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Darkbeer
02-19-2004, 09:39 AM
http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al021904a.htm




Apparently Eisner took a ride in the new Tower of Terror at California Adventure (DCA) not too long ago and upon exiting loudly and boorishly pronounced the ride as being "way too short." Of course all the Imagineering types with him were quickly brought onto the carpet for this stunning revelation from on high, and Eisner then demanded to know why no one could see this very serious problem happening beforehand.

There was the expected mumbling and scuffing of shoes from everyone assembled, and finally one brave soul spoke up. He reminded Eisner that this attraction in its current form was exactly what Paul Pressler had wanted and everyone in the room pointed out how Pressler had pushed for changes during the planning of the attraction so as to save money on it. Apparently the loss of the atmospheric queue and the eliminating of the effects room the cars travel though in Florida (as they exit the first shaft before they get to the drop shaft) have made this ride in Eisner's mind not much more than a spiffed up Space Shot (um, er, Mailboomer) ride. I guess he was too busy micromanaging the ABC network's programming schedule to notice?

With Universal in both Hollywood and Orlando getting ready their new Mummy half dark/half coaster ride (which from what I have seen promises to be pretty amazing) its understandable that people at Disneyland are concerned their big new DCA attraction may be upstaged this summer. I guess Eisner just found out what the problem was.

SacTown Chronic
02-19-2004, 10:34 AM
It's amazing what you can see when you pull your head out of your butt.

innerSpaceman
02-19-2004, 11:34 AM
I think Eisner's quote should go into all advertising for the attraction.

Lani
02-19-2004, 11:56 AM
Originally posted by innerSpaceman
I think Eisner's quote should go into all advertising for the attraction. Oh, I can just see it now:


Terror is Coming!
..................-- to Disney's California Adventure park

"It's too short!" -- Michael Eisner

cemeinke
02-19-2004, 02:52 PM
A "midget" of an attraction ;)

Kevy Baby
02-19-2004, 03:00 PM
Typical short-sightedness

zapppop
02-19-2004, 04:20 PM
The terror is (short)coming May 2004 !

Not Afraid
02-19-2004, 04:40 PM
Tower of Terror.......Don't Blink!

Dlandmom
02-19-2004, 04:41 PM
In a way, I'm glad I haven't been to the WDW Tower of Terror. This way, I won't know how "short" the DCA ride is!

NirvanaMan
02-19-2004, 05:17 PM
Wait...what was that...

Oh..the ride....

mousey_girl
02-19-2004, 06:46 PM
Great, just was DCA needs, another Chew Chew train.

zapppop
02-19-2004, 06:57 PM
...minus 1 "chew" ;)

Morrigoon
02-19-2004, 09:23 PM
Pay peanuts get monkeys. I guess this ToT is simian to, but not up to the standard of, the Florida one...

MonorailMan
02-19-2004, 09:53 PM
Twilight Zone: Express

1/2 the experience, 3 times the speed. :)

9oldmen
02-19-2004, 10:52 PM
What a metaphor for the rest of DCA.

blusilva
02-19-2004, 11:01 PM
What does Eisner think he's going to accomplish by making such a pronouncement? Does he expect the Imagineers to add new elements to the attraction now?

Is he so insulated from the real world that he doesn't realize such a public vote of no confidence would make onto the Internet; and possibly, from there, into the mainstream media?

This man needs a personal PR handler to rein him in. His public displays of ignorance and arrogance are going to be his own undoing.

Morrigoon
02-19-2004, 11:07 PM
Hmm... as the CEO of a company making such a huge financial investment, you'd think he'd be more on top of this. If he doesn't like it, tough, he didn't do his job properly. The fact that he only now recognizes that he screwed up does not suddenly mean he's doing a good job, it just means he's only half as clueless as we'd otherwise think him.

Of course, there might have been more in the budget if he hadn't destroyed a hotel room in the GCH the week DCA opened. Temper, temper....

scaeagles
02-20-2004, 07:20 AM
Originally posted by blusilva
What does Eisner think he's going to accomplish by making such a pronouncement? Does he expect the Imagineers to add new elements to the attraction now?

To me it is obviously a CYA move. He is taking major heat right now. I would offer that this is simply a first step in damage control related to his management of the parks. By showing disappointment so publicly, he is communicating "this is not what I had envisioned" and is passing blame. I would predict more and more statements are made like this over the next few weeks in an attempt to make the public and/or press believe that he is shocked at what the parks have become, take credit for installing Ouimet and Emmer to turn things around, and generally wash his hands of what is wrong, blaming Pressler and Harriss.

Personally, I think in terms of personal PR, it is a great move. In terms of managing his people and looking out for what is best for DL, it is horrible and will not be good for morale or business.

sediment
02-20-2004, 07:24 AM
This has been known by subversive internet community since it was planned. Taking a walk through the archives to find when it was disclosed to us.
That he didn't know until now that it was too short will be welcome fodder for Roy and Stan.

sediment
02-20-2004, 07:44 AM
from
http://www.mouseplanet.com/archive/update38.htm

1/22/????

[And on a similar cutback note, the word is you shouldn't expect Tower of Terror to be the same as the big hit one in Florida. Cuts continue to take place that will probably leave it like so many DCA attractions, such complete disappointments.]

from
http://www.mouseplanet.com/archive/update13.htm

dated 3/2/2000 !!

Sometimes gathering material for this column can be, well... depressing.

[From someone in the know:

Looks like no more E-tickets at Disneyland. Armageddon will be put into California Adventure [DCA], but nothing goes into the main park for at least five years. No new lands, nothing. Maybe Pooh. that's all.

It seems all the suits are happy over Universal's IOA failure. Happy, happy. Which means no spending, even with attendance at Animal Kingdom in Orlando down, way way down.

I asked: Are they just banking on the return of the Electrical Parade for here? They continued:

Why bother even with spending even on that? People come anyway. The stock is down, so don't spend. The [DCA adjacent] mall is a draw they feel. The new Tower of Terror at DCA will also be a cut-down version. Half of what they did in Orlando. Why pay for more? Customers won't care. They will come. Things are bad.

It hurts to even think that, doesn't it? ]

SacTown Chronic
02-20-2004, 07:58 AM
Originally posted by scaeagles
To me it is obviously a CYA move. He is taking major heat right now. I would offer that this is simply a first step in damage control related to his management of the parks. By showing disappointment so publicly, he is communicating "this is not what I had envisioned" and is passing blame. I would predict more and more statements are made like this over the next few weeks in an attempt to make the public and/or press believe that he is shocked at what the parks have become, take credit for installing Ouimet and Emmer to turn things around, and generally wash his hands of what is wrong, blaming Pressler and Harriss.


The epitome of weak leadership.

Eisner knew that Pressler was squeezing the penny. Who do you think mandated it?

The buck stops with you Eisner.

hazlnut
02-20-2004, 08:01 AM
Originally posted by SacTown Chronic
It's amazing what you can see when you pull your head out of your butt.

Amazingly astute observation, Chronic... to the point of being ironic...

SacTown Chronic
02-20-2004, 08:18 AM
Did anyone else just feel a mighty wind? I know it wasn't my imagination cause I can smell it.

Darkbeer
02-20-2004, 09:58 AM
Funny, but an additional feature was greenlighted after Eisner rode the ride.....:eek:

sediment
02-20-2004, 10:21 AM
What was that, Darkbeer?

Eisner: "Make the ToT's rises and falls reflect that day's DIS stock price fluctuations!"
Or:
Eisner: "The exit shop is too small!! Make it bigger!!"