The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[unkadug]

you're not serious, are you? please tell me you're joking!

Why would that be surprising?

It is prime real estate and a cash cow (Cash Grab) opportunity that I'm surprised they have not jumped on yet.

 

[marni1971]

Look, @marni1971! Even Mr. Pixie Dust has to admit that Disney hasn't built a real E-ticket in several decades...

But he still believes there's an E in new Fantasyland...

 

[unkadug]

But he still believes there's an E in new Fantasyland...

Fantasieland


There....fixed

 

[Mike S]

Why would that be surprising?

It is prime real estate and a cash cow (Cash Grab) opportunity that I'm surprised they have not jumped on yet.

Do they even give that room away anymore to regular guests? If they did start putting it up for sale for people to spend nights there for their vacation they could conceivably charge whatever they wanted and I'm sure there would be people that pay it. I'm not saying I want them to do this at all btw.

 

[stevehousse]

you're not serious, are you? please tell me you're joking!

I too am suprised they haven't gone and added this room to bookings and charge some outrageous price! I mean I'm sure it sits empty most of the time unless a celebrity want to stay there or something?

Does anyone even know when it was used last?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Do they even give that room away anymore to regular guests? If they did start putting it up for sale for people to spend nights there for their vacation they could conceivably charge whatever they wanted and I'm sure there would be people that pay it. I'm not saying I want them to do this at all btw.

It's for VIPs only now - Katy Perry stayed there on her recent visit.

 

[71jason]

I too am suprised they haven't gone and added this room to bookings and charge some outrageous price! I mean I'm sure it sits empty most of the time unless a celebrity want to stay there or something?

Does anyone even know when it was used last?

I heard it was used the last time Johnny Depp was in town. No idea if used since.

Part of the problem is it's not at all convenient. You get locked in at park closing, to enjoy a view of custodial cleaning up an empty park, then need to be out again by park opening the next morning. As I recall, during the Year of a Million Dreams, more people turned the offer down then took them up on it.

 

[aladdin2007]

It's for VIPs only now - Katy Perry stayed there on her recent visit.

she must have enjoyed the "fireworks" from up there.

 

[Mike S]

I heard it was used the last time Johnny Depp was in town. No idea if used since.

Part of the problem is it's not at all convenient. You get locked in at park closing, to enjoy a view of custodial cleaning up an empty park, then need to be out again by park opening the next morning. As I recall, during the Year of a Million Dreams, more people turned the offer down then took them up on it.

If my family was offered the stay I definitely would've taken it.

 

[unkadug]

I heard it was used the last time Johnny Depp was in town. No idea if used since.

Part of the problem is it's not at all convenient. You get locked in at park closing, to enjoy a view of custodial cleaning up an empty park, then need to be out again by park opening the next morning. As I recall, during the Year of a Million Dreams, more people turned the offer down then took them up on it.

I don't think they made the YOAMD winners be out of the park by opening...That would have really spoiled the whole thing. They were pretty much treated as VIP's.

They did have to be escorted anywhere they went after park closing though. They certainly didn't have free roam as if at their home resort.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Additional Musing:

Do you think Luvable Lou Mongello will ever mention Tony Baxter's name after his giddy response to Diagon Alley this weekend?

He did have him on his show for an interview a couple weeks ago, and he did leave in a brief mention of Harry Potter from Tony.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

It appears the Islamic State is better at social media than Celebration Place.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...-you-its-new-audience.html?curator=MediaREDEF

 

[misterID]

I'm not.

But when I talk things from consumer products to ABC programming to theme parks in China, I get the sense that folks across MAGICland are tuning out.

BTW, over and under on how many pages the EPCOT entertainment bitchfest thread will go? I'll put $20 down on 123 pages.

Keep up the China talk. It's nice to see WDI show they can still make something great.

I heard it was used the last time Johnny Depp was in town. No idea if used since.

Part of the problem is it's not at all convenient. You get locked in at park closing, to enjoy a view of custodial cleaning up an empty park, then need to be out again by park opening the next morning. As I recall, during the Year of a Million Dreams, more people turned the offer down then took them up on it.

It might have to do with being a Central Florida boy, but there's always been a fascination with that room from the moment you hear about Walt's "secret apartment." Yeah, I know, but still...

 

[Clamman73]

Uh oh...mymagic problems at MK

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm not.

But when I talk things from consumer products to ABC programming to theme parks in China, I get the sense that folks across MAGICland are tuning out.

BTW, over and under on how many pages the EPCOT entertainment bitchfest thread will go? I'll put $20 down on 123 pages.

It still has a long way to go to surpass the thread on the waterfall being removed from the Polly lobby, but it may be approaching the Starbucks replacing Main Street Bakery thread.

