5th Park at WDW

[mbrou24]

Yeah, I think a billion was the number a heard. But, then again, the word is they are over budget. I think once again, though, the New Fantasyland project gets downplayed on these boards. Put side by side, New Fantasyland is every bit as big as Wizarding World and bigger. Combine that with the DVC, Avatarland project getting started, new location for Festival of the Lion King, and all the other projects that get no attention, and it's easy to see Disney is spending a TON of money on their parks.

Logic is semi flawed here. New Fantasyland has brought one new ride(not yet opened), a replica ride, And stores at the end if the day. Festival of the lion king is not going to be new just in a new spot. Dvc isn't investing in the parks, and avatar land the jury is still out on and is taking forever. The issue is the amount of time it takes to get these projects done. New fantasyland may be as big in size as the wizarding world, but the wizarding world is a completely different land that really can't be compared. The universal/Disney debate isn't as black and white as this. The issue with Disney is investing in the wrong areas in my opinion. My magic+ is a billion dollar investment that the reasoning behind it and benefit added is questionable at best at this point. Just look at lines for fast pass+ and the fp+ kiosks. A 5th park(back to original topic) would help crowd control, but wouldn't address the issues in the parks right now. Disney IMO should focus on recreAting the quality in it's parks, save for MK. HS and Epcot should be their focus now as they need the most work.

 

[surferdave]

I think once again, though, the New Fantasyland project gets downplayed on these boards. Put side by side, New Fantasyland is every bit as big as Wizarding World and bigger.

Downplayed on these boards? Has anyone anywhere given NFL credit for being as big as Wizarding World?

 

[rteetz]

Logic is semi flawed here. New Fantasyland has brought one new ride(not yet opened), a replica ride, And stores at the end if the day. Festival of the lion king is not going to be new just in a new spot. Dvc isn't investing in the parks, and avatar land the jury is still out on and is taking forever. The issue is the amount of time it takes to get these projects done. New fantasyland may be as big in size as the wizarding world, but the wizarding world is a completely different land that really can't be compared. The universal/Disney debate isn't as black and white as this. The issue with Disney is investing in the wrong areas in my opinion. My magic+ is a billion dollar investment that the reasoning behind it and benefit added is questionable at best at this point. Just look at lines for fast pass+ and the fp+ kiosks. A 5th park(back to original topic) would help crowd control, but wouldn't address the issues in the parks right now. Disney IMO should focus on recreAting the quality in it's parks, save for MK. HS and Epcot should be their focus now as they need the most work.

Well avatar details didn't come out until later last year so we can't say it's taking forever because it just started and they have projected 2017 as the finishing year. Disney springs is also a huge project that is on schedule for 2016. Yes it's shopping but is much larger than universals city walk and is part of the parks and resorts division. DVC is also investing the parks it's all one division. Disney is actively investing in both, they are making record profits and attendance is no where near hurting by any means. Disney is not going to build a 5th park at least in the next five years plans would've have been leaked or announced by now. Next ten to twenty maybe. Mymagic+ is also investing in the parks Disney is trying to improve their technology and ticket systems! whether it's working is yet to be seen but they are trying.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

Logic is semi flawed here. New Fantasyland has brought one new ride(not yet opened), a replica ride, And stores at the end if the day. Festival of the lion king is not going to be new just in a new spot. Dvc isn't investing in the parks, and avatar land the jury is still out on and is taking forever. The issue is the amount of time it takes to get these projects done. New fantasyland may be as big in size as the wizarding world, but the wizarding world is a completely different land that really can't be compared. The universal/Disney debate isn't as black and white as this. The issue with Disney is investing in the wrong areas in my opinion. My magic+ is a billion dollar investment that the reasoning behind it and benefit added is questionable at best at this point. Just look at lines for fast pass+ and the fp+ kiosks. A 5th park(back to original topic) would help crowd control, but wouldn't address the issues in the parks right now. Disney IMO should focus on recreAting the quality in it's parks, save for MK. HS and Epcot should be their focus now as they need the most work.

New Fantasyland brought 7DMT, Under the Sea, a huge refurb to Dumbo which included doubling the ride and adding a huge play area for kids, a new headlining restaurant in Be Our Guest, Enchanted Tales with Belle, a retheming of the Barnstormer, a very big and popular snack location that essentially is the replacement for Main Street Bakery in Storybook Treats, two meet and greet areas in the Fairytale Hall and circus thing, whatever it is. It also included another dining location, though a much smaller one, in Gaston's Tavern. Include with that two castles, Rapunzel's tower, and a LOT of themed scenery.

