Details on rumored new park?

[Jennygt]

I am sure this has been covered but I cant find it, anyone know details?

 

[yitbos96bb]

I am sure this has been covered but I cant find it, anyone know details?

There isn't one... or you could say the Rumors have existed since the dawn of Disney.

There have ALWAYS been rumors of a sports themed park, a villains thrll ride park, etc. The latest was something similiar to Discovery Cove, although I have heard that was scrapped. I wouldn't hold my breath for a new park... frankly, with them cutting back on Fantasmic and other things, like gas, flights, etc all rising, a new park would be way too costly. They are better of improving what they have.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

They are better of improving what they have.

Don't hold your breath for that either.

 

[Jennygt]

Nightly kingdom?

 

[Padrepride]

The Nightly Kingdom rumor has been around for years, decades its seemed. A 5th gate is a long way off. Hopefully they are making all of their parks better. Personally, I don't think WDW will get a 5th gate until after 2020.

 

[Jessfrogger88]

I'll bet 2015 for groundbreaking... but i can't imagine it being anymore than five... which seems like a ton.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

They'll NEVER build a true 5th gate. They're already divesting of their WDW property slowly (the Ritz project, the Flamingo Crossings project, Celebration).

Building more would be GREAT for us, the guests, but would add little if anything to their bottom line. AK has been proof of that.

The best hope for WDW expansion would be a fire sale purchase of Sea World and Busch Gardens from In Bev, IMO.

 

[pciliberto1]

I have always thought that a Sea World type of park would fit nicelt; done in the Disney style. I also thought that picking up Sea World would be good, however it is a little far removed from Disney World.

Peter

 

[wannabef]

I have always thought that a Sea World type of park would fit nicelt; done in the Disney style. I also thought that picking up Sea World would be good, however it is a little far removed from Disney World.

Peter

I thought the same thing -- not about acquiring SW, but about a Disney spin on that concept. (Sea Kingdom? Water Kingdom?) Anyway, the theming opportunities are endless, when you consider existing Disney franchises like The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, 20,000 Leagues, Atlantis, POTC, etc.

Imagine Aquatica, Discovery Cove, Sea World and AK combined with the WDI touch. Could be very cool... and it could satisfy a number of the Night Kingdom rumors as well.

 

[Dznefreek]

The best hope for WDW expansion would be a fire sale purchase of Sea World

Well you know about 11 years ago it was seriously considered . . . .

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Well you know about 11 years ago it was seriously considered . . . .

Yup, and they should have done it then.

 

[Jessfrogger88]

I like Sea World as is.... I don't think they need mickey at Sea World... jmho. Maybe if they bought the park had ticket deals, but kept it as it's own branded and themed park.

 

[dinodak]

Disney needs to focus on the current parks and not worry about a 5th park at this point.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Disney needs to focus on the current parks and not worry about a 5th park at this point.

Sure they do...From a guests standpoint and I agree totally. But they won't so the point is moot. The best hope for a new gate or BIG changes is something out of the ordinary like a Sea World takeover. Otherwise we'll get the status quo and like it (LOL). They don't care about the quality of the parks, they don't care about giving the guests what they want and they don't care about exceeding our expectations anymore...Those are Disney credo's from days gone by. Now they care about massaging the bottom line from quarter to quarter as best they can.

 

[Condorman]

Sure they do...From a guests standpoint and I agree totally. But they won't so the point is moot. The best hope for a new gate or BIG changes is something out of the ordinary like a Sea World takeover. Otherwise we'll get the status quo and like it (LOL). They don't care about the quality of the parks, they don't care about giving the guests what they want and they don't care about exceeding our expectations anymore...Those are Disney credo's from days gone by. Now they care about massaging the bottom line from quarter to quarter as best they can.

ITA on all points. But then I think about Disney actually going through with a $2-$3 billion overhaul of WDW and I ask where that money would come from to pay it off? IOW, if they did that (which is what we want them to do) they would have to jack up ticket prices by 25-40% and nobody wants that. And they would have to shut down major portions of the parks for several years, which would make people complain about the value of current ticket prices. All other DLs in the world were one park at first, now some are two parks. It made sense to expand them to give people more reason to stay at the hotels and spend more money. But WDW is the largest of them all; most people already stay for extended periods; and Disney sees no reason to blow even more money to get them to stay even longer when most families can't vacation for longer than seven days a time.

