$1.5B-$2B - try to spend it better than Disney

[TwoMisfits]

The reports are that MyMagic+ is costing Disney between $1.5B-$2B (so far - cost overruns could make that even worse). So, how could we have spent that money better for Disney (and still make them lots of money?)

On another thread, I mentioned that the Future World in Epcot should have been completely gutted and renovated at the speed that Universal has been updating its park (under 14 months for Diagon Alley from announcement to implementation!) I figure that an entire re-imagining, which saved Test Track, Soarin', Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, and The Seas and gutted the rest of the park for new attractions would fit under this budget, since New Fantasyland cost about $450M and the original Harry Potter Land in Universal cost $265M. Refocusing the park on science/technology, but done in a way unlikely to "date" so quickly, and adding major attractions (both thrill and mild) could make Epcot the equal of the Magic Kingdom and bring in scores of new customers (just as Harry Potter land sent Universal's numbers soaring). I mean, Epcot's yearly max attendance occurred back in 1997 at 11.8M...1997 (kinda of the last time it seemed futuristic and cool). Yes, AK opened the next year, but the park has still never hit that peak again (and as of 2012, it was still 800K below). And most of us probably go b/c we get the extra days so cheaply from Disney after we spend 2-3 days in MK - without this incentive, I'm sure their attendance would drop quickly...with a true 2nd award-winning park, they could hike the park hopper and/or 3-4th day costs before the big reduction on extra daily ticket costs and make money.

So, what would I change? I'd take the pavilions already there and/or closed the past few years and gut them and put in new themes, using some of the new properties gained. My 1st theme - A "super"science themed pavilion would go in the old Horizons land. I'd put in an E-ticket attraction with a flight roller coaster with Iron Man, complete with lots of special effects. I'd also put in a milder (or wilder) attraction for agent or analyst training with SHIELD. And I'd add an "experience" area for kids/adults to enjoy high tech spy/supers gadgets (within reason) or to see how they (and supers powers) work (through interactive displays, etc). Finally, I'd have meet and greets with the Marvel supers and SHIELD. This would be one pavilion.

My 2nd theme would stay the Imagination theme, but I would have the pavilion integrate Phineas and Ferb. An Agent P 4D adventure (ala Shrek with moving seats or Despicable Me with the full motion in Universal) would easily fit in the old Cpt Eo space. I'd also move the main "Agent P" missions sign-up to this pavilion. I would also take Phineas and Ferb and have them have a crazy imaginative day in an all ages crossover mild ride with Figment - Disney can dream up the details. I'd have the final experience area gutted into a 21st century area of fun with arts, music, and play. And I'd have Phineas, Ferb, and Agent P meet and greets in this area.

My 3rd theme would be to bring back the Life pavilion into the 21st century. A reimagined Body Wars ride simulator (on par with IOA's Spiderman) would fit in the current space of the simulator. A mild show/experience (ala Cranium Command, but with Frozen) could also fit inside. I like the idea of "Frozen" to explain the concept of genetic "mutation" - the Imagineers could take over from here. And a live show (either a fun Disney workout), an indoor small to medium child life-themed "play gym" area or an outdoor themed water fountain spray area would work. And, if Frozen came here, I'd put the meet and greets here (instead of Norway)...

My 4th theme would be TBD in the energy pavilion. I would add another wild and mild E-ticket attraction to this area. I'm not sure what, and it's late, but Disney hasn't hired me yet to work on it, so I gotta leave some ideas for them...

So, I've got 4 wild E-tickets, 4 mild e-tickets, some shows, play areas, character meet and greets, and some major retheming into the 21st century. Knowing what the last updates in Disney and Universal cost, this should be able to happen for $1.5B or less, since except for the Iron Man rollercoaster, I'd use existing ride technology to make things happen...

 

[mesaboy2]

I don't want to think as hard about it as you did. I'm going with three words: Star Wars Land.

 

[Oomiak]

I know someone that is placed highly in one of the 4 parks and has been working at WDW for more than 25 years. I will not give details of the source for their protection. This person tells me the story circulating amongst the people they work with is that the actual cost of this program has been close to $4 Billion.

Who knows what the actual cost is, but if that figure is even close to accurate it is astonishing...