Wizarding World is a land of similar size, one castle, a dark ride, rethemeing on two rollercoasters, a new headlining restaurant in The Three Broomsticks, and a few stores in Olivanders, the candy store, and maybe a store or two I'm missing, but mostly false storefronts.

The difference between Wizarding World and NFL is very much exaggerated. Everyone says they weren't impressed with New Fantasyland. I wasn't all that impressed either. However, Wizarding World didn't exactly change my life either. We went in, ate at the 3 broomsticks, walked through the castle, and left. We rode the coasters too, but we had ridden them before.

The comparison between Disney and Universal may not be so black and white, but the comparison between these two areas is pretty simple. If you combine Wizarding World (new expansion included) with NFL, you get just about the same thing as far as new attractions. Wizarding World was a great addition to IoA, and it did well to save them from the hole they were in. However, it is not leagues above NFL like many would like to suggest.

As far as the investment in MM+, that isn't so black and white. It is wayyyy too soon to tell if this investment has paid off. Investments don't normally pay off immediately, and make no mistake, this is a long term investment. I don't even know if they consider it out of "testing phase" yet. A lot of people disagree with the system with the way it's being run now, and the way it has been handled thus far. That's easy to see. That doesn't mean it was a bad investment. The potential of this technology has yet to really be seen.

Regardless, my post was not about the success or popularity of attractions and investments. My post was about what Disney is spending money on. Disney is spending money on Festival of the Lion King.. Disney is spending money on DVC (and bringing in money). The same can be said for Avatarland. The subject was about Disney outspending Universal and the statement that someone made about how they don't understand where the money is going. Once again, though the trend right now appears to be to downplay whatever Disney does, they are spending money.

 

[rteetz]

New Fantasyland brought 7DMT, Under the Sea, a huge refurb to Dumbo which included doubling the ride and adding a huge play area for kids, a new headlining restaurant in Be Our Guest, Enchanted Tales with Belle, a retheming of the Barnstormer, a very big and popular snack location that essentially is the replacement for Main Street Bakery in Storybook Treats, two meet and greet areas in the Fairytale Hall and circus thing, whatever it is. It also included another dining location, though a much smaller one, in Gaston's Tavern. Include with that two castles, Rapunzel's tower, and a LOT of themed scenery. Wizarding World is a land of similar size, one castle, a dark ride, rethemeing on two rollercoasters, a new headlining restaurant in The Three Broomsticks, and a few stores in Olivanders, the candy store, and maybe a store or two I'm missing, but mostly false storefronts. The difference between Wizarding World and NFL is very much exaggerated. Everyone says they weren't impressed with New Fantasyland. I wasn't all that impressed either. However, Wizarding World didn't exactly change my life either. We went in, ate at the 3 broomsticks, walked through the castle, and left. We rode the coasters too, but we had ridden them before. The comparison between Disney and Universal may not be so black and white, but the comparison between these two areas is pretty simple. If you combine Wizarding World (new expansion included) with NFL, you get just about the same thing as far as new attractions. Wizarding World was a great addition to IoA, and it did well to save them from the hole they were in. However, it is not leagues above NFL like many would like to suggest. As far as the investment in MM+, that isn't so black and white. It is wayyyy too soon to tell if this investment has paid off. Investments don't normally pay off immediately, and make no mistake, this is a long term investment. I don't even know if they consider it out of "testing phase" yet. A lot of people disagree with the system with the way it's being run now, and the way it has been handled thus far. That's easy to see. That doesn't mean it was a bad investment. The potential of this technology has yet to really be seen. Regardless, my post was not about the success or popularity of attractions and investments. My post was about what Disney is spending money on. Disney is spending money on Festival of the Lion King.. Disney is spending money on DVC (and bringing in money). The same can be said for Avatarland. The subject was about Disney outspending Universal and the statement that someone made about how they don't understand where the money is going. Once again, though the trend right now appears to be to downplay whatever Disney does, they are spending money. Yes, I believe it is downplayed more on these boards than it might be from actual public opinion. Message boards are typically avenues for negative feedback. I love these boards, and I'm not meaning that as an insult to anyone. That's just the fact. People that are happy tend to be less likely to post feedback/reviews than those that are unhappy.

I agree with you. They rethemed two metal coasters that didn't have much theming to begin with and still don't. One thing I love about Disney is that they would never just have a large metal coaster without a mountain or something hiding the tracks.

