You're the New CEO of Disney: What Project Do You Greenlight?

[Tomi-Rocket]

HS: Star Wars Land, Monsters Inc coaster, new Indy show, updated Great Movie ride with props & movie clips.

AK: add Australia as another land with great restaurant and a thrill ride.

EP: update Ellen's Energy Adventure, new movie for Soarin' - Soarin' Over The World, add two new countries to WS: Russia and Greece would be my choice.

MK: change the Indy ride to Cars theme, have a show that includes ALL the princesses and their princes.

And for all - good cleaning, maintenance (like painting) to refresh the look, and new, updated costumes for ALL CMs.

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Nothing, ONE GIANT REFURB! (and changing pooh back to mr. toad)...We'll spend all that cash on bringing WDW back to its glory before we add anything (except Mr. Toad, we can bring him back immediately)...we'll fix everything that doesn't work and/or was suppose to work...

 

[olinecoach61]

Step 1 expand the monorail
Step 2 build a Star Wars land at dhs
Step 3 vary the merchandise amongst shops
Step 4 build a office inside WDW on Main Street so I can see issues for myself

 

[MikeTaylorSound]

1st Project:
Hollywood Studios becomes the park that kids and thrill-seekers alike come to spend a FULL DAY.
#1. Indiana Jones Adventure ride, maybe bigger... use Backlot Express dining area if need be.
#2. Star Wars 3D dark ride (ala HP) in place of Pizza Planet and Muppets 3D.
#3. Mulch, Sweat, and Sheers becomes Tattoine Cantina Band.
#4a. Cars-themed area with Luigi mini racers in place of Stunt show...
#4b. Monsters, Inc coaster in place of Backlot tour, therefor, expanding Pixar Place.
#5. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area becomes Flo's V8 cafe.
#6. American Idol experience GONE. Replaced with "Frozen" sing alongs, skating rink, etc...
#7. Move Little Mermaid to Beauty and the Beast Stage Show.
#8. Build "Up!" house recreation walk-through/play area in place of Jack Sparrow/Narnia.
#9. Have direct walk path access to Sunset Blvd on through to the back of Animation Courtyard.
#10. Move Sorcerer's Hat to the back of Animation Courtyard.

Problems solved:
Restored sight line to The Great Movie
Less shows that cater to specific crowds
Better foot traffic flow
Inclusion of newer, Disney-owned property
More interesting, new rides/attractions
Guests stay longer

So, starting clockwise from the park entrance:
#1. Frozen skating sing-along
#2. Indiana Jones Adventure Ride, like DL
#3. Star Tours 3-D
#4. The Empire Strikes Back! 4-D dark ride
#5. Luigi Racer Buddies
#6. Monsters, Inc. Scary Adventures
#7. Toy Story, Midway Mania
#8. Great Movie Ride
#9. Aerosmith's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
#10. Tower of Terror
#11. Fantasmic!
#12. Little Mermaid Stage Show

 

[wendysue]

I know several families that used to vacation twice a year, who now only go every other year because of the price increases. I would immediately roll back some of the price increases for tickets and food, get rid of dining and FP+ and restore some spontaneous vacationing in the world.... (please don't roast me alive, it's just MY opinion). WE liked it better a few years ago. We planned our next vacation for later this year quite awhile back, but I shortened it and booked 4 days at the new Cabana Bay at UNI with an email discount they sent. Will be awesome doing a comparison during the same stay.

 

[MickeyisMyBestFriend]

I just want to get Stich's Great Escape out of there and maybe add a lilo and stitch themed thrill ride or something.

 

[Fantaseer]

So I've thought long and hard about what I would do with Liberty Square, and the only thing I could come up with would be to make the landscape near HM more spooky. Add darker trees and grass, long moss (maybe dead), and possibly some withered flowers. Just to make it seem like it was the spooky, poorly-maintained house on the hill near the swamp that held many stories within its walls.

