A Numbers Game...

Popularity is a fleeting thing...

The attendance of theme parks shows the popularity of the destination, and from time to time parks rankings will move up or down.  For long periods of history certain spots have been held by the same park.  For instance, the Magic Kingdom in Florida has maintained the top position in theme parks.

Years ago, before Tokyo Disneyland added a second gate, the stunning Tokyo DisneySEA, there was a horse race between the two parks for the top position.  Now, WDW's first park wins outright with the original here on the west coast getting the silver prize.

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM have just released the figures of theme parks for 2012.  How did Disney do this year?  Where did Disney California Adventure get to after the Extreme Makeover?  Where is the rest of the world in themed entertainment?

You can find the answers to all these and many more here.  It's an exhaustive analyses of where, what and why of theme parks.  It's also quite readable with graphs, charts and lists that put in perspective the theme parks of the world, not just Disney's world.  But here is a list of the top 25 theme parks for the Cliffs Notes version:

1. Magic Kingdom 17,536,000  +2.3%
2. Disneyland 15,963,000 -1.1%
3. Tokyo Disneyland 14,847,000 +8.5%
4. Tokyo Disney Sea 12,656,000 +8.5%
5. Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris 11,200,000 +1.9%
6. Epcot 11,063,000 +2.2%
7. Disney's Animal Kingdom 9,998,999 +2.2%
8. Disney's Hollywood Studios 9,912,000 +2.2%
9. Universal Studios Japan 9,700,000 +14.1%
10. Islands of Adventure 7,981,000 +4%
11. Disney California Adventure 7,775,000 +22.6%
14. Hong Kong Disneyland 6,700,000 +13.6%
15. Universal Studios Orlando 6,195,000 +2.5%
19. Sea World Florida 5,358,000 +3.0%
20. Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris 4,800,000 +1.9%
23. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 4,348,000 +1.5%

24. DeeFTeLING  Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands 4,200,000 +1.8%

25. OcT eAST Shenzhen, China 4,196,000 +7.9%



Now, if this intrigues you then head over to the actual report for a detailed look...

Openings & Opportunities...

We've all been wondering exactly when the Tokyo Disney Resort would be reopening...

Well, today the Oriental Land Company released this:

Reopening Date: April 15, 2011
Operating Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Ticket Prices: Regular prices

- For each guest admitted to the Park through May 14, 2011, 300 yen will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society toward the relief and recovery of the disaster-affected areas.

Other: The operating conditions of the Park may change without prior notice depending on the situation of the power supply at the time. Also, some facilities may be temporarily closed for regular inspections or for minor earthquake-related repairs.

Power-Saving Efforts

A number of efforts are being made to conserve electricity in the Disney theme park operations, as follows:

Shortened Park Operating Hours:
Usually at this period of the year, the Parks are open until 10:00 p.m. However, in an effort to save power, Tokyo Disneyland will close at 6:00 p.m. for the time being.

Reducing the Use of Park Equipment:
Indoor and outdoor lighting in the Park will be reduced, but without compromising the safety of our guests. Also, the use of escalators and water fountains will be restricted, the temperature of air conditioning units will be adjusted, and electric hand dryers in the restrooms will be turned off.
Conservation Efforts in the Offices:
Efforts are being made in the back offices to conserve energy, such as reducing lighting in the
offices, lobbies and corridors; adjusting the temperature of air conditioning units; suspending the use of electric hand dryers in the restrooms; limiting the use of elevators, etc.
Implementation of generators is currently being studied as one measure to cover possible power shortages.

Other Facilities in Tokyo Disney Resort

Tokyo DisneySea Park
The Park is ready to welcome guests, and is aiming for reopening at the earliest possible date.

Disney Hotels

Disney Ambassador® Hotel and Tokyo Disneyland® Hotel will reopen on April 15. With the
reopening, both hotels will donate 1,000 yen per room per night of stay through May 14 to the
Japanese Red Cross Society for the relief and recovery of the disaster-affected areas. Tokyo
DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta® is scheduled to reopen at the same time as Tokyo DisneySea Park.

Ikspiari®

Ikspiari has been open since March 28 with shortened operating hours.

Cirque du Soleil® Theatre Tokyo Shows will begin again on April 23.

Disney Resort Line

The monorail has been in operation since April 2 under a reduced operating schedule.

Note: Tokyo Disney Resort recommends that guests use public transportation to come to the Resort.

Slowly, this great destination will rise from the tragedy of last month...

The Cost Of Ownership, Or Not...

