't really red.

Nope...they just needed to mend their nets.

 

[ford91exploder]

Rooms at Poly and GF will exceed $1000 per night this year over the holidays, All UNI needs to do is build a hotel with REAL $500 night rooms (complete with Concierge and lounges with food and beverages) and Disney's dominace of the high end visitor in Orlando is FINISHED.

 

[twebber55]

So, anyone's wife, boyfriend, cousin's lawn man, etc want to defend a blogger/podcaster/lifestyler tonight?

That was a hoot, wasn't it?

But MUCH, MUCH more importantly, what do you guys/gals think is the difference in mindset between the way Universal views its park buiness, particularly in O-Town, and the way TWDC views its theme park business, particularly in O-Town? And what is the better vision for fans of quality themed entertainment in general?

amazing what the comcast leaders envision for the future of their parks specifically UOR...leadership matters

 

[WDW1974]

Exactly - you have chosen a product to offer and stick to it. There are no contributors offering editorial (up or down), you don't critique or add in praise or hate when you reporting your activities.

Your site is not any less because it doesn't offer those products - it's a site that chooses not to be in that game.

One could argue that WE fill that role for Steve here. He handles the news coming directly from Disney and sources at the company and we argue whether they are good or bad or insignificant.

I also think the word 'hate' gets tossed around way too much in settings that are inappropriate. I don't see anyone, even an Al Lutz, as being a hater just because they are critical or because they have issues with the way a company is run.

I don't hate Disney. I don't even hate Bob Iger, Tom Staggs and Jay Rasulo. I do hate what their vision for Disney, and its parks in particular, happens to be.

 

[Cody5242]

@WDW1974 will disney replace potc 5 release with Star Wars?

 

[Cody5242]

Just finished reading last nights conversation. That had to be one of more exciting things that's come out of this thread. Keep up the good work @WDW1974

 

[Darth Sidious]

Just wanted to add this... @WDW1974 have you watched the last episode of Breaking Bad? I actually think that it was the best episode of a TV show I have ever watched. It was pretty amazing.

 

[nytimez]

But MUCH, MUCH more importantly, what do you guys/gals think is the difference in mindset between the way Universal views its park buiness, particularly in O-Town, and the way TWDC views its theme park business, particularly in O-Town? And what is the better vision for fans of quality themed entertainment in general?

these six words from the investor call say it all, don't they?

continue to invest in innovative attractions

 

[tirian]

Good point, except that @wdwmagic also allows open discussion on the boards, which is why it's the only WDW-centric fan site I respect.

But it also applies to this site.. just because someone reports on happens and changes in the parks.. that doesn't mean they are trying to label themselves a journalist. This site doesn't.. and it's the top 'news' site for WDW. So unless you think WDWMagic itself is oxymoronic... that's the glass house we're sitting in

 

[Hakunamatata]

Everyone was tagging you @WDW1974 so I jumped on the bandwagon.

 

[nytimez]

Rooms at Poly and GF will exceed $1000 per night this year over the holidays, All UNI needs to do is build a hotel with REAL $500 night rooms (complete with Concierge and lounges with food and beverages) and Disney's dominace of the high end visitor in Orlando is FINISHED.

Disney's dominance ends the moment anyone who's paid for GF or the Contemp sets foot in a Lowe's hotel... or the Waldorf... etc.

There's just no going back after that.

 

[WDW1974]

Not my thread, so don't see how it's my glass house.

For the record, I don't believe the Spirit takes hand-outs directly from corporate (tho I was under the impression you know him better than me). And he still discloses when he receives something free from a friend.

I am not currently employed in journalism and I am not a blogger. I am under no obligation to mention if say a friend maingates multiple friends or family members or gets me a $50 room at Portofino Bay. I mention things like that (I always point out that since 2007 I have paid $80 total to spend dozens of days at DLR, for instance) because I am a pretty open and honest Spirit. ...And the one lesson the true top one percent have taught me is that you should never pay for anything if you can help it.

And if someone or some corporation wants to buy me, good luck to them. My price starts at seven figures, not a free meal at the California grill or even a few free vacations.

 

[John]

Ummm can anyone smell a Uni/Hogwarts express coming soon to MCO?

 

[WDW1974]

THIS A MILLION TIMES OVER!

What is funny is that if all these people would not worry about getting the free stuff and actually talk about all the things wrong with WDW/TDO as much as they talk about the things they love we might be on our way to a much better product for everyone. Which is exactly what you would think those who claim to love WDW would want for themselves and everyone else.

Al Lutz, for all the heat he has taken, shows what can be accomplished when you galvanize a fan base and don't accept diminished product at ever increasing prices. He actually helped lead to a renaissance of the DLR that ultimately benefits everyone from fans to execs to shareholders.

There is no one that can do that for WDW (well, I could, but that's not my life) and that's why come January you won't even have one single parade in four theme parks, for example.

 

[WDW1974]

I'd love to meet him and just talk business, movies, sports, anything. That would be pretty damn cool.

He can be very down to Earth. He isn't a typical Teflon exec a la Iger.
I can hear him talking about Eli and the Giants opener right now!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Everyone was tagging you @WDW1974 so I jumped on the bandwagon.

I think @WDW1974 can do without such immaturities.