Soarin' and Toy Story Mania Expansion

[Mad Dog]

To quote our podcast from tonight, it's like instead of building Diagon Alley they built a second theater to Despicable Me.

Quote of the day.

 

[Tobias]

For me I can honestly say this isn't entirely a bad thing, heck I am all for improving the capacity/thoughtput on popular attractions since it can help out in the long run.
Case in point, if the parks not only announced these capacity improvements and announced several new attractions...(Doesn't even need to be a E-ticket, several C or D tickets can go a long way.) then I don't think anyone would be griping about this since it would come off as a smart move. Not only would they be getting new attractions to spread the crowds out, but the capacity upgrades would help out Soarin' and Toy Story to handle possibly bigger crowds due to the new attractions.

But there lies the problem, the parks are not getting the various new attractions big and small to help spread the crowds. Therefore even with the upgrades, Soarin' and especially Toy Story are still gonna' be smacked with the crowds.

While yes, Epcot is getting Frozen which I'm sure will be far more popular then Malestrom ever was...however that's just one attraction. Meanwhile the Imagination Pavilion is a compleate waste of space and the Wonders of Life is lifeless until a special event rolls around now and then. If either of those got a compleate overhaul/something compleately different etc., that would help a whole lot more. Not just for the crowds but the whole park itself.

As for Hollywood Studios, oi...this park needs the most work. I know there's the Star Wars land, but I got a feeling even when that thing is eventually announced the park will still need more then that.

 

[Shucker]

The problem with Disney is the MK. The MK brings people in and keeps them there for EPCOT, DHS and AK. As long as MK keeps the turnstiles turning, the other three parks will be fine in their eyes. This announcement proves that ideology.

I used to work for Disney (College Program) and I still love them (met my wife there), but I just cant justify the $$$ seeing how they have no regard for the customer anymore. I was impressed with the upgrade to fantasyland, but the time it took and the lack of any real investment into the other parks is just disappointing. We went and stayed at the Poly last year for a week, and I can say we wont be back to Disney for at least 3 years. We may do a single day at MK, but that is about it. Im not going to drop 1200k a day (Hotel, tix, food, etc for 5 people) just for nostalgia when I can drop 900 a day, walk to park, have cutting edge rides, new great dinning experiences and something new to look forward to every year. Plus, we have been going to Uni now for about 7-8 years straight, so Uni is starting to be just as nostalgic.

On a side note, I was so disappointed when Disney acquired Marvel and Lucas. I knew they would do the minimal to get the most return out the assets. Sadly that is how down I am on them.

Oh and I am trying to be optimistic about Avatar, but I just feel it will be underwhelming especially seeing what Uni has done with HP. I honestly hope I wrong.

 

[twebber55]

this is a good thing as long as the rumored additions actually happen...if Pixar and Star Wars are added then I see this as a postive

 

[UNIrd]

this is a good thing as long as the rumored additions actually happen...if Pixar and Star Wars are added then I see this as a postive

That remains to be seen so.. we're going with what we got which is additional capacity at old rides. Woo hoo! Snatch up those reservation times now.

 

[blue180]

Im not going to drop 1200k a day (Hotel, tix, food, etc for 5 people) just for nostalgia when I can drop 900 a day, walk to park, have cutting edge rides, new great dinning experiences and something new to look forward to every year.

I think that sums it up best right there....and yet disney thinks its alright to boost ticket prices.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I remain pessimistic with future attractions because I know how many were proposed, including in Disney fan's favorite New Fantasyland, that never got approved. UoE redo, Imagination, Beastley Kingdome, and more were proposed in the past decade and Disney decided "thanks but not thanks."

 

[UNIrd]

Toy Story Mania also debuted at DCA the same year.. same low capacity.. but since then the park has added Cars Land, Mermaid, World of Color, etc.

 

[MillenniumDragons]

There would be no need to expand if they would add more attractions to their parks! Epcot's newest attraction (excluding refurbs) is Soarin' (2005) and DHS' is TSMM (2008). If it wasn't for Avatar Land, the only thing AK would be getting within the next 10 years is a new Yeti animatronic. (Or is that even too much?)

 

[Parkscope Joe]

There would be no need to expand if they would add more attractions to their parks! Epcot's newest attraction (excluding refurbs) is Soarin' (2005) and DHS' is TSMM (2008). If it wasn't for Avatar Land, the only thing AK would be getting within the next 10 years is a new Yeti animatronic. (Or is that even too much?)

Rides, yes. To be fair, DHS got American Idol and that Jack Sparrow thing.

 

[Mad Dog]

Rides, yes. To be fair, DHS got American Idol and that Jack Sparrow thing.

Yes, and those are already deep sixed. LOL

 

[OrlandoGuy]

I dont know, to me it's not a one or the other thing. Disney has new attractions developing for sure in 2 parks and rumored in the other, so it's not like increasing capacity was decided in favor of expansions because we know those are coming. The thing is, new rides would help capacity in the long-term but not the short. A NEW ride will bring in a ton more people than a third Toy Story Track or third Soarin theater. You bring in a new ride to Epcot or Hollywood tomorrow, the lines for Soarin and Toy Story will get even worse with the attendance boost those parks would undoubtedly get. They're improving their infrastructure because they recognize that the place is busting at the seams and that problem will only get worse in the future. I dont know why you guys are assuming improving infrastructure and new rides are mutually exclusive. Like I said, this looks to me like Disney taking initiative to improve the guest experience at a huge expense to them with no promised ROI, which is an admirable move by any major company nowadays.

 

[Disneyhead]

These 2 expansions are simply so FP+ can actually work in the 2 parks with the worst capacity issues. This may eliminate the need to tier the attractions.

