The Spirited 11th Hour ...

[Mike S]

Try telling that to a four year old who's every other word is Anna! Adults have tired of it... I don't think kids have yet.

Been there. Recently went to a 3 year olds Frozen birthday party. The power of free food is strong indeed

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

IMO the fervor over Frozen has thawed. Kids have short memories and attention spans. I am not saying Frozen 2 will be a direct to Blu Ray but I don't think they will catch the magic in a bottle a second time. The kiddos will have moved on to the next hot thing. Sure Frozenstrom will be popular but in a nostalgic way. When Frozen hit there wasn't much else going on. I guess only time will tell.

You're severely underestimating Frozen's continuing selling power. Have you noticed how Anna and Elsa haven't been lumped into the Disney Princess line, like Merida and Rapunzel were shortly after their films were released? Anna and Elsa don't need the Disney Princesses. Frozen is its own brand and it is still killing it.

Frozen 2 will be a license to print money, like a legitimate Frozen expansion would be at DL or WDW, and will be at TDS.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I hope this change at WDI returns them to a model that is sustainable in the face of the amount of work they now take on. The project-only employment model has failed miserably as a result of Shanghai, the delays of which have caused a cascade of delays for other projects (like TDR expansions).

The cost-saving model has resulted in talent being lost to individual firms and Universal Creative. But then again, talent hasn't been overly valued at WDI for some time. It would be nice if that changed with an actual creative in charge.

 

[Nubs70]

Wouldn't that be offsetting the profit before it actually has a chance to make a profit. Besides I'm sure that the depreciation time is way more then 7 years. I don't see how that would work. How would you keep track of depreciation on a investment spread out over time. What would be the base and where would that base break into segments. Each attraction is much easier to depreciate with a completed starting point. I think the IRS would be a little upset about it as well. I cannot think of any reason to delay the depreciation factor when it means a lessening of taxable profit.

Regardless of build time, depreciation starts when the asset is "placed into service". Depending on how the attraction is categorized, or even broken into subsets, will dictate what MACRS format is used.

 

[jt04]

I have written this same post probably a few dozen times here. But it bears repeating. And it shows a fundamental problem with the culture of WDI and TWDC.

In the late 70s and early 80s, TINY Walt Disney Productions and WED built EPCOT Center (out of the swamps of Central FL), TDL on a landfill in an industrial wasteland on Tokyo Bay and a New (a really new, not like WDW) Fantasyland at DL, while the park was open and attracting millions of visitors at the same time. Oh, and both of the first two projects opened as complete experiences (yes, some attractions came online later, but the vast majority were done and not having them didn't harm the Guest experience). Also, WED was working on plans for expanded resorts at WDW and a larger Village complex and new lands for DL.

All. At. The. Same. Time.

The idea that in the 21st century the world's largest media and entertainment company needs the ridiculous time windows on things ranging from the SDMT to Pandora to Star Wars on both coasts to Shanghai Disneyland is insane. It doesn't. The culture needs to change and for the first time in the 21st century, it looks like it may well do so.

Oh, and before folks give The Weatherman (AKA Robert A. Iger) credit for this, please recall that the man was named Michael Eisner's replacement over a decade ago. He was supposed to be packing up his office by now. It was only his ego and the pay check that gives us over two more years with Bob. In other words, even if this is a great move, I have a hard time saying it is OK that he blew a decade with business as usual. Doesn't show much vision, does it?

Spirited change is here.....

Just one comment in the spirited thread that hopefully does not get me banned. I will respect 74 is the morning. No, really.

"All. At. The. Same. Time" Precisely spirit and pre-Eisner! All or at least the vast majority of problems that people lament here have roots in his tenure. I do not think poorly of the previous CEO. He has a likeable personality. But just as he never grasped Epcot Center, I am not personally sure he ever truly understood the Disney brand. Eventually this overwhelmed him. He had great contributions, especially when it came to animation before that house was burned down.

History will show, whether anyone likes him or not, that Iger fixed every division through a methodical well planned strategy. It had to be done in the way it was done. In my well considered opinion.

Patience is a virtue worth cultivating my young padawans. It is a virtue.

~ Pendulum ~

 

[Mike S]

Spirited change is here.....

Just one comment in the spirited thread that hopefully does not get me banned. I will respect 74 is the morning. No, really.

"All. At. The. Same. Time" Precisely spirit and pre-Eisner! Most or at least the vast majority of problems that people lament here have roots in his tenure. I do not think poorly of the previous CEO. He has a likeable personality. But just as he never grasped Epcot Center, I am not personally sure he ever truly understood the Disney brand. Eventually this overwhelmed him. He had great contributions, especially when it came to animation before that house was burned down.

