Four New World Showcase Countries?

[nytimez]

Universal...nor any amusement enterprise within the bounds of Earth's atmosphere...is not a threat to disney.

It never is or has been...the numbers have proved this every time they've been checked in 20 years

harry potter a big threat? even with what the Sentinel described as "significant" gain...it is hard to make much of a dent into Disney's 80% lead in attendance annually.

And the potter thing is gonna burn out far sooner than anybody not looking at this thing clearly is gonna estimate. Magic Kingdom's attendance is about 17 million annually...epcot's 11....ioa and universals somewhere around 5. the numbers don't support this argument.

the only thing that affects disney's numbers is near economic collapses...and thank god we have no fear of that!

kinda tough to sell this one....actually impossible

There's a healthy dose of denial for you.

Potter won't give the Universal parks attendance to rival Disney, but it will give them a significant boost over what they had prior to Potter. And many of these are people who are now taking a day or two from what had been a week at Disney and devoting it to Universal.

I love when people claim something is impossible and offer absolutely nothing quantifiable to support it. Let's please discuss this again in a year or two, when some real numbers are out.

 

[skiingfast]

harry potter a big threat? even with what the Sentinel described as "significant" gain...it is hard to make much of a dent into Disney's 80% lead in attendance annually.

The best way to make a gain in one term is to compare it to a loss the term before. Which Universal and Seaworld are set up to do. Disney on the other hand was slightly better than flat and truly has to make a gain. It's a big difference. I doubt Univeral will pull numbers this year to make up for it's downturn in years past.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The best way to make a gain in one term is to compare it to a loss the term before. Which Universal and Seaworld are set up to do. Disney on the other hand was slightly better than flat and truly has to make a gain. It's a big difference. I doubt Univeral will pull numbers this year to make up for it's downturn in years past.

they were stating that a 2 % loss was reversed to a "mid single digit" gain...which is at most about 9%...and i would bet dime to dollar that Universal studios numbers will be offset by IOA and be flat or marginal movement either up or down.

Disney held a 79-21 percent advantage in the orlando market over universal....a 67-33 margin over universal and sea world in 2009. Disney held or gained...universal gushed oil

So my question is, all knowing NYTimez (more like NY Post)...what is your definition of "denial"?

(I know...if they feel threatened...then they'll build more stuff to make us so happy! but you should know by now that it won't be so. Improvements will be made to increase or maintain profits...not to counter any of the pee-ons up I-4...i'll see you at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Fantasygiftshopland and the DVC Poly and Grand Floridian)

 

[nytimez]

they were stating that a 2 % loss was reversed to a "mid single digit" gain...which is at most about 9%...and i would bet dime to dollar that Universal studios numbers will be offset by IOA and be flat or marginal movement either up or down.

Disney held a 79-21 percent advantage in the orlando market over universal....a 67-33 margin over universal and sea world in 2009. Disney held or gained...universal gushed oil

So my question is, all knowing NYTimez (more like NY Post)...what is your definition of "denial"?

(I know...if they feel threatened...then they'll build more stuff to make us so happy! but you should know by now that it won't be so. Improvements will be made to increase or maintain profits...not to counter any of the pee-ons up I-4...i'll see you at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Fantasygiftshopland and the DVC Poly and Grand Floridian)

It's OK -- name-calling is the last resort of those who don't have facts. You can throw numbers around all you want, but you don't know more than anyone else because there are NO full-quarter numbers for WWoHP yet.

It's really funny that you're sarcastically calling me "all knowing" and then pretending you know exactly what's going to happen in the coming months and years.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

It's OK -- name-calling is the last resort of those who don't have facts. You can throw numbers around all you want, but you don't know more than anyone else because there are NO full-quarter numbers for WWoHP yet.

It's really funny that you're sarcastically calling me "all knowing" and then pretending you know exactly what's going to happen in the coming months and years.

