Upcoming Announcements in Weeks and Months to come?

[boufa]

The notion that Disney isn't investing much in WDW because it's preoccupied with other parks is ridiculous. Each resort should have its own cash flow made up of the resort's specific income + needs. If we're talking a shared cash flow, most surely DLP would be receiving some much needed love by now? That's just NOT the case. Anyone claiming differently is just trying to make Disney look better than they actually do. The fact that TDR and DLA are doing it the right way is no excuse for WDW being neglected.
?

You are making corp accounting assumptions, and giving your own more weight than others. We all are making assumptions, and in the end the money is not getting spent. I doubt they look at the capital money based solely on the income that park brings in. Few companies divy up their CAPITAL money that way. Maybe they do, but I doubt it. I'm not a disney apologist I am just calling it as I see it. Billions on new ships, and entire re-do of another park a major repair/attendance hit from a 3rd park and a brand new park. I'm sorry that they are not building in your favorite neighborhood. But the facts are that they are spending a lot of money. Maybe in the wrong places, that is certainly open to debate but they are spending money.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

I'm sorry that they are not building in your favorite neighborhood. But the facts are that they are spending a lot of money. Maybe in the wrong places, that is certainly open to debate but they are spending money.

Never said that they aren't spending money, or that I favor any one resort investment over others. I don't care for WDW any more than I do the other resorts. Lets face it though, it seems as though Disney has been taking the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality a bit too far with Disney World. I can't help but wish IoA will reach DHS numbers, just to scare 'em up a bit. As you said though, it's up to debate where they should be spending their money.

 

[Admiral01]

Not gonna happen. I don't know the exact research and demographics data, but I guarantee that Disney does. IF, and I bet this is reasonably true, the average gap between visits is 4 years, then there is no reason to be on such an aggressive building spree.

We live in our own little world on the internet fan community. We are loud, we visit often but in the end we are an extremely small fraction of the total annual visitors. If the internet community accounts for 250,000 visits to the parks each year then it is a total of 0.5% of the total park visitation.

Realistically there are a couple of thousand "hard core" fans on this site and lets assume that there are 15 - 20 hard core fan sites like this one. That does not even come close to the 250,000 estimate.

If we all protested and refused to go, all they have to do to make up the lost revenue is extend free dinning a couple of extra weeks.

We forget that we are NOT the target market for Disney. We are not the reason that they spend money. We have nothing to do with the FLE. We love a place that considers that love secondary. They consider our love a victory to their past marketing. They always are working on making the parks something that our children will fall in love with and bring their children back.

They work hard for our earn our children's love, and then just slide by to maintain our passions enough to bring our children to them. That is the business model, and has been.

Everest was a good example. Parents were not taking their kids to AK. So they had to toss us a bone. Now the parents have a reason to go to AK, and they bring their children. This is the same reason that they are not in a hurry to redevelop Pleasure Island. I seriously doubt that they will re-build DTD into an area that is exclusively adult oriented.

They have a model that has gotten them this far, they will not deviate from it.

I have to disagree with some of what you said boufa. Disney has an analytics group, but from my understanding the group has just begun to actually capture and analyze the data that can be collected at the parks. For years, no one actually paid close attention to it beyond counting guests in and guests out each day.

This group is beginning to understand the intricate mix of guests, and understand that while getting the kids excited about things brings in some guests, the parents are who spend the money. For other guests who have no kids, they need things like a somewhat sophisticated EPCOT, an adult oriented Pleasure Island (or the follow-on), and other places like that. The analytics group explained to me a couple years back that they understand now that EPCOT draws adults, and adults spend money...lots of money...especially those with NO kids. I happen to fall into that group. No kids, visit WDW and DL multiple times a year, and we like to have nice dinners, see neat things, and stay up with a nice drink. My contact actually called EPCOT the "adult park." That doesn't mean that kids can't enjoy it too (I always loved EPCOT the best as a kid...and as an adult), but the target audience isn't always, and doesn't need to be children.

The analytics group also admitted that they don't always see eye-to-eye with management. But, they recognize that the data is out there and they have started to look at it.

You are right that we live in our little internet comminity, and that FLE wasn't built to appease us on sites like this.

