News Round Up 2017

[lockedoutlogic]

Agreed. ESPN is going to be less of a player. The trick for Disney will be to unload it while it still has some value.

I think that's in the rear view mirror...this is a very public decline.

And the other conglomerates are undoubtedly looking how to adapt to the new sports realities. Not buy a rotting carcass.

MLB set up a partnership with the big cable operators to run the MLB network...they all splitting the pot together with limited market risk...it's the way to go. Instead of paying huge contracts to "keep" parts of the revenue for yourself...spread out the risk and make some concessions.

 

[rteetz]

News

More interesting Disney news. Steve Jobs Widow is selling her Disney Stock. She was one of, if not the largest Disney stock holders at 8% owner. She now owns below 5%.

https://twitter.com/brooksbarnesNYT/status/820027003692675074

 

[Sweettears]

News

More interesting Disney news. Steve Jobs Widow is selling her Disney Stock. She was one of, if not the largest Disney stock holders at 8% owner. She now owns below 5%.

https://twitter.com/brooksbarnesNYT/status/820027003692675074

Given the irrational aspects of the markets, I'm sure this won't help the stock price. There is different reporting requirements for being 5% or less so this could be driving the sale.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but I know the Festival of the Arts is running only on weekends. Does this mean the food carts for the festival will be closed through the week?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Given the irrational aspects of the markets, I'm sure this won't help the stock price. There is different reporting requirements for being 5% or less so this could be driving the sale.

It will be seen as a reason to jump ship...when the reality is she's just cashing out the gigantic IOU/overpayment that Eisner caused and iger cut the check for...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but I know the Festival of the Arts is running only on weekends. Does this mean the food carts for the festival will be closed through the week?

Hmmm...my first response was "of course not"...but that would depend on their forecast for midweek Epcot crowds...

What is the answer on this?

 

[luisov]

Film and TV news

Take a look at the first trailer for Disney's Channel upcoming Tangled TV series, which will premiere first in March with a Disney Channel Original Movie Tangled: Before Ever After and then the series.

I personally miss the animation style from the 90's and 2000's. Every cartoon looks the same these days. Though I have to say that the animation for this one is actually kind of pretty. We'll see how that and the Big Hero 6 series go.

 

[Sweettears]

Film and TV news

Take a look at the first trailer for Disney's Channel upcoming Tangled TV series, which will premiere first in March with a Disney Channel Original Movie Tangled: Before Ever After and then the series.

I personally miss the animation style from the 90's and 2000's. Every cartoon looks the same these days. Though I have to say that the animation for this one is actually kind of pretty. We'll see how that and the Big Hero 6 series go.

I agree. I am a fan of all of the Disney cartoon shorts from the past. I just can't appreciate the new Mickey Mouse shorts they are producing. The quality of the animation is more comparable to Disney's early years than it is to their prime years.

 

[writerguyfl]

Was this the area to the left of Space Mountain, near the path that connects Tomorrowland to Storybook Circus? I'm having a hard time visualizing where near Space Mountain these things were.

If you're a "map" person, here's an aerial image courtesy of Google Maps. The cabanas are located on the right side of the image in the middle, where I added the small circular marker.

I don't think they marketed them very well either. Many of the people who would buy them probably are not on sites like this where they are being talked about.

I don't have any insider knowledge at this point. But, based on working at the Disney Reservations Center, I'd bet the cabanas were probably being marketed primarily through a few travel agencies. Disney could easily pick out a few agencies that cater to guests looking for premium experiences.

Assuming the cabana costs were commissionable, this setup gives Disney an incentivized sales staff that they don't have to pay directly. Since this was a test, I'd bet that travel agents are being (or will be) asked whether their clients are interested in this type of add-on.

 

[Sweettears]

If you're a "map" person, here's an aerial image courtesy of Google Maps. The cabanas are located on the right side of the image in the middle, where I added the small circular marker.

I don't have any insider knowledge at this point. But, based on working at the Disney Reservations Center, I'd bet the cabanas were probably being marketed primarily through a few travel agencies. Disney could easily pick out a few agencies that cater to guests looking for premium experiences.

Assuming the cabana costs were commissionable, this setup gives Disney an incentivized sales staff that they don't have to pay directly. Since this was a test, I'd bet that travel agents are being (or will be) asked whether their clients are interested in this type of add-on.

Close enough to the tracks that they can offer the guests an option of a campfire with an Indian headdress or a cowboy outfit to be a part of the tour around the park. It would be an improvement over the plastic figures on the other side of the park.

 

[rteetz]

 

[Sweettears]

Looking forward to this. I'll be there March 4. Been there once before for F&G. If you appreciate that kind of thing what they do is amazing. The topiaries that greet you in EPCOT are always impressive not to mention the hundreds of others spread out between the parks.

 

[rteetz]

 

[Travis B]

Given the amount of merch they slap his likeness on, poor little Figment really deserves a better attraction to live in.

 

[MommaBerd]

My bet is a combination of these two things - not selling very well, and very likely guest feedback was not very positive. As I said before, you are catering these things to the wealthiest of your customers, yet you are providing something that wouldn't be OK to most middle class customers. I'm sure they got numerous complaints along the lines of "I spent $700 and you put me in a circus tent?"

I was there on 12/30, and they looked completely empty. It was a cold busy day, a perfect day to be using one of those, if you were willing to pony up the money. I guess no one was.

First, let me say that I am in no way defending the concept of the cabanas. I followed the cabanas thread on TPAS out of curiosity, and if you read it, it tells a different story. Those that used them LOVED them, with the exception of miscommunications between Disney teams regarding parade and fireworks viewing. And, there is one (at this point unverified) report that the cabanas are sold out. If the cabanas looked empty, it may have been that the guests were out in the park at the time? My bet is that these will come back - likely in more permanent form - just in time for summer.

 

[jlundeen]

Does anyone have a photo of the cabanas as they exist now?

I still say that if I had the $$, I would consider these as an option. Maybe they could give you an option under booking packages like they do for Park Hopper/Water Parks, or the express bus service... You could sign up for however many days you want, (in all parks) and the more days you buy the cheaper it would be per day...

Hey, it's just a thought....like I said, there's no way I could ever afford this!

 

[rteetz]

Does anyone have a photo of the cabanas as they exist now?

I still say that if I had the $$, I would consider these as an option. Maybe they could give you an option under booking packages like they do for Park Hopper/Water Parks, or the express bus service... You could sign up for however many days you want, (in all parks) and the more days you buy the cheaper it would be per day...

Hey, it's just a thought....like I said, there's no way I could ever afford this!

http://blogmickey.com/2017/01/kingdom-cabanas-offered-499-january-17-february-17/

 

[jlundeen]

http://blogmickey.com/2017/01/kingdom-cabanas-offered-499-january-17-february-17/

Thanks, Ryan, I had seen the inside, I just had never seen outside photos of where they were set up.

 

[rteetz]

We talk a lot here about the negative side of Disney. Here I write about something that was truly positive from my trip last week.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/walt-disney-world/how-disney-made-the-best-out-of-a-bad-situation/

 

[rteetz]

Aerial photos

A look at Miss Adventure Falls at Typhoon Lagoon.

https://twitter.com/mickeyxtreme/status/819980618155118596