Are plans for Disney World’s 5th gate getting an “Eisner-like” treatment?
Jim Hill Media has a terrific story this morning about some possible changes in the plans for Disney World’s 5th gate. For months now we have been hearing about “Disney’s Night Kingdom” an ultra-expensive and extremely-interactive experience a la Discovery Cove. Now it appears as though those plans may be changing and not necessarily for good reasons. The name is reported to be “Disney’s Jungle Trek” and the plans may be evolving into something more…affordable.
“What else has changed about this $520 million project?,” you query. Well, in an effort to keep construction & operating costs of this proposed WDW addition down, WDI has been scaling back & cutting corners wherever it can. Cutting the number of ziplines to be built in this park from 5 to 2. Changing Jungle Trek’s meal component (Where each guest was to have been served an elegant dinner by that theme park’s extremely attentive staff) to a do-it-yourself all-you-can-eat buffet experience.
The Imagineers have even gone so far as to remove the individual “lands” that were to have been built inside of this niche park. Now what guests will find as they explore Disney’s Jungle Trek is a global village. Which will feature individual buildings & structures that then represent the four corners of the globe.
If you read the rest of the posting you will see that Mr. Hill does add some positive changes as well, so I don’t want people to believe this is all bad. But doesn’t this sound vaguely familiar to anyone? Does the term Beastly Kingdom pop into anyone else’s head when they start to read about budget cuts in new park construction?
The report goes on to make this point a bit clearer…
Of course, what’s kind of ironic about all this is that — while the Imagineers are increasing Jungle Trek’s operating hours as well as reducing the scope of this entire project in order to make this niche park seem that much more affordable to Mouse House managers — you know what hasn’t changed about this proposed WDW addition? Its admission price. Which is still projected to be around $300 per person.
Just last week I heard Bob Iger on CNBC enthusiastically declaring how well Disney is doing and noting the success of the theme parks. But once again budgets are being slashed. Does Mr. Iger feel his honeymoon with Disney fans allows him to revert to Eisner-era slashing? Look out Mr. Iger, you may be developing your own reputation…