tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post799005732814887896..comments2023-11-05T00:52:41.562-07:00Comments on EPCOT Central: The Sponsor SubterfugeEpcot82http://www.blogger.com/profile/14763893513279437902noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-83163911799302350982008-10-28T19:23:00.000-07:002008-10-28T19:23:00.000-07:00:sigh:Yes, the film at Norway is over 20 years old...:sigh:<BR/><BR/>Yes, the film at Norway is over 20 years old now.<BR/><BR/>But if they ever do a new one, I hope that statement of the spirit of Norway is in the people remains.<BR/><BR/>It's a spiritual thing for those of us who walk the Asatru way.Hlinskonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16669488205242305990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-2442639881663999332008-10-28T09:25:00.000-07:002008-10-28T09:25:00.000-07:00I long for the days when just about every attracti...I long for the days when just about every attraction had a corporate sponsor - it not only helped Disney fund the attractions, but it made Disney accountable to someone else for the upkeep of the attraction.<BR/><BR/>I was fortunate to be work in a unique position at Innoventions when it opened. While I was a Disney employee, my position reported directly to the exhibit sponsor, and I was amazed to see Disney's treatment of the sponsors. Disney adopted a "You need us more than we need you" attitude that spread beyond Innoventions walls and crept into other pavillions with sponsors. I know that this treatment did not set well with many of the sponsors and they simply pulled out rather than be bullied by the Mouse.<BR/><BR/>When/if that attitude changes, and Disney starts giving companies real value for their sponsorship dollars, then hopefully sponsors will be flocking back to the American parks like they do in Tokyo.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-23408383379556237662008-10-23T13:34:00.000-07:002008-10-23T13:34:00.000-07:00I just returned from a day at Epcot, the Studios, ...I just returned from a day at Epcot, the Studios, and the Magic Kingdom. Since my first visit in 1984, I've always considered Epcot my favorite park. No more. Disney needs to inject some serious money into the park to upgrade stale attractions and add new ones. It's a shell of its former self, and keeps getting worse.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351431577484530230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-58686771460698074072008-10-16T06:57:00.000-07:002008-10-16T06:57:00.000-07:00TAKE DOWN THE WAND PICTUREEEE!!!!!!!*dies*=pTAKE DOWN THE WAND PICTUREEEE!!!!!!!<BR/><BR/><BR/>*dies*<BR/><BR/>=pAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-9026124600622109012008-10-15T14:31:00.000-07:002008-10-15T14:31:00.000-07:00I can say it, Zach, and I will. They look at Epco...I can say it, Zach, and I will. They look at Epcot as another "Disney Parks" resource -- take a concept and put it there even if it doesn't make sense. Look at Kim Possible. Donald Duck in Mexico. ("Hey, we need to move more Donald plush, so let's give him a ride. But where? Oh, put him back with those Mexican singing birds and shove it into Epcot. We'll say it's an upgrade.")<BR/><BR/>Maybe not "ignored," but abused and mishandled.<BR/><BR/>The "massive investment" in Mission: Space has, on all of my visits in the past three years, resulted in 5-minute waits and empty seats. At least everyone COULD go on Horizons. Last time I was at Epcot, there were more people waiting outside the attraction for riders to finish than were in the queue area.<BR/><BR/>But as long as the P&R division makes its numbers, Disney doesn't seem to care much about actual creative content. They want to please the analysts.<BR/><BR/>Gives new meaning to "Not just Wall Street, but Main Street"!Epcot82https://www.blogger.com/profile/14763893513279437902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-384756610172639042008-10-15T13:45:00.000-07:002008-10-15T13:45:00.000-07:00Japan's getting the bullet train? When was that an...Japan's getting the bullet train? When was that announced?David Landonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12909440700102911571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-8063862705838016642008-10-15T11:25:00.000-07:002008-10-15T11:25:00.000-07:00Understandable given your focus, but in the real w...Understandable given your focus, but in the real world all four parks are competing for the same resources, and all four need work. MK has attractions in desperate need: CBJ, Space Mountain, etc, not to mention the state of Fantasyland. DHS continues to be a mess that not only needs updates, but is lacking content. DAK is beautiful but is also lacking in content. Yes, Epcot needs some loving, but it is getting some. Soarin, The Seas, Mexico, Canada, SSE, and now the upcoming bullet train in Japan, whenever it arrives. Not to mention the massive investment in Mission:Space. It has had two countries get new attractions, three pavilions get completely rehabbed and updated, and one major new E-ticket. Not all of these things have been successful, but you can't say the powers that be have been ignoring Epcot.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13051235855239168139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-85774607009757123642008-10-14T19:36:00.000-07:002008-10-14T19:36:00.000-07:00"Here's what I'd argue: EPCOT needs a..."Here's what I'd argue: EPCOT needs a massive infusion of innovation, creativity, futurism, global awareness and compelling content. And Disney will have to fund it."