Money, money, money, money...









I'm sure that the majority of people that visit this site know that the Tokyo Disney Resort isn't actually owned by the Mouse...

We've had a lot of articles on Blue Sky Disney about the Tokyo Disney Resort, many pertaining to the amazingly wonderful Tokyo DisneySEA, but several on Tokyo Disneyland and their parent owner, the Oriental Land Company.

Even though the economic impact of this natural disaster will dramatically hurt the OLC, it will also have a substantial impact on the Walt Disney Company. Perhaps you were wondering how this could be? Disney doesn't own anything tangible in the company and has no actual fiscal investment in the resort. What it does have is a royalty agreement with the Japanese company. A percentage of everything that the company makes from the resort goes directly into the coffers of the Mouse's vault.

What it boils down to in general, the agreement calls for ticket/gate profits to pay a 10 percent fee on every guest that enters the park. In addition to this, food and merchandise both have to pay a 5 percent fee on every purchase made in the resort. Now, according to The Street in their evaluation of this agreement, that comes to 7.5% of the Oriental Land Company's annual revenue. This comes out to a hefty $230 million dollars every year that the WDC gets for licensing it's characters/properties out. Not bad. This gives you an idea as to the net profit the Japanese partner makes on its Disney affiliation: slightly over 3 billion dollars a year, when converted from Yen.

In addition to this, not taken in to account is the fees that the Japanese are charged for the use of Walt Disney Imagineering. All construction and design has to be done through WDI's work, which helps defray/subsidize cost of technology that will be used throughout all the other Disney Parks. One has to also wonder how the effect of the hiring of Imagineers has prevented or at least lessened the layoffs of these employees when design time was cut and projects were not heavy in the production pipeline.

So can you imagine the dent in the projected sales or profit of the upcoming corporate calendar year for the Mouse? You can already presume that anywhere from $40 to $50 million dollars will be lowered from any fiscal reports in the coming annual earnings that are announced next year. If it last into the fall, you can expect $100 million to disappear from the balance sheet of Disney profits in this business cycle. So the coming year will see a downturn in projected revenue for Disney in regards to something it doesn't really own.

In the business world and the Disney world, it's an example of how mind share and forethought can be very expensive and have lasting repercussions...

Resorting To Delays...

Discover the Recover...


Even if the resort was ready, the areas around are not...

The Tokyo Disney Resort wasn't going to open back up on March 21, after a ten day inspection of the parks, parking lots and hotels/entertainment complexes. While some may have hoped that it would be open close to that date, the country and particularly Tokyo, have a great deal of digging out to do before there will be any opening of the Happiest Place in the Land of the Rising Sun.

With all the power outages and transportation problems it has been determined that the park is closed until further notice. As the nation recovers from a devastating earthquake/tsunami, it has been estimated the rebuilding will take approximately five years to get Japan back where it was. Put this together with the problems happening at that Nuclear plant, and it's going to be a while before things get back to normal.

I've heard that the optimistic plan would be to open the park in time for summer. A more negative assessment would be that the closure could be more than a year, but this one is highly unlikely, though not impossible. Obviously, any delay means a delay in the celebration of Tokyo DisneySEA's tenth anniversary. The start of the celebration and opening of Fantasmic! was supposed to come starting April 23. If the park did open in summer, it's not confirmed yet as to when the show would open, but in all likelihood, it wouldn't be simultaneous. A staged release, with the opening of the parks, hotels, entertainment complex and events planned for the event would happen gradually.

So, expect the news in April to come in bits and pieces as the Oriental Land Company determines not only how and when it fixes any structural problems, but how it coordinates them with reopening of the resort and the country itself. Our hearts go out to the families and friends there who have lost so much in this devastation.

Developing...

Oriental Express...

There is a lot of love in and around the Disney community for the Oriental Land Company...

And while I agree with the fantastic job they do, I also want to emphasize that they're a business. Businesses number one priority is to make money. Just like the Walt Disney Company. As much grief as I give the Mouse for the failings from the late 90's/early 00's, I can't call the Japanese company a saint. I believe that because of some special circumstances, there is a very unique situation over there in the land of the rising sun.

I mean, there are ways that company could cut corners, but hasn't, and it's all because of Disney. You see the Mouse has people on site that work directly for them that are responsible for making sure the parks/resort are up to Disney quality. These people have quite a bit of influence and power. The head representative has the power to approve or veto much of what gets done. From a sign that is crooked or paint pealing to the "plussing" of an attraction. And if the OLC doesn't react to this then they're in violation of the contract. So, in a very odd way it's actually the Mouse that deserves some of the credit for the incredible job that this Japanese does.

