'Star Wars' Rollout Plan "Extremely Deliberate," Says Disney CEO

[WillJenDisney]

The box office numbers are ridiculously bloated by the development of the third world movie market and the huge rise in ticket costs...

The most impressive movie of my lifetime...adjust for inflation...is probably titanic...with Star Wars and ET with their numerous rereleases right there...

But avatar, avengers, frozen, and these Star Wars have been heavily tainted by the movie version of 1933 Deutschmark bought tickets...

The new Star Wars... If it gets a B+ or A- grade...will likely shatter the 2 billion dollar mark easily...you would guess

Adjusting for ticket price changes, Avatar is 14th all-time, Avengers is 27th and Frozen is 101st. Not bad considering the older movies had the advantage of being frequently rereleased (and since video at home wasn't an option, they were actually well-attended in rerelease).

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Henson and Lucas knew what I have been saying: That Disney is the one best company in which to place your artistic legacy in their cases. Disney has proven over the years that they know how to properly care for and nurture the fragile thing that is public perception of a brand.

And the prequels weren't AWFUL. Awful movies, some really big important ones bomb and sometimes bomb big. All the prequels were enormous hits. They could have done far better. Had the prequels been different, Avatar might be 3rd or 4th now. But they weren't horrible, except to the fanatics. And those frothing-at-the-mouth, hate-Lucas crowd saw each film 7 to 15 times in the theater anyway.

Remember that the Henson merger collapsed though...so at least in that case " we just love disney" wasn't the take away...

And I don't think you properly understand what Star Wars is...

Those movies were gonna make $500 mil each in 2000 dollars no matter what they were...the hype and broad appeal of the originals guaranteed that. Even if they "bombed" (argument there) - they were still heading for all time high gross lists.

That was the unique draw/appeal of the idea of Star Wars at that time.

The first two movies were - to put it mildly - terrible movies that had awful excuses for stories. They were expensive, cgi movies...but they were essentially lipstick on a pig.

The third movie was passable, but the damage was done at that point.

You should really watch "the people vs George Lucas"...it's funny and fanboy...but it also explains the real issue with the benefit of 10 years perspective/afterthought.

Can't confuse receipts with quality here...they don't equate.

Taco Bell has made alot of money over the years, you know? It's all relative

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Adjusting for ticket price changes, Avatar is 14th all-time, Avengers is 27th and Frozen is 101st. Not bad considering the older movies had the advantage of being frequently rereleased (and since video at home wasn't an option, they were actually well-attended in rerelease).

But those numbers even illustrate my point... As in what was essentially 18 months there is a huge descrepancy relative to inflation between avengers and frozen...where there wasnt that big of one in 3 years between avatar and avengers.

The numbers just lose their meaning with each new blockbuster.

Isn't the new fast and the furious movie an"billion dollar movie"?
The defense rests there.

 

[dice50]

You know this whole time I've been thinking Star Wars Land at DHS (and possibly at Disneyland) was a confirmed, 100% going to happen type of deal. After reading Iger's quote:
"and we’re doing some development work on it” that to me doesn't at all sound like it's going to happen. If a big new Star Wars Land with e-ticket rides was going to happen don't you think he would have said something like "later this year we are going to announce our big new plans for Star Wars attractions in the parks, stay tuned!" all he said was "were doing some development work". That could mean he's having an imaginer come up with some ideas in case they ever do decide to build an attraction. I think the collective expectation that a Star Wars Land is coming should go away, at least it has for me. At this point, I'm expecting a Star Wars presence - a show, merchandise, meet and greet, and maybe a kiddy ride, some an e-ticket on the drawing board that will never happen.

I don't really care if Star Wars Land happens, but I do care that DHS get a major reboot to make it worth going to again. Star Wars seemed like the most likely way to make this happen, since it would almost force Disney's hand to build new attractions. Now, I doubt any thing major is going to go in at DHS for the foreseeable future.

