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DL*Guy
07-29-2002, 06:29 PM
:confused: What do you guys think all those little facts add up to in AL's update today?:confused:

I think that maybe they are getting ready to do an overhall of the small park, I hope that it is a good thing the Mouse House is cooking up.:D

coronamouseman
07-29-2002, 09:29 PM
Comments on Al's update:

(1) Marketing guys getting axed: This happens all the time at big corporations - marketing guys live in a world where engineers and production people give them a sow's ear and expect marketing guys to sell silk purses for the highest price. How would you feel if you had revenue and attendance numbers to meet given DCA as your baby? You'd probably dust that resume immediately .........

(2) This new talk about a Disney presence in New York would seem that it could very much divert company resources from DCA and/or WDW improvements. With a Disney presence in Europe, one soon in Hong Kong and perhaps one in New York, one would think that Disney was not very much concerned with much more than maintaining the cash cows of Disneyland Resort and WDW as they concentrated on bringing new attractions to other regions. Perhaps Disney now feels that the post 9/11 era means a lot less long-distance travel and the need for more regionalized parks........

(3) Can't believe anything more happening to DCA in the future other than getting new rides (FFF and then ToT and maybe RnR coaster) - just those 3 would probably bel enough to make park more desirable and garner full admissions.

coronamouseman
07-29-2002, 09:38 PM
One last comment on Al's rumor of DisneySea park in Shanghai - this makes no sense at all.

DisneySea works because it has Tokyo Disneyland next door - it doesn't work the other way round. Look at WDW - the first park they opened was MK and for good reason - TDL, WDW MK and DL are the three most popular parks in the world because they are the true embodiment of a Disney park and the true centerpiece of each of those resort areas. TDS does not have the link to the Disney cartoons and movies and other media that DL, TDL, MK and DLP exhibit - and since synergy between Disney productions is key in helping to drive demand for Disney park guests of the younger age, one has to believe that Disney will repeat their past resort success with a Disneyland-type park in Shanghai as their first (if they are going to have multiple gates) park in that area.

TDS makes a lot more sense in WDW or even DLR at some point in time, but then again, if regional parks are what Disney is looking for, why not a DisneySea in San Francisco, Seattle, Houston or New Orleans where they actually have an ocean or gulf nearby? Hey, is that Long Beach we hear crying in the background now that they see what Disney did in Tokyo?

Flynn
07-30-2002, 10:34 AM
Originally posted by coronamouseman


(1) Marketing guys getting axed: This happens all the time at big corporations - marketing guys live in a world where engineers and production people give them a sow's ear and expect marketing guys to sell silk purses for the highest price. How would you feel if you had revenue and attendance numbers to meet given DCA as your baby? You'd probably dust that resume immediately .........



Personally, I tend to see the other side of this. Marketing guys I've heard of (and experienced) tend to promise the customers the world, and then expect engineering to try and figure out a way to accomplish it. Typically with no budget or time. Then, when the whole thing fails to live up to the marketer's promises, engineering gets blamed.

True, this is a sweeping generalization, but so was the point being countered. No doubt there are unscrupulous engineers and noble marketers, but...

coronamouseman
07-30-2002, 01:34 PM
Flynn - yes, in some cases the marketing folks are the ones who specify the product and thus they are to blame for asking the engineers for something that won't sell.

But it seems to me that Disney parks seem to be under the control of upper management and they make the decisions as to what can be spent on attractions and then pass that on to the imagneers for designs. And the marketerrs get to see what's coming down the road in 3 years and then build their plans from there.

Remember all of the problems with Test Track at Epcot - ads and hype all over the place for the opening and then everything went dead for two years as they had to shake out all of the problems. So it seems that Disney marketeers are now very cautious about announcing or hyping things too soon now.

Flynn
07-31-2002, 08:54 AM
You make a good point, and I fully acknowledge that in this situation, that is the case. My objection was to the fact that it appeared you were making a blanket statement regarding all marketers. I've known too many evil marketing guys (and ladies) to let them get a free ride like that.

Also, while engineers may get their plans started 3 years ahead of time, things often change. Budgets are cut, the company's focus changes, new ideas are added or fundimental concepts reviewed. As you noted, upper management calls the shots. (In other words, let's stop arguing about the engineers and marketers and blame this all on the suits.)

TomSawyer
07-31-2002, 10:51 AM
It sounds to me like someone very high up - maybe Eisner himself - has told TDA to stop spending money without a clear direction. I imagine he's told them to present a clear and detailed plan on how to increase attendance at the park.

When management panics, they tend to do things without thinking them through all the way, and this seems to be some of what is happening at DCA. Eisner is no fool when it comes to marketing and show, and he's probably told Braverman and Harris to stop throwing money at problems instead of trying to figure out what caused the problem to begin with.

I suspect we'll start seeing a more focused marketing and infrastructure plan at DCA in the next few months.