Hill Hits a Home Run in History

[DVC-Landbaron]

Well, Hill does it again!! And this time it’s nothing but a history lesson. WOW!! I loved it. I will refrain from comment until you all get a chance to read it and mull it over a bit. I don’t want to spoil your good time!!

Jim Hill Article

Welcome back!! Did you enjoy it? Did you like the bit about the Tiki Birds? About how when corporate sponsorship dried up, Walt ‘bit the bullet’ and did it himself!! Imagine Ei$ner doing that today!! And that’s the difference!!

Your thoughts?

 

[All Aboard]

Interesting read, lot's of good info. I know it's an old rumor, but I haven't seen someone with tight inside info like Jim mention it until now:

I should warn you Carousel fans out there that Progress' days appear to be numbered. Friends at Walt Disney Imagineering keep telling me the old G.E. show is soon due to get its plug pulled. How soon exactly? Perhaps as early as the Fall of 2002, when the Carousel would close to make way for an new interactive Tomorrowland ride. So - if you'd like to get one last peek at this '64 NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR favorite - now might be a good time to book that trip to Orlando.

 

[space42]

DVC - Thanks for the link. Loved the article. Always loved Jim's style and insight into the inner workings and history of Disney.

About the COP rumor. I do believe that this attraction is going to soon go. It will be sad.

Wonder if this goes back to the rumor that we heard a while back. With the COP gone, they could demolish the old skyway building. Then they could get rid of the theatre. That sure does free up quite a bit of space over on that side of Tomorrow Land. Enough for a HUGE attraction! Lets just hope they do it right and build a quality Disney style E Ticket attraction!

 

[gary]

Thanks for the pointer to the article, DVC. In addition to the comments about the Tiki Room (which I love, although I prefer the classic at Disneyland to the "Under New Management" version now at WDW), I found it significant that the relentless pursuit of sponsors goes deep into history, as well as the related issues of cost cutting and compromising. (I also recall either Marty Sklar or Rolly Crump saying that the Tiki Room was originally envisioned as a restaurant).

Before it seems like I'm starting something, I already agree that there should be more reinvestment of the parks' profit into the parks, with an emphasis on new feature attractions, and less raiding of park profit to bail out other parts of the corporation. Let's hope that if and when park profits begin to fall, the other parts of the corporation will return the favor and help rebuild the parks.

It's my feeling that the tension between the creative and financial forces has existed for a long time, in other companies as well as Disney. Because of their earlier financial problems, the pendulum swung in favor of the financial types. I have confidence that it will swing back.

Gary

 

[swinginevilmike]

That sure does free up quite a bit of space over on that side of Tomorrow Land. Enough for a HUGE attraction! Lets just hope they do it right and build a quality Disney style E Ticket attraction!

I vote for another indoor "spinner"...The last thing they did right was Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye....

 

[YoHo]

Just a comment, If you Ride Small world at DL, it does look more hastily thrown up then the WDW version. The figures look more Paper Mache. Also, the WDW version, the water canal is wider. The exterior at DL is far better though.

 

[gary]

On the subject of Small World, the article mentioned that tune that you can't get out of your head (no matter how you try). I shared this a couple of years ago on this board (when the message system was still a hierarchically threaded system), but I thought I'd re-post, just for grins:



They Have Long Lines After All

by Gary Henderson

(to the tune of "It's a Small World After All")


It's a pretty park, and the rides are fun,
but it takes you an hour to get on one.
Oh, the lines are too long, so I made up this song:
"They Have Long Lines After All".

They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have long, long, lines.

Well, we waited an hour, then two, then three.
Oh, we waited so long, my kid had to pee.
So we got out of line, wasted all of that time,
They have long lines after all.

They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have long, long, lines.

And then later that night, all the lines thinned out.
Oh I wanted to sing, and to dance about.
But my kid fell asleep, so I started to weep:
"They Have Long Lines After All".

They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have long, long, lines.

They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have long lines after all,
They have looooong, looooong, lines.