News Wakanda joins Coco, Zootopia, and Encanto on Disney Parks' future blue sky expansion list, reveals Josh D'Amaro

[lazyboy97o]

Harry Potter is what happened there. Hogsmeade is probably the biggest blow to Disney's theme park dominance. It's why Disney has gone so hard with franchises everywhere. It's disappointing they went this route (somewhat, I think Pandora/Radiator/GE are great additions to those parks) but it makes sense from a soulless money making perspective.

If Hogsmeade never opened or if it sucked, I think we would've kept getting original rides.

Harry Potter happened after the franchise mandate.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Iger rejected expedition Everest? I don't understand. Clearly it got built so it wasn't "rejected".

I don't think it's success can be denied. It resulted in a huge attendance boost for the park and has remained ever popular since it's opening.

Expedition Everest was nearly complete when Iger became CEO. He wasn’t going to tear it down. He rejected it because he immediately forbid Walt Disney Imagineering from doing anything similar not tied to a franchise.

 

[Brer Panther]

Iger rejected expedition Everest? I don't understand. Clearly it got built so it wasn't "rejected".

He didn't reject it per say (though I think it was approved before he replaced Eisner). He just badmouthed it in an interview while hyping up IP rides, claiming that it was "nondescript".

Harry Potter happened after the franchise mandate.

When did the franchise mandate start up? Was it immediately after Iger took over? Was it because of the failure of that controversial Innoventions thing?

 

[Tha Realest]

Kind of? But it still doesn’t strike me as some sort of missed opportunity. There aren’t specific landmarks or anything most people are dying to visit like with HP. The iconic vehicles are already there, and in my opinion, generic Star Wars cantina/casino/whatever would do just as well as a specific one. The dearth of facilities in general is the actual problem, not the particular location.

Oh I agree with you.

 

[doctornick]

I don’t think there really is a Star Wars location people generally want to visit. The galaxy isn’t exactly the most pleasant place.

The Millennium Falcon interior is arguable one of the only one and they did that, though not in a way you can really explore.

The Mos Eisley cantina is really the only other place.

 

[RSoxNo1]

One difference with Potter is that Potter fans will always dream of being able to enter the Wizarding World. Universal did that by building locations we wanted to visit. I’ll be curious to see how the EU land works since it’s not an iconic HP setting.

Star Wars missed this by not building a place we knew existed or wanted to visit.

TSL missed this because no one watches Toy Story and desperately dreams of visiting Andy’s back yard.

Pandora was arguably the best attempt but for whatever reason, it still doesn’t seem to be the same smash hit as WWoHP. I think WWoHP is, perhaps, even more unique because it had sights, sounds, smells, and tastes we all wanted to experience. Pandora just doesn’t provide that level of sensory experience (but it’s close). When you literally create a land where people even want to visit your gift shops because they read about them or saw them in the source material, it’s going to print money. How do you compete with Honeydukes?

SWGE would probably be more popular if they’d built Tatooine and that has some built in retail in the source material.

I think there are choices to be made depending on the IP. Some IP lends itself better to a themed environment than others and Harry Potter is one of those perfect IPs. Disney didn't realize that and missed their opportunity. They have been playing catch up ever since, not fully understanding what makes Harry Potter great.

Their thought was any singularly themed IP is the answer and that's simply not the case. I actually think the conceptual choice they made with Galaxy's Edge was a good one. They deliberately didn't lock down a single area so they could have some flexibility but then they messed that up by insisting on the Episode 8 timeline. It was two steps forward and one step back.

None of the lands are without flaws, and I would absolutely make the case that the single best themed land in Walt Disney World is Africa, not Galaxy's Edge, Pandora or Fantasyland. It's the most cohesive and has a great lineup of attractions and dining.

As for recreating Harry Potter, I think really the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars are the only things that could come close. The advantage that Potter will have though is that retail and dining are already story elements whereas in most other IPs they would have to be fabricated. Sure, there are some unique food offerings in SW and LotR but not to the same extent they exist in the Wizarding World.

With all that said, if you really want to move the needle attendance wise, Lord of the Rings and/or Wakanda would do it.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

One difference with Potter is that Potter fans will always dream of being able to enter the Wizarding World. Universal did that by building locations we wanted to visit. I’ll be curious to see how the EU land works since it’s not an iconic HP setting.

Star Wars missed this by not building a place we knew existed or wanted to visit.

TSL missed this because no one watches Toy Story and desperately dreams of visiting Andy’s back yard.

Pandora was arguably the best attempt but for whatever reason, it still doesn’t seem to be the same smash hit as WWoHP. I think WWoHP is, perhaps, even more unique because it had sights, sounds, smells, and tastes we all wanted to experience. Pandora just doesn’t provide that level of sensory experience (but it’s close). When you literally create a land where people even want to visit your gift shops because they read about them or saw them in the source material, it’s going to print money. How do you compete with Honeydukes?

SWGE would probably be more popular if they’d built Tatooine and that has some built in retail in the source material.

spot on.

 

[No Name]

He didn't reject it per se (though I think it was approved before he replaced Eisner). He just badmouthed it in an interview while hyping up IP rides, claiming that it was "nondescript".

It’s unbelievable that Bob Iger held his first attraction opening ceremony, and instead of it being a special moment in his career, he decided that ride stands for everything he’s against in theme parks.