 

[mbrou24]

New Fantasyland brought 7DMT, Under the Sea, a huge refurb to Dumbo which included doubling the ride and adding a huge play area for kids, a new headlining restaurant in Be Our Guest, Enchanted Tales with Belle, a retheming of the Barnstormer, a very big and popular snack location that essentially is the replacement for Main Street Bakery in Storybook Treats, two meet and greet areas in the Fairytale Hall and circus thing, whatever it is. It also included another dining location, though a much smaller one, in Gaston's Tavern. Include with that two castles, Rapunzel's tower, and a LOT of themed scenery. Wizarding World is a land of similar size, one castle, a dark ride, rethemeing on two rollercoasters, a new headlining restaurant in The Three Broomsticks, and a few stores in Olivanders, the candy store, and maybe a store or two I'm missing, but mostly false storefronts. The difference between Wizarding World and NFL is very much exaggerated. Everyone says they weren't impressed with New Fantasyland. I wasn't all that impressed either. However, Wizarding World didn't exactly change my life either. We went in, ate at the 3 broomsticks, walked through the castle, and left. We rode the coasters too, but we had ridden them before. The comparison between Disney and Universal may not be so black and white, but the comparison between these two areas is pretty simple. If you combine Wizarding World (new expansion included) with NFL, you get just about the same thing as far as new attractions. Wizarding World was a great addition to IoA, and it did well to save them from the hole they were in. However, it is not leagues above NFL like many would like to suggest. As far as the investment in MM+, that isn't so black and white. It is wayyyy too soon to tell if this investment has paid off. Investments don't normally pay off immediately, and make no mistake, this is a long term investment. I don't even know if they consider it out of "testing phase" yet. A lot of people disagree with the system with the way it's being run now, and the way it has been handled thus far. That's easy to see. That doesn't mean it was a bad investment. The potential of this technology has yet to really be seen. Regardless, my post was not about the success or popularity of attractions and investments. My post was about what Disney is spending money on. Disney is spending money on Festival of the Lion King.. Disney is spending money on DVC (and bringing in money). The same can be said for Avatarland. The subject was about Disney outspending Universal and the statement that someone made about how they don't understand where the money is going. Once again, though the trend right now appears to be to downplay whatever Disney does, they are spending money. Yes, I believe it is downplayed more on these boards than it might be from actual public opinion. Message boards are typically avenues for negative feedback. I love these boards, and I'm not meaning that as an insult to anyone. That's just the fact. People that are happy tend to be less likely to post feedback/reviews than those that are unhappy.

Yes but the little mermaid ride isn't new, a double of dumbo isn't new. These arent necassarily innovative is all I'm saying. Yes size wise they are relatively the same no one can refute that. The wizarding world gives two coaster, 3 shops, a live stage show, the ollivanders show, and the forbidden journey ride.
the time it's taken for the new fantasyland project is the issue I have, not what's in the land. In terms of avatar, the expansion was announced what almost 2 years ago? And is just breaking ground and it will not be finished by 2017, only phase 1 of it will be. And that isn't even getting into the attractions it will add... A boat ride and a soarin over pandora, I just expected something more for an IP that is more teen to adult themed. . The nightime walkthrough however does sound awesome.I just think that the amount of time it takes for Disney to complete their projects is a little insane. They take forever to build the expansions, but when they want to put a new dvc resort up, it takes a fraction of the time. This isn't to say what Disney does is wrong or be negative either. New fantasyland is a great expansion and LOOKS very good. However it could have been done in a fraction of the time. Take the mine train for instance... That was announced when fantasy land expansion was originally announced and isn't going to open til may of this year. 1 ride. Universal started diagon alley in 2011 and it will be done around the same time as the mine train with soft opens probable for may. That is a whole new land, requiring demo of a previous attraction and then building the new land. Not to mention the immersion is likely to be at the very least on par with Disney. Again this isn't to bash Disney I just feel like their investments are too spread out and or going to the wrong places. They should be focused on bettering crowd control. Yes in my magic+ it's too early to tell but let's look at it from afar... Was there really a need for it? I am unsure. I think that billion dollars could have gone to say adding 4 quality e-ticket attractions and would've helped disperse the crowds just as well. Was there an issue with the original fast pass program? It didn't seem so.

