With Its Theme Park Aging, Disney Faces New Challenges

[Lynx04]

this is HORRIBLE news to me.

i don't want any other disney parks built! i really didn't want hong kong to be built, but with China's population, i know the park will be okay... BUT...

if disney keeps on building parks, do you agree that they would be branded like a six flags? they are everywhere! you have to keep the supply low on something SO GREAT, to keep it great.

i wish they would invest money into the existing parks before venturing out into other areas. building disney based parks in south koreao and those areas does NOT sound like a great idea... i could see one in australia, but then the Aussies wouldn't have a reason to come here! :lookaroun

I am cool with Disney building other parks out side the country, specificly Asia. The Asian market is really growing and is Disney's must promising market within the next decade. Any parks that are built in Asia will not effect WDW or DL.

 

[themouseman]

Yes. I have always wanted to visit DLP and ride the Haunted Mansion with a French prostitute, or visa versa.

HAHAHAH LMAO :lol: Thats a good one :sohappy:

 

[wannab@dis]

I'm all for it!, means more jobs for the Imagineers, more encouraged creativity, and more uniqueness to each park.

As long as it isn't a clone-o-rama, I'm happy...besides this expansion is good so that positions in imagineering would be in ridiculously high demand that they'd even hire me

Clone-o-rama... how quaint...

Good thing you (and your ideas) were not around in 1970. The MK in Florida was basically a clone of the park in California. Sure, it had a few items that were new and CA had attractions that didn't make it to FL, but overall, it was a CLONE.

Most people do NOT visit the different parks around the world. I hope Disney continues to "clone" attractions at the parks so I can enjoy them while at WDW. Attraction clones are a perfect way to grow the parks. It reduces their capital expenditures which opens up more money for development of new technology and cutting edge attractions. It also speeds up the process of expanding their parks.

 

[Sergeant Tibbs]

The company is set to open its 11th park in Hong Kong in September and could soon announce plans for another in mainland China.

Are there really 11 parks. I can only name like 5. Can someone please tell me the rest.

 

[peter11435]

The company is set to open its 11th park in Hong Kong in September and could soon announce plans for another in mainland China.

Are there really 11 parks. I can only name like 5. Can someone please tell me the rest.

1. Disneyland
2. Disney's California Adventure
3. Magic Kingdom
4. Epcot
5. Disney-MGM Studios
6. Animal Kingdom
7.Tokyo Disneyland
8.Tokyo DisneySea
9.Disneyland Paris
10. Walt Disney Studios Paris
11. Hong Kong Disneyland

 

[lebeau]

I find the article was a little out of touch. I'd hardly call Disney entertainment passive. The parks are becomming more interactive all the time. How you can write an article about the interactivity of WDW and not include a mention of Disney Quest is beyond me.


As for the international locales, I agree that as long as they are well-planned and up to Disney Standards, they can only be good for the company.

 

[Computer Magic]

Well, I don't shop at Wal-Mart EVER :lol:

Think of it like Emeril's Restaurant.

He has 2 restaurants in Orlando, 3 in New Orleans, 2 in Vegas, 1 in Atlanta, and 1 in Miami Beach. Would you say he has saturated the market? Are his restaurants still exclusive and popular?

Now, Planet Hollywood was the opposite. They wanted to have a franchise in EVERY major city......and it backfired, as the restaurant lost its the appeal of being something special to go to (and the food sucked).....msot are now closed.

Should Disney open 50 parks.......hell no......but will 5 or 6 locations in parts of the world that both never travel to the existing parks, and do not get visited by a large amount of people where existing parks are located hurt the company.....probably not.

I don't have a problem with Disney growing around the world in selected places. I would never travel around the world to visit other Disney theme parks. I can see others living in those countries wanting their own Disney Theme Park, but you have to understand their culture. A lesson Disney learned the hard way in the beginning.

What Disney is doing is no different then what any other large Americian company is doing. There are many places expanding outside America into other countries.

Disney has tried things along the lines of Planet Hollywoold and failed. Look at the failures of both the DisneyQuest and Club Disney concepts, and the sluggish Disney Stores.

Disney has the ability to grow around the world, but the Mouse doesn't yet appear to have the ability to grow in the states outside of Anaheim and Orlando.

 

[Reed3588]

Having parks spread world wide can hardly be compared to the way six flags parks are sprouting up all over the US. Disney is reaching a far larger market by expanding internationally. It can only do good things for the company. As far as ruining the uniqueness of a Disney park for fans like us...

Unless you have the time and money to park hop from continent to continent, I wouldn't worry.

I totaly agree. I mean its not like they are opening another Disney Park in Ohio,and Texas,ect. Nothing more is happening in the US other than in WDW or Disneyland. This is about another park opening for people all over the WORLD. We are talking different countries here. Like someone else stated...I dont think 5 or 6 Disney parks throughout the WORLD is going to hurt the company at all...it will just bring the "Magic" to more people. Now if 5 or 6 Disney Parks opened in just one country such as the US then...

 

[DisneyDream2004]

This article is exactly what Disney about. Throughout the years, Disney has changed and adapted to the world. Let's not forget what Uncle Walt said about Disneyland:

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."

So if the article is saying Disney has a challenge ahead, well then I guess the challenge is the same one Disney has always risen to the occassion for.

