You're CEO for a year..

[Dice50]

I think we've all had this thought when visiting the parks - "if I were CEO, I'd build this, take away that, and change this". I'd love to hear everyone's ideas. Mine are based on the idea that while obviously you wouldn't have the budget for all of these things, they're semi-realistic and could all be done/should be done in the not too distant future. The simple truth is we all love Disney or we wouldn't be on this site, but it's starting to fall behind. The beauty of competition/capitalism is that Universal is going to force Disney to innovate and keep up, without Universal I shudder to think how little would be built at the parks.

MK

Tomorrowland - needs a complete revamp. The only major ride most people get excited about it Space Mountain. I'd keep Astro-Orbitor and that's about it. The Stitch ride had big potential but failed. What would make it exciting is when it gets dark, the seats drop 10'. In short, I'd keep Space Mountain, Astro-Orbitor, revamp Stitch to make it a half show/half ride, and add one or two more major attractions. Since this is "Tomorrowland" I'm not going to throw out suggestions, as this should be an Imagineers dream.

Props: For building the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The rest of the new Fantasyland is good but this is a ride you can actually get excited about, only complaint is it should have taken them half the amount of time to build it.

Epcot

I was surprised to learn that originally each country in Epcot was supposed to have it's own ride. Sadly only Mexico and Norway got one. Norway's, Malestorm is turning into a Frozen ride (why not add this to Fantasyland or put it in DHS?). I would finish the original mission and add a ride to each country. It doesn't have to take away from the adult appeal of the country section of the park, you can still have food, music, culture, and a ride. These rides don't all have to be blockbuster $$ rides, just give us something to do.

Props: I hadn't been to Epcot in many, many years and went last year. I road Soarin', Test Track, and Mission Space for the first time. All of them were first class, thrill rides. Great job on them.

AK

I am pumped for the new AvatarLand. This edition will really add to the park, increase the number of rides, and give you something that will make you want to visit this park. My only complaint is that, so far at least, I've only heard of two rides going into Avatar. If you're going to go to the trouble of building a new Land - at least give us 2 big E-ticket type rides and one or two smaller ones.

Props: I made my first visit to AK last year and thought it was great/unique. There weren't a ton of rides but the ones they had were great. Everest was by far my favorite. As a newbie I had no idea about the Yeti not working until I read about it. So for me it wasn't an issue, however, I still think if they spent the money to make it a working moving Yeti then go in and fix it no matter what it takes. Dinosaur was great as well.

DHS

This is the park that most needs a complete/major overhaul, and luckily it sounds like it might happen. In short there just isn't a lot to do/ride at this park. However, the few rides that are there are GREAT. Tower of Terror, Aerosmith Coaster, Toy Story, Star Tours, and the Muppet show are all amazing. Unfortunately after you do those five things, there's really not much else you really want to do or even can do.

StarWars Land HAS to happen for this park to stay relevant. If it's not built I'm not sure I'd visit this park again, even though I would miss visiting those five attractions. It sounds like StarWars Land is going to happen, will be announced in mid-late 2015 and we can expect it to open in 2018, which probably means 2020 sadly with the pace of Disney contruction. StarWars Land needs to have at least two MAJOR rides in addition to incorporating Star Tours and a small one.

In addition to StarWars Land another Pixar attraction would be great, maybe the Monsters Inc. dark ride from DCA. Finally, take out the Indiana Jones Stage Show and build an Indiana Jones Ride like the have at DL but as technology has progressed in the 20 years since that opened, make it bigger, faster, and bolder. Another great spot for an Indiana Jones ride would be AdventureLand in the MK.

It sure is easy/fun to spend other people's money but it really seems like most of this isn't asking a ton. AvatarLand is happening. StarWars Land seems like it is almost definitely happening. A complete re-do of TomorrowLand isn't on the drawing board yet but I think most of it would love to see it happen and realize it needs to happen. Adding a ride to each country at Epcot is the most far-fetched. But the fact that they are adding Frozen at least gives me hope that they realize that they can do that, yet sadly, it is only being built while taking away another ride.

