DEBATE: How Disney Can Get Back It's Market Share

[mitros]

Ankle biters, good one!

 

[raidermatt]

Yeah, Disney and their darned misguided attempts to please sand-blowers. They'll never get anywhere until they wise up...

Anyway...

Yes, welcome Jon. Personally, I think you have the right idea, but you're just taking it a bit too far.

However, you are right on with this comment:

Call me crazy, but don't you think Walt would be in favor of improving outdated attractions given the technology that is available today?

Whether I call you crazy or not, the answer to your question is a HUGE yes!

In my opinion, NO attraction should be exempt from getting updates, or possibly being replaced by something better. But the updates need to be done because they truly enhance the experience, rather than just provide a marketing tie-in to a movie.

So, yes, I agree that SE could benefit from some updated effects and show elements, whatever can make it more interesting. And yes, WS could use some new life. Even classics like Pirates and It's a Small World should not be exempt from getting new show elements.

As Walt said, "Disneyland will never be finished." (sorry if that isn't 100% correct, but you know what I mean).

 

[airlarry!]

M. Jon:

While I personally do not agree with some of your ideas, I thought your idea to bring in M. Night was a brilliant one.

All of his major releases have been commercial and critical successes. All were made using relatively little technology, with an emphasis on story.

This is a recipe for a Disney attraction. Concentrate on the story, couple it with existing or even brand-new, cutting edge technology, without letting the technology be the gee whiz of the attraction, and let M. Night's imagination run wild.

With his story-telling skills, and the imagination-rendering skills of the Imagineers, this could be the biggest attraction to hit WDW.

If Cousin Mikey were to greenlight a project with M. Night immediately, 1995 * would be a great year for the parks.

 

[Jon360]

Larry,

It does seem like a great idea. However, right now I would guess they need M. Night pumping out new blockbuster movies more than they need him working on theme park attractions.

If you look at Touchstone pictures, who else do they have but M. Night that they can rely on for a blockbuster film?

I guess what I'm saying is, if you look at Universal, they are taking out attractions like Kong, Hitchcock, and Hanna Barbera.

All 3 have had over a 10 year run
All 3 attracted crowds and long waits during peak times even until the day they were closed

Universal has a brand new theme park next door, IOA.

Why in the world spend so much money on 3 new E-ticket attractions over a 2 year period??

What you are seeing is 2 different ways of doing business.

Disney is the big elephant of the industry.

Universal is investing billions of dollars in a blatant attempt to steal Disney's market share.

Like a fat and lazy elephant, Disney is sitting there, not worrying about the threat and going about business as usual.

In the business world, being a fat and lazy elephant isn't a good thing when you have a quick and sly competitor hiring your talent and learning from all of your mistakes over the years in order to steal your customers.

If the fat and lazy elephant doesn't want to keep losing market share, closing hotels, laying off employees, then it had better figure out how to get itself in shape and in line with it's smarter and quicker competitor.

 

[NotUrsula]

quote:
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2) The Land, The Living Seas, Spaceship Earth, Journey Into Imagination, Innoventions, Wonders of Life, Universe of Energy..
Completely SCRAP these irrelevant attractions and pavilions and come up with something new. It's 2003, not 1985!
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While I'd certainly go for shortening Universe of Energy (which has actually been called "Ellen's Energy Adventure" for some years now, BTW), scrapping it would bring down the wrath of millions of preschoolers. You're talking about scrapping the Fantasia dinosaurs, for crying out loud.

The Dinosaur! ride at AK, much as I love it, is largely unsuitable for young children. It scares them. EEA usually is just their speed.
Change it to focus more on the dinos, and shorten the post-dinosaur sections, sure, as it's too long for the people who like it best. (Will Mobil bail then? Maybe, but sponsors are bailing all over the place anyway.)

The ride's primary problem is that, like most of the rides at Epcot, no one knows what it is. I've been told by many just-returned parents that their dinosaur-addicted kids were too scared on Dinosaur! When I ask how they liked the other one, at Epcot, the usual response is "Epcot has a dinosaur ride?"