The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[WDW1974]

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?

They exist. I am almost positive they are currently in FL. And WDW would get rid of all its AAs tomorrow if it could. You think they want to add any?

 

[WDW1974]

yeah, @WDW1974 do you have news about this?

WDW will get the improvements. As to when, I've given up making WDW time projections. Sometime between now and the end of the world.

 

[bhg469]

Well, I wouldn't expect him to be anything but pleasant to his minions.

Do you think I abuse mine daily?

Well its not like he wouldn't be picked up and thrown if he was rude to a larger person.

 

[WDW1974]

Here's the million dollar question. Why on earth would they spend $1.7 billion on Hollywood studios?

OK ... how about to bring it into the 21st century and make it a place people want to visit for more than 2-3 attractions again?

 

[Travel Junkie]

The gist of the survey was whether I thought Marvel's presence at the DLR was a good thing or a bad thing. Since I answered that it was the worst thing next to Ebola Land, I am sure the questions that followed had some basis from my initial responses.

Other questions were quickees and general about ticket media I used, where I stayed and my feelings on how important character interaction (Disney characters) is to a visit to The Happiest Place in Anaheim.

What I most got out of it was Disney is concerned that Marvel isn't a good fit (my answer to the Marvel Universe question was: Expensive tentpole films, Universal's Islands of Adventure and Bob Iger's ego, btw) and is going to take increasing their presence at DLR slowly.

Thought about a separate thread for this, but then thought this is as good a place as any.

Your thoughts?

There is a large contingent of Disney purists who would raise a stink if they saw Captain America on Main St next to Mickey in Disneyland. DLR has to be very careful if they intend to expand Marvel’s presence in DL.


It’s unfortunate that the timing is off between the quality of IP’s they have recently acquired and building out their theme parks in Anaheim. If all these acquisitions came about in the late 90’s the Anaheim 2nd gate would likely be heavy on Star Wars and Marvel. Right now they have multiple great IP’s that don’t naturally fit in either of their 2 existing gates, but they aren’t ready infrastructure wise for a third gate.


When you add TDO’s reluctance to spend on quality new product, you have a very frustrating situation in the domestic parks.

 

[WDW1974]

I wonder how many fanbois purposeively dropped the soap after reading that line?

When I drop the soap, I always have one of my minions bend over to get it because at my age, I just don't have the energy to get it myself (what's everybody looking at?!?!)

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

Hmmm...it really sounds like a character-centric focus. Possibly a Marvel themed "hall" similar to Princess Fairy Tale Hall, with rotating Marvel characters offered for Meet and Gropes. Interesting though for those of the female persuasion to hug an anatomically appropriate college student representing Thor or Captain America...just sayin.

 

[flynnibus]

That was my gut reaction upon taking it too. It was very character driven. And maybe I just have all these WDW upcharge character events on my brain and all the adults dressing up like they're 9 and it's Halloween ... but I'd say that survey was 75% about characters and interactions. I'd love to know who's going to actually read the **** survey that I took and whether they'll have a closer look at me (giving my zip code and knowing what days I was at DLR, it shouldn't take a rocket Racoon or scientist to know they got Spirited Answers!)

I don't have a problem thinking a survey can be focused vs needing to cover all topics.. so I don't read too much into that narrow focus. But what does concern me is the other activities in the park.. and how DLR has been embracing the permanent M&G locations more and more (innovations, the new hub location, etc).

I mean.. fans are feeding this. The blood over frozen M&Gs, the character parties, etc. Just not my cup of tea.. and even more reason to pass on the parks.

Finalized my tickets for November.. the group opt'd for Discovery Cove + SW + Aqua over Uni or Disney. And it doesn't bother me at all.. my only concern is the air temp being borderline for Discovery Cove/Aqua... and I probably would have picked UNI once we decided to stay some more days.. but this trip will be more adult friendly. And this time I will get to do the dolphin swim which I had to pass on last time due to back surgeries.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Well, they are making billions off of the films and merchandise, so why build attractions?

I am very concerned about Marvel in Anaheim. I don't want them in the parks much more than they currently are (would I take the Marvel-themed RnRC at DCA that MIcechat reported? yeah, I guess that's about as far as I'd go). But I don't want Anaheim's eventual third gate to simply be Disney Marvel's World of IP. I just see Marvel and Disney clashing so badly and damaging both BRANDS.

I prefer the term Igerland.

 

[flynnibus]

You see those Seahawk cleats? @Lee has a pair just like them ...

