Images to show size of new lands at Hollywood Studios

[lockedoutlogic]

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...rs-land-cant-come-soon-enough-for-disney.aspx

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think that the recent announcement of groundbreaking in 2016 instead of 2017 has absolutely nothing to do with Universal and everything to do with ESPN. ESPN has been a cash cow for Disney for years but it's on shaky ground. Analysts and investors are nervous about its future. Disney had to generate buzz somehow that detracts from the negative talk about ESPN, which is negatively affecting its stock price. For a long time, that talk was directed toward Shanghai, but with the economic issues in China, people are now starting to question whether that is really going to be a big revenue generator for Disney, and the analysts aren't as interested in Shanghai anymore as they used to be. However, there is nothing more exciting in Disney's holdings than Star Wars, and they're capitalizing on that now in an attempt to stop further degradation of its stock price.

100%

 

[Planogirl]

http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...rs-land-cant-come-soon-enough-for-disney.aspx

This line is perfect IMO:

However, having to wait years for something that should've happened already isn't easy for a non-Jedi to understand

Trust me, it's hard for most of us to understand. I bet even Jedis.

 

[Eoghann]

I'll grant you the discussion...but as of yet there's nothing substantive...most definitely budgets.

We have short memories here...budgets can easily be slashed with little or no justification...and are always capable of beings pawns for PR/hocus pocus shenanigans...

I'm slightly encouraged that Staggs is now making some timeline hints/promises...that's more than I would have expected right now.

But...
I can't shake the feeling that the up and down of a certain stock price in recent weeks MIGHT have something to do with the whole "news cycle" on this...

I trust only the shovels.

I'll agree, and have previously said that budgets can and will change so Phase 3 might never get announced and Phase 4 has never been more than blue sky and not part of the current budget anyway. I also think that they only reason so much was announced about Star Wars was because of the stock price. But I do think there is a plan for that Phase 3 and that the layout they have in mind will leave a space for it, whether it actually happens or not. It's just more efficient and cheaper to do it that way.

 

[rteetz]

I'll agree, and have previously said that budgets can and will change so Phase 3 might never get announced and Phase 4 has never been more than blue sky and not part of the current budget anyway. I also think that they only reason so much was announced about Star Wars was because of the stock price. But I do think there is a plan for that Phase 3 and that the layout they have in mind will leave a space for it, whether it actually happens or not. It's just more efficient and cheaper to do it that way.

Yep. Star Wars was not supposed to be announced at all yet. Toy story yes, and marvel additions in California were also supposed to be announced but stock price was falling so Star Wars was forced in. A generic rebranding announcement was also supposed to happen but that changed.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Yep. Star Wars was not supposed to be announced at all yet. Toy story yes, and marvel additions in California were also supposed to be announced but stock price was falling so Star Wars was forced in. A generic rebranding announcement was also supposed to happen but that changed.

Then thank god people hate their cable and espn by proxy...

Because it would be pretty inexcusable to pull that "just wait..." Routine any longer with this.
Simply unacceptable

 

[Eoghann]

Then thank god people hate their cable and espn by proxy...

Because it would be pretty inexcusable to pull that "just wait..." Routine any longer with this.
Simply unacceptable

Well like you say, maybe wait for shovels in the ground. Because it's not clear to me yet at least if anything actually changed about the scheduling for Star Wars beyond the announcement. It may now have shifted from 2017 to 2016, but it's also possible that all they did was take the planned D23 2017 announcement and move it up two years without actually changing any of the build dates.

 

[Todd W]

Well like you say, maybe wait for shovels in the ground. Because it's not clear to me yet at least if anything actually changed about the scheduling for Star Wars beyond the announcement. It may now have shifted from 2017 to 2016, but it's also possible that all they did was take the planned D23 2017 announcement and move it up two years without actually changing any of the build dates.

From what has been reported - Star Wars land is not the priority because their first version failed with the board of directors (thus the D23 art that didn't really tell us anything). The pixar stuff is now their priority and moving forward - thus I guess to Toy Story land (and whatever else they have planned that is unannounced). But can you really expect anything (except for initial site preparation) to actually occur before Pandora is finished in AK in 2017?

