Making Memories vs. Paying the Bills - What the Future Holds for Disney Parks

Disney's business has been making money off of nostalgia and "remembering the magic" tugging on tear ducts as we remember our first time visiting the vacation kingdom(s). That feeling when you experience Peter Pan's Flight for the first time or hear the trumpeting fanfare of the Main Street Electrical Light Parade with anxiety and curiosities through your child's eyes even though you have seen it dozens of times. 

We all have our favorites but at what point is it time to say goodbye? Surely no one is thinking that Disney is expected to keep all shows and attractions operating as they were on October 1, 1971? Right? Can you imagine how boring that would be? 

There definitely is some discord with fans and guests with some of the recent announcements and rumors going around regarding the future of Disney theme parks. Let's take a look at some of these projects and see how people feel about them.

Current Attraction: THE TWILIGHT ZONE TOWER of TERROR 
Location: DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE   
Will Become: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY -  MISSION: BREAKOUT!
GUEST REACTION: HOT and WARM but cooling
 

Copyright Disney

 

When the rumor/news originally broke on WDWMagic.com by WDW1974, about this refurbishment for the Tower in Florida, people were outraged. Disney denied it and the attention quickly shifted focus to California (and eventually Paris) to concert their Tower attraction into Guardians of the Galaxy. When it was realized that the entire area around the Tower of Terror will be re-themed around Marvel then it makes sense. The California and Paris versions of Tower of Terror pale in comparison to the Florida and Tokyo versions so this actually may be a welcomed change. People are still upset but tempers are cooling as this refurb plays part of a much bigger project including a RnR-coaster/Cap America refurb plus more.

Current Attraction: THE TWILIGHT ZONE TOWER of TERROR 
Location: DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS   
Will Become: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY -  MISSION: BREAKOUT!
GUEST REACTION: NUCLEAR

Since Universal has the lock on 99.9% of all Marvel properties in the East Coast this does not make sense for Disney to pursue since "GotG" would stick out like a sore thumb at the end of Sunset Blvd.. Unlike DCA, this would not become a Marvel themed area and if it did would be pretty minimal. You may have heard this idea is dead...it is not.

Current Attraction: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
Location: Epcot   
Will Become: Disney - PIXAR Attraction Based on "Coco"
GUEST REACTION: UNKNOWN

  
It appears Donald & Co. will be waiting for their eviction notice in the form of box office totals once "Coco" is released in theaters Fall 2017. No details other than what you can currently dig and find from "Marni1971" and friends on WDWMagic.com. 


Current Attraction: The Great Movie Ride
Location: Disney Hollywood Studios   
Will Become: The Great Mickey Ride
GUEST REACTION: Split - Happy & Confused

 

 "If you are not going to update it, then put it out of it's misery" seems to be the sentiment of many online. Sure "The Great Movie Ride" will be missed but guests will be wowed with a new ride system (rumored to be borrowed/based off of the new Star Wars ride next door) based on the main mouse himself. This rumor has been bouncing around for years and seems to be finally materializing faster than the Wicked Witch of the East in Munchkin-land...or at least for now anyway. There is excitement in that they are FINALLY building a ride around Mickey Mouse but at the cost of a Disney classic. We will see what happens but I feel people will be ok with this one once they see what they come up with.

 

Current Attraction: The Universe of Energy
Location: Epcot   
Will Become: Guardians of the Galaxy
GUEST REACTION: Confused & Mad 

If the Tower of Terror (DHS) to Guardians of the Galaxy overhaul is nixed...this is "Plan B." How does this make any kind of sense for Future World much less Epcot? Anyone? Anyone? Please, if you have a sound reason or theory of how this fits we will be more than happy to publish your theory of how this supports the vision of Epcot.

So....what are your thoughts? Good? Bad? What are they thinking?  

