- Jun 10, 2014
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It was supposed to be March 2016. Now it is June 2016.so if it is delayed are we guessing a 2017 opening now instead of dec 2016
Most of the folks a hang with socially are way into the Disney thing. Several run Disney sites. The chatter for quite a while has been that it is behind schedule. .
Well it's simple, really. Cars Land and the park overhaul cost a billion dollars and left the park a mess for two solid years. They want to enjoy their new influx of guests and revenue stream for a bit before kicking up more dust. That and their entire team is working on SWL. Cars Land is still "new." There are still 180 minute waits for RSR. They've got enough at DCA at the moment that they don't need to pull people over from SWL to create another attraction. Once SWL opens, they'll shift their attention back to DCA. That's how they're supposed to roll out here. Beefing up the parks back and forth. Good strategy.
And the cuts to the ride aren't "budget" cuts, just stuff being cut to get the ride open. We will probably see the cut FX eventually, but not at open.
Sort of like the Skipper's Canteen in that regard.
Was anyone actually looking for this to open in March? I would have thought May at the earliest.
CL opened in 2012. By SWL it'll be eight years old. The strategy doesn't line up in any reasonable form.
When you have Universal doing it the back-and-forth every other year, this excuse is laughable.
It does line up when each expansion is 1.5 billion. Do you really expect that level of construction each and every year when the park consistently is the #2 park in the country every year?
You're arguing from the point of view of a fan, not a business. By the time SWL opens up and draws crowds, they'll move back over to DCA and add something new. It's simple business. Universal doesn't have the market share that Disney does so they are seriously beefing up their parks. Disney is adding 1 billion dollar expansions every 5-8 to maintain their level. They don't need to do it year in and year out. They own the market.
Mice Chat had a really good article by a former Disney employee (Accounting Dept. if my memory serves me correct) on the ridiculous amounts the Imagineers used to charge the theme parks for run of the mill ordinary items. Think Pentagon type outlandish costs. If you can find the article it's easily understandable why a Disney development costs two or three times what Universal would pay. The Imagineering section seems to be a bloated over paid and overstaffed bureaucracy that needs to inflate their costs to justify their existence.Heres the thing from where I see it. As Universal is trying to beef up the park; they have been putting it to highly budgeted additions that go in development atleast for a good amount of time. Take for instance, Kong which seems to be around the 100-150 million dollar range, and that's a highly themed attraction with some fascinating effects that could be in the final cut.
Now take for instance, Pandora; which is an entire land..its reportedly over 500 million dollars in the terms of its budget. But, when you think that Universal Creative is going low budgeted for some of their big E-Ticket attractions; It makes you think on whats going wrong at WDI that's making these budgets so outlandish.
Heres the thing from where I see it. As Universal is trying to beef up the park; they have been putting it to highly budgeted additions that go in development atleast for a good amount of time. Take for instance, Kong which seems to be around the 100-150 million dollar range, and that's a highly themed attraction with some fascinating effects that could be in the final cut.
Now take for instance, Pandora; which is an entire land..its reportedly over 500 million dollars in the terms of its budget. But, when you think that Universal Creative is going low budgeted for some of their big E-Ticket attractions; It makes you think on whats going wrong at WDI that's making these budgets so outlandish.
Well that's a different argument. I don't disagree but adding one of the best dark rides in the country and a giant land to boot (plus 3 minor attractions) is enough for one park until SWL (which will do ENORMOUS business) is made. And then they can pad out DCA some more. It doesn't make any sense to do both when they don't have to. From a business perspective.
It's not a Disney vs. Universal comparison. If you don't have to add a ride every single year to do the most business in the country, why would you? One major land will do. That's the way they see it. I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying that the idea that it's bad business is obviously just a theme park enthusiasts skewed opinion.
And they are ruining Disneyland by putting SWL there. It makes no sense thematically and is eating up beautiful woodland areas.Well it's simple, really. Cars Land and the park overhaul cost a billion dollars and left the park a mess for two solid years. They want to enjoy their new influx of guests and revenue stream for a bit before kicking up more dust. That and their entire team is working on SWL. Cars Land is still "new." There are still 180 minute waits for RSR. They've got enough at DCA at the moment that they don't need to pull people over from SWL to create another attraction. Once SWL opens, they'll shift their attention back to DCA. That's how they're supposed to roll out here. Beefing up the parks back and forth. Good strategy.
I think "they don't need it" is an incorrect assumption. Is DCA and DLR sustaining attendance because of built up goodwill and reputation or people "only" want new attractions every handful of years? Every other piece of data in amusement and theme parks says it's Disney's reputation and goodwill, and those things could go away based on lack of new attractions.
Do we want shiny new things to experience each year? Of course. More than anyone. But adding new attractions does more than appease our appetite for themed attractions. But what's most necessary right now in Disney parks is the added capacity.
All the U.S. parks are overcrowded and they needed new spaces and experiences to shuffle these hundreds of thousands of new guests to. Just because you're #1 in the market and making stupid profits doesn't mean you're supposed to just sit on them.
After SWL (or during), Toontown is getting the boot for Arrendelle.After this section there's only the section by Matterhorn left and then that's it.