Sorry...it's not name calling...it's an analogy. Stories based on non-facts is the NY Post's specialty

Your premise that Disney will be wounded by anything universal does is not correct...it never will be...and ignoring the hard, factual numbers in favor of this stupid "Fear Harry Potter" premise is plain wrong.

I am willing to wait for this to play out...the gains of harry potter will be shortlived...the craze will end (it probably is already) and once harry potter is forgotten (and make no mistake...it will be) then we'll be back at square one.

It's not that i think Disney is thoroughly outclassing its competitors on all fronts...it's not...but Disney is a cornerstone of Americana and modern world Entertainment...these other things are not. That is where they get their strength from.

They have basically run the show when it comes to family entertainment for 80 years...it's not going to go away with a rehashed land at IOA.

but like i said...obviously you don't agree and that's ok. I'll stand on the numbers and my extrapolation from them.

4 people enter the turnstiles at a WDW park for every 1 at Universal. That is not a theory.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Other than the possible expansion of WS the OP asked what countries would you like to see. I personely would like to see Egypt, maybe ancient Egypt. Or Greece with all the ruins.

 

[nytimez]

Sorry...it's not name calling...it's an analogy. Stories based on non-facts is the NY Post's specialty

No, calling me "all knowing NYTimez (more like NY Post)" is simple name calling, especially when my point was they we DON'T know the impact of this yet (thus, "let's discuss this again in a year or two") -- but it proves you're not actually capable of engaging in a mature dialogue, so I have no further need to discuss this with you further.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

No, calling me "all knowing NYTimez (more like NY Post)" is simple name calling, especially when my point was they we DON'T know the impact of this yet (thus, "let's discuss this again in a year or two") -- but it proves you're not actually capable of engaging in a mature dialogue, so I have no further need to discuss this with you further.

i'm calling a cease fire....and i apologize because an obvious nerve was struck...

but a "healthy dose of denial" is not what i stated. I made an argument based on the attendance figures that are reported and publically available. That is about as close to hard facts as we can get in this screwy, media spin world these days. So i basically volleyed an inappropriate comment back at you...but if i offended, then i made an error

(and yes...i'm thinking Post again...but not in reference to you...they get the media bonehead label on their own)

 

[MartinaC]

I agree with some of the posters about not expanding WS. Instead of expanding they should replace some. There are plenty of them already.

 

[rcc866]

my money is on spain

 

[bookwormde]

One thing to remember is that EPCOT was a "sponsored" park so it is all about if a country feels there is value and national interest is being repersented since they foot the vast majority of the expense of construction and operating a pavilion.

bookwormde

 

[TisBit]

I agree with some of the posters about not expanding WS. Instead of expanding they should replace some. There are plenty of them already.

I highly doubt that WDW considers expansion of WS as a priority, unless they have someone willing to financially back it. An expansion of WS is about as short lived as any new attraction, etc. With the exception of a new park, there are no rides/attractions that will make a long term increase in attendance. Even WWoHP will show an increase in attendance over the next couple of years at most, then it will be old news and will not draw crowds specifically for it. Even Islands of Adventure did not create a huge dent in WDW and that was a whole park.

IMHO, if Universal really wanted to compete with WDW, they would abandon the two gates and combing US and IOA into one park and make it the best of both worlds. It would then become a full to two day park. Right now (aside from a crowd increase at WWoHP) are both about 1/2 to 3/4 day parks.......

 

[floridianer]

Agree with many here...

WWOHP is a great new attraction and it is a wonderful addition to all the wonderful Themeparks in or around Orlando...
It is crowded right now and it will be busy for quite a long time but it won´t be packed!
It will help universal to have a LOT more visitors but it won´t hurt Disney!

How?

Well, Disney is TOP Priority for millions of guests every year.
Almost every visitor goes to Disney and they will visit all the 4 Parks...

