Originally Posted By SuperDry I'm currently at the D23 Expo in Anaheim. I'm sure lots is being written about the Expo on LP and elsewhere in the Disney message board universe. I wanted to share my perspective of the event from the point of view of a TDR annual passport holder and someone that considers TDR to be my "home" resort, in that it's the one I've spent the most time at over the past few years, even though DL is the park from my childhood. I'm not going to go over everything I saw, or even try to provide a representative overview of the Expo - you can get that from any number of other sources. Instead, let me share what I saw that stood out specifically from the point of view of a TDR AP holder.
Originally Posted By SuperDry The first thing that struck me is that at least as far as Parks and Resorts go, the Expo seemed to have a surprisingly global aspect to it. That is, there seemed to be coverage of all 11 parks worldwide in a fairly even-handed manner. Generally speaking, with US-targeted "stuff" (marketing, promos, and so on) TWDC seems to focus almost entirely on the two US resorts, hardly mentioning at all any of the others. Of course this makes sense from a sales and marketing and especially advertising point of view, as with limited resources, every dollar or second spent talking about something overseas is one that isn't spent talking about the domestic parks, which are probably 100x more likely to be visited by most of the domestic audience. Plus, in years past, there was a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) anti-TDR mentality within TWDC. I remember going to www.disney.com around 2003 or so to see if there was any information about the upcoming HKDL resort, and in fact there was: when you clicked on Resorts, there were sections for DLR, WDW, DLRP, and the "Coming Soon" HKDL, but conspicuously absent was a link or even a mention of TDR, even though unlike HKDL, it was actually open and was in fact a mature resort. Plus, there's been the notion that Disney would "never again" do a deal like they did with OLC for Tokyo, and I still think the terms of that deal leave a sour taste in some people's mouths within the company for various reasons. Anyway, my point is none of this was apparent at the Expo at all. I think that part of this comes from the fact that so much of what I saw was directly from WDI and not "corporate" TWDC or even just higher up in the Parks and Resorts division. Although WDI seems to becoming more and more public in recent years, I think it's fair to say that MOST of what we get out of the company is either from what I'm calling "corporate", or P&R marketing, or something from one of the resorts directly. But at the Expo, since most of what I saw about the parks was from WDI, it's going to have a more WDI-centric flavor to it. And when you think about it, WDI has as its direct customers all of the resorts worldwide, not just the ones that the US-based marketing machine wants to promote. So, both in the WDI pavilion on the show floor, and in the various breakout sessions I went to, WDI more or less seamlessly switched between all of the parks worldwide, talking about whatever individual project made sense for what they were talking about, without regard to what park it was in. The result of this was a surprising amount of coverage about things at TDR (and HKDL) that we normally don't get stateside.
Originally Posted By Mr X Interesting, thanks! That anti-OLC thing seems weird to me (and I've noticed in subtle ways myself having worked in Anaheim and Florida a bit, as well as with people from TWDC here in Japan), I would think they would be very interested in the good health and success of TDR for 2 reasons 1) there are so many Japanese visitors who go to America to see the "real" Disney parks, and they are generally brought into the game via TDR I would think and 2) a busy TDR means more royalties for the homeland, no? But anyway, yeah there definitely does seem to be some push/pull tension there, and as you mentioned you're at a WDI event and THOSE folks, the ones I've met at least, absolutely LOVE OLC and the TDR because they get oodles of cash for their projects such as Pooh and DisneySea and they don't feel like they're being nickeled and dimed all the time.
Originally Posted By SuperDry One of the highlights of the Expo so far for me was the session called "We Make The Music - Conversations with the Creators of Theme Park Music." For some reason, I was expecting this to be a lot about the special events, parade, and show music, but actually, it was all about attraction music. The big treat for me was that they had as one of the panelists the composer of the music for TDS's Tower of Terror. I forget his name. First of all, they flashed a picture of the ToT on the big screen at the front of the room, similar to this one: <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/HPIM3699.jpg" target="_blank">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...3699.jpg</a> It came on suddenly, and the audience had quite a reaction. There was a collective breath in "Uhhh!" then an exhaled "Ohhh!" There were several other pictures about other things in the session that got a good audience reaction, but none that was quite like TDS's ToT. I would guess that most of the audience was unfamiliar with the TDS version. The picture they used was a bit different than the one I linked to, but it was from about the same perspective. The important thing to note is that it shows not only the height of the tower, but also the size of the shorter parts of the building complex, and just how detailed and ornate the construction is. The composer talked about traveling to Tokyo as construction was nearly finished but obviously before it opened so that he could see the attraction himself. As an aside, he said that the reason that TDS's ToT is not Twilight Zone based was because it doesn't have the cultural familiarity (my words, not his) in Japan like it does in the US. I know that several theories have been offered here on LP over the years, including this one, and a different one which