WDW Awakens ...

[RSoxNo1]

BTW, since I really don't have an active Spirited thread right now thought I'd drop this here (especially since absolutely ZERO news came out of Disney's press event).

The UNI Wand Wavers won't likely be happy, but the Potter effect in California has not been anything like it was in O-Town thus far. Yes, no one should jump to any conclusions based on a month of soft openings and two weeks of the real deal but ... down in what was once orange groves in Anaheim ...

TDA is thrilled with attendance and spending the last two weeks since Harry Potter opened. DLR attendance since Potter had its grand opening is slightly higher than the already strong estimates, with both the tourist and locals demographics, and spending is very strong with the left coast Food & Wine event continuing to blow sales targets out of the water (that was even after they dropped the AP lanyard price by $6 after being embarrassed by Guy Selga and @WDWFigment AKA Tom Bricker ... yep, they really were behind the price drop whether they realize it or not since they are on a vacation in Japan now). The WWoHP hasn't had any impact on the Anaheim parks whatsoever, and attendance info leaking out of UNI to TDA contacts is that USH has had attendance MUCH lower than their optimistic estimates.

Please let me know what the UNI addicts say on the Tweeter ...

These Around Our World presentations typically have less substance than this one. This one confirmed a bunch of opening dates, announced the names and details of the Animal Kingdom entertainment (non-RoL division) and gave a bit more detail on Toy Story Land including the inappropriately named Alien Swinging Saucers attraction.

I'm not sure what you were expecting from this event but this was a nice run of project updates, IMO.

 

[lebeau]

No.......What's outrageous, is what you pay for food and beverages at the Ballpark or the Movie Theaters !

A business school professor at the University of California, Irvine analyzed how much the average movie theater charges for different food at their concession stand versus how much it costs . . . and it's really spectacular.

A large bucket of popcorn sells for an average of $8.15 . . . and costs them 90 CENTS.

A large soda sells for an average of $6.31 . . . and costs them 51 CENTS and that includes the cup, lid, and straw.

And a box of candy sells for an average of $4.25 . . . and costs them around $2.

So basically, pop your own popcorn, buy candy & soda at the store and sneak it in with the LARGEST purse you have.

Were you aware that movie theaters only keep pennies on the dollar of every ticket sold? The concession stand (inflated prices and all) is what keeps movie theaters in business. And let me tell you as someone who had almost a decade of experience in that business, overhead and labor are huge.

As far as I know, Disney gets to keep the entire price of each ticket, and the meals, souvenirs, hotel rooms, etc.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Spirit, I agree with you 95% of the time and understand your sentiment but as someone who has been considered and have known many people with "Special Needs" I really have to call out the use of "special needs" as a derogatory term .

As someone with an autistic brother, I didn't take any offense to this at all. People's feelings get hurt over everything and it's become counter productive.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I know this isn't the frozenstrom thread but just had to post this pic from twitter (EPCOT Explorer), for me it is a perfect snapshot of what is wrong at WDW.

I understand this is temporary, but this represents one of the biggest fears with Frozen in Norway. Thankfully, it appears this type of b.s. will be relegated to inside the attraction.

 

[UncleMike101]

I understand this is temporary, but this represents one of the biggest fears with Frozen in Norway. Thankfully, it appears this type of b.s. will be relegated to inside the attraction.

Better if it were relegated to the dump.......

 

[lebeau]

I remember my local theater, a glorious edifice harking back to Hollywood's Golden Age. Saturday afternoons with hundreds of other kids in a theater that seated over 2000. And air conditioned!

Things have changed ...

Per Regal's 2015 10K filing, the average ticket price was $9.41 while concession per patron was $4.16. With an operating margin of only 10.2%, that means that Regal lost $2.77 per ticket. Without ridiculously priced popcorn and soda, Regal actually would have lost money.

Most of it is going to Hollywood.

I guess someone has to pay for those mega mansions in Beverly Hills ...

THIS!

 

[bstiles]

I heard disneys applying for tax exempt status, its reasoning is its a religion.

 

[UncleMike101]

I heard disneys applying for tax exempt status, its reasoning is its a religion.

That's possible since Iger thinks he's God...........

 

[flynnibus]

Pledges are also stupid. Again, when I make a charitable contribution, I just write a check. I don't write a check conditional on someone running 26 miles. It doesn't make any sense.

They are used because they work.. when you tie an attachment to the giving vs just straight up giving it pulls different strings. Nevermind that in doing so you just enlisted how many hundreds or thousands of stumpers for you asking for donations from people your organization did not have direct contact with before?? Again, you dismiss stuff unilaterally simply because you don't understand it instead of recognizing.. you just don't understand it.

 

[ford91exploder]

They are used because they work.. when you tie an attachment to the giving vs just straight up giving it pulls different strings. Nevermind that in doing so you just enlisted how many hundreds or thousands of stumpers for you asking for donations from people your organization did not have direct contact with before?? Again, you dismiss stuff unilaterally simply because you don't understand it instead of recognizing.. you just don't understand it.

Exactly - Charity runs are done because they work and establish a personal connection between the givers and the charity.

 

[ford91exploder]

Were you aware that movie theaters only keep pennies on the dollar of every ticket sold? The concession stand (inflated prices and all) is what keeps movie theaters in business. And let me tell you as someone who had almost a decade of experience in that business, overhead and labor are huge.

As far as I know, Disney gets to keep the entire price of each ticket, and the meals, souvenirs, hotel rooms, etc.

In some cases the theater takes a loss on each ticket sold, @ParentsOf4 did an analysis for some movies Regal LOST 2.77 per ticket sold and people wonder why the concessions are so high priced well one BIG reason is to make up for the losses on ticket sales, You do know that the studios control the price the tickets are sold at.

