Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[culturenthrills]

BGW Saga and drama just got thicker. Post on a BGW forum here.

All I want to know is how have things gone downhill so fast. Who the hell is running this company. How can you have 5 parks that are in the top 20 in attendance in the country and you are doing this bad. Whoever buys BGW is going to have to do a lot of damage control cause current management is running the park into the ground and ing off the passholders.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

However, there is no park with more distance between rides then AK has. If everything were in use at DHS they would be fairly close together, but as it sits now, it's not all that close. MK has a lot more attractions and the design calls for close proximity for rides. Even though at WDW it seems like they are really close...there are more attractions in Disneyland then Magic Kingdom and all in a smaller space then WDW.

I did some measuring on Wikimapia a while ago, and the current FotLK theater is basically two Main Street USA's away from the rest of the park... makes the crowds that the show pulls in even more impressive, IMO. And I think that was just to get to the main path on Discovery Island, not even the distance to the nearest attraction!

 

[Cosmic Commando]

One other thing I just remembered concerning a makeover for WDSP... in Eddie Sotto's thread, he said that management blamed Imagineering for poor merchandise sales... they said the stores were overdesigned, basically. IIRC, Eddie Sotto seemed to think that it was just a cultural difference between Americans and Europeans; Europeans don't spend on souvenirs like we do. If this is true, then Disney would see the "ceiling" for guest spending as being lower for WDSP than DCA and they would make their money back much slower.

 

[doctornick]

I did some measuring on Wikimapia a while ago, and the current FotLK theater is basically two Main Street USA's away from the rest of the park... makes the crowds that the show pulls in even more impressive, IMO. And I think that was just to get to the main path on Discovery Island, not even the distance to the nearest attraction!

Yeah, DAK is huge, even if you just talk about guest walkable areas (i.e. ignoring the massive "show" space that the safari takes up). As is, a lot of people complain about the amount of walking involved to go around the park, especially given the lack of shaded/indoor/air conditions areas. Avatar will make that somewhat worse, especially if it includes the southern undeveloped area that is currently used as a parking lot.

It would be interesting to see the total size of DAK if the undeveloped area between Asia and Rafiki/Africa was ever build on (Australia? South America?) and/or if a walking path was made to Rafiki's. I'd like to imagine that the powers that be would develop some sort of internal transportation around the park in that case, perhaps an expansion of the train ride.

 

[unkadug]

Yeah, DAK is huge, even if you just talk about guest walkable areas (i.e. ignoring the massive "show" space that the safari takes up). As is, a lot of people complain about the amount of walking involved to go around the park, especially given the lack of shaded/indoor/air conditions areas. Avatar will make that somewhat worse, especially if it includes the southern undeveloped area that is currently used as a parking lot.

It would be interesting to see the total size of DAK if the undeveloped area between Asia and Rafiki/Africa was ever build on (Australia? South America?) and/or if a walking path was made to Rafiki's. I'd like to imagine that the powers that be would develop some sort of internal transportation around the park in that case, perhaps an expansion of the train ride.

ECV's for EVERYONE!

 

[doctornick]

So I wrote something over on MiceAge that was put up this weekend. @KevinYee touched upon the topic last week, but it's basically about the change in philosophy in Disney about building new attractions vs. getting more money out of each guest:
http://micechat.com/36201-throwing-in-the-towel/

Question for you or anyone else:

A little more than a year after Disney opened the Animal Kingdom, Universal opened Islands of Adventure. During development, word spread that Islands of Adventure would open with three world class roller coasters as well as a ground breaking Spider Man attraction. Disney was ready to react with additions at all four theme parks. When the doors opened for Islands of Adventure the rumors proved true.

Do you know what were the plans by Disney for this "reaction with addition at all four theme parks"? I've seen it mentioned before, but never heard specific projects. If these were stuff that was developed and ready to go, is there any reason they can't push them now if TDO felt the need to do something dramatic? I'm guessing that Mysterious Island was the plan for DAK and maybe some version of the FLE for MK (or maybe something like Fire Mountain) but don't really have much of a guess for DHS or Epcot -- anyone care to enlighten? Could any of the ideas come to play now?

 

[JenniferS]

Yep, wait for Turbo to be available in Red Box or Netflix. Wish I had. My 6 year old liked it, but pales in comparison to Despicable Me 2.

Pretty sure I mentioned this, but I loved, loved, loved Despicable Me 2. Best movie I've seen this year. Can't wait to see it again on Thursday.

 

[Mouse Detective]

That would be J.P. Morgan:
http://quotationsbook.com/quote/32312/

"Quotes found on the internet are not always accurate" -Abraham Lincoln

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

BBT is ok. I see it occasionally in syndication, and I get a few laughs from it. And it's probably the best comedy the Old People's Network has to offer.

But Parks and Rec is supremely awesome. It's first season was mediocre, but it has been great since. All time favorite episode was when Leslie, April, and Chris got sick. And who doesn't love Ron? I wish more people watched it.

It's pretty hard to narrow down the best episodes, but my favorite Season 5 episode had to have been Halloween Surprise or Ron and Diane.

