World traveler, huh?

The concerns about the spending taking away from the other parks is legit. Iger has continued what Eisner started, which is preaching controlled capital spending. There’s no way they can spend $200 million a year on DCA, plus the money for the other already mentioned Anaheim projects and maintain a static level of overall capital spending unless it takes from the other parks.

That doesn’t mean that they aren’t going to change their tune, however. Perhaps they will now tell the shareholders that increased capital spending is a must. But I want to hear it from Iger’s mouth. With the next earnings call scheduled for 2 weeks from today, we shouldn’t have to wait long.

But assuming this is in fact “extra” money to fix a problem that they now understand must be fixed, I’m definitely happy about it. Money alone won’t fix the problem of course, but it’s an important first step that has to be taken.

I agree with Kitty and George about the issue of DLR actually competing with WDW. But I think that if they make the two resorts unique, and provide compelling reasons for people to visit both, then the plusses far outweigh the drawbacks. One of the problems though is that means they have to do less cloning. Too many of DCA’s already small number of attractions can be found in WDW. I understand the idea of using similar DL/MK parks to anchor the resorts, but beyond that I think it would work best if there was very little or even no overlap.

DCA has grown on me after multiple visits. There’s a lot wrong with it, but a few things right too. I hope that as they re-do it, they manage to hold onto a bit of the mellower vibe (yes I did grow up in Northern California, why do you ask?). True, Paradise Pier is an abomination, and Hollywood Pictures Backlot is completely uninspired, but the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is rather charming and relaxing, and I enjoy the theming in the Golden State area.

But hey, as long as they don’t leave the Electrical Parade homeless, I’m good!

Turning Disneyland into a WDW West might force a schism among the guests trying to decide where to go for vacation.

When I plan a family vacation–granted it is *always* to Walt Disney World–there is never any hesitation about where we are going to go. But knowing that DCA is taking names and kicking butt, might make me decide to take a family trip out there. Then I have to consider the increased costs of flying a family across the country instead of 600 miles south.

Could this inhibit people’s choices?

I know it is a great thing to expand the brand, but I know that my own choices will have to stand up to greater scrutiny. If we go to California one year, we might have to skip WDW the next year. Ugh!

At the time Disneyland was still reeling from the Light Magic debacle (thanks to Paul Pressler) and $60 million in lost construction and operations costs that would have otherwise gone to plussing the second gate went to paying off the Light Magic loss. The effects of Light Magic (and to an extent the costly remodel of Country Bears into Pooh) kept Disneyland from reaching its full potential all the way until the purse strings were loosened to prepare the park for its 50th Anniversary under Matt Ouimet. The new Glendale regime under the direction of John Lasseter doesn’t want to see that happen again.

This comment was getting very long, so I’ve turned it into a post over at The Disney Blog…

http://www.thedisneyblog.com/tdb/2007/07/will-the-1-bill.html

-John