Post about 10 things we wish Disney would do

[mindflipper]

Like most Corporate America, cost-cutting is reactionary strategy to make up for the lack of proactive strategy. No time is spent upfront in planning to think about what happens to the company if the economy turns against them, just take advantage of the boom and build and expand. Disney was no exception. And even after the events of 9/11 with the downturn in the economy Disney still didn't plan for such eventuality so they got hit again when the recession hits. Yes, cost-cutting ways are needed, but could they have done better to hedge upfront so that the cuts didn't have to be so severe?

[Wizzard419]

Well, considering both events made people not want to travel let alone go to theme parks as a vacation, it probably was the best move. It doesn't matter how epic a ride you build, if they are unwilling to travel to begin with they won't come just because a few more 3 minute experiences were added.

That and Disney is the only park to be able to raise their gate and parking prices and have yet to offer "Buy a day get a year free", and still keep a straight face about it then they must be doing something right. There may be the occasional burned out bulb, or peeling paint, or whatnot, but it's not like a traveling carnival where the ride operater also appears to be selling crystal meth on the side.

That and, of course, you can't stay mad at Disney and you will always come back.

[subsonic]

But the problem is, Disney is declining by degrees. You seem to forget that vision is what made Disney into the giant it is today. It constantly exceeded expectations. Not just met them or, lately, fell short. Why do rides like HM and POTC, which are years and years old constantly draw long lines? It's because they are so detailed, in depth, and timeless. People and Disney seem to think that if Disney were to create something like that again it wouldn't be popular. But, I'd bet everybody would be surprised if Disney put in the same effort now as they did then how impressive and "WOWing" it would be.

Back to what I said above. If you took the attractions that Disney had made in the last 5 years, smooshed them all into a new park, with an unknown name, do you think it would have the WOW factor and draw today that the Disney parks did back when they opened? I've never thought of it that way. But, I think people would be underwhelmed.

[mindflipper]

I agree with the fact that many of the new rides are underwhelming, and most of them Disney overpaid for them by millions. Lots of millions. Test Track really isn't that impressive, and the problems with that ride delayed it for more than a year and incurred several millions more. Tower of Terror wasn't cheap either, and the only way they could find to get people to keep coming back was to trick it out with multiple drops. And then's Mission: Space. I was excited about the idea of it, but when I rode it I found it...boring. I didn't get sick on it, but it was uninteresting and cramped if you're too tall. And the ride cost millions upon millions. And yet, to get people come back, they had to turn off one of the centrifuges. It seems most of these rides with super price tags doesn't attract the people like they had thought.

And how do we offset the super price tag rides? The cheap carnival rides - behold dinoland USA at the AK! Primeval Whirl? It looks a carnival ride more a Disney ride. I can't stand that part of the AK because it's so unlike Disney.

And yet Soarin', which was expensive but not in the category of the super price tag attractions, has a never-ending stand-by line. It's a less aggressive ride, but appeals to everyone as it is ride that can be riden by everyone. No disclaimers about people with bad backs or heart conditions. A great film. Excellent score. And as successful as this was, Disney next did...

Expedition Everest. Another super price tag ride. Again, very aggressive. Again, all the disclaimers. It has long lines, but doesn't appeal to everyone.

I agree rides like HM and POTC still draw crowds, but their timeless in the fact they can appeal to everyone. You're right these attractions have detail and depth and devised in such a way they leave the story to the imagination of the visitor. I believe that it is what creates the general appeal. Maybe Disney no longer has such talent of the likes of Marc Davis, Rolly Crump, Claude Coats and the rest who created these original rides? If they did, and could make them, they would definitely cost less than the super price tag rides.

I wonder sometimes if the reason for the need for cost-cutting that was done was not to offset any cash lost from operational costs, but to offset the costs over-run from their super price tag rides.

[Wizzard419]

I have to disagree, they never set out to build an underwhelming ride or resort but since the competitve nature of the field has everyone working in a bell jar, they may think what they are doing is going to be a hit and ends up fizzling.

