The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[WDWFanDave]

No, absolutely not the minority. I was expecting (again, noob, rube, newbie, stupid, dumb, whatever) more theme specific merchandise and even consolidated all of my luggage items to one very full luggage, leaving the 'checked' bag practically empty just for the sole purpose of filling up on Polynesian stuff. I was hoping to score some awesome HM merch and something maybe from the (new, at the time of my trip) big top circus souvenir tent. I was sorely disappointed to find that, what little Poly specific merchandise there was (and I do mean little) was so vastly out of my spending range, I ended up settling on this lousy tshirt. Once again, lesson learned.

My homemade Lion King on Broadway tank top has held up infinitely better than the $38 tshirt I bought at WDW. And my tank is a $5 Old Navy tank top with simple acrylic paints and done with a stencil. It still hasn't faded, almost a year later, and it's worn weekly. I can't even wear the shirt I bought at WDW.

I'll have to check out the merchandise forum, I usually don't venture over there but you got me curious

I just wanted to chime in here for a minute...I have t-shirts dating back to 1996 from WDW. Well, I should say that I have t-shirts with the exception of the more recent years that I've traveled there...I did buy them, but they just don't hold up that well anymore. Disappointing, and for us, last year, it just wasn't worth buying them anymore...well, except for the one I got at the outlet store just off property.

 

[WDW1974]

What percentage of Disney fanbois had/have no interest in Marvel whatsoever beyond the fact Iger the Acquirer went out and bought them? I just don't recall the fervor in the fan community on Marvel IP before the deal. So, what exactly happened?

 

[WDW1974]

Thanks again to the folks who are sending me info on Compass Rose. I may take a bit to respond, but I have read every word of every PM/email/doc sent my way.

 

[Smiddimizer]

What percentage of Disney fanbois had/have no interest in Marvel whatsoever beyond the fact Iger the Acquirer went out and bought them? I just don't recall the fervor in the fan community on Marvel IP before the deal. So, what exactly happened?

The Avengers happened.

 

[Funmeister]

What percentage of Disney fanbois had/have no interest in Marvel whatsoever beyond the fact Iger the Acquirer went out and bought them? I just don't recall the fervor in the fan community on Marvel IP before the deal. So, what exactly happened?

I would like to know the same thing when the company had Insane Clown Posse under contract on their label? lol

"When you listen to them while eating a Dole Whip they really aren't that bad!"

 

[WDW1974]

Merchandise at WDW is, actually, better than DLR since I see that has become a topic here. BUT that is only because you can buy kewl NON-Disney items at DAK and EPCOT's World Showcase.

If you are talking Disney BRANDED stuff from the parks and with Disney themes/attractions/IP, then DLR is much, much better.

And I am not simply talking about BVS or CL merchandise, the designs on everything from character tees to pins is generally more appealing (at least to me) on the west coast than it is here.

That might be why I will admit to buying to DCA vinylmation at my local mall of late. To be fair, they fit in with a theme I'll be trying out in the home office soon.

But WDW has some great African and Asian gift items at DAK and DAK Lodge and many of the World Showcase countries do have things worth buying, albeit far less than 10-15-20 years ago.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

What percentage of Disney fanbois had/have no interest in Marvel whatsoever beyond the fact Iger the Acquirer went out and bought them? I just don't recall the fervor in the fan community on Marvel IP before the deal. So, what exactly happened?

I think it happened to coincide with the ramp-up of Marvel films, which have been pretty excellent and gotten the characters lots of new fans. I wasn't really here or there on Marvel, but I've enjoyed all of the MCU films immensely. Now a fan.

If only Disney could get off their and do something with the IP (at DLR), but we all know that's not their strongsuit. Frozen will be wasted on a Maelstrom overlay and Iron Man is getting Stark Tours in HKDL. If I yawned any harder, my brain would probably fall out of my mouth.

 

[WDW1974]

Of course, his not wanting that issue rehashed in this thread didnt stop him from rehashing it himself and firing up the topic.

I was trying to dead end the topic for a while. It didn't work. Clearly.

I bet that Disney has run the numbers and come to a different conclusion than you did.

And, again, are we just supposed to say that because Disney pays obscene salaries to top execs that they are somehow smarter than the rest of us? Cause they are not.

Plus, you often have a couple minutes to kill while you are waiting for your FP window. Why not pop into a shop or buy a snack?

That was the original late 90s idea for why FP was going to be such a hit. The reality was FP didn't spur additional sales (or anything significant or food and beverage). Yet, they still believe in that fallacy. That's why promises were made for MM+ ... promises that haven't come close to being delivered on.

 

[Cesar R M]

HA! It's funny you mention that. I've never understood why theme parks don't put vendors in queue lines.

We waited for about 30 minutes in the hot florida heat last week for Kilaminjaro Safaris. We would have killed for someplace to buy soft drinks or waters.

Walmart would make the wait times long on purpose and then have vendors at every 5 feet!!

only probably excuse would be: the mess kids would make if eating in line.

 

[WDW1974]

An EPCOT point that was sorta brought up here ... BUT no, the park isn't really in trouble. Not like the third amnd fourth WDW gates. But it isn't in trouble because Disney has converted it into the 21st century version of Pleasure Island. It is entirely about food, booze and merchandise sales and those are pushed by three seasonal festivals/events. You take those events away and you'd largely see tumbleweeds blowing across the landscape.

