The Sponsor-less Land and Test Track's lack of Fuel

[Master Yoda]

Research the Volt from GM coming soon to a dealer near you.

I won't be buying a new car for quite some time. My wife's car is paid off and mine will be paid off in about 5 months. Trading a couple of hundred dollars at most of gas for a $400+ car payment just does not make sense. We are pretty much stuck with what we have now for at least a few more years. I am also not super hip on buying what is for the most part a production prototype.

 

[kimmychad]

Research the Volt from GM coming soon to a dealer near you.

im really excited about this. now if they could just make me a truck.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Trying to get this back to the Test Track refurb, how close to their shelf life are the current cars? Would this refurb aid in the downtime for this attraction?

I understand putting characters into the Living Seas to revitalize the pavillion. I understand putting characters into el Rio del Tiempo to revitalize that ride. However, a ride that consistently has long waits should not need Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable guy to talk about corrosion. It might make sense, but it's not really necessary. I would feel that this would be adding characters to the attraction just for the sake of adding characters, not to increase the popularity of the attraction.

 

[jt04]

Trying to get this back to the Test Track refurb, how close to their shelf life are the current cars? Would this refurb aid in the downtime for this attraction?

I understand putting characters into the Living Seas to revitalize the pavillion. I understand putting characters into el Rio del Tiempo to revitalize that ride. However, a ride that consistently has long waits should not need Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable guy to talk about corrosion. It might make sense, but it's not really necessary. I would feel that this would be adding characters to the attraction just for the sake of adding characters, not to increase the popularity of the attraction.

Ok, I don't think Jedimaster means that the new effects being tested on Test Track for the new "Cars" E-ticket to be installed at DCA means it will have a "Cars" theme at Epcot. I think he is saying it will be a test bed for the new technologies. These new technologies could be themed to the current Test Track theme just as easily as to a "Cars" theme. It is the technology being developed that is being test beded not the theming overlayed on the technology. Hope this helps alleviate people's fears. Of course I could be all wrong and Jedimaster will clarify as he obviously can speak for himself. That is all.

 

[Rob562]

Research the Volt from GM coming soon to a dealer near you.

From what I read a month or two, even ignoring that this is brand-new technology, is that none of the insurance companies will insure a Volt if it's your only vehicle. So if you want one, you'll *still* need to have a second car. Plus, the Volt needs to be plugged in, right? That's not an option for those of us who live in apartment buildings or people who only have on-street parking. It requires a garage or private driveway.

-Rob

 

[Master Yoda]

From what I read a month or two, even ignoring that this is brand-new technology, is that none of the insurance companies will insure a Volt if it's your only vehicle. So if you want one, you'll *still* need to have a second car. Plus, the Volt needs to be plugged in, right? That's not an option for those of us who live in apartment buildings or people who only have on-street parking. It requires a garage or private driveway.

-Rob

Not to mention electricity is not free and it keeps going up to. We are looking at a 10% rate hike up here in Jacksonville to come down the pipe in the next month or two.

 

[jt04]

From what I read a month or two, even ignoring that this is brand-new technology, is that none of the insurance companies will insure a Volt if it's your only vehicle. So if you want one, you'll *still* need to have a second car. Plus, the Volt needs to be plugged in, right? That's not an option for those of us who live in apartment buildings or people who only have on-street parking. It requires a garage or private driveway.

-Rob

Yes. I am pretty sure for the forseeable future electric cars will only be viable as commuter cars only (second vehicle) for most people. Also, they won't be practical for those who don't have a way to charge them at night. But if some of the car companies can mass produce electrics and plug-in hybrids to keep costs down I believe there will be a huge market as electricity is substantially cheaper than gas and will be even more so should trends continue. Don't underestimate the market for electric cars.

 

[jt04]

Not to mention electricity is not free and it keeps going up to. We are looking at a 10% rate hike up here in Jacksonville to come down the pipe in the next month or two.

Yes but from the numbers I have seen it is substantially cheaper to use electricity than gasoline. Especially when charging during non-peak times. Again they are probably only good as a second commuter car. Definitely not for everyone........yet.

 

[tdonald]

The reason I'm tired of Pixar attractions isn't because they're not "Disney", but because I want something new.
Look at the list (just in WDW):

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Finding Nemo: The Musical
It's Tough to be a Bug
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
The Sea with Nemo and Friends
Toy Story Midway Mania
Turtle Talk with Crush
Woody's Round-Up (I know that's just a little show, but still)

And that's just off the top of my head. What I want are original attractions, like PoTC, Space Mountain, BTMR, Haunted Mansion, Expedition Everest, Soarin', CoP, *cough*Horizons*cough*, Journey Into Imagination, etc.

