Build a great attraction and the cultural staying power of the franchise won't matter much... Star Wars was a walkon before the refurb because it was a crummy simulator ride -- and my guess is it will return to that after the initial reopening frenzy fades. Meanwhile, ToT had 40+ minute waits at the time (when SW was a walkon) despite the fact that most of the people waiting in line had probably never seen an episode.
The Potter attraction at IOA will live or die on whether they keep it fresh and original... not on how many Gen-Y people keep returning to experience it again and again (and if that's what Universal is counting on, they'll ultimately be disappointed).
That said, speaking as a non-Potter person, I think they've done a bang-up job with that area... I was really impressed with it and hope they keep at it.
great point and i do agree with you to get back on topic.
i just hate when i see the arguments about WDW having to compete with harry potter or even sea world/ busch gardens.
that is not the economic reality...never has been...and it is almost a statistical certainty that it will never change.
disney holds too much pull in the amusement market there...and their brand power is (and i'm not kidding) 10 times anything that the competitors can muster towards it. that includes harry potter, dr suess, spiderman, shamu, the lock ness monster,
lego, or the spice girls.
that is it...perhaps universal can chip away a little...something new can trump them a bit a la Discovery Cove...lego will be successful and nibble at the pie.
but the lion's share is never in doubt...not nearly to the level it would be to necessitate what all the potterheads want the truth to be:
that disney will have to look at WDW other than what it is (a cash cow that is no longer a high priority for reinvestment in many areas, for many reasons) and start to really care about the place and give it more than hotel rooms and low budget facelifts. But that is simply disneyphile wishful thinking.
Don't believe me? look at the opening dates of attractions from 71-00...it was consistent and numerous....now look at the last 10 years...stagnant.
one big success - toy story mania...one big goof - everest...and the rest retreads, silly things like kim possible, off the rack junk like chester and hester...and some lame parades and shows.
the place has been on autopilot for along time...eisner succeeded in making it big enough to negate any realistic competition...and now its a cow to milk...which was the end goal from the beginning.
and things like DVC and value resorts just propogates the trend...they know they've got me and i'm coming...so why build a true indiana jones attraction? why replace star tours with something that isn't 1985 technology? why add a country to EPCOT or resurrect life or imagination? (apparently life isn't important *alert the conservative christian movement* and imagination is too expensive to use these days)? why go through the trouble of asking the chinese government you're in bed with for some panda bears? why build an austrailia or a true kids land in DAK? why go ahead and convert the rest of wasted space in mgm into something that will make my 87 dollar ticket slightly worth it?
it would only cut into the profits and they already got me...that's why. and that beachhead is well established.
bravo
that's it...why no 5th gate makes one damn bit of sense. and its pretty indisputable if you use your head and not your disney organ for this one.