I would love to hear your ideas. Thanks!

 

[Matt in the Hatt]

MK- make an area off fantasy land patterned off the mainstreet from once upon a time (synergy!) complete with grannys diner. bring back extraterrorestrial encounter, bring back the original pirates, they can keep one jack sparrow in there.

Epcot- bring back the dreamfinder! update future world to reflect more next gen technology. maybe a dark ride on the history of robotics and artificial intelligence.

AK- get some more rides in there! get rid of the current lion king show and put in a condensed version of the broadway show.

HS- obviously a huge star wars expansion! a new Indiana jones show (complete with original story) and a Indiana jones ride. find a place for wall-e.

maybe a new park as well, maybe literature based. I know there were plans long ago for a wizard of oz themed are, maybe lord of the rings as well, a jules verne area perhaps, or even edger allen poe (might be too much for the kidies)

 

[LAKid53]

Very good ideas. If I were CEO, I would, including your suggestions:

(1) Undo Frozen from Norway. Doesn't belong in EPCOT. Put it in the Magic Kingdom where it belongs.
(2) Soarin' desperately needs that update AND fast.
(3) Ditto for Spaceship Earth. As a matter of fact, all the old out of date rides in EPCOT need to either be booted or brought to the 21st century.
(4) Make darn sure Avatar gets built in a timely fashion (plan is for 2017 opening?) but not at the expense of quality
(5) Bring in more countries to EPCOT. There are pads available.
(6) Either update the cars at Speedway (really, piddly go carts spewing diesel fumes is so last century) or turn it into something else
(7) Make sure every land in MK has a quality TS restaurant and several QS restaurants
(8) Put customer service and quality back in Disney
(9) Have some type of interaction with animals, especially for kids, at Animal Kingdom. Throwing lettuce over a cliff while taking the Wild Africa Trek doesn't cut it. Disney pushes conservation. Wanna get a life long commitment from people? Let them touch, hold, stroke an endangered animal, as long as it is safe for the animal and human. I would love to hold a baby tiger, cheetah, gorilla, lion. I'm not talking about a petting zoo, but maybe something connected to Rafiki's. I've seen the expression on kids' faces when they stroke a dolphin for the first time. Imagine letting them bottle feed a baby animal. Disney is missing a prime educational experience. Giving a dollar to the Disney Conservation fund is great, but Disney has the ability to create life long stewards of the creatures on this planet. And I Would Do It. THAT would put Animal Kingdom on the map.
(10) Find some way to make Disney Transportation, yes I'm taking about the buses, more efficient. Think of it as mass transit in a medium sized city. Go visit some of the innovations municipalities have/are implementing. Install real time systems in buses and sensors around resorts/parks so that I don't have to get to the stop at my resort 1.5 hours before my ADR for dinner at DTD and still get there 5 minutes late. And that function on the App for transportation. It will be done, period. Along with the monitors at all resorts and park bus depots like the Grand Floridian has.
(10) Most importantly, I would walk around the parks, ride the rides, stay at the resorts, talk to both CMs and guests, all without an entourage (or my name tag) to get a feel for what WDW needs in the way of maintenance, ride updates, resort refurbishments, CM support, etc. And I would, once the Poly Villas are done, stop the building of DVC properties to concentrate on the ones we have. And since I am CEO, if I see a single guest mistreating one of my employees, I will personally eject them from the park and ban them for life.
(11) And build that 5th gate. And it would not contain anything related to Frozen.
(12) And not give a fig what the stockholders think. Staff and guests come first. If they are taken care of, then stockholder profits should be good.

 

[DinoInstitute]

Cool ideas! (Though, if it was for just one year I'm not so sure anything would even get done). You should come visit the Imagineer forum!

