This just in from Disney Parks blog!

[ArwenMarie]

I'm HOPING for the bonus prebooked FP for deluxe guests. Otherwise the value of staying in a further diminishes. Since they've added so many new rooms the value of EMH has gone down.

Yep, and the deluxes are where they have an occupancy problem, not the values. I can't imagine they built this whole system and won't try to use it to boost their occupancy at their most profitable hotels, but we'll see.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

That's kind of my point. Yes $2B is a lot of money but a lot of the reactions on here seem to be "That's it. Disney spent $2B and now they will never spend another dime. They'll never build another ride. We'll never get Star War Land or Cars Land or any other ride ever again".

As another person said, Disney has no trouble attracting guests. The guests are already coming. They're looking for a way to manage those guests.

Halting spending on increasing ride capacity has already been discussed and confirmed due to NextGen.

Let's look at how they managed guests at MK (the one park where people have the least beef with FP+).

Once upon a time, at RD, people rushed to:

• Space Mountain
• Frontierland (BTMRR and Splash)
• Dumbo
• Mickey's House
• And to a lesser extent, PP

They spend money on Fantasyland. Now, at RD, people disperse rather evenly and efficiently, heading toward:

• Space Mountain
• Frontierland (BTMRR and Splash)
• ETWB
• Mickey Meet and Greet
• Princess Meet and Greets
• Soon the Mine Train
• And to a lesser extent, Under the Sea and PP

This is a very efficient way to manage crowds. Give them choices of what to do. And it didn't cost $1B to do this. (Estimates hover around $600M)

So you want to manage crowds at DHS better? Give them somewhere to go besides TSM, RnR, ToT and Jedi Training. Want to manage crowds better at Epcot? Give them somewhere to go besides Soarin' and TT. Heck. When the Frozen Girls were there, that was a game changer. Imagine if there was actually a Frozen ride that siphoned off more guests than just the 400 unlucky fathers who had to sit in Norway. Much of the displeasure is coming from the fact that, yes, we know more is coming. But it will be in our childrens' lifetime or that of our grandchildren. In our lifetime, we will get to use fancy plastic wristbands and stand in line to use fancy new kiosks. Yeay!!

Exactly. People have less beef for FP+ at MK because there is more to do.

The Unlucky father quote made me laugh, thanks!

Wouldn't a "Frozen Girl's" be perfect in WS?!! LOVE IT! That park needs something to draw the little ones.

The biggest cost overrun occurred when people started talking about it.

Heck, it's gone from $1.5 billion last Tuesday to $2 billion today.

That's the result of the podcast discussion(s) about the recent changes. They are using a number (from their sources) that closely approximates $2B.

Yep.

 

[JimmyV]

Disney does know what its customers want. They get rewarded for this ability by people trading them billions of dollars annually in exchange for it.

Congress does know what its constituents want. They get rewarded for this ability by people trading them billions of dollars annually in exchange for it.

It's true when we want to believe that it is true.

 

[CalebsDisneyMomma]

I read a previous post about an idea of having the 4th FP+ being an "in park" FP+ and I think that would be an awesome way to do it. Have a 4th FP+ be "in park only" and can be scheduled even before you use your pre-scheduled FP+ only limitations would be that you must have entered that park to get it and it cannot overlap times with any of your other three. The old way you couldn't overlap anyway. As soon as the "in park" FP+ is used, you can schedule another, once again not overlapping with any times on your other FP. This way people who like to have more FP can sort of be getting some like the old way, an option to get more but you already have three scheduled. It solves the problems for those who book FP+ for night time entertainment and may want to get an additional FP. It keeps those who like pre booking happy, and gives options for the FP collectors to get more rides. It may not be as good as the old system, but would relieve some limits they seem to be trying to address without having to use your three first.

If they did this, with allowing park hopping on the prescheduling of three, this seems a little more like the old system with the benefits of the new one. People who want to try to get more can get to the park early as they use to and those who just are happy to sleep in and get their three are still happy. And it seems it would meet Disney's goals of keeping us tied to the parks. I would be happy with this kind of system. Seems like a win for everyone to me.

 

[OtherScott]

Congress does know what its constituents want. They get rewarded for this ability by people trading them billions of dollars annually in exchange for it.

It's true when we want to believe that it is true.

compulsory taxation = voluntary exchange

Iger and Rasulo to analysts: "More rides? Haven't you clowns ever heard of the 16th amendment?!"

You could've posted this last week and saved us both a lot of back and forth.

 

[Reddog1134]

My neighbor was selling his house and was disappointed when they evaluated what his house was worth. He had just put a new roof, new kitchen and new furnace all pricey but less than the increase in appreciation. The real estate agent told him people expect a roof and furnance but the extra kitchen was worth the investment since that will draw buyers.

Same thing. I expect a bus over to WDW, if it is couple of years old, OK. But brand spanking new with all the bells and whistles won't make me come back to WDW since the bus ride isn't the purpose of my visit.

But whoever buys that house won't have to put in a new roof and a new furnace next year. So even though it's not drawing them to the house, it's benefiting them.

Halting spending on increasing ride capacity has already been discussed and confirmed due to NextGen.

Yes it's halted or delayed but not stopped completely.

 

[Shaden]

If they spent $2B on rides. You'd have 2-3 new rides and wait times would decrease by MAYBE 5%. So a 30 minute wait would become 28.5 minutes.

Yea, I don't think you know how much rides cost. $2 Billion could actually build quite a few rides especially if you spent 1 Billion on "E-Ticket" rides, and then another Billion on second tier attractions like TSMM or star tours.

 

[morethananyonex]

Kind of on topic, does anybody know approximately what NFL cost to build? Would be interesting to compare the recent investment into the parks to what we've heard MM+ has cost so far.

