What will Disney announce for Disney World at the 2022 D23 expo?

[Tomi-Rocket]

Whatever they do all it means will be their “justified” price increases. I wonder if I’ll live to see execs who actually love Disney and the parks and who want to bring it back to the standards they used to have and others would look up to as an example.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

You know, the timing of any announcements at this D23 may turn out to be disappointing. The Fed is trying to slow the economy to fight inflation, and at some point they will succeed.

The freight train I see coming is more cancelled Disney projects due to "the Economy" this time. Announcements made now are almost perfectly timed to be cancelled during a possible recession in the next year.

Sorry!

Wait so your saying a business shouldn’t cancel programs/spending if the economic situation changes?

 

[matt9112]

Wait so your saying a business shouldn’t cancel programs/spending if the economic situation changes?

You could take less than 4 of 5 years to make things a reality and the risk would be a lot lower. Could leverage all the capital up front so next quarter and so on doesn’t matter. However corporations love to spread the spending out over longer periods of time. Could just not announce plans until your digging? Than you don’t need to “cancel” anything publicly and you also don’t upset your fan base. This would require a total change from marketing and how they like to operate.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

You could take less than 4 of 5 years to make things a reality and the risk would be a lot lower. Could leverage all the capital up front so next quarter and so on doesn’t matter. However corporations love to spread the spending out over longer periods of time. Could just not announce plans until your digging? Than you don’t need to “cancel” anything publicly and you also don’t upset your fan base. This would require a total change from marketing and how they like to operate.

Project delays are going to be inevitable, and once they fall behind unless they are a direct revenue generating structure, its almost never worth the acceleration costs to complete them faster.

And as to waiting until shovels are in the ground, why waste the publicity/marketing time? Other than a few fanatics on this board, your average WDW visitor isn’t locked into build times and schedules. But Disney gets to put on events like D23 with big headlines. Then they get to feed all the social media platforms with updates, concept art, debates and articles from “fans” on what the new rides will be like. There’s no reason to give that free coverage up. Then as time goes on you keep putting out details for construction, constant free information drips

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They are also a fraction of the size. The Little Mermaid is a D Ticket ride with the scope and cost of an E Ticket that people compare favorable to much smaller, far cheaper C Tickets.

I’d say you proved why “internal metrics” are bonkers then. It’s a B/C that should just be built and opened without fanfare to eat crowds.

On the topic of DLR, the fact that Mermaid is presented so much more simply in DCA definitely helps.

The new fantasyland expansion simply was dragged down by its lack of real headliner. Like the Beauty and the Beast Ride in Tokyo (although I can't speak to if that's truly good or not since I'm avoiding spoiling myself). SDMT is honestly a wonderful little attraction, marred by popularity and expectations to carry an expansion.

Agreed. Disney pumps up things that just should have been inserted into the lineup with little fanfare. That’s a misstep if you don’t want any criticism…which fans are always “personally” offended by for some reason?

People here seem to be down on the Tokyo BatB ride, and there are definitely areas where it could be better (significantly so in at least one scene), but I think it's much closer to being a legitimate headliner than Little Mermaid or 7DMT.

From what I can tell…it’s a much better trackless than any of the domestic “efforts”

 

[UNCgolf]

I’d say you proved why “internal metrics” are bonkers then. It’s a B/C that should just be built and opened without fanfare to eat crowds.

Little Mermaid? They don't spend $100+ million for a B/C ticket.

It was definitely intended to be at least a D, even though it's not.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Little Mermaid? They don't spend $100+ million for a B/C ticket.

It was definitely intended to be at least a D, even though it's not.

But they did…results based business

Why do we care what the prices are anymore? Guardians is great…but the price is still bunk

 

[mikejs78]

My 4 year old always mentions Pooh, Peter Pan, and Small World as her favorites. She tends to forget about Mermaid, for some reason it doesn’t land as well.

Funny. My kids mention Pooh, Small World, and Mermaid. They think Pan is too short.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Little Mermaid? They don't spend $100+ million for a B/C ticket.

It was definitely intended to be at least a D, even though it's not.

I mean, it's ambitious enough to be a D Ticket, even if it's not the best one. The Skyway was a D Ticket.

Considering the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and Main Street Cinema were B Tickets, it's certainly at least a C Ticket. Dumbo and the Mad Tea party were C Tickets, and there's no way Mermaid ranks lower than them, even accounting for personal tastes.

I'd say Mermaid and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are squarely D Tickets - bigger deals than Winnie the Pooh or Peter Pan's Flight (if somehow also less satisfying), but not running up with the big dogs like Splash Mountain and Rise of the Resistance. You can tell when they've swung for the fences, and nothing in New Fantasyland fits that bill.

Which is fine, since Fantasyland needed capacity more than it needed headliners, but they somehow fumbled it and we've ended up with hour+ waits at Mine Train. They correctly identified the problem of Fantasyland being the place where "the smallest guests wait in the longest lines for the shortest rides", but the execution failed to actually solve those issues.

 

[Magicart87]

But they did…results based business

Why do we care what the prices are anymore? Guardians is great…but the price is still bunk

Guardians is great?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Guardians is great?

Personal opinion: yes

Both the Epcot additions are very solid

But the optimist in me says: “alright..now we’re moving…what else you got?”

 

[mikejs78]

Personal opinion: yes

Both the Epcot additions are very solid

But the optimist in me says: “alright..now we’re moving…what else you got?”

Agree with you about Guardians, strongly disagree with you about Rise. Rise is one of the best theme park attractions ever created.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The one thing MK does have though to its credit is the wider array of animatronic shows.

