In the months leading up to the grand opening of The
Wizarding World of Harry Potter, whenever I spoke with Disney insiders about
what the Company was going to do in response to this highly-anticipated Islands
of Adventure addition, Mickey's mantra was pretty much the same: Just wait 'til
you see Fantasyland Forest.
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But now that The Wizarding World has been open for a month
and has proven to be this enormous success, the message coming from the Mouse
House has changed. Now it's DCA's Cars Land – rather than this $300 million
expansion of WDW's Magic Kingdom – that's being hyped as Disney's Potter
Swatter
Mind you, this isn't just because Cars Land will be opening
before Fantasyland Forest (DCA's brand-new "land" is expected to open to the
public sometime in late Spring of 2012, whereas Phase II of Fantasyland Forest
isn't supposed to be completed 'til 2013). But – rather – because this addition
to WDW's Magic Kingdom has reportedly hit a few snags.
Like what? Well, for starters, there's Disney's board of
directors. Who aren't exactly the biggest fans of the Fantasyland Forest
project. And why not? Because Jay Rasulo (who was then head of Disney Parks
& Resorts but is now the Company's Chief Financial Officer) announced this
ambitious WDW expansion last September at the D23 EXPO before the board had
actually okayed this expansion project. Which is why they've been somewhat slow
when it comes to okaying all of the cash necessary for construction.
Thomas Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
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Which suits Tom Staggs (who used to be Disney's CFO but is
now head of Disney Parks & Resorts) just fine. Given that Staggs reportedly
isn't all that enthusiastic about the version of Fantasyland Forest that Rasulo
signed off on. Which is why Tom would supposedly like to step away from the
previously announced expansion plan
(which relies far too heavily on the Disney Princess franchise for his taste)
and then go with an assortment of new rides & attractions for the Magic
Kingdom that would have far broader appeal. That could be all things to all
people, rather than betting the farm on a single franchise.
You see, what Staggs knows that – in the wake of "The
Princess and the Frog" 's under-performance at the box office late last year –
The Walt Disney Company took a long hard look at its Disney Princess franchise.
Which has been experiencing some allegiance erosion lately (This is one of the main
reasons that "Rapunzel" was retitled "Tangled." So that this Nathan Greno &
Bryon Howard film could then distance itself [a bit, anyway] from this
over-extended brand).
So as of right now, though site prep is well underway behind
all of those construction walls that you'll find towards the back of the
Magic
Kingdom … The only previously-announced Fantasyland Forest expansion
project
that's absolutely positively going forward at this point is "The Little
Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure." Garner Holt has already completed
construction of many of the undersea creatures that will be featured in
this
dark ride. And meanwhile – towards the very back of the Fantasyland
Forest
construction site – Disney is installing pieces of timber to help brace
& stabilize
the two walls of the old "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" show building
that
remain standing. So that these walls can eventually be incorporated into
"The
Little Mermaid" 's show building.
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"And why would Disney want to do something like that?," you
ask. Well, this actually has to do with the permits that the Mouse's construction
team has to pull for the Fantasyland Forest project. You see, if there's at
least one wall left standing from the previous structure that you can then
incorporate into your new construction project … Well, that means that you can
call this project a renovation. Which involves a far-less costly permit than a full-blown,
brand-new construction project does.
Anyway … Getting back to Fantasyland Forest now … Given that
the Company's Disney Princess franchise suddenly appears to need some shoring
up (Which is why there are reportedly plans in the works for Disney Jr. to begin
airing a Disney Princess TV series sometime after this cable channel transitions
over from being SoapNet in 2012), it just makes sense to slow down things a bit.
Get a better grasp on what Magic Kingdom Guest want to see / what consumers would
really respond to.
This is actually why the plans for the Pixie Hollow portion
of Fantasyland Forest were pulled back for retooling earlier this year. You
see, the Company's currently doing a bit of course correction on its Disney
Fairies franchise. Doing everything it can to make sure that this brand-new
brand is properly positioned for future growth.
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"And what's wrong with the Disney Fairies franchise?," you
ask. To be honest, over the past year, the Company has realized that they're
been placing far too much emphasis on Tinker Bell and not enough on all the
other characters that populate Pixie Hollow. Which is why they've actually
swapped the release dates of the 2011 & 2012 Disney Fairies movies. So that
what was originally supposed to have been the home premiere for 2012 (i.e.
"Tinker Bell and the Race through the Seasons") will now be released in the
Fall of 2011.
"And why is Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment doing
that?," you query. Well, "Race through the Seasons" features a storyline which
has Tinker Bell coaching other fairies. So that they'll then be able to take
part in this Never Land sports competition. And it's hoped that this particular home
premiere can then be used to introduce some new Disney Fairies characters that
consumers will be quicker to take to their hearts than they did Vidia,
Silvermist, Rosetta, Fawn and Iridessa.
Anywho … That's why Pixie Hollow has been pushed back to
Phase II of the Fantasyland Forest expansion project. So that The Walt Disney
Company will then have time to tinker with its Disney Fairies franchise and
hopefully then be able to expand the appeal of this brand beyond a single
character (i.e. Tinker Bell).
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But as for the rest of the Fantasyland Forest project … With
the exception of "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure" and the "Be
Our Guest" restaurant (which Magic Kingdom officials are hoping will take some
of the heat off of Cinderella's Royal Table. So that returning WDW visitors who are looking for a memorable
dining experience will opt to eat at this 552-seat venue rather than angling
for yet another reservation at that 130-seat restaurant high up in Cinderella
Castle), everything else is kind of in flux right now. As the Imagineers try
& address some of Tom Staggs' concerns about this expansion project.
Speaking of which … Can it really be a co-incidence that –
just as Staggs is supposedly telling WDI to take an "All Things to All People"
approach when it comes to adding new rides, shows and attractions to the Magic
Kingdom that rumors began circulating about something of size being added to
Frontierland? Could it be that the Imagineers are trying to bring some sort of balance
to this theme park? Adding a boy-centric attraction to the Kingdom to
counteract all of that girl-friendly stuff that's supposed to be built as part
of Fantasyland Forest?
Know this, though: The one aspect of The Wizarding World of
Harry Potter that Disney truly envies / would love to be able to emulate is the
robust retail sales that this Islands of Adventure addition has been
experiencing. Guests standing in line for an hour to gain entrance to a gift
shop is every theme park operator's dream. The only problem is – since the
Disney Princess franchise seems to have (at least temporarily) peaked – it's
unlikely that carts & shops selling crown & gowns is likely to get the
same sort of rabid response that that Harry Potter fans have shown when it
comes to the merch that's on sale at Zonko's and Dervish & Bange's.
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So if you had the opportunity to help the Imagineers retool
their original plans for the Fantasyland Forest, what would you do? Especially
taking into consideration that – given the enormous amount of money that the
Company is looking to spend on this Magic Kingdom addition – that Disney would
like to get a Potter-sized return on its investment.
Your thoughts?