 

[Lil Fort]

And who knew that Georgie K enjoyed overpriced BBQ on Sunday nights?

I guess I do now.

This doesn't have anything to do with the Fort DVC does it? Please say NO!! Unless of course he likes the BBQ so much that he wouldn't even dream of tearing up Mickey's Backyard BBQ to build a DVC...

 

[Funmeister]

This doesn't have anything to do with the Fort DVC does it? Please say NO!! Unless of course he likes the BBQ so much that he wouldn't even dream of tearing up Mickey's Backyard BBQ to build a DVC...

If the horse barns/stables are going to be relocated to the front of FW I would say the BBQ will shut down or moved. Big money maker to close so I would say it will move.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Question for you or anyone else:



Do you know what were the plans by Disney for this "reaction with addition at all four theme parks"? I've seen it mentioned before, but never heard specific projects. If these were stuff that was developed and ready to go, is there any reason they can't push them now if TDO felt the need to do something dramatic? I'm guessing that Mysterious Island was the plan for DAK and maybe some version of the FLE for MK (or maybe something like Fire Mountain) but don't really have much of a guess for DHS or Epcot -- anyone care to enlighten? Could any of the ideas come to play now?

http://www.theneverlandfiles.com/tnf/disneyworld/projectgemini.php

 

[Captain Neo]

Question for you or anyone else:



Do you know what were the plans by Disney for this "reaction with addition at all four theme parks"? I've seen it mentioned before, but never heard specific projects. If these were stuff that was developed and ready to go, is there any reason they can't push them now if TDO felt the need to do something dramatic? I'm guessing that Mysterious Island was the plan for DAK and maybe some version of the FLE for MK (or maybe something like Fire Mountain) but don't really have much of a guess for DHS or Epcot -- anyone care to enlighten? Could any of the ideas come to play now?

Martin would be the one to ask but I believe it was:

Villian/Bald Mountain (Fantasyland) or Fire Mountain (Adventureland) for MK

Total redo of Great Movie Ride into a 3D villians attraction using DOME technology for MGM Studios

????? for Epcot

Beastly Kingdom for Animal Kingdom

 

[Lil Fort]

If the horse barns/stables are going to be relocated to the front of FW I would say the BBQ will shut down or moved. Big money maker to close so I would say it will move.

I heard that if they put in the DVC that the BBQ would be moved to the area between the preferred loops and the lake. There are all kinds of survey markers back in there that showed up about three years ago and there were some plans that were floating around for a while. It's not the BBQ moving or closing that would break my heart, I just don't want them messing up Fort Wilderness with a bunch of timeshares...

 

[Calvin Coolidge]

With regards to ESPN's growth...I think picking up Silver/538, following the success of Grantland, is a sign that ESPN sees future success in being a fuller lifestyle network with sports as a core. I think that's smart.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

With regards to ESPN's growth...I think picking up Silver/538, following the success of Grantland, is a sign that ESPN sees future success in being a fuller lifestyle network with sports as a core. I think that's smart.

I'm a big fan of Grantland.

However, I wonder how ESPN and Cable's chicken fight over fees will go this fall.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Martin would be the one to ask but I believe it was:

Villian/Bald Mountain (Fantasyland) or Fire Mountain (Adventureland) for MK

Total redo of Great Movie Ride into a 3D villians attraction using DOME technology for MGM Studios

????? for Epcot

Beastly Kingdom for Animal Kingdom

Man...it suuuuuuuuucccckkkkkssss that those didn't happen...

 

[RSoxNo1]

Question for you or anyone else:



Do you know what were the plans by Disney for this "reaction with addition at all four theme parks"? I've seen it mentioned before, but never heard specific projects. If these were stuff that was developed and ready to go, is there any reason they can't push them now if TDO felt the need to do something dramatic? I'm guessing that Mysterious Island was the plan for DAK and maybe some version of the FLE for MK (or maybe something like Fire Mountain) but don't really have much of a guess for DHS or Epcot -- anyone care to enlighten? Could any of the ideas come to play now?

From what I can recall, it was going to be Beastly Kingdom in DAK, David Copperfield's Magical Underground in MGM, Mission: SPACE/Project Gemini in Epcot, and not sure about MK (Was it the time of the Bald/Fire Mountain concepts?)

 

[NoChesterHester]

What specifically are you referring to?

Your story basically ended at the opening of Harry Potter. I think the post Harry Potter theme park landscape is just as interesting in the shift in business model. How has the market share changed? Why is it important? How much more has Disney stagnated since that point and how many attractions has the competition opened up. Long term what happens?

 

[NoChesterHester]

From what I can recall, it was going to be Beastly Kingdom in DAK, David Copperfield's Magical Underground in MGM, Mission: SPACE/Project Gemini in Epcot, and not sure about MK (Was it the time of the Bald/Fire Mountain concepts?)

Copperfield was a mid-nineties flame out project. A little before this timeline I believe.

I thought it was a reskinned TDS Mysterious Island at Animal Kingdom.