'Villains Unleashed' hard ticketed event coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios in August

[lebeau]

Uh, Hunchback was the 5th highest grossing film of 1996, making over $500 million between tickets and merchandise. So if that's "not successful" then give me some of that!

Compare that to the other Disney features of the time. Then tell me how it has stood the test of time.

Hunchback wasn't a washout. But Disney isn't looking to repeat its performance either.

I'm guessing you already knew that and were just playing devil's advocate, right?

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Re: Villain's Unleashed

No one that I have talked to thought is was a bad event. Just SOME aspects were poorly handled. I do think that Disney thought they had resolved most of the issues from last year simply by making it a limited sales event. What I find most interesting is that the folks that invented crowd control and theme park customer service have been fumbling so hard this year on the M&G concept (which they also invented). But everyone I talked to said the shows were great, especially the Oogie Boogie show. I hope that the negative response from some (and deservidly so in some regards) don't kill the concept. Just learn and adapt. 3 showrooms for the more popular Villains. Better Merch set up. Multiple nights.

I guess we were in the super-minority as far as expectations. We were attracted to an 8 hour evening with limited sales/lower crowds, and the ability to ride rides for a 30% discount. Had we went for the M&G, we would have been extremely disappointed. We did wait for one character, but that was it....while in line, we did see a few peeps getting REALLY irritated the character was willing to spend so much time with everyone wanting a photo. I'm sure those same peeps were expecting ample time when it was their turn.

The merch debacle was more of an issue and really wonder if the intent was to KEEP people in line "away" from the rest of the park? With the merch, TDO had the opportunity to either sell more, raise the price, or both, and still sell out. That aspect was poorly handled as TDO AND guests BOTH lost.....

Lastly, we didn't even stop for the show(s)....had no interest.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

12k should have been a decent crowd if anyone was going on rides, but that's not why they were there. I saw a picture of a girl solo in a TOT car. Know what TSMM wait was?

Rode TSMM twice, once at around 7;45 and the wait was 30 mins. Rode it again around 10:00-11:00 and the wait was approx 40 mins...

Rode Great Movie Ride and our car was 3/4 full, followed by an empty....

 

[lilclerk]

That sounds really cool. I think a Twilight Zone themed event would be pretty cool as well although NBC would probably be a bigger draw though

I honestly would be crazy enough to make a special trip for a Twilight Zone event.

 

[Matt_Black]

Compare that to the other Disney features of the time. Then tell me how it has stood the test of time.

Hunchback wasn't a washout. But Disney isn't looking to repeat its performance either.

I'm guessing you already knew that and were just playing devil's advocate, right?

No, I think it's one of the best of the Disney Renaissance period.

 

[SirLink]

None of those things were all that successful.

The problem is, the Disney brand is the opposite of edgy and risqué. If you are looking for that kind of entertainment from Disney, you will be perpetually frustrated. There are other places to go for that sort of entertainment.

They were successful but at the same time Alien Encounter closed due to complaints from parents. Disney could be edgy and risque and tell parents to take a hike but the company has a backbone of a jellyfish. Not everything should be aimed for kids at Disney Theme Parks.

 

[Matt_Black]

They were successful but at the same time Alien Encounter closed due to complaints from parents. Disney could be edgy and risque and tell parents to take a hike but the company has a backbone of a jellyfish. Not everything should be aimed for kids at Disney Theme Parks.

I do agree with the rationalization, though I was sad to see it go. I can't remember who said it but it was something along the lines of "Alien Encounter is a PG-13 attraction in a G-Rated park." It was a perfect compliment to Tomorrowland's theme. TL is all about the future being awesome, and AE was the "Yes, BUT it's only awesome if we're careful." To put it another way, Space Mountain is the gold star for good behavior, AE is the paddle.

 

[Kman101]

As good of an idea as Alien Encounter is/was, it should have probably gone in DHS (MGM at the time). It's too bad everything has to be kiddified. Disney parks were NOT designed for JUST children. Funny how fans of Disney don't remember this.