It all boils down to it being easier for you to have higher standards when you're not paying the bill. Disney can insist on things around the resort being held to the most rigorous of standards. It can do so without any worry of financial penalty. They're not paying for it, so the bar can be set higher. On the other hand, if they're required to foot the bill themselves, like here in the states, then they'll be a little more cautious with the spending of money.

With that out of the way, I thought I'd suggest if you'd like to read more about the Oriental Land Company, then click here and see the list of articles we've posted over the past three years.

It's always nice to see the view from another perspective...

The Price Of Happiness...

Happy Birthday 2 U...





This year is not only the ninth anniversary of Tokyo DisneySEA, it's also the fiftieth anniversary of the Oriental Land Company...

Last year Tokyo Disneyland celebrated a quarter of a century just as the parent company passes the half century mark. The OLC is a company that plans out ahead, and is a vast business with many real estate holdings all across Japan. The primary one, and obviously most valuable one of course, is the Tokyo Disney Resort. Last week the company released a preliminary plan for the next few decades, giving us a peek at what lies ahead for the resort and its two parks.

It the report, which spans out the next twenty-five years is just an estimation, but there are signs that give you an idea of what lies ahead. Like? Well, starting next year there will be over 2.4 billion dollars spent on the Tokyo Disney Resort over the next decade. That's enough to create an entirely new gate (Tokyo DisneySEA cost approximately 2.2 billion dollars). No, I don't believe this spending will be earmarked for a creation such as that. There may someday be a third gate in Japan, but it's not in the near future. So that model in Glendale will just have to sit and wait, unless the Suits of WDI are able to work some real Disney magic; convincing them to pony up for another park. Since it hasn't even been a decade since the Second Gate was built, it's not yet time for another. In fact, I don't want to see another park built right now. The main thing that needs to be done is to add more attractions to DisneySEA. Although it's the most stunningly beautiful theme park the Mouse has every built, it's still has less than thirty attractions. The smartest thing that can be done right now is to increase the attraction count so that this beautiful theme park can compete with the offerings over at Tokyo Disneyland.

So no new theme park will be added in the Land of the Rising Sun with that budget. But still, that's a lot of money to go into the parks/hotels/retail. The majority of new entertainment and attractions will be focused on from present to 2016. Then next five years will be focusing on "renewals and improvements." The OLC and WDI aren't going to be releasing any info until probably next year, but several projects are being planned. If everything goes well, we should hear about a new E-Ticket for TDS by late 2011/early 2012 that will hopefully be opening in late 2013/early 2014 (presuming nothing changes); with plenty of surprises set up to be opened by the Fifteenth Anniversary of the aquatic wonder.

Now, when they're talking about new attractions between 2011-2016, I don't think they're referring to some of what has currently been announced. If you look at the cost of Fantasmic!, that's $33 million and 2012's Toy Story Mania is coming in at $116 million (DCA's cost $80 million). That leaves four years and well over two billion to be spent. The question that most Disney Geeks/Fans have is what exactly will it be spent on? I know the Imagineers have a few ideas they're working on.

And they've got a prospective buyer...

Ten Years Of Pooh...

Cause that's what Tiggers do best...







Ten years ago today, Pooh's Hunny Hunt opened...

The Disney parks all have had dark rides based on classic properties, but up until now none of those attractions were ever deemed worthy of theming and investing in enough to make them E-Tickets.

This attraction based on the silly ole' bear cost over a hundred million dollars and every penny shows brilliantly as you experience each show scene. The irony is that the plans for the elaborate ride were originally proposed for Disneyland, but He Who Will Not Be Named shot down the idea as too expensive. Now, imagine if this had been built here the lines it would have seen. The sad little ride that opened where the Country Bear Jamboree was doesn't even get the number of guest that the former attraction used to get. Hunny Hunt would have drawn them in like bees to honey. The Pooh attraction is the number one ride in Tokyo Disneyland and if you'd experienced it you'd know why.

But there is hope that some of the technology will make it into Disneyland (and later WDW & HKDL) someday during one of the refurbs. After all, there is a new film coming out next summer and if it's a huge hit it might get the Suits to justify an upgrade to some of the ride. John Lasseter might be able to get them to tie it in to the advertising/marketing campaign if everything went the right way. Tony Baxter has been plussing attractions throughout the park over the last couple years, why not the 100 acre woods?

Time will tell...