The full original quote is “It's not like ‘I'm going to ride some nondescript coaster somewhere, that maybe is themed like India or something.’ No, you're going to Arendelle and you're going to experience Frozen with Anna and Elsa.” Then he had the part about India removed from the article and apologized/denied it on twitter but the damage was done.

 

[osian]

I didn't know about this origin to the IP mandate before, and quite honestly I'm shocked. He's literally dismissing the creative thinking and original genius that was behind the success of the Disney parks in the first place, and replacing it with an attempt to copy the competition and play catch-up. How to undermine your product in one easy lesson.

 

[Tha Realest]

It’s unbelievable that Bob Iger held his first attraction opening ceremony, and instead of it being a special moment in his career, he decided that ride stands for everything he’s against in theme parks.

The full original quote is “It's not like ‘I'm going to ride some nondescript coaster somewhere, that maybe is themed like India or something.’ No, you're going to Arendelle and you're going to experience Frozen with Anna and Elsa.” Then he had the part about India removed from the article and apologized/denied it on twitter but the damage was done.

“Inauthentically Disney and generically Nepalese.”

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It’s unbelievable that Bob Iger held his first attraction opening ceremony, and instead of it being a special moment in his career, he decided that ride stands for everything he’s against in theme parks.

The full original quote is “It's not like ‘I'm going to ride some nondescript coaster somewhere, that maybe is themed like India or something.’ No, you're going to Arendelle and you're going to experience Frozen with Anna and Elsa.” Then he had the part about India removed from the article and apologized/denied it on twitter but the damage was done.

It was also hilariously specific. How many Disney roller coasters are based on a location in or near India?

We knew he was talking about Everest.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I didn't know about this origin to the IP mandate before, and quite honestly I'm shocked. He's literally dismissing the creative thinking and original genius that was behind the success of the Disney parks in the first place, and replacing it with an attempt to copy the competition and play catch-up. How to undermine your product in one easy lesson.

He was also exploring selling/spinning off the parks in those early years as he didn’t see how the parks was core to the media business. He wasn’t copying Universal, he just doesn’t really like theme parks. He doesn’t enjoy them and doesn’t understand how others would enjoy them. Being based on franchises is how he recognizes them as somehow being different.

 

[flyerjab]

It was also hilariously specific. How many Disney roller coasters are based on a location in or near India?

We knew he was talking about Everest.

So did Rohde. I’ll never forget his post on Instagram around that time. Even though Joe didn’t mention any names it was no doubt a direct response to Bob’s utter foolishness.

 

[Brer Panther]

He was also exploring selling/spinning off the parks in those early years as he didn’t see how the parks was core to the media business. He wasn’t copying Universal, he just doesn’t really like theme parks. He doesn’t enjoy them and doesn’t understand how others would enjoy them. Being based on franchises is how he recognizes them as somehow being different.

Iger is actively destroying the company and has been since 2012.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

So did Rohde. I’ll never forget his post on Instagram around that time. Worth mentioning no names in the park, it was no doubt a direct response to Bob’s utter foolishness.

I suspect when (if) Bob leaves, many associated with the company will have a lot more to say.

 

[Jrb1979]

He was also exploring selling/spinning off the parks in those early years as he didn’t see how the parks was core to the media business. He wasn’t copying Universal, he just doesn’t really like theme parks. He doesn’t enjoy them and doesn’t understand how others would enjoy them. Being based on franchises is how he recognizes them as somehow being different.

Wall St feels the same way. Look at how they reacted to the investing announcement. The next CEO needs to be someone that looks at parks first and studios second.

 

[SpectreJordan]

Harry Potter happened after the franchise mandate.

Was it? The land opened in 2010, I don't think there was any major updates to the Disney parks around that time; I could be wrong though. But it did go into overdrive after Potter opened & became insanely popular.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Was it? The land opened in 2010, I don't think there was any major updates to the Disney parks around that time; I could be wrong though. But it did go into overdrive after Potter opened & became insanely popular.

Yes, it came with Iger in 2005.

 

[SpectreJordan]

One difference with Potter is that Potter fans will always dream of being able to enter the Wizarding World. Universal did that by building locations we wanted to visit. I’ll be curious to see how the EU land works since it’s not an iconic HP setting.

Star Wars missed this by not building a place we knew existed or wanted to visit.

SWGE would probably be more popular if they’d built Tatooine and that has some built in retail in the source material.

I do think a Star Wars land would've done better if it was based on a planet we've seen. But I feel Batuu is pretty similar to Tatooine; it's just a Tatooine that makes sense for it to rain & be cold in.

The market area is pretty similar to the markets seen in Phantom Menace, while the area the Falcon is docked in is similar to the hangar bay in A New Hope & obviously Battuu's Cantina is based on ANH's Cantina. As a huge Star Wars nerd, I was so happy walking through these places because of how they reminded me of the movies.

I do feel this is another case of Imagineering & Lucasfilm probably hating theirselves for not waiting until The Mandalorian came out to create this land though. Navarro would've been a great planet to base a land off of. It has some Tattooine vibes, but it'd make sense for different weather. It's also from a far more popular part of Star Wars than the sequels. & you could get Luke, Leia, Han & Lando in the land this way too.

 

[SpectreJordan]

Yes, it came with Iger in 2005.

Is there evidence of this or are you just being hyperbolic as people on here tend to be?

Obviously, Iger is a major part of the IP push but I imagine he stole the idea from Universal's success with Potter.