 

[jade1]

Which is why there is so much frustration. Under FP-, the FPs were thrown out to the wolves and the hungry wolves could feed. Now, each wolf is hand-fed a like amount by a game warden that admittedly doesn't know what each wolf desires and in what way. In economics, politics and theme parks, it is always difficult to adjust to a system whereby someone else thinks that they know better than you do what you want and need. In many circumstances, it is necessary to live under this belief. But are theme park attractions one of those times?



Common Ground!

Believe me, that game warden knows for a fact they all want more than 3, he is just making a survival choice. What he has left and throws in the clearing-will be devoured by the most hungry.

He also knows not all of the wolves are present when he gets there, If you think just throwing them all in the clearing from the start makes more sense-he will have lost a lot of wolves, or better yet-knowing theres always at least 3 will gain a lot of wolves.

Disney knows that it has dramatically impacted a faction of its fan base and doesn't care because a greater good is being achieved. That is fine.

Now that's common ground.

 

[kdubs]

Yea, I don't think you know how much rides cost. $2 Billion could actually build quite a few rides especially if you spent 1 Billion on "E-Ticket" rides, and then another Billion on second tier attractions like TSMM or star tours.

I'm definitely not a fan of FP+, but I'm pretty sure that the new Radiator Springs Racers cost nearly $500M. To be fair, I think we should be thinking about one new RSS type attraction in each park, or a DCA+ type overhaul to one park as equivalent spend. Disney's not putting up a whole lot of $30-$60M out of the box coasters (well at least not after the original DCA fiasco.)

 

[Reddog1134]

Kind of on topic, does anybody know approximately what NFL cost to build? Would be interesting to compare the recent investment into the parks to what we've heard MM+ has cost so far.

It was estimated at $425 million.

 

[Reddog1134]

I'm definitely not a fan of FP+, but I'm pretty sure that the new Radiator Springs Racers cost nearly $500M. To be fair, I think we should be thinking about one new RSS type attraction in each park, or a DCA+ type overhaul to one park as equivalent spend. Disney's not putting up a whole lot of $30-$60M out of the box coasters (well at least not after the original DCA fiasco.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-bricker/cars-land-disneyland-reso_b_1695902.html

"Cars Land is already proving true John Lasseter's famous remark that "quality is the best business plan." Disney essentially bet the farm with Cars Land as the land, with its incredibly detailed Ornament Valley Mountain Range and E-Ticket attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, was rumored to cost nearly $1 billion by itself, or nearly as much as the entire Disney California Adventure park when it first opened in 2001."

 

[morethananyonex]

It was estimated at $425 million.

Interesting. That includes 7DMT and everything?

That makes MM+ a hard pill to swallow for some of us. The biggest investment attraction wise in recent years cost under a quarter of what MM+ is rumoured to cost? Ouch.

 

[CalebsDisneyMomma]

"Cars Land is already proving true John Lasseter's famous remark that "quality is the best business plan." Disney essentially bet the farm with Cars Land as the land, with its incredibly detailed Ornament Valley Mountain Range and E-Ticket attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, was rumored to cost nearly $1 billion by itself, or nearly as much as the entire Disney California Adventure park when it first opened in 2001."

Totally worth whatever they put in it!!! It was totally awesome. Definitely Disney Quality. I want Cars Land in Orlando! I would take Arendelle too..Ice castle on a snow covered mountain overlooking Arendelle...I want that in Orlando too...

 

[Angel Ariel]

2 billion will get you a lot more than 2 or 3 rides. We're talking whole lands with that size investment..

Seriously! With 1 billion they overhauled all of DCA, and built Carsland....but somehow twice that amt would only equal 2-3 rides at wdw?

 

[Angel Ariel]

People are complaining about over crowding in parks already... Could you imagine 4 more rides at MK that draw 10% higher crowds? Look at Christmas and fit 10% more people on main street.

I don't think anyone is arguing about MK needing more attractions. But 4 new rides in Epcot, or DHS? Or spread out between both of them? They would make a huge difference in touring those parks.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Congress does know what its constituents want. They get rewarded for this ability by people trading them billions of dollars annually in exchange for it.

It's true when we want to believe that it is true.

Or when advertisers sell it to us.

But whoever buys that house won't have to put in a new roof and a new furnace next year. So even though it's not drawing them to the house, it's benefiting them.



Yes it's halted or delayed but not stopped completely.

Another thread detailed how this is the longest time period without the addition of an E-ticket ride since the 70's I think.

My point is infrastructure does not drive admission. I expect a clean Disney bus but a brand new one would not impact or benefiit my experience.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I don't think anyone is arguing about MK needing more attractions. But 4 new rides in Epcot, or DHS? Or spread out between both of them? They would make a huge difference in touring those parks.

Agreed. I don't see as many complaints against MK because the tiering in DHS and EPCOT, IMHO, highlight the deficiencies in attractions. I love Maelstrom so I will make an extra effort to get there when it opens so I can ride it without long lines but an equal to Soarin' and TT, nope.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I don't believe fp+ cost $2 billion. The new coaster at Cedar Point cost $30 million. So say a Disney coaster might be double that price with all the extras rhey do. So at $60 million (wich would be the most awsome coaster ever built) they could have built 33 of them with money left over at $2 billion. Just think 8.25 new coasters ( best in the world at that price) per park! That's what $2 billion can get you.

FP+ is only a small portion of MyMagic+. The $2 Billion number being used is in regards to teh entire program, not just FP+.

 

[Angel Ariel]

But whoever buys that house won't have to put in a new roof and a new furnace next year. So even though it's not drawing them to the house, it's benefiting them.

Only if the house really needed a new roof and a new furnace. If the house really needed new floors (or new carpet), but the money was spent on the roof and a furnace instead, that's not really benefiting the new owner.