The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[Mike S]

Maybe Disney has sold so many Maelstrom limited Special Edition T-shirts that it's having second thoughts about the whole thing. Money talks, y'know...

As astronomically low the chances are for that being the case it would be great to know I did my part in saving Maelstrom But like I said, astronomically low chance that's the case.

 

[WDW1974]

What year(s) did DIS pay the $1.whatever billion for the DCA re-do?

Actual cost when you add in TSMM and WoC and assorted entertainment that was not in the redo was closer to $1.75 billion.

And it was spread out from 2008-2012 (the actual total redo). You can go back to 2005 if you add some of the TSMM costs.

 

[Nemo14]

As astronomically low the chances are for that being the case it would be great to know I did my part in saving Maelstrom But like I said, astronomically low chance that's the case.

The only reason they would pull those would be so they could raise the price then sell them after Maelstrom is but a fleeting memory drowned out by the laughter of children and Disney executives,

 

[TP2000]

Actual cost when you add in TSMM and WoC and assorted entertainment that was not in the redo was closer to $1.75 billion.

And it was spread out from 2008-2012 (the actual total redo). You can go back to 2005 if you add some of the TSMM costs.

We've heard several good sources say that Midway Mania and World of Color were already under construction or approved prior to the big California Adventure Extreme Makeover press conference that Bog Iger hosted in October, 2007, and thus not included in the 1.2 Billion dollar price tag for the park's makeover.

DCA isn't fixed entirely (for proof take a wander to the back corners of HollywoodLand, or just go look at Paul Pressler's California Screamin' queue), but it made huge strides over four years from '08 to '12. And it wasn't just all the new rides, but it was a thorough cosmetic reskin of the weakest areas of the park. The result is phenomenal!

The good news is that DHS doesn't need as much of the cosmetic help that DCA needed, especially for the entrance and the park's opening acts. But what DHS does need is lots of new rides, from C Tickets to E Tickets. Currently, the two parks stack up like this:

Disney's Hollywood Studios
15 Attractions, 6 of which are Rides, 3 of which are E Tickets (ToT, RnRC, Star Tours)
No Parade, One Water Spectacular, One Fireworks Show

Disney California Adventure
32 Attractions, 21 of which are Rides, 5 of which are E Tickets (ToT, Soarin', Screamin', Grizzly, Racers)
One Parade, One Water Spectacular

Is 1.7 Billion enough to buy DHS a couple of new E Tickets, plus a half dozen D and C Tickets, a working Red Car Trolley system, a desperately needed remake on the circa 1990 stage and amphitheater shows, a Fantasmic! upgrade that brings it up to Disneyland circa 2010 standards, and a new afternoon parade? And in the four-year 2015 to 2019 timeframe?

Kathy Mangum worked wonders on Cars Land. She was reported to have been moved to work on DHS, but we haven't heard where she is or what she's working on for over a year. What ever happened to that? Was the news of WDI's "Star Wars Studio" creation also news that Kathy was off the DHS job?

 

[marni1971]

. The white bleeding lights issue in the cave screen room under the tracks has now been fixed and completely dark and looks so much better.
The Phoenicians room, on the left side where a little lit ship use to sit has now been upgraded with a new black lit wall/sky and more stars and lights added. The burning room scent is as strong as ever, and believe it or not the wrinkled curtains in the descent arent so wrinkled anymore. Lighting in general seems fixed and better throughout. Was this the love you said that was possibly coming to Epcot awhile back?

Its good news, I'll check It out myself soon.

The white lights under the track were work lights. Simple. No one ensured they were switched off. Or that the system switching them off was working properly. I heard the Phoenicians had been tweaked, but they forgot to put the model ship back initially.

I wouldn't call it the love as such. More like a concerted effort by a small group of people who want things to be better. Much like when Gran Fiesta got LEDs added in the party scene. Little additions that make a difference but anyone upstairs wouldn't even know about. Proper corporate love for SSE would come when the ride system and track defects were fixed and the descent was plussed.

 

[Nemo14]

Its good news, I'll check It out myself soon.

How soon?

 

[Next Big Thing]

Yeah, Iger probably looks at all that 2D animation in the Disney vault and thinks it's old-fashioned and unappealing to today's audiences. Never mind that The Lion King's 3D re-release made 100 million, and that all of the Pixar 3D re-releases didn't do anything CLOSE to that...

The pixar re-releases didn't do as good for two main reasons:

1. It was just off the heals of the LK re-release. People are ok with things one time, but start to sense a cash grab when you do it continually. Take Avatar for example and the 3D craze that followed (and quickly died off).
2. Not enough time has passed by yet. There's been over 20 years since Lion King released. The nostalgia is at a perfect point right now. Those that grew up with it may not have seen it in awhile, may have kids of their own now and want to share it with them. The Pixar releases had all been released within 10 years of the re-release. That's not enough time to build up enough nostalgia or the other factors that helped Lion King.