But Frontierland,

• Spruce up the decor. We have a log cabin next to a shooting range then a nice, fancy (quaint, if you will) restaurant. I've always thought that something doesn't add up. **Anyone feel free to quote this and tell me if there is a reason or example behind this**
• Add small specks of brown-ish paint colors on Splash Mountain to make it seem like it's becoming muddy after this sudden rush of water.
• Big Thunder is perfect. Transfer the new effects from Disneyland is all I would do.
• Add more animal/mainly-coyote sounds in the music loop so it's like you're in the Wild West. Unless many would get picky over the whole coyotes hunt at night thing, in which case, a different western predator.
• Tom Sawyer needs a little bit of love. I would have to say expand the trail past the fort so it doesn't just randomly stop. But make the rest more of a hunting grounds style. Possibly add a show scene/interactive piece on the other side of the river as I've seen someone else mention.(This thread?)
• The caves. Where do I start. Maybe it's because I'm claustrophobic but those things need something to at least make them feel or seem bigger without actually expanding them.
• Lastly, I think the transition between Adventureland and Frontierland could be smoother. It's not scrunched up like some other areas in the park so I think more could be done with it. Like going from the solid heat of Texas to the humid swamps of Louisiana. Blend plants together that do have a stark contrast, something like FL having more fragile, brighter plants while AL has firm, darker, hearty-type plants.
• OOOOO. And cover up the parade exit with a facade and some portable plants or something. Maybe a facade attached to the gate so it can just swing back and forth. And yes, this should've been labeled "Lastly" but it just popped into my head.

Thank you to those who have read and thought or liked my replies. It feels good I'm not writing this for myself and it means a lot! Just wait, I have a ton of ideas for Adventureland!

 

[imagineer boy]

My very first act would be to release Song of the South on DVD.

 

[RunOrlando]

As CEO, I would throw as much money and all the contract know-how of the legal team into finding a way out of the Marvel/ Uni contract or at least reach a compromise ("You guys can keep Spidey and the X-Men, we get the Avengers"), and then start making a Marvel park.

I'd love to see a Marvel park, but there's no way you have a Marvel park without Spidey.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I know several families that used to vacation twice a year, who now only go every other year because of the price increases. I would immediately roll back some of the price increases for tickets and food, get rid of dining and FP+ and restore some spontaneous vacationing in the world.... (please don't roast me alive, it's just MY opinion). WE liked it better a few years ago. We planned our next vacation for later this year quite awhile back, but I shortened it and booked 4 days at the new Cabana Bay at UNI with an email discount they sent. Will be awesome doing a comparison during the same stay.

I certainly couldn't tell you that you're wrong, but I still think Disney represents a pretty fair value, despite the price increases...perhaps even TOO good of a value. All day fun in any city is going to run several hundred dollars per day to eat, sleep, and be entertained.

Unfortunately for Disney, I believe times have changed and people actually go on more vacations than ever. Disposable income is at an all time high, flying is the cheapest it has ever been, and with all the competition and options available, people are travelling whether or not they can afford it. 50 years ago, people rarely if ever went on vacation. My mom remembers 2-3 "big" family trips in her life. Disney is competing with all travel destinations including other theme parks, resorts, and even major cities.

I may get roasted myself, but I have found myself wishing they'd consider RAISING the price to get to Disney World to cut down on crowds and raise the class of people who can attend. It's currently overrun by people who really can't afford to be there, but it's cheap enough to entice them. Disney can't afford to cut out a huge demographic, so you see more budget hotels, group rates, and discounts. I'm actually for removing all those discounts, raising the quality, and raising the prices. I'd argue part of why Disney has not captured its old magic is that they've made it too cheap and attainable to any family. They are catering to a huge spectrum of families and jamming as much as they can into their parks. You can clearly see the slow erosion of quality because of quality of clientele, overly crowded parks, and a "get em in, get em out" mindset.

You lower prices and you'll see an even faster decline in quality and more unmanageable parks. I'll take a high end experience with better clientele over a state fair experience any day. Disney is moving toward more of a state fair experience and it's hurting the quality. I can't say I blame them and I know why they do it, but they could improve it by raising prices and increasing margins. Fewer customers with higher margins. That's hard when you need that mass appeal from your cheaper channels like movies, TV, and merchandise. Everyone needs a chance to go to Disney is the mindset now.

