Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Blue Sky Buzz(Mini Update): Name Calling...


Since this is the traditional day we all gives gifts, I felt a small gift to you Disney Fans/Geeks of what is going on inside the Mouse might be appropriate...

Time marches on.

And so does the Disneyland Resort. The economic downturn has put a cramp into those plans the Mouse has had for more global expansion. As of now, it really hasn't canceled much, so much as delayed several projects. Disneyland has the luxury of having had its budget mostly planned out for a while now, which means it will hopefully be spared the brunt of the cuts from the corporate blade over the next few years(except the entertainment department which has received several cuts because of the slowdown). The Bothans have been busy, but nervous and not very talkative. I figured it was time to give you a bit of perspective and a smattering of news that may or may not change over the next year or two...

First off, you've noticed we talked a while ago about the possibility of DCA getting a name change by the tenth anniversary of the mistake... errr, I mean opening. Freudian slip there, sorry. Well, plans come and plans go and plans change sometimes comes in different ways. It appears that the current idea is to call the park:

Disney's California Adventure.

Nice ring to that. Sounds Familiar, doesn't it?

It appears the current line of thinking is to have the park themed to all the wonders that come out of California and to reflect it in the show details and rides. So just because Ariel is in the pier doesn't mean she isn't from the Golden State... Disney's version was born here. And that is the direction they seem to be headed. This isn't going to be a park celebrating California, it's going to be a park celebrating "Disney's" California.

Most of the project are moving ahead, but some of the things you see on that model in the Blue Sky Cellar(That's a nice name for a cellar, btw.) won't look the same by the time 2012 gets around. You already know that the Green Army Men parachute drop where Maliboomer is/was/will be? won't be going in. This model is almost three years old and is the original one presented during the first proposal to Iger. That's why the name on the Sun Wheel/Fun Wheel is different as well. The plans for the Maliboomer have fluctuated, but it appears as of now, because of the cost of removal the Maliboomer won't be going anywhere anytime soon. It's not scheduled for the dozer till at least 2011, if then. Since taking it out would result in far more cost than expected, this cost would have to come from the budgets allotted to other attractions and Imagineers don't want that to happen. So unless more money becomes available by that time expect to see a retheming of the attraction to match the Victorian sea-side pier it now inhabits. The Fun Wheel will not look the same either. Gone is the exterior walkway around the Fun Wheel with its two little gazebos, this is considered nice eye candy, but an expensive decorative effort that could be used in actual attractions and that is the reason people come... isn't it? The Imagineers have cut some of these thematic elements so as to have this money available for, say The Little Mermaid ride. Better to cut some of those areas than an actual attraction the Bothans tell me... and on this I agree. It's also not that we won't be getting a lot more theming because we will. These areas will have additional layers of detail added to them as the years go by. Should this expansion be successful, expect some of the theming to be worked into future budgets.

As for Mermaid and Carsland(now there's a name I want changed!), these projects are moving ahead at full speed. They will have very generous budgets and will be great crowd generators. I wish to say that it's my belief that DCA's first "Tokyo Disney" quality attraction will be Mermaid. It's going to be on par with Pooh's Hunny Hunt in TDL's Fantasyland or even the new Monster's ride in their Tomorrowland. And when that reproduction of Radiator Springs opens up you can expect a whole completely different perception of this park. It truly is going to be a shining jewel in the Imagineers' cap. Overall, the park has a bright future that will make it a very worthy sister-park in 2012... Not that there aren't/shouldn't be things that are in need of change, additional theming or removal. But that is for the Second Phase of expansion which depends on the success of the first.

Also, over in Hollywoodland(now known as Hollywood Backlot), the plans for the Muppets redo are still in flux as they decide if they're going forward with the Narnia retheme. The box office numbers were less than what the Mouse expected and it's not known if this or another planned attraction will move into the Muppets old home. Something will go there, but it may not be C.S. Lewis' children's fairytale.

The expansion/redo of the Disneyland Hotel is supposed to start late next year or at the latest early 2010, but that all depends on when it is announced. Right now the plan was for early next year to make the announcement but with economy it could be delayed. The tentative plan is to have the rethemed DLH up and going by 2012-13... again, all this depends on how quickly the economy gets firing back on all cylinders.

Now, some additional info about our parks in the East...

