As the Imagineers see it, Walt Disney was the original gamer. When he created Disneyland in 1955, he wanted it to transcend the carnival-type rides already familiar to consumers. Instead, he sought to marry technology and storytelling to take children and their parents, too, into virtual worlds. With the trend toward tech-savvy kids Disney is… Read More »Disney fights to keep kids attention
Although the parks in Orlando have long been a cash cow for the company — $4 billion would represent 13 percent of the total company’s revenue in fiscal 2004 — the division’s operating profit margin has been flat or falling for years. That means costs have been rising faster than the revenue coming in from… Read More »More Sunday Reading
The Osceola County Tourist Development Council wants you to know that the area just south and east of Walt Disney World is ready to receive your tourist dollars. As such, they’re launching an advertising campaign to draw tourists away from the higher end resorts of the Disney World and International Drive areas to their more… Read More »Kissimmee-St. Cloud, where’s that?
The Orlando Sentinal considers the documentary film "Dream on, Silly Dreamer" that captured the final days of hand drawn animation at the Walt Disney Studios. The article also has a look at some of the personal stories that arose from the closing of the Disney Animation Studios in Orlando. For instance, Project Firefly Animation Studios… Read More »Dream On, Animation Funereal Dirge
Despite improved attendance numbers, apples to apples profit numbers reveal that the parks are having their worst years since the 80s. I’m sure the number crunchers up in Burbank have better models than me, but since you asked… the company is now reaping what it has sowed. The 90s were supposed to be the Disney Decade at the Themeparks. Instead we saw cuts in attraction budgets, a reliance on the cheaper (sometimes! remember the expensive mistake that was Light Magic) entertainment, cuts in training, and an across the board slashing of maintenance budgets. Not only has this resulted in death and injury at the theme parks, but it affected Disney brand as the top quality family entertainment vacation destination.
The four hurricanes that hit Florida could hurt the tourism industry for years, as a fifth of potential summer visitors told researchers they would consider avoiding the state for fear of the storms, officials said today. That could translate into $2.7 billion in lost business for Florida’s biggest industry and $160 million in lost taxes… Read More »avoid August and September?
A short drive from the gates of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom lay the gates of another era, another culture, the gates to Splendid China. Alas, the wonderously detailed attraction was never able to pull in enough tourist dollars to make a go at it in the competitve Orlando arena, and was forced to close… Read More »China’s Splendor Auctioned Off
Although LaughingPlace.com had the news on this last week, The Orlando Sentinel posts some additional details on Typhoon Lagoon’s next attraction – a Water Coaster. What’s a water coaster you ask? To really know you have to go to the waterpark that started them all – Schlitterbahn. Their premier ride, the Master Blaster, uses water… Read More »New Coaster at a Waterpark?