If a kid can't do something, move on. There's always next year. Why do they have to be catered to? So they aren't upset for a couple of minutes? I learned to wait for a lot of things growing up, and that there were things I just couldn't do until adulthood. Now it's almost the opposite. Adults are the ones without things to do because it's the kids that matter. Why is it that they should be allowed to go on and do everything, yet as an adult I can't?

No wonder adults just want to get drunk.

 

[Tori427]

I thought the event was great, the lines were just as I thought they would be...along the same wait times as for the 24 hour show your Disney side event. It was all about planning...we started with Shan Yu and waited before the event started for him. Moved to the witch/hag from Snow White and the to Cruella...during that time I walked around the streets of America grabbing up selfies with a bunch of rare characters. Finally we stopped for Br'er Bear and Fox(missing the cutoff for the hyenas by minutes!) then my sister got a prime spot for the fireworks and jumped on the zero wait time at Tower of Terror...went with four random people the first time and then ran back on and got an elevator to myself! Took the opportunity to take a selfie durin the on ride photo too! Overall, I had a blast! Bummed we didn't get merch but I wasn't about to wait in line when I could be meeting characters.

 

[Tori427]

I saw a picture of a girl solo in a TOT car.

I think that was a picture of me you saw lol

 

[asianway]

I think that was a picture of me you saw lol

I believe so. That would have been cool!

 

[lebeau]

No, I think it's one of the best of the Disney Renaissance period.

I didn't say it was bad. I said it wasn't "that successful" meaning that Disney wouldn't want a repeat of The Hunchback.

They were successful but at the same time Alien Encounter closed due to complaints from parents. Disney could be edgy and risque and tell parents to take a hike but the company has a backbone of a jellyfish. Not everything should be aimed for kids at Disney Theme Parks.

In an ideal world, you're right. Personally, sure, I would love to see more grown-up stuff at Disney parks. I also understand the Disney brand. Disney doesn't have much incentive to alienate their core base to appease a small, vocal minority. When they attempt to do so, they have to be very careful about how they do it as the reaction to a relatively innocuous stage show proves. Why go to the trouble when you can just keep selling to the base?

Again, I'm not arguing that this is what Disney should be doing. I'm explaining why this is what Disney will do. Which I think everyone already knows. Expecting something else from them is just going to be an exercise in frustration. If you want more mature entertainment, Universal is happy to oblige. Or Vegas. Or about a million other places.

 

[Matt_Black]

I didn't say it was bad. I said it wasn't "that successful" meaning that Disney wouldn't want a repeat of The Hunchback.



In an ideal world, you're right. Personally, sure, I would love to see more grown-up stuff at Disney parks. I also understand the Disney brand. Disney doesn't have much incentive to alienate their core base to appease a small, vocal minority. When they attempt to do so, they have to be very careful about how they do it as the reaction to a relatively innocuous stage show proves. Why go to the trouble when you can just keep selling to the base?

Again, I'm not arguing that this is what Disney should be doing. I'm explaining why this is what Disney will do. Which I think everyone already knows. Expecting something else from them is just going to be an exercise in frustration. If you want more mature entertainment, Universal is happy to oblige. Or Vegas. Or about a million other places.

Mrm... I don't know if it's entirely true they're playing to a supposed base. One of their most popular recent film franchises stars a morally dubious, frequently inebriated, womanizing scoundrel as the hero.

 

[lebeau]

Mrm... I don't know if it's entirely true they're playing to a supposed base. One of their most popular recent film franchises stars a morally dubious, frequently inebriated, womanizing scoundrel as the hero.

That movie was an accidental success and Disney tried to fire Depp while they were making it. His character was not the lead in the first film either. Orlando Bloom's good-hearted orphan was. Also, the first film is over a decade old. So not all that recent. Finally, the film studio has more leeway than the theme parks.

 

[Suspirian]

I don't really understand how people can glorify an attraction with a corpse hanging by a noose, but suddenly find a sideshow hosted by a character named Oogie Boogie too much for a disney park.

 

[ChrisM]

Not to take this too far off the rails, but when did character meet and greets become such a huge draw at theme parks?

My recollection as a child a few decades ago was that characters mainly wandered the park randomly. They might come up to you or you might approach them and have a quick interaction if you were so inclined. But it was usually just a really young kid giving a foamhead a hug or something like that. Neither my family, nor any of our friends whom we vacationed with, ever bothered with it unless a character came running up to us...I can't ever remember seeing a line to meet a character anywhere.