 

[mbrou24]

I agree with you. They rethemed two metal coasters that didn't have much theming to begin with and still don't. One thing I love about Disney is that they would never just have a large metal coaster without a mountain or something hiding the tracks.

Id have to agree with that. One of my favorite rides on Disney property is expedition Everest and you can't even tell it's a coaster looking at it from say dinoland

 

[rteetz]

Yes but the little mermaid ride isn't new, a double of dumbo isn't new. These arent necassarily innovative is all I'm saying. Yes size wise they are relatively the same no one can refute that. The wizarding world gives two coaster, 3 shops, a live stage show, the ollivanders show, and the forbidden journey ride. the time it's taken for the new fantasyland project is the issue I have, not what's in the land. In terms of avatar, the expansion was announced what almost 2 years ago? And is just breaking ground and it will not be finished by 2017, only phase 1 of it will be. And that isn't even getting into the attractions it will add... A boat ride and a soarin over pandora, I just expected something more for an IP that is more teen to adult themed. . The nightime walkthrough however does sound awesome.I just think that the amount of time it takes for Disney to complete their projects is a little insane. They take forever to build the expansions, but when they want to put a new dvc resort up, it takes a fraction of the time. This isn't to say what Disney does is wrong or be negative either. New fantasyland is a great expansion and LOOKS very good. However it could have been done in a fraction of the time. Take the mine train for instance... That was announced when fantasy land expansion was originally announced and isn't going to open til may of this year. 1 ride. Universal started diagon alley in 2011 and it will be done around the same time as the mine train with soft opens probable for may. That is a whole new land, requiring demo of a previous attraction and then building the new land. Not to mention the immersion is likely to be at the very least on par with Disney. Again this isn't to bash Disney I just feel like their investments are too spread out and or going to the wrong places. They should be focused on bettering crowd control. Yes in my magic+ it's too early to tell but let's look at it from afar... Was there really a need for it? I am unsure. I think that billion dollars could have gone to say adding 4 quality e-ticket attractions and would've helped disperse the crowds just as well. Was there an issue with the original fast pass program? It didn't seem so.

The rumor is it will be similar to soarin. You will be riding a banshee not a hang glider and we don't know even if it will be like soarin or not. I don't think 3 years is unreasonable for a major expansion. And just because NFL took longer than expected everyone thinks every new expansion will take forever as well. Prior expansion to NFL didn't take that long. In terms of mine train they ended up opening NFL in phases so they focused on each phase at different times. Also the amount of details and immersiveness that goes into a Disney expansion is so,etching like no other universal doesn't take as long because of that. If Disney's investments are going to the wrong places they wouldn't be doing well. Disney is working on AK right now a park the really needs something new. And we all hope DHS is next and very soon. All of this talk is from the perspective of a Disney veterans, the average guest in WDW doesn't look at things this way. That billion dollars for nextgen is all about computer infrastructure, I'm sure down the line universal will have to put a good amount of money into their systems as well Disney just chose to do it now when they are not hurting for business.

 

[mbrou24]

The rumor is it will be similar to soarin. You will be riding a banshee not a hang glider and we don't know even if it will be like soarin or not. I don't think 3 years is unreasonable for a major expansion. And just because NFL took longer than expected everyone thinks every new expansion will take forever as well. Prior expansion to NFL didn't take that long. In terms of mine train they ended up opening NFL in phases so they focused on each phase at different times. Also the amount of details and immersiveness that goes into a Disney expansion is so,etching like no other universal doesn't take as long because of that. If Disney's investments are going to the wrong places they wouldn't be doing well. Disney is working on AK right now a park the really needs something new. And we all hope DHS is next and very soon. All of this talk is from the perspective of a Disney veterans, the average guest in WDW doesn't look at things this way. That billion dollars for nextgen is all about computer infrastructure, I'm sure down the line universal will have to put a good amount of money into their systems as well Disney just chose to do it now when they are not hurting for business.

Theming judgement remains reserved until the new diagon opens as the things I've heard sound amazing. Disney has always been dominant when it comes to theming and immersion, but universal is slowly learning to do that as well(see Springfield expansion). But that's not to say Disney always gets it right(see the messy layout of HS). Before a 5th park can even be thought about, work needs to go into the flaws of their other parks. Primarily ak(currently being worked on) and HS(hopeful for something soon). Universal is working at such a rapid pace because they NEED to. The parks were ignored for so long until Comcast bought them that they have 20 years of fixing they are trying to get done as soon as possible. I definately see why Disney is spacing out there expansions, sometimes it's just difficult when the park 10 mjnutes down I-drive is moving at such a fast pace haha.

