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Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres
- Thread starter WDW1974
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englanddg
One Little Spark...
I also saved a turtle yesterday from becoming road kill!
Using it to make turtle soup doesn't count.
When his first Marvel bomb (should I use that word with the NSA watching?) happens, which will likely before Pixar's first (although I have friends out west still telling me that Brave didn't make back its cost/marketing).
You can't expect an audience for Thor 4, Captain America 6 and UnknownCharacter X 2 ... there is a point when folks won't want more beyond quality like Dark Knight (and the last one had MANY flaws) and the problem is EVERY one of these films are extremely pricey to make.
stevehousse
Well-Known Member
On your recent trip, name your best and worst experience you had while there!
Taylor
Well-Known Member
I imagine Brave made up for it with decent merch results. Same for Marvel they will continue to be a gold mine for merchandise sales
I don't know. I remember a time when gaming was something you gave up when you were done high school. Funny what a business it has become. ... I can't say I'm into it ... my last game system was a Sega Genesis attatched to a giant box we called the TV!
But apparently gaming whores are as big as Disney Lifestylers. Who knew?
stevehousse
Well-Known Member
So true! You can only make so many sequels until they get stale and go all Halloween 5 on you!
I'm not excited for even Thor 2, I didn like the first film(only kat dennings)
now for captain America 2, I'm excited as all hell for it to come out! I loved the first movie!
englanddg
One Little Spark...
Arguably...bigger.
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
A thoughtful article on the state of the modern blockbuster from one of my favorite film critics; the Incredible Hulk.
http://badassdigest.com/2013/06/12/film-crit-hulk-smash-the-age-of-the-convoluted-blockbuster/
http://badassdigest.com/2013/06/12/film-crit-hulk-smash-the-age-of-the-convoluted-blockbuster/
Since I'm curious to hear what the Spirit (who seems to know a thing or two about the theme park industry beyond Disney) thinks about this, and since the topic of park admission prices has been timely recently...
I'm a SeaWorld/Busch platinum annual passholder -- this is the pass that allows you to visit any SW/Busch park in the U.S., and its cost varies depending on which park is your "home park" (i.e., where you buy it and use it for the first time). I bought my 2-year platinum AP last year at SW San Diego, where it cost $330 (a fantastic deal, as I've since visited five of the company's parks, some multiple times, more than justifying the purchase price).
Because I was bored today, I happened to look at SW San Diego's ticket/annual pass page. Turns out they have gotten rid of the 2-year platinum AP altogether, and jacked up the price of a 1-year platinum AP to $380. So now it would cost me $50 more to get for 1 year what was previously good for twice that much time. Honestly, this is one of the hugest price increases I've ever seen for any theme park admissions media -- I don't think Disney has even come close to having a price hike comparable to the relative extent of this one.
To compare, a 1-year platinum AP currently purchased at either SW Orlando or Busch Tampa is $329, and a 2-year version is $499. This means that it costs significantly more to buy a platinum AP at SW San Diego than at any other SW/Busch park.
The SW park rep I talked to explained that the price hike was due to the fact that they recently opened Aquatica San Diego, so there is ostensibly much more entertainment offered for most of the people who will end up buying platinum APs in San Diego. But consider the fact that, while it's a nice park, SW San Diego arguably has the least to offer of any theme park in the company's stable.
And add in the fact that (1) San Diego's Aquatica is almost half an hour away from SW San Diego, which makes it considerably less convenient to park hop than between, say, SW Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, (2) Aquatica SD is basically the former Knott's Soak City with a fresh coat of paint and new signage -- significantly inferior in offerings to its Florida cousin, and (3) in central Florida, you not only have SW and Aquatica adjacent to each other, but you also have Busch Tampa within driving distance as well, offering Florida platinum APers much more bang for their buck -- and SW San Diego's price hike seems even more stunning (not to mention baffling).
Have you ever seen such a thing before? And do you think it's odd that the different SW/Busch parks would have such significant differences in price with admissions media that provide exactly the same benefits? (Yes, I realize that some of these parks aren't open year-round, so the APs of some parks' locals would tend to get a bit less use, but by definition, these platinum APs provide entry to all of the company's parks nationwide, so presumably these particular passholders are self-selected people who know they will get around to the other parks quite a bit.)
Wouldn't it be odd if Disney sold their premier (all U.S. parks) AP at a different price point in Orlando than in Anaheim? And has there ever been a price hike by Disney (or any other theme park company) that has been so extreme -- not to mention clearly unjustified?
I'm a SeaWorld/Busch platinum annual passholder -- this is the pass that allows you to visit any SW/Busch park in the U.S., and its cost varies depending on which park is your "home park" (i.e., where you buy it and use it for the first time). I bought my 2-year platinum AP last year at SW San Diego, where it cost $330 (a fantastic deal, as I've since visited five of the company's parks, some multiple times, more than justifying the purchase price).