 

[Eoghann]

From what has been reported - Star Wars land is not the priority because their first version failed with the board of directors (thus the D23 art that didn't really tell us anything). The pixar stuff is now their priority and moving forward - thus I guess to Toy Story land (and whatever else they have planned that is unannounced). But can you really expect anything (except for initial site preparation) to actually occur before Pandora is finished in AK in 2017?

Yes.

They've put themselves in a position where they have to move faster than that. Look at the officially announced closings, they can't maintain the park in that state until 2019 so they have to get Toy Story Land up and running quickly. It looks to me as though that land was picked with a quick build in mind. Consider there are no mountains and that much of the themeing will be cloned from existing stuff at other parks. I originally assumed 2018 just to space out the openings, now I'm thinking that it too will be 2017.

Publicly announcing a 2016 start date for Star Wars along with the Osbourne Lights announcement implies work being done prior to 2017 as well.

Keep in mind that Pandora is not the only construction keeping them busy right now and that as they ramp down Disney Springs construction they can move those crews over to DHS.

 

[DDLand]

From what has been reported - Star Wars land is not the priority because their first version failed with the board of directors (thus the D23 art that didn't really tell us anything). The pixar stuff is now their priority and moving forward - thus I guess to Toy Story land (and whatever else they have planned that is unannounced). But can you really expect anything (except for initial site preparation) to actually occur before Pandora is finished in AK in 2017?

That all transpired last year, and let me tell you the old version of Star Wars land was uninspired. Lol

SW planning is already rapidly progressing and getting ready for construction next year. Though there may be some more design work to be done before ground breaking, once ground breaking happens they have to have a pretty good idea of what they're building.

Design at this point should already be pretty well fleshed out. Toy Story is also the lead in because it can be built really fast.

 

[Lee Matthews]

Completely throwing this out there but is there really no chance of Marvel coming to the WDW parks? I know Universal have the rights and Disney can just sit on the money they make from Universal but at the same time, im sure Disney wants Marvel in a WDW park and does Universal actually still want Marvel Island when they have loads of IP they could use instead and save money?

I only ask because if Marvel was to ever come to a WDW Park, i could only see it as part of a phase 3 to Hollywood Studios and nowhere else.

Personally i would prefer more Pixar IP's to come to Hollywood studios like this Monsters Inc ride that has been rumoured forever or crushes coaster from Paris. Or a land suited to Indiana Jones would be good

 

[DanBoris]

Completely throwing this out there but is there really no chance of Marvel coming to the WDW parks? I know Universal have the rights and Disney can just sit on the money they make from Universal but at the same time, im sure Disney wants Marvel in a WDW park and does Universal actually still want Marvel Island when they have loads of IP they could use instead and save money?

I only ask because if Marvel was to ever come to a WDW Park, i could only see it as part of a phase 3 to Hollywood Studios and nowhere else.

Personally i would prefer more Pixar IP's to come to Hollywood studios like this Monsters Inc ride that has been rumoured forever or crushes coaster from Paris. Or a land suited to Indiana Jones would be good

Disney has owned Marvel for over 6 years now, and they don't seem to interested in exploiting it in a big way in the parks where they can. So far all we have is the Iron Man ride in the works for Hong Kong and some M&G's in DL. Universal clearly wants to keep Marvel Island because they just started a major refurb of the Hulk coaster and there are rumors of more new things coming to Marvel Island. A lot of Uni's IP's are also licensed from other companies. Based on when Uni acquired Marvel they are probably paying a bargain price when compared to the popularity of the IP.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Completely throwing this out there but is there really no chance of Marvel coming to the WDW parks? I know Universal have the rights and Disney can just sit on the money they make from Universal but at the same time, im sure Disney wants Marvel in a WDW park and does Universal actually still want Marvel Island when they have loads of IP they could use instead and save money?