 

[rteetz]

You know this whole time I've been thinking Star Wars Land at DHS (and possibly at Disneyland) was a confirmed, 100% going to happen type of deal. After reading Iger's quote:
"and we’re doing some development work on it” that to me doesn't at all sound like it's going to happen. If a big new Star Wars Land with e-ticket rides was going to happen don't you think he would have said something like "later this year we are going to announce our big new plans for Star Wars attractions in the parks, stay tuned!" all he said was "were doing some development work". That could mean he's having an imaginer come up with some ideas in case they ever do decide to build an attraction. I think the collective expectation that a Star Wars Land is coming should go away, at least it has for me. At this point, I'm expecting a Star Wars presence - a show, merchandise, meet and greet, and maybe a kiddy ride, some an e-ticket on the drawing board that will never happen.

I don't really care if Star Wars Land happens, but I do care that DHS get a major reboot to make it worth going to again. Star Wars seemed like the most likely way to make this happen, since it would almost force Disney's hand to build new attractions. Now, I doubt any thing major is going to go in at DHS for the foreseeable future.

Iger has been saying the same thing for like at least a year and a half.

 

[dice50]

It's my fault for taking the bait

 

[wallrock]

You know this whole time I've been thinking Star Wars Land at DHS (and possibly at Disneyland) was a confirmed, 100% going to happen type of deal. After reading Iger's quote:
"and we’re doing some development work on it” that to me doesn't at all sound like it's going to happen. If a big new Star Wars Land with e-ticket rides was going to happen don't you think he would have said something like "later this year we are going to announce our big new plans for Star Wars attractions in the parks, stay tuned!" all he said was "were doing some development work". That could mean he's having an imaginer come up with some ideas in case they ever do decide to build an attraction. I think the collective expectation that a Star Wars Land is coming should go away, at least it has for me. At this point, I'm expecting a Star Wars presence - a show, merchandise, meet and greet, and maybe a kiddy ride, some an e-ticket on the drawing board that will never happen.

I don't really care if Star Wars Land happens, but I do care that DHS get a major reboot to make it worth going to again. Star Wars seemed like the most likely way to make this happen, since it would almost force Disney's hand to build new attractions. Now, I doubt any thing major is going to go in at DHS for the foreseeable future.

Welcome to the club. And there's nothing wrong with wanting it to happen, but to your point Iger has done nothing but dangle the carrot since Lucasfilm was purchased back in 2012. You cry wolf enough and people stop paying attention.

When Iger says 'in the parks' I'm inclined to believe overseas vs Orlando when it comes to big things. The gift shop of epic proportions will most likely happen, especially when the merchandise for the new film hits shelves on September 4.

The big problem with DHS is the lack of a park footprint that can handle a major expansion. It was never designed for heavy traffic due to the studio presence and an overhaul will be a major expense.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Iger has been waving this flag long enough......time he produces some facts and plans.

AKK

 

[Josh Hendy]

You know this whole time I've been thinking Star Wars Land at DHS (and possibly at Disneyland) was a confirmed, 100% going to happen type of deal. After reading Iger's quote:
"and we’re doing some development work on it” that to me doesn't at all sound like it's going to happen. If a big new Star Wars Land with e-ticket rides was going to happen don't you think he would have said something like "later this year we are going to announce our big new plans for Star Wars attractions in the parks, stay tuned!" all he said was "were doing some development work".

And looking back over the last several years, I think he has punked theme park fans the same way at least once, maybe twice or more.

Remember when it was assumed that it was only a matter of time for the Monsters Inc coaster to be announced? An obvious slam dunk, it was a hit movie and there's an exciting suspended coaster right there in the movie. After maybe a few months the rumor and the assumption very quietly died from lack of oxygen.

I think there were similar expectations of a Pixar Land. It never died exactly but went to somewhere like Jedi heaven, so that most DHS fans have a kind of persistent mental map that includes a "future Pixar Land" in the old sound stage buildings all around TSMM.

The New Fantasy Land was also a kind of punking. A severe pruning to fans' expectations, but just barely enough new steel and landscaping to stop them from doing a disgusted face palm.

But we're on to him now ... aren't we? Nobody who reads the Rumors and News board regularly is going to be surprised if AvatarLand is only a single ride, a meet and greet and a gift shop. And nobody is going to add a super-duper-deluxe Star Wars Land to their mental map of DHS any time soon ... if they've been paying attention to what is said and what is unsaid.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

They turned ordinary value rooms into suites, whats to say that they can't do the same thing at a moderate for a DVC conversion? They still may not have the location or the amenities but 2x bathrooms and a larger living area/2nd bedroom with a kitchenette, at a lower price point, many won't care.

