Since there were so many photos taken by WDWNT Network staff members of the inaugural D23 Expo from 9/10-9/13, we decided to combine all of them into one GIANT report featuring photos from Tom Corless, Luke Manning, Scott Smith, Matt Paul, and Myrna Litt:
This photo wasn’t taken at night, we arrived at the Anaheim Convention Center at around 5:30 AM each day
WDWNT Reporter Matt Paul has put together a fantastic video looking around the Disney Parks and Resorts pavilion at the D23 Expo. Included in the video is Lucky the Dinosaur, a look at Cars-Land for Disney’s California Adventure, the Storyteller’s Sandbox attraction, and a look at the massive expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland:
More D23 Expo videos are on the way, including the World of Color preview and press conference, the “Making of the U.S. Presidents” panel, and “The Making of Toy Story Mania” panel, so stay tuned! As well, be sure to tune in to this week’s WDW News Today and Disneyland News Today Podcasts (episodes 111 and 81 respectively) for our D23 Expo review special including audio from “An Afternoon with Imagineering Legends”, interviews with Imagineers on Cars-Land and the Hong Kong Disneyland expansion, and much more.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that General Motors may be terminating their 10- year sponsorship of Test Track at Epcot. This would bring about the end of an almost 27 year partnership between GM and WDW that dates back to the 1982 sponsorship of the World of Motion:
One of Walt Disney World’s marquee sponsorship deals is in jeopardy. Struggling U.S. auto giant General Motors Corp. is considering pulling out as sponsor of Test Track, the high-speed Epcot attraction among the most popular rides in all of Disney World.
A 10-year contract between Disney and GM expires this year. And GM, which lost $31billion last year and is relying on loans from the federal government to stay in business, may not be able to afford to renew the pact.
Disney and GM are negotiating new terms but have so far been unable to strike a deal. GM has indicated it wants a resolution by the end of this month.
“We’re still in discussions with them and haven’t made a decision,” GM spokeswoman Kelly Cusinato said. “It’s definitely one that I think people are doing everything they can to preserve.”
It is a lucrative partnership for Disney: Though neither company would discuss the terms, Automotive News reported last month that GM pays Disney close to $5million a year.
GM and other original corporate sponsors in Epcot, which opened in 1982, paid as much as $35million over 10years for their initial contracts, according to a former Epcot executive. The German engineering giant Siemens AG is currently paying Disney a reported $100million over 12 years to sponsor Epcot’s Spaceship Earth attraction.
Disney would not discuss details of its talks with GM.
“We continue to have a relationship with General Motors and are having ongoing discussions about continuing our relationship,” spokeswoman Kim Prunty said Tuesday.
For GM, the marketing advantages of its Test Track sponsorship are obvious. The attraction is a top draw in Epcot, which lures an estimated 11million visitors each year, making it the second-busiest theme park at Disney World and the third-busiest in the United States.
The ride features vehicles, controlled by onboard computers, that carry guests through a series of simulated car-safety tests. During the 5 1/2-minute ride, guests are exposed to 100-degree temperature changes; bounced around hairpin turns; and hurtled through a final, outdoor sprint that reaches 60mph — the fastest top speed of any ride at Disney World.
Logo everywhere
GM’s presence is everywhere. The carmaker’s corporate logo is splashed throughout the pavilion that houses the ride. The queue includes a room featuring aerial photos of GM “proving grounds” around the world, from a desert track in Mesa, Ariz., to a cold-weather course in northern Ontario. Guests exit through a swanky showroom displaying more than a dozen GM vehicles and a gift shop hawking pink Cadillac ball caps, die-cast Corvettes and electronic-toy Hummers.
There are even computer terminals and a customer-service desk for guests to order GM sales brochures.
When the ride debuted in March 1999, GM’s then-vice president for marketing and advertising in North America said it would “help build brand awareness, corporate image and ultimately introduce new customers to GM dealers and our products.”
The benefits extend beyond advertising. Disney also purchases GM vehicles — including Chevy Trailblazers and Silverados and Saturn Vue hybrids — for its corporate fleet as part of the sponsorship deal, according to people familiar with the arrangement.
But as valuable as the pact is to GM, the company may no longer be able to afford it. The automaker has warned that it could go bankrupt without as much as $16.6billion in loans from the U.S. government — on top of $13.4billion in taxpayer loans it has already received.
GM would not be the first major corporate sponsor to drop out at Epcot. General Electric, ExxonMobil and AT&T are all former sponsors, while newcomers include Siemens and Hewlett-Packard. Theme-park analysts also say they are certain Test Track would continue operating even if GM pulled out, as the ride’s capacity is vital to managing park crowds.
But losing GM would further pressure profits at Disney World, which is relying on deep hotel and ticket discounts to keep visitors coming despite the struggling economy.
Replacements?
Finding a replacement sponsor also could be tricky. A rival company is unlikely to want to take over a GM ride without making substantial changes, said Steve Baker, a former Epcot executive in charge of corporate sponsorships.
“Anybody coming in paying that kind of money would want their own fingerprints,” said Baker, who is now president of Baker Leisure Group, an Orlando themed-entertainment consulting firm.
The most likely targets for a replacement sponsor at Test Track would be other car manufacturers. But the entire industry is struggling as the global recession depresses auto sales.
Marketing executives at Toyota Motor Corp. have discussed internally the prospect of sponsoring Test Track. But Joe Tetherow, a spokesman for Toyota Motor Sales USA, said “it would be premature to speculate on what’s going to happen.”
“We’re cutting a lot of costs right now,” Tetherow said. “But, obviously, there’s going to be opportunities from time to time that come along that we might want to take a look at.”
