Imagineer John Mauro on the Disneyland Hotel Rebuild

"You have to understand that the Disneyland Hotel was built in bits and pieces over the past 50 years. Which is why - while this Resort has some great individual elements - it doesn't have great flow-thru. The Disneyland Hotel doesn't tell one cohesive story," Mauro explained. "That's why Imagineering is abandoning the piecemeal approach that we typically took when dealing with the Disneyland Hotel and are now facing all of these issues head on."

Back in the WestCOT days, the plan was to build The New Disneyland Hotel over by Harbor Blvd on the land now used as shuttle bus loading/unloading. When the Resort expansion plans were halved in the lead up to California Adventure, The New Disneyland Hotel was left on the drawing board.

When plans were being drawn up more recently for the current rebuild, one of the initial proposals was to level the existing Hotel and start from scratch.

I understand why they opted against it. Logistically, it wasn't feasible to keep portions of the old Hotel operating while trying to construct a new and very different hotel at the same time. But compare the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland or Tokyo Disneyland to Anaheim's relic and you can see how razing the towers would allow the land to be transformed.

But the Disneyland Hotel has needed a major rethink for over twenty years. It's nice to see it finally being tackled at large. Hopefully once completed it will be worth staying there again.

And maybe the dreadful Paradise Pier Hotel will get similar treatment next.

Disney Parks - Big Revenue, Even Bigger Expenses

Walt Disney Company stock analysis by Trefis.

A Trefis cash-flow analysis finds that the parks and resorts segment contributes about 30% of Disney’s revenues but only 10% to its estimated stock value, making it the company’s fourth-most important division.

Bob Iger: At Times We Feel Under-Appreciated

Highlights from Bob Iger's discussion at today's Goldman Sachs Communacopia.

If you missed it but wanted to listen in, there will be a replay 05 October 2010 at 4 PM PDT here.

WDI Testing in California Adventure This Week

MousePlanet:

If you're in DCA this week and run across some people running around with props and costumes, I may know what they're doing. WDI is apparently testing a new interactive experience at DCA this week: it was described to me as a Kim Possible-type scavenger hunt, but themed to the California Gold Rush. You might spot them on the West side of the park. I have no idea what the final iteration of this test might be (or if they'll even develop it into anything). 

There was a rumor this was going to be themed to Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb series.

Trailer For Gnomeo and Juliet

At one point a Walt Disney Feature Animation production, a Mirimax production and finally a Touchstone production, Gnomeo and Juliet has spent the last six years in development hell.

Anyone remember Disney's short lived brush with outsourced animation five years ago? You can't tell me Valiant  and The Wild aren't in constant rotation in your Blu-ray player...

Thomas the Tank Engine For Sale? Disney's Not Interested This Time

In 2005, Disney and Apax Partners were in negotiations for Disney to purchase the rights to Thomas the Tank Engine. Disney walked away from those talks when the two parties couldn't agree on a price.

Now Deadline.com is reporting that Apax is hoping to offload Thomas early next year and is eyeing Disney as a possible buyer. They've even cut the asking price by more than $300 million.

But my understanding is that right now Disney's just not interested. As Deadline's report notes, Disney's invested in the upstart Chuggington series and many in the industry view Thomas the Tank Engine as a dying brand.

Never say never but don't expect Disney to do more then due diligence.

Bob Iger Speaks Tuesday at Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference

He's scheduled to speak 21 September 2010 at 12:50 PM EDT. You can listen live here.

What to expect: a discussion on emerging medias.

What not to expect: any new products or initiatives.

Disneyland AP 20% Merchandise Discount Extended Through Holidays

I hear Walt Disney World will be announcing something similar soon.

Current merchandise sell-through must be weak and if they're extending it through the holiday season Disney must not be expect it to improve anytime soon.

Every earnings call, you get executives saying they're going to start weening visitors off of discounts. But the discounts remain and, in some cases, deepen.

But you can't blame them.

Paul Lee Making Aggressive Deals at ABC

Deadline:

In his development picks so far, new ABC chief Paul Lee has gone mostly for noisy, light/genre projects from proven auspices with premium deals for True Lies, Darren Star's dramedy adaptation of the book Good Christian Bitches and a horror thriller from Paranormal Activity writer-director Oren Peli.

That's three high profile deals in a very short amount of time.

Disney and More: Dubai Marvel Theme Park

That's an amazing looking park.

However, as this park concept was obviously done some years ago in agreement or at the request of Marvel Inc AND considering that Disney now owns Marvel chances are that this park concept was in the "the pack" of the Disney-Marvel deal. In this case it would mean that what you saw today in this article might be, with a bit of luck, the concept which will serve as inspiration - or at least part of it - for DLP third park!

No. All creative development on the proposed theme park still belongs to the developer Tatweer, not Marvel or Disney. And while the park in Dubai is currently on hold, it could still be built some day.

Why Does That Dragon Look So Familiar?

That's quite the hub decoration at Hong Kong Disneyland.

