Do you think there will ever be a 5th gate?

[JimmyV]

Dude too many questions, lol. Think about the business landscape over the past century

Too many questions for a person who is certain that WDW will cease to exist inside the current millennium? If you are certain that it will cease to exist, then you must have some reasoned idea as to when this phenomenon will occur and why. Otherwise, your certainty is nothing more than platitudinal musing. The business landscape over the past century means nothing. Modern capitalism itself (without forced labor) is less than 200 years old. By your way of thinking, no company that exists today will exist in 100 years. Or 500. Neither history nor logic can support that.

 

[JimmyV]

I think you answered your own question.

Exactly. When River Country was abandoned, it was replaced with something newer, more technologically advanced and more appropriate for the future. So yes. I did answer my own question. The entire property will not be left to rot. It will continue to progress and grow toward the future as long as humans continue to desire vacations and fantasy. Outdated attractions and areas will be replaced, just like River Country. Tivoli Gardens is almost 200 years old. It will easily make it to 300. If Tivoli can survive 300 years, you don't think that WDW can survive 400? Or 500? The Brothers Grimm published their fairy tales in 1812. They still form the basis for much of WDW 200 years later. If you can point to a time in the future when the need for vacations and fantasy will cease, then I think we will land on a consensus when WDW will cease to exist. I'm not seeing it. At least not in the next 1,000 years. 50,000? Who knows. But 1,000 years is a mere blip in human history and development.

 

[LOL!]

Tivoli Gardens is almost 200 years old. It will easily make it to 300. If Tivoli can survive 300 years, you don't think that WDW can survive 400? Or 500?

I think the intended purposes of the venues you offer as examples of still existing are much different than WDW. Perhaps the roman colosseums which were used for fun, games, and amusement on a grand (albeit grisly) scale might be a better comparison.

Exactly. When River Country was abandoned, it was replaced with something newer, more technologically advanced and more appropriate for the future.

Yes, exactly. And it would be misguided indeed to not consider a simply larger scale of abandonment (say, 30,000 acres) to allow for replacement with something newer, more technologically advanced and more appropriate for the future. Maybe even something that isn't contained within a geographically fixed locale.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

By your way of thinking, no company that exists today will exist in 100 years. Or 500. Neither history nor logic can support that.

Well neither you or I will be alive in 1000 years to discuss whom was right. This is all merely conjecture but to believe wholeheartedly (as you seem to) that Disney will be operational in 1000 years is fighting the odds. I provided you a link with companies that have been alive for 1000 years and you can count them on one hand. And they are all very tiny enterprises. Consumer appetites change over time and what is cool today (Disney World) may be antiquated in 100 years, let alone 1000 years. Who knows what kids will like in 10 years, let alone 100, let alone 1000. There are a whole host of reasons that one could easily come up with to suggest that Disney won't be around in the year 3000.

In addition to business logic which would suggest that Disney won't be around, there could be a few more simpler but certainly scarier options. 1) Some crazy ISIS terrorists just completely nuke Disney into the ocean or 2) A hurricane with the strength we've never seeen in human history completely ravages Florida and Disney into nothingness.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

@DisneyPrince1982 As a new local to the area, I don't find EITHER of those prospects tolerable! ::

 

[jec6613]

I provided you a link with companies that have been alive for 1000 years and you can count them on one hand. And they are all very tiny enterprises.

You didn't ... (it's also not in the link you posted either)

How many companies that were around 1000 years ago are still in business today? I'll give you the answer, 3. One is a hotel in Japan that has been around for more than 1300 years. The other 2 businesses are a restaurant in Russia and a small bar in Ireland.

There are actually more than that, as there are in fact three hotels that are over a millennia old, and as I mentioned, there are other old and large companies: Beretta is nearly 500 years old and is quite large, being the primary supplier of handguns to the US military, but DuPont is over 200 years old as well.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

You didn't ... (it's also not in the link you posted either)

There are actually more than that, as there are in fact three hotels that are over a millennia old, and as I mentioned, there are other old and large companies: Beretta is nearly 500 years old and is quite large, being the primary supplier of handguns to the US military, but DuPont is over 200 years old as well.

You're right, I didn't. I gave a link to the average business life. But jec did in post #40.

200 and 500 years aren't 1000.

 

[Rash]

Chances are humans won't be around in 3000 years, let alone Disney World. Unless we find a way to colonize another planet.

 

[jec6613]

You're right, I didn't. I gave a link to the average business life. But jec did in post #40.

200 and 500 years aren't 1000.