 

[rteetz]

Theming judgement remains reserved until the new diagon opens as the things I've heard sound amazing. Disney has always been dominant when it comes to theming and immersion, but universal is slowly learning to do that as well(see Springfield expansion). But that's not to say Disney always gets it right(see the messy layout of HS). Before a 5th park can even be thought about, work needs to go into the flaws of their other parks. Primarily ak(currently being worked on) and HS(hopeful for something soon). Universal is working at such a rapid pace because they NEED to. The parks were ignored for so long until Comcast bought them that they have 20 years of fixing they are trying to get done as soon as possible. I definately see why Disney is spacing out there expansions, sometimes it's just difficult when the park 10 mjnutes down I-drive is moving at such a fast pace haha.

DHS was a project that was pushed through in the 80s because universal was building their first park that was one project that didn't take long. I agree Comcast is the reason universal is changing so much Disney has never had to face a rival park doing so much at once because they were always so far ahead.

 

[Figmentforever24]

Yes Universal is building at a fast rate, but realize it is building so fast to correct the wrongs it has made over the years. Letting the parks go stagnate and not adding anything was something Universal was good at. They are doing now what Disney did during the late 80’s and 90’s. Each park has their time of great expansion and growth but eventually they will slow down. Disney doesn’t add rides since it doesn’t have too. People are going to continue to come back because of what is there not what is coming. Now not saying this will not lead to laziness because it can but now it is Disney just moving at a casual pace. Don’t get me wrong Disney does make stupid mistakes when it comes to budget cuts ect but every company once again will do that at one point or another. And since we are on detail let me go ahead and say something that bothers me. People give all of this credit to the WWOHP for extraordinary detail. Now it is great no doubt when you are in the land. Except walk into the Jurassic park area and take in the view of the giant Forbidden Journey show building. Now tell me where in Disney do we see the show building for little mermaid, or for Haunted Mansion? Also the new Harry Potter suffers the same fate. Sure from the inside you will be immersed. But round the corner and see those beautiful sound stage buildings. Trees are only going to block so much. So remember Universal didn’t just wake up and knock Disney off the pedestal. In fact they never will be able too. Disney with their bigger name and nostalgia will continue to bring people back for more. Universal will take some costumers away but they will never cause any major damage to Disney.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

Yes but the little mermaid ride isn't new, a double of dumbo isn't new. These arent necassarily innovative is all I'm saying. Yes size wise they are relatively the same no one can refute that. The wizarding world gives two coaster, 3 shops, a live stage show, the ollivanders show, and the forbidden journey ride.
the time it's taken for the new fantasyland project is the issue I have, not what's in the land. In terms of avatar, the expansion was announced what almost 2 years ago? And is just breaking ground and it will not be finished by 2017, only phase 1 of it will be. And that isn't even getting into the attractions it will add... A boat ride and a soarin over pandora, I just expected something more for an IP that is more teen to adult themed. . The nightime walkthrough however does sound awesome.I just think that the amount of time it takes for Disney to complete their projects is a little insane. They take forever to build the expansions, but when they want to put a new dvc resort up, it takes a fraction of the time. This isn't to say what Disney does is wrong or be negative either. New fantasyland is a great expansion and LOOKS very good. However it could have been done in a fraction of the time. Take the mine train for instance... That was announced when fantasy land expansion was originally announced and isn't going to open til may of this year. 1 ride. Universal started diagon alley in 2011 and it will be done around the same time as the mine train with soft opens probable for may. That is a whole new land, requiring demo of a previous attraction and then building the new land. Not to mention the immersion is likely to be at the very least on par with Disney. Again this isn't to bash Disney I just feel like their investments are too spread out and or going to the wrong places. They should be focused on bettering crowd control. Yes in my magic+ it's too early to tell but let's look at it from afar... Was there really a need for it? I am unsure. I think that billion dollars could have gone to say adding 4 quality e-ticket attractions and would've helped disperse the crowds just as well. Was there an issue with the original fast pass program? It didn't seem so.

Am I missing something? How is the mermaid attraction not new? Like I said though, Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogrif are not new attractions. They got paint jobs and new names. You can't think of those two things as new or innovative when you think of Wizarding World expansion anymore than you can think of Barnstormer in NFL. I don't see where innovation is a real arguing point between these two expansions.

