Is that really it, though? I think people just genuinely want a great new E-ticket once in a while. And when we get it, we want it to live up to Disney's (previously world class) quality, and not have broken AA's and a largely unthemed interior like Everest. The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror, or arguably Splash Mountain, is the best (and best themed) WDW E-ticket built in my lifetime, and I'm 31. That was almost 20 years ago. I'm honestly not expecting a new gate anytime soon, but I believe most people think a world-class E-ticket once every 5-10 years doesn't seem that out of the question, especially when Universal is dropping them like candy. And I'm not some Universal fanboy, I just think from an objective standpoint Universal is dropping bombs, WDW has been stagnating, and what WDW E-tickets have been built in recent years are not the world-beating ones they once were.
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Is that really it, though? I think people just genuinely want a great new E-ticket once in a while. And when we get it, we want it to live up to Disney's (previously world class) quality, and not have broken AA's and a largely unthemed interior like Everest. The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror, or arguably Splash Mountain, is the best (and best themed) WDW E-ticket built in my lifetime, and I'm 31. That was almost 20 years ago. I'm honestly not expecting a new gate anytime soon, but I believe most people think a world-class E-ticket once every 5-10 years doesn't seem that out of the question, especially when Universal is dropping them like candy. And I'm not some Universal fanboy, I just think from an objective standpoint Universal is dropping bombs, WDW has been stagnating, and what WDW E-tickets have been built in recent years are not the world-beating ones they once were.
friedriches
Active Member
I think it's easy to forget where a lot of the "great" E-Tickets that have preceded the last decade came with either a new park opening or filling out an existing park. New E-Tickets that replace existing attractions can be counted on one hand, for the most part (and most of that took place in Epcot). I'm just saying, in ten years, when a new park opens and the current plans are carried through (yes, including Avatarland, as much as I don't like a reality where that's an actual plan) I don't think that there will be nearly as much Universal love. Seriously, what "e-tickets" has Uni done other than Harry Potter? I don't consider a Transformers clone to be one.
Is WDW stagnating? Yes. But I think we need to trust that a solution is coming. The process gets a lot slower from here, I believe, because we're not going to see a 5th gate and we're not going to see nearly as many new attractions. But the new ideas that will come out of Shanghai will ripple through parks across the globe.
Is WDW stagnating? Yes. But I think we need to trust that a solution is coming. The process gets a lot slower from here, I believe, because we're not going to see a 5th gate and we're not going to see nearly as many new attractions. But the new ideas that will come out of Shanghai will ripple through parks across the globe.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
This explains how Disney ended up with Jar Jar Binks. Many generations in the future will want to know how this happened.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
Other than finishing NFL, and Avatarland (seems it would be convenient to drop Avatarland for the bottom-line as Disney is once again firing people and cutting back on perks for executives), the top brass have maintained that they don't have any major investments stateside for the next couple years.
Disney leveraged the poor economy to get construction projects finished, and they saved money, and they knew they'd have the attractions/lands ready to go when the economy recovered, (or at least when tourism picked up again).
Shanghai is a big deal b/c Disney shares the risk with Shendi, as a partner investor. So, yes, $6 billion on parks & resorts the past half-decade, or so, and about $2 billion on Shanghai Disneyland. It's all one big money pot, so the success, or failure, of films (John Carter, Lone Ranger), and of the theme parks/cruises, does means less money to invest, and less for the theme parks. ESPN's earnings are down, Fox News has a rival sports channel in the wings . . . not good things for Disney.
But, there is always changes in profits from one sector or another, Disney did double down on theme parks, massive construction projects in DCA, NFL, Hong Kong were probably all going at the same time last summer.
Personally, I think it will pay off for Disney. Hong Kong will be profitable for a sustainable amount of time, Shanghai Disneyland, I think, will be profitable in a reasonable amount of time. WDW is a money machine . . . even though WDW's attendance *growth* wasn't as much as Uni's has been, and as the growth in theme park attendance the last year.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
They have never said this. At the time of their statements they said there was nothing currently in the works other then Avatar, but that can change at anytime. They have also said they were scaling back capital spending, but they are scaling it back from some pretty high numbers. The insiders have made it clear that something is being worked on for DHS so it's very likely something other then Avatar will get under way in the next couple years. So even though they seem to be a little skittish about major spending they have said nothing that actually rules it out.
cslafferty
Well-Known Member
What about DS?
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that. Just a quick thought about what is going into China now... Shanghai - massive as in Euro-Disney-like massive (and their castle will be the tallest of any Disney park). Hong Kong - three new lands and Marvel going into its MK. Paris I'm pretty sure is getting a Star Wars land. At the US parks, that leaves nothing in the foreseeable future (except Avatar and the mine coaster). Not very good.
On the bright side (cue Monty Python's "Bright Side of Life"), I did read the RCID 2010 Comprehensive Growth Plan. The district does foresee a fifth gated theme park and two new minor parks by 2020. So, things will be slow leading up to 2015. Then, pending economic conditions, things will pick up, with the emphasis on new product.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
The RCID plan is just a guideline for future development, just because it mentions a fifth major and two more minor gates, doesn't mean there are actual plans to build them. Those numbers are just the maximums that the current version of the plan can accomodate.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Reedy Creek's land owners (hmm I wonder who that might be) wouldn't ask them to plan for it if they themselves weren't planning on planning it.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
To develop a plan for future land use you have to set some critiea for how much things might grown. So the plan esitmates that by 2020 there would be at most one more major and two minor gates, so that is used as the design criteria, but again, this doesn't mean there are actual plans to build those things.
From the plan which was last revised in October of 2010:
"Although Table 2-1 (Maximum Development 2010-2020) allows for development of one major and two minor theme parks there are no plans under review"
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
As I said, they plan on planning it. No plans now. Emphasis on now.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Right no plans now, and maybe no plans by 2020.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Maybe. But only in a worst-case scenario.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
No, I wouldn't say that it is worst case. As I keep saying just because it's in the plan doesn't mean there is intention to build it. Personally, I think building a fifth gate would be a worst case scenario for fans of the parks since I bet it would lead to further cut backs and stagnation in the existing four parks.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
I posted a link the other day of an article explaining Disney's philosophy on building new attraction. It quoted Jay R. explaining that Disney only builds new attractions under two conditions: (1) to help ease crowding (FLE for example) or (2) to boost attendance (DCA 2.0 for example). It argued that there will be a fifth gate because of the first reason. A fifth gate will ease crowding for the four existing gates (which will only get more crowded over time, if no new gates are added). I posted the link under general like two days ago. Either no one responded to it or it was deleted.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
I saw that thread but it was deleted for some reason. Can you re-post the link?
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Why would they delete it? I posted it in general, not news! Grrrr. I'm going to have to go through my history to find it now...
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Thank God, I didn't close the tab it was on!
http://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/11/02/avatar-disneys-animal-kingdom-and-walt-disney-worlds-5th-park/
danlb_2000
Premium Member
I am not putting much faith in the Jim Hill comment since it's just an off handed remark without any explenation or backing.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Keep reading past the Jim Hill stuff. I even said in the message that got deleted for people to read past the Jim Hill bit, as I know most will stop reading at that point. Read the whole thing!