Next World Showcase Country?

[JamesMorehead]

Sorry - no insights into what might be next but here are my suggestions:

• India
• Spain
• South Africa
• Australia

What are your votes? (And Disney Imagineering... are you listening?)

 

[Sarangel]

It's not Imagineering that needs to listen, it's the accountants. We've discussed why they haven't added anything to WS a couple of times and it always comes down to no one's willing to pay for it. Disney won't and so far they haven't been able to find a country that they like that will.

 

[MJMcBride]

A few weeks ago I did a poll on this listing the 10 or 12 most talked about countries. The leaders in votes were in order: Russia, Egypt, Greece and Australia. Although I would like to see India or Brazil.

 

[larry_poppins]

Iger has made it quite clear that future investments at domestic theme parks will be minimal. I would not count on any future countries.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Iger has made it quite clear that future investments at domestic theme parks will be minimal. I would not count on any future countries.

I disagree. Please quote Iger (or Rasulo or Weiss, for that matter) saying anything along the lines of, "future investments at domestic theme parks will be minimal."

I agree that these executives are focusing overseas for theme park growth. I would not expect to see a fifth gate at WDW or an entirely new domestic resort complex in Texas or the East Coast. However, I expect to see domestic theme park investments continue.

In an April 7, 2006, Orlando Sentinel article, "Iger: Creativity, technology, globalization will drive future," Scott Powers writes that Al Weiss said that "more new attractions will be needed every year, saying all four parks have plenty of land for expansion." Al Weiss is quoted as saying:

"You're going to want to continue to reinvest in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. And the reason for that is such a high percentage of our guests are repeat guests . . . they want to see new things when they come back."​

In other words, Disney will invest to keep guests coming back.

The recent new attractions such as Expedition Everest, Soarin', and "Lights, Motors, Action!" certainly represent more than "minimal" investments.

It's clear that Disney theme park management thinks that attractions such as those that have opened recently are more of a draw (and thus a better investment) than a new country in World Showcase at Epcot.

 

[jonestavern]

ya da to all the financial stuff Can't tell that I'm a financial fluffball, can you??

I do like the India idea--I think the Netherlands would be great, too!

Netherlands--canals, windmills, a nice cold ride a la Hans Brinker, tulips, beautiful gardens, art, uh..no red light district or leglized pot--

Jean

 

[bicker]

It's not the imagineers or the accountants: It's the Consuls. Countries will be added to the World Showcase if countries decide it is worth their money to sponsor a pavilion in the World Showcase. So, the countries that would qualify would be those most likely to benefit from being showcases at WDW. Brazil is the most likely, IMHO.

 

[mitros]

I would suspect that a country could support a pavilion based at least in part, on how much tourism they think can be generated for their respective nations from, I believe, primarily U.S. residents visiting that country's pavilion at WDW.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It's not the imagineers or the accountants: It's the Consuls. Countries will be added to the World Showcase if countries decide it is worth their money to sponsor a pavilion in the World Showcase. So, the countries that would qualify would be those most likely to benefit from being showcases at WDW. Brazil is the most likely, IMHO.

The only Epcot country with significant government sponsorship is Morocco, sponsored by the Kingdom of Morocco.

Most other countries had financial "participants" such as Mitsukoshi for Japan. In most cases, there were multiple participants. For example, the original participants for Germany were Bahlsen, Brauerei Beck, Goebel, Hutschenreuther, and Schmitt Söhne. China and Canada had no participants, but Walt Disney Productions felt those countries needed to be part of World Showcase anyway.

It seems unlikely that The Walt Disney Company will invest in another World Showcase country any time soon unless the development costs and operating costs are substantially paid by someone else — but that doesn't have to be the national government of a country. For example, if Brazil is added, it's more likely that a restauranteur might agree to invest in a spectacular churrascaria (Brazilian steak house) and gift shop than any sponsorship by the government of the Republica Federativa do Brasil.

