EE Yeti

[lockedoutlogic]

Huh. I typically can find some common ground with you on most of what you say and I think that, by and large, we agree on more than we disagree on.

But I think you're completely wrong with this one. I, in fact, think it's the exact opposite. I bet if you had access to the numbers you would see an almost immediate spike in theme park attendance as soon as a new, big budget, highly publicized attraction is open.

I'm not talking about the Laugh Floor or minor additions like that. But your Everests, your Soarins, your Toy Story Manias ... I think they add immediately and impactfully to the bottom line from day one.

Do I have stats to back that up? No. Disney doesn't release numbers with enough granularity to prove that out. But to me it's common sense. Why? Why else would they spend hundreds of millions of dollars opening new blockbuster attractions?

I've seen Mufasa lurking around the boards lately ... I would love to hear him chime in on this topic ...

I would think that there would be a spike.....

But i strongly believe it isn't sustained due to any ride or attraction.

Of course you get a bump...remember that at least 50% of WDW's travelers at anytime are repeat guests (fact)....so they would naturally gravitate to what's on the commercials and brochures.....
but a few months (say....six) down the line....the attendance is back to be a mechanism of the demand for each park as a whole.....kinda why they always rank the same way in numbers....don't you think.

The overall yearly volume has NOTHING to do with a ride. It makes no sense that a significant statistical sample of 50 million visitors are going there for one thing....
the numbers are too great.....and disney world still costs too much for this kinda casual consumption (I REALLY don't think some of you are giving this point enough thought.....)

I would be interested in Mufasa's take as well....

And the last thing: ask yourself what a new attraction is to the management?

in 1958......it clearly was mostly to generate fun and draw....not for sheer bottomline.

I would strongly suggest that those who really hold the strings to the puppet now view new "mountains" as nothing but necessary evil.

They don't directly yield much to revenue...which is the primary goal.....but they are still an entertainment enterprise...and know that they still have to put out the perception.

Do i think they would ride what they have into the ground if it wouldn't eventually lead to decline?
Absolutely.....nobody named "Disney" in charge anymore....and the money is the CEO now....has been for years

[Mufasa]

My take on this thread? It seems to follow a trend of going off-topic and looks to rehash a lot of the same statements as quite a number of the other threads around here lately.

So as I read through the messages in this particular thread it pains me to see a lot of misinformation and misconceptions stated here as indisputable fact but who am I to question the "experts" and what they might have gathered because after all, they've done their extensive research on the Internet or are drawing from their own vast personal knowledge.

After all, what makes me even "qualified" to offer my opinion?

Now, I've taken and passed my NCEES PE exams and am board licensed as the majority of my fellow engineering colleagues at WDI are and though I personally might pursue as much CE work to keep up to date and further my own knowledge I suppose none of that counts towards any "real" engineering foundation but hey, if you needed me to pick out some paint colors or plant a few trees and shrubs I'm just the person.

If you really want to be impressed then you should see what I can do with a spreadsheet! Now, I don't mean to brag but when I get really fancy, I might just throw in a pie chart (and that's when I can really shine and show off all those skills I've developed at picking pretty colors).

And I can't overlook perhaps my greatest accomplishment and what really has won me favors from management- the awesomeness of how I handle a rubber stamp without smearing any of the ink.

Of course, I only got to that position when I convinced management how we could see a 50% reduction in cost by changing our stamps from saying "DONE" to simply "OK" (because those extra 2 letters are expensive!)

Now that I think about it, if this all doesn't work out I might just work out as an associate at a home improvement store.

Truth is- it is probably better that I focus the majority of my time and efforts back to my graduate school studies and leave the Monday morning quarterback commentary to someone else so I just might have some chance to call myself a "real" engineer some day.

On the topic of the Yeti itself- it deeply saddens me to know that guests are not experiencing our originally intended vision and hope it gets corrected quickly because it is important to the quality of the storytelling and guests should expect no less.

I never for a moment believe or assume that the majority our guests probably don't notice these things so why does it matter? Because it personally matters to me- it comes down to pride so to know that something is broken and is just being presented that way is not a good feeling.

[big blue and hairy]

Actually it seems to me that the only thing everyone here agrees on is that they would like to see the Yeti fixed. The thing that seems to me to be the subject of debate is if this is the best time to do since the economy is not cooperating.

I have a very specific question for Mufasa that I don't even know if you can answer. Would the money to fix the big hairy guy come from a different budget, or is what a lot of folks here are afraid of the case, the money spent to fix him could affect employees and other projects.

[DizneyRox]

Let me be the first to say, the paint job and landscaping is top notch over at EE (except for the unpainted back which is of course another instance of bad show but I'll let that slide).

It almost looks real!

[big blue and hairy]

Seriously, I see no purpose in belittling all the Imagineers. Of course there are things in the parks we like and don't like, but the Imagineers do an amazing job. I'm sure there things the Imagineers disagree on. WDW is still so far ahead of any non-Disney park it's ridiculous.

I don't think I did, but Mufasa, if I said anything that sounded like a put down of Imagineers, I didn't intend it that way and I apologize.