Insted of going again and again some will visit the WWOHP istead.
So it helps universal but doesn´t hurt Disney because if you look at their tickets, a 5th, 6th or even 10th day doesn´t cost much!
And only THAT is what disney won´t get.

About a possible new country...
Not sure who said that but who thinks, that the "COUNTRY" sponsors the pavillion??? There is only ONE land in the whole WS which is sponsored by the country itself.
So it doesn´t matter if the country has financial trouble...
The sponsors (companies) have to be rich and that shouldn´t be a problem...

But again, there is space for 8 other countries and I would love to see another one.But I don´t see that happening in the next years

(I hope that makes sence in my bad english )

 

[nytimez]

So it helps universal but doesn´t hurt Disney because if you look at their tickets, a 5th, 6th or even 10th day doesn´t cost much!
And only THAT is what disney won´t get.

The ticket is only a small piece of what they take in from each guest. Most people, when they spend a day in the park, buy food, drinks and souvenirs. That's a very significant source of park revenue. Disney makes those extra days cheap so people will stay at Disney and NOT visit SeaWorld, Universal, etc. -- because they want the guests to spend their entire trip on WDW property, spending all their money at Disney locations.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

One thing to remember is that EPCOT was a "sponsored" park so it is all about if a country feels there is value and national interest is being repersented since they foot the vast majority of the expense of construction and operating a pavilion.

That isn't true.

Walt Disney Productions spent a fortune on EPCOT Center because they couldn't get the kind of outside financial participation that they planned on.

Here's an article that lists all the original "financial participants" for World Showcase (as well as touching on many of the other discussion points in this thread): http://www.yesterland.com/worldshowcase.html

The answer to the title of this thread ("Four New World Showcase Countries?") is almost certainly NO. For 22 years, Disney has been in no hurry to add even a single new country to World Showcase.

But I wouldn't be surprised to see a new country one of these days. Consider how the Patina Group expanded Italy with the new Via Napoli restaurant. Undoubtedly, Disney and Patina both developed business cases that they will each make money from Patina's investment.

Now imagine if Patina wanted to invest in a Brazilian churrascaria or some other promising international restaurant. Give it a carefully "Imagineered" exterior, a retail shop, and perhaps a small movie theater, and you have a new World Showcase country. It doesn't require involvement by a foreign government or a foreign company. It just has to make business sense.

 

[skiingfast]

The answer to the title of this thread ("Four New World Showcase Countries?") is almost certainly NO. For 22 years, Disney has been in no hurry to add even a single new country to World Showcase.

I wouldn't disagree with this. But everyone needs to keep in mind that the front of the park didn't see a lot of change for 20 years either but since is half new. So Disney found some reason to change that, so really why wouldn't it rework anything in WS?

 

[bookwormde]

I guess I should have been more precise.
No not the national goverment directly , but by "national interests" Back when it was done many goverments went "shopping" (and a little arm twisting), for corporate sponsors since it is a premier tourism introduction. The point is that the hold up is lack of sponsors for countries, since this is where much of the $ come from not Disney (just like major funds for much of the rest of EPCOT came from sponsors (and when the sponsors backed out the attraction closed down).

 

[doconeill]

I do think it is true that Disney has no plans to build another country pavilion "just because". Someone from the outside is going to have to buy in - be it the government of a country (only ever happened once), a corporate sponsor (like Japan), or conglomerates - to get one off the ground.

I would like to see the World Showcase get back to some Worlds Fair roots, with countries actively participating, but it seems unlikely we'll ever see the giant Worlds Fairs again either.

 

[homercrispy]

Being at Disney World right now, and seeing how empty the parks are, it is hard to imagine any expansion until the economy turns around.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Being at Disney World right now, and seeing how empty the parks are, it is hard to imagine any expansion until the economy turns around.

good point...many think that the economy as we have known it is actually gone forever...and there will be somekind of restructuring in the near future...

so that could me not too many changes at all in the not too distant future