The truth about Tokyo Disneyland, Disney & OLC

[J. Thornhill]

Here's a very interesting letter from a TDL "Insider" to Dave Koenig at Mouseplanet which should shed some light on the relationship between Disney and The Oriental Land Company.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/david/m072301.htm


J.-

 

[YoHo]

Well, that article should open the eyes of a few OLC lovers. The real question is, How can we force Disney to adhere to its own standards?

I don't think TDS's success will be enough.

 

[J. Thornhill]

Yoho,

You raise an interesting concept. Do you think Disney stateside will be closely watching guest reaction and profitability at TDS for indications as to the development of future projects in the U.S.? If TDS is succesful, perhaps they'll see that building out a full park is more profitable in the end.

Does anyone think that that there are any significant projects here whose future will be determined by the success of TDS?

Is Disney using OLC's heavy investment in top-notch attractions as a gauge before they invest thier own capital in copies or similar attractions? Is TDS a guinea pig?

I hope this makes sense.

J.-

 

[Another Voice]

"How can we force Disney to adhere to its own standards?"

Like they do in Tokyo - get someone else to pay for it.

 

[Captain Crook]

Those who remember the old posts know that I have always contended that Disney had a very good deal with "strangle-hold" brand-use powers and this article seems to point that out.

How could this help WDW & DL? Well, it seems to me that the pot can't very well call the kettle black without justification for too long. I mean if Disney wants to point to "the Disney way" as to how to do things, I certainly think Disney needs to remain within the realm of reality. I know I'm being optimistic again, but it makes sense.

Also, this is a great post for all ofthos people always pointing OLC as the "new theme park innovators" it sems the new innovator (as in Disney Seas) is still Disney...

I agree with your musings Yoho, I think TDS could easily be a business model under inspection.

 

[JeffJewell]

Also, this is a great post for all ofthos people always pointing OLC as the "new theme park innovators" it sems the new innovator (as in Disney Seas) is still Disney...

...well, it's the WDI arm of Disney doing that innovating. The same WDI arm that has been hard hit with budget cuts for years now, long before the "bad economy" hit everyone.

I don't think anyone ever questioned the creativity of Imagineers, only the wisdom of the budget cutters that kept projects like Animal Kingdom or California Adventure from rivaling projects like, for instance, Toyko DisneySea.

Jeff

 

[Another Voice]

"Well, it seems to me that the pot can't very well call the kettle black without justification for too long."

Oh man - let me explain to you how Hollywood works......

 

[YoHo]

AV, DOn't forget, Captain Crook is from the East Coast, He isn't wired right to even comprehend LASpeak. You might as well be typing Swahili (Hey, maybe That's why Mikey is having so many problems, He's just a New York Bum. )



It works like this


West Coast---------------------------Midwest---------------------------East Coast
Fruits, Nuts and or Flakes---------Normal------------------------------Uptight
Way layed back





I worked for a company out of Santa Clara I remember some Confrence calls with Developers back in Silicon Valley that were worse then a bad trip.



Disclaimer, the above is completely a joke, true its a common Joke in the streets of chicago, but a joke none the less. Any assumption that I actually believe this is just silly.


An aside, I saw America's Sweethearts over the weekend, I loved it, AV, do you think that the Studio Chairman was a little Eisnerish, or are they all like that?

 

[Another Voice]

YoHo, dude! What’s up with the Barny vibe from the flatlands? Chill dude and pop a Corona. Just remember in a few months, I’ll be surfing off Hermosa while you’re shoveling snow.

As for “America’s Sweathearts” – I’ve been waiting for someone to bring this up. The movie was directed by Joe Roth – who used to be President of Walt Disney Pictures before Eisner canned him. And the same Joe Roth that used some of Jeffery Katzenberg’s money to start Revolution Studios. Now if I was Joe Roth, who would I base my studio chief character on? Perhaps a balding man known for sudden outbursts, wild emotional swings and a weird kind of intensity at all the wrong moments (and that scares people too). Gee, I wonder….

By the way, the scene at the beginning when the studio chief is walking through the lot. Did you see the extras that were walking behind him? The guys dressed as an American Army officers, the girl in the 1940’s dress and the two Japanese fighter pilots? Perhaps a reference to the movie the studio chief made over the objections of the guy he fired….

 

[YoHo]

I did notice that.

I also found it interesting the allusions crystal makes to working with his father and his father running things differently Father=Walt? Probably I'm reading way too much into it.

But I could be stretching things.

I watched the E! special briefly (The Irony that Disney is probably making more money promoting other companies movies is not lost on me) But didn't notice any comentary on the Studio Chief Character.

 

[Another Voice]

I took the father & son comments were a take on the Daryly and Richard Zanuck (sp?) who past the running of 20th Century Fox from father to son prior to the News Corp purchase. Joe Roth had some dealings with them too. The studio cheif character also had a fair amount of Richard Zanuck in him as well.