As for the length of time NFL took, you have to look at all factors. For one thing, the project changed hands in the middle of construction. Part of the expansion was taken back to the drawing board. 7DMT was added, pixie hollow was removed. That's part of the reason why 7D is taking so long. They also did something in the themeing they have not done before: moss on rocks. Wheewwww. I know, sounds hard, huh? Apparently it is, though. Imagineers claim it has taken a lot of work to get it right. I have no problem with the length of time they take though, as I much prefer their themeing to Universal's, and will gladly wait twice as long as Universal takes to build similar attractions. Others may not feel the same, and I wouldn't blame them. Themeing isn't important to everyone, but when you rush themeing, you get what Beast's Castle and Rapunzel's Tower look like.

Avatarland is no where near finished, and I don't really like to speculate, so I can't say much for that. We don't know what it will turn out to be. These things take time, though. I will say Avatarland was not announced two years ago. It may have been rumored two years ago. It was just recently announced. Disney has been working on Frozen for 70 years. That doesn't mean it took 70 years to make the film that was released.

As for MM+, again, this was not done because it was a need. This was done because Disney felt it would be a good investment into technology of the future. Walt Disney World doesn't need anything. Disney single handedly holds the top 9 theme parks in the world, with all four parks in Orlando millions ahead of their competition's parks' attendance and seeing a steady increase in attendance and profit. They don't "need" anything. They thought this would be a fun innovation that would make their attractions better and allow them to do more innovative things. Innovation doesn't always look good at first. The sky is the limit for this tech.

As for placing investments in crowd control instead of MM+, aren't they doing both? They are totally redesigning the MK hub, pretty much doubling its size. I've heard talk about themeing the pathway behind the building on Main Street to allow a less crowded pathway into the park. MM+ itself is designed to help with crowd control. It is having some problems, but they will fix it. Disney doesn't want you in line. The quicker you are in and out of line, the more they benefit.

One thing you also have to understand: MM+ likely wasn't taken out of the pool for attractions. That's not the way large companies like this work. It's not "build this attraction or do MM+". MyMagic+ was likely taken out of a different pool of money than attractions are. Tech and attractions aren't normally the same department.

 

[mbrou24]

Yes Universal is building at a fast rate, but realize it is building so fast to correct the wrongs it has made over the years. Letting the parks go stagnate and not adding anything was something Universal was good at. They are doing now what Disney did during the late 80’s and 90’s. Each park has their time of great expansion and growth but eventually they will slow down. Disney doesn’t add rides since it doesn’t have too. People are going to continue to come back because of what is there not what is coming. Now not saying this will not lead to laziness because it can but now it is Disney just moving at a casual pace. Don’t get me wrong Disney does make stupid mistakes when it comes to budget cuts ect but every company once again will do that at one point or another. And since we are on detail let me go ahead and say something that bothers me. People give all of this credit to the WWOHP for extraordinary detail. Now it is great no doubt when you are in the land. Except walk into the Jurassic park area and take in the view of the giant Forbidden Journey show building. Now tell me where in Disney do we see the show building for little mermaid, or for Haunted Mansion? Also the new Harry Potter suffers the same fate. Sure from the inside you will be immersed. But round the corner and see those beautiful sound stage buildings. Trees are only going to block so much. So remember Universal didn’t just wake up and knock Disney off the pedestal. In fact they never will be able too. Disney with their bigger name and nostalgia will continue to bring people back for more. Universal will take some costumers away but they will never cause any major damage to Disney.

Look at Canada from France in Epcot.

I can't get the pic to show but a simple google search will prove the point

 

[mbrou24]