Drop us an email at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

R.I.P. EPCOT Center/Epcot '94/Epcot '95/Epcot

Picture by "Justin at EPCOT" - http://justinatepcot.blogspot.com/2016_03_01_archive.html

By now you have probably heard the rumors of "new and exciting" additions coming to the Experimental Proto...aw hell who are we kidding...Epcot. On one hand the new additions excite me, replacing old stale attractions that need to be updated more than being replaced. It was once said:

To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome.

Epcot Center is inspired by Walt Disney's creative genius. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, the wonders of enterprise, and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.

May Epcot Center entertain, inform and inspire. And, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere. —E. Cardon Walker, October 24, 1982 

 Epcot is quickly becoming Magic Kingdom 2.0 with a bar and all you can eat buffet (for a price). With Donald and friends moving in at the Mexico pavilion and Elsa converting a pavilion based on a real nation into a fictitious land goes against everything Epcot stands for. Nemo at the Seas? It is cute but by no means gives you the excitement of our seas and what the depths of our planet have to offer.

Enter the latest rumors of converting one or more Future World pavilions into "Guardians of the Galaxy." It does not fit. It does not make sense. It does not celebrate human achievement through the "wonders of enterprise." The only place this ever could have fit within Epcot was when the "Great Movie Ride" was planned to be built next to the Journey into Imagination pavilion. 

 

But the Universe of Energy is old and boring and needs to be replaced. Yes you are correct...it does. Not at the expense of the concept and them of Epcot. You can't tell me with innovators like Elon Musk that human vision and ingenuity cant be expressed in new shows and attractions throughout the park. There is no reason Guardians of the Galaxy should be considered unless all options of the true spirit of Epcot have been exhausted. 

Society may be to blame. People no longer care about the nostalgia, history, vision and heritage of what the Imagineers and Walt Disney set out to do. I understand Walt did not have direct input on the theme park Epcot, however his ultimate vision of EPCOT led to the development of the theme park known as EPCOT Center/Epcot '94/Epcot '95/Epcot. People want quick thrills and no longer have the patience for story and dialogue that have made Disney (and Universal) attractions special. 

Putting Guardians in Future World is as bad as putting a Circus in the middle of...oh wait...nevermind. Not exactly the best fit.

Am I against the "Disney-fication" of Epcot? No. I do remember a time when Epcot had no characters except a few robots and a small dragon with his friend that found dreams. It wasn't until the outcry of guest feedback that led to the Fab 5 to enter the Future and the showcase of culture from other lands. I am willing to bet that there has never been an outcry by guests to add Guardians of the Galaxy.

Sure the new additions may be entertaining but doesn't exactly offer "hope to people everywhere."  

What are your thoughts? Will they eventually change the Epcot Dedication Plaque as Epcot continues to make changes away from its original vision?

Drop us an email at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com

 

When Reality Sets In

 Photo by Izzy's Squiggles

 

At this point we are all aware of the tragedy that struck a family visiting Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort & Spa last week. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved.

 

As you begin reading this post you may think the picture above was a poor choice associated with the current topic. The intention of this post is not to criticize the family or Disney, but to shed some light on a few realizations that many guests do not realize when visiting the most magical place in the world. It appears that Disney has started removing mentions of alligator jokes (Jungle Cruise) and other mentions of alligators in marketing and promotions across property. Out of respect for the family this is probably a great idea however not a solution to the problem.  

 

Walt Disney World has had an alligator problem for years and unfortunately not much has been done over the years to prevent the gators from infiltrating guest areas...in my opinion of course. Take for example years ago, prior to the Magic Kingdom opening for the day, a large alligator was found in a restroom in Tomorrowland. As hard as it is to believe, it is true. Many wonder how on Earth could that happen?  What many people probably do not realize is that many parts of Walt Disney World property are connected with small canals, waterways and retention ponds. No you won't see boats traveling these waterways and they are not intended for transportation. They exist to assist in drainage and are part of the infrastructure required to support the build-out of the numerous theme parks and resorts across property.

 

Why is this important? In a way these canals act as a funnel for water and wildlife including turtles, fish and alligators. Who lived there before the Dole Whips and Mickey Premium ice cream bars? Animals. 