 

[bicker]

Yes, sorry, you're correct. DNV, my biggest competitor at that time, was one of Norway's sponsors. WDW built a few pavilions to establish the foundation (why they chose Canada bewilders me), and the rest need to be sponsored by a country or its businesses.

 

[dbm20th]

Iger has made it quite clear that future investments at domestic theme parks will be minimal. I would not count on any future countries.

Actually it is just the opposite. He does not intend to create a new park, but does intend to build on what is here already. However, it has been made pretty clear that a new country in not considered a priority or a draw big enough to justify investment.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

He does not intend to create a new park, but does intend to build on what is here already. However, it has been made pretty clear that a new country in not considered a priority or a draw big enough to justify investment.

I don't think that Robert Iger has ever publicly discussed the comparative merits of adding a country to World Showcase versus other enhancements at WDW.

I agree that the stagnant list of World Showcase countries over almost two decades leads to a logical conclusion — nobody within Disney has been able to build a business case for a new country that has convinced the executives who make the big capital investment decisions to proceed with such a project.

That doesn't mean that the World Showcase country list must remain stagnant. For one thing, it appears that WDW has business opportunity to add some new table service restaurants due to increased demand. Disney has launched several successful initiatives (Magical Express, dining plans, "free" dining promotions, and expansion of DDE) to keep guests on-site for dining. Through outside investment, Disney guests will get T-Rex in Downtown Disney and a new restaurant in Asia at AK.

Another logical restaurant expansion would be to add one or more new restaurants to World Showcase — either with outside investment (more likely) or through Disney investment (less likely). Build a big, nicely designed restaurant building; include a big shop; provide a platform for street entertainers — and you'd have a new country along the lines of Italy or Morocco.

 

[tomerin]

i do feel that the WS area has become a bit stagnant over the years and something new is definitly needed to be added to this area. new countries would be a great addition but where would they go. unless you add 2 at a time you would throw off the symmetry that WS now has

 

[DancingBear]

...WDW built a few pavilions to establish the foundation (why they chose Canada bewilders me), and the rest need to be sponsored by a country or its businesses.

But let's be clear here. "Need to be sponsored" means Disney chooses not to build a pavillion unless it has a sponsor at some certain financial level that Disney determines. They could surely choose to build a pavillion without a sponsor (or with limited sponsorship dollars).

As to where they would go, there are several open "slots," and I don't see why we would care about maintaining the symmetry (which obviously didn't exist immediately before Norway opened anyway).

 

[bicker]

I don't think it makes sense to add to the World Showcase, without sponsorship. It's big enough to stand on its own. We get several afternoons worth of enjoyment out of visiting there. While I'd love to have more to see, it wouldn't cause me to spend more time there.

 

[YoHo]

I'm actually surprised they don't see the benefit in adding more resturants.

 

[DancingBear]

I don't think it makes sense to add to the World Showcase, without sponsorship. It's big enough to stand on its own. We get several afternoons worth of enjoyment out of visiting there. While I'd love to have more to see, it wouldn't cause me to spend more time there.

What areas of the parks or elsewhere are WDW could Disney invest in that would meet that standard?

 

[bicker]

What areas of the parks or elsewhere are WDW could Disney invest in that would meet that standard?

Animal Kingdom Asia was a great choice. I could see spending a lot more time there. Even Epcot Future World could stand to be made into a full-day park.

 

[MJMcBride]

I would think with what they charged, a popular restaurant would be a money maker at Epcot. They do so well there. Brazil, Spain, Greece would fit nicely into it. Thats why if they do ever add a country it would probably be based on cuisine. I doubt Russia or Egypt would get much play for their cuisine here.

 

[YoHo]

Egyptian quisine is pretty well covered by Morocco.

I think the problem is that since the resturants are essentially not owned by disney, they don't make all the profit on the meals.
COnsidering that's how they're now working over Pleasure Island, you'd think that would encourage Disney, but it doesn't.