 

[Mike S]

But where are all the duds? The biggest sin of the type you're describing is the rumor that maybe Guardians of the Galaxy will find their way into a "cheap overlay" (whatever that means, can't say I've ever seen one) of Tower of Terror. A toxic process would tend to produce toxic product, but all I see are the gems that you dismiss as all too rare. Even New Fantasyland, for all its flaws, looks and feels like it belongs squarely in the Magic Kingdom and squarely in Fantasyland.

All of these attractions were branded to make them more popular and utterly failed at their goal because they were/are all vitrual walk ons. Buzz Lightyear and soon Frostrom will be the exceptions. Not the rule. Cars Land, Pandora, and Star Wars Land will be popular not just because of their brands but the quality of the work done for them. None of us hate IP based attractions when done right. Otherwise you wouldn't see our horrified reactions to a rumor concerning The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror.

 

[WDW1974]

This is the official word of what WDW is Awakening for Summer 2016:
(Nope, nothing very exciting beyond nights at DAK that -- likely -- won't include RoL for a few months at least, but will include an IP, properly located at least, ad instead.)

New experiences will debut at Walt Disney World Parks this summer. Here's a quick look at what's coming.
May:

• At Epcot, Guests will be able to spot Dory and some of her friends from the new film, “Finding Dory,” at Turtle Talk with Crush.
• Starting Memorial Day Weekend, even more Guests will be able to experience Toy Story Mania with a third track.
• Also happening Memorial Day Weekend, new nighttime experiences including awakenings at the Tree of Life, a limited-engagement show on Discovery River, additional hours on Kilimanjaro Safaris and more will debut at Disney’s Animal Kingdom when the park hours extend.

June:

• Magic Kingdom Park will welcome a new show to the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage, Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire. It will include special appearances by Tiana and Naveen from “The Princess and the Frog,” Rapunzel and Flynn from “Tangled” and Anna and Elsa from “Frozen.”
• Over at Epcot, the world of “Frozen” will come to life in a new attraction, Frozen Ever After, and Guests will be able to meet the royal sisters of Arendelle at Royal Sommerhus.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios will debut “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular,” a show combining fireworks, pyrotechnics, special effects and video projections.
• Beginning June 17, Soarin’ will depart on a brand new around-the-world adventure in the all new “Soarin’ Around theWorld,” at Epcot.

August:

• Magic Kingdom Park will welcome Disney’s first princess inspired by diverse Latin cultures, Elena of Avalor, following her television debut in a new animated series this summer on Disney Channel.

 

[WDW1974]

Again, I totally agree with everything you said.

You are one smart duck!

 

[Donaldfan1934]

You are one smart duck!

Thanks. I appreciate the pun.

 

[WDW1974]

Would you PLEASE post this somewhere in the Disneyland forum? Anywhere, you could post this in the DLR Picture of the Day thread. They just don't get it over there, I feel like I'm talking to a wall. The only one who understands is @Endor Sightseer.

I tend to post the thoughts here because they concern Disney as a whole and how they run P&R. I see that there are only a handful of posters down there, many who finally gave up on LP.com and moved over. A post about The Star Wars Experience (yes, I know I was the one who first broke the name and others are borrowing it and pretending that they were given it!) at DL is going to get far more eyeballs here. And since 97% of it will be moved here to WDW, it is worthy of discussion up here ... not to mention the whole idea of what DL was supposed to be (and later the MK) vs. what TWDC and Robert A. Iger are turning it into.

How anyone with a modicum of knowledge of DL's history, development and ethos can say that SW belongs in that park is totally daft. I can't say anything less offensive, but lots that would be more offensive.

Feel free to invite the DL folks up here and I can school them. I'm good at that!

 

[truecoat]

Walt Disney World, where dreams come true...unless you are going to AK. The dream is on hold.

 

[Mike S]

I tend to post the thoughts here because they concern Disney as a whole and how they run P&R. I see that there are only a handful of posters down there, many who finally gave up on LP.com and moved over. A post about The Star Wars Experience (yes, I know I was the one who first broke the name and others are borrowing it and pretending that they were given it!) at DL is going to get far more eyeballs here. And since 97% of it will be moved here to WDW, it is worthy of discussion up here ... not to mention the whole idea of what DL was supposed to be (and later the MK) vs. what TWDC and Robert A. Iger are turning it into.

How anyone with a modicum of knowledge of DL's history, development and ethos can say that SW belongs in that park is totally daft. I can't say anything less offensive, but lots that would be more offensive.

Feel free to invite the DL folks up here and I can school them. I'm good at that!

You might find this thread engaging
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...why-the-anti-swl-in-disneyland-thread.912395/

 

[BrianLo]

How anyone with a modicum of knowledge of DL's history, development and ethos can say that SW belongs in that park is totally daft. I can't say anything less offensive, but lots that would be more offensive.

I think the same thing of Toontown.

The execution has always been the make or break. It's why great ideas like New Fantasyland can be total duds and seemingly terrible ideas like Carsland turn into the envy of WDW fans.

Yes, I'd prefer a third park obviously.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I think the same thing of Toontown.

The execution has always been the make or break. It's why great ideas like New Fantasyland can be total duds and seemingly terrible ideas like Carsland turn into the envy of WDW fans.

Yes, I'd prefer a third park obviously.

TBH, I feel that most of the complaints about Toontown are more in line with criticizing the execution rather than the idea like you said about NFL. I personally think that Mickey should have a definite home in Walt's Park and I feel the execution is solid despite seeing many areas where it could be improved. I'm also a big fan of Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin so that's another reason I have a soft spot for it.