Iger has been waving this flag long enough......time he produces some facts and plans.

AKK

The longer it goes on... The less likely it is...

We are 6 months from the start of a 5 movie ( for starters) flurry of one of the biggest pop culture franchise in history...AND it's a reclamation project.

If you needed a reason to build for cross promotional purposes...that is a 85 mph fastball with no cut across the fat part of the dish...

3 years later... Here we are. Nothing

A crate at a geek convention with the code name of return of the Jedi and a box of oranges next to it...

That's the substance. They have moved on NOTHING.

And the "these things take time" excuses are wearing thin.

Very thin. Plenty of things are off the drawing boards and going up in Paris, china, and Japan right now.

So is it all just a screen?

Yeah...they're starting to make it look bad...even for a noted skeptic like me.

It now stands on it's "merits". My sourpussing isn't the "bad" thing anymore.

Officially... I never have bought the Star Wars land. I hope I'm 1000% wrong...but that's the position.

The Lucas merger was announced 2 days after hurricane sandy ripped up the eastern seaboard and flooded out half of my greater Tri state area...and I remember being excited, thinking there would be real park development, and then disregarding it in the same thought sequence. Have not changed one bit since.

Why? Because we had Carsland as an example. It wa built because NO ONE WAS GOING...same with the work in Paris and Hong Kong.

It's our fault...mine...yours.. Everyone who books a room and buys the tickets. Rides are "bad for business" in Florida.


SORRY...MISTAKE MULTIQUOTE AT THE TOP

 

[wallrock]

Why? Because we had Carsland as an example. It wa built because NO ONE WAS GOING...same with the work in Paris and Hong Kong.

It's our fault...mine...yours.. Everyone who books a room and buys the tickets. Rides are "bad for business" in Florida.

This sums it up. The faithful in Anaheim spoke with their wallets and management listened, which is really the only time they listen to guests.

If everyone who visited Orlando regularly stuck with the three parks and skipped DHS for six months (not a big sacrifice by the way), and perhaps even less, the Death Star would be constructed onsite faster than you could say 'May The Force Be With You'.

Right now we're paying near a hundred bucks for a shoot 'em up arcade ride, an elevator drop and a rollercoaster. Our Star Wars 'Land' consists of a 25-year-old simulator, a place for kiddos to battle Darth Vader and a sub-par gift shop. They've got six movies they can work with on attractions - and they know which elements of those films are popular enough to create attractions from - but the excuse is 'we're waiting for the new films to come out'.

The rest of the attractions are nothing more than filler between fastpasses one has for the big ticket items. Further, the TCM partnership - anyone remember it? - with the Great Movie Ride was announced six months ago and has faded from the scene. We can blame Burbank for DHS' current condition all we want, but the true blame falls on us.

 

[Josh Hendy]

If everyone who visited Orlando regularly stuck with the three parks and skipped DHS for six months (not a big sacrifice by the way), and perhaps even less, the Death Star would be constructed onsite faster than you could say 'May The Force Be With You'.

Funny you should say that ... I was just thinking to myself, if my family was planning a trip this year that's exactly what I would do. We would get a 3-day pass for MK, Epcot and AK all of which we love, and then a "2 day 2 park" pass for Universal so we could experience Diagon Alley and Hogwarts Express for the first time plus our other fave rides over there (like Forbidden Journey, Rip Ride Rockit, Mummy, Simpsons, Popeye Barges, Dudley Doright, Jurassic Park). And if we felt like splurging we'd do SeaWorld and Busch Gardens too. We're maybe a bit outside the target zone because we never stay onsite and we're always bopping around in a rental car but still ... our personal theme park tastes are pretty conventional and mainstream.

I don't want to get overoptimistic or anything, but I really think that I'm not alone. Can you really fool all of the people all the time with Frozen sing-alongs and corny Star Wars dance shows? (on certain weekends)

I think that there will likely be a fairly tense, code-red type meeting about DHS attendance fairly soon. Let's just hope that they don't do something really panic-stricken and dumb, like buy another off-the-shelf, 60-second-long coaster, or add a second theater to Muppet 3D or something.

