The Frozen 'Initiative' ...

[BrerJon]

The way Mermaid Lagoon transports you 'under the sea' would so work for a kingdom set in snow and ice. BTW, ML has more than a few kids rides and a store. There is a large theater show that was just reworked (it was closed when I visited, but heard the original was an E-Ticket experience) and a large QSR all inside as well.

Oh I totally forgot about the show! I've seen it twice and it's brilliant, a Mermaid version of Festival of the Lion King, only there are so many good shows at DisneySea it's barely even noticed!

How sad that even hoping for a couple of indoor spinners and a store is considered wishful thinking for the USA, let alone a show as well. Imagine if - as well as our hypothetical Frozen mini-rides- in the indoor area they had a permanent Frozen On Ice skating show (not a rink for the public to use, but a proper Disney On Ice style performance); relatively cheap to make, you only need a few performers, but you'd never see the end of the lines for it, and something unique like that would be popular way after the movie dies down.

 

[WDW1974]

So Jim Hill is reporting that DCA may be getting the Frozen Sing a Long. Would be in a stage 17 aka the old millionaire theater.

It's funny how I put this out and Jim Hill and Micechat followed so quickly ... it does make me wonder if at least some of the folks feeding the info are feeding multiple people. Although to be fair, I've sorta been holding back some because I don't have as much time now and there's only so many discussions I can have at once.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

What I think really doesn't matter on this subject. In the mess that is TPFKaTD-MGMS and soon to be TPFKaDHS as well, you can drop anything in and it will fly to some degree.

But the far reaches of Fantasyland is where this belongs.

I think this speaks more to the desperation people have for something new.

You could put a meet and greet in the parking lot and people would flock there.

Or a spinner...located being the manure stalls in DAK and people would still flock there.

Anything, anywhere, as long as it's NEW, and people will be excited.

Make that new item related to a new, popular movie and you got a solid combination and a very good opportunity to WOW the crowds and sway them back from universal but instead you squander the chance and keep bending over for them pennies.

Kinda makes me feel ill that WE all see this, but the idiots who make 10000x our collective salaries can't figure it out.

 

[WDW1974]

Flynn, haven't you figured out yet Frozen is the new Cars--the insanely successful film online fanbois love to hate? I explained my theory why in a Spirited thread a couple weeks ago, but the irrational hate has just grown stronger since.

I am not Flynn ... but you are so right. And I love Cars. I was actually in a Disney Store (not a WDW outlet) for the first time in 2014 a few hours ago and the one thing I would have loved to buy was the $6 diecast Cars. They are kewl. The world of Cars is kewl. Cars was a way kewl movie. Cars 2 was a way mediocre sequel. But Cars Land is one of the best pieces of work any company has created in a park in the last decade. It is uber kewl!

 

[BrerJon]

@ABQ, I agree, in terms of "overall" news, WDW gets the short end. I appreciate all news Disney, but I keep waiting for the day when we get the "Star Wars (or whatever you're waiting for) has been green lit and is a go!" news.

The trouble is even after a green-lighting announcement it's still going to be 50/50 whether any of us will still be alive to see it given the pace WDW construction moves at.

 

[WDW1974]

I don't consider Pocahontas part of the renaissance. It's the beginning of the decline. I find it visually pretty good but story wise meh. I consider the renaissance to be just 4 movies: Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.

You are wrong, but everyone is entitled to be that (unless you are holding a gun in a life or death situation).

Disney's second golden age wasn't just four films. Every film they released in the 90s was a critical hit and made loads of money. The fact is people, including those at WDFA, thought that every movie would do Lion King or better numbers and that just wasn't ever going to happen. Toy Story also burst Pixar on the screen and into the scene at the holidays in 1995. But Disney didn't make a bad animated film in the 90s.

 

[Mike S]

And without (hopefully) having this debate again, I'll simply state that I think Pocahontas was a wonderful (if too short film) with amazing visuals and music. I'll take ANY 1990s WDFA creation over Frozen. I think they are all better. Really.

Not looking for a debate at all. Just put my thoughts out there.

 

[WDW1974]

So Spirit what is the tipping point when consumers and Disney go onto the new flavor of the week?

That is the billion dollar question. But it doesn't matter. If the Frozen fever began to abate tomorrow, what difference would it make? Look at what it has brought in. It literally made a park that has been dead for years during summer (anyone recall 3 or 4 years ago when they shuttered it at 7 p.m. on weekends in summer? I do.) and brought bodies in and a vibe that had been missing for a long time.