 

[PeterAlt]

Just to let everyone know -

The upgrades at DLR - Voyage of the Little Mermaid, BTMRR, and Alice in Wonderland - all came out very good and effectively enhances those rides!

Hopefully, the first two rides I just mentioned will be upgraded here in Florida as well, as per previous Spirit posts have indicated.

 

[PeterAlt]

We've heard several good sources say that Midway Mania and World of Color were already under construction or approved prior to the big California Adventure Extreme Makeover press conference that Bog Iger hosted in October, 2007, and thus not included in the 1.2 Billion dollar price tag for the park's makeover.

DCA isn't fixed entirely (for proof take a wander to the back corners of HollywoodLand, or just go look at Paul Pressler's California Screamin' queue), but it made huge strides over four years from '08 to '12. And it wasn't just all the new rides, but it was a thorough cosmetic reskin of the weakest areas of the park. The result is phenomenal!

The good news is that DHS doesn't need as much of the cosmetic help that DCA needed, especially for the entrance and the park's opening acts. But what DHS does need is lots of new rides, from C Tickets to E Tickets. Currently, the two parks stack up like this:

Disney's Hollywood Studios
15 Attractions, 6 of which are Rides, 3 of which are E Tickets (ToT, RnRC, Star Tours)
No Parade, One Water Spectacular, One Fireworks Show

Disney California Adventure
32 Attractions, 21 of which are Rides, 5 of which are E Tickets (ToT, Soarin', Screamin', Grizzly, Racers)
One Parade, One Water Spectacular

Is 1.7 Billion enough to buy DHS a couple of new E Tickets, plus a half dozen D and C Tickets, a working Red Car Trolley system, a desperately needed remake on the circa 1990 stage and amphitheater shows, a Fantasmic! upgrade that brings it up to Disneyland circa 2010 standards, and a new afternoon parade? And in the four-year 2015 to 2019 timeframe?

Kathy Mangum worked wonders on Cars Land. She was reported to have been moved to work on DHS, but we haven't heard where she is or what she's working on for over a year. What ever happened to that? Was the news of WDI's "Star Wars Studio" creation also news that Kathy was off the DHS job?

Haven't you learned yet that these things take time? For example, even though construction on Avatar is well under way, no details have officially been released yet.

 

[PeterAlt]

We've heard several good sources say that Midway Mania and World of Color were already under construction or approved prior to the big California Adventure Extreme Makeover press conference that Bog Iger hosted in October, 2007, and thus not included in the 1.2 Billion dollar price tag for the park's makeover.

DCA isn't fixed entirely (for proof take a wander to the back corners of HollywoodLand, or just go look at Paul Pressler's California Screamin' queue), but it made huge strides over four years from '08 to '12. And it wasn't just all the new rides, but it was a thorough cosmetic reskin of the weakest areas of the park. The result is phenomenal!

The good news is that DHS doesn't need as much of the cosmetic help that DCA needed, especially for the entrance and the park's opening acts. But what DHS does need is lots of new rides, from C Tickets to E Tickets. Currently, the two parks stack up like this:

Disney's Hollywood Studios
15 Attractions, 6 of which are Rides, 3 of which are E Tickets (ToT, RnRC, Star Tours)
No Parade, One Water Spectacular, One Fireworks Show

Disney California Adventure
32 Attractions, 21 of which are Rides, 5 of which are E Tickets (ToT, Soarin', Screamin', Grizzly, Racers)
One Parade, One Water Spectacular

Is 1.7 Billion enough to buy DHS a couple of new E Tickets, plus a half dozen D and C Tickets, a working Red Car Trolley system, a desperately needed remake on the circa 1990 stage and amphitheater shows, a Fantasmic! upgrade that brings it up to Disneyland circa 2010 standards, and a new afternoon parade? And in the four-year 2015 to 2019 timeframe?

Kathy Mangum worked wonders on Cars Land. She was reported to have been moved to work on DHS, but we haven't heard where she is or what she's working on for over a year. What ever happened to that? Was the news of WDI's "Star Wars Studio" creation also news that Kathy was off the DHS job?

1. What is Star Wars Studio? Have I missed something?

2. After visiting DCA 2.0 just a few days ago, while it is still fresh in my head, let me say that it is a big improvement, but it can't stop there. It still needs a lot of work. For example, Bugs Land feels so out of place. The Hollywood section and Red Car Trolley was a big surprise and came out better than expected. When you consider how much money was put into the redo and compare that to the original cost adjusted for inflation, you begin to appreciate how much "bang" DCA got for its buck. I'm not at all condoning the cheapness of DCA 1.0 but it did get a lot for its bare minimum dollar.

 

[stevehousse]

Yeah, Iger probably looks at all that 2D animation in the Disney vault and thinks it's old-fashioned and unappealing to today's audiences. Never mind that The Lion King's 3D re-release made 100 million, and that all of the Pixar 3D re-releases didn't do anything CLOSE to that...

I was gonna say exactly what @Next Big Thing said about nostalgia factor being at play mostly for those 3-d releases being successful or not...

The pixar re-releases didn't do as good for two main reasons:

1. It was just off the heals of the LK re-release. People are ok with things one time, but start to sense a cash grab when you do it continually. Take Avatar for example and the 3D craze that followed (and quickly died off).
2. Not enough time has passed by yet. There's been over 20 years since Lion King released. The nostalgia is at a perfect point right now. Those that grew up with it may not have seen it in awhile, may have kids of their own now and want to share it with them. The Pixar releases had all been released within 10 years of the re-release. That's not enough time to build up enough nostalgia or the other factors that helped Lion King.

Plain an simple, those of us who were kids when those movies were released were absolute favorites amongst my generation! And on top of that, re-releasing old Disney animated movies is nothing new. They have been doing it for years!

As a kid, I was able to go see Disney movies that my mom had seen and were nostalgic to her generation. (RIP Bambi's mom, first Disney movie I saw in a theater back in the 80s) Now I get to take my kids to see Disney movies that my generation was infatuated with! All those movies however came out at least 20 years ago!

I think if Pixar would have waited another 5-10 more years to re-release, the movies would have done great. Most of the kids that grew up with the Pixar "boom" so to speak, well most of them r in college now, not parents of children just yet...

 

[TeriofTerror]

Random note: I just read a recent post from the Disney Parks Blog regarding the new Haunted Mansion shop. While I'm as interested as the next person to see what this store will have to offer, the article itself was just awful. For example:
"The shop staff is a friendly, if somewhat quiet, group. They go about their duties with a calm and reverent manner but with a knowing glint to their eyes."
Seriously, who writes this claptrap?

 

[aladdin2007]

Its good news, I'll check It out myself soon.

The white lights under the track were work lights. Simple. No one ensured they were switched off. Or that the system switching them off was working properly. I heard the Phoenicians had been tweaked, but they forgot to put the model ship back initially.

I wouldn't call it the love as such. More like a concerted effort by a small group of people who want things to be better. Much like when Gran Fiesta got LEDs added in the party scene. Little additions that make a difference but anyone upstairs wouldn't even know about. Proper corporate love for SSE would come when the ride system and track defects were fixed and the descent was plussed.

Have to say after riding Gran yesterday again, what a mess with lighting. The bright white flood lights throughout are horrible, the ride is no longer dark, especially at the beginning float through where it should be, and the final big room is flooded in white spotlighting. its pathetic what they have done here.
but glad to hear SE has a little group involved who cares somewhere.

 

[flynnibus]

I'm jealous of certain folks, I admit. But none of them are Disney Lifestylers and I'm still not sure I'd want to change places with them ... as to my Honorary Doctorate in Mental Health and the Disney and UNIversal Fan Community, I think those folks are either crazy (or is the proper term 'nuts'?) or jealous of my credential.

You might have to give up your custom license plate...

I was thinking how MAGICal it might be to attempt to 'utilize' every restroom facility (no hotel rooms, just public spaces) at WDW and blog about that. Imagine talking about the particular smells of the TTC facilities (these have reeked like truck stops since the 70s) or the new wallpaper and design of Port Orleans or ones that are more hidden and secluded ...I think I know the perfect guy for this ... hey @TalkingHead !!!

Hey, people already do that on the cruise ships

How about stacking up the same burger from every location that sells it at WDW? You can even get a matching paper-plate set!

 

[71jason]

By whose accounts? His fans and followers? Because I don't know a single soul that says that beyond them ... hell, I even hear that a few folks at Celebration Place are quite tired of him.

I'm hardly a fan/follower, but I have friends who are (hey, you pick your battles). I've seen Lou be nothing but pleasant and friendly to them when randomly approached. Sure, he's a glory hound, and yeah, his schtick gets old quick, but he is cool to his fans. Of course, he should be, they've made him rich.

 

[Bairstow]

Have to say after riding Gran yesterday again, what a mess with lighting. The bright white flood lights throughout are horrible, the ride is no longer dark, especially at the beginning float through where it should be, and the final big room is flooded in white spotlighting. its pathetic what they have done here.
but glad to hear SE has a little group involved who cares somewhere.