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Being a CEO of the Walt Disney Company is more than WDW from a theme park standpoint. The two theme parks in Disneyland Paris is a concern. There is only so much I do as a CEO for 1 year.

Magic Kingdom
I can't do everything I want in a years time for attractions do to amount of capacity because of what Phil did in terms of Refurbishment. As a result, I decided not get a rid Tomorrowland Speedway and create a Wonderland. I think Stitch is worse than Tomorrowland Speedway at this point.

1.) I will make that everything on Pirates of the Caribbean is fixed.
2.) Space Mountain will get a long refurbishment that includes getting a new track and I will over rule Phil Holmes on this.
3.) I'll get a rid of Sitch's Great Escape. I'll replace with it a Stitch attraction that uses something more along the lines of Monsters Inc Ride and Go Seek where the object of the ride is to board the omnimover and find Stitch on the ship using flashlights.
4.) I'll be approving a new Night time parade for the Magic Kingdom and it does have Frozen.
5.) I'll be approving a new Fireworks show.
6.) I'll make current eating places that aren't open full time into all time.

Epcot
I can't do much with Frozen thanks to the amount time already is put into changing Maelstrom. I wouldn't do Soarin' Right now because adding another attraction a must first for Future World. I actually have no problems with adding Cartoons into Epcot if the attraction is done right, which isn't the case for Nemo.
1.) Approve Inside out Attraction. It goes to Wonders of Life Pavilion.
2.) Imagination gets a makeover with Dreamfinder. It gets turned into a Trackless attraction.
3.) Make sure Frozen attraction actually focuses on Norway.
4.) Italy gets Gondola dark ride.

DHS
Nothing right now. My reasoning is DHS already has plans for Backlot Tour Area if the information the true Insiders on this site are correct about a Toy Story Land. I don't want close more of DHS at this due to Capacity.

AK
1.)I'll be getting a rid of Chest and Hester at this point and create a Ice age attraction
2.) Dark ride that shows Mammals of the Ice age as the attraction for replace Chester and Hester.
3.) Fix the Yeti
4.) Make sure the Avatarland ride is on schedule.

 

[orlando678-]

My ideas are here

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/refurbing-walt-disney-world.891697/

 

[TheMinion9]

1. Place Big Hero 6 in the Wonders of Life area (More details of that idea of mine here: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/big-hero-6-attraction-at-epcot.895283/#post-6520503)
2. Wreck-it Ralph gets an attraction at Hollywood Studios.
3. Up gains an attraction in Animal Kingdom.
4. Inside Out attraction also joins BH6 in the Wonders of Life area replacing Cranium Command
5. Star-Lord becomes a meet and greet in Hollywood Studios
6. Monsters Inc Coaster goes into Hollywood Studios
7. Star Wars expansion in Hollywood Studios
8. Guardians of the Galaxy ride also goes into Hollywood Studios

 

[rob0519]

Many of these are great ideas for the WDW resort. However as CEO of the Disney Coproration you would also be responsible for:
Disney Media Group - 7 businesses -ESPN, ABC, etc
Parks and Resorts - 11 busninesses
Walt Disney Studios - 8 businesses
Disney Consumer Products - 3 businesses
Disney Interactive

Focusing most of your attention on fixing one out of 30 businesses may not be the best use of a CEO's time. As CEO I would set some direction for the Presidents of Parks and Resorts and the VP of WDW and VP of each park and hold them accountable.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Many of these are great ideas for the WDW resort. However as CEO of the Disney Coproration you would also be responsible for:
Disney Media Group - 7 businesses -ESPN, ABC, etc
Parks and Resorts - 11 busninesses
Walt Disney Studios - 8 businesses
Disney Consumer Products - 3 businesses
Disney Interactive

Focusing most of your attention on fixing one out of 30 businesses may not be the best use of a CEO's time. As CEO I would set some direction for the Presidents of Parks and Resorts and the VP of WDW and VP of each park and hold them accountable.

