With this my 1000th post, I've had a revelation. Johare, you'll want to read this.

[Captain Crook]

I posted an improper comment on an otherwise interesting thread and I apologize & have deleted it...

 

[johare]

....but not before I read it!

 

[Captain Crook]

And I apologize to you, too.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

Now, I wasn't there, but from the pictures I've seen, in 1955, you could see the real World beyond the berm, because the berm hadn't grown out yet, so Personally, I'll give AKL Some time.

So will I. But it might not matter, and that’s the point. YoHo, you missed it! There’s a reason I left the question of AKL up in the air. That’s not the real issue. It’s a question of philosophy. Does the current management care about the concept? Do they even notice? There’s no way to tell in WDW. Unless you REALLY screw up, everything is within the ‘world’! It seems like such a given that we ALL agree that it should be there. Even the LandBaron and thedscoop agree 100%. So, how do you know if they want the same concept? How do you know if they even care? Simple! You look at what they did in their most recent outing, that didn’t have the luxury of size. And DCA comes immediately to mind! Not too good is it? Looks like they don’t care after all. How sad.

Well, I do know that in a few weeks we'll get the rare opportunity to once again talk to the Disney satisfied Landbaron - until that cynical Chicago-stuck mind overpowers the joyous, happy Landbaron once again!

Captain. You’re wrong almost all the time - - - but I like your style!!!

This was just a congratulations to my friend who now has someplace new that has captured his attention and caused excitement? Is this bad?

No!! For Greg it’s great. For me it’s great!! For you it’s great!!

For Disney, it STINKS!!! I really do think they’ve dropped the ball. They’ve let Universal/IOA catch up with them (hell, pass them up in some cases)!! And they should have never let it get this far!!

He has somewhere to time-share until Disney wins him back fulltime...

Not if. Not hoping it does. But “until”. Straight foreword. To the point. No doubt about it. Man those are some ‘rosy’ glasses you’ve got there!!!! And you know the funniest part. It’s so natural. You didn’t say it to get a rise. You didn’t say it to be contrary. You REALLY believe it!! I find that… amazing. Here, look. You do it again. Notice how it just flows. No hesitation. No question as to its inevitability. Just fact:

You can't believe for a moment that once Disney is back on track, with the acres & acres of developable property still available that…

”once Disney is back on track” Beautiful!! So assured. So confidant!! Captain, you’re the best!!! You’re wrong of course, but you’re the best.

As for the SIX billion dollar additions...

Sorry. It was probably the way I wrote it. Let me try again.

Six!!! That’s right Six!! Count ‘em folks!! Six projects!! It’ll cost Billions!!! I’d be surprised if they did even one…. Blah, blah, blah. Anyway, does that make more sense. That’s what I meant, but it was really getting late at work and…

So be prepared to become "Slack-Jawed Landbaron" in the near future...Them big announcements are just around the corner!

Man!! How positive can you get!!! Whether you agree with him or not, you have to admire his enthusiasm.

I’d like to leave you all with wonderful quote from AV:

Finally, this whole issue is really beside the point. The important fact is the Universal parks are comparable to the Disney parks.

And they shouldn’t be. And from the looks of the management philosophy applied to the newer parks, it ain’t getting’ any better, folks!! And that’s a shame!!

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ps: Boy I wish I would have seen the Captain's post. I was busy defending him at the time.

 

[All Aboard]

A couple of additional examples of the World beginning to abut the world:

From the third floor of the Woody and Buzz buildings, you can see the cars whizzing by on 192.

From the looks of it, from the 4th floor of the Pop Century building that will be closest to Osceola Parkway, you will have a nice clear view of I-4.

Of course, in these two cases, the visible 192 & I-4 sections are passing through Disney property.

 

[Captain Crook]

...Oh, see now...I was just kidding! From every pile of steaming dung must rise a stench...Which somehow brings me to Landbarons latest woeful & pessimistic offering. - That is a joke so I expect to hear laughter...

First AKL & the outside view. It is very minimal, it seems a great distance and it will be eliminated with time. Great care was taken to protect the view, but this particular circumstance would have involved huge landscaping undertakings for a very small payback...I know Walt wouldn't have stood for it, but his status is still frozen so this is what we got.

For Disney it stinks, I really think they dropped the ball

Sound the horns!!! So do I. There was never a reason to let UO in the door, but (and I know this will come back to haunt me) they looked at the financials only, realized UO wasn't having a big impact and got fat & lazy (I admit it, this was a huge error. They should have continued with their original plans - maybe eased off the time table, but continued nonetheless) - Landbaron is stunned!

But, I do believe Disney will get back on track...What else is there? Failure? Mike doesn't want to be known as the guy who ended Disney he wants to be known as the guy who grew Disney and saved it ... Twice. His ego doesn't want failure, golden parachute or not. Also the corporate entity doesn't want failure and as its golden goose loses its luster (now) they will shortly realize that (now) is the time to get back in the saddle and break that wild horse once and for all (huh?)...

So, I don't see UO as a serious threat to Disney, I see Disney as a serious threat to Disney. But again, looking a future potential Disney still has lots of room for growth WHEN they get back on track, UO can't grow much even if they want to...Which brings me to my final point, Vivendi doesn't want to finance the US theme parks, in fact as recent as the last quarter there was still talk that the Parks were still for sale (that doesn't bode well for their job security, either).

Optimistc? Heck yes, if I ever lose that you won't see me around here and I know how that would break hearts...

 

[Another Voice]

Perhaps I should have been clearer, but I do believe the Universal Parks are comparable to the three Eisner-era parks (Studio Tours, Animal Kingdom, California Adventure). Certainly no one could spend a full week just on Universal’s property like one can spend at WDW (my week stay was on business – you get nice perks for using Universal’s production facilities, btw). But Universal’s problem is the size of their property. Universal and Disney are trying for two different goals and I think both have achieved them to a large extent. Universal is an urban garden, Disney is the ranch.

Not everyone wants complete isolation from civilization, nor does everyone want to spend a full week in the middle of an amusement zone. Universal and Disney are competing for different customers, and I like the variety. It’s even possible to like a particular theme park just on its own merits without judging it for its surrounding acreage. Walt seemed to do okay by the public with his little dinky spread.

As for my thoughts on employers – past, present or future… As they say in show business, it’s a new audience every night and you have to win them over again each time that curtain goes up. I keep coming back to my favorite theater because of what they did in the past, but their current acts are really lousy. Yet I still have hope every time I see the curtain starts to move.