<BR/><BR/>I think there would be a lot more leverage in building a "task force" within EPCOT who can actively promote external sponsorship. My guess is that there are not really dedicated resources within EPCOT management actively searching for new sponsorship of attractions--I am totally guessing here but I am assuming the status quo is "wait for a company to approach us for a sponsorship." Probably they were a little panicky when AT&Ts contract ended with SSE and put together a big push to land Siemens, but has there been a lot of real progress since then?<BR/><BR/>Disney execs, if you're out there, I would love to travel the world finding new sponsors for EPCOT. :)Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15901254954146927255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-10108170090661997072008-10-14T19:30:00.000-07:002008-10-14T19:30:00.000-07:00Interesting article -it seems we were just startin...Interesting article -it seems we were just starting this discussion a few days ago... :)<BR/><BR/>Disney himself was a master of making corporate behemoths "palatable" to the masses. He loved doing it, and EPCOT was always meant to be a showplace of new ideas *for the corporations of the world*. I'm really not sure how you can take the sponsorship theme out of EPCOT.<BR/><BR/>Disney does a reasonable job of running some things unsponsored, but even many attractions at the three other parks in WDW are sponsored. I think Disney really shines when they team up with a great big company with tons of resources (i.e. GE in Horizons) - they articulate the corporate message in a way that is much more compelling than if Disney tried to go it alone on the attraction. The sponsor gives them direction & resources they would not otherwise have. Both Disney and the sponsor can benefit greatly from a properly arranged partnership. <BR/><BR/>I would hate to see EPCOT go with fewer and fewer sponsors. Sponsors "buy-in" to EPCOT--basically saying "we approve of this park and its message and want people to come visit." It gives them partial ownership of the park--and it means it's in their best interest to make sure their message is getting across. Sponsors even keep Disney in line - if Disney doesn't keep up maintenance or runs a shoddy show, the sponsors can *contractually* complain about it.<BR/><BR/>Though I hate the phrase (because it's usually wrong,) in this case I think it's true: "it's not just about the money." It's about building partnerships & creating a much richer & more faceted experience that wouldn't be possible if Disney were to simply do everything themselves.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15901254954146927255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-9316866112985204672008-10-14T11:33:00.000-07:002008-10-14T11:33:00.000-07:00I'm sure that the fear of shrunken executive bonus...I'm sure that the fear of shrunken executive bonuses might be partially to blame for the postponement of the Fantasyland improvements, but the freeze in the credit markets and all the stock market unpleasantness is certainly a factor.<BR/><BR/>I'm no economic expert, but I'm pretty positive that Disney (nor Honda, Coca-Cola, or any other blue-chip company) doesn't have fifty zillion dollars in a big vault somewhere. Their money is invested into all kinds of other assets, and the drastic shrinkage in value that such assets have seen over the last month or so makes it fiscally dicey to drop tens of millions on large-scare renovations. It's not just Disney, lots of large companies are re-thinking large projects right now; either suspending them or cutting them completely.<BR/><BR/>Of course, EPCOT has been getting the short end of the stick for a long time. The "sponsorship" thing is just an excuse, as Epcot82 pointed out.David Landonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12909440700102911571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-9722138342624337992008-10-14T07:05:00.000-07:002008-10-14T07:05:00.000-07:00Disney is not being hurt by the economy.Disney's I...Disney is not being hurt by the economy.<BR/><BR/>Disney's INCOME is being hurt by the economy -- meaning that it is worried it will make less money than before.<BR/><BR/>It wasn't the shareholders or guests who decided to overbuild hotel rooms and the most expensive infrastructure imaginable (roadways and parking lots instead of monorails, shops and restaurants instead of attractions). The cutbacks Jim Hill has chronicled unfortunately showcase Disney's dread that it might see a decline in revenue and therefore a decline in income. But even in a worst-case scenario, it's unlikely that Disney would face a loss in its parks division. It's just that the executives can't stand the idea of not getting their fat salaries and big bonuses, so they'll cut back on the guest experience and cast member hours to make up for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-89615703253636090302008-10-14T05:56:00.000-07:002008-10-14T05:56:00.000-07:00It's interesting how Disney insists that EPCOT nee...It's interesting how Disney insists that EPCOT needs corporate sponsors, then spends who-knows-how-many millions of its own money to overhaul the Seas pavilion (which remains sponsor-less, by the way). And it doesn't operate seasonally, either.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, Disney <I>has</I> been hurt by the recent case of economic diarrhea that hit the world economy. JimHillMedia.com is reporting that they've actually postponed improvements to Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. That's huge, as I imagine that Fantasyland is at the absolute top of the pecking order as far as those things go.<BR/><BR/>Still, the Seas rehab shows that, given a "normal" economy, Disney can spend the money for improvements when they want to. But, since all megacorporations these days are run by a bunch of wingtipped executives sitting around a conference table making bad decisions, will they ever want to?David Landonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12909440700102911571noreply@blogger.com