News Round Up 2016

[Redcon1]

I have started a thread on the theme park attendance numbers for 2015.

Also I have had another article by the Dis posted today if anyone is interested.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-world/epcot-for-teens/

I thought Disney didn't release attendance numbers. Where did these come from?

 

[rteetz]

I thought Disney didn't release attendance numbers. Where did these come from?

No major theme park operator does release theme park attendance numbers. The TEA and AECOM are companies that work on estimates of what theme park attendance is for the year. Those reports came out today.

 

[eXo]

Deadline has an article about discussions over a live-action The Little Mermaid.

http://deadline.com/2016/05/disney-mulling-the-little-mermaid-live-action-version-1201762354/

It talks about competition with the Universal adaptation, but one thing Universal will never have is the music. And I think the B&B teaser proved that the music is a key component to a movie like this. It's not enough to just watch a random mermaid go through the motions. People want to watch Aerial, they want to hear her songs, and they want to see what they are already familiar with adapted to something a bit more modern. And by going live action, it allows some folks to feel as though the medium is growing up with them.

 

[Irish_Mike]

It talks about competition with the Universal adaptation, but one thing Universal will never have is the music. And I think the B&B teaser proved that the music is a key component to a movie like this.

What worries me is that the article says that Disney heard a new take - which could signal a deviation from the 1989 version.

 

[eXo]

What worries me is that the article says that Disney heard a new take - which could signal a deviation from the 1989 version.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we get a bit of a Maleficent story here. A version from Ursula's POV.

In the Little Mermaid musical they spun it around and made Ursula into her aunt, banished by Triton. Turning the whole thing into a family feud. While I'm not a big fan of that version of things, I can see them developing a version that paints Ursula as sympathetic and Aerial as simply being naive, with Triton being the problem with his hatred of humans.

That said, between Wicked and Maleficent (and a few others I'm bound to be forgetting), the genre of turning heels on their heads could easy get tiresome very quickly.

If they want to retain the music though, which I think they will, then they'll have to stick fairly close to the original story.

 

[Spacedog1975]

News

Photo surfacing on Twitter showing 2015 theme park attendance...

https://twitter.com/michaelsheehyjr/status/735469700747001856

Universal studios with a 16% increase. One surprise to me is somehow Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea both see a decrease?

I'm surprised and impressed that DHS saw an increase. I guess the other parks drag it along even when it's skin and bones. I'll be interested to see if the numbers adjust without Osborne this year.

 

[eXo]

I'm surprised and impressed that DHS saw an increase. I guess the other parks drag it along even when it's skin and bones. I'll be interested to see if the numbers adjust without Osborne this year.

It was the last year of the lights last December, and after the announcements of the new stuff I think a lot of people ran to see the shows and such before things started closing down. I know we did. I expect it to drop quite a lot this year.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I can only imagine what it's going to be like at WDW in 2021. 50 year anniversary, Star Wars land open, Toy Story land open, Pandora still "relatively" new (at least for the folks who only go a few times in their life), and whatever else they announce between now and then. Kinda scary honestly.

I bet if they offer those "Extra Hours" events for $149 people will take it up at a might higher rate then

 

[skier_pete]

News

Photo surfacing on Twitter showing 2015 theme park attendance...

https://twitter.com/michaelsheehyjr/status/735469700747001856

Universal studios with a 16% increase. One surprise to me is somehow Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea both see a decrease?

Just a couple points on the numbers:

Since these are 2014 vs 2015 numbers, there is that big bump due to Diagon Alley opening part-way through 2014, though even IOA saw a nice 8 % increase. However, overall numbers are up more than average. 6% at MK and 5% at AK and DHS is pretty huge for Disney - especially with the lack of new offerings between 2014 and 2015 and all the closings in DHS during that time. 9% increase at Disneyland is pretty amazing too, since again really nothing new but the Star Wars add-ons.

I guess this answers the question about how price increases are affecting attendance.
The answer is - not at all.
The result is - keep raising 'em.

One question for those that actually go to Universal - are crowd levels becoming a problem there? There's been some pretty significant increases in attendance in those parks in the last 5 years, and I know these new offerings, but in many cases they replaced existing rides. Is Universal being able to handle the influx of people?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It talks about competition with the Universal adaptation, but one thing Universal will never have is the music. And I think the B&B teaser proved that the music is a key component to a movie like this. It's not enough to just watch a random mermaid go through the motions. People want to watch Aerial, they want to hear her songs, and they want to see what they are already familiar with adapted to something a bit more modern. And by going live action, it allows some folks to feel as though the medium is growing up with them.

well, unless you have Christopher Walken as a dancing

 

[jlundeen]

It was the last year of the lights last December, and after the announcements of the new stuff I think a lot of people ran to see the shows and such before things started closing down. I know we did. I expect it to drop quite a lot this year.