 

True story. One day I was driving home from work traveling down World Drive and near the Osceola Parkway I quickly hit the brakes because there was a minivan parked halfway in the road off to the side. Being concerned that something was wrong I stopped to see if everything was ok. Before I opened my car door I noticed two people bending over with a camera trying to take a picture of an alligator. The gator was about four feet long and the tourists were closer than the length of the gator. I rolled down my window and explained they needed to get back in their car due to the danger. They laughed and continued to try to get the perfect picture explaining that it was just a small alligator. What they did not realize is that alligators are one of the fastest land animals in the world for short distances. I consider four feet (or less) a short distance. I shook my head, rolled up my window and drove off. This clip from "Jaws" immediately came to mind:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9AuBsvkZRw

 

With the knowledge of guests feeding the animals, I think there may be a bit of neglect on Disney's part in educating guests. If guests living in areas where alligators don't have no idea what to expect, then Disney should do a better job than just posting "No Swimming" signs on their beaches. See, when people enter Disney they enter a magical world where they feel safe. Why shouldn't they? They are paying premium rates for services that are known for "taking care of everything." The problem is how do you take care of nature? It is impossible for Disney to eliminate all gators off of property. It is not impossible for them to educate visitors on the "do's and dont's" when coming in contact with wildlife. 

 

What I hope does not happen is Disney eliminating content from the resort dealing with alligators ignoring the real problem. Does erasing "Ice Gator" and "Lagoona Gator" (pictured above) solve any problems? Does removing references of alligators from shows and attractions make it any safer? No. What does help is limiting the access, to the best of your ability, of alligators in guest areas while at the same time educating your guests on safety measures including areas to avoid and what to do in the event they come across one of these animals. How do you expect Disney to educate guests? They have done it in the past...

Copyright Disney

 

They could easily add another panel to this flyer exclaiming you should "respect" wildlife and other measures you may take to avoid unplanned animal encounters. Yes, Disney has erected a temporary fence at the Grand Floridian, but what will they do to keep them from funneling into the Rivers of America? or guest feeding them from the new Polynesian Bungalows? The fence is a public relations move respectfully, but gators can still get in guest areas. To fully prevent gators in the area they would have to build a fence from the edge of the Grand Floridian (closest to the Magic Kingdom) all the way around the Seven Seas Lagoon on BOTH sides of the resort. What? You mean to tell me there are gators by Shades of Green and golf courses? Yes. What about in EPCOT's World Showcase Lagoon? You mean the lagoon that is connected to the International Gateway and then travels all the way to the main entrance of Disney Hollywood Studios past woods and other non-guest areas? I wouldn't swim it. 

This blog post was not meant to try to scare anyone from going to Disney. Be smart. Be safe. If you see a gator, walk away and observe it from a safe distance.

 

What do you think? Should Disney do more to prevent potentially dangerous wildlife in guest areas? 

 

What are your thoughts? Drop us an email at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com
 

 

 

Dis(ney) & Dat

Today’s Cast Blast is sort of a grab bag from our column on MiceChat.com. We are sent small bits of info and stories from time to time that do not warrant an entire entry, so we thought we would put some of those together for you. These are interesting or fun facts that you may not be aware of.

• - Guests used to try to “check in” at the All Star Café located at the then “Disney’s Wide World of Sports.” The signature themed restaurant was located not far from the All-Star Resorts and there was some obvious name confusion.

• - When working in marketing, another name we considered for “Downtown Disney” at Walt Disney World included “The Disney District.”

• -Marketing and sales Cast Members began efforts to promote “MYST Island” an entire year before it was decided not to move forward with the project.

• We used to take a shortcut, to “Pride Rock” (Disney’s Animal Kingdom Cast cafeteria,) by walking through a dirt field that was located behind “Pocahontas and her Forest Friends.” There was a small concrete slab and loop where some would park knowing that one day it would become Beastly Kingdom. *That area is now ground zero for Avatar.

