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Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

So while there have been rumors of this ride not opening until 2021, i've heard it may open as soon as November of this year. They are putting the final touches on it now and then they would have to do internal hiring for the ride, training, etc. If they wait until next year, I think it opens very early in the year. Possibly January.







 
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So while there have been rumors of this ride not opening until 2020, i've heard it may open as soon as November of this year. They are putting the final touches on it now and then they would have to do internal hiring for the ride, training, etc. If they wait until next year, I think it opens very early in the year. Possibly January.









It makes sense depending on when Tron and Guardians is meant to be opening.
 
So while there have been rumors of this ride not opening until 2020, i've heard it may open as soon as November of this year. They are putting the final touches on it now and then they would have to do internal hiring for the ride, training, etc. If they wait until next year, I think it opens very early in the year. Possibly January.








I have heard that Epcot brass wants it open for "The Holidays", but corporate thinks they can get more bang for their buck by waiting until Spring when traveller confidence has gone up some.
 
I have heard that Epcot brass wants it open for "The Holidays", but corporate thinks they can get more bang for their buck by waiting until Spring when traveller confidence has gone up some.
Well, I agree with the corporate think on this one (sadly). Just look at MMRR. It has sort of gone to waste marketing-wise because it's been open for six month now and there's been virtually no international travelers in that period of time and the amount of out of state is way down.

Of course, they could simply open Rat, let locals flock to it, and then wait on running an ad campaign for the ride until next year I suppose.
 
Well, I agree with the corporate think on this one (sadly). Just look at MMRR. It has sort of gone to waste marketing-wise because it's been open for six month now and there's been virtually no international travelers in that period of time and the amount of out of state is way down.

Of course, they could simply open Rat, let locals flock to it, and then wait on running an ad campaign for the ride until next year I suppose.

The international crowd doesn’t really care about being first to ride as long as it’s open. I don’t see any harm in opening it sooner than later.
 
The international crowd doesn’t really care about being first to ride as long as it’s open. I don’t see any harm in opening it sooner than later.
Yeah, but it's about the ad campaign dollars. If i'm not mistaken, some of you overseas always mention seeing advertisements for new rides and stuff both with Disney and Universal. Disney wouldn't want to put in that advertising money for something they can't even go and experience even if they wanted to.
 
The international crowd doesn’t really care about being first to ride as long as it’s open. I don’t see any harm in opening it sooner than later.
Sure you can mark it a ride to anyone whenever you want to. But we are dealing with Bob Chapek and he usually operates like he is constantly trying to punish the guests. I guarantee he would rather delay the ride then pay to staff it or God forbid have anyone experience low wait times for the foreseeable future on a new ride.
 
Sure you can mark it a ride to anyone whenever you want to. But we are dealing with Bob Chapek and he usually operates like he is constantly trying to punish the guests. I guarantee he would rather delay the ride then pay to staff it or God forbid have anyone experience low wait times for the foreseeable future on a new ride.
Why does everyone still act like Chapek is in charge of the parks? Sure he's CEO, but we didn't say it was Iger's fault when Chapek did something wrong.

I get that it's the cool thing to do to place blame onto Chapek, but maybe we should start holding Josh D'amaro accountable and stop acting like he doesn't hold Chapek's old position.
 
I guess it depends on how hands-on one thinks the CEO actually is, or if the CEO actually has some kind of "vision" for the parks. With Iger, I got the sense he deferred to the people underneath him (i.e. Chapek and the revolving door of other parks execs) because he had no real feel for the parks. So what of Chapek? Does he follow suit, and trust the people in positions below him? Or does he cram down his "vision" from above? I don't know, but until I see anything that indicates a change in mindset from the one that's been prevalent for the last many years, I have to assume Chapek is setting the creative direction.

As far as opening Ratatouille goes, I think at least part of the decision probably has to come down to whether or not Disney is still going to attempt to get both TRON and Cosmic Rewind open by the end of 2021. I think if the answer to both is "Yes," then Ratatouille probably opens at the end of this year, because Disney doesn't need three big rides to open in 2021. If one or both of those rides slip to 2022 (more likely for Cosmic Rewind than TRON, because I think Disney really wants TRON open by the official 50th for Magic Kingdom), perhaps Ratatouille slides into late winter/early spring of next year.
 
I guess it depends on how hands-on one thinks the CEO actually is, or if the CEO actually has some kind of "vision" for the parks. With Iger, I got the sense he deferred to the people underneath him (i.e. Chapek and the revolving door of other parks execs) because he had no real feel for the parks. So what of Chapek? Does he follow suit, and trust the people in positions below him? Or does he cram down his "vision" from above? I don't know, but until I see anything that indicates a change in mindset from the one that's been prevalent for the last many years, I have to assume Chapek is setting the creative direction.