More Parks and Resorts Executive Shuffling to Give More Attention to Next Gen Project

The Orlando Sentinel:

Doug McGuire has been promoted to senior vice president in charge of global development, which is currently at work on plans for a new Disney theme park in Shanghai, China. McGuire had been senior vice president of global marketing operations.

McGuire succeeds Parks and Resorts executive vice president Nick Franklin, freeing Franklin up to focus more of his attention on Disney’s closely guarded “Next Generation Experience” project. 

They really are putting a lot of eggs into the "Next Gen" basket.

Orlando Sentinel: Plus-Sized Customers at Orlando Theme Parks

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American weighed about 25 pounds more in 2002 than he or she did in 1960. Meanwhile, obesity rates have skyrocketed: Last year, for example, 33 states — including Florida — reported that at least a quarter of their populations were grosslyoverweight.

Horrifying.

Allears.net, a Disney fan site, has a specific section called "Walt Disney World at Large" that details amenities such as the oversized robes available in the resort's spas. Fans on Disboards.com who refer to themselves as "Pooh-sized"...

HORRIFYING!

Disney and More: Looking Back at Disney's America

Some concept art I don't remember seeing before.

Bob Weiss, the creative director for the project, is now the Imagineer in charge of California Adventure.

UPDATE: Looks like most of the art and information came from this Progress City, U.S.A article.

Telegraph: Euro Disney Ponders Marvel Superheroes Theme Park

Philippe Gas, the chief executive of Euro Disney, said one idea for a third park is "a superheroes park" following the acquisition of Marvel by Disney - although the construction of a third park is a long-term vision. Mr Gas said there is a possibility that a decision to build a third park could come as late as 2020, although it may come earlier if planned work on the Disney Studios park is completed.

That is one idea...

Michael Eisner: ESPN Acquisition "One of the Best Acquisitions Maybe of That Whole Century"

Forbes:

In hindsight, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner calls his decision in 1995 to buy CapCities/ABC, and with it, its crown jewel ESPN, "one of the best acquisitions maybe of that whole century."

It probably was, if not the best, one of the best.

There are lots of rumors that Disney is looking to divest itself of ABC (rumors that Bob Iger denies every time he is asked). But would ESPN be included in that sale? Would anyone be interested in ABC if ESPN wasn't included?

Euro Disney Has Not Officially Announced They Are Building A Third Theme Park

With Euro Disney SCA and the French authorities signing a new agreement today, there has been a deluge of stories popping up on Disney fan sites that the company has "officially announced it will build a third theme park" at the Resort.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The original agreement required Euro Disney to open a third theme park at the Resort by 2017 in order to receive the permanent land rights from the French government.

The new agreement allows Euro Disney to wait until 2030 to open a third theme park BUT they are no longer required to. If the company finds it is not financially viable, they can opt out of building a new park. Under the new agreement, Euro Disney is not penalized for this and the permanent land rights revert to them in 2030.

So, unlike Walt Disney Studios Paris, there is no incentive for Disney to build a third park unless the market actually merits it.

Will Euro Disney end up building a third park at Disneyland Paris? Very possibly. Have they said they are committed to doing it? Not in the slightest.

Family Entertainment You Can Trust

A short Disney Channel promo from its first broadcast year, 1983.

Hard to believe Mousercise is no longer around.

Bullshit Alert: Disney in Talks To Build So. Africa Theme Park?

Oh lord.

Here's what Bloomberg is reporting:

South Africa’s Mpumalanga province is in talks with Walt Disney Co. about building a theme park near Loskop Dam and four game reserves in the vicinity to boost tourism, Business Day said, citing Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Chief Executive Officer Charles Ndabeni.

The African-style theme park could generate investment into the area of about 25 billion rand ($3.5 billion), the Johannesburg-based newspaper quoted Ndabeni as saying.

My bullshit sense is tingling.

Here is the actual quote from the Business Day story:

He said the agency is in talks with Disney World about a possible theme park near Loskop Dam, with four game reserves in the vicinity.

“We believe that a theme park could be a major draw card for both domestic and international tourism,” [Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency CEO Charles Ndabeni] said.

The African-style theme park would represent an investment of about R25bn.

The agency is in talks with Disney World? I am baffled.

Disney has no plans for a theme park in South Africa. Shut it down, folks. Shut it all down.

More on Euro Disney's New Contract With French Government

...the agreement will give it the right to build a third theme park within 20 years, 'depending on market conditions,' the company said in a press statement.

Euro Disney's current concession runs until the year 2017 and covers an area of 1,943 hectares just outside Paris. The new agreement will extend the agreement until 2030 and expands the area to 2,230 hectares.

Well there you go.

The original agreement signed in 1987 stipulated that by 2017 the Resort would feature three parks. In meeting that requirement, the government would then turn all land rights over to Euro Disney.

The new agreement gives Euro Disney until 2030 to build a third park but does not penalize them if they fail to do so.

UPDATE: Euro Disney's press release concerning the new agreement. (PDF file)