Jim Hill once claimed that for years, the AA Pistoles, Carioca, and Donald figures from the Mickey Mouse Revue have been sitting backstage from their use at the Mickey Mouse revue during its Tokyo run, just waiting to be installed.
According to him, the only reason they haven't been put into the ride is that no one wants to budget the money for the installation/programming.

Can anyone confirm?

 

[Jose]

Just to let everyone know -

The upgrades at DLR - Voyage of the Little Mermaid, BTMRR, and Alice in Wonderland - all came out very good and effectively enhances those rides!

Hopefully, the first two rides I just mentioned will be upgraded here in Florida as well, as per previous Spirit posts have indicated.

yeah, @WDW1974 do you have news about this?

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I mean, really- how much would it cost to add these figures to the finale of the Mexico boat ride?

 

[culturenthrills]

Alaska is one of the most amazing places on the planet. And, as my jealous 'pals' here will tell you, I tend to get around. There are very few places that have profoundly impacted me and Alaska in totality was one. Now, whether I'd live there 12 months a year is a different subject as extreme cold is something I basically haven't ever lived in.

But Florida has nothing on Alaska ... as I looked at the Ferrari and Lamborghini waiting at the valet as I came out of the local Capitol Grille tonight as the humidity and general ick hit me with some cover band playing at the nearby Blue Martini, I thought it all summed up my feelings on Florida quite well. Just a tad of style covering for a lack of any substance whatsoever. ... And those were my feelings after 3 1/2 glasses of a nice cabernet (as a side note, I think I am getting old as alcohol now immediately makes me want to sleep for three hours).

I'm just meant to be a Californian and I've known that since 1990. BTW, the state's FIRST Dunkin Donuts opened yesterday in Santa Monica.

I love California. When I do finally leave this hot and sticky mess of a place it will be for Cali. It is the only other place I could imagine living.

 

[GoofGoof]

We've heard several good sources say that Midway Mania and World of Color were already under construction or approved prior to the big California Adventure Extreme Makeover press conference that Bog Iger hosted in October, 2007, and thus not included in the 1.2 Billion dollar price tag for the park's makeover.

DCA isn't fixed entirely (for proof take a wander to the back corners of HollywoodLand, or just go look at Paul Pressler's California Screamin' queue), but it made huge strides over four years from '08 to '12. And it wasn't just all the new rides, but it was a thorough cosmetic reskin of the weakest areas of the park. The result is phenomenal!

The good news is that DHS doesn't need as much of the cosmetic help that DCA needed, especially for the entrance and the park's opening acts. But what DHS does need is lots of new rides, from C Tickets to E Tickets. Currently, the two parks stack up like this:

Disney's Hollywood Studios
15 Attractions, 6 of which are Rides, 3 of which are E Tickets (ToT, RnRC, Star Tours)
No Parade, One Water Spectacular, One Fireworks Show

Disney California Adventure
32 Attractions, 21 of which are Rides, 5 of which are E Tickets (ToT, Soarin', Screamin', Grizzly, Racers)
One Parade, One Water Spectacular

Is 1.7 Billion enough to buy DHS a couple of new E Tickets, plus a half dozen D and C Tickets, a working Red Car Trolley system, a desperately needed remake on the circa 1990 stage and amphitheater shows, a Fantasmic! upgrade that brings it up to Disneyland circa 2010 standards, and a new afternoon parade? And in the four-year 2015 to 2019 timeframe?

Kathy Mangum worked wonders on Cars Land. She was reported to have been moved to work on DHS, but we haven't heard where she is or what she's working on for over a year. What ever happened to that? Was the news of WDI's "Star Wars Studio" creation also news that Kathy was off the DHS job?

Good post and a very valid question. Here's my 2 cents:

Lets say StarWarsland gets a similar budget to Avatar. Maybe $700M to $800M. It will probably have 1 E ticket and 2 C/D tickets (hopefully a legit D and a spinner or kids type ride) plus stores/restaurants/entertainment.

That leaves roughly $1B for another E-ticket and 4 additional C/D tickets. For a billion you could have built FLE twice. That land has 2 D tickets plus double dumbo and the BOG restaurant. If you built an E, 2 Ds and 2 spinner type rides I would think it would cost about the same considering you don't need the extensive rock work (unless the E is RSR). Assume maybe a Pixar based E plus a Pixar D dark ride and a few kids rides. The other D could be a frozen dark ride or maybe something else. Instead they could do 2 Pixar Ds plus an Indy clone as the E.

In summary, for $1.7B they should definitely be able to add 8 rides with 2 being E ticket even by Disney's bloated budgets. Will they get that much? That's the $1.7B question. IMHO just adding SW Land isn't enough. They need those other 4 or 5 rides to round out the park.