BTW: Sonny and Smokey Bones are awesome! :slurp:

 

[jt04]

The reason I'm tired of Pixar attractions isn't because they're not "Disney", but because I want something new.
Look at the list (just in WDW):

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Finding Nemo: The Musical
It's Tough to be a Bug
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
The Sea with Nemo and Friends
Toy Story Midway Mania
Turtle Talk with Crush
Woody's Round-Up (I know that's just a little show, but still)

And that's just off the top of my head. What I want are original attractions, like PoTC, Space Mountain, BTMR, Haunted Mansion, Expedition Everest, Soarin', CoP, *cough*Horizons*cough*, Journey Into Imagination, etc.

BTW: Sonny and Smokey Bones are awesome! :slurp:

But spread out over 4 major theme parks doesn't seem too bad. Whether it's good or bad the future looks like all new attractions will have to be tied to another franchise in some way. Although you should be encouraged that SSE and Space Mountain (and Jungle Cruise, for now) have escaped the trend. Oh yeah, and there is not an Eddie Murphy animatronic with the HM refurb. Perhaps with the sequel.

 

[Huck]

This is just wild speculation but there has been quite a bit of bad press concerning corn based fuels as of late. I know GM is still pushing E85 but Disney might want something a bit less controversial. There is also the fact that this display was bypassed more than the film in Norway. Disney might be putting something in that will generate a bit more foot traffic.

There's a film in Norway?

hee, hee........

 

[joel_maxwell]

The reason I'm tired of Pixar attractions isn't because they're not "Disney", but because I want something new.
Look at the list (just in WDW):

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Finding Nemo: The Musical
It's Tough to be a Bug
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
The Sea with Nemo and Friends
Toy Story Midway Mania
Turtle Talk with Crush
Woody's Round-Up (I know that's just a little show, but still)

And that's just off the top of my head. What I want are original attractions, like PoTC, Space Mountain, BTMR, Haunted Mansion, Expedition Everest, Soarin', CoP, *cough*Horizons*cough*, Journey Into Imagination, etc.

BTW: Sonny and Smokey Bones are awesome! :slurp:

too risky with money IMHO. they know that the pixar movies are a hit by box office and merch sales. they know that if they make an attraction around one of them, it will be successful.

besides, i think that the people behind the scenes are creating original concepts, they just arent getting too far for one reason or another.

 

[kimmychad]

Not to mention electricity is not free and it keeps going up to. We are looking at a 10% rate hike up here in Jacksonville to come down the pipe in the next month or two.

you're lucky. we were told to expect up to 60% in the coming year or so.

 

[ChrisFL]

too risky with money IMHO. they know that the pixar movies are a hit by box office and merch sales. they know that if they make an attraction around one of them, it will be successful.

besides, i think that the people behind the scenes are creating original concepts, they just arent getting too far for one reason or another.

Yep, it's the stockholders and the way the market runs these days. I read something recently, it may have been a Kevin Yee article (who I don't often agree with) who was on point saying that most stockholders are looking for profit every quarter, not this year, not next year, but EVERY quarter. Of course when you're trying to appease investors like that, you want a "sure" thing.

IMO the Walt Disney company would do better as a private company but that probably will never happen (unless I become a billionaire and buy them out)

 

[joel_maxwell]

Yep, it's the stockholders and the way the market runs these days. I read something recently, it may have been a Kevin Yee article (who I don't often agree with) who was on point saying that most stockholders are looking for profit every quarter, not this year, not next year, but EVERY quarter. Of course when you're trying to appease investors like that, you want a "sure" thing.

IMO the Walt Disney company would do better as a private company but that probably will never happen (unless I become a billionaire and buy them out)

yey, but private companies can scare me too.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Yep, it's the stockholders and the way the market runs these days. I read something recently, it may have been a Kevin Yee article (who I don't often agree with) who was on point saying that most stockholders are looking for profit every quarter, not this year, not next year, but EVERY quarter. Of course when you're trying to appease investors like that, you want a "sure" thing.

IMO the Walt Disney company would do better as a private company but that probably will never happen (unless I become a billionaire and buy them out)

I think youll find thats institutional investors, and they have seven figure bonuses to justify for gambling with your pension fund. Short termism the suffocater of all creativity.