 

[btuftee]

For the MK and Epcot, I'd be perfectly happy if they just maintained and refreshed the existing attractions. Both of those parks easily take up more than a full day's worth of time. The sort of work they did on Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion is what I'm talking about. Little touch-ups, enhancements, keep things fresh and fix stuff when it breaks. Not to say that I'm not looking forward to FLE!

As for DHS and AK, I think Disney is OK with the "half-day" reputation that these parks have. Really, it would take at least another "E" ticket, plus two or three "D" and "C" tickets to bring both AK and DHS into the same league as MK and Epcot. Obviously, that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

 

[cheezbat]

Just wait until the next expansion is announced at UO... :ROFLOL:

Seriously...the Harry Potter phase 2...followed by plans for other big things/properties...Universal is changing the game. Disney is gonna have to wake up pretty soon...while the Magic Kingdom will be just fine, I guarantee the other three parks are going to start taking hits.

I love expansions and additions. I love big E ticket attractions. But that's not what I'm saying should be added all around. I don't care if we get some more C and D ticket attractions at the otehr parks...but they all need SOMETHING. The other three parks are sitting so stalely lately. Yeah, Studios has gotten TSMM and ST2 in the past four years...but it needs more. What has Epcot seen in the past 5 years? Animal Kingdom? Nothing of worth.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

What has Epcot seen in the past 5 years?

You got a point on the Future World side of Epcot only. The refurbishment of Test Track next year is going to be the biggest thing Future World has seen in a while.

Epcot in the last 5 years has seen changes for World Showcase in terms of new stores and restaurants.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I really don't see any new attractions being announced anytime soon or at 2013 D23 for WDW unless Soarin' Around the World is announced for Disneyland and WDW. New Attractions isn't going to be announced before all of FLE is done.

If there is a Phase 2 for Harry Potter, I don't think Epcot is going to take much as a hit as DHS and AK. Epcot is whole day park that is made for adults for World Showcase. The only concern would be for Future World since it does need some help.

DHS was rushed to be opened in 1989 due to Universal. DHS has plenty of wasted space despite it being a smaller than MK, Epcot and AK. The other issue is if a family only goes to WDW every 2 or 4 years, some of the stage shows don't change at all and are not attractions to see every trip at DHS. DHS also has rides that needs to be updated like the Great Movie Ride besides the issue of lack of C or d rides at DHS.

AK has good attractions, but it does need another land besides needing more attractions.

 

[jjharvpro]

At the D23 Expo, I attended Radiator Springs Reality on the last day, a panel with John Lasseter and other key Imagineers working on Cars Land. One thing that I found surprising, but very pleasantly so, was when John flat out said at the beginning that California Adventure just lacked.. Now Disney said that people wanted more immersive environments and just more Disney, but John said something along the lines of.. "I don't know why we(Disney) made this park, with such a lack of theming, and it just didn't live up to what we do." It was great to hear from such a key character the truth about this park. And now DCA will be even more incredible than it is(Paradise Pier is AWESOME).

After Cars Land opens next Summer, I would not be surprised if the same type of TLC and attention goes to DHS and/or DAK when WDI goes down to Florida and really scopes out the place and realizes what needs to be done.

Just my 2 cents..

 

[Millionaire2K]

I'm glad most of us see eye to eye on this topic. I'm guessing we would not be so demanding if Disney didnt raise prices every year. A 1 day 1 park ticket price is just NUTS!:hammer:

 

[cheezbat]

At the D23 Expo, I attended Radiator Springs Reality on the last day, a panel with John Lasseter and other key Imagineers working on Cars Land. One thing that I found surprising, but very pleasantly so, was when John flat out said at the beginning that California Adventure just lacked.. Now Disney said that people wanted more immersive environments and just more Disney, but John said something along the lines of.. "I don't know why we(Disney) made this park, with such a lack of theming, and it just didn't live up to what we do." It was great to hear from such a key character the truth about this park. And now DCA will be even more incredible than it is(Paradise Pier is AWESOME).

After Cars Land opens next Summer, I would not be surprised if the same type of TLC and attention goes to DHS and/or DAK when WDI goes down to Florida and really scopes out the place and realizes what needs to be done.

Just my 2 cents..

I honestly hope they do just that...but I'm doubting it. The way the company looks at it, Studios brings in around ten million people...good enough for them. Put in a new show or parade now and tehn, or upgrade a ride, and that'll keep the guests happy.
Sorry TDO, Doing something to Star Tours that should have been done a good five years ago or more and adding American Idol is not going to make me want to come back year after year. Give us more to Pixar Place. More for the kids. More for families. More thrills. More RIDES.