 

[djlb16]

Totally agree with reed3588

I would like to see a new park in South America or in Australia (those continents doesnt have any disney parks) i mean, im from venezuela and this is my point of view:
Venezuelans can go to miami and drive to orlando or simply just fly to orlando... (as easy as it sounds) but the people in argentina for example... they have to go from buenos aires (or any other major city) to Caracas, maracaibo or a brazilian city and then go to miami (ok,ok,ok... not the only way) they can go to Lima and then go to another major south american city to go to miami... in this trip you waste time and A LOT of money... Argentina to WDW is like Venezuela to Europe!!! i think disney should build a park in south america... in venezuela or argentina (because mexico is to near from DLR and WDW... venezuela or argentina cause (does disney is going to built a park in LA PAZ, Bolivia!!!?!?! dont think so... and believe me a lot of south americans go to DISNEY... in fact, DISNEY IS THE MOST POPULAR SOUTH AMERICAN DESTINATION so a park here wont be a waste of money... and as i say before a Disney park in Australia would be a great option too...

 

[speck76]

Totally agree with reed3588

I would like to see a new park in South America or in Australia (those continents doesnt have any disney parks) i mean, im from venezuela and this is my point of view:
Venezuelans can go to miami and drive to orlando or simply just fly to orlando... (as easy as it sounds) but the people in argentina for example... they have to go from buenos aires (or any other major city) to Caracas, maracaibo or a brazilian city and then go to miami (ok,ok,ok... not the only way) they can go to Lima and then go to another major south american city to go to miami... in this trip you waste time and A LOT of money... Argentina to WDW is like Venezuela to Europe!!! i think disney should build a park in south america... in venezuela or argentina (because mexico is to near from DLR and WDW... venezuela or argentina cause (does disney is going to built a park in LA PAZ, Bolivia!!!?!?! dont think so... and believe me a lot of south americans go to DISNEY... in fact, DISNEY IS THE MOST POPULAR SOUTH AMERICAN DESTINATION so a park here wont be a waste of money... and as i say before a Disney park in Australia would be a great option too...

they could buld one in Cochebamba or La Paz....each week, the managers in the park could overtake the leadership of the park and start new management, only to be replaced in another week by another group trying to do the same thing..... :lookaroun

 

[epcot2004]

If there is a Disney park "on every corner" they will most likely have poor attendance at most of the parks. That's no different than building any "cookie cutter" retail store which after grand opening dilutes the public so much that none of the stores are successful. The money made per square foot of space will go down. :brick: They should concentrate on the existing parks.

 

[speck76]

If there is a Disney park "on every corner" they will most likely have poor attendance at most of the parks. That's no different than building any "cookie cutter" retail store which after grand opening dilutes the public so much that none of the stores are successful. The money made per square foot of space will go down. :brick: They should concentrate on the existing parks.

Wrong.....

You can only dilute the public if you over-saturate the market....and that is FAR from being the case.

 

[CaptainMichael]

There is nothing wrong with the Walt Disney Co. offering the Disney experience to people all around the globe. If they do it carefully and strategically, they will experience great capital gains. It is a good business move.

 

[col]

disney in australia?

oh my god last nite i was thinking "what if disney built a disneyworld in australia!". how weird would that be- would it be a good thing or a bad thing. when i was in magic kingdom in may 2005 i was sitting next to an aussie and talking to them and they had visited disneyworld about 14 times. do you think if another one got built in the world the walt disneyworld corporation had gone too far?

 

[peter11435]

oh my god last nite i was thinking "what if disney built a disneyworld in australia!". how weird would that be- would it be a good thing or a bad thing. when i was in magic kingdom in may 2005 i was sitting next to an aussie and talking to them and they had visited disneyworld about 14 times. do you think if another one got built in the world the walt disneyworld corporation had gone too far?

Disney will never again build a Walt Disney World. Disneylands yes, but never a Disney World. That being said the "Walt Disney World Company" does not build any parks oversees that is the work of the Walt Disney Company. They are two different things, Walt Disney World is only in Florida and is one small (although huge to us) part of the Walt Disney Company.

 

[col]

Disney will never again build a Walt Disney World. Disneylands yes, but never a Disney World. That being said the "Walt Disney World Company" does not build any parks oversees that is the work of the Walt Disney Company. They are two different things, Walt Disney World is only in Florida and is one small (although huge to us) part of the Walt Disney Company.

thats what i meant to say the walt disney company.

 

[MartyMouse]

I’ve been to DLP and I have plans to go to Tokyo sometime during the next few years. I think that my trip to DLP did two things -
1.Made me appreciate how much more polite and wonderful “our” guests are, believe what they say about Europeans.
2.Gave me a true “Disney” experience unlike any I could ever have here in the states. Their park had the Disney magic with a completely different feel and flavor.

I think when it comes to Europeans and Asians Disney needs to be able to cater to them to provide them with a unique experience that they cannot have here in the states because we as Americans wouldn’t necessarily enjoy the same things.

 

[col]

I’ve been to DLP and I have plans to go to Tokyo sometime during the next few years. I think that my trip to DLP did two things -
1.Made me appreciate how much more polite and wonderful “our” guests are, believe what they say about Europeans.
2.Gave me a true “Disney” experience unlike any I could ever have here in the states. Their park had the Disney magic with a completely different feel and flavor.

I think when it comes to Europeans and Asians Disney needs to be able to cater to them to provide them with a unique experience that they cannot have here in the states because we as Americans wouldn’t necessarily enjoy the same things.

why martymouse what do they say about europeans, i want to know?

 

[MartyMouse]

why martymouse what do they say about europeans, i want to know?

No offense intended - the Brits were very nice but without trying to single out any one people we had some issues (more than one) with German teens and perhaps I just don’t get French culture but I watched a French father tell his son to take a leek in the bushes next to their version of the Star Jets (Astro Orbiter) instead of walking 20 feet to use the restroom. I don’t like to say bad things about anybody - but it seemed that personal space and respect for lines and property didn’t seem to be a factor with the non-english speaking European guests. That being said the French (people – not government) were very nice to us after we found ourselves stranded there because of the September 11th attacks.