For more info on Pooh's Hunny Hunt, check out Joe in Japan's Pooh's 10th page.

Perspectives In Tangent: Tokyo Disneyland Hotel...

Reservation for one, please...





That is gonna cost how much...
Today is the second anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel...

And it's an incredibly beautiful design to add to the list of Disney Hotels/Resorts (not as stunning as the DisneySEA Hotel MiraCosta, but amazing nonetheless). When Tokyo Disneyland opened back in 1983, all of the hotels were essentially owned by other companies and the Oriental Land Company was in a similar situation like Walt with the original Disneyland Hotel. When the park was expanded to become a resort, there was a plan to include Disney themed hotels that would compliment the resort and expand the revenue for the OLC. But the two hotels that were built, the Disney Ambassador and Mira Costa, while great hotels, didn't include that iconic name. But with the successful expansion of the park to resort status, a plan was put into place for another hotel to satisfy the Japanese obsession with Disney. The third hotel would be their very own Disneyland Hotel, and it would be built right in front of the entrance to the park, much like the Disneyland Hotel Paris that you go under to get to the gates of Disneyland Paris. It will/now is the largest of the three Japanese Disney themed hotels with 705 guests rooms, a huge, lounge lobby level and two restaurants. The TDLH has four banquet rooms, as well as four shops that offer Disney merchandise, gifts, clothing, ect.
Now that is what I call a lot of money...




Like the other moniker hotels, it shares a Victorian/Mictorian theme that evokes the idyllic days of Walt's youth. Modeled in colors reminiscent of Cinderella Castle, it is an impressive and detailed enhancement to an already impressive park. Much like an exclamation point on a sentence.



I thought we'd take the opportunity to look at some lovely examples of what a Disneyland Hotel, particularly this one, can and should look like. While our own original in Anaheim gets updated, this one shows you what can be done with a parking lot once Imagineers get hold of it.
Wow, that's purty...



I'll pay any price...

If you'd like to see an extensive collection of pictures and video of this fabulous hotel then click on this post over at Disney and More and immerse yourself in the magic. It's going to be interesting to see how the original Disneyland Hotel will compare once it's makeover is done in 2012. It's not really the same kind of hotel to compare it to though, since it's more California's version of the Contemporary really.



Then again, there are those other hotel plans you could compare it to...

A Colorful Rumor/A Fantasmic Reality...

I was told about this a few weeks ago but wasn't sure if it was a rumor or just speculation and so I sat on it...

Oh well, nobody bats a thousand. But it appears that the powers that be in the Oriental Land Company have opted to use a version of Disneyland's "Fantasmic!" instead of DCA's new "World of Color" show. The logistics involved in restructuring the harbor and the expense issues involving the complex water show made the original show at Disneyland far more attractive. Who would have thought that the original Disneyland Resort would finally get something too elaborate for Tokyo? It appears that all that work done to enhance the new version of the nighttime show is going to be subsidized by Asia.

I was curious as to what was happening with the WOC talks since I hadn't heard from my Bothans on the subject for a good while now. Another source provided me with the news last month and I sent out some questions to a couple Bothans. They've been very quite lately, since jobs aren't as secure. Well, it appears that the official news hasn't yet been announced, but we may not have to wait too long. I have a feeling that something will appear before you know it. It is strange that the original Tokyo Disneyland isn't getting this show, but instead TDS is. Just another reason to visit the Tokyo Disney Resort's Second Gate.

As if there was any new reason needed in the first place...

Star Tours: Episode Two...

What you've all been wondering about for a couple years has now become official...

Now, I was privy to some of this, but not all of this a couple weeks ago. I knew that there was going to be a Star Wars/Star Tours announcement and all. I didn't know all the details and my Bothans asked me to not say anything since being employed has an added importance in this economy right now. It doesn't mean I didn't give you guys a hint. There was a reason why I put that picture up of a Stormtrooper/Clonetrooper when talking about the D23 Expo. I expect you guys to be smart and tag along, no room for stragglers here. I was hoping some of you would take the hint as to why is there such a Star Wars presence on the day Imagineering takes the spotlight. Then I posted the "Saturday Matinee" article which should have clearly got your attention. I just couldn't come right out and tell you anything at that time. Now, I can...

Jay Rasulo gave his big speech today and talked about a lot of expansion news. Strangely, there were advertisements of news about Paris and Tokyo that weren't mentioned in the keynote. But Jay did mention that Star Tours is getting a makeover. Sort of a "Pimp my Landspeeder" kind of thing, actually. The attraction will close in October 2010 to reopen in the later part of 2011. More details were expected than what the Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts mentioned, but I take it they're wanting to save some of those details for later. Perhaps a D23 Expo in 2010?