I have to say that they have done a good job with the Star Wars "fill in" stuff at HS. When we were there in April, while we didn't spend a full day in HS, we did do a couple part-days - and the fireworks are phenomenal - better than any other park!

We'll miss Osborne, though.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Wait, let me follow this "logic".

First, you think it's silly there is a massive wait time for "an 8 year old arcade game".

I point out that Disney is, and for that matter has *always* been, about simple experiences and you suddenly switch gears to criticizing the managers? Seriously, what does that have to do with anything here?

Are you trying to argue that the "worst group of park managers in Disney history" are the reason this ride is popular? Because frankly, that's counter intuitive. They are obviously doing something right if they can get 2+ hour waits for "an 8 year old arcade game".

Second, your criticizing current park management while ignoring the fact that they have built, opened, and are building more content than the last 15 years combined. But I guess since you don't like Frozen or Avatar, it doesn't count?

Because that's where you are allowing your subjectivity to provide the basis for sweeping generalizations about the state of the company.

Following your logic of jumping from ride wait times to management quality, I'm going to try and predict your follow-up post.



Apologies if I got the last bit wrong. It's hard to capture your non-sequitur psuedo-political insults, so I know I didn't do it justice.

Great use of the pick this morning.

The "popularity" of midway mania is a direct result of the failure to properly equip the parks under Iger.

And you went and did that "thing" where you credited them for things not open after ten years of near nothing. That's just the facts.

So if this period of build is to make up for that period of stupidity - it is - then are they not still behind?

What are they gonna do in 2020?

Way to defend the wall...

 

[eXo]

Way to defend the wall...

No, I'm just pointing out there is no winning with you. You complain about a ride wait, so they fix it. So then you shift to complaining about the managers for not fixing it sooner. Or you complain there never should have been a wait in the first place, by trying to demean the ride as an "8 year old arcade game". When I point out *all* of Disney's ride's are simple (and that really is the beauty of them), you have no defense so you jump to attacking the managers. It's called strawman, and your building them all over the place.

Complain about them not building anything, so they build stuff. So then you complain they should have built it sooner.

In other words, it doesn't matter what they do, because you think they should have already done it. Every time they fix a problem you complained about, they should have done it sooner.

So you have, very literally, created a no win scenario. You are so hung up on what they should have already done. It must be great being captain hindsight. You can tell everyone what they did wrong and what they should have done, and then when they actually do something, you can blame them for not doing it sooner. Wrap it all up with some fluff propaganda about capitalism and "defending the wall", and you have a regular ol' soapbox.

I've been on the boards long enough to see Disney address almost every single problem you have complained about, with the major exception being cost. And yet, the exact same people responsible for making these improvements are the same "worst managers ever".

I think it's straight up silly to ignore what they are doing and hide behind the past.

 

[twebber55]

Great use of the pick this morning.

The "popularity" of midway mania is a direct result of the failure to properly equip the parks under Iger.

And you went and did that "thing" where you credited them for things not open after ten years of near nothing. That's just the facts.

So if this period of build is to make up for that period of stupidity - it is - then are they not still behind?

What are they gonna do in 2020?

Way to defend the wall...

agree this period of building should of started in 2013 at the earliest

 

[rteetz]

News

STK menu

http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/stk-orlando/menus.htm

 

[skier_pete]

Great use of the pick this morning.

The "popularity" of midway mania is a direct result of the failure to properly equip the parks under Iger.

And you went and did that "thing" where you credited them for things not open after ten years of near nothing. That's just the facts.

So if this period of build is to make up for that period of stupidity - it is - then are they not still behind?

What are they gonna do in 2020?

Way to defend the wall...

I won't disagree with the notion that the park is a mess and it never should have gotten that way..but dismissing the popularity of TSMM because it's the only game in town is I think underestimating the ride. I think it will always be popular because it is fun, and it provides fun for all age from little kids to 75-year old grandmas. When Star Wars land opens, it will be popular, but the rides there may not have that broad appeal that TSMM has. (I can't see my 75 year old mother getting in line for a Millenium Falcon flight simulator.)

 

[jlundeen]

I won't disagree with the notion that the park is a mess and it never should have gotten that way..but dismissing the popularity of TSMM because it's the only game in town is I think underestimating the ride. I think it will always be popular because it is fun, and it provides fun for all age from little kids to 75-year old grandmas. When Star Wars land opens, it will be popular, but the rides there may not have that broad appeal that TSMM has. (I can't see my 75 year old mother getting in line for a Millenium Falcon flight simulator.)

