D23 Expo 2017 - News & Speculation

[Andysol]

Because getting around WDW by bus sucks.

I must be in the minority, because I don't mind it at all.

I love Animal Kingdom Lodge- one of my home resorts- it's bus to everything.

 

[UAN17]

I think Disney are going to blow Universal out the water here with huge investment across several huge IPs. With Star Wars and Toy Story (think what you like but people will flock) already announced, Universal need to be doing more than letting Jurassic Park and Marvel getting more and more dated each year. These are 2 hot franchises which they're not doing enough with.

It's a complete reversal, but I think Disney may spring Universal into action for once.

 

[Scott W.]

I must be in the minority, because I don't mind it at all.

I love Animal Kingdom Lodge- one of my home resorts- it's bus to everything.

I've only used the buses once and that was from DHS to AK and back again in the same day and it was fine. The thought of waiting on a bus at the end of the day as the parks clear out, is my idea of hell. I don't think that Gondolas will fix the problem but it might allow for a better allocation of buses between certain hotels and parks.

Upon saying that, do Disney really want people emptying out the parks quickly or do they want people to hold back and potentially do some shopping?

 

[JungleSkip]

I'll be honest, the bus system is far from perfect, but I've always thought the problems were generally overblown

 

[epcyclopedia]

If they cared about shopping after a park closed they wouldn't slam the doors shut and lock them in World Showcase as soon as Illuminations starts.

 

[Mad Dog]

Don't forget the Cruise Lines and remember they've only got 90 minutes for a presentation so I wouldn't get expectations too high.

Good point. With all that stuff bandied about, the presenter would have to speak like those fast talking tobacco auctioneers to get everything in.

 

[Scott W.]

Good point. With all that stuff bandied about, the presenter would have to speak like those fast talking tobacco auctioneers to get everything in.

Might as well just get a slide show with bullet points and get one of those guys who reads the small print from drug commercials.

 

[GadgetGuru]

I'm going to make a bold claim:

If they talk about the gondolas, it'll end up being a disappointing presentation. If they don't, it'll be quite good.

The reason is that the gondolas are an infrastructure project. It's like building a new road - shouldn't attract a lot of attention. But, if Disney decides to make a big deal out of it, it means they have literally nothing else to talk about.

 

[Nick]

It's really fascinating to observe the gondola hype. It's connecting a few resorts and DHS as well, but everyone pretty much sees it as an Epcot project.

And imo a lot of the reason for the project is so they can advertise it as a special amenity at CBR for the new DVC there. Of course they also want to ease the stress on the buses too, so it's a win-win.

 

[Teebin]

Universal into action for once.

Huh? You think Universal needs more action than is currently happening?

 

[bob albert]

I don't think the Star Wars hotel is a great idea, so I hope they nixed that before moving it to reality

What of course it's a good idea! It will make tons of money. The amount of wealthy people going to disney itching for a premium experience at that level is huge. I am OK with disney upcharges as long as they don't degrade the park experience.

 

[Nick]

If they cared about shopping after a park closed they wouldn't slam the doors shut and lock them in World Showcase as soon as Illuminations starts.

Yeah, they really just care about getting people out of the park ASAP and spending money at Mouse Gear if they want to spend money.

Seeing as the Int'l Gateway will be seeing a fairly large increase in click once the Gondolas are open, I wouldn't be surprised if they expand the shop that is down there currently to accommodate the increased traffic at park close.

 

[Imperius]

I think Disney are going to blow Universal out the water here with huge investment across several huge IPs. With Star Wars and Toy Story (think what you like but people will flock) already announced, Universal need to be doing more than letting Jurassic Park and Marvel getting more and more dated each year. These are 2 hot franchises which they're not doing enough with.

It's a complete reversal, but I think Disney may spring Universal into action for once.

Really don't understand this. Universal has FF coming, DC replacement, Super Nintendo World which is just a step below Star Wars as an IP and crushes Toy Story, a new park in the works, etc. What more should Universal do?

 

[Nick]

I think Disney are going to blow Universal out the water here with huge investment across several huge IPs. With Star Wars and Toy Story (think what you like but people will flock) already announced, Universal need to be doing more than letting Jurassic Park and Marvel getting more and more dated each year. These are 2 hot franchises which they're not doing enough with.

It's a complete reversal, but I think Disney may spring Universal into action for once.

Really don't understand this. Universal has FF coming, DC replacement, Super Nintendo World which is just a step below Star Wars as an IP and crushes Toy Story, a new park in the works, etc. What more should Universal do?

I'm gonna shut this down before it begins.

If we're being theme park fans and not Universal or Disney, we should just hope everyone does well and we all receive better product in the end. Universal's current success is why we're starting to see a higher caliber product from Disney.

 

[bob albert]

Yep competition is often when we see the most investment from Disney and is a major factor in why orlando continues to grow as a top destination in the world.

 

[Imperius]

I'm gonna shut this down before it begins.

If we're being theme park fans and not Universal or Disney, we should just hope everyone does well and we all receive better product in the end. Universal's current success is why we're starting to see a higher caliber product from Disney.

Oh I love what both places are doing and can't wait for what's to come. I'm fully on the GOTG going into Epcot because all I care about is great rides and innovation.

 

[UNIrd]

I think a Star Wars resort in the Moderate or lower-tiered Deluxe price range could be a home run. But when I hear "boutique" I think Grand Floridian-like pricing, and I just don't know if there's a market for that

There's a market for that.

 

[Tobias]

With the upcoming presentation, while there's a barrage of rumors pouring out, for Epcot I feel the stuff that has the best chance of being announced/talked about are the gondolas, Ratatouille and the UoE replacement since all of them have their permits out.

For the rumored Brazil pavilion, for me that would be a tease at best. If the rumor is true it'll be coming around 2022, I see D23 2019 being a more prime time to announce something like that.

Then of course we have the mystery of those at the call center getting pulled away for briefing/training, possibly linked to something at (or around) Epcot. My gut feeling for that is some kind of hotel, possibly that boutique Star Wars hotel rumor. It's certainly a wait and see situation that's admittedly a great unknown, well all know a transformation is coming to Epcot Center. The question is just how much of a transformation are they going to reveal this weekend.

As for Tron coming to MK, that's pretty up in the air right now. It would be a pleasant surprise if it's announced or teased, but I don't think that'll happen.

Either way, I'll admit I'm fairly excited for this presentation. We all saw Star Wars land coming, but right now here's a bunch of crazy rumors that might actually happen. An' if they do, batten down the hatches since we're in for a wild ride and a firestorm of tweets/discussion/a head or two blowing up...most likely due to GotG. (Myself I've previously stated I don't think GotG fits into Epcot, but I've comes to terms that it very well may happen, so I'm just hoping the ride is good so Epcot has one less piece of dead weight in Future World. Sorry UoE, I loved the original pre-show and ride system...but you were mainly good for a nap.)

 

[Imperius]

I'm hoping for a GOTG confirmation coming to UOE and not as a standard coaster. Also want more info on Star Wars.

 

[belloq87]

With respect to the gondolas, is that really the sort of announcement that would be made in a keynote-style presentation designed to get fans hyped? Would they use a chunk of their 90 minutes to talk about a new fleet of buses, or a new ferry?

It obviously won't surprise me if they announce the project, but the reality is that the gondolas are a transportation element that a relatively small percentage of Walt Disney World's guests are ever going to use. A passing mention of it in the context of greater resort-wide infrastructure updates seems like it would be more than enough; if they treat it like a big deal I'll be baffled as to the reasoning.