Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/disneys-espn-the-weekend-update/" target="_blank">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...-update/</a> Great event. Sucks that it's gone. Star Wars Weekends becoming a hard ticket event is looking more and more likely...
Originally Posted By Doobie Oh that's horrible! Hands down my favorite WDW event. From going to Mike and Mike's broadcast in the early AM to repeatedly seeing Stump the Schwab was the various broadcasters and athletes it was a perfect event. I'll miss it a LOT! Doobie.
Originally Posted By ChiMike Wow, considering ESPN is Disney's best asset right now I am little surprised with the bulletin's reasoning for the cancellation? Why does a focus on more year round integration necessitate the removal of a party weekend, one that acts as a culmination of activity for the ESPN concept?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Not that I ever attended or had any interest... ..but... WOW. Yet another unique and special feature of the resort, gone. Well done, WDW...
Originally Posted By WDWVacationer Ouch. Bad choice. Though i figured we'd see this go eventually. It has been very successful and is a great event. Though maybe they'll do more at WWoS, now.
Originally Posted By leobloom Now that's surprising. The WDC cash cow gets its weekend cut from WDW? I'm stunned. Why do that? Cut Grad Nights. Cut ESPN Weekend. Next up?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros While disappointing, this is not terribly surprising. They cancelled Soap Opera Weekend(s?) a couple years ago, ditched the California Food and Wine Festival at DCA after only a couple years, and have been scaling back seasonal entertainment for years. I'm sure that they were having trouble justifying the costs, but it's one of those events that creates a lot of goodwill with guests, even if they don't attend that weekend. Seems like yet another example of being penny wise and pound foolish.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>California Food and Wine Festival at DCA<<< That's for construction. I think it'll be back soon.
Originally Posted By WDWVacationer Super Soap Weekends were stupid anyway and were cut because Disney was looking to get out of that business.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>That's for construction. I think it'll be back soon.<< That's the official reason, but I really don't expect that it will ever return. The original idea behind it was to lure guests into an otherwise empty park. After the construction is done, the park is supposed to be busy enough to support itself. Plus, they've been moving away from the offerings in line with F&W, and more towards Disney Channel Rocks! type stuff. There's really been no indication that they have any intent of bringing it, or anything like it, back (other than the press release last fall when they announced it was cancelled for 'two years'). And I really wanted to see the cranberry bog, too! It was going to be really interesting to see how they tried to tie it into the California theme. It probably would have fit about as well as Goofy's Sky School...
Originally Posted By dshyates Exceeding expectations! All I can say is with all these high profile cuts, WDW must be struggling to meet those quarterly profit expectations.
Originally Posted By magic0214 Can I just say that, luckily, Epcot Food and Wine looks better then ever this year and I am counting down the days!
Originally Posted By Christi22222 So if a company were selling its P&R division, while keeping their highly profitable ESPN network, would they want to have a weekend celebrating that network in those parks they no longer own? Just wondering.
Originally Posted By Roger Rabbit I purposely planned a trip to WDW in 2008 just to go see what ESPN: The Weekend was all about. I had a great time! Granted at the time I didn't have cable at home! I know the horror, right? But I was able to catch it at both of my jobs. However, getting to see ESPN: The Weekend was incredible!! I didn't think that I would be so immersed into the sports world so much in one weekend! I even went to a few "Stump The Schwab" events and ran into Doobie and Rebekah waiting outside randomly! It was great!! I'm sad to see this event go even though I did go once. But just seeing it once definitely changed my point of view as a sports fan!! Cheers to ESPN for that!! Roger.
Originally Posted By Doobie I'm not 100% sure on this, but I believe ESPN the Weekend is paid for by ESPN, for the most part, not by Disney World. So cutting it would be a decision made by them. Doobie.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<So if a company were selling its P&R division, while keeping their highly profitable ESPN network, would they want to have a weekend celebrating that network in those parks they no longer own? Just wondering.>> Thinking like that like can get you in trouble. Of course, it also does make perfect sense. Disney has been intent on killing ABC Daytime, so first they killed Super Soap Weekends, which contrary to a post above were not 'stupid' ... or anymore stupid than the ESPN event ... or the Star Wars event, then they killed Soapnet (BTW, they are doing wonders in getting Disney Junior cleared on major cable outlets as its replacement), and then they killed AMC and OLTL (now being revived online, although I'll believe that when I see it). But Disney isn't selling P&R, they never have considered it ... and Steve Jobs rode Everest eight times in a row recently ;-) ~GFC~
Originally Posted By ReelJustice <<But Disney isn't selling P&R, they never have considered it ... and Steve Jobs rode Everest eight times in a row recently>> I hear Job has "never been better!"
Originally Posted By asianway So is this one of Dan Cockerell's first acts? Can someone explain to me why he is generally revered in fanboy circles?