Hey, now, don't underestimate us Grannies...while I'm a little shy of the 75 mark, I do love Mission Space INTENSE! HA HA HA...but I also love TSMM and tried over and over to beat my 17 YO niece while we were there in April...didn't even come close! I'm looking forward to the Star Wars BIG rides!

 

[eXo]

agree this period of building should of started in 2013 at the earliest

So 2 years earlier? They were, and have been, in the middle of Pandora and Disney Springs. DS may not be the big new e-ticket attraction everyone wanted, but it is still a major improvement.

There is this popular notion that things have been stagnant, when in reality, it's just been work on stuff that isn't super popular with the die-hard visitors.

Before DS & Pandora there was New Fantasyland, and while I have said in the past it was silly how long it took them to build a mine cart coaster, it doesn't change the fact that the ride has been absurdly popular. Or that Be Our Guest is one of the most popular restaurants in the park now, even with a $20 cronut (or whatever insane price it was hiked too).

I agree the parks could have done more on the attraction side over the past decade, but I try not to let that color my impressions of the resort as a whole. To say they have been stagnant (not you in particular twebber55, but just from other comments in the thread) is to ignore a lot of building. It ignores the intense popularity of the things that are new. It ignores the hand over fist increase in attendance, despite price increases. It ignores all the plans currently in place. But most of all, it shows a distinct naivety in how to run a business.

In 2006 Disney's stock price was hovering at $30
In 2009 it dipped as low as $19 (driven by a 97% reduction in movie revenue... a really bad 18 months for their movie division)
In 2011 the stock price at Disney was $41.
As of today, in 2016, it is right at $100

That's stagnation? That's the "worst group of managers ever"? The company is worth 2.5x what it was worth only 5 years ago and 5x what it was worth 10 years ago. There have been massive acquisitions and massive investments in the parks laid out.

The parks and company as a whole are not above reproach. They don't have a perfect track record. But when the criticisms aren't even grounded in reality, then what's the point?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

No, I'm just pointing out there is no winning with you. You complain about a ride wait, so they fix it. So then you shift to complaining about the managers for not fixing it sooner. Or you complain there never should have been a wait in the first place, by trying to demean the ride as an "8 year old arcade game". When I point out *all* of Disney's ride's are simple (and that really is the beauty of them), you have no defense so you jump to attacking the managers. It's called strawman, and your building them all over the place.

Complain about them not building anything, so they build stuff. So then you complain they should have built it sooner.

In other words, it doesn't matter what they do, because you think they should have already done it. Every time they fix a problem you complained about, they should have done it sooner.

So you have, very literally, created a no win scenario. You are so hung up on what they should have already done. It must be great being captain hindsight. You can tell everyone what they did wrong and what they should have done, and then when they actually do something, you can blame them for not doing it sooner. Wrap it all up with some fluff propaganda about capitalism and "defending the wall", and you have a regular ol' soapbox.

I've been on the boards long enough to see Disney address almost every single problem you have complained about, with the major exception being cost. And yet, the exact same people responsible for making these improvements are the same "worst managers ever".

I think it's straight up silly to ignore what they are doing and hide behind the past.

It's simply this: when you steadily increase prices to exploit the customer and force others out - intentionally...while limiting your investment (see: World, Walt Disney 2001-2011)...then it's not "in the past"

That is very much the current. Go take a stroll through future world or studios...pay your $125...and then think about what it was like in the not-so-distant "past".

Then make sure you watch out for the wildlings...

I'm pretty optimistic about what they are building (most of it) right now...does that mean the parks haven't regressed from where they could and should be?
Absolutely not. Why does a megacorp selling disposable consumer goods deserve "forgiveness"?

They don't. That's not a really radical opinion.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I won't disagree with the notion that the park is a mess and it never should have gotten that way..but dismissing the popularity of TSMM because it's the only game in town is I think underestimating the ride. I think it will always be popular because it is fun, and it provides fun for all age from little kids to 75-year old grandmas. When Star Wars land opens, it will be popular, but the rides there may not have that broad appeal that TSMM has. (I can't see my 75 year old mother getting in line for a Millenium Falcon flight simulator.)

I like midway...it's a solid mainstream attraction.

But with proper planning and operation it should be a 30-45 minute wait type ride. It should never be 75-90. The realities of the system even with popular IP don't warrant that in Disney tradition.