 

[WillJenDisney]

But those numbers even illustrate my point... As in what was essentially 18 months there is a huge descrepancy relative to inflation between avengers and frozen...where there wasnt that big of one in 3 years between avatar and avengers.

The numbers just lose their meaning with each new blockbuster.

Isn't the new fast and the furious movie an"billion dollar movie"?
The defense rests there.

What? Look I know you get off on being negative about everything Disney, but try to make sense and be factually accurate.

First, you (and I), may think the Fast & Furious franchise is a joke, but it's following and box office is not, and it making a billion dollars isn't a sign of that number being meaningless, it's a sign that it's a legit franchise. So while cinematically it may not be Citizen Kane, you may want to take it easy on mocking it when it'll legitimately be one of the top 5 grossing movies of the year.

As for the discrepancy, you said there's a "huge discrepancy relative to inflation between avengers and frozen", and you're just plain wrong.

Here are the original domestic box office numbers for the 3 films:
Avatar: $760M
Avengers: $623M
Frozen: $400M

Here is the ticket price adjusted for inflation (its actually down recently):
Avatar: $789M
Avengers: $623M
Frozen: $398M

So while I'm not even sure what point you were trying to make originally, I know the one you made here is nonsense.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

What? Look I know you get off on being negative about everything Disney, but try to make sense and be factually accurate.

First, you (and I), may think the Fast & Furious franchise is a joke, but it's following and box office is not, and it making a billion dollars isn't a sign of that number being meaningless, it's a sign that it's a legit franchise. So while cinematically it may not be Citizen Kane, you may want to take it easy on mocking it when it'll legitimately be one of the top 5 grossing movies of the year.

As for the discrepancy, you said there's a "huge discrepancy relative to inflation between avengers and frozen", and you're just plain wrong.

Here are the original domestic box office numbers for the 3 films:
Avatar: $760M
Avengers: $623M
Frozen: $400M

Here is the ticket price adjusted for inflation (its actually down recently):
Avatar: $789M
Avengers: $623M
Frozen: $398M

So while I'm not even sure what point you were trying to make originally, I know the one you made here is nonsense.

It wasnt an anti Disney thing at all...it was pointing out that as the international movie market expands, and the ticket prices increase...these box office receipts become less meaningful

It wasnt really a shot at anything...just a statement of fact

Star Wars will have a 500-800 mil domestic (depending on quality) and a 1.5-2.5 worldwide - no matter what.
Guaranteed.

I love how a different perspective about anything is "you hate Disney!"...this wasnt about Disney at all.

I see 80 spots on the list between frozen and avengers as a huge disparity...though I thought frozen was closer to $500 domestically.

I guess the fast and the furious is a matter of taste? Since I walked out of the first one at pleasure island laughing...street racing combined with gun battles...

The kids are always right, huh?

 

[WillJenDisney]

It wasnt an anti Disney thing at all...it was pointing out that as the international movie market expands, and the ticket prices increase...these box office receipts become less meaningful

It wasnt really a shot at anything...just a statement of fact

Star Wars will have a 500-800 mil domestic (depending on quality) and a 1.5-2.5 worldwide - no matter what.
Guaranteed.

I love how a different perspective about anything is "you hate Disney!"...this wasnt about Disney at all.

I see 80 spots on the list between frozen and avengers as a huge disparity...though I thought frozen was closer to $500 domestically.

I guess the fast and the furious is a matter of taste? Since I walked out of the first one at pleasure island laughing...street racing combined with gun battles...

The kids are always right, huh?

You tried to downplay the meaningfulness of the earnings of Disney movies (or in Avatar's case, Disney-affiliated). I read enough on here to see that your "different perspective" consists wholly of dumping on every decision anyone at Disney corporate makes. So you have to make sure you say those other Disney movies aren't really as great as their box office indicates, and preemptively say the same about the upcoming Star Wars. If anyone else made your post, I wouldn't read that far into it, but you've extolled your obsessive anti-corporate Disney attitude on here consistently enough to make it easy to recognize what you're doing.