I honestly don't see them failing in standards, I don't see trash everywhere within the parks, I dont' see graffiti everywhere, the staff are never rude, etc. They may not provide a new ride every year but that is hardly failing. I would say at most they missed the mark when something does not work out, and either way you will always come back. While some fans may not like the use of pixar properties, one of the biggest recent hits of DCA has been Toy Story Midway Mania.

With the technology, there is always a need to advance and it will always be a gamble since it doesn't always pay off with the guests or it becomes too costly to keep running. If they tried to open a ride like pirates or the haunted mansion today it would probably make Disney a laughing stock, they have abandoned the format with Mysic Manor and odds are the 4 versions we have now are the only ones that will ever be built (possibly the same for pirates).

If the company were run by walt alone and he had no one pulling him back (now or then) the odds are very good they would have spread themselves too thin and ended up sinking the company by blindly giving into wants without looking at returns on investment.

If you want change in the company I would say do it in the only way that matters, invest and collaborate with shareholders. Otherwise your concerns will fall on deaf ears.

[subsonic]

Interesting how well this states what I, and others, have been saying:
http://thedisneyblog.com/2011/01/09/doe ... l-orlando/

[mindflipper]

If they tried to open a ride like pirates or the haunted mansion today it would probably make Disney a laughing stock, they have abandoned the format with Mysic Manor and odds are the 4 versions we have now are the only ones that will ever be built (possibly the same for pirates).

There were other reasons why the HM and POTC haven't been built in HKDL. Anything they do still has to be approved by the Chinese Govt. and can't offend their cultures and beliefs. POTC will be based on the films and not the other rides, and the HM is being converted into the Mystic Manor for that reason. The dead are highly revered in Chinese culture, and the rides current form could have been seen to be insensitive to that.

[Wizzard419]

I was going more about the format of presentation not the topic, the format is old and they want to go with something new.

[Wizzard419]

Interesting how well this states what I, and others, have been saying:
http://thedisneyblog.com/2011/01/09/doe ... l-orlando/

To be fair, the draw is that it is new, if they can maintain the numbers then disney would be concerned. Do they have future expansion plans for the area of the park?

[mindflipper]

I believe that they think the attendance increase due to the HP World over at IoA is a temporary blip and will even back out. I agree. When you look at what it has to offer, which is in reality only ONE new ride and two previously existing rides that got "re-themed", the HP World really doesn't have much to offer. I was disappointed for all the costs involved they didn't get more out of it. Just a prime example Universal isn't really any better at coming up with new attractions any better than Disney.

[Wizzard419]

I think it's more of a merch mover than anything else since they added one ride and a bunch of places to spend money. That wand shop is pure evil since the parents are obligated to buy it since their kid was chosen by the wand.

[mindflipper]

I think it's more of a merch mover than anything else since they added one ride and a bunch of places to spend money. That wand shop is pure evil since the parents are obligated to buy it since their kid was chosen by the wand.

LOL I agree with that! It makes me glad I don't have any kids...

[subsonic]

While IoA needs maintenance it is actually themed. And, ever since I went on Spider-man the ride I have been comparing Disney's attractions to it. Nothing Disney has yet compares.

[Wizzard419]

There may be a reason Disney won't adopt a ride like spideman, the tech has become common and lesser parks now have it. The company that sells disney the candles used in the seance room during HMH bought some ride tech for a "4D theater experience" and will probably be pitching it to Disney soon.

I was just thinking about this, one of the best/most D-bag moves disney did last year was buy Marvel (apparently they have rights to it all) which means that now Universal is promoting disney properties inside their parks, and (not sure how the deals were worked out) possibly having to pay Disney royalties for the act.

[mindflipper]

LOL I did love the biting irony about Marvel Superhero area at IoA from that purchase! Years ago in Europe, Coke did a similar thing when they bought out Pepsi's distributor which meant Coke was getting paid by Pepsi to move their product around Europe.