Tokyo Disneyland with the Japanese economy felt that those Urban Entertainment Centers(UEC) that WDI had been designing for the Oriental Land Company turned out to be financially unfeasible at this time. So they were shelved much to the disappointment of Imagineers. There are still plans underway for at least one E-Ticket for TDS in a couple years and the possibility of another couple D's if all goes well. As for Tokyo Disneyland, I haven't heard anything really noteworthy... at least not yet. We should start hearing more news come the first few months of 2009.

Hong Kong should see an announcement by next summer at the latest as the agreements between the city and Mouse should be finalized by the beginning of the new year. Hopefully the HK Officials won't throw anymore monkey wrenches in the plans. Also expect an announcement about the much rumored Shanghai park by late summer at the latest. I'd be surprised if not sooner. We should be pleasantly surprised by this park as the situation for it should come out dramatically different than HKDL.

Well, that's going to be it for now. The Bothans have been busy and much more tight-lipped than earlier this year. It appears that the economic climate means less work and with budgets tightening some could find themselves looking for work. This makes them a little more hesitant with the details. As the economy expands we should start to hear more news from both them and TeamDisney Burbank. Here's to a great 2009 for Disney and ourselves...

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the post Honor! The next few years should be very interesting.
Since this is another Blue Sky Buzz, that means that the usual characters will probably be making comments here. So as long as there is attention here from all of the major Disney boards, I'm going to take this opportunity to drop a metaphorical bomb. This may seem very random and sudden, but its still very relavant;

Every Disney message board that includes the words "mouse", "mice", "laughing", "doom", "tales", or "visions" in their title have many (not all, but many) members that are completely ignorant, and/or self-absorbed teenagers whom are only concerned with their own selfish agendas and don't really give a damn about Walt Disney. Some of these individuals are also bigots. They are very insulting, rude, and enjoy belittling, patronizing, and making fun of anyone that they disagree with. Its NOT cool.
And incidentally, youtube members who discuss Disney can be just as bad, since most of them are the same members from those Disney boards anyway.

Just because a person is on the Internet, that does not mean that they have to lose their filter, become a coward and spew insults at a faceless screen name because they are hiding behind a computer and feel like they can get away with it.

Or what's worse, some of these individuals have gross misinformation about Walt Disney. Its sickening.


Facts are facts.
Walt did NOT want attractions to stay the same forever. He WANTED Disneyland to change to reflect public tastes and new advancements in technology. Walt knew this better than anyone.

And yet, some of the members from all of those Disney boards only care about their own selfish wants and desires. They want attractions to stay the same forever and ever, and never be touched. That blatantly goes against what Walt wanted Disneyland to be.
The park was meant to have changes and updates. That is what Walt wanted. (That philosophy should ring true for every Disney park)

Facts cannot be disputed. OR twisted. Walt Disney did NOT want attractions to stay the same forever. He wanted the park to have changes. END OF STORY. CASE CLOSED. That cannot be argued.

Look, I'm not saying that everything is perfect today. I'm not saying that at all. But here's a newsflash; things were not always "sunshine and lollipops" in Walt's time either. Walt was not a God. He was a human being capable of making mistakes. He did not do everything on his own. He had a whole team of people who helped him get things done. Again, Facts are facts.
All we can ever hope is for Walt's beliefs to be kept alive today. And as far as wanting to make updates and changes in the parks, they ARE being kept alive.

And it doesn't just apply to Disneyland. Change is a part of life. I mean, nothing stays the same forever. That's a lesson that even Sesame Street teaches kids.

Spokker said...

lol

Anonymous said...

And... where's the part about WDW?

Anonymous said...

Can you also please tell us, what's going on at Disneyland Paris at the moment? Thanks and Merry Christmas

Anonymous said...

Honor, do you have a direct means of communication for your Bothans to reach you, or do you rely on what shows up here?

Potential Bothen

Anonymous said...

“The plans for the Maliboomer have fluctuated, but it appears as of now, because of the cost of removal the Maliboomer won't be going anywhere anytime soon. It's not scheduled for the dozer till at least 2011, if then. Since taking it out would result in far more cost than expected, this cost would have to come from the budgets allotted to other attractions and Imagineers don't want that to happen.”

The cost of demoing the Maliboomer (or any attraction) should have been figured into the original budget. I don’t see how it would all of a sudden cost more, especially now with the depressed economy.