 

[bcrook]

I know someone that is placed highly in one of the 4 parks and has been working at WDW for more than 25 years. I will not give details of the source for their protection. This person tells me the story circulating amongst the people they work with is that the actual cost of this program has been close to $4 Billion.

Who knows what the actual cost is, but if that figure is even close to accurate it is astonishing...

Oh, I wish I had a source for that. It would make this fastpass story even more interesting.

 

[shepd]

$4 billion and the best they can do is support half the phones out there with the app. Disappointing, to say the least. The worst part of it will be when Apple dumps whatever iPad tech Disney went with, which should be about 365 days from now, and Disney gets to catch the yearly Apple upgrade ride.

The tech support fees much be absolutely outrageous. I can't even begin to imagine it. Personally, I would have limited FP+ to a mobile site and a regular website, minimizing costs.

 

[morethananyonex]

Great ideas, but man, how depressing. They could have done incredible things with that money. They could have done amazing things with even a chunk of it. Things that could have actually drawn people in instead of locking them in.

Sad.

 

[ucfknight]

I would guess that Disney would have to cut a check to Universal for at least $500 million in order to be allowed to use the Marvel characters at Walt Disney World. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

 

[agavegirl1]

Let's see..."fix" Future World at Epcot and add a new country...I like Australia, Brazil or some other South American country. That would be about half a Billion to three quarters of a billion. Use abandoned space for tech based rides and attractions. Try to bring back the "golden age" of Epcot.

Then, add a Star wars themed area complete with Cantina, store and a new ride to DHS.

Then add Radiator Springs Racers to Pixar Place at the Studios.

Mine Train is nearly done, they already have money budgeted for Pandora.

See...add capacity...then really, really tweak this whole FP+ thing.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I looked it up and it seems 8 core Marvel characters are out...so I'd make the attraction a "super"science attraction with SHIELD and the Incredibles (pretty sure that would be allowed in the Universal contract...

 

[mesaboy2]

I looked it up and it seems 8 core Marvel characters are out...so I'd make the attraction a "super"science attraction with SHIELD and the Incredibles (pretty sure that would be allowed in the Universal contract...

Many more than 8, and I would assume SHIELD as well, though I'm not an expert in the MU.

 

[ucfknight]

Many more than 8, and I would assume SHIELD as well, though I'm not an expert in the MU.

As SHIELD falls in the Avengers "family", elements of which are obviously in active use at Islands of Adventure, I believe Disney would be forbidden from using anything related to SHIELD at WDW.

 

[sethschroeder]

Star Wars Land is likely the best option if you couldn't so FP+. It's the only thing that truly would draw people. Adding to Epcott is great but I am not sure it brings anyone to Orlando or WDW vs UNI.

That being said I love the thought of FP+ and see it as the future. Could they have done cheaper? That's for the disney big wigs to look back at. I understand there is a ride shortage but there is always going to be a ride shortage. If you invest in Epcot or Star Wars land and succeed you now have more people and you back at square 1 and you still haven't updated the guest infrastructure.

Possibly what could have been done was a much slower roll out of certain aspects but someone convinced enough people it was important to push this now.

 

[sethschroeder]

Oh also disney possibly looked at crowd levels and saw they haven't hit record numbers in EACH park so they skirted around the fact as if they could fit that many people in the past in the parks what's wrong with doing that again?

 

[Bluegrrl]

For the OP - awesome idea! I don't ever say that sort of thing with regards to these sort of "what would you do?" postings. But you have great ideas!!

Phineas and Ferb in Imagination Pavilion? Perfect match! "Hey Ferb, I know what we are going to do today - Save Epcot!". I can see Figment and Perry getting along perfectly as well.

Wonders of Life would make an amazing indoor playground for kids and adults. Imagine a huge central playground for kids that could be sports themed out, surrounded by tables and chairs, with booths that could sell healthy snacks, plus a character greeting area and a nice baby center with a baby-centric play area, nursing and so on. There is a sponsor lounge in the Life pavilion that could be used for a baby center, so it is possible. Plus sports themed characters, like Goofy in his workout outfit? Mousekersize anyone? Health and obesity are important issues - it would make a great pavilion. I'm not saying to make it into a giant child dump, just an area to relax and learn about sports and health while playing. Plus, indoor play and learn areas are so nice in Orlando.