He's a sellout then.. his team was the Titans!

 

[WDW1974]

There is a large contingent of Disney purists who would raise a stink if they saw Captain America on Main St next to Mickey in Disneyland. DLR has to be very careful if they intend to expand Marvel’s presence in DL.

I sure as hell would. Captain America has about as much of a place on MSUSA as a meet-greet-and-grope with the cast of anything on MTV today. Sometimes, things just don't fit. The square peg in a round hole deal.

Fanbois can crow about Marvel's quality all they want (and I LOVED GotG), but that world just doesn't mesh well with Disney's. It's a darker more adult place (hell, I could even see slot machnes in casinos based on ... what?!? nevermind.)

It’s unfortunate that the timing is off between the quality of IP’s they have recently acquired and building out their theme parks in Anaheim. If all these acquisitions came about in the late 90’s the Anaheim 2nd gate would likely be heavy on Star Wars and Marvel. Right now they have multiple great IP’s that don’t naturally fit in either of their 2 existing gates, but they aren’t ready infrastructure wise for a third gate.

Well, maybe it's just me, but DCA with BVS and CL feels a whole lot more right than a park based on comics and sci-fi ... to me, UNI does that best. I can make an easier case for Star Wars because it has been part of DL since the late 80s and George Lucas often said he wanted Disney to make his first SW film.

When you add TDO’s reluctance to spend on quality new product, you have a very frustrating situation in the domestic parks.

Well, this has nothing to do with TDO ... this is an Anaheim situation and we all know why (want to do an over/under on how long before someone says WDW can get those Marvel rights?)

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Do you think I abuse mine daily?

Yes. With a riding crop while wearing leather.

 

[WDW1974]

I prefer the term Igerland.

Would it feature a weather pavilion?

 

[WDW1974]

He's a sellout then.. his team was the Titans!

To be fair, I think his teams are: Titans, Patriots, Seahawks, Team of the Moment.

 

[WDW1974]

Yes. With a riding crop while wearing leather.

If I got into leather, they'd have to cut me out of it these days! (Need to visit WDW again soon so I can feel good about my weight!)

 

[Travel Junkie]

Too much focus on characters as a replacement for experiences. that's my .02

I think the character M&G are a great diversion in the parks.. but why would I travel across the country, pay hundreds of dollars a day with the intent of seeing college kids dressed up?

Priorities you know...

Agreed. If I want to meet a character I'll avoid the $100 cover charge and go to Hollywood Blvd, The Vegas strip, or Time Square and get my picture taken with a homeless guy dressed up like Spiderman.

 

[WDW1974]

The purchases of Lucasfilm and Marvel were masterstrokes - not only do they fill a huge void Disney had for live action, they can also be exploited in animated franchises and beyond. They are perfect properties to have under the Disney umbrella. I don't see kids settling down to watch John Carter: The Animated Series.

It's certainly a lot more appropriate to Disney than, say, Touchstone pictures was, with Bette Midler mouthing off four-letter words and Julia Robert's selling herself on the streets of LA. And a lot better material than the Disney Channel stuff the other live-action properties seem to be culled from aside from the massive failures of John Carter, Lone Ranger, and even the tepid response Tron Legacy (which I just saw last night and is actually a darn good film).

Disney is simply a studio going after the best material, getting Lucasfilm and Marvel were extremely smart moves for them, and will be paying the bills for decades to come.

You had me until you took a shot at Bette and Julia. Touchstone was a great idea ... one from Walt's son-in-law that Michael and Frank ran with.

Disney as a Studio has become nothing but a tentpole factory. And you have three examples above of why only making one kind of film (at least budget wise) isn't a smart long term strategy.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Fanbois can crow about Marvel's quality all they want (and I LOVED GotG), but that world just doesn't mesh well with Disney's. It's a darker more adult place (hell, I could even see slot machines in casinos based on ... what?!? nevermind.)

I wonder if Disney bought up all those fancy Iron Man slot machines I saw at the Revel last April before the AC Half Marathon?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

You had me until you took a shot at Bette and Julia. Touchstone was a great idea ... one from Walt's son-in-law that Michael and Frank ran with.

Disney as a Studio has become nothing but a tentpole factory. And you have three examples above of why only making one kind of film (at least budget wise) isn't a smart long term strategy.

Insert complaint about Disney selling off Miramax's film library here.

 

[WDW1974]

So Hans and Franz can do a commercial in 2014 for State Farm Insurance, but their attraction at EPCOT was considered tired over a decade ago?