History will show, whether anyone likes him or not, that Iger fixed every division through a methodical well planned strategy. It had to be done in the way it was done. In my well considered opinion.

Patience is a virtue worth cultivating my young padawans. It is a virtue.

~ Pendulum ~

Patience is great and all but 10 years to finally get it all going?

 

[Goofyernmost]

Regardless of build time, depreciation starts when the asset is "placed into service". Depending on how the attraction is categorized, or even broken into subsets, will dictate what MACRS format is used.

Kinda what I was saying, just not as well.

 

[jt04]

Patience is great and all but 10 years to finally get it all going?

Such is the vastness of the WDC which has grown exponentially under Iger. 10 years is most impressive in my opinion. He had to make the company financially secure and rebuild animation. No small task within themselves.

Now I really must be exiting. The Mom can only be expected to be so patient.

BTW I really love The Mom's new Geico commercial. Hi, The Mom

Night all.

 

[PhotoDave219]

So 11 pages in and summed up, WDI moves good.

Igor more Corporate than anyone.

SDL coming hell or high water.

..... And WDI builds slower than DC traffic in a half inch of snow.

And some of you like to post to see your name online.

Did I miss anything?

 

[ProfSavage]

So 11 pages in and summed up, WDI moves good.

Igor more Corporate than anyone.

SDL coming hell or high water.

..... And WDI builds slower than DC traffic in a half inch of snow.

And some of you like to post to see your name online.

Did I miss anything?

I'm posting again? Because I'm a big deal.

 

[Andrew C]

So 11 pages in and summed up, WDI moves good.

Igor more Corporate than anyone.

SDL coming hell or high water.

..... And WDI builds slower than DC traffic in a half inch of snow.

And some of you like to post to see your name online.

Did I miss anything?

Cheap and fast. You forgot cheap and fast.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Sometimes I feel like all these redevelopments are coming much too late, especially in the case of DHS. By the time the focus shifts to Epcot, it will probably be much too late to save the park. Well, it is Disney; they can pull off things no other company is capable of doing.

I agree but I think attendance and public outcry will always be minimal due to the package deal. If Epcot or DHS was all there was in FL, people would have waged pitchforks or stopped going a while ago. But when people tack them on to their Magic Kingdom/WDW experience, they are willing to look past the shortcomings, lack of theme, and stale properties that have stagnated far too long.

 

[Iwerks64]

Oh, there will be. There are some folks with high six figure salaries and seven figure packages that have been doing almost nothing. That won't continue.

I'm always available to take their place...

 

[Iwerks64]

As to HK's second gate, I am hearing conflicting info on it and don't want to post much until I know something solid. I KNOW it has been in active development. I KNOW that one will be built. But ... need to find out more.

I'd love to hear some of the details when you can share them. After my fourth visit to HKDL in 12 months, I'd loved to see an exciting second gate there.

 

[Cesar R M]

I need more information before I declare it dead. That would leave HKDL with no real plans for anything beyond the opening of Iron Man and the Explorers Lodge. ... And the government isn't going to sit back and allow the land to simply sit there.

I actually wonder.. having a Disney park means they are forced to only do and use WDI plans?
They cant use third party ideas or planners? (like outside ex-imagineer groups)?

 

[Cesar R M]

Been there. Recently went to a 3 year olds Frozen birthday party. The power of free food is strong indeed

Well, freefood is the important part. I would even go to a Giggly or "Last Airbender" themed party as long theres decent free food available

 

[lazyboy97o]

I actually wonder.. having a Disney park means they are forced to only do and use WDI plans?
They cant use third party ideas or planners? (like outside ex-imagineer groups)?

The international parks, regardless of Disney's ownership stake, must use Walt Disney Imagineering and have projects approved by Disney.

 

[jensenrick]

Chappie wants things done quicker in O-Town as well. But there are more difficulties in the swamps because they are rebuilding 75% of a park while it is open, including new parking structures. I see no way it is ready by that time in FL. I think it still is a 2020 type of deal ... but that is opinion.

Very interesting, and good to know.
A question if I may- if SWL is 2020, what is the ETA for Toy Story Land, in your opinion?

 

[WildcatDen]

Here's the difference, IF I am wrong I'll be pleased that stuff got done, .

Somehow, I just do not believe this is even remotely true. Your steady diet of negativity for negativities sake leads one to believe you have an agenda and the current plans do not fit your narrative.

 

[rreading]

Kind of a separate question, but intended to relate:

Recently while domestic development has come along, TWDC sank a TON of money into FP+/new generation technology. Independent of our opinion of how useful this technology has been, do we think that money can flow more freely now that that siphon has gone (and as a corollary, one they don't have to futz with Shanghai either, though it sounds like that may be a while)?