I am fully aware of what a CEO is responsible for and is why I mentioned Being a CEO of the Walt Disney Company is more than WDW from a theme park standpoint.

The only reason I only mentioned what I would do as a CEO from a WDW standpoint is because the OP only wanted answers to WDW.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

My ideas are here

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/refurbing-walt-disney-world.891697/

That is way too many ideas for one year as CEO from a WDW standpoint. The other thing is the amount of stuff being closed off in a WDW theme park would be way too much at once also.

 

[orlando678-]

I know, it wouldn't even happen in one year probably. Sorry just wanted to share my ideas

 

[Dice50]

Who actually has the authority to build a new major ride at a theme park? Is there a President of each individual park that gets a set amount of money each year and decides how to spend it? Or for all major rides, like say an Indiana Jones ride going into AdventureLand does that have to be a CEO decision at the request of the park president OR is it more common for the CEO to visit a park and come up with an idea?

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Who actually has the authority to build a new major ride at a theme park? Is there a President of each individual park that gets a set amount of money each year and decides how to spend it? Or for all major rides, like say an Indiana Jones ride going into AdventureLand does that have to be a CEO decision at the request of the park president OR is it more common for the CEO to visit a park and come up with an idea?

Part of it depends on who is the CEO. Iger will sign things off, but he depends on the person who is in charge of the Disney parks and resorts like Thomas Staggs is currently. Staggs is much higher up than the people who run each Disney theme park or the president of WDW. A lot of the people in charge of Disney theme parks world wide actually answer to Thomas Staggs.

Eisner on the other hand was very hands on for theme parks including getting stuff approved.

TDO has a say if an attraction gets built or not like they decided not to give DHS a Monsters Inc. Door Coaster back in 2007/2008. TDO is Team Disney Orlando. People who run each theme park at WDW does have some say in stuff like Maintenance. Some of the theme park stuff, WDW actually had no say like New Fantasy Land.

The person who ran Disney Parks and Resorts before Staggs approved New Fantasyland without management of WDW having a chance to decline it.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

-This is all speaking from the standpoint that we had all the money possible to do it. -

I will most likely edit this soon will new ideas and will be posting the rest of my ideas for MK soon.

Magic Kingdom: Part 1

Fantasyland - Replace all the facades and replace them with the ones at DL. Refurb Peter Pans Flight ENTIRELY, move the loading area into an interior location, and make a faster loading system to reduce wait times. Add brand new AA's such as the ones used in SDMT. It's A Small World could use a few AA updates to make the AA's more lifelike but nothing drastic. Ariel's Ride - needs new AA's even though its a newer ride all of the AA's look so cheap except Ursula. SDMT - Leave it alone, the only thing I would suggest is making it longer which is near to impossible. Pooh - Update to the same trackless ride and same full AA's instead of those cheap looking figurines. Rapunzel's Tower - Every hour or so, Rapunzel will open the windows and let down her hair and Flyn will be waiting down stairs with a CM and a microphone and Rapunzel could answer your questions. Now this is a multi-part thing and a bit confusing. Assuming the land behind "New" Fantasyland is usable, which I don't believe is usable and even as big as the map makes it look, but wishful thinking. Close Ariels Grotto and move her meet and greet (See Main Street, U.S.A). To make more room just in general. Princess Fairytale Hall. Cinderella will be replaced with Aurora and Rapunzel will stay, Mulan and Pocahontas will replace Anna and Elsa who will move to Norway in Epcot.