With 4 in total, that's the most of any castle park right now.

Tokyo used to have as many, until Meet the World closed in 2002. Disneyland did until American Sings ended in 1988.

It's a type of WDI entrainment from another era that they'll never do again. Upkeep and edit issues aside, MK is lucky to still have them.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Yes. I agree with most everyone that DL is the superior park - helped by the plethora of smaller dark ride plus a few extra headliners that mostly have equivalents in other WDW parks - but MK really does thrive with proper indoor shows. I love the fact that every MK land* has an indoor show which help to compliment and round out the areas. There’s that option to pop into an indoor, air conditioned space for continuously running entertainment in between the rides and that to me is part of what makes Disney parks of such high quality.

Unfortunately, they’ve moved away from that premise over time. Epcot still had a lot though many have gone away (Kitchen Kaberet, the movie and show in WoL) or been neutered (the Imagination theater). But subsequent park haven’t done nearly as much such attractions. I’d love to see the company go back to putting continuously running shows into more lands - DHS and DAK would really benefit - as a way to keep crowds more entertained and satisfied. As I’ve often contended, if newly built lands would have a theater show to compliment the big rides, they’d feel a lot more complete.

*except Main St technically but that always seems like less of a full land.

Main Street used to have two theater attractions, the Cinema and Walt Disney Story.

Here's the full list of MK theater attractions from 1990:

Main Street Cinema
Walt Disney Story
Tropical Serenade (aka Tiki Room)
Country Bear Jamboree
Diamond Horseshoe Revue (then reservations only, in 1996 it was available for walk ins)
Hall of Presidents
Magic Journeys
Mickey's Magical TV World (in Starland)
Mission to Mars
Circle-Vision 360
Carousel of Progress
Tomorrowland Stage (later Galaxy Palace Theater, then...employee parking)

This list does not include other entertainment acts, parades (day and night), fireworks or bandstands.

You could do a whole day of MK just watching shows.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Agree with you about Guardians, strongly disagree with you about Rise. Rise is one of the best theme park attractions ever created.

Tis not

Really…really bad ip. Like the least interesting thing ever created. But at least That’s fixable at least. I’ll try not to harp on the IP fouls though.

The whole thing is “off”. Kinda dull trackless (which seems to be on purpose).
The sim good…but like 12 seconds? Whoopee!!

The breakup/sequence is a great idea. The “room” is cool - even with the bad IP…



I’d like for everyone saying “best ever” to reride the thing? And realize its dullevile and a creative mess.

But fear not - both Star Wars rides have retheme potential. But they’re reversed. The falcon can and should be a longer E ticket…and “imperial assault” or whatever they want to make it to be respectable…can be the second tier.

Add a C…you got yourself a land

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Ride is an E ticket in function. IE marketing and demand. In fact demand was so high for a very long time the idea you might even get to ride it was a lottery. Like loot boxes for theme parks!

However it shines brighter than everything around it. It’s elevated higher than it else wise would be if it wasn’t surrounded by fecal matter.

Of what are you speaking?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

With 4 in total, that's the most of any castle park right now.

Tokyo used to have as many, until Meet the World closed in 2002. Disneyland did until American Sings ended in 1988.

It's a type of WDI entrainment from another era that they'll never do again. Upkeep and edit issues aside, MK is lucky to still have them.

I’m struggling to count 4?

Bears, tiki, COP and enchanted tales?

If that’s true…3 are very old and I don’t see COP of Bears lasting all that much longer…

Edit: forgot hall of presidents…right…not Belle

 

[mysto]

Wait so your saying a business shouldn’t cancel programs/spending if the economic situation changes?

No I did not.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Main Street used to have two theater attractions, the Cinema and Walt Disney Story.

Here's the full list of MK theater attractions from 1990:

Main Street Cinema
Walt Disney Story
Tropical Serenade (aka Tiki Room)
Country Bear Jamboree
Diamond Horseshoe Revue (then reservations only, in 1996 it was available for walk ins)
Hall of Presidents
Magic Journeys
Mickey's Magical TV World (in Starland)
Mission to Mars
Circle-Vision 360
Carousel of Progress
Tomorrowland Stage (later Galaxy Palace Theater, then...employee parking)

This list does not include other entertainment acts, parades (day and night), fireworks or bandstands.

You could do a whole day of MK just watching shows.

This list alone is enough attractions for a contemporary “full day” Disney park.

 

[seabreezept813]

I mean, it's ambitious enough to be a D Ticket, even if it's not the best one. The Skyway was a D Ticket.

Considering the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and Main Street Cinema were B Tickets, it's certainly at least a C Ticket. Dumbo and the Mad Tea party were C Tickets, and there's no way Mermaid ranks lower than them, even accounting for personal tastes.

I'd say Mermaid and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are squarely D Tickets - bigger deals than Winnie the Pooh or Peter Pan's Flight (if somehow also less satisfying), but not running up with the big dogs like Splash Mountain and Rise of the Resistance. You can tell when they've swung for the fences, and nothing in New Fantasyland fits that bill.

Which is fine, since Fantasyland needed capacity more than it needed headliners, but they somehow fumbled it and we've ended up with hour+ waits at Mine Train. They correctly identified the problem of Fantasyland being the place where "the smallest guests wait in the longest lines for the shortest rides", but the execution failed to actually solve those issues.

Mine Train did something different though. It was the first I believe classic film to get a coaster. And the animatronics are stunning.I think if the mermaid ride had better animatronics (minus Ursula and maybe a few good transitional or sensory elements added it’d be much more solid). Ariel just looks off in almost every scene.