Animal Kingdom in my mind is exactly Florida's version of DCA. A park not good enough. Theming is great in many parts of the park, but other areas it just fails. And don't get me started about rides. This park needs additions more than any other in the entire chain of Disney parks...aside from Walt Disney Studios Paris.

 

[boufa]

Seriously...the Harry Potter phase 2...followed by plans for other big things/properties...Universal is changing the game. Disney is gonna have to wake up pretty soon...while the Magic Kingdom will be just fine, I guarantee the other three parks are going to start taking hits.

I love expansions and additions. I love big E ticket attractions. But that's not what I'm saying should be added all around. I don't care if we get some more C and D ticket attractions at the otehr parks...but they all need SOMETHING. The other three parks are sitting so stalely lately. Yeah, Studios has gotten TSMM and ST2 in the past four years...but it needs more. What has Epcot seen in the past 5 years? Animal Kingdom? Nothing of worth.

Just to prove I am not a Disney tool, I would not hold your breath on the HP expansion either. Universal was just forced to buy out its partner and now holds 100% of the company and 100% of the risk for the first time. Right after being absorbed by Comcast(?). They spent ALOT of money on the 2 transactions. I have a hard time seeing HP part 2 for 4 or 5 years yet at least. We also don't even know yet IF HP part 1 has any real legs to it. The numbers are still o.k. but as has been pointed out on other threads about Disney projects, give it at least 3 years and see if the numbers hold up. They might be toying around with the idea, but it will most likely stay blue sky until the initial section proves to be worth while.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

At some point in time some areas get more focus than others. WDW and LD got new lands within their parks.

Wrong. "WDW" has not gotten a new land, no park there has gotten an entire new land since the opening of DAK, not even the MK has gotten a new land, the Fantasyland-Expansion is only what it is, an expansion of an already existing.
There hasn't been a real expansion (meaning entirely NEW attraction in a NEW building where no other building stood before) that adds to the roster been built in EPCOT since the opening of WoL in 1989. Even Mission:Space was only a replacement of a beloved classic, no real addition to the number of attractions here too. Only Soarin' was an addition to the roster but it happened in an already existing pavilion, so no real expansion either. Take a look at a map of EPCOT 1989 and compare it to today, nearly unchanged for 22 years with the exception of minor cosmetics like the plaza etc.
There was no new land in DHS either since the opening of Sunset Boulevard in 1994 (I don't consider Pixar Place a "land") and in DAK we are waiting for Beastly Kingdomme or something similar since the park opened in 1998.

Where is your new land for WDW?

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

Germany would get Pinocio dark ride

Completely misplaced. Pinocchio is an Italian tale, not a German one so it doesn't belong into the German pavilion.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

I'm glad most of us see eye to eye on this topic. I'm guessing we would not be so demanding if Disney didnt raise prices every year. A 1 day 1 park ticket price is just NUTS!:hammer:

Exactly, the prices increase every year (a dramatic increase compared to other businesses) while the quality goes down continously. That's what most here do not accept. The newest decision to close down the monorail in the EMH is just one but a very annoying example.

 

[Gregoryp73]

Completely misplaced. Pinocchio is an Italian tale, not a German one so it doesn't belong into the German pavilion.

Very good point!
I'd sooner see something pinnochio related come to the new circus part of the FLE. Even though it's kind of a dark part of the movie, it fits the theme much better.

I would still love to see something go into Germany other than the restaraunt...seems like a ton of wasted space. If they start putting cafe's for all of the pavillions on the lake from like Mexico (thought I heard that somewhere) then they would have room to do something like a "rhine river cruise" or a dark ride based on "romantiche strassa" or some tour of Germany dark ride. I just went to germany in May, and it's such a great place to visit. Things they could include would be:

Parts of the Saxony area
Berlin
Munich (including the biergartens, and the hops fields)
The Zugspitze (the top of germany...in the alps)
The rhine river and the grape fields of wine country.
The black forrest
Romantiche strassa

The list goes on....
Neuschwanstein

 

[ElvisMickey]

I think I've read enough for me to want to now put in MY two cents.