New Fantasyland Expansion 2.0 - Retheme storybook circus (back to Mickey's ToonTown) and expand back behind Pete's Silly Sideshow, which would be removed/relocated and then build the Mickeys ToonTown like in Disneyland, with a few changes. Mickey and Minnie will meet together and both be able to talk, behind there houses where a walkway will meet the two and into a tent; Mickey at Town Square theatre will be moved to ToonTown, while on the subject of Talking Mickey the system will be perfected and just as interactive if not even more as the Turtle Talk With crush. "Gadgets Go Coaster" would be Goofys Barnstormer, and the entrance would be through Goofys Playhouse. Which could be built at the bathrooms/casey jr water station/fantasyland train station. Donald's Boat would be the same as the old one at would become the water station that casey jr was; Donalds Boat would also be a meet&greet location for talking Donald&Daisy. They will be located in a show building behind Donald's Boat; You will be able to meet Donald going a separate direction into the boat. Talking Goofy will meet inside his Playhouse. Chip&Dale's Treehouse will be removed and not placed in WDW ToonTown. Roger Rabits Cartoon Spin will also be brought from Disneyland. As well as the following three locations, Daisy's Diner, Plutos Dog House, Clarabells Frozen Yogurt. Thats it for ToonTown. Then behind Belle's Village where the new Fantasyland train station will be, will be Pinnochios Daring Journey will new AA's and Alice in Wonderland with new AA's. And Snow White's Scary adventures, with a full refurb and of course new AA's. Originally I was closing Princess Fairytale Hall, but it made sense to keep it (see Main Street U.S.A, for why). Pinnichio will have a M&G by his ride in Fantasyland. Also "new" Fantasyland will be rebranded as the original intentions to The Enchanted Forest, and will may become its own land. And finally for now, would be too add Fantasyland Theatre and Mickey and the Magical Map.

Main Street U.S.A - Town Square Theatre, move Tinkerbell to Adventureland in a building with Peter (which will be discussed in another post. Refurb inside the meet and greet areas to split Mickey's room and Tink's room to fit two characters at a time. On tinks side which will have more room, will alternate between The Evil Hag (whos costumed will be fixed), and Maleficent, and then Cruella De Vil, and Ursula who will actually be an AA. The room will also be built to rotate sort of like a soundstage to theme each side (split) to each character. Mickey's room, will have Cinderella and Snow White and Dopey, together and then, will alternate between Belle and Ariel (in her greenish dress). These will not have a rotating room such as the Villians.

 

[Dice50]

Part of it depends on who is the CEO. Iger will sign things off, but he depends on the person who is in charge of the Disney parks and resorts like Thomas Staggs is currently. Staggs is much higher up than the people who run each Disney theme park or the president of WDW. A lot of the people in charge of Disney theme parks world wide actually answer to Thomas Staggs.

Eisner on the other hand was very hands on for theme parks including getting stuff approved.

TDO has a say if an attraction gets built or not like they decided not to give DHS a Monsters Inc. Door Coaster back in 2007/2008. TDO is Team Disney Orlando. People who run each theme park at WDW does have some say in stuff like Maintenance. Some of the theme park stuff, WDW actually had no say like New Fantasy Land.

The person who ran Disney Parks and Resorts before Staggs approved New Fantasyland without management of WDW having a chance to decline it.

Thank you, that's great insight. Just curious but any idea why they would turn down a Monsters Inc. ride at DHS? It's like "hey we could build a fun ride and give our customers another thing to do" "Nah let's not do that". Blows my mind.

So the individual park presidents are more just managers it sounds like? Like they're not responsible for the overall vision and direction of the parks, more just day to day management? So if we're talking about big time editions, rides, changes to a park it's really a handful of top management that it's up to, with maybe some input from the park managers, such as "we could really use a few more rides at DHS as attendance is falling, we're too crowded, etc.."?

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Thank you, that's great insight. Just curious but any idea why they would turn down a Monsters Inc. ride at DHS? It's like "hey we could build a fun ride and give our customers another thing to do" "Nah let's not do that". Blows my mind.

So the individual park presidents are more just managers it sounds like? Like they're not responsible for the overall vision and direction of the parks, more just day to day management? So if we're talking about big time editions, rides, changes to a park it's really a handful of top management that it's up to, with maybe some input from the park managers, such as "we could really use a few more rides at DHS as attendance is falling, we're too crowded, etc.."?

