New Disney park in Branson?

[lockedoutlogic]

When pigs fly...

 

[CandyMandy]

The Disney MO is not to open destination parks/resorts in areas that aren't year-round toursim hubs. Branson is not; both of the two existing parks there (Silver Dollar City and Dollywood) close during the winter, starting in January through mid to late March and wouldn't do that if market demand was present.

Disneyland Paris is the closest Disney has ever come to trying to run a year round park in a region with a "true" winter (the one Disney Tokyo experiences is mild in comparison) and the results have been so-so: attendance at the Paris resort drops significantly during the January-April timeframe.

 

[Lewisc]

My guess is that there are two factors against building an indoor water park/hotel/resort in NYC: Astronomical real estate prices and the amount of space you need to build it.

Throw in the fact that your indoor water park would have to compete with all the other entertainment options in the city, and it's a pretty big financial gamble.

There is a Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos, 2-3 hours from NYC.

There was a plan for a water park, possibly some of it indoors, in Randall's Island. The idea of using public park land for a private water park had some "issues". The project didn't get financing (2007).

The project was going to be run by the Aquatic Development Group. They did a lot of the design work for Disney, Six Flags etc.

Disney was going to be Disney Quest's in major cities. That's ancient history.

 

[skiingfast]

Disneyland Paris is the closest Disney has ever come to trying to run a year round park in a region with a "true" winter (the one Disney Tokyo experiences is mild in comparison) and the results have been so-so: attendance at the Paris resort drops significantly during the January-April timeframe.

You have been to a US Disney park right? They aren't as busy September through May as they are June through August. Paris isn't alone is this seasonal phenomenom.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

You have been to a US Disney park right? They aren't as busy September through May as they are June through August. Paris isn't alone is this seasonal phenomenom.

Yes, all Disney parks have seasonal variations in attendance. Families with children tend to travel when school is not in session.

However, the U.S. parks have a lot to offer when kids are in school compared to the Paris parks.

The Florida parks do very well in late winter and early spring because of they're in a great location to offer an escape from the cold weather in much of the United States and Canada at that time. It's the best weather of the year in Orlando.

The California parks offer a terrific year-round climate. Also, there's a huge base of local annual passholders and other local guests to keep the turnstiles clicking all year.

At Disneyland Paris, it's not much fun to walk around in sleet during January and February.

Branson had built a successful niche as a seasonal, regional destination. But it's hard to make a case that Branson has what it takes to be a successful location for a full-fledged Disney destination.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

You have been to a US Disney park right? They aren't as busy September through May as they are June through August. Paris isn't alone is this seasonal phenomenom.

In 1980 perhaps....but you know as well as any that WDW in particular has invested much time and marketing money to flesh out the full year calender and make it a 365 day draw...

And they have largely suceeded. of course september is rather slow...as are parts of nov, dec, jan, feb, and even may...but on the whole they have enough "special events", promotions, conventioners, and off-season repeat customers now to make their attendance pretty strong....

Comparitively...while still the largest in terms of volume...the summer has not seemed (through admittedly limited experience as a traveler...but several years at a resort location) as bad as the legendary 2.5 hour for pirates wait times that were experienced in the early days of WDW. Not that it still isn't the busiest time...but there are few times on the calendar where you can even reasonably assume not to encounter heavy crowds anymore.

And the weather is still not much of a factor in Orlando (frigid-esque winters the last two years aside)...and that is not the case in Missouri.

This will never happen...disney has encounter attendance issues now...in just the two US locations. The crash of the sham economy is the primary culprit....but isn't it possible that they have kinda become a little too widely traveled and that the sheen is wearing off for some travelers as well? Everybody i know now goes to WDW (or an extremely high percentage of them) at some point...with an ever growing proportion going with greater frequency. that's how disney wanted it. but maybe the side effect is that they will wear it out on the public? A section of the public will never go...nothing will change that. Those that can...do...in increasing numbers. It actually could get old (i know...heresy!!!)

Just a thought...

 

[EMom]

I've been to Paris twice in mid to late April. The first time it was unusually hot....low 90s. The second time, it freaking snowed and we froze our rears off. You are not going to get SNOW in DL or WDW in April. Paris is another matter.

 

[Oglet]

It would surprise me to to ever see another Disney park in any form here in the US. Why compete against yourself when you can simply add to what you already have.

If people want Disney they usually either end up at WDW or DL, packages, discounts and the sheer number of flights going to both destinations make it very easy to get on a plane and get to either location.

I have CM's friends who quite often finish work and fly out to DL for 2 days and Fly back home to Orlando to go to work the next day. Actually just a few weeks ago 2 of them hit each of the 4 parks here riding one ride at each park then they caught a plane to DL and rode 1 ride at each of the two parks there all in 1 day (talk about park hopping)

 

[yitbos96bb]

It would surprise me to to ever see another Disney park in any form here in the US. Why compete against yourself when you can simply add to what you already have.

If people want Disney they usually either end up at WDW or DL, packages, discounts and the sheer number of flights going to both destinations make it very easy to get on a plane and get to either location.

I have CM's friends who quite often finish work and fly out to DL for 2 days and Fly back home to Orlando to go to work the next day. Actually just a few weeks ago 2 of them hit each of the 4 parks here riding one ride at each park then they caught a plane to DL and rode 1 ride at each of the two parks there all in 1 day (talk about park hopping)

Why are you people responding to a thread 3 years old with no semblance of reality? This is about as true as Walt's frozen head.

 

[tlbwriter]

It would surprise me to to ever see another Disney park in any form here in the US. Why compete against yourself when you can simply add to what you already have.

But they could make a smaller regional park that doesn't compete against either WDW or DL. Your friends who fly to a park for a 2 day visit are the exception, not the norm. Most people who fly to a vacation destination spend more than 2 days there.

Why are you people responding to a thread 3 years old with no semblance of reality?

Because it amuses us?

 

[TripTime]

i believe it when Disney makes it official. Disney would own the actual state of texas if you believed every rumor that bought property there.

works for me!

 

[SPBendersky]

Why would they embark on another in the US. Seems to me that there will be dilution in an aging population and that it wil take some time to build unless it is to be a specific theme.

 

[Rotciv105]

I can't wait to live near the parks. Probably happens just before hell freezes over so I muse a lot over the distance I am from them. If I were a prognosticator working for WD I'd be thinking that as transportation becomes more of an issue from more dificult air services and pricey fuel I'd be looking for more destinations of WD proximate to my customers. I think Branson might be one in a series. I'd love a WD Northeast Kingdom somewhere near Boston. I realize there are many reasons to nay say, but I think the day will come when you could even hop the Wonder out of New York and go for a day in the parks with in 2 hours of Boston. Just imagine how bummed airline execs would be over loosing all that revenue to people paying the money directly to the happiest place on earth at a location near you.