DISCUSSION: Disney's Golden Opportunity - Motley Fool, 5/5/05

[Darkbeer]

http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2005/commentary05050501.htm

While Disney was building Dumbo clones, places like Islands of Adventure were erecting state-of-the-art theme parks with dark rides like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, which Disney has yet to outdo stateside.

With its two newest domestic parks drawing the lowest attendance and operating under the shortest hours, it just drove home how far Disney had strayed from the quality formula that drew tens of millions annually to its other theme parks.

While I wrote a more biting critique of the shortcomings at Animal Kingdom, I was even more disillusioned after my first visit to Disney's California Adventure this past summer. How can a park this expensive feel so hollow?

As for the theme parks, let's hope that Iger takes the technological baton and spares no expense to make it sing. Let Disney remember how important it is to stand out as an attraction worth driving to from Toledo, flying to from Dublin, and walking to from the parking lot.

This isn't just a golden anniversary. It's a golden opportunity.

[ni_teach]

Disney's California Adventure. How can a park this expensive feel so hollow?

Ouch!

[robotpirates]

At first I thought that article was going to be a scathing one, but I'm glad it ended on an optimistic end.

I think it's very true. This is Iger/Ouimet/etc's time to get the place truly magical after the 50th hullaboo is over. I think the next couple of years are not only going to be interesting for us, but essential in bringing great things to the park. We'll see where we end up!

[robotpirates]

Disney's California Adventure. How can a park this expensive feel so hollow?

Ouch!

I know I have no authority to talk about DCA considering I've never been there (don't have an AP nor do I want to spend the money to go when DL is right over there), but whenever I pass DCA, it looks like an empty shell.

[Fantasmic!]

I remember when I first went to DCA (after several trips to Disneyland as a child/teenager where we would spend 2 to 3 days at a time at the park and not have enough time to see everything) - I was in college and my dad and I were completely surprised that despite having never seen the park before, we felt like we had "done" the whole park fairly early in the afternoon. A first-time trip to a Disney park should never be like that. Today, DCA is just an extra to Disneyland - ride Soarin' and Screamin' and head back across the way. I agree with the author of the article that Disney (and Iger) have a great chance to bring the theme parks and the Disney brand closer to what it once was, but we will just have to wait and see what they do with that opportunity.

[BigThunder]

Time to buy DIS

[ZedIzDead]

With all the media attention that DL is getting today, leave it to DB to find an anti DIsney story.

[dshimel]

With all the media attention that DL is getting today, leave it to DB to find an anti DIsney story.

It is not anti-Disney. It is HONEST!!!! DAK was underwhelming, opening with 2 real rides and a 3d movie.... DCA is even worse.... NO MAGIC!



That isn't anti-Disney, that is honesty.

It is a hopefull article. Hopefull that Disney will stop building crap like DCA...

[ni_teach]

With all the media attention that DL is getting today, leave it to DB to find an anti DIsney story.

Hey, DarkBeer has to do something while he uploads his 1,500 pictures!

[Fantasmico!]

Golden Opportunity is right. are you listening Bob Iger and Matt Ouimett?

[crinklebat]

I have to say that I couldn't take this article seriously once he held up the Exterminator at Kennywood as an example of a decent dark ride at a non Dis park. Exterminator was awful. I had never been to a non-Dis park other than Magic Mtn or Universal Studios (and I know what kind of quality to expect from those) and I went in thinking it wasn't going to be great but it would at least be interesting. It was a run of the mill spook house...couldn't even see the props, the lighting was so poor, and what I did see was not convincing. I was not at all impressed.

So, while he makes some good points, anyone who's been on this ride will probably agree with me that it's not a winner.

[JiminyCricketFan]

Time will tell

Time will tell if Iger is really going to improve the parks. I really hope so. I believe we should give him the benefit of the doubt now. But he has not made any decisions on his own yet. He made a statement that he thinks that the growth of Disney lies with selling more overseas. I think that is a worrisome remark. He seems to be focused on just increasing profits and not value to Disney. One needs to do both. Time will tell how things turn out. :botox: If he really is a clone of Eisner, we have much to worry about. :monkey: