Which is why I think a lot of us are trying to temper the current Star Wars enthusiasm. Everyone gets bad info from sources from time to time.
I have absolutely no "insider" information. I have to wait like everyone else to see what gets done or doesn't get done. My feeling is that Disney needs to wake up and soon. Uni may never get the numbers to match what Disney does, but they don't have the luxury of space, space and more space. Still, I firmly believe due to personal experience and my circle of friends that until recently would have dismissed Uni as a wanna be without the skill to build awe inducing attractions. Sorry, but they have proven that little thought completely wrong.
To be hugely successful, Uni doesn't have to do as well, numbers wise, that Disney does. Their overall expense isn't anywhere near WDW just because of the vastness of the place. Size isn't always a blessing.
I think that spending that much (and more) to bring WDW back to it's original magic, is not only desirable but absolutely necessary. Not so much for today, but, for the future health of the place. Over the last 40 years WDW has ridden on the coat tails of a man that has been dead even longer then that. His enormous reputation for quality and added value is what brought all those people to the place. They knew that they weren't going to be disappointed because Uncle Walt said they wouldn't. And they weren't disappointed, because it started out with that same philosophy. As time has passed Walt's grasp on the company has slowly become a nuisance to management. Whatever has been done with Disney Co. since Walts death has been their influence and no one elses. Some shared Walt Disney's obsession with quality and offering more then you expect, others know that now it is just a big corporation that's has to answer solely to the stockholders. They have nothing to lose, it's not their money. They have contracts that guarantee that no matter how much they screw up, they will still get a large chunk of whatever cash is available. Nothing will make them recoil faster then hearing "That's not the way Walt would do it". Frankly they don't care. Walt is dead and this is their toy now and only a means to get personally wealthy.
Many of today's guests, and almost all of the future guests have no direct connection to Walt Disney. He's just the guy holding Mickeys hand in front of the castle, nothing more. They have let Uni get the upper hand to the extent that they will indeed take more away from WDW. They may never reach the numbers that Disney currently has, but, WDW may never get those number again either. The public is fickle. With no personal connection to the leader of the company, they don't feel any special need for loyalty. They will go wherever they are entertained and impressed by. As the magic declines over time, that fierce need that people have to go back again and again will also decline.
Due to the structure of the company now, I am skeptical about any talk of huge outlaying of money to come. All the folks that are making the decision right now, will be retired or moved on before all the bad happens. They really don't care. It's just a job to them, not an intense drive to achieve dreams and make it happen. You have no idea how much I hope I'm wrong...but, years of neglect does not have me all prickly about what will happen down the road. They seem to have the forward vision of Mr. Magoo.
