Hill reports that the name of the park, first reported as Disney's Night Kingdom, is up for question, with the current proposal being "Disney's Jungle Trek." The reason for the switch is a plan to extend the park's hours with an earlier opening, perhaps noon, making the "Night" part of the name, well, a bit inaccurate.
Why would Disney extend the hours? To make more money, of course! More hours = more people = more admission revenue.
The theme of the park, at this stage, is a "global village" with buildings and individual adventures themes to the four corners of the world. (Pet peeve rant here: A globe is a sphere, which has no corners. Isn't this an absurd phrase, then? Yet loads of people use it, even me. /rant) Of course, that theme might sound familiar to Disney fans, who might know such a park as "Epcot."
Ultimately, though, the park, regardless of what it is name, will be a premium experience, along the lines of SeaWorld's Discovery Cove, with an estimated $300 a person a day price tag and small-group, guided experiences throughout.
I've heard from multiple sources close to Disney that this project is a go at this point, but, obviously, substantial questions remain about branding, theme and park layout. What would you like to see?
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to add to your equation
more hours = more people = more admission = more in park spending.
This does sound a lot like Epcot to me, so unless it's in another location (cough...Tampa...cough), I'm not sure it makes sense
I don't really believe that will happen, but it's fun to start some crap.
If Disney simply spent that money on the existing parks, this argument would go, it would not attract the number nor demographics of new visitors that the fifth park would attract.
Personally, I'd love to see this park, if truly done well and priced fairly. (Meaning that I will pay a high price for an extraordinary experience, and not simply for the Disney "brand" on a slightly-above-average experience.)
Having said this I am inclined to back up a bit and make three broader points:
1. As a Central Florida resident who recognizes the importance of tourism to the local economy I am ABSOLUTELY THRILLED that Disney is even considering a fifth gate. The construction and operation of another theme park translates into jobs and gives visitors another reason to travel to (or return to) Central Florida.
2. Having worked on projects for both Universal Creative and Walt Disney Imagineering I know the people working in this industry that design and build these attractions are brilliant and talented people. I have absolute confidence that what they produce will be remarkable.
3. Think 2021. That year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of Walt Disney World. Thirteen years may seem like a long time, but certainly the company is gonna add something to WDW before its golden anniversary.
On the concern of not attracting visitors, I think we could use Discovery Cove as an example. For most of the year, a visit to DC is $289 per person with the all-inclusive package and yet during the summer months, you have to book at least a month in advance to guarantee availability on the day you want (sometimes less than a month if you do the non-dolphin swim package).
My point is I don't think there is a problem attracting guests because even though some won't pay for it, there always is others who will.
My question is what are they going to give for $300. I hightly doubt it would be a discovery cove knock off. Disney doesn't seem too big on the animals anymore (Animal Kingdom gives them enough pains...remember when it opened?)
Heck, I would be dumb enough to bite and go to this mystery park. I prefered a music park.
What "defines" a "park" in WDW?
Something like Discovery Cove.. is "sort of" a theme park..in the traditional sense..So is Disney World going to really now bill themselves as "5 parks, 1 world"--or are we assuming this is a "5th gate"> >? Is it not--just another additional thing-- like The Wide World Of Sports or Disney Quest? Surely, it's high/separate pricing will not include it on any parkhopper passes.
I used to always wonder why DisneyQuest wasn't considered a 5th park [I'm a fan--and think it's underrated..and should stick around and be better-marketed]-- It is, after all, billed a 5 story, virtual REALITY theme park-- It has A GATE.. works w/ some parkhoppers....has attractions..has all of the qualities of a PARK... Why has Disney never referred to it as a 5th park ?
Even the water parks are hardly counted/included in the "family"-- To me, Walt Disney World is 7 parks [the 4 "main" parks, 2 water parks, and Disney Quest]-- plus a multi-neighborhood nighttime and/other entertainment district featuring the soon-to-go nightclubs--and, of course, Cirque Du Soleil-- plus The SpeedWay, The Wide World Of Sports, 2 nicely themed mini golf courses [Blizzard Beach's maybe the world's coolest, IMO !], and approx. 2 dozen hotel complexes featuring theming, slides, mini-waterparks, and sometimes dinnershows, campfires, petting zoos, beachside movies at dusk, etc; --Much of this is hardly advertised/touted--and many casual visitors, at best, are only aware of the 4 parks..
Somehow, a Discovery Cove-type -- "reservations" only attraction SEEMS like it would fall more under the Speedway/Wide World of Sports/Disney Quest umbrella--and not be counted as a 5th gate.. In MY opinion, it SHOULD, however, be counted as a gate..but, at the very least, so should Disney Quest
--Andrew Greenstein
Broken record question: Anyone wonder if this is a Disney answer to Potterland?
Yeah, I'm sure it's been asked a billion times, but you can't help but wonder, especially considering all of the past speculation.
Available contracts are getting few and far between. Outside of Orlando, the Florida economy and commercial and residential construction as almost stopped completely.
As a result construction giants actually "buy" work. Meaning they will agree to do a $15 million contract for $14 million in order to maintain cash flow. This sort of thing is ABSOLUTELY happening in the theme park industry right now.
Contractors are VERY HUNGRY. Disney would be wise to lock up their contracts as quickly as possible -- even if it means waiting three or four years before commencing the work. I am currently working as a project manager on a MAJOR new Orlando resort. It is not scheduled to open until 2010 but some of the blueprints and documents are dated 2001.
Perhaps this will also give some perspective to those jumping the gun and passing judgement on the earliest concept work associated with the fifth gate.
Fifth theme park? This project isn't a theme park. This is more like a stand-alone attraction on the Walt Disney World property. This project is like Fantasia Mini-Golf.
To call this a fifth gate is far reaching. Also, since when did Disney officially announce the original name? If we don't know the official name then how can you say that there has been a name change? Discovery Cove at SeaWorld really doesn't qualify as a "theme park".
I'd like to point out the fact that Jim Hill isn't employed by the Walt Disney Company. He is a blogger who uses unnamed, questionable sources to write articles. That's fine, but this is all classified as a "rumor" at best until the company makes an official annoucement.
I prefer the thought of having a more adult-based theme park, which, to my understanding, was the original plan for the new park to be. With the loss of Pleasure Island, Disney risks to lose some of it's older-audience to Universal's CityWalk. I for one enjoy walking around Downtown Disney/P.I., and even if I'm not attending one of the clubs, just the atmosphere of walking by and listening in made it worth the while.
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