”The Fun Wheel will not look the same either. Gone is the exterior walkway around the Fun Wheel with its two little gazebos, this is considered nice eye candy, but an expensive decorative effort that could be used in actual attractions and that is the reason people come... isn't it?”

If they are just going to skip all of the themeing efforts they had planned, what’s the result going to be? Just the same park with some additional attractions. They did that before with ToT, Flicks Fun Fair, etc.


”As for Mermaid and Carsland(now there's a name I want changed!), these projects are moving ahead at full speed. They will have very generous budgets and will be great crowd generators. I wish to say that it's my belief that DCA's first "Tokyo Disney" quality attraction will be Mermaid. It's going to be on par with Pooh's Hunny Hunt in TDL's Fantasyland or even the new Monster's ride in their Tomorrowland. And when that reproduction of Radiator Springs opens up you can expect a whole completely different perception of this park. It truly is going to be a shining jewel in the Imagineers' cap. Overall, the park has a bright future that will make it a very worthy sister-park in 2012... Not that there aren't/shouldn't be things that are in need of change, additional theming or removal. But that is for the Second Phase of expansion which depends on the success of the first.”

I really don’t see Mermaid as being as significant as you do. The original concept that had the suspended vehicle (ala Peter Pan), that was virtually mocked up on the Mermaid DVD, was much more intriguing. The current flat dark ride doesn’t really spark any real enthusiasm (except probably for serious Mermaid fans).

As for Carsland, the project hasn’t really hit it’s reality check yet. When they sit down to assess all the rockwork it will entail (more than anything Disney has done so far – Expedition Everest, TDS’ Caldera), reality may set in. The budget for that alone would probably take a quarter of the entire enhancement budget. Whether they will actually let the project continue without some major cuts will be interesting.

Anonymous said...

I am really sad to hear the walkway around the fun wheel wont be built. How much could that really cost to build? I would take that over an update to the muppet building for sure.
~Disney Vault

Spokker said...

Honor Hunter is a nice guy and his blog is fun to read, but remember these are just rumors.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing Honor. It's interesting for us Disney park fans to watch this truly unique time in the parks' history shape and unfold, isn't it?

Right now, it seems that top management is seriously intent on repairing the damage done to it's struggling parks that debuted under Eisner's last half decade, before moving forward with blessing it's better performing parks with new goodies. Did you catch those news stories coming out of the Chinese papers reporting the 650 mil (USD) the Disney company is spending on expanding HKDL by 2011 without a cent of that money being invested from it's partner, the Hong Kong government?

So with DCA's confirmed budeget of 700 mil (according to Honor) and HKDL's 650 mil, even during a recession Disney is investing nearly 1.5 billion on improving just TWO of it's eleven parks (9 if you don't count Tokyo). That's impressive. Hopefully the other parks don't get left behind on the development side of things during the process of fixing up the struggling parks. But if the new management is the type of team who is willing to spend that kind of money on embellishing just two parks, I am fairly confident they have a solid idea of the need to give their imaginears some serious cash to bring the people into the parks.

Spokker said...

"Hopefully the other parks don't get left behind on the development side of things during the process of fixing up the struggling parks."

It's already happening in my opinion. WDW is in the worst shape. I have no clue they are thinking running that circus down in Florida.

DCA is the only American park with a long-term plan. Where is Disneyland's long-term plan? The last E-Ticket was Indiana Jones in 1995. Where are the plans for Tomorrowland? Where are the plans for the lifeless areas of the park that badly need refurbishment?

Instead of investment they are talking about entertainment cuts at Disneyland. Expect to see a lot of cast members laid off, and not just seasonal types. Entertainment is the first to take a hit, but I wonder how far the recession virus will spread.

To make up for the cuts they are practically giving the park away in 2009 with this free birthday admission nonsense. Please, they are cutting off their nose to spite the face.

Disneyland is the last Disney park that needs cuts right now.

Anonymous said...

The last E-Ticket was Nemo last year. Quite wanting everything now, Now, NOW! Spokker, Disneyland's very lucky to have Tony Baxter in charge. From what I hear, you'll be getting a lot of tlc by the time the 55th rolls around. Can you wait that long without whining, Spokker?

Anonymous said...

