Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Snow White Does not have any sponsers to answer to.>> Let's be thankful for that. Maybe I have the great, updated, superior DLP version frsh on the brain, but SW in the MK is an absolute waste. It was watered down to such an extent in its 'major' '94 redo so as to not scare the stroller brigade. It still does. It just does so with a lousy attraction. <<Horizons and WOM did. I don't think there sponsers were happy that no one was going in there attraction. Horizons and WOM should have been closed down years before. CMs who say that those attractions were meeting there guest per hour are telling mis truths. Both rides were dead. >> It's when you say things like this that I feel the need to go on the attack for truth, justice and the Disney Legacy. What you're stating is an exaggeration at best, a complete mistruth at worst. Despite the fact Disney actively tried to kill Horizons from the early 90s on, as ChiMike pointed out, the attraction was an incredible people-eater. It NEVER had a wait from Day 1 because it cycled so many guests thru. WoM was much the same. Compare their hourly capacities (I'm sure some geek has them on the web somewhere) vs. their replacement attractions, then come back and argue facts. <<If you look at Future World today there is energy and life back. With MS and TT Soarin' the place is alive. No longer do guest enter Epcot and head straight to World Showcase.>> They never did so in the 1980s and into the 90s. Only when the FW area was watered down into the mess it has become did guests lose interest. Closing FW at 7 p.m. (thanks Greg ... thanks George!) didn't help, either. <<Brad Rex and his team have to be congratulated for getting Epcots Future World off life support.>> TT was approved when Greg Emmer ran the park and opened when George Kalogridis was in charge. MS was approved when George K ran the park and opened on Brad's watch. Soarin is the only major attraction to be given the green-light and open under Brad, and it isn't as if he has fought for a unique version or maintained the film in the current attraction. Brad's a money man. He had ZERO experience in theme park ops before he was handed the Epcot job. He's done some things well, but a lot not so well.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I believe no other area of a Disney park world-wide has been so poorly mismanaged. A complete opposite from the evolution of DL's Fantasyland, Future World was ruined by people trying to fix it. Future World HAS DEVOLVED. And you want to blame Horizons and World of Motion. Yeah, ok, right.>> I like it when you beat me to the punch, so I don't have to blather on. But, boy, is FW a mess. I have a few ideas on how to fix it, but I'm not putting them out there for Disney and its consultants to 'borrow' until I get a contract of my own! I will say that other than Soarin, they aren't exactly getting it right! <<I'll let '74 tell me how wrong I am on Brad Rex, I know he's a fan. Actually, most of the mistakes I outlined were before Brad.>> Well, I thought a lot of Don Robinson when he ran Epcot, both profesionally and personally. It's just been all downhill with Epcot's VP revolving door. The dumbing down started with Greg Emmer (the current No. 2 in Anaheim who Al Lutz wets his pants over for some reason). It took up full speed under Mr. Pintrading (George Kalogridis). GK was behind the Epcot will never be open past 9 p.m. mandate as well as the first round of major dumbing down in Epcot dining. Karl Holz (now head of DLP) and Brad Rex have just continued the dumbing down. I'd really like to say more, but since I have had personal dealings with all of the above, I'd rather not put it out on the Internet just yet. But I really think the problems with Epcot are in large part due to Michael Eisner's unwillingness to put the kind of money into the park that it required -- they don't call it FUTURE World for nothing.He could (and did) get away with it in the MK, but Epcot needed constant change and it didn't get it. But the rest of the blame I put squarely on the shoulders of the execs who have done a lousy job of running the park ... and don't have a creative bone amongst them. They are Wal-Mart quality guys.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>I like it when you beat me to the punch, so I don't have to blather on.<< haha .. yeah i do a lot of blathering. >>But I really think the problems with Epcot are in large part due to Michael Eisner's unwillingness to put the kind of money into the park that it required<< Not to be snippy and rehash the other thread, but I really don't blame him. I don't think all the money in the world would help. I truly believe the kind of depth that WDI had up through the 90s was no longer present. That kind of work was no completely out of their league. Now Eisner is certainly a culprit for causing what I think is a kind of regression within WDI, but they had plenty of money. Just the budget alone for TT and M:S would have given the old'timers (4) or (5) D & E ticket attractions. I think Future World is a prime example of the mantra DisneyWatcher consistently enforces over in the DCA thread. This IMO is not an issue of money, it's an issue of taste, creativity, and 'getting it'.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>but SW in the MK is an absolute waste. It was watered down to such an extent in its 'major' '94 redo so as to not scare the stroller brigade.<< And now with the new unload configuration two of it's keys 'show' & 'efficency' are further diminished with the backups and cascades.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think Future World is a prime example of the mantra DisneyWatcher consistently enforces over in the DCA thread. This IMO is not an issue of money, it's an issue of taste, creativity, and 'getting it'.>> I can only partially agree with you because how do you explain TDS or DAK? They had/have plenty of creativity in them. Yes, WDI has had some very weak 'talents' with way too much power and money to play with. But, at the same time, Eisner had a problem with Epcot from the time he became CEO due to its cost. WDI came up with plenty of ideas for new attractions/pavillions/improvements that never saw the light of day because the wallet was kept locked.
Originally Posted By ChiMike You're right. It isn't black or white. I would agree that at times it is a money issue too. The thing is items for Epcot were greenlit and better ideas could have come for no extra expense. >>But, at the same time, Eisner had a problem with Epcot from the time he became CEO<< Again, you're right. Clearly.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Isn't it sad? Walt's legacies have been destroyed by people who are no longer in the service of DisCo. yet we keep talking about them as if they had been that important to the bottom line at WDC. Sad indeed. Thank God for OLC.
