Ya' know, this Pooh discussion ties back into the discussion that started this whole thing....thrill rides and what the public wants.
The defenders of thrill rides at Epcot point to long lines at Test Track and say "See, people love it!"
Yet Pooh generates long lines over at MK. So people must love it too.
Apparently, what people want is something NEW, as that is just about the only thing these two attractions have in common.
(Side note, but before getting too excited about Test Track's long lines vs. some other rides, its probably important to take into account its capacity, as well as its "breakdown rate".)
Now, about "trends"....
People don't want to be educated while they are on vacation? This has been a criticism of Disney parks for decades, and its always been a load of bull. Entertainment must always be first and foremost, but people will accept and even welcome education as long as they are not beat over the head with it.
People want thrill rides? Sure, some people do. This has always been the case. But something else that has always been true is that families want to spend their vacation time together, as a family. This fact was a key inspiration behind Disneyland. But just because families want to be together does not mean they want to be bored. So Walt's goal was to create things that thrilled and excited, but did not exclude. Yes, there eventually were exceptions, but there was never a feeling that only physical thrills would excite people.
But you know what? It is HARD to thrill and excite people without resorting to physical thrills. It takes creativity, effort, focus, and a committment to the concept of true family entertainment. Whether Disney still has those qualities and is truly committed to these core concepts, is up to the individual to decide I guess.
There are very few who really think Epcot needs no changes. Its attendance has plummeted the last two years, and even Eisner commented on it (accidentally) when he referred to the "revitilization of Epcot" on the earnings call a couple of weeks ago. He quickly corrected his slip, but the meaning was clear. Epcot DOES need revitilization.
But it also needs to stay true to the concept of whole-Family entertainment, with an eye towards showing people what the future can be. That doesn't mean SE should not change, or that NO thrill rides should be built. But there needs to be a balance in what is built, and based on what has been built, and what is rumored to be coming, that balance is being abandoned. If that "trend" continues, Disney may find that families who wanted to spend their vacations together find some other place to go, and if they do, they'll take their large discretionary spending allowances with them. In fact, one can make an argument that the attendance woes are being caused by more than just the economy and the spector of terrorism.