 

[bethymouse]

I agree with @MikeTaylorSound about some sort of "Carsland", but not an exact duplicate.

 

[ynahtebwdw]

The only thing i don't 'get' at wdw is the American Idol Experience so i would have to get rid of that...it just doesn't seem to fit in with the theme of Hollywood Studios

 

[wendysue]

I certainly couldn't tell you that you're wrong, but I still think Disney represents a pretty fair value, despite the price increases...perhaps even TOO good of a value. All day fun in any city is going to run several hundred dollars per day to eat, sleep, and be entertained.

Unfortunately for Disney, I believe times have changed and people actually go on more vacations than ever. Disposable income is at an all time high, flying is the cheapest it has ever been, and with all the competition and options available, people are travelling whether or not they can afford it. 50 years ago, people rarely if ever went on vacation. My mom remembers 2-3 "big" family trips in her life. Disney is competing with all travel destinations including other theme parks, resorts, and even major cities.

I may get roasted myself, but I have found myself wishing they'd consider RAISING the price to get to Disney World to cut down on crowds and raise the class of people who can attend. It's currently overrun by people who really can't afford to be there, but it's cheap enough to entice them. Disney can't afford to cut out a huge demographic, so you see more budget hotels, group rates, and discounts. I'm actually for removing all those discounts, raising the quality, and raising the prices. I'd argue part of why Disney has not captured its old magic is that they've made it too cheap and attainable to any family. They are catering to a huge spectrum of families and jamming as much as they can into their parks. You can clearly see the slow erosion of quality because of quality of clientele, overly crowded parks, and a "get em in, get em out" mindset.

You lower prices and you'll see an even faster decline in quality and more unmanageable parks. I'll take a high end experience with better clientele over a state fair experience any day. Disney is moving toward more of a state fair experience and it's hurting the quality. I can't say I blame them and I know why they do it, but they could improve it by raising prices and increasing margins. Fewer customers with higher margins. That's hard when you need that mass appeal from your cheaper channels like movies, TV, and merchandise. Everyone needs a chance to go to Disney is the mindset now.

I do agree with much of what you say regarding the vacations that families take these days vs. many years ago as well as the erosion of quality. I do wish however, that they would do away with "free dining" and reduce the cost of the average meal. They raised the prices for ALL to pay for the dining plan for SOME.

 

[morningstar]

I just want to get Stich's Great Escape out of there and maybe add a lilo and stitch themed thrill ride or something.

There is the perfect concept for this directly from the movie: Hawai'ian Roller Coaster Ride. I have some great ideas.

 

[morningstar]

I know several families that used to vacation twice a year, who now only go every other year because of the price increases. I would immediately roll back some of the price increases for tickets and food, get rid of dining and FP+ and restore some spontaneous vacationing in the world.... (please don't roast me alive, it's just MY opinion). WE liked it better a few years ago. We planned our next vacation for later this year quite awhile back, but I shortened it and booked 4 days at the new Cabana Bay at UNI with an email discount they sent. Will be awesome doing a comparison during the same stay.

I may get roasted myself, but I have found myself wishing they'd consider RAISING the price to get to Disney World to cut down on crowds and raise the class of people who can attend.

Yep. Some people complain about prices, some about crowds. Mister Adam Smith explains how these have a reverse correlation.

Everyone needs a chance to go to Disney is the mindset now.

I think that's how Walt wanted it, though. No communist was he, but a capitalist in the vein of Henry Ford: everyone should be able to afford his product. Some of your comments have a very elitist ring to them. Still, everyone should have a chance to go to Disney World sometime in their life, but with higher prices you might cut down on families that go every year, and thus reduce crowding significantly.

 

[morningstar]

The only thing i don't 'get' at wdw is the American Idol Experience so i would have to get rid of that...it just doesn't seem to fit in with the theme of Hollywood Studios

Really? I think it fits a lot better than several others. Hollywood Studios is a park about Hollywood, celebrities. It fits HS like Bibbiti Bobbiti Boutique fits Fantasyland. The latter is about experiencing the fantasy of becoming a fairy-tale princess. The former is about living the fantasy of becoming a star.