Rumors? You mean like when he mentioned that there would be a Mickey Mouse on the Sun Wheel? Or when he announced that the new water show was going to be called Disney's World of Color when Al Lutz and others were still calling it Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color? That kind of rumor? I tend to find Honor's Blue Sky Buzz reports far more accurate than most other sites. Keep up the work and don't mind the cranky naggers that troll these sites just to complain all the time HH!

Anonymous said...

"It's already happening in my opinion."

I'll agree that WDW always seems to be the last to get new attractions, but I think its jumping the gun to say that it and Disneyland are getting left behind NOW because with the exception of part of the pier in DCA, not even that park's or HKDL's expansion is fully off the ground....yet. As we have heard time and again, mainly from Honor, the plan for all the parks to have their most fruitful season seem to point to the 2011/12 time frame. So there is still time for plans to expand WDW and Disneyland to be approved.

Wishful thinking you say? Not if you consider the fact that management has ALREADY approved over 2 billion dollars worth of expansion projects to be ready by that time frame in HK, Cali, and Hawaii. 2 BILLION... In a global recession no less. Why spend so much money? Because they know that they need to. AND that the resession will probably be over by then. Are they under the mistaken impression that they don't need to invest so heavily in WDW and Disneyland by that time? We'll have to wait and see. But I think it comes down to more of determining which plans go forward and which don't. With DCA and Hong Kong it was easier. Which plans go forward? All of em, because those places need it. It's not so cut and dry with the other parks. Do they need expansion? Sure, but how much do you actually spend on developing parks that are already doing fairly well during a global recession when you are already spending over 2 billion on new construction costs elsewhere? Good question. They are probably still sorting out the answer. And we will find out their solution soon enough. But, it still is not too late to make plans to open new attractions in any of the parks by the 2011/2012 timeframe.

And we need to remember, these are just rumors anyway.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the first Anonymous' post. Those complainers should be banned from the Disney fan community forever.

Even though Honor Hunter does tend to be a bit of a complainer himself and needs to quit his constant whining about such things as Jay Rasulo, Carsland's name, WDW's current Tiki Room show, etc. and start appreciating them more for what they are, at least sites like this have better heads on their shoulders than MiceAge, Laughingplace.com, WDWMagic, Epcot Central, Re-Imagineering, etc. ever will in a million years.

Anonymous said...

And another thing...

I can't see DCA eliminating Muppet-Vision 3D from their park anytime in the future, especially with the current ultra-heavy marketing and publicity pushes that Disney has been giving to the Muppets lately. And to get rid of something relating to them while in the middle of giving them a HUGE increase in exposure would probably be a bone-headed move.

And with that current streak leading to a highly-likely resurgence in popularity for the Muppets, it just might renew interest in their 3D attraction and lead to it recieving increased attendace.

Anonymous said...

^^^

Banned for complaining? What is this a dictatorial Disney fan blog?

"Disclaimer: Only those that agree shall have their opinions posted. Those that don't agree have invalid opinions and must not be allowed to express themselves here."

We all have an opinion my friend. And we all are allowed to express it. That's what's so wonderful about democracy. Doesn't mean you have to agree. In fact, it's great if you don't. Argue your point. State your case. But don't tell anyone to shut-up. That's not how it should be.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, double post. I forgot to type in my name. But, yeah that's my comment above.

^^^^

Banned for complaining? What is this a dictatorial Disney fan blog?

"Disclaimer: Only those that agree shall have their opinions posted. Those that don't agree have invalid opinions and must not be allowed to express themselves here."

We all have an opinion my friend. And we all are allowed to express it. That's what's so wonderful about democracy. Doesn't mean you have to agree. In fact, it's great if you don't. Argue your point. State your case. But don't tell anyone to shut-up. That's not how it should be.

Spokker said...

"The last E-Ticket was Nemo last year."

You seem to forget when the Subs closed for no reason other than Disney's cheapness in 1998. Then the only reason it came back was because they could attach Pixar to it.

Honor Hunter said...

No Spokker, the reason it came back was because Baxter has been trying to find a way to bring it back. The Nemo angle was the one which seemed to work. While it's not my kind of ride(I would have preferred something more adventure-like along the lines of Atlantis), it's still an impressive attraction.

I also would agree with the commentor above, that it is the newest E-Ticket. You can't gloss over an attraction that cost over a $120 million plus as not a new attraction. No matter if you like or dislike the fact it's based on a Pixar film...

More stuff is coming. We should here some news about the 55th next year. And remember, next year is only days/weeks away...