 

[unkadug]

People keep saying this, but it isn't that simple, and in the context of many discussions, simply isn't true. Frequently when people on this board refer to Disney, they're referring to Disney's brand and its associated properties. For all useful purposes, aside from a corporate or financial perspective, Disney is not Pixar. Disney properties are not Pixar properties. The brands are distinct, and different. You can see this in other companies as well. For example:

Dasani is not Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola company may own the Dasani brand, but if you refer to Dasani as Coca-Cola then you're confusing the company with the product, or the brand. The same applies to PepsiCo and Aquafina.

Another great example off the top of my head is the Cisco acquisition of Linksys. Cisco tried to assimilate Linksys's business and re-brand their products as Cisco, and it failed miserably. Cisco realized this quickly, and shifted gears to strengthen and differentiate the Linksys brand. They're the shining example (in the tech world at least) of the importance of recognizing the success of a different and distinct brand without obfuscating it with your existing brands.

I can't even fathom how people can think Epcot and Pixar are the same brand. The creative properties are wildly different, and before The Seas with Nemo and Friends, only met in the corporate financial reports. Finding Nemo is an exceptionally strong product, and I agree that lending its strength to Epcot improved attendance to a 20 year old attraction, but quite frankly, almost any refurb as extensive as that would have improved attendance. WDI certainly has shown how they can masterfully plus an aging attraction elsewhere throughout WDW and Disneyland. There's absolutely no sense in assuming that adding Nemo to The Living Seas was the only way to do it.

Epcot is a struggling brand, we all know that. Introducing the Pixar brand only dilutes it further.

OK, then the following properties are NOT Disney:

Snow White
Cinderella
Beauty and the Beast
The Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Sleeping Beauty
Peter Pan
Winnie The Pooh
Swiss Family Robinson
...ad nauseum

All were created by other people, Disney just acquired the use of them.

But if they didn't capitalize on their successful use of them, the parks would be pretty bland.

 

[ChrisFL]

The reason I'm tired of Pixar attractions isn't because they're not "Disney", but because I want something new.
Look at the list (just in WDW):

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Finding Nemo: The Musical
It's Tough to be a Bug
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
The Sea with Nemo and Friends
Toy Story Midway Mania
Turtle Talk with Crush
Woody's Round-Up (I know that's just a little show, but still)

And that's just off the top of my head. What I want are original attractions, like PoTC, Space Mountain, BTMR, Haunted Mansion, Expedition Everest, Soarin', CoP, *cough*Horizons*cough*, Journey Into Imagination, etc.

BTW: Sonny and Smokey Bones are awesome! :slurp:

But, lets face it...Disney also has to do what a majority of their fans want...and if you take out the recent Pixar movies you're left with these animated movies:

Lilo and Stitch (and we saw how that turned out!)
Brother Bear
Chicken Little
Meet the Robinsons (which was good IMO)
...and probably one or two more bombs I'm forgetting

I frequent other Disney message boards with more "touristy" types and every time a new movie comes out there's a ton of questions about (Character A) from (movie) in the parks, new ride? new show? new meet and greet? Somehow people seem to expect that every new Disney movie must have something in the parks which isn't how it used to be.

They should just have Disney random rotation land where every few months they rotate attractions with the latest characters.

 

[nibblesandbits]

But, lets face it...Disney also has to do what a majority of their fans want...and if you take out the recent Pixar movies you're left with these animated movies:

Lilo and Stitch (and we saw how that turned out!)
Brother Bear
Chicken Little
Meet the Robinsons (which was good IMO)
...and probably one or two more bombs I'm forgetting

I frequent other Disney message boards with more "touristy" types and every time a new movie comes out there's a ton of questions about (Character A) from (movie) in the parks, new ride? new show? new meet and greet? Somehow people seem to expect that every new Disney movie must have something in the parks which isn't how it used to be.

They should just have Disney random rotation land where every few months they rotate attractions with the latest characters.

Ah...the touristy type...something that often gets overlooked here at WDWMagic. What the general tourist wants to see...people here are way too worried about their nostalgia and why none of the parks are as great as they once were in their eyes.

And yes...out of those recent Disney made animated movies...not one of them is something I'd want to see a ride based off of.

 

[jt04]

Ah...the touristy type...something that often gets overlooked here at WDWMagic. What the general tourist wants to see...people here are way too worried about their nostalgia and why none of the parks are as great as they once were in their eyes.

And yes...out of those recent Disney made animated movies...not one of them is something I'd want to see a ride based off of.

Tourists.