claims there was some sort of licensing issue. I suppose it's possible that the composer may not know the real reason, but at least this is what he told us what he was told. Take it for what it is. So, he had composed most of the soundtrack before arriving, and then went to work studying the building and surroundings to get a feel for it. He said that the inside lobby with the main queue was much different and much bigger than he had expected before seeing it in person, and this caused him to totally re-write the music that's played there. He had brought his composing equipment (which I'm sure these days is mostly laptop computers and some gadgets) and they set up shop in a windowless room on the 6th floor of the tower and went to work. Before he left, he had new music for the lobby that fit with the space (both the feel and the acoustics). All of this was of course interesting, but there were two things that he said that I found to be fascinating - one was specific to TDS ToT, and the other is more general about attraction music. The specific thing he said was the overall tone of the music: even though it's the Tower of Terror, the music is not what you'd think of as terror or horror music. It doesn't startle you, or really set you up to be scared. I think the best word he used to describe it was melancholy, and I think that's a great way to describe it. Rather than the terror aspect of Hightower meeting his fate at the bottom of the elevator shaft and/or what might happen to guests as they wait, the music instead represents the regrets that Hightower has as he looks back on his life, "regrets that we all have as we get older" as I think the host put it. Wow - that just about nails it. That's exactly what the TDS ToT music represents, both specifically and in general. And, once it's pointed out to you like that, you really can see how it's different than what you'd typically find in a "terror" attraction. The general thing I took away from this and the other composers on the panel is that the specifics of the music are decided upon and produced rather late in the game. Especially considering how important music is to a themed Disney attraction, it surprises me how much this is so. My personal observation is that it's surprising in the same way that motion picture soundtracks are similar: with the exception of musicals for obvious reasons, the musical soundtrack for a Hollywood motion picture is worked on fairly late in the game, certainly well after shooting and sometimes well into final editing. Considering how important the music is to convey the proper mood to the audience, it surprises me how late in the game it's produced. And, it seems that the director and producer of a movie puts a great amount of trust in the composer that they'll be able to come through and make the movie complete. I've said before that TDS is one of my two favorite Disney parks (with the original DL being the other, although it's close). When I try to describe what's so great about TDS and/or what makes it unique, one of the things I've said to people is "the music" or more specifically, the attraction music. There's just something about the music at TDS that really speaks to me, and part of it is that it is like a lot of other aspects to TDS: non-traditional as far as theme parks go. ToT has the melancholy, non-terror aspect to it. JTTCOTE also is a bit downbeat - it has a sense of adventure and grandness to it, but without the upbeat in-your-face "central casting" adventure aspect that something like Indy has. And, the original Sindbad had a similar quality to it - perhaps not fully melancholy, but definitely not sugar-coated bubblegum music. So, having said that about my feelings on TDS attraction music, to be able to see the composer talk at length about it and briefly meet him afterward was very much a treat to me, and completely unexpected going into the session or the expo in general.
Originally Posted By SuperDry A great many of the Expo attendees are locals, as evidenced by the relatively low rates and non-sellout condition (perhaps it sold out very recently) at the adjacent Hilton, which normally sells out way ahead of time when there's a convention at the convention center. But I have noticed various contingents from Japan: I've seen a small group of what I'd guess were Japanese media here to capture footage and provide coverage, being led around by their Disney media handlers. I've seen what I'd guess was a group of 10 or so from OLC. I've seen at least 3 guests that had traveled from Japan to attend the expo, including one that had her belongings in a TDL Halloween merchandise bag, a subtle Minnie-pattern dress, and Pooh head ornament. I spoke to a solo guest from Tokyo one at length that I met by chance. There are probably more here. Considering that the Expo probably got essentially zero promotion overseas, it's interesting to see that at least some hardcore fans made the trip.
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi Awesome reports SuperDry, especially about the attraction music. Looking forward to reading more. By the way, when is your next visit to TDR? -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By Mr X Now I wanna ride ToT again just to check out the music (I don't recall anything specifically right now, at least not off the top of my head like I can the Haunted Mansion foyer or other stuff I've experienced a lot).
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi By the way, here is a TDS ToT clip with some attraction queue music: <a href="http://www.jtcent.com/media/tds_tot1.zip" target="_blank">http://www.jtcent.com/media/tds_tot1.zip</a> -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By SuperDry Thanks Nezumi, but that wasn't the specific track I was thinking of and describing above. Here it is, in the first half of this commercial: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcTZ5XqDaUQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...Z5XqDaUQ</a> The first half of that video has the melancholy, regretful music that I always think of as the main track for that attraction.