I'll be back at the end of the weekend with a recap of the other news from Saturday and Sunday, but I've got to get some sleep so I can get up early for a keynote tomorrow...

Beautiful, Scary Music (Part Two)...

Boo!


And it's only a short two months away for the other park as well...

Wouldn't you like to get a copy of this?

Trick or Treating in the Japanese Park that started it all...

A "Monster" Of An Attraction...

Today not only is the Tokyo Disney Resort celebrating 26 years of dreams, wonders and magic, but it also officially opens the new Monsters Inc. attraction "Ride and Go Seek" at the original TDL.

The attraction is another amazingly detailed experience that is not to be missed if you wind spending a day there.



While not as quite as good as "Pooh's Hunny Hunt," the attraction is another stunning example of what happens when bean counters get out of the way of an idea. It's a solid D+ Ticket and a welcome addition to an already fantastic park.



Although not in English, the story is easy enough to follow for those that have seen the original film. It's a display of creativity that is unmatched in most other parks and just about every attraction. If the OLC keeps adding these kind of attractions it's going to overshadow the original park more than the ever growing presence of the incredible TDS. So again, if you're planning on standing in line...



Enjoy.

She's 26 Today...

Today, the first Disney theme park to be built outside America celebrates its twenty-sixth anniversary...

Tokyo Disneyland, which is now part of the larger and more elaborate Tokyo Disney Resort moves out of its silver celebration and heads toward the big 30. It'll be interesting to see what becomes of both parks by then. But four years can pass like the blink of an eye.

Up until a decade ago TDL was thought of as a great Disney park with excellent service and somewhat cleaner than the state-side parks. But then they wanted to improve on their park. They wanted to expand. A second park, some hotels and a shopping district... oh, and a couple new rides for the original park. About this time the Suits that had settled in at TeamDisney Burbank(whose last names were Scrooge), began to skimp out on the budgets in Anaheim and Orlando. But the Suits at the Oriental Land Company had grand plans. It's kind of interesting to note that the majority of the problems we have with the American parks began around 1996/1997 and continued through 2005... not even a whole decade, but the decline over eight plus years did take it's toll; both physically(the parks) and phycologically(the fans).

After a tussle with Eisner over what kind of park they wanted, they began creating experiences that Disney fans in the U.S. could only dream of(all of this is P.L. - pre-Lasseter). When Eisner finally gave up on pushing his "Disney-MGM Studios" clone and let WDI loose the whole Disney world changed. First, the Tokyo park got "Pooh's Hunny Hunt" which amazed guest and then it got a great new hotel(the Disney Ambassador) and shopping complex(Ikspiari). Then it got the jewel in the ring with its Second Gate(Tokyo DisneySEA) and adjoining hotel(Tokyo DisneySEA Hotel MiraCosta). From then on everything that Disney has done has been made in comparison to what Tokyo has...

I love TDL, it's filled with such wonderful attractions, pleasant atmosphere and attentive Cast Members. Blue Sky Disney wants to thank the OLC and WDI for creating a place where you can not only dream, but see those dreams built into towering examples of what Walt would have been proud.

Happy Birthday, Tokyo Disneyland!

Monsters Vs Monsters...

Through the miracle of modern technology(ehem, YouTube) you to can now see what Tokyo gets that those of us in America don't...

Like I mentioned in my "There are Know Secrets Anymore" article last year, it's going be harder to hide the difference in quality between parks in the coming decades. Technology has freed us. We can now see what was once hidden by oceans and time. The Walt Disney Company(under old management, we should remember) took advantage of its guest when it designed mediocre attractions for the stateside parks and then build lavish ones for Tokyo. It's something that those Virtual Shareholders I mentioned would be able to bring to the public's attention. Never again will they be able to design an attraction like Superstar Limo and expect Disney Geeks not be able to compare it with what the Mouse builds in Tokyo or elsewhere. It doesn't matter that Disney doesn't pay for these attractions since the Oriental Land Company purchases it. The fact that the OLC subsidizes the technology is a benefit which gives less of an excuse as to why a lavish attraction should be built. As I've said before, the new management is more sensitive to this issue and has been much more responsive in giving the American parks these types of attractions. Granted Disneyland is benefiting from it more, but WDW will start to show signs of this policy as well. The economy is the main obstacle in Florida and that is only a temporary delay. Patience...