 

[rteetz]

You tried to downplay the meaningfulness of the earnings of Disney movies (or in Avatar's case, Disney-affiliated). I read enough on here to see that your "different perspective" consists wholly of dumping on every decision anyone at Disney corporate makes. So you have to make sure you say those other Disney movies aren't really as great as their box office indicates, and preemptively say the same about the upcoming Star Wars. If anyone else made your post, I wouldn't read that far into it, but you've extolled your obsessive anti-corporate Disney attitude on here consistently enough to make it easy to recognize what you're doing.

Not that lockedout needs any defending but he's very knowledgable to how disney operates. The current disney management strategy is all about trying to milk as much money out of everything they do as possible. If you think he is negative about everything disney I suggest you never visit wdwmagic.com because that site is all about how Disney operates with some of the best insiders in the Disney forum world. Disney isn't perfect, they make billions and billions on everything they do but you'd think they could pay for some faster construction and enhancement projects for parks like Epcot and DHS but no they will wait until those parks start losing money to do anything.

 

[WillJenDisney]

Not that lockedout needs any defending but he's very knowledgable to how disney operates. The current disney management strategy is all about trying to milk as much money out of everything they do as possible. If you think he is negative about everything disney I suggest you never visit wdwmagic.com because that site is all about how Disney operates with some of the best insiders in the Disney forum world. Disney isn't perfect, they make billions and billions on everything they do but you'd think they could pay for some faster construction and enhancement projects for parks like Epcot and DHS but no they will wait until those parks start losing money to do anything.

That's fine. The perpetual drumbeat gets more than old though. They are beholden to their owners, and they have to make as much money as possible for their owners. They have a fiduciary duty to do so.

So while there are tons of ideas that all of us as fans of WDW think would be awesome, a business can't just do those things where profit and ROI must always be considered.

 

[dice50]

The poster above made a great point about the reason Carsland happened and renovations and new attractions at the foreign parks. Attendance keeps increasing in the FL parks, so why would they add new rides? I mean of course they should for the sake of trying to make DW the best it can possibly be and always innovating, improving, and adding, but from a strict business stand point they don't need to.

Someone said the difference between DL and DW is that DL is more of a locals park, the majority of the visitors to it live near it. So if they don't ever put in new rides, those people will be less likely to keep coming as much; whereas at DW it's primarily from visitors from all over the country and world. So for people who visit once a decade they're happy with what is there b/c it's been 10 years since they've been there. It definitely makes sense.

One thing I was thinking about is with there now being a Disney Park in Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, and now China, maybe some of the foreign visitors will no longer make the trip to Orlando to come to DW b/c they have a park closer to them. Additionally, with Universal now a top notch Disney alternative and other competitors really stepping up their game, maybe just maybe park attendance will slow down. If that happened maybe DW would be forced to build new attractions.

I for one had not been to DW in many years, I visited all four parks. I loved it but also realized how much more they need to build. When I go back to Orlando, I'll stick to the MK and then go to Universal. Any trips after that will be determined by what is new. If there is enough people like me then maybe attendance won't keep mindlessly increasing every year without improvements, maybe...

 

[rteetz]

That's fine. The perpetual drumbeat gets more than old though. They are beholden to their owners, and they have to make as much money as possible for their owners. They have a fiduciary duty to do so.

So while there are tons of ideas that all of us as fans of WDW think would be awesome, a business can't just do those things where profit and ROI must always be considered.

Well when DHS and Epcot keep taking things away you'd think they'd have some plans to add something and they don't. In terms of WDW there just isn't anything new and exciting.

 

[WillJenDisney]

Well when DHS and Epcot keep taking things away you'd think they'd have some plans to add something and they don't. In terms of WDW there just isn't anything new and exciting.

Well, I'll be upset if the upcoming Star Wars plans for DHS aren't significant. But I believe they will be. So MK just made a significant move w/ NFL, AK is making a big move w/ Avatar land, and now if DHS does what I expect w/ Star Wars, then I find it hard to complain when each park is making a significant expansion/redo over the span of a decade (w/ EPCOT to come next I would presume following AK expansion).

Sure, each of those expansions might not be what our ideal expansion would be, but they're significant.