• One day I was working in guest relations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and a guest claiming to be a professional photographer called to have a special safari set up for him so he could take pictures of the animals. He wanted a personal vehicle to drive him around the savannah as he wished to get whatever shots he wanted. The more we spoke to him the angrier he became, because we were not able to fulfill his request. Turned out he was not a professional photographer at all and just a regular guest who was trying to get special access. We would get quite a few requests from guests claiming to be “professional photographer” in order to get special treatment. Please do not try this…it does not work.

• On the Epcot monorail station located at the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center), we adopted a wild crow and brought in bird seed for him to eat. Some called him Mr. Pee Pants. He would fly in and land on our hand, arm or shoulder. Little extra things like that really made it special.

• Prior to the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, all opening team Cast Members were involved with a pep rally that really made us all feel like one family. It took place in the then open-air “Theater in the Wild.” The overall theme was “up with people” and built the trust between various departments. There were a lot of unknowns with the park and it was a crucial event to make all the teams feel comfortable.

• One day I was driving home from work and I took an exit off of World Drive and had to come to a screeching stop. There was a minivan parked in the road with barely enough room to get around. I immediately thought something was wrong. Their hazard lights were on and I stopped and jumped out to see what I could do to help. A man rushed up to me and told me to be quiet. I looked and his wife was literally standing about six feet away from a four foot alligator that was in the retention pond in the middle of the exit loop. She was trying to take a picture and he wanted me to be quiet so I wouldn’t scare it away. I warned him that what they were doing was very dangerous, got in my car and drove away.

•  When the water cannon was originally installed at Splash Mountain, we would sometimes try to convince guests that we had the button that would shoot the water.
• At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, some guests would ask us if we had real dinosaurs. My friend would say “why do you think it took them so long to build the park?” Quite a few did think the dinosaurs were real.

Thank you for reading Cast Blast. We are currently working on stories dealing with Cast Members and celebrities. If you have any Cast Member stories involving celebrities please send them to DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com .

 

Free Cake in My Purse?

Happy 2014!  We have a lot going on for the new year and kicking it off with a retro story from 1998 from Mickey's birthday party at the Magic Kingdom. Also, the silly shenanigans of guests trying to sneak into the parks. OH MY!

Enjoy the latest post from the Disney Cast Blast!

Would you like to share your stories? 
Please e-mail them to disneycastblast@gmail.com NOW!

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Illuminations presented by Perkins

Submitted by: Anonymous

Photo by: The Disney Blog

I was a Cast Member at the House of Innoventions at Epcot. We were winding tours down for the night and a fellow tour guide and I were waiting to start the next tour. A big family came up and sat on the two benches to wait. There were about eight people in the group.

The youngest was a baby wearing nothing (not even shoes) but a nasty sagging diaper. In fact it looked like a pretty rough group that looked and smelled like they were there since before rope drop that morning. They took their shoes off and the smell was not pleasant in addition to the body odor.

They looked like they were about to pass out when the dad perked up and said "You know what we need to do?" as he looked at his watch. One of the teenage girls said "what daddy?"

At this point a I am thinking "We need to go see Illuminations" or "One last ride on Test Track" or "ride the big ball"......something.

He sits up on the bench and announces....."We need to go back to Perkins to get some of those banana pancakes again."

If you are a current or ex-Disney Cast Member and have a story or experience to share, please e-mail us at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com. All emails will be posted ANONYMOUSLY or by a nickname if you prefer.

World War Showcase

Submitted by: T.J. F.

Photo by: Discount Tickets Orlando

 

I worked custodial one summer on college program at World Showcase (edit: Epcot). I was working around the American Adventure and had a guest ask me where he could get a good beer. I explained to him that the best place was probably the Rose & Crown over at the UK pavilion.

He asked me the easiest shortest way to get there and I explained to him to just keep waling around the lagoon and eventually he would run right into it. He pointed straight ahead and said I just go this way. I walked him closer to the lagoon and said yeah and pointed across the lagoon a bit to the Rose & Crown and showed him where it was on the water front.