Am I missing something? How is the mermaid attraction not new? Like I said though, Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogrif are not new attractions. They got paint jobs and new names. You can't think of those two things as new or innovative when you think of Wizarding World expansion anymore than you can think of Barnstormer in NFL. I don't see where innovation is a real arguing point between these two expansions. As for the length of time NFL took, you have to look at all factors. For one thing, the project changed hands in the middle of construction. Part of the expansion was taken back to the drawing board. 7DMT was added, pixie hollow was removed. That's part of the reason why 7D is taking so long. They also did something in the themeing they have not done before: moss on rocks. Wheewwww. I know, sounds hard, huh? Apparently it is, though. Imagineers claim it has taken a lot of work to get it right. I have no problem with the length of time they take though, as I much prefer their themeing to Universal's, and will gladly wait twice as long as Universal takes to build similar attractions. Others may not feel the same, and I wouldn't blame them. Themeing isn't important to everyone, but when you rush themeing, you get what Beast's Castle and Rapunzel's Tower look like. Avatarland is no where near finished, and I don't really like to speculate, so I can't say much for that. We don't know what it will turn out to be. These things take time, though. I will say Avatarland was not announced two years ago. It may have been rumored two years ago. It was just recently announced. Disney has been working on Frozen for 70 years. That doesn't mean it took 70 years to make the film that was released. As for MM+, again, this was not done because it was a need. This was done because Disney felt it would be a good investment into technology of the future. Walt Disney World doesn't need anything. Disney single handedly holds the top 9 theme parks in the world, with all four parks in Orlando millions ahead of their competition's parks' attendance and seeing a steady increase in attendance and profit. They don't "need" anything. They thought this would be a fun innovation that would make their attractions better and allow them to do more innovative things. Innovation doesn't always look good at first. The sky is the limit for this tech. As for placing investments in crowd control instead of MM+, aren't they doing both? They are totally redesigning the MK hub, pretty much doubling its size. I've heard talk about themeing the pathway behind the building on Main Street to allow a less crowded pathway into the park. MM+ itself is designed to help with crowd control. It is having some problems, but they will fix it. Disney doesn't want you in line. The quicker you are in and out of line, the more they benefit. One thing you also have to understand: MM+ likely wasn't taken out of the pool for attractions. That's not the way large companies like this work. It's not "build this attraction or do MM+". MyMagic+ was likely taken out of a different pool of money than attractions are. Tech and attractions aren't normally the same department.

Under the sea is an exact replica of the DCA attraction. That's all I was saying. Like I said though, nfl is a great land, just as the wizarding world is great. I personally think Disney could invest their money into their parks better. That's my main point.

 

[Figmentforever24]

Look at Canada from France in Epcot.

I can't get the pic to show but a simple google search will prove the point

Point taken but most of the time when you are in France you have your faced turned away from Canada. I agree the Sorian building stands out but at least they painted the thing to match the color of the sky. The stage building for Forbidden Journey can be seen from Jurassic Park going into Harry Potter. Heck stand in the right spot in Harry Potter and you can see it. The point is Universal clearly has a LONG way to go before it can even be held on the same level as Disney. Notice the Transformers buildings? Not sure how that building matches the rest of the park? Also when walking through the New York section you can see the Rip Ride Rocket. The Marvel is as cheap as you can get. And before you argue that it is suppose to look like a comic book well that doesn’t matter. Disney could put up facades like that in their park saying it is meant to look like Hollywood and people would tear their hair out. Remember when they said Carsland at Disneyworld was going to have cardboard cutouts for the Cadillac mountain range? The hulk coaster can be seen from many different areas of the park. Now don’t get me wrong Disney has some issues with sight lines. Rapunzel tower is one of them, but at least her tower is not a plain white show building. The convention center at Epcot is another thing visible from China or Norway. But the point to that is your back should be turned from the Lagoon anyway to be in China. Once you go back to the Lagoon you no longer are technically in China. So the you can you can see it behind Canada doesn’t work too well since when you are in Canada you don’t see it. Also I wanted to point out something about Avatarland. When Avatar was announced nothing was yet planned for the area. NOTHING. Now Disney normally has things planned before they announce it. Avatar was a knee jerk reaction and they announced it before they had plans. But it takes years before ideas come forward and they start building. So the time frame is actually somewhat reasonable. Did you know New Fantasyland started its planning phases in the late 90’s? That’s a long time from the 90’s to 2009. Not trying to be rude but I wanted to point that out.

 

[mbrou24]