So there you have it, and here you have the difference in attractions:



Monsters, Inc. at DCA is here.



Monsters, Inc. at Tokyo Disneyland is here.

Blue Sky Buzz (Tokyo): The Sun Also Rises In The East...

Let me tell you a story...

A Toy Story.

Yes, the rumors you've all heard are true. At least somewhat true. Let me unpack that for you...

The Oriental Land Company has decided that the next attraction that Tokyo DisneySEA will be getting is going to be a variation of DCA's Toy Story Midway Mania. Boy was that a mouthful! And yes, it will be going into the American Waterfront port of the park, but it appears to not be going where some people have thought. Most thought that it would be wedged somewhere in the Victorian themed New York area of this section, when it will most likely be placed in the nostalgic and decidedly more rural Cape Cod section. Again, this is still in the early stages, so things could change. For those of you that have seen the area, the American Waterfront section was really without any attraction(read: ride) until the expansion that brought the Tower of Terror to the park. That still left the Cape Cod area a beautiful, but attractionless area of the park. No more. Or at least soon it will be no more. Planning is underway to have this be the next ride that is announced. WDI is/has been designing the area in which this attraction will go and should everything go according to plan, you should expect an announcement about it later this year.

I know many of you are fretting over the loss of the "Soarin' Over the Med" type of attraction that was being planned for the Mediterranean Harbor section. Unfortunately the cost of that attraction as well as a couple other factors killed that idea for the time being. Like many other projects though, it's not as if it will never happen. There is a place planned and carved out for it in that section and nothing is going in there as of now, the Imagineers still plan on installing this project in the park once OLC Suits give them the go ahead sometime in the near future. From what I hear, and it's not written in stone, but I'd say a good time line would be around the 30th anniversary of the Resort. But in the meantime there's plenty to keep them busy.

Sadly, the UEC that was supposed to be built in another part of country didn't meet the OLC's feasibility reports and with the slowdown in the economy it practically killed WDI's attempt at using Japan as a launching pad for an entirely new experimentation in themed parks. It wasn't on the grand scale that you would have expected from something like Tokyo DisneySEA, but it was on that level as far as quality goes. It appears Jay Rasulo and his colleagues at TeamDisney Burbank will have to look elsewhere for this new endeavor. And it won't be in Shanghai because that will be a Disney Park, Old School. Well, with a dash of really cool tech, but that'll be announced soon enough. Maybe Singapore then? We'll see...

There are some plans that the Resort is working on for the Tenth Anniversary of the park, but those are still very fluid. The final working model for the celebration should be done by summer and we should have some surprising announcements by fall. Hopefully the economy doesn't throw any monkey wrenches into the situation. I'll have more to follow on the upcoming events at Disney's only franchised parks in a few weeks, give or take a few weeks...

TTFN.

To Everything A Season...

Somethings are irreplaceable...

Or so one thinks, but it's really not so. Look at the Great Pyramids of Egypt and you see what thousands of years of erosion and neglect will do. Imagine the wonders the world has lost to the sand grains of time, swept under the rug of history... never to be seen again.

Such is the case today.

Time marches on...

April Fools...

Come this next April, we Disney Fans/Geeks will have yet another reason to drool and be jealous of our Japanese Disney Brethren...


That's the day that WDI's latest amazing attraction, "Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek!" appears inside Tokyo Disneyland. Made with the same attention to detail, it's going to invite comparisons to DCA's "Monsters Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue" ride the way TDL's "Pooh's Hunny Hunt" causes comparisons to DL's "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" attraction. Originally budgeted at around 90 million dollars, this attraction will have cost over a hundred million by the time it opens next April.

And it's worth every penny...

If you'd like to see some pictures of the outside of the attraction then head over to "Disney and More" for an article with some nice photos they acquired.

So come next April, guess who gets fooled?

There's a reason that Disney's agreement with the Oriental Land Company limits the advertising they can do outside of Japan. Right now, the internet is the one crack in the door that gives us a glimpse of the Disney wonders that await us there and are deprived from us here.

Exposure is the key.

But with each day that door opens a bit wider. Spread the word. Ask questions of Disney management(Read: Suits at Annual Stock Meetings, interviews, ect.). It's more possible than ever to have these quality attractions with the current management.

Do your part, stop complaining and be part of the solution. There is more power in your voice than you realize.

You can help...

Happenstance (Part Two)...