First of all, in regards to Walt, he was a man who constantly was innovative in his thinking and projects. From Snow White, to television, to Disneyland and later Walt Disney World. He inspired everyone around him to think big when it came to creating and doing. These are the main reasons why most of us fell in love with this company. When WDW and EPCOT were built, most of Walt's guys had a hand in building and creating. Original EPCOT in my opinion, is the best theme park ever created outside of Disneyland. Fast forward to the Eisner years. Say what you want about him, but WDW as we know it today is because of Michael Eisner. Major expansion...new hotels, theme parks, ORIGINAL attractions. His regime carried on what Walt was doing. The current regime? Meet and greets, cost cutting in all areas of theme park upkeep (cleanliness, maintenence), outsourcing to 3rd parties and character tie-ins to everything possible.

Let's face it, the only reason Fantasyland expansion is being built is in response to the Wizarding World. Universal did with Wizarding World what Disney USED TO DO with their theme parks. Create something innoventive and original. And as a few people have said earlier, for the amount of money being spent on Fantasyland, it is to a degree a little underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, looking forward to The Little Mermaid and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but it just feels like this expansion should be better somehow.

In regards to new attractions being built in general, do we need to tie a character into everything? Again...how about some original attractions? When Pirates and Mansion were built in the 60's, what were they? Original attractions with NO character tie-ins! Can you imagine such a thing?! And guess what...they are two of the most popular attractions ever created. So enough of the putting a Pinocchio ride in Germany at WS, etc. If we're going to put characters everywhere, how about offering Princess massages at the Grand Floridian Spa?

 

[NewfieFan]

I honestly hope they do just that...but I'm doubting it. The way the company looks at it, Studios brings in around ten million people...good enough for them. Put in a new show or parade now and tehn, or upgrade a ride, and that'll keep the guests happy.
Sorry TDO, Doing something to Star Tours that should have been done a good five years ago or more and adding American Idol is not going to make me want to come back year after year. Give us more to Pixar Place. More for the kids. More for families. More thrills. More RIDES.

Animal Kingdom in my mind is exactly Florida's version of DCA. A park not good enough. Theming is great in many parts of the park, but other areas it just fails. And don't get me started about rides. This park needs additions more than any other in the entire chain of Disney parks...aside from Walt Disney Studios Paris.

Animal Kingdom just makes me sad sometimes. The theming there is already amazing... it's the attraction list that is missing. A park with so much potential that closes at 5pm most days of the year!?! I love AK but find myself spending less and less time there. The theming is so immersive but the park lacks substance and that's why people don't stay and play. And I think our family probably enjoys it more than most other visitors. We don't have a local zoo anywhere near us so the animal exhibits are still kind of a novelty for us. If you're not impressed with the animal encounters there's not a lot on the map to occupy your time!

 

[WDWFREAK53]

To compete with the runaway train that UO could possibly become, I still think that DHS needs to be completely overhauled.

I say go one of two ways...

Break it into lands based on Movie Genres (with a revamp of The Great Movie Ride) being the centerpiece where all the genres come together.

Another way would be to create lands based on Movie Studios. Now that MGM is off the name, you can do a Lucasland, Pixar Place, Burton Blvd., etc.

 

[djkidkaz]

I'm glad most of us see eye to eye on this topic. I'm guessing we would not be so demanding if Disney didnt raise prices every year. A 1 day 1 park ticket price is just NUTS!:hammer:

You really think so? I paid $38 for a ticket into Six Flags after their "discount". A one day ticket to the Magic Kingdom is what, $75? I would say that the cleanliness of the place, the entertainment, the theming and attractions are worth double what I paid to experience Six Flags.

 

[djkidkaz]

Animal Kingdom just makes me sad sometimes. The theming there is already amazing... it's the attraction list that is missing. A park with so much potential that closes at 5pm most days of the year!?! I love AK but find myself spending less and less time there. The theming is so immersive but the park lacks substance and that's why people don't stay and play. And I think our family probably enjoys it more than most other visitors. We don't have a local zoo anywhere near us so the animal exhibits are still kind of a novelty for us. If you're not impressed with the animal encounters there's not a lot on the map to occupy your time!

I agree with you and the animals are great but many of the time, they aren't doing anything during the hours the parks open. Its just too hot for them so the tigers are always just laying behind a bush somewhere. I think if the park stayed open a little later, the animals might be more active once it cools down outside. I have always wanted to see the tigers play around in that fountain they have, but alas, its always empty.