Point taken but most of the time when you are in France you have your faced turned away from Canada. I agree the Sorian building stands out but at least they painted the thing to match the color of the sky. The stage building for Forbidden Journey can be seen from Jurassic Park going into Harry Potter. Heck stand in the right spot in Harry Potter and you can see it. The point is Universal clearly has a LONG way to go before it can even be held on the same level as Disney. Notice the Transformers buildings? Not sure how that building matches the rest of the park? Also when walking through the New York section you can see the Rip Ride Rocket. The Marvel is as cheap as you can get. And before you argue that it is suppose to look like a comic book well that doesn’t matter. Disney could put up facades like that in their park saying it is meant to look like Hollywood and people would tear their hair out. Remember when they said Carsland at Disneyworld was going to have cardboard cutouts for the Cadillac mountain range? The hulk coaster can be seen from many different areas of the park. Now don’t get me wrong Disney has some issues with sight lines. Rapunzel tower is one of them, but at least her tower is not a plain white show building. The convention center at Epcot is another thing visible from China or Norway. But the point to that is your back should be turned from the Lagoon anyway to be in China. Once you go back to the Lagoon you no longer are technically in China. So the you can you can see it behind Canada doesn’t work too well since when you are in Canada you don’t see it. Also I wanted to point out something about Avatarland. When Avatar was announced nothing was yet planned for the area. NOTHING. Now Disney normally has things planned before they announce it. Avatar was a knee jerk reaction and they announced it before they had plans. But it takes years before ideas come forward and they start building. So the time frame is actually somewhat reasonable. Did you know New Fantasyland started its planning phases in the late 90’s? That’s a long time from the 90’s to 2009. Not trying to be rude but I wanted to point that out.

I agree with that. But then the issue becomes a marketing a pr issue where things were announced before they were ready/should have been. Not to mention the IP itself is still pretty unproven. But that's a debate for another day.

 

[Figmentforever24]

I agree with that. But then the issue becomes a marketing a pr issue where things were announced before they were ready/should have been. Not to mention the IP itself is still pretty unproven. But that's a debate for another day.[/QUOTE/]

Agreed we can debate that later. =)

 

[knc25]

One day it is bound to happen. And I just hope I will still be alive!

 

[rteetz]

Am I missing something? How is the mermaid attraction not new? Like I said though, Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogrif are not new attractions. They got paint jobs and new names. You can't think of those two things as new or innovative when you think of Wizarding World expansion anymore than you can think of Barnstormer in NFL. I don't see where innovation is a real arguing point between these two expansions. As for the length of time NFL took, you have to look at all factors. For one thing, the project changed hands in the middle of construction. Part of the expansion was taken back to the drawing board. 7DMT was added, pixie hollow was removed. That's part of the reason why 7D is taking so long. They also did something in the themeing they have not done before: moss on rocks. Wheewwww. I know, sounds hard, huh? Apparently it is, though. Imagineers claim it has taken a lot of work to get it right. I have no problem with the length of time they take though, as I much prefer their themeing to Universal's, and will gladly wait twice as long as Universal takes to build similar attractions. Others may not feel the same, and I wouldn't blame them. Themeing isn't important to everyone, but when you rush themeing, you get what Beast's Castle and Rapunzel's Tower look like. Avatarland is no where near finished, and I don't really like to speculate, so I can't say much for that. We don't know what it will turn out to be. These things take time, though. I will say Avatarland was not announced two years ago. It may have been rumored two years ago. It was just recently announced. Disney has been working on Frozen for 70 years. That doesn't mean it took 70 years to make the film that was released. As for MM+, again, this was not done because it was a need. This was done because Disney felt it would be a good investment into technology of the future. Walt Disney World doesn't need anything. Disney single handedly holds the top 9 theme parks in the world, with all four parks in Orlando millions ahead of their competition's parks' attendance and seeing a steady increase in attendance and profit. They don't "need" anything. They thought this would be a fun innovation that would make their attractions better and allow them to do more innovative things. Innovation doesn't always look good at first. The sky is the limit for this tech. As for placing investments in crowd control instead of MM+, aren't they doing both? They are totally redesigning the MK hub, pretty much doubling its size. I've heard talk about themeing the pathway behind the building on Main Street to allow a less crowded pathway into the park. MM+ itself is designed to help with crowd control. It is having some problems, but they will fix it. Disney doesn't want you in line. The quicker you are in and out of line, the more they benefit. One thing you also have to understand: MM+ likely wasn't taken out of the pool for attractions. That's not the way large companies like this work. It's not "build this attraction or do MM+". MyMagic+ was likely taken out of a different pool of money than attractions are. Tech and attractions aren't normally the same department.

Actually I'm pretty sure avatar land was announced around two years ago it's just that details were finally announced this past year.

 

[rteetz]

Under the sea is an exact replica of the DCA attraction. That's all I was saying. Like I said though, nfl is a great land, just as the wizarding world is great. I personally think Disney could invest their money into their parks better. That's my main point.

Exactly that's your opinion but does Disney really need to that's the main point.

Does Disney need to invest more right now.

The fact is Disney is doing amazing when it comes to parks and resorts profits. Half the people that go to WDW won't go to DLR so most don't care if it's an exact copy. Disney also doesn't care as long as they are making money.