I would put the Incredibles into Universe of Energy. Or Shield. Or something like that. Or have it sponsored by Dinaco.

I would also redesign DHS. I think it needs to be more hip. Not adult as UVS, but a bit more update and trendy. Different shops, different merch (not the same disney stuff as all the other parks have) I'd remove the (word I can't say because pre-school toys are here) that makes up the backlot, and put in more Star Wars stuff and Muppets. Yes, muppets are more hip and trendy because Disney FINALLY figured out what to do with them thanks to Jason Segel. (Watch "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" if you doubt his love of Muppets)

Cars land is a tricksy hobbit one. See, it rains here in central Florida. Especially in the summer. Especially at 3/4pm. If Test Track shuts down during rain that often, imagine what it would do to Radiator Springs Racers. So they would have to come up with an adaptation. Other than that, I'm all for Cars land. Just have to account for the environment.

What still confuses me is why Disney thought this people tracking was a better idea vs. fixing WDW infastructure? It still doesn't compute for me. Disney invested lots of $$ in fixing and turning around DLC, and I think they did a pretty good job. Their ROI seems pretty good. Why they thought this people tracker was better is beyond me. I know they were doing surveys and such from guests, how did anyone manage to say that they would prefer to have MB, get only 3 FP a day, no be able to park hop, have to make reservations for rides, etc vs having bigger better rides? How and why? I'd love to meet the people who voted for MDE and FP+ verses better and bigger rides, resort up grades, better dining, lower prices, happier CMs, and better themeing

 

[Networth]

It's a novel idea but the amount of money they will probably end of making off MDE and all its components will probably be worth it in the long run talking 5, 10, 20 years. As for building new rides, they need to but their bottom line say's they don't so idk. They just had another great quarter, and attendance(overall) is up. On a side note I do still wonder why Disney did not just buy the rights to HP back in 08-09'. That would of easily been an investment that would of paid for itself by now.

 

[Bluegrrl]

J.K is very picky with her Harry Potter stuff, and she didn't like what Disney was offering to do - I think they wanted to buy her outright and not let her have creative control or something. She just wasn't buying what they were selling. Disney wanted more control than JK was willing to give. And I don't blame her one bit for caring so much about her "baby".

Universal came along and said, basically, "we will do whatever you want us to do and in whatever manner you want us to do it." She has loads of creative control including not allowing HP lookalikes to walk around, only butterbeer, alcohol and pumpkin juice being sold within the area and other things. She approved the butterbeer as well. Universal knows where the money is, and they are happy to have a partnership with Ms. Rowling.

 

[SplashMo]

i don't want to think as hard about it as you did. I'm going with three words: Star wars land.

upvote +100

 

[SplashMo]

I would replace the dinosaur ride with INDY from Disneyland.

I would place the Flame Tree BBQ in MK and DHS. Perhaps themed different.

Redo several restaurants in MK with better food.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

Are these multi billion $$ figures coming from somewhere reliable or simply rumor?

I ask because the only semi-official looking figure I have seen is $800 million to a billion and that was on an investment page I read regarding Disney stock and dividends, I have a hard time even wrapping my mind around that figure.

All the Disney parks combined only make about $2 billion a year in total profit so if mymagic+ has really cost upwards of $4 billion it would have basically eaten up every penny of profit over the last 2 years and if that were the case there is no way Iger wouldn't have been fired already.

Whatever the cost I'd have liked to see Epcot get some serious love, Expedition Everest reportedly cost $100 million so using that figure each nation in the world showcase could have gotten a massive e ticket ride with it's own mountain making Epcot the premier park in WDW.

 

[kbelle8995]

What would I do?

1). Star Wars Land. Put it in the Studios and build more family friendly rides in there as well. TSM is a still hard to get on due to lines and this might be fixed by more family friendly attractions in the Studios.

2) Restore original Journey into Imagination with Dreamfinder. I like Phineas and Ferb but not there. How about putting something in the old Wonders of Life pavillion. That has been empty for far too long.

3). Do something with the River Country area at Fort Wilderness. We can no longer use the Lake because of dangers (alligators, snakes, amobas) but some of that was regular pools why not build a major pool area back there. The Lake area part is completely out so make it park of the lake and put boats there. Fort Wilderness needs it.

4). Update and Return Lights of Winter to Epcot and spend more on Christmas decorations.