 

[Nick]

These 2 expansions are simply so FP+ can actually work in the 2 parks with the worst capacity issues. This may eliminate the need to tier the attractions.

Yep, add a dedicated FP+ track/theatre and then 2 for stand-by only.

Having 2 for standy-by makes it equal out to the full capacity that each ride was before the expansion, so it will allow for a lot more people to experience the attraction, even if we don't see a huge change in the wait times.

 

[twebber55]

agree with the points above....this will help in the long run

 

[Skubersky]

Yep, add a dedicated FP+ track/theatre and then 2 for stand-by only.

Having 2 for standy-by makes it equal out to the full capacity that each ride was before the expansion, so it will allow for a lot more people to experience the attraction, even if we don't see a huge change in the wait times.

Other way around. The existing 2 tracks/theaters will become FP+ only, leaving one each for standby. That's what last year's FP-only tests were about.

 

[Nick]

Other way around. The existing 2 tracks/theaters will become FP+ only, leaving one each for standby. That's what last year's FP-only tests were about.

Hmm, I guess that opens up a lot of FP+ availability, but there's no way that the actual wait times will be reduced by much, if at all if there's only one track for Stand-by.

 

[Shucker]

I dont know, to me it's not a one or the other thing. Disney has new attractions developing for sure in 2 parks and rumored in the other, so it's not like increasing capacity was decided in favor of expansions because we know those are coming. The thing is, new rides would help capacity in the long-term but not the short. A NEW ride will bring in a ton more people than a third Toy Story Track or third Soarin theater. You bring in a new ride to Epcot or Hollywood tomorrow, the lines for Soarin and Toy Story will get even worse with the attendance boost those parks would undoubtedly get. They're improving their infrastructure because they recognize that the place is busting at the seams and that problem will only get worse in the future. I dont know why you guys are assuming improving infrastructure and new rides are mutually exclusive. Like I said, this looks to me like Disney taking initiative to improve the guest experience at a huge expense to them with no promised ROI, which is an admirable move by any major company nowadays.

Don't get me wrong its great they are doing this, but they are applying a band aid to something that needs stitches (or maybe I should say surgery). If they had enough attractions in the parks in the first place, they wouldn't have to be doing this at all. Their ROI is hoping people like myself will see value in this and come to the DHS and EPCOT as part of our Orlando trip (and they have run the numbers to make sure this pays itself back in 3-5 years). However I just see it as the cheapest way to maintain attendance levels, which really isnt the issue. The issue is lack of material especially for return visitors. If you can get through all the rides in a half day, there is a problem. Especially when you are charging a full day admissions.

There are enough Disney fanatics (and I know many of them) that regardless are going to continue to go to those parks every time they go to Orlando. I just don't see the value of it anymore until they truly show they are willing to make investments in their product the same way Uni is doing. This is Disney and they should not be saluted for Infrastructure projects, it should be inherent to their brand. Should we salute them for having the streets really clean for us to walk around the park in? That cost money as well. Your going to raise rates so you can pay for projects that you should have already had done in the first place, no thanks. Like I said I was impressed with the fantasyland expansion and hope they have the something in store for DHS and EPCOT that is in the same league. We will still go to MK (best theme part in Orlando IMO), but I personally am not staying onsite and paying for the other parks just because we love the MK so much.

I also know that this wave Uni is going through is really unprecedented and wont last forever, but I intend to enjoy it while it lasts and show Uni how much I appreciate what they are doing by giving them as much business as I can. I personally tell all my friends and co-workers (they know me as the Disney guy :ears: ) the same thing and most have thanked me for the advice.

 

[UNIrd]

I dont know, to me it's not a one or the other thing. Disney has new attractions developing for sure in 2 parks and rumored in the other, so it's not like increasing capacity was decided in favor of expansions because we know those are coming. The thing is, new rides would help capacity in the long-term but not the short. A NEW ride will bring in a ton more people than a third Toy Story Track or third Soarin theater. You bring in a new ride to Epcot or Hollywood tomorrow, the lines for Soarin and Toy Story will get even worse with the attendance boost those parks would undoubtedly get. They're improving their infrastructure because they recognize that the place is busting at the seams and that problem will only get worse in the future. I dont know why you guys are assuming improving infrastructure and new rides are mutually exclusive. Like I said, this looks to me like Disney taking initiative to improve the guest experience at a huge expense to them with no promised ROI, which is an admirable move by any major company nowadays.

Yes, so admirable to have a theme park, wait 10 years, add no rides, and THEN fix a capacity problem on existing 10-year-old ride.

 

[rhino4evr]

I still love Epcot, I love that it's unique, and different from most theme parks. I love the World Showcase, and all of the great shows, culture, food, etc that it represents.
I think this area of the park still really shines. However, Future World is in a really sad state at the moment. It's directionless and emotionless to me. It's fallen SO far from what I remember as a kid or even a teen/young adult.

Can you imagine just how amazing Future World could be if Disney spent the time and money to make state of the art attractions again? Pretty much every ride in the area has problems.
At this point, I think the only redeeming part of the area is Test Track (which is still a mild thrill), and maybe the aquarium? That "NEMO?, NEMO?, NEMO?, NEMO?" ride isn't the greatest.

Future World is a shadow of it's former self, ditching classic retro dark rides, with gimmicky new rides that are already out of date has not paid off. If Magic Kingdom's retro dark rides can be appreciated for generations, why couldn't Epcots?

The sole survivior is Spaceship Earth, which too has gone through strange and unfitting changes.

If they sold a "World Showcase" only pass, I'd buy that instead.

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you can knock Studios for lacking rides and shows too, but I think the rides that are there (ToT, RRC, GMR) are way better then anything at Epcot. It's not even close.