Spokker said...

It is simply restoring what was lost. That is the precarious situation that Disneyland management is in, and unfortunately I think they are going about it the wrong way.

The Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough restoration is the right way to go about these things. But it was also relatively cheap to do.

A 21st century Submarine Voyage with better technology would have been really something. But I think that the drive to sell plush and create new synergies came before the art.

All I want to see is a long-term plan. I want to see Disneyland's Blue Sky Cellar. I'm not impervious to change. I couldn't care less if they bulldozed Small World or Haunted Mansion tomorrow. They are already fully ingrained in my memories.

What I want to see a return to Disneyland's place as a world-class theme park. I want to see dual investment in both DCA and Disneyland and I reject the notion that Disneyland is all tapped out.

Anonymous said...

I hate the name "Carsland" too. Disney should change the name of the land to "Route 66" and change the name of the ride to "Carsland" instead of "Radiator Springs Racers"

This way, "Route 66" fits into the California theme better. And calling the ride Carsland instantly ID's it as a "Cars" themed attraction.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe anyone in imaginearing or Disney management thinks that Disneyland, or any of the parks for that matter, are "tapped out." Like I said in my first comment above, it looks like management is keen on spending money on where it's needed MOST. And not just money, but alot of money to boot. Why? Because its needed?

Why not on Disneyland or WDW? Who says they aren't gonna be investing in those parks? Rumors from Honor and such blessed souls as he say that the situation for all other parks regarding expansion is being "evaluated." So if you take his word for it, evaluated does not mean rejected. If you view the situation from a business perspective, the question comes down to this:

"How much do you actually spend on developing parks that are already doing fairly well during a global recession when you are already spending over 2 billion on new construction costs elsewhere?"

The answer to that question, according to Honor and others, is being worked out. Do not mistake that to mean, "we don't need to invest in our other parks. We just need to focus only on HK and DCA. That's where the real money is." What exec in their right mind would try to push that agenda in the high-level meetings nowadays under the current management?

Like I said before, the situation is precarious, but I believe the current management has a firm grip on the gravity of the current situation. Just because we haven't heard any rumors yet regarding new projects being approved for the other parks doesn't mean that nothing is coming. Based on the 2011/12 timeline, its still too early to reach that conclusion.

Anonymous said...

Utter nonsense:

***I can't see DCA eliminating Muppet-Vision 3D from their park anytime in the future, especially with the current ultra-heavy marketing and publicity pushes that Disney has been giving to the Muppets lately. And to get rid of something relating to them while in the middle of giving them a HUGE increase in exposure would probably be a bone-headed move.

And with that current streak leading to a highly-likely resurgence in popularity for the Muppets, it just might renew interest in their 3D attraction and lead to it recieving increased attendace.***

So in other words, Disney should hang onto an attraction that gets damn little attendance because most parkgoers couldn't care less about it, and furthermore should pump more money into a group of faded characters (that Disney didn't even create) that still haven't earned Disney a dime in HOPES they'll turn a profit someday. Instead of spending that money on the parks or in creating a new franchise for itself with original characters. That just makes tons of sense. Sorry for the sarcasm, but get real! The Muppets purchase was by far the most bone-headed thing Eisner ever did, and that's saying something. The Muppets are dead! For proof, did anyone see that lame-butt Xmas special the other day? Weak as hell, with zip charm or humor or anything else the Muppets were known for (20 years ago). And the most profitable character was barely in it! If Disney has dumped Narnia, which DID earn it some cash, then it should certainly mothball those old TV puppets no kid gives a darn about. I still think Disney ought to put Mickey's Philharmagic in the old Muppets theater. The cost would be worth it - that attraction is fabulous (I've seen in many times at WDW, it's a phenomenal crowd pleaser, and is loaded with that grand old Disney magic - and that's what the parks should be about: Disney magic, not the faded memories of a non-Disney TV show from long long ago).

Do the right thing, Disney. Dump the damn Muppets and put the money in something more pleasing, more profitable, and more Disney!

Anonymous said...

I beg to differ, the Muppets are on their way back. The make your own muppet at FAO Schwartz is one of the hottest selling toys this year. People are waiting an hour to pay $130.00 for one of these. The Muppet Christmas special on NBC was one of the highest rated shows in its time slot in months. Also, the Muppet skits on YouTube are supposed to be very popular. We should see a major Muppet resurgence within the next few years. This will bring Disney big bucks.