"Tokyo DisneySEA is a place of staggering beauty and amazing wonder that shows you what Walt Disney Imagineering is capable of if you give it the freedom to dream and the funding to build it." - A Bothan from deep inside the bowels of WDI

First of all, thanks for all the positive comments regarding part one of this posting. Even those that have pestered me asking when the second part would come out. I appreciate your interest in Blue Sky Disney...

The East, particularly the Far East are of great importance to the Walt Disney Company. Actually it's not just the Mouse... for most companies, American and otherwise, the East is where the opportunity is. That's where the growth is. It is the emerging market in the world today. Bob Iger and Disney understand this and are taking the company and its many brands into those markets which are ripe for exploration.

So where do we go from here?

Asia



There are many things being planned for the only Disney resort not owned by Disney. But not all, or even most of what is planned is in the original park, or Tokyo for that matter.

Tokyo Disneyland has preliminary plans for at least one new E-Ticket to open after the elaborate "Monsters Inc." attraction opens up next year to the delight of TDL fans and the chagrin of the rest of us. This attraction will make DCA's Monster's Inc. attraction comparable to the Disneyland's Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction versus Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt argument. And that will be a valid comparison in terms of quality of attraction, but not so in terms of comparison to the Suits in charge of approving what the parks get. Let's be clear here, the Suits at Team Disney Burbank/Anaheim right now are a world apart from the motley crew in charge of creating new Disney delights under Pressler. Clear? Ok, now back to Japan...

The plans for TDL are still being worked out, but many projects are in an embryonic state that my Bothans believe make predictions very dicey right now. But a little note for those of you that don't like character based attractions... you will be sorely disappointed in many(but not all) proposals. Sorry.

As for the other park in the resort... Tokyo DisneySEA, my favorite park outside of Disneyland will definitely be getting an E-Ticket. And it will get get it before TDL gets theirs. But the sad news is that it won't be the "Soarin'" attraction that everyone was hearing rumors about going into the Mediterranean Harbor Port. It will be an attraction based on the technology and development of "Toy Story Midway Mania." The executives from the Oriental Land Company were presented with the plans for the project a while back and have been given a demonstration of the technology and alterations that would be needed should they approve it. There is talk of possibly one or two C-Tickets getting approval as well, but nothing has moved forward on these plans for quite a while as the OLC actually has a great deal on its plate.



The other exciting news from the Oriental Land Company is the project it's working on that won't be in Tokyo. We probably will have to wait till late this year, but more likely earlier next year when the OLC's new Disney resort burst onto the spotlight in an official news ceremony. The Urban Entertainment Center(UEC) which will occupy another city to broaden OLC's branding will not be a giant sprawling resort like what TDR or WDW is of course... The UEC will be closer to a large and elaborate, Disneyfied mall type experience. If plans go forward with what a Bothan told me, the UEC will be like a mail with somewhat of Victorian themed exterior and between 10 and 12 attractions(more could follow) upon opening. There would be elaborately themed food areas and typical Disney entertainment(think of something similar to the shows put on at the TDR now, but in more a confined space). There is the possibility of a theater like experience that has a Broadway style show similar to TDS's Little Mermaid show or DCA's Aladdin show. Expect OLC to take advantage of the limited the space it will have available in Japan's heavily populated area. Come late 2011 most Disney Fans/Geeks will have another destination in Japan to make us envy them...



Disney's smallest "Magic Kingdom" styled park is scheduled to receive a good deal of TLC over the next few years as well.

Much has been made about a new hotel, but truthfully there have always been plans for more hotels once attendance picks up. There is a preliminary plan for a new hotel to be built but the final decision has yet to be made. If rooms start being filled more regularly in the next year and the parks streets and walkways become more crowded then a green light could be given in time to see a third hotel by late 2011/12.

By then, people could be wandering up and down the Esplanade shopping and eating in the restaurants and stores that would be lined along this resorts version of a more understated Downtown Disney(again, if plans continue).

Now as for the park, well the expansion of that large plot of land will continue and if the wrangling between the Hong Kong Government and Disney settles down then a great deal of growth will have transformed the park to where it would be twenty percent bigger by then. Wanting to go ride that new Pirates right? Sorry, but because of the squabble between the Mouse and City that won't be the next one built and doubtful will it be built or done by 2011... or 2012 for that matter. Instead, the next E-Ticket will be a intricately designed, incredibly detailed version of the Haunted Mansion designed specifically for this area of the park. Oh, and fans of a certain white capped mountain will be very happy to see it jutting into the sky under the current direction. By this time at least a couple of C-Tickets or another D-Ticket should grace Fantasyland as well should plans keep moving forward and the economy not turn everything around.