It sounded like two things back around 2008. The first was money related. The other issue was the claim of space for the attraction since it is that open building that is now being used for building a 3rd TSSM track.

It is basically each individual park president is a manager although I feel the one at the Magic Kingdom needs to get canned. The reason is because that president at MK needs get canned is based on what he does to Maintenance and refurbishments. Pirates of the Caribbean is in bad shape right now because he turned down the chance to do maintenance on it last year. When there was refurbishment of Space Mountain, the president of MK trimmed the budget.space Mountain now has trim breaks as a result of not giving the tracks a property refurbishment.

It is a handful of top Management in terms of big editions for approving that stuff in terms of adding rides.

 

[Dice50]

Gotcha, thanks for the information. I guess I just don't get why if you're a park President what the incentive would ever be to turn down enhancements or new rides. Like do they get a cut of the money, for every dollar saved or something? If I was running the MK and was offered any amount of money to build something new or spruce something up I would jump on it.

The Monster's Inc. thing seems so dumb to me. Money on one ride shouldn't ever be an issue with Disney, they should be constantly building new attractions. And two, space seems like a cop out. I can count only 5 or 6 main attractions at DHS. I'm sure most of us would rather have an attraction then a restaurant, show, shop, etc. tear that stuff down and build an attraction in its spot.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Gotcha, thanks for the information. I guess I just don't get why if you're a park President what the incentive would ever be to turn down enhancements or new rides. Like do they get a cut of the money, for every dollar saved or something?

Theme Park Presidents, and the entire part of WDW management actually gets bonuses based how the profit margin is based.

The Profit Margin thing has gotten people in management in hot water in terms of them resigning like in the cases of Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss. The 2 people I am referring to was responsible for Disneyland for a time and caused theme park deaths because they didn't allow maintenance at Disney Land to happen such as making Big Thunder Mountain Railroad into an actual runaway train that killed a guest and injured 10 people. The family of the person who died from that "runaway train" sued Disney and settled out of court.

The Profit Margin thing did affect Magic Kingdom in a bad way and is way I mentioned Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain needing long refurbishments.

The current President of the Magic Kingdom, Phil Holmes is responsible of the issues 2 Magic Kingdom attractions I mentioned on a previous post in terms of needing a refurbishment. Space Mountain had a refurbishment in 2009 and Phil cut the budget of the refurbishment as a way for getting his bonus for saving money. Space Mountain didn't get the refurbishment as it needed for the tracks and the tracks are now in such bad shape that trim brakes were added in September of 2013.

Pirates of the Caribbean in 2014 was supposed to get a long refurbishment in 2014, but didn't due to Phil wanting his bonus. Pirates of the Caribbean is in very bad shape now as a result. When I was was WDW last year, Pirates was having problems and I was down there in late August to early September. The attraction seemed to be closed of the time at least when I was down there. I had relatives that went to WDW in October and Pirates was having problems then and was closed also.

 

[Doodlyday]

I would lower the price of park tickets. I feel that the amount of people who would come because they are able to at a lower price would make up for the money lost.

 

[Dice50]

Theme Park Presidents, and the entire part of WDW management actually gets bonuses based how the profit margin is based.

The Profit Margin thing has gotten people in management in hot water in terms of them resigning like in the cases of Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss. The 2 people I am referring to was responsible for Disneyland for a time and caused theme park deaths because they didn't allow maintenance at Disney Land to happen such as making Big Thunder Mountain Railroad into an actual runaway train that killed a guest and injured 10 people. The family of the person who died from that "runaway train" sued Disney and settled out of court.
.

That seems like the worst management structure idea ever for a theme park. Giving management any incentive to cut safety corners, is like lesson 101 out of how not to run a business. That blows my mind.