 

[morningstar]

They raised the prices for ALL to pay for the dining plan for SOME.

I hear this often repeated and it doesn't make sense to me. The "free" dining plan is not a welfare program. It is effectively a discount on a whole package by the price of the dining plan. They provide it because by the laws of supply and demand, they sell more volume and end up making more profit. They do not have to make up losses on the free dining plan by charging others more.

What could plausibly happen is that the existence of the dining plan, free or otherwise, reduces the range of quality of dining. The restaurants get locked into "tiers" with nothing in between. They can't have anything too extravagant for their tier on their menu, because people on the dining plan might preferentially choose that option. Their costs could be greater than what people paid for the dining plan (or in the case of the free plan, effectively the discount is bigger than they intended).

 

[morningstar]

Not sure coming up with your own Imagineering was the original point of this thread, but I like that a lot of people have been motivated to do that. Some ideas I like:

Wreck-It Ralph ride. Seems like what this ride should be would be pretty much a retheme of Test Track 2.0, not that they should really add more character tie-ins to Epcot. Build your own Sugar Rush racer. Then Ralph tries to wreck it as you slalom around his giant hands. Then you go racing.

A Wreck-It Ralph ride would be pretty awesome. It could start out all 8-bit looking and transform into more the more realistic cartoon look of the film as you go "INTO" the game.

Gives me a cool idea for the queue. It would be a "mirror" (really a video wall). As you walk by, in real time your image is pixelated. Further along, you're transformed into more and more modern styles of video game characters, culminating in a 3D rendered version of you, only more bad-.

Put some cool displays on TTA, like it's showing you reality and then what it will be like in the future with dark ride scenes at inside parts.

Like. TTA is already simple awesomeness, but a little more to look at in the indoor parts would be nice. Make it basically Epcot lite.

Litwack's Arcade. Toppers rest stop, Sugar Rush candy store, plus a full functioning realistic arcade with typical games (those in the Space Mountain arcade) plus ones from the movie.

I like how you've integrated themed shopping and refreshments into your idea. Only one suggestion: if you put it in HS, we can get the beer version of Tapper instead of just the root beer.

Everyone wants a Frozen ride (if not a whole Land). I'm not so sure a good movie automatically makes a good ride. Tangled show sounds like a good idea, however. You could have one of those acrobats who hangs from a ribbon of cloth, only it's her "hair".

a rain forest boat ride (think the safari but in a boat or a real life Jungle Cruise)

Yep. Could have some cool aquatic animals like crocodiles, maybe even river dolphins. Too bad hippos are only in Africa.

an adult oriented South American restaurant with entertainment (i'm thinking dancers - harmless of course)

Switch off with capoeira.

Mos Eisley Cantina is a bar and grill, no droids allowed, serving brews & cocktails from around the galaxy. Han & Greedo's booth is still taped off b/c the stormtroopers still can't figure out what happened. AA band is always playing!

Yes! Awesome environment to stop for a meal.

Jawa's Sandcrawler is a front for a Disney gift shop but includes no generic Disney merch, specialty SW items you can only get here. Maybe even a R2D2 & C3PO M&G in the front with CM dressed as Jawas.

Excellent how you found an element from the movie suited to a shopping experience. I agree unique merchandise is integral. It should rotate often. Each time you go you can discover what new things the jawas have "scavenged" today.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

First, I'd happily lose my mind in excitement. The job is much less glamorous than I think probably but hey, now at least we would live into a VERY NICE, UPDATED, LARGE home!

Gone:
Indiana Jones stunt show
Indy speedway
American Idol
Mission Space

Bring on:
Built up Pixar place (Monsters inc, Incredibles, Up, Cars)
Updated Great Movie Ride
Space related ride at Epcot for families
Some kind of fast ride in World Showcase

 

[Graham9]

I can't help being cynical.....

Dismantle Magicbands and Fastpass+.