I enjoy some of the discussions around the international parks and some of the TV talk, but I haven't been to those parks and don't watch all of the shows discussed so some times I just sit back and listen.

 

[GoofGoof]

Agree. I think I like the FP+ more than the average person as I know what I to do at MK and it's not a park I like to walk around and take in the atmosphere and do things on the fly, so it's perfect for me in that regard.

And yeah, you look at what Disneyland invests a billion in and what WDW invested a billion in. And I know there's a group who loves to bemoan the "DLR had to invest it in their parks" but you know what, WDW didn't have to invest that money in MM+, at least not at this level. There are a lot of parks in need when you consider how much they charge for admission at the park.

I have yet to hear a single person here say they thought that NextGen was a smart way to spend that kind of money. People may defend aspects of the project, but nobody can dispute that the money spent could have been put to much better use somewhere in one or more of the parks.

DLR does have a different economic model which is more focused on theme park attendance as opposed to hotel rooms and resort occupancy, but both DL and WDW need to continue to invest in rides and attractions for the parks to continue their success. I would have less of a problem if WDW spent the NextGen money on infrastructure in anticipation of the next round of park expansion. Things like monorail and transportation upgrades and parking and road work that would be needed if they planned to continue growing. It seems like Nextgen is more about getting more cash from existing guests than growing the business.

 

[ParentsOf4]

WDW was almost cheap before Eisner and Wells took over and was fairly priced for almost all of the former's tenure. I would argue the total gouging of guests started in MDE's final few years and has been the rule of the day for Iger's entire tenure.

Let’s put what Eisner and Wells did into perspective.

By the end of their first 5 years, they had introduced price increases that doubled Parks & Resorts revenue. However, they also had more than quadrupled Parks & Resorts capital investment!

Within their first 5 years, Eisner & Wells had built Disney-MGM Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, Pleasure Island, Mickey's Toontown Fair (then called Mickey's Birthdayland), the Norway Pavilion, the Living Seas, Captain EO, Illuminations, the Grand Floridian, Caribbean Beach Resort, and more.

Eisner and Wells took the money they generated and created the modern WDW.

During his first 5 years, Iger built Toy Story Mania.

 

[Darth Sidious]

Let’s put what Eisner and Wells did into perspective.

By the end of their first 5 years, they had introduced price increases that doubled Parks & Resorts revenue. However, they also had more than quadrupled Parks & Resorts capital investment!

Within their first 5 years, Eisner & Wells had built Disney-MGM Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, Pleasure Island, Mickey's Toontown Fair (then called Mickey's Birthdayland), the Norway Pavilion, the Living Seas, Captain EO, Illuminations, the Grand Floridian, Caribbean Beach Resort, and more.

Eisner and Wells took the money they generated and created the modern WDW.

During his first 5 years, Iger built Toy Story Mania.

I actually laughed out loud reading that. haha, touché sir!

 

[TalkingHead]

Wonder what crowds are like at the O-Town parks this weekend. I've never been much of a Labor Day Weekend at the parks Spirit. I think I have been up there twice over this weekend and both were when I was under 18.

Universal was busy but not a madhouse on Saturday. Waits for the headliners ranged from 30 min to an hour+. Gringotts wasn't over 90 min, and when the ride is operating correctly, the line moves pretty quickly. (So no one needs to feel too badly for Tony Baxter waiting in the outdoor overflow queue!)

Someone told me that for Sea World ''it was like summer never happened' this year. Very sad.

I saw where SeaWorld is doing FL resident deals for Discovery Cove. Tempting, but not sure I'll have a chance to do it this fall.

Nice win for FSU last night considering they didn't play very well!

Had to do some nail biting toward the end of the game. A win's a win, but it could've looked better, no doubt.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I have yet to hear a single person here say they thought that NextGen was a smart way to spend that kind of money. People may defend aspects of the project, but nobody can dispute that the money spent could have been put to much better use somewhere in one or more of the parks.

No one has mentioned it because no one knows how it will work out in the long run. It's just wishful thinking that prompts anyone to say that it was a total failure, because it is just starting up. It may well be, but, since we cannot see into the future, it is just speculation.

The other absolute craziness is harboring the thought that the money would ever have funneled into the parks. This is a Disney Company investment with each park that is affected pulling their share on a spreadsheet. There is absolutely no indication anywhere that if they hadn't spent that money on MM+ they were going to dump it into the parks. More then likely it would have just become bigger bonus's for the top ranks or used to purchase another IP. We may like to wish that they would have spent it on the parks, but, that is as much a fantasy as anything in Fantasyland.