Yes, I did, and those still number 14. 200 and 500 years aren't a millennia, but the fact is that companies have needed to survive major extinction events for companies - wars and other political upheaval, which is what kills many old companies. The UK has many companies over 300 years old, because it's been politically stable, while Cuba has few if any that are even 60 years old thanks to Castro.

Chances are, any such event would make WDW be the least of our worries, and meanwhile, Disney as a company is so diversified that it should have little trouble lasting another 100 years - it's effectively the GE (who sells everything from alarm clocks to diesel locomotives and jet engines) of entertainment.

 

[Disneychick75]

When donkeys fly, there will be a 5th gate.

 

[BrittyRo]

I hope in the next 50 years so that I can see it! I think there will be.

Think about this: After MK was built do you think anyone thought there'd be a second park with Epcot or a third with DHS? After they built DHS what were the "chances" they'd build a fourth park? At those times I'm sure the people feel the same way we do now. That it'll "never happen" but it did and it could. Very easily.

I will keep hoping. With these expansions of MK (done) AK (in progress) DHS (to initiate in the next couple of years) and Epcot (sure to follow once AK is complete) it proves that Disney wants to improve and expand. After those what is to say they won't decide it's time to "revive Disney" and "give people a reason to come back" and create a fifth gate (perhaps they are expanding the hotels in preparation for this; we have no way of knowing now). I honestly can see it happening within 20 years.

 

[jec6613]

Think about this: After MK was built do you think anyone thought there'd be a second park with Epcot or a third with DHS? After they built DHS what were the "chances" they'd build a fourth park? At those times I'm sure the people feel the same way we do now. That it'll "never happen" but it did and it could. Very easily.

Before AK opened, Disney employed about 3% of the total Orlando labor force, they're now over 10% ... money isn't the issue, they can open a new park and I'm sure at some point will, but they couldn't staff it right now, the labor pool is too small. They're having trouble getting people to fill existing spots, even.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

Before AK opened, Disney employed about 3% of the total Orlando labor force, they're now over 10% ... money isn't the issue, they can open a new park and I'm sure at some point will, but they couldn't staff it right now, the labor pool is too small. They're having trouble getting people to fill existing spots, even.

Yea but 7% of that is to run FP+ so not really fair.

 

[jec6613]

Yea but 7% of that is to run FP+ so not really fair.

FP+ has allowed them to stop the growth in their workforce and has saved them considerable amounts of labor, actually.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Before AK opened, Disney employed about 3% of the total Orlando labor force, they're now over 10% ... money isn't the issue, they can open a new park and I'm sure at some point will, but they couldn't staff it right now, the labor pool is too small. They're having trouble getting people to fill existing spots, even.

I love this, it gives me hope, if indeed you are correct. I started applying back in May and its nearly August! And when I checked back a week ago, my Recruiter didn't even have any attractions positions left! I wonder if the work force is really as wide open as you think...? One position needs a second round of call backs, that started the first interviews mid June and hasn't even begun calling back the second ones yet...sigh...so not in that much of a crises...

 

[JoshuaShaw]

I would never say never, but it certainly won't happen in my lifetime, particularly when they can't even give their existing parks the TLC they deserve. If someday it should miraculously come to pass, it will never be a "thrill park themed around villains." That idea is a great example of why fans aren't in charge.

 

[jpeden]

I almost feel like they're working to make Disney Springs a "fifth gate." Although it's not a paid admission park, the re-theming is no doubt to drive more families who are visiting Disney to spend even more time on Disney property. I agree that there will not be a fifth gate for a very long time. I honestly don't expect one until park attendance truly starts to dip consistently (say 6 or 8 quarters) and they feel they need a huge project to make people want to come back to Disney.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

I hope so. Disney himself was very concerned that his businesses continue after his death. In that spirit, so much more has grown out of his vision than I ever thought possible (if I had been capable of such thought at my first visit to DL at 8 yo, when that was the world). Now, 60 years on from DL's opening, the scope and scale have grown so much that who's to say there won't be even one more gate in the next 60?

I don't know about things like who's purchased what rights. But it occurred to me as we watched Lord of the Rings last night (my DD's first time) that Tolkien is a rich, almost limitless, source of material for, oh, Park Middle Earth or Second Age, or something wonderfully clever that imagineers could have fun developing.

 

[GaryDis]

Think about this: After MK was built do you think anyone thought there'd be a second park with Epcot or a third with DHS?

Walt himself had a vision for EPCOT before he died. It wasn't close to what they actually built, but I think it was fairly well known at the time the MK was built that there would be at least one more park.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I think there will be a fifth gate in my children's lifetime. They are all early to mid 20's. I doubt I will get to enjoy a fifth gate in the rest of my lifetime though.