I think the Frozen phenomenon will wane some, but not really sure when.

Besides, the 34-year-old Lifestylers who want pics with girls pretending they are princesses should keep it going for at least a few more years!

 

[WDW1974]

Spirit, how long is the Frozen stuff going to be at dca? The Disneyland management should be spending their money on trying to come up with a permanent attraction for Frozen instead of cheap, short term and quick attractions.

Don't know. It will be temporary, but that word with Disney doesn't have the same definition it does in the real world.

 

[WDW1974]

Will Toontown cease to exist anywhere? Not that it's an awesome and amazing time to hang in Mickey's house, but that's kind of depressing IMO... since it all started with a mouse...

It will remain in Tokyo for the foreseeable future.

 

[jdmdisney99]

You are wrong, but everyone is entitled to be that (unless you are holding a gun in a life or death situation).

Disney's second golden age wasn't just four films. Every film they released in the 90s was a critical hit and made loads of money. The fact is people, including those at WDFA, thought that every movie would do Lion King or better numbers and that just wasn't ever going to happen. Toy Story also burst Pixar in the screen at the holidays in 1995. But Disney didn't make a bad animated film in the 90s.

Funny we're discussing this, as I was taking a look earlier. Some have begun to call the current animation era a Disney "Resurgence" of sorts, presumably starting with TPatF in 2009. The funny part is, the highest rated film (per Rotten Tomatoes) out of WDAS since then is Winnie the Pooh at 90%. Even higher than Frozen.

 

[WDW1974]

Meh, I'm sick of nothing but news from Anasleim and Asia, give me WDW news, that's why I come to WDW Magic, not for what's going to happen in Tokyo or maybe Shanghai one day or even France. Don't care, there's a sub forum here for those places, but not this section.

When I have WDW news, I spread it here. I am sorry that WDW is stale and takes nine months to make an announcement on a new shop at TSFKaDD. I try and tie any news into WDW as much as possible since this is a WDW-centric site. But I am not going to make stuff up.

As for subforums, I don't do those unless summoned. I talk about news and rumours from Disney (and UNI and other entertainment companies) and people know this is where.

And since WDW is actually getting a Frozen ride (Olaf's Adventures someone told me, but have no idea if they were just kidding since Disney apparently bought the domain recently), I thought it would be best to tie all the Frozen news up here.

And as Faux Top One Percent world traveler and all, I actually care about parks product worldwide (my days of being O-Town bound ended when I was in my early 20s and that was quite a while ago!)

 

[Captain Chaos]

So, DCA's Frozen addition will be "temporary" so does that mean Maelstrom's addition will be temporary as well? and when I say temporary, I mean at least 20 years...

 

[WDW1974]

That's ok, Spirit. Your friends and readers know how long ago you broke the news.

I don't really care most of the time. A bunch of us all came out with the Frozen news about the same time.

And I've known that Toontown was going bye-bye at DL for many months now (a few others here might have known as well! ) dating back before my spring visit to 1401 Flower. I wasn't given the OK to put it out until a few weeks ago and then I sorta played 'tease the fanbois' for a few days!

And, to be honest, I had an inkling that something was up when I was told the subs were coming back and were staying for the near future. Without that real estate, Star Wars had be going elsewhere and the responses I got were quite telling to pique my curiosity.

I just don't like it when someone blatantly steals or six months after I report something, some blogger or site mentions it and says it's news. I've worked in news. I know what's news. FOX and MSNBC are not news!

 

[WDW1974]

I totally agree with this. The post you made was clearly about the global implications of the attraction(s), if you can call them that. It's easy for folks to assume we're discussing only WDW, but that is not what this thread was about, and was barely mentioned at all until you addressed it a few pages into the thread.


The only question I have, which you may or may not be able to answer, is are these cheaply put together, rushed "attractions" going to be placeholders until a fully developed and funded set of real attractions are designed and built, or is this currently the only plan to integrate Frozen into the global parks?

No idea. I can tell you that no major (i.e real) attraction based on Frozen is currently headed to any park that Disney owns. Could that change? Absolutely. ... Or could we hear about a Frozen attraction for the MK's New Fantasyland in 2034? (No, because the world will be gone and we'll all be dead!)

 

[Mike S]

When I have WDW news, I spread it here. I am sorry that WDW is stale and takes nine months to make an announcement on a new shop at TSFKaDD. I try and tie any news into WDW as much as possible since this is a WDW-centric site. But I am not going to make stuff up.

