Would a Doctor Who attraction be popular in the Studios?

[lunchbox1175]

We were thinking of doing a Dr Who themed party at work, so we did a survey using Survey Monkey, and out of 200 people, only 15 claimed to know anything about it, about 130 had heard of it. So i don't think it is quite popular enough yet.

 

[PinnySmart]

Unfortunately I don't think it is as popular in the United States of America as fans would like to think. A lot of people have heard of it but have no idea what it is about or would recogognize any of the characters. We love it! We would love to see it represented in any park but at a dinner party last week we were the only 2 of 20 who had ever heard of it.

 

[SpiffyScribbles]

Unfortunately I don't think it is as popular in the United States of America as fans would like to think. A lot of people have heard of it but have no idea what it is about or would recogognize any of the characters. We love it! We would love to see it represented in any park but at a dinner party last week we were the only 2 of 20 who had ever heard of it.

I think it's because it's the type of show you have to actually watch to apreciate. When you try to explain the premise out loud it just sounds weird and cheesy, which it is, but it does a great job at embracing its own quirkiness. So it's hard to convince newcomers to start watching.

 

[Tinkerkelle]

"Oooooh... It's good. I'm Scottish. I'm Scottish. I am Scottish. I can complain about things. I can really complain about things now."
The 12th Doctor

Genius idea! Love The Doctor.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

If it did.....We'd have this...

 

[wogwog]

Or you can do this. Go to Cardiff. I was there last year. A bit of a plane and train ride from home for Yanks but a well done exhibit. We made it a day trip from London last year while visiting Great Britain. Having friends in London and Wales made it practical.




http://www.doctorwho.tv/events/doctor-who-experience/#

 

[LieutLaww]

The BBC has signed a deal with Paramount to have attractions in a proposed Paramount Entertainment Resort in the UK.

 

[WondersOfLife]

EPCOT would be a great place for Dr Who!! Change it to "Dr. Who World Showcase Adventure" and have a hidden meet & greet at the end of the quest! Now that'd be a hit.

 

[Mad Stitch]

As a fan I would like to see a Doctor Who attraction, but I didn't think it had a big enough following. That was until the 50th Anniversary episode became number 2 at the theater box office, now I think it may be possible.

 

[copcarguyp71]

My honest opinion is that although it has a frothing fanboi following that the overall appeal to all walks of life would be too limited for it to have a large enough mass appeal. Just my $0.02 though.

 

[doctornick]

I would agree that Doctor Who does not have much awareness in the US. There's hardcore fans certainly and people who have a some knowledge of the show, but the vast majority of people would have no awareness of it at all or have maybe heard of the name of the show but don't know anything about it. It is no where near the level of cultural conscious you get in the UK where one might be aware of what a Dalek is even without watching the show.

The show has been only on BBC America and SyFy, both of which are stations that many Americans never turn on. And the old episodes were typically on PBS, which again, not very watched.

That all said, I do think a Doctor Who attraction would be a good addition for WDW if done well. It's the type of IP that can be enjoyable without knowing the source material and, conversely, the BBC could benefit significantly by exposing millions of new people to the show. There's been some mild cooperation already, with Disney selling Doctor Who merchandise at the UK pavilion in recent years.

(Complete aside, but when I was younger, my sister and I were super excited to buy Jelly Babies at the UK pavilion due to Doctor Who. They weren't exactly something you could find in the US easily.)

 

[AEfx]

While I don't think an attraction would be in order (rights issues aside), I do wish that Epcot would do some sci-fi themed hedges, and the Tardis certainly would be a great one to include.

 

[AEfx]

I would agree that Doctor Who does not have much awareness in the US. There's hardcore fans certainly and people who have a some knowledge of the show, but the vast majority of people would have no awareness of it at all or have maybe heard of the name of the show but don't know anything about it. It is no where near the level of cultural conscious you get in the UK where one might be aware of what a Dalek is even without watching the show.

Well, most Americans are very aware of Dr. Who - at least of a certain age - but just not modern Dr. Who. To most Americans, Dr. Who is the 60's and 70's stuff with cardboard robots and odd psychedelic lighting, LOL.

It played incessantly on Public Broadcasting Stations for decades, and that was back when we only had a small handful of television channels to choose from. And then it also played quite liberally on cable networks as time went on.

Even as a fan of "geek" stuff, I am decently aware of the newly produced stuff, and know a few folks who do watch it, but I've never gotten into it personally. It just hasn't happened yet. I have been interested in what I have heard about Torchwood, and that gorgeous guy in it, but haven't gotten around to it. Honestly, the barrier to me is just where to start...so many series, so far back.

But overall, you are correct - that newer stuff just isn't that well known outside of the ComicCon set.

 

[Bing Bong]

I cannot stand this show... so glad everyone's obsession with it is starting to die down.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Just what I was getting at - now, all you need is for Disney to get the rights to do it

Who owns the rights for Doctor Who in American Theme parks??.?

 

[Obi Walt Kenobi]

I think it would be a great idea! But the Doctor does have his share of fans here, but he still lack wide popularity.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Who owns the rights for Doctor Who in American Theme parks??.?

I'm guessing - but probably the BBC ??

 

[LieutLaww]

It is very doubtful you will see anything from the BBC in US parks as they have signed a deal to put BBC properties into Paramounts new Entertainment Resort in the UK

 

[ToInfinityAndBeyond]

I think an attraction would be awesome. You could do so much with Doctor Who. I also do not think it would matter much if people knew a lot about the show going into the attraction. The premise can be explained very easily and if the attraction is good, it speaks for itself. Also, it would give Doctor Who more exposure in the US, which is a smart business move from BBC.

It would be cool, but it probably won't happen for a few reasons, mainly due to the fact that Disney has its own IP it can put in the parks without making licensing deals and Doctor Who isn't a powerhouse like Harry Potter that would make it attractive to purchase.

 

[SAV]

I am an American in my mid 40's and I have heard that there is a show called Dr. Who, but have no clue what it is about or who is in it. All of these characters and things mentioned in this thread may as well be written in Swahili.