Whew! Anyway, I want it as well, but I don't see it happening. That's a little reverse-psychology for any Disney executives eavesdropping on this thread.

 

[DC7800]

ITA on all points. But then I think about Disney actually going through with a $2-$3 billion overhaul of WDW and I ask where that money would come from to pay it off? IOW, if they did that (which is what we want them to do) they would have to jack up ticket prices by 25-40% and nobody wants that

Well, if Disney senior management, in their infinite wisdom, would just avoid wasting billions on the likes of Go.com, airplane leases, and the family channel (and overpaying for Pixar because Disney's own animation department was so run down) then there would be more than sufficient cash on hand to implement "all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine". No ticket increase necessary.

That said, I know it's not going to happen; Hundreds of millions will continue to be spent on Hollywood blockbusters which flop at the box office. With that fact in mind, if with some reservation, I would rather see Disney substantially raise prices if - and only if - that money were spent to maintain Disney's own (historical) standards for its parks and resorts. That would mean we would eventually see something such as Tokyo DisneySea instead of a shopping center on the west end of the property, and new Disney developments within WDW instead of major land sales or restaurants/shops rented out to outside operators. Unfortunately, it will never happen.

The market might well bear these higher prices if a superior experience were received for the money (like Disney was once known for). The problem, of course, is that even this additional revenue wouldn't solve Disney management's lack of creativity and vision; It would still be easier to just rent out space to Build-A-Bear (or whomever) than even try to create something yourself. For a company with a history like Disney, that's sad.

 

[Swkyle]

When our family went to Disneyworld back in '03 we were talking to a Disney Cast Member inside Disney's Yacht Club Resort and she said that Disney was planning to create another hotel, a "Sea World Themed" Aquatic Park, and a "Roller Coaster Thrill Park" to compete with Universal Studios. She mentioned that it would come in the next decade. Not sure if this is true or not. Sounds kind of accurate since they did open The Seas with Nemo and friends, and Disney's California Adventure (Already opened in '03). Even if they did open a 5th, 6th Gate it would be under wraps for quite some time.

 

[doconeill]

When our family went to Disneyworld back in '03 we were talking to a Disney Cast Member inside Disney's Yacht Club Resort and she said that Disney was planning to create another hotel, a "Sea World Themed" Aquatic Park, and a "Roller Coaster Thrill Park" to compete with Universal Studios. She mentioned that it would come in the next decade. Not sure if this is true or not. Sounds kind of accurate since they did open The Seas with Nemo and friends, and Disney's California Adventure (Already opened in '03). Even if they did open a 5th, 6th Gate it would be under wraps for quite some time.

They can only keep it a secret for so long before someone knows SOMETHING is going on, especially for something as big as another gate. Take Bay Lake Tower - you know its there, I know its there, all the monorail drivers know its there - but officially there is nothing there yet.

It would take at least a couple years I would think to build another full-sized gate anyways.

But all three of the mentioned things have been rumors (all mentioned by Jim Hill at some point I'm sure) that haven't had a ton of meat to them so far.

It's no secret that Disney has been considering ways to compete with Discovery Cove, but it would be unlikely that they'd just copy it. And if they really wanted to, they could just buy it now. Mostly they seem to be looking at an more land-based, adventure-style upscale attraction instead.

A true 5th gate has been rumored for a while to be a thrill-based park, typically revolving around a Villains theme, but it seems to alternately be on and off the table, and a pure thrill park doesn't match Disney's style.

And I'm sure Disney is ALWAYS thinking of another hotel - but they have to have a reasonable expectation to FILL that hotel before they commit to building it, which would probably prevent a green light on it given the economic climate. Plus, they could do with finishing the POP first.

DVC at least is building, at (assumedly) Bay Lake Towers, Grand Californian, and Hawaii. DVC's business model practically REQUIRES them to keep building until near 2042 to keep the revenue stream.

And there is the Four Seasons hotel, but Disney isn't actually building that...