Should all this happen and the crowds start to come and they open their wallets and purses then the preliminary designs for a second park will move into overdrive... the Mouse has until 2013 for that second park or the land will be sold to someone else and it would be very awkward for a Disney park to have a Universal Studios Hong Kong or the like right next door. Plus, Hong Kong residents will want to have something that their competing Disney park to the north doesn't...



As I just mentioned, there will be another park in China by 2012 and it should be deep in the process of being built by then. Only an unforeseen circumstance would stop this park from going forward and unlike the park down in Penny's Bay on Lantau Island, this one will not be a miniaturized version. It appears Iger and his Suits have learned from the mistakes of his predecessor... or at least for the present it appears so.

The deal with the Shanghai government appears to be different than the one with Hong Kong. My Bothans say it's more of an arrangement with the Walt Disney Company where it has much more control, possibly similar to the deal with the Oriental Land Company, but not exactly like it. The exact details aren't available, but it won't be long before we know what and when Disney plans on building this park. By this time next year at the latest you can probably expect some form of public announcement. The grand ceremony should come sooner rather than later unless China does something politically(think: Taiwan) to spoil the business environment for this and other projects. Disney has been working hard at getting its brands and products into China and working on these details to familiarize the Chinese people that don't know much if any about Disney was a large part of coming to an agreement for Team Burbank. It appears that those negotiations are dotting their final signatures and coming to a very happy Disney ending.

There are plans right now for three hotels of which one will be a Disneyland Hotel and the other two themed to appropriate Disney styled designs. As for the proposed shopping district that corresponds to a Downtown Disney I'm not sure, but hopeful it will be done by the opening unless design changes are made.

So what about the park that will built? All of the details aren't available but the basics will include a much larger "Magic Kingdom" style park with no large chunk of land set back to be built into a regular sized park later. Not that there won't be plenty of room for expansion as the entire resort should be quite larger than the one in Hong Kong. The lands will be more elaborately detailed versions of the lands we have all seen at other parks, but unlike HKDL, we should see Frontierland on opening day unless the Mouse gets cold feet. Now that Pixar is part of the Disney family and not just a leased property expect no idea of separation in lands throughout this kingdom. Buzz and Wall-E will feel right at home in Tomorrowland just as Woody feels right at home in Frontierland. We may even see a few attractions that are at other non-MK parks put into these lands should work continue. There are plans for at least one new original E-Ticket, but the Bothans were tight lipped so as not to jinx its approval. They would only say that Disney Geeks/Fans would squeal if Iger gives it the green light. The plans should not limit this park to having to wait for rides the way Hong Kong did and with any luck Jack Sparrow's attraction will be there on opening day. Sorry HKDL... but you still should get it, but probably not till after it opens at your sister park. Don't blame the messenger, blame the Eisner...

The park itself should reflect differences in design that reflect a difference of management... and this is only the beginning. Let's cross our fingers because the plans the mouse has for the East, particularly Asia are bold and we should see a couple more surprises should the good times keep rolling. As the announcements get closer, expect more details to follow...

I hope you enjoyed this glance into the future. By 2011/12 it may truly be a Disney World...

Eight Years In The Hundred Acre Woods...

Eight years ago today, Tokyo Disneyland opened up "Pooh's Honey Hut" and became the most popular ride in the park.

It still is, I might add...

Many of you have heard me talk about this ride and yes, it is as amazing as I say it is. While Disneyland got "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" a few years later... the 30 million they spent on ours really does become painfully evident when you get a look at the Japanese version. Even worse when you ride it, considering the concepts for this were from the original blue sky phase for the ride we were supposed to get state-side.

Anyways, enough crying over spilt milk. The ride in Tokyo is a much more layered ride of what we have here where you ride his large trackless honey pots that are guided by GPS as you go through the story of Pooh and become immersed in the world A.A. Milne created. If you ever go to the Tokyo Disneyland Resort, this is the attraction to see.

Don't miss it...

Once you leave the ride, you'll dislike Michael Eisner even more knowing what we were robbed of.

The Force In The East From The Past...

Nineteen years ago today "Star Tours" opens in Tokyo Disneyland. It becomes only the second ST to open, Anaheim being the first(later Disney-MGM Studios will get one as well). For almost two decades now the Force has been with the Rising Sun...

I wonder if that Star Wars 2.0 is being designed for TDL as well? Ooops... disregard that. You didn't see any droids... there are no droids here.