Originally Posted By SuperDry While I'm at the Expo and despite all of the great things going on in the convention center, I decided to make time to actually cross Katella Ave one evening and check out what's over there: Disneyland! It was about 5pm by the time I got to the entrance esplanade. Keep in mind that it's the 2nd week of September - so, no longer the core of summer, but definitely not the quiet of winter. The first thing that came to mind is that I wanted to see the new aspects of the shows: the redone Electrical Parade with the borrowed Dreamlights music, and Fantasmic! with the new dragon that's reportedly finally working. So, I look at the schedule. Well guess what, neither of those shows was playing that night. In fact, the Electrical Parade is reportedly gone perhaps for a few months, since anything except summer is apparently "off season" for DCA and they don't keep the park open late enough to run the parade. And, since it's after Labor Day, F! is only showing on weekends. Bummer. So instead, I decide to get something to eat. I though I'd try the DL unique item of gumbo in the French bread bowl at the counter service location near POTC. Guess what, that location is closed today. Okay, well then maybe I'll have one of those fritters that they serve (or at least used to) at the Mint Julep Bar. Guess what? Mint Julep Bar is closed today. So I'm 0 for 4 in the first 4 things I want to do. And it's not because of things that were temporarily broken, closed early, or down for annual maintenance, but simply things that were not open because "not enough people" were in attendance, even though it seemed crowded enough to me. It made me think of what it would be like to have a Disney resort where barring remodeling, annual refurb, or some sort of temporary problem, every attraction is open year-round, every restaurant and food outlet is open (although perhaps with slightly more limited hours in the off season), and where all of the main shows and parades are offered on a full schedule all year 'round. At such a resort, you wouldn't have to make the unfortunate choice between going when there's a full slate of food and entertainment offerings yet when it's going to be packed, or when there are less people but half the stuff you want to do isn't closed or not offered. Oh yea, that's right, there is such a Disney resort. I think I chose my AP wisely.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< a busy TDR means more royalties for the homeland, no? >>> That's true, but gate royalties can grow only as fast as the product of attendance growth and ticket price increases. Disney has little control over either. And, even if those were working as best as they could be, what if the P&R division has an earnings growth target that's set higher than realistic growth in revenue and attendance? At all of the other resorts, such an unrealistic earnings growth target can still be met with cost cutting, at least in the short term. And with the focus on quarterly reporting these days, it's very easy for every decision to quickly become a short-term one, at least in part. But, cost cutting at Tokyo is not an option to help P&R meet its earnings growth targets. Since Disney's royalties from OLC are based on gross rather than net, it doesn't matter how much or how little OLC is able to cut costs: the royalties are based solely on the amount collected. While this is good for Disney as they make money off of Tokyo even if it's losing money, it's bad in the short term when someone needs to "meet their numbers," needs to cut costs in order to do so, and Tokyo can't contribute, therefore moving any shortfall disproportionately elsewhere in the division. At least that's one theory of mine.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< What'd you end up doing, anyway? >>> I ate at the French Market, did HM twice (it was the Mansion's 40th anniversary, as well as the last day before the TNBC overlay install), Pooh (just to reinforce how bad it is ), POTC, and Indy. It was a very nice, but quick, evening visit into the park before an 8pm closing. But then I made a great discovery: the Hearthstone Lounge inside the GCH serves their food menu until "last call" at the bar. At hotels, it's often impossible to get anything to eat after 10pm, but the Hearthstone serves food until they close, which could be as late as 1:30am. And, I found a perfect menu item: BBQ ribs and soba noodles. An odd combination perhaps, but it really worked. I liked it so much I went back for the same the next night.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< By the way, when is your next visit to TDR? >>> ASAFP. I've been working all summer to get those last few tasks at work wrapped up before I can get out there, but I'm still a little ways away. I really want to see the Halloween stuff this year, so hopefully by then.
Originally Posted By SuperDry To close out this thread, it was interesting to see scenes from TDR mixed in with all of the other things. For example, before the keynote session in the arena one day (or perhaps every day), they played a loop of still pictures, perhaps 50 - 100 of them. They were from all things Disney: parks, movies, and so on. In the loop was a wide angle shot of Mt. Prometheus and Mediterranean Harbor. During the Science of Imagineering session, they had a montage of Disney coasters. One quick shot was of Raging Spirits (definitely not Indy from Paris because of the "ruins" decor and fog effects), and people seemed interested by saying "Oh, which one is that?" I never really thought about it much before, but in a way, it must be a bit frustrating for certain folks in WDI in that some of their best work is in the non-US parks, and because of that relatively few of the people they run into in the US have even heard of them, let alone experienced them. It was refreshing to see the P&R stuff presented in such an even-handed way. At least for this fan, the D23 Expo definitely hit the spot and was far from the slick corporate marketing presentation that we so often receive from the Company. While parts of it were definitely slick, and they did more or less stick to the company playbook, it really did seem to be for the fans, rather than something designed just to directly drive future attendance. Well done, Team D23 Expo.
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi Great reports SuperDry, thanks! The music in that clip is from the attraction queue, not the hotel interior. And make your way over to Tokyo to catch TDS's first Halloween! -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi Great reports SuperDry, thanks! The music in that clip is from the attraction queue, not the hotel interior. And make your way over to Tokyo to catch TDS's first Halloween! -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< The music in that clip is from the attraction queue, not the hotel interior. >>> I didn't mean to imply that the clip I was talking about was the same one that had been adjusted for the lobby inside. I was making general comments about the music. I certainly will be listening with a more careful ear on my next visit!