He pulled out his sweaty guidemap from his back pocket and I could not understand what the problem was. It wasn't that hard. Just keep walking. He asked if he had to go through the Morocco area to get there because he was not very fond of people from the middle east. I was in shock. Did not know what to say.

Not only was I in shock from the discriminatory statement but also the lack of knowledge in geography and culture. I told him to go back the way he came and follow it around and stay left. What an interesting experience to say the least.

You Mean I'm Gonna STAY This Size?

Submitted by: Dreamy&Figgy

Photo by: WDWINFO.COM

I was working at Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D movie at Epcot. During one of the shows the theater went dark and we had to evacuate. There were a few kids and one lady in particular who was freaking out because she was still "shrunk."

She said she was not leaving until we fixed everything and "make her big" again. She could not see outside from the first exit doors the way they are positioned. We walked her to the exit and showed her the exit doors at the top of the ramp leading outside.

If you are a current or ex-Disney Cast Member and have a story or experience to share, please e-mail us at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com. All emails will be posted ANONYMOUSLY or by a nickname if you prefer.

Remember to Take Small "bytes" While Eating

Submitted by: Ana Landeta

                                                                 Photo by: Makin' Memories
It is the year 1998, finally they have transferred me from the Cantina to the San Angel Inn Restaurant. Long waited "promotion" and amazing to be inside with air conditioning because life outside in the Food & Beverage Disney World is tough! 

 

It was a busy afternoon, as usual, the Iconic Pyramid at the Mexican Pavilion in EPCOT attracts hundreds of visitors, and being the first pavilion is definitely an advantage, or in this case also a disadvantage because sometimes, people don't really understand where they have just entered.

 

The Mexican restaurant is located at the back of the pyramid, the dimmed light makes it a nice ambiance pretending to be night time, as you enter the pyramid you find yourself in a Mexican market where carts are located selling Mexican handcrafts, on the left is a river that takes you on a boat ride throughout the Mexican Heritage and history, and far in the back of the building is the San Angel Inn Mexican Restaurant. From the restaurant you can see the boats passing by, and the tables are allocated along the shore, so it gives you the feeling of being in a terrace where paper mâché is hanging in lines making a fiesta next to the river.

 

As you approach the restaurant area, the first thing you encounter is the hostess podium. That's where we are.

 

As a hostess our job was to welcome our guests, give them a table; if it was too busy then, reserve them a space, take their names and call them once a table was available.

 

In the middle of the busy hour a short Asian gentleman approaches us, he greets us with his head, we reply bending our heads same way; slowly and without saying anything he continues his way entering the restaurant and at the top of the stairs looking down he stops, he takes his camera out, pulls his glasses down, looks back at us, looks back at the restaurant where the waiters are running back and forth, where the boats are passing by. He looks back at us, then looks back at the restaurant, smiles and starts taking pictures as there is no tomorrow, the shooter is on full speed and no one can stop him. He walks a few more steps closer to the tables below him, and continues to take pictures. 

 

We are mute looking in odd... He does it one more time, looks back at us, puts back his glasses, looks at the restaurant again, takes them off again, pulls back his camera and making a 360 he continues to take pictures.

 

He looks confused and finally we approach him.

 

ME: Is everything okay Sir?!

 

GUEST: mmhmm

 

ME: Sir? Excuse me, is everything ok, can I help you?

 

He looks back at me and smiles, finally he says.

 

GUEST: Ha! Yes! Tell me.

 

He puts on and off his glasses again, calls his lady that is in the back, when she comes, he grabs my arm and comes closer and says...

 

GUEST: Are they computerized?!

 

ME: ?????? 

ME: Excuse me sir?!?!?!

 

GUEST: Yes! That... 

 

(pointing out at the people eating at the restaurant)

GUEST: ARE THEY COMPUTERIZED?!

ME: eemm Sir? Do you refer to the people eating at the restaurant?!?!?!

 

GUEST: HA! Yes!! Are they Computerized?!?!


If you are a current or ex-Disney Cast Member and have a story or experience to share, please e-mail us at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com. All emails will be posted ANONYMOUSLY or by a nickname if you prefer.