Anonymous said...

Actually, the muppet special failed to make the top 20 Nielsen ratings chart:

1. "NCIS," CBS, 19.94 million viewers.
2. "The Mentalist," CBS, 19.31 million viewers.
3. "Sunday Night Football: Carolina Panthers at New York Giants," NBC, 18.86 million viewers.
4. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 17.92 million viewers.
5. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 15.16 million viewers.
6. "CSI: Miami," CBS, 14.56 million viewers.
7. "Without a Trace," CBS, 14.48 million viewers.
8. "CSI: NY," CBS, 13.38 million viewers.
9. "60 Minutes," CBS, 13.13 million viewers.
10. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 12.68 million viewers.
11. "Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick," NBC, 12.47 million viewers.
12. "Worst Week," CBS, 12.04 million viewers.
13. "Cold Case," CBS, 12 million viewers.
14. "Biggest Loser 6," NBC, 11.83 million viewers.
15. "How I Met Your Mother," CBS, 11.37 million viewers.
16. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 11.22 million viewers.
17. "Ghost Whisperer," CBS, 10.18 million viewers.
18. "Eleventh Hour," CBS, 10.07 million viewers.
19. "Million Dollar Password," CBS, 9.58 million viewers.
20. "Football Night in America Part 3," NBC, 9.4 million viewers.

Somehow, I don't find that impressive.

As for Youtube, a guy can pee on his cat and get 3 million hits. I don't really think getting looked at on Youtube translates into real popularity.

It might also be useful to remember that the Narnia movies made money, but apparently not enough money, so Disney dumped them. I think the Mouse is going to be very wary of investing dollars into something that has only nostalgia going for it, and judging by the Xmas special's lackluster ratings, not very much of that.

Anonymous said...

To the Muppet-hater above:

SHUT THE HECK UP AND REALIZE THAT YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG!!!

Anonymous said...

Spookler are you ever happy about anything in life?

Anonymous said...

The problem that the Disneyland resort as a whole has with theatre attractions is that there are too many repeat visitors and they only see theatre attractions once or twice.
I enjoy the Muppets 3D show ALOT, but I don't see the need to go on it more than once a year (and I go to DL or DCA at least once a month). There is VERY little repeatablity in ANY movie attraction whether it is the Muppets, Bugs Life, Mickey, Lincoln, or anything else for that matter. These attractions work better in WDW since there are very few repeat visitors.
Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders 600,000+
WDW Annual Passholders <10,000

Anonymous said...

I agree with Chaddy completely.
DCA, Studios Paris and HKDL are a mess right now. Their attendance numbers are the lowest in the Disney stable. That is why they are spending HUGE ammounts of money and ALMOST all of their focus on them right now. You don't need to spend a billion dollars on the parks that are some of the most popular in the world (MK, DL, TDL, DLP).
With unlimited money they would spend equal ammounts on all the parks, but they don't have unlimited money.
The Walt Disney Co is a publicly traded NYSE company that has to answer to it's stockholders and account for the money that they spend. Bob Iger and his board have to show a return on investment or they will be out of a job. That will be easy with the parks that are doing poorly, but VERY difficult to show with parks that have had VERY high, but mostly flat attendance. If they spent a billion dollars on DL or MK, I doubt that their attendance numbers would move that significantly. I think that was borne out with the BIG redo of Fantasyland years ago.

Anonymous said...

Nice post Honor!

"It appears the current line of thinking is to have the park themed to all the wonders that come out of California and to reflect it in the show details and rides. ... This isn't going to be a park celebrating California, it's going to be a park celebrating "Disney's" California."

Does this mean the focus is no longer on Walt Disney the man?

"The Imagineers have cut some of these thematic elements so as to have this money available for, say The Little Mermaid ride."

I just hope that proposed Partners-style statue is safe; I loved that idea.

And on "Carsland"... I'm sure they'll change the name, Honor! They've already changed "Walt Disney Plaza" to Buena Vista Street, and that one's coming out way before Carsland does, whereas "Carsland" sounds like a working title sort of name. I agree with Anon, Route 66 would be better.

Anonymous said...

Oh, forgot to mention...

It's probably for the better that the "Urban Entertainment Center" idea for Japan idea was scrapped, as the idea sounds an awful lot like DisneyQuest, which flopped majorly.