Fast forward to today and you have multi-hour lines to press the flesh for a minute or two with a college kid dressed up as a character. They usually bear no more than a passing resemblance to whomever they are supposed to be portraying. Figuring I missed something in my youth, and hearing from countless parents about how their children "lit up" when meeting characters, I made it a point to do a few meet and greets and character meals (CRT, Chef Mickey's) when I first took my kids a few years ago (who were 5 and 3.5 at the time). They literally could not have given a wet about these interactions despite my encouraging them that meeting the characters was going to be some sort of transcendent experience.

All of that being said, do kids really enjoy the characters that much or is it some weird phenomena where parents are pushing it on their kids and justifying the waits by claiming the kids really dig it even if the kids are largely ambivalent about the whole thing?

I simply don't grok this whole phenomena. At all.

 

[drew81]

For everyone who thinks most performers are college aged kids you have got to learn.

 

[ChrisM]

For everyone who thinks most performers are college aged kids you have got to learn.

Okay, I'll edit my statement:

"Fast forward to today and you have multi-hour lines to press the flesh for a minute or two with a college kid some random person dressed up as a character."

 

[lebeau]

Not to take this too far off the rails, but when did character meet and greets become such a huge draw at theme parks?

My recollection as a child a few decades ago was that characters mainly wandered the park randomly. They might come up to you or you might approach them and have a quick interaction if you were so inclined. But it was usually just a really young kid giving a foamhead a hug or something like that. Neither my family, nor any of our friends whom we vacationed with, ever bothered with it unless a character came running up to us...I can't ever remember seeing a line to meet a character anywhere.

Fast forward to today and you have multi-hour lines to press the flesh for a minute or two with a college kid dressed up as a character. They usually bear no more than a passing resemblance to whomever they are supposed to be portraying. Figuring I missed something in my youth, and hearing from countless parents about how their children "lit up" when meeting characters, I made it a point to do a few meet and greets and character meals (CRT, Chef Mickey's) when I first took my kids a few years ago (who were 5 and 3.5 at the time). They literally could not have given a wet about these interactions despite my encouraging them that meeting the characters was going to be some sort of transcendent experience.

All of that being said, do kids really enjoy the characters that much or is it some weird phenomena where parents are pushing it on their kids and justifying the waits by claiming the kids really dig it even if the kids are largely ambivalent about the whole thing?

I simply don't grok this whole phenomena. At all.

Speaking solely for my kids, yes, characters are the primary appeal of Disney World. My 5 year-old would love it if all we did was meet characters. My 9 year-old wants some rides mixed in but enjoys meeting the characters as well.

Mileage will vary obviously.

 

[xdan0920]

Not to take this too far off the rails, but when did character meet and greets become such a huge draw at theme parks?

My recollection as a child a few decades ago was that characters mainly wandered the park randomly. They might come up to you or you might approach them and have a quick interaction if you were so inclined. But it was usually just a really young kid giving a foamhead a hug or something like that. Neither my family, nor any of our friends whom we vacationed with, ever bothered with it unless a character came running up to us...I can't ever remember seeing a line to meet a character anywhere.

Fast forward to today and you have multi-hour lines to press the flesh for a minute or two with a college kid dressed up as a character. They usually bear no more than a passing resemblance to whomever they are supposed to be portraying. Figuring I missed something in my youth, and hearing from countless parents about how their children "lit up" when meeting characters, I made it a point to do a few meet and greets and character meals (CRT, Chef Mickey's) when I first took my kids a few years ago (who were 5 and 3.5 at the time). They literally could not have given a wet about these interactions despite my encouraging them that meeting the characters was going to be some sort of transcendent experience.

All of that being said, do kids really enjoy the characters that much or is it some weird phenomena where parents are pushing it on their kids and justifying the waits by claiming the kids really dig it even if the kids are largely ambivalent about the whole thing?

I simply don't grok this whole phenomena. At all.

I don't get it either.

I have a very young son, aged in months, not years. But I hope, when we go, if I don't push the character meets on him, then we won't have to plan our whole vacation around them.