Fifth WDW theme park not coming forth anytime soon

[Loomis]

Fifth WDW theme park not coming forth anytime soon

Jim Hill reports:

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles ... hp?ID=1740

Be warned: he uses the phrase "Kids today..."

The paragraph that grabbed my attention was this one:

Of course, given the struggles that we've seen Hong Kong Disneyland go through these past two months, as that newly opened theme park tries to find its footing ... it's become painfully obvious that there is no such thing as a sure success. But -- that said -- the Mouse is still betting heavily on international expansion as being the swiftest path to strong returns on the company's initial investment. Which is why pre-development work is already well underway on the theme park proposed for Shanghai, while sites are supposedly being sought for future projects in Singapore, India and Australia.

(Emphasis mine)

[Escapay]

I'd love to see a Disneyland in Australia, simply so I'll have MORE incentive to go there!

The article does its job of saying that Disney, as usual, is still a money-grubbing conglomerate. Too bad it's true.

As for a fifth park at WDW, what the hell would they focus it on? Florida Adventure? I hope not! Villian's World? Hardly. Pixarland? Possibly. It's best that they don't add another park, they should FIX the others first. Epcot is my favorite park, but is frightfully dull for most everyone and is more of a glorified marketplace with a few choice rides and walk-throughs. Expand it beyond Future World and World Showcase. Update Spaceship Earth, but keep it intact! Who wants a Space-Mountain-esque rollercoaster in a golf ball anyway? Restore Wonders of Life, or at least build something more around it. The Land got a breath of fresh air with Soarin and their new quick-service area, but it could do with more tweaks as well. And Imagination should razed down and built again from scratch.

I remember back in the 90s when they were saying they'll put a park in Virginia, something like Disney's America or whatnot, and it'd be a historical park, Disney-style. The Virginians got all up in arms about it, so they canned it before it even started. That kinda upset me, cause Virginia's only like a 2-3 hour drive from home.

Escapay

[I am the Doctor]

Why would anyone want a fifth theme park in Florida? (Other than Disney shareholders and executives). Currently it's hard enough for most families to visit the four theme parks that are already there! For most families, a Disney vacation is one of the most expensive and adding a fifth theme park would just add to the cost. Stick with updating the current parks, and making them better.

[cornelious]

Epcot is my favorite park, but is frightfully dull for most everyone and is more of a glorified marketplace with a few choice rides and walk-throughs. Expand it beyond Future World and World Showcase.

I totally agree with this, I think the World Showcase in Epcot is amazing however I think Future World is begining to look a tad dated. Dispite recent efforts I also believe that they need a few more attractions down that bottom end.

I also think that Animal kingdom needs a bit of attention and prehaps changing Tarzan Rocks is a bad idea.

[Loomis]

I was looking for a place to post this, and it seems an appropriate spot as any.

Although it could easily fit into the 'Should there be more Disney parks?' or 'Disney Parks Executive Shuffle - What it All Means'threads, I put it here because it is more about the plateau that WDW has hit, and the big expansion that Anaheim has planned for the next few years (a new E-Ticket in 2007, and another planned by the end of the decade).

http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al121305b.htm

WDW has hit a major plateau in recent years, and there's a school of thought gaining popularity in Burbank that WDW has almost fully matured and is no longer an area of potential growth for the company. The WDW hotel occupancy rates have been stuck in the 70's for several years now, and the massive marketing campaign trying to tie in with Disneyland's 50th has fallen a bit flat and hasn't driven the expected attendance gains they were hoping for. (We already told you how poorly the "Happiest Celebration On Earth" merchandise was selling out at WDW.)

Anaheim, on the other hand, has surprised Burbank with the incredible strength of the 50th promotion and the record attendance it's brought in. The three Anaheim hotels Disney owns have seen their occupancy rates hover above 95% for quite a while now, and the plans for an additional Disney hotel in Anaheim are moving forward. There's also plenty of work underway, and soon to begin, at DCA as part of the attempt to retheme and rebrand that struggling theme park. Matt is determined to see DCA succeed on its own, rather than just being the extra theme park next door where people go as a consolation prize when Disneyland gets too crowded or when they shut down the turnstiles for the day.

In addition, the popularity of Downtown Disney has continued, and even during the brief recession of '01 and '02 the upscale mall couldn't get people in to its stores and restaurants fast enough every weekend. A major expansion of Downtown Disney is slated to begin just as soon as the 50th events end next year. The west coast premiere of the Disney Cruise Line went over very well this past summer, and it's currently planned as the next location for Disney's third ship, for at least 6 to 8 months out of every year.

And of course there's all of the attention Matt has given Disneyland over the past 24 months, with a major new E Ticket set to open in '07, and plans for an additional Disneyland E Ticket by the end of the decade, plus a few smaller rides and major new entertainment for both Disneyland and DCA. Matt is excited about all of those growth opportunities for the Anaheim property, and he sees a lot of potential in the 30 Million affluent locals who live within two freeway hours of Disneyland, in addition to the very strong numbers Disneyland has seen this year from the western domestic markets like the Bay Area, Portland, Seattle and Phoenix.