There's definitely a chance…
…its a snowballs chance.

this is basically two things:
1. basic contract law which is in universals favor
2. the fact that rides cost money - they don't make them. disney builds what they 'have" to to drive sales - particularly junk shops. Marvel wouldn't make "more" in wdw to justify breaking the contract…they already make it with zero overhead across town.

this really is quite simple and we should just get a shovel and put the dirt over the "marvel coming to wdw ?!?" recurring nuisance.

 

[Eoghann]

Completely throwing this out there but is there really no chance of Marvel coming to the WDW parks? I know Universal have the rights and Disney can just sit on the money they make from Universal but at the same time, im sure Disney wants Marvel in a WDW park and does Universal actually still want Marvel Island when they have loads of IP they could use instead and save money?

I only ask because if Marvel was to ever come to a WDW Park, i could only see it as part of a phase 3 to Hollywood Studios and nowhere else.

Personally i would prefer more Pixar IP's to come to Hollywood studios like this Monsters Inc ride that has been rumoured forever or crushes coaster from Paris. Or a land suited to Indiana Jones would be good

It's not a case of never, but it's not going to be any time soon. The only Marvel "franchise" that might be practical right now is Guardians of the Galaxy and while that movie was big it's still just one movie. If the sequel is a big success, then... maybe. Disney as a company do quite nicely out of the Universal license, so they won't be in a rush to through multi-millions maybe billions at getting it back.

As far as I know Universal's Marvel areas still draws quite well for them. There's lots of other stuff they'll want to tear down before they'd consider replacing it completely.

 

[DDLand]

"Asked in an interview in July if Universal would ever sell those rights, Thomas L. Williams, Universal’s theme park chairman, answered with one word: “No.”"

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/b...ith-plans-for-star-wars-attractions.html?_r=0

 

[Lee Matthews]

Thats cool then. Im more than happy for Marvel to stay as part of Disney in the film areas. Rides based on them wouldn't excite me that much (although a Marvel land in DLR would tempt me to finally make a trip there)

My guess then would be either more Pixar or something like an Indiana Jones area (although apart from more films) i doubt they have considered it as a theme park presence anymore

 

[rteetz]

From what has been reported - Star Wars land is not the priority because their first version failed with the board of directors (thus the D23 art that didn't really tell us anything). The pixar stuff is now their priority and moving forward - thus I guess to Toy Story land (and whatever else they have planned that is unannounced). But can you really expect anything (except for initial site preparation) to actually occur before Pandora is finished in AK in 2017?

Yes I do think construction will be well underway before avatar opens.

 

[rteetz]

Completely throwing this out there but is there really no chance of Marvel coming to the WDW parks? I know Universal have the rights and Disney can just sit on the money they make from Universal but at the same time, im sure Disney wants Marvel in a WDW park and does Universal actually still want Marvel Island when they have loads of IP they could use instead and save money?

I only ask because if Marvel was to ever come to a WDW Park, i could only see it as part of a phase 3 to Hollywood Studios and nowhere else.

Personally i would prefer more Pixar IP's to come to Hollywood studios like this Monsters Inc ride that has been rumoured forever or crushes coaster from Paris. Or a land suited to Indiana Jones would be good

There's really no chance other than gaurdians of the galaxy possibly

 

[rteetz]

Disney has owned Marvel for over 6 years now, and they don't seem to interested in exploiting it in a big way in the parks where they can. So far all we have is the Iron Man ride in the works for Hong Kong and some M&G's in DL. Universal clearly wants to keep Marvel Island because they just started a major refurb of the Hulk coaster and there are rumors of more new things coming to Marvel Island. A lot of Uni's IP's are also licensed from other companies. Based on when Uni acquired Marvel they are probably paying a bargain price when compared to the popularity of the IP.

Marvel is supposed to be coming to DCA soon.

 

[DanBoris]

Marvel is supposed to be coming to DCA soon.

Yes, but if they were truly excited about having Marvel as part of the parks they could have had a Marvel attraction open in DCA already.