Because I was bored today, I happened to look at SW San Diego's ticket/annual pass page. Turns out they have gotten rid of the 2-year platinum AP altogether, and jacked up the price of a 1-year platinum AP to $380. So now it would cost me $50 more to get for 1 year what was previously good for twice that much time. Honestly, this is one of the hugest price increases I've ever seen for any theme park admissions media -- I don't think Disney has even come close to having a price hike comparable to the relative extent of this one.
To compare, a 1-year platinum AP currently purchased at either SW Orlando or Busch Tampa is $329, and a 2-year version is $499. This means that it costs significantly more to buy a platinum AP at SW San Diego than at any other SW/Busch park.
The SW park rep I talked to explained that the price hike was due to the fact that they recently opened Aquatica San Diego, so there is ostensibly much more entertainment offered for most of the people who will end up buying platinum APs in San Diego. But consider the fact that, while it's a nice park, SW San Diego arguably has the least to offer of any theme park in the company's stable.
And add in the fact that (1) San Diego's Aquatica is almost half an hour away from SW San Diego, which makes it considerably less convenient to park hop than between, say, SW Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, (2) Aquatica SD is basically the former Knott's Soak City with a fresh coat of paint and new signage -- significantly inferior in offerings to its Florida cousin, and (3) in central Florida, you not only have SW and Aquatica adjacent to each other, but you also have Busch Tampa within driving distance as well, offering Florida platinum APers much more bang for their buck -- and SW San Diego's price hike seems even more stunning (not to mention baffling).
Have you ever seen such a thing before? And do you think it's odd that the different SW/Busch parks would have such significant differences in price with admissions media that provide exactly the same benefits? (Yes, I realize that some of these parks aren't open year-round, so the APs of some parks' locals would tend to get a bit less use, but by definition, these platinum APs provide entry to all of the company's parks nationwide, so presumably these particular passholders are self-selected people who know they will get around to the other parks quite a bit.)
Wouldn't it be odd if Disney sold their premier (all U.S. parks) AP at a different price point in Orlando than in Anaheim? And has there ever been a price hike by Disney (or any other theme park company) that has been so extreme -- not to mention clearly unjustified?
That was me complaining ... but I agree with the above. I have chosen to wait until the end to watch the show since I didn't start with it. I have to deal with spoilers.
So, just like saying the Sopranos ended with a fade to black in which you have no idea what really happened or Lost ending with Jack being the hero and all of the characters finding each other in some nebulous after-life or Seinfeld ending with ... I almost forgot because that one was so bad ... the major characters all in jail, I realize that people are gonna talk. I just didn't know it was going to be on this thread!
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
I keep seing suggestions that Disney is not pleased with Marvel merchandise sales because despite why Disney purchased Marvel, the primary audience is not ten year old boys. Marvel seems like a good [business] purchase in spite of itself. They thought they were buying something entirely different, namely another Cars.
Something that's fresh and locally sourced, I'd wager... i.e., whatever raccoon or possum might be by the road this evening!
Taylor
Well-Known Member
That surprises me a little, because every toy store I've been in lately people have been buying a lot of Marvel stuff. Of course though that doesn't mean anything it's just a small piece but it made me assume that it was pulling in Cars numbers.
Just look at Disney. They're all pricey tentpole type films ... this year ... from Oz, which is still not profitable, to Monsters U to Iron Man 3 to Lone Ranger to Thor 2 to Frozen. Go back and compare with their slate from say 1993.
Even when these films don't bomb or appear successful (like Brave or Oz), they aren't successful enough because the costs are too damn high.
Iger is greedy. He thinks he has a printing press for cash with Marvel, Pixar and Lucas and a Disney tentpole or two a year. It will end ...
Yep, even though I've had friends tell me the film isn't that good. I love the premise, but from what I gather it becomes a typical 'bad guys in the house with us' film ...
So is 74s fan club going to post tonight?
They're always reading, even if they aren't posting ... that's part of what makes this place so MAGICal!
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Hopefully while he is still around so we're not stuck with Disney running around in circles trying to emulate Iger's "successful" model.
That's pretty much it. Disney is greedy and doesn't want a two-run double. They want grand-slam homers everytime they release a film and they budget accordingly. ... That worked wonders with Prince of Persia, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Tron Legacy, John Carter
... and less so with films like Brave, Wreck It Ralph and Oz: The Great and Powerful. A film shouldn't have to make three quarters of a billion dollars just to be in the black. That is unrealistic and absurd.Remember, it wasn't all that long ago that $100 million was the threshold for a big hit and $200 million was a blockbuster.
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