As far as opening Ratatouille goes, I think at least part of the decision probably has to come down to whether or not Disney is still going to attempt to get both TRON and Cosmic Rewind open by the end of 2021. I think if the answer to both is "Yes," then Ratatouille probably opens at the end of this year, because Disney doesn't need three big rides to open in 2021. If one or both of those rides slip to 2022 (more likely for Cosmic Rewind than TRON, because I think Disney really wants TRON open by the official 50th for Magic Kingdom), perhaps Ratatouille slides into late winter/early spring of next year.
Tron will definitely be open next Summer-ish. I have a feeling Cosmic Rewind gets pushed to 2022, just because it saves another thing for Epcot and right now, they don't have anything slated to open in 2022. I think the Play Pavilion will open in 2021, though (unless they are aiming for GotG and Play to open in tandem).
 
Given that work on Play seems to be chugging along (and it's not going to be that elaborate inside, since there are no rides or big shows to install), I absolutely think it has to be on track for a debut next year.
 
Tron will definitely be open next Summer-ish. I have a feeling Cosmic Rewind gets pushed to 2022, just because it saves another thing for Epcot and right now, they don't have anything slated to open in 2022. I think the Play Pavilion will open in 2021, though (unless they are aiming for GotG and Play to open in tandem).
Kind of wish Guardians was opening in 2021. It's really the only new thing at Epcot that excites me. I feel that's a bust then this whole Epcot revamp is a wash.
 
Why does everyone still act like Chapek is in charge of the parks? Sure he's CEO, but we didn't say it was Iger's fault when Chapek did something wrong.

I get that it's the cool thing to do to place blame onto Chapek, but maybe we should start holding Josh D'amaro accountable and stop acting like he doesn't hold Chapek's old position.
Josh is a way better kisser though
 
Why does everyone still act like Chapek is in charge of the parks? Sure he's CEO, but we didn't say it was Iger's fault when Chapek did something wrong.

I get that it's the cool thing to do to place blame onto Chapek, but maybe we should start holding Josh D'amaro accountable and stop acting like he doesn't hold Chapek's old position.
Investors love chapek that's why he is CEO. We know how he operates which is to make maximum profit at all costs. He's a retail guy that is much more going to cut /costs to make money then spend money to make money. Josh is very much the counter to people like him but doesn't hold the ultimate power. Everyone that worked the parks that has worked with Bob hates his guts and they like Josh. Josh is going to have to be very careful about what he asks for in support of his employees versus what the investors want.

I would say that Josh is as far as I have experienced as close to the embodiment of what Walt would want for the parks I have seen in a long time. I believe he could actually both invest in parks and make a lot of money for them that the investors would be happy with at the same time. The problem is this requires a lot of effort and smart spending of money chapek is lazy.

And yeah it definitely was Iger's fault he installed an Jerky McJerkface as the decider for the parks. The investors wanted it.
 
Investors love chapek that's why he is CEO. We know how he operates which is to make maximum profit at all costs. He's a retail guy that is much more going to cut /costs to make money then spend money to make money. Josh is very much the counter to people like him but doesn't hold the ultimate power. Everyone that worked the parks that has worked with Bob hates his guts and they like Josh. Josh is going to have to be very careful about what he asks for in support of his employees versus what the investors want.

I would say that Josh is as far as I have experienced as close to the embodiment of what Walt would want for the parks I have seen in a long time. I believe he could actually both invest in parks and make a lot of money for them that the investors would be happy with at the same time. The problem is this requires a lot of effort and smart spending of money chapek is lazy.

And yeah it definitely was Iger's fault he installed an Jerky McJerkface as the decider for the parks. The investors wanted it.
I agree, Josh seems like the best park executive in a long time. He'll probably "retire" soon because of how good he is. In other words, i'd guess he'll be pushed out.
 
I know in another thread someone complained about making too much Universal v Disney chat on here, but sometimes I think its natural and it fits in this discussion. Chapek, considering he genuinely seems to be a cost cutting genius (Im not saying this sarcastically, he seems smart with $$ whether we like what he does with it or not), and cost cutting is what the parks currently desparetly need. I frankly think Chapek is great for that to stir head this downturn. Past that, I don't think Chapek is good for anything because he is willing to ruin the product to get the price he wants.

Where as Universal, in theme parks at least, do the opposite. Invest, invest, and invest. They're in a position where they need to far more than Disney, but Disney has made the parks experience "less" ever since he took over. I think Disney parks dodged a major bullett for the time being with Epic Universe being in flux. I think Epic Universe was going to completely outshine pretty muchanythign Disney has and that EU was going to shake up it up to become a more true competitor. Now with that being delayed, I feel Disney is far less worried about their park investments at the moment and just want to stay within reasonable profits/losses. They got lucky, to a degree. Could be my Universal bias thinking but thats just how I feel for the moment.

Rat though, should totally wait until the spring. The 2020 ad/sell for getting people to the parks is.... just that. "We're open! Come on back!" should truly be their main focus. Can't see them hiring staff for a new ride right now, nor would it would look great PR wise in my opinion since a lot of the general public already is not thrilled Disney is open to begin with.
 