 

[stevehousse]

Anyone else love the new Star Wars themed magic bands? Awesome! Wonder what other character bands they will come out with next?

 

[WDW1974]

One way of being weak to me as a Lifestyler is never visiting UNI/IOA, SW/AQ/DC, BGT etc while crowing about how MAGICal WDW still is. It's a simple as that. You lose respect in my eyes when you chose to ignore the other top products in themed entertainment because you are in love with a BRAND. ... It's sorta like being in love with a phony voice from your iPhone ... didn't they make a movie about that?

 

[stevehousse]

USE THE SPOILER TAG.

How is an actor getting hurt on set a movie spoiler??? LOL laughable...

Rebuilt Millennium Falcon anyone?

 

[truecoat]

Can I ask just one stupid question why is it not possible for everyone to enjoy and like both parks? Why do you have to hate wdw and love uni? In my eyes all the parks offer a unique and dofferent experience. And non of them would be around if it was not for wdw. Wdw has spent tons in upkeep the past few years along with misuse of some money but they are trying to better the parks maybe not at the rate we like but give them some credit. uni is doing the same thing after years of really not doing much they are spending like crazy now to build their parks. Both of these are great things for us the consumer.

I think a lot of fans want Disney to be the one that leads. They aren't and haven't been doing that for a while now. When your most popular park, the crown jewels, goes almost 2+ decades without an E-ticket, something is wrong. We want the Disney that amazes and inspires us when we enter the park not the one that relies on nostalgia.

Would I like starwars land today hell yeah but I also know it won't happen that fast and wdw takes a long time to roll things. Do I like that we are seeing some planning and rumors hell yeah and I know they will do something.

Should have started construction the day after they signed the purchase agreement.

Uni will also slow down at some point and let their investment be recouped it is all business and we need to understand that.

Uni will slow down some day but when they are done, we will see a pretty amazing set of attractions, hotels, water parks (a giant mountain is coming!) and from the sounds of it, a third park.

Harry Potter may not worry Disney but the end game should.

 

[Nemo14]

An EPCOT point that was sorta brought up here ... BUT no, the park isn't really in trouble. Not like the third amnd fourth WDW gates. But it isn't in trouble because Disney has converted it into the 21st century version of Pleasure Island. It is entirely about food, booze and merchandise sales and those are pushed by three seasonal festivals/events. You take those events away and you'd largely see tumbleweeds blowing across the landscape.

In many ways, I find this sadder than all the crap that is going on in the other 3 parks. Kind of a which is worse situation - neglect or greed...

 

[WDW1974]

You mean the numbers that show that P&R gross margins averaged more than 30% higher under Eisner than they have under Iger? That in the 8 full fiscal years that Iger has been in charge of TWDC, 7 of P&R's 10 lowest gross margin years have been under Iger?

Rule #1 in climbing the corporate ladder is: never tell the boss he doesn't know what he's doing.

When it comes to P&R, Iger and Rasulo don't know what they're doing.

Putting on my Disney apologist Mouse Ears: ''But they keep making record profits and they can't lie or the SEC will put them in jail.''

Nah, those ears don't fit right and they look ridiculous on me.

 

[Nemo14]

Putting on my Disney apologist Mouse Ears: ''But they keep making record profits and they can't lie or the SEC will put them in jail.''

Nah, those ears don't fit right and they look ridiculous on me.

but they're magical!

 

[WDW1974]

I don't for a minute dispute all that you said in that post. I'm positive that all of it is true. The problem I have is that in spite of the highlighted line, there are more people going to WDW then ever before. In my mind that makes that statement incorrect. It may be expensive, it may be what many feel is out of line, but, it has not, in any form, made it unaffordable. It's just a bigger piece of our collective income. Unaffordable is when the parks are empty. That may happen before too long, but, it hasn't happened yet.

Nope.

Unaffordable is when fewer people can afford them and when you have to go outside your traditional markets because you have reached a point of diminishing returns with those 'chronics' ... unaffordable is also when those 'chronics' (I was for decades) visit, but instead of spending $5,000 in a week on your business, spend $500 (that's also now me).

The parks have never been empty due to prices, no matter how crazy or unreasonable they become. The parks only empty in times of global crisis be it the Arab energy embargo of the 70s, the recession of the Carter years, the recession under Bush The Elder and the first Gulf War in 1990-91, the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath, the years that followed the 2007-08 economic collapse.

I really can't imagine a scenario where WDW or UNI or any major operator has empty parks based on prices charged.

 

[WDW1974]

I stand by my statement that WDW has never been so unaffordable.

I stand right by your side.

And I've been saying it online longer!!!

 

[WDW1974]

The hotel rooms are laughable in price. They are eventually going to have to fix the problem because no moderate is worth 200 a night.

Please, Dixie Landings is worth slightly more than it was worth a decade ago when I was booking it for well under $100 with either AP, FLA Resident or, even, AAA discounts (yes, going to leave out the CM rates because not everyone has friends who are Disney employees and can get those).

The deals one can find for hotels in O-Town should have TDO completely rethinking its business model and marketing of its resorts, but they are still acting like it is 1997 and the sky is the limit.

I love the WL. Absolutely love it. Spent opening week there. Have stayed there about 150 nights. Guess what? Those nights were all between 1994-2006. Haven't stayed since. Why? Because those rooms are still not worth more than $150-170 a night to me. I would guess the average rate I paid to stay there in all my nights was about $110 a night.