As for subforums, I don't do those unless summoned. I talk about news and rumours from Disney (and UNI and other entertainment companies) and people know this is where.

And since WDW is actually getting a Frozen ride (Olaf's Adventures someone told me, but have no idea if they were just kidding since Disney apparently bought the domain recently), I thought it would be best to tie all the Frozen news up here.

And as Faux Top One Percent world traveler and all, I actually care about parks product worldwide (my days of being O-Town bound ended when I was in my early 20s and that was quite a while ago!)

Olaf's Adventures. They can't be serious. I guess it will just be a game of where's Olaf a la where's Donald in Mexico. If they dare touch American Adventure after this atrocity.......

 

[britain]

Spirit, Star Tours, does it stay put or get moved?

 

[BrerJon]

Olaf's Adventures. They can't be serious.

Snow joke, that's what they're cooling it.

 

[WDWFigment]

They have been rushing this for a while. People getting pulled off of other projects etc. ... But much like the entire negotiation process, Disney has been woefully prepared to deal with the reality of what it is like to do business in the mainland and with the CCP as your partner/overseer.

Since posting a few hours ago, I got a note saying that Shendi and Disney are not at all on the same page. Shendi wants to open all at once. Disney feels that since things are so far behind that getting the main hotel and the DD-like area open as early as possible (next fall) would help build excitement for the project and that Bob and Co. could spin that this was the idea the entire time (a la WDW projects like Fantasyland and Pandora) or even that they added time to add extra attractions (yep, Toy Story carnie rides adds 18 months to a build of this magnitude, for sure!) ... This info is from someone who isn't a regular source and I'm not able to confirm it right now, yet it sounds exactly like what I would expect and follows from what I have heard personally and what Micechat posted today.

I don't know that I agree about the pristine point. It seems vaguely anti-Chinese, which I'm assuming wasn't your intent. It sounds like ''those people don't know how to act in a theme park and will trash the place'' ... and having lived in Beijing and Guangzhou, I don't agree with that.

I want to be there on Opening Day. But Opening Day for the park. If they decide to open a hotel in October of next year, most of the Disney Town area and a preview center on-site, I sure am not flying across the globe for that. But I would point out, Tom, that DL was a steaming mess on July 18, 1955 (the real opening day). And I'd love to travel in a time machine back to that.

I guess I'm frustrated to see what is going on in Shanghai because having worked some huge projects over there, I know that ... well, things could be done better and that Disney could have better people working behind the scenes ...

And while hopping around (like the open jaws you like and can be a great value) sounds fun and is fine if your goal is largely to visit Disney resorts in Asia, I just don't see myself doing HKDL, SDL and TDL all in one trip. It might be fun, but it would leave very little (if any) time to explore anything beyond the theme parks.

Thanks for the clarification. I know it seems like Parks & Resorts largely aren't his 'thing', but I'm a bit surprised Iger isn't pushing even harder for a large-scale launch while he is still with the company. Of course, DCA 2.0 did launch under his watch, but that isn't quite the same as the grand opening of a castle park.

I would also have thought that Disney would want the world media present for the launch of this park. Having a staggered opening might work for a land in an existing park that's primarily being covered by bloggers/new media, but I don't think it works for a theme park that you want to receive serious, significant attention. Even if 99.999% of Americans will never step foot in it, I'm sure Disney wants this covered in the mainstream media and trade publications just for the cachet of opening something on this scale in Shanghai.

As for my comment about the park being pristine, that had everything to do with my concerns about the Mainland Chinese economy being a bubble about to burst at any time, and what the ramifications might be for the park. If the money isn't coming in, how quickly might the corners be cut on some of those lavish details and artifice?

I don't know enough about the Mainland Chinese to know whether to give credence to the common sentiment to which you were referring. I have heard that sentiment from a number of Hongkongese, but I suspect there's a bit of a 'rivalry' between Mainland and Hong Kong. Regardless, I'll defer to you on that as you have lived there and I have not. I think many things people find problematic about other cultures are really nothing more than thinly-veiled ethnocentrism. I don't find Parisians to be rude, so I doubt I'd be bothered much by the Mainland Chinese.

 

[Nland316]

@WDW1974 what's your opinion on the sneak peek videos of the Paint the Night Parade headed to Hong Kong? Any current news on the length of DL's version? I know last time you said they seemed to be very similar.. I'm hoping it changed..