I know in another thread someone complained about making too much Universal v Disney chat on here, but sometimes I think its natural and it fits in this discussion. Chapek, considering he genuinely seems to be a cost cutting genius (Im not saying this sarcastically, he seems smart with $$ whether we like what he does with it or not), and cost cutting is what the parks currently desparetly need. I frankly think Chapek is great for that to stir head this downturn. Past that, I don't think Chapek is good for anything because he is willing to ruin the product to get the price he wants.

Where as Universal, in theme parks at least, do the opposite. Invest, invest, and invest. They're in a position where they need to far more than Disney, but Disney has made the parks experience "less" ever since he took over. I think Disney parks dodged a major bullett for the time being with Epic Universe being in flux. I think Epic Universe was going to completely outshine pretty muchanythign Disney has and that EU was going to shake up it up to become a more true competitor. Now with that being delayed, I feel Disney is far less worried about their park investments at the moment and just want to stay within reasonable profits/losses. They got lucky, to a degree. Could be my Universal bias thinking but thats just how I feel for the moment.

Rat though, should totally wait until the spring. The 2020 ad/sell for getting people to the parks is.... just that. "We're open! Come on back!" should truly be their main focus. Can't see them hiring staff for a new ride right now, nor would it would look great PR wise in my opinion since a lot of the general public already is not thrilled Disney is open to begin with.

I’m sorry...I love Universal but this is so biased it’s obscene. Disney have, like them or not, invested much more In their theme parks, and more wisely than Universal since Diagon Ally. Obviously Volcano Bay took up resources and was a good investment, but we’re talking theme parks here.

You can’t call Disney cheap and not mention the monstrosity that is Fast and Furious. Yeah it was far from ‘cheap’ but they cheapened out putting in the creative effort to make it not only worthwhile, but to avoid creating possibly the biggest flop of an attraction EVER. They over promised on Kong, and the result is an attraction worse than one that debuted 25 years earlier in the other park. Worse than Indiana Jones and Dinosaur. Universals creative flops have forced them to look at easy wins, rollercoasters, which are pretty hard to mess up. They’re welcome additions - they look great, but point stands.

Meanwhile Disney have started a good half decade long drive to improve their parks. It’s 15 years too late...but I don’t understand under what metric Chapek could be held accountable for that when he’s overseeing spend in a way Disney haven’t for decades.

Covid has meant we’ve all lost out. I‘m certain Universal would have refound their creative instincts with Epic Universe, but I’m also certain Disney had plenty unnanounced projects waiting in the wings. We’ve all lost out,
 
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I’m sorry...I love Universal but this is so biased it’s obscene. Disney have, like them or not, invested much more In their theme parks, and more wisely than Universal since Diagon Ally. Obviously Volcano Bay took up resources and was a good investment, but we’re talking theme parks here.

You can’t call Disney cheap and not mention the monstrosity that is Fast and Furious. Yeah it was far from ‘cheap’ but they cheapened out putting in the creative effort to make it not only worthwhile, but to avoid creating possibly the biggest flop of an attraction EVER. They over promised on Kong, and the result is an attraction worse than one that debuted 25 years earlier in the other park. Worse than Indiana Jones and Dinosaur. Universals creative flops have forced them to look at easy wins, rollercoasters, which are pretty hard to mess up. They’re welcome additions - they look great, but point stands.

Meanwhile Disney have started a good half decade long drive to improve their parks. It’s 15 years too late...but I don’t understand under what metric Chapek could be held accountable for that when he’s overseeing spend in a way Disney haven’t for decades.

Covid has meant we’ve all lost out. I‘m certain Universal would have refound their creative instincts with Epic Universe, but I’m also certain Disney had plenty unnanounced projects waiting in the wings. We’ve all lost out,
Well, my entire point regarding Disney vs Universal was about Epic Universe, it doesn’t disregard the other factors, but that’s the direct comparison I’m discussing. If you want to get into how Disney also oversold Star Wars, a SIGNFICANTLY larger investment than Kong, promising lands that don’t get built for 7 years (Universal doesn’t announce things, can’t blame them for delays WE know about, because they aren’t announced publicly with promises to the public, Poppins Carousel is the latest example of Disney announcing an attraction that’s never built.)

All the issues you mentioned with Universal, Disney has as well. Failed promises, budget cuts, etc. frankly I just feel Universal is FAR most true to what they promise than Disney is. Disney announces so many things that never make it past D23, as a fan, I don’t appreciate the announcement of something we’ll never get. Universal has also
Spent ridiculously in the last decade, and while F&F is an utter flop it’s hard to put Universal as a whole under that umbrella when that’s really their only failed attraction of late. Disney rides, minus Flight of Passage and Rise, often get mixed-good reviews. I just find Universal is better, is getting better, and is learning from the industry how to compete, and all of that would have come to a direct head on collision with Epic Universe, would’ve been fascinating to see how things turned out.

Now, just need to wait it out and see for ourselves.
 
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