Originally Posted By MousDad Sorry, but the whole thing is too weird. I almost don't think Al made that post. It was entirely out of character for him. The Al we all know would be more inclined to NOT point out anything positive potentially coming to WDW, but rather to ignore the story. The Al we all know has stated that we have the parks we deserve in O'town already, not that we deserve better parks. The Al we all know, however, also wouldn't refer to something circulating the web that isn't there. I haven't seen such rumors anywhere, above the normal fanbois fancifying. And I also don't think a few entertainment upgrades come anything remotely close to a "major overhaul and refresh." I think Al is on vacation, and one of his underlings carelessly made that blurb in his absence. Either that or he has now joined the ranks of bought off webmasters, and he was "encouraged" to pimp the D23 shindig.
Originally Posted By ChiMike ..Or he found out some things after his Tuesday article and is now conducting preemptive damage control on his D23 comments from Tuesday
Originally Posted By sjhym333 Its Disney's new plan. We will tell people we are making great changes. Who will remember if we dont do it? Remember the Disney Decade? I am still waiting for Noah's Ark night show written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Originally Posted By leobloom ^^I'm most looking forward to the Roger Rabbit and the Dick Tracy additions at MGM, but that's just me.
Originally Posted By CDF1 Universal has Potter which should make IOA a must-see for at least the next couple of years - does Disney have anything to compete with the likes of that? Star Tours referb? Fantasyland update? Seems like they still need something a bit more spectacular to draw interest in terms of star attraction drawing power.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Or, and this came to me while making toast this morning (honest!), Al has thrown this bon mot out there about a big property-wide refresh coming to WDW and being announced at D23 because he knows... Not much will be announced at D23 for WDw and it's going to be more of the same mediocrity in Orlando for some time to come, and he just wanted to see the soaring hopes of WDW fans dashed on the rocks at D23 next month and inflate their growing wrath against TDO.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Oh how the conspiracy and double-conspiracy and double-triple-backslide conspiracy theories can be unearthed by just one sentence thrown onto a fansite over a midsummer weekend when no one is watching! ;-)
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I really don't think many people are taking this "news" very seriously. When it comes to WDW there are always two things you can count on, DVC expansions and the parks remaining stale. Call my the doubting Thomas I am.... I will believe it when I see it. WDW property has been hit with hurricanes and such and the haven't as much as picked up a twig. River Country is lieing in ruin and they won't even clean up that area. Yawn!!!!
Originally Posted By dshyates RC is one area that I wouldn't mind seeing a new resort. Anything is better than watching RC rot.
Originally Posted By ChiMike Not if it significantly changes the atmosphere around Pioneer Hall and/or causes more traffic through the campground. What's so wrong with cleaning it out, reclaiming the lagoon, and letting it revert back to nature?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Disney's idea of cleaning up and refirbing would be tearing down the Disney Institute and building SSSR DVCs.
Originally Posted By dshyates I wouldn't expect Disney to spend a dime unless they were going to do something they can pimp to the addicts.
Originally Posted By CDF1 Leave RC alone and in another 10 years you probably won't be able to tell it was ever there.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Its Disney's new plan. We will tell people we are making great changes. Who will remember if we dont do it? Remember the Disney Decade? I am still waiting for Noah's Ark night show written by Andrew Lloyd Webber<<< We will. And there is the problem... Disney doesn't care about us. Unless we pay 75 bucks for a magazine... or 283 bucks for a merch event.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Maybe Al should move to Florida and get better information.<<<< I would not mind this...
Originally Posted By Rsey103 >>But we do know that their numbers have been dropping for YEARS. They have been inflating their numbers with free dining<< how does that work?
Originally Posted By dshyates Well, in 1997, the MK got just under 17M people through the gate. And at that time there were almost no discounts and free dining was not even a concept yet. In 2010 they got just under 17M but to get that many people Disney offer free dining, free or steeply discounted rooms, and even free $200 gift cards. That's how they artificially inflate the numbers with free dining, discounts and gift cards. As in without those their numbers would have been way off the 17M mark.
Originally Posted By Pentacat Keep in mind that the same 17m people through the gates now MAY spend more money once in the parks to make up the difference. Given the cut backs in maintenance spending, entertainment, food choices and cheaper merchandise the "cost" to entertain each of those guests is probably less than it was in 1997. Also, a one day ticket to MK in 1997 was just $39.75 ($53.75 adjusted for inflation) compared to today's $85. A 4 day park hopper was $150 in 1997 ($202.83) and is now $298.
Originally Posted By dshyates Right, it is the combination of cuts and price increases that have allowed them to keep showing the quarterly profits that the stockholders demand even while the numbers remain flat. But you can only cut so much before it bites you in the rear. Like where WDW is now. Now they have to buy a new fleet of monorail trains, refurb to the bare walls all of the value and moderates, and give more TLC and add attractions and new entertainment offerings to all the parks. And we won't even mention DtD as we all know what a mess that place is. This is a hole they dug themselves and now they can no longer kick the can down the road. I would imagine that there are the equivalent to the tea partyers in TWDC who keep screaming about costs like they were taxes. Manager A: "We need to buy new monorail trains" VP: "NOOO, we can NEVER spend any money!!!!" Manager A: (head-desk, head-desk, head-desk)