If GM were to pull out of this long running sponsorship, it would take more than just a coat of paint to remove all of the General Motors references in the pavilion. If sponsorship is removed, we can expect the entire pavilion to close down for some kind of major overhaul. During this time, a new pre-show would need to be implemented, new voiceovers throughout the attraction, and the entire post show area and Inside Track store would need to be updated as well. If Disney can get another car company involved in the pavilion, the transition should be pretty smooth. However, if another motor vehicle manufacturer does not jump on board due to the weak economy, don’t be too surprised if Disney is forced to bring the characters from Pixar’s Cars to Epcot. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as we gather more information on this story and the future of Test Track.
If you weren’t a fan of “Disney Parks” combined branding, then you’re not going to like the next major step that was taken today. Here’s the press release from Disney:
BURBANK, Calif. – February 18, 2009 – Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, today announced organization changes to deliver a “one-Disney” experience by simplifying the Parks and Resorts operating structure, streamlining decision-making and eliminating redundancy.
“We know that our Guests want a ‘one-Disney’ experience and we must organize around that expectation,” said Rasulo. “The long-term success of Parks and Resorts depends upon our ability to adapt and innovate and respond to Guest preferences. These changes are essential to maintaining our leadership position in family tourism and reflect today’s economic realities.”
Today’s announcement accelerates the evolution of the Parks and Resorts management structure by creating seamless behind-the-scenes operations across domestic Parks and Resorts, while preserving the uniqueness, character and culture of our individual destinations.
In a memo to employees Rasulo explained: “In 2005, we announced a new Walt Disney Parks and Resorts operating structure. We transformed our organization to match consumers’ expectations: ‘one-Disney,’ regardless of how or where they experience our products. We put in place a new leadership team, integrated key business functions and implemented a consistent set of best practices. This allowed us to more rapidly and efficiently roll out new creative projects and better anticipate changes in travel trends.
“We’ve already seen innumerable benefits. Prime examples of our successes are the establishment of many maintenance and safety practices, holiday castle lighting that began in Paris and expanded into our other theme parks, the speed with which we integrated the High School Musical shows into our parks around the world, and the simultaneous openings of Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s California Adventure.
“We have made significant progress. However, the long-term success of Parks and Resorts depends upon our ability to continue to adapt and innovate, to respond to ever-changing Guest preferences, and to implement an organization and cost structure that meet today’s economic realities. We must accelerate the evolution of our business and further refine our structure to work in a more integrated and effective manner.
“We know that our Guests want a ‘one-Disney’ experience and we must organize around that expectation. Our new structure will enhance our ability to Identify and Develop the next great Disney experience, Create and Build Disney destinations that incorporate our rich storytelling heritage and Operate them in a way that delivers a unique, memorable experience that transcends geography. Economic realities require that we do this in a simplified and streamlined manner that eliminates redundancies.”
Organization Changes Announced Today
A new Global Business Development team led by Executive Vice President Nick Franklin will combine the existing development functions of business and real estate development. The team will be responsible for driving growth by working with existing businesses on their development strategies, while also exploring new business opportunities around the globe.
Walt Disney Imagineering under the leadership of Bruce Vaughn, EVP, Chief Creative Executive and Craig Russell, EVP, Chief Design and Project Delivery Executive, will be reorganized into a single practice merging resort development with attractions and entertainment development to bring the creativity of Disney storytelling to the design and delivery of products at all Disney destinations.
Al Weiss, President, Worldwide Operations, will lead the work of merging the operating infrastructure at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort to create a single domestic organization and “back-of-house” operation.
In the coming weeks, other functions will review their organizations and make appropriate changes.
In his memo Rasulo acknowledged the challenges inherent in a large-scale reorganization: “Organization changes require difficult decisions, including the elimination of some roles. These decisions were not made lightly and we know this will be a challenging transition. The people affected are our friends and colleagues, and they have made valuable contributions.”
The changes announced today are effective immediately.
What this basically means is that more attractions and entertainment offerings will be developed for both the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, rather than just for one of them. This announcement would lead us to believe persistent rumors that attractions such as “Radiator Springs Racers” and “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure” that are going to Disney’s California Adventure as part of the billion-dollar expansion plan will also find their way to one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks sometime in the not-so-distant future. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on this announcement and what it means to the future of the Walt Disney World Resort.
WDWNT is back from the not-so-crowded Walt Disney World theme parks with another fantastic photo report. Let’s take a look at all the newsworthy happenings from around the world:
Starting at Disney’s hollywood Studios, this special stage has been set up for the Night of Joy events
Construction on the American Idol Experience
They are painting the entire building in a new blue color-scheme
This is where the old poster that featured a few ABC shows such as Good Morning America used to be.
A few color changes on the tower.
Not sure what this is, signage perhaps?
A few more of the statues have been removed.
We expect this exhibit to make a move to somewhere else in the studios soon…
A Bolt billboard up in Animation Courtyard.
As previously reported, Single Rider has been removed from Toy Story Midway Mania.
The current Cars character meet-and-greet by Pixar Place…
The new meet-and-greet being constructed where Al’s Toy Barn was. Looks like it will have some pretty cool, recognizable, movie inspired theming.
A nice looking Tapestry Woven Throw.
And here’s a new Disney’s Hollywood Studios Tapestry Woven Throw.
You can’t see it all that well in this picture, but the Osbourne lights are starting to be put up.
You can get a better look at the lights in this picture.
The Muppet Vision 3-D balloon is still down on the Streets of America.
More painting on the opposite side of the American Idol Experience building.
The limo is back up on the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster sign.
The attraction was closed for 4 hours due to technical difficulties… A rare sight indeed!
Moving over to Epcot… Innoventions might as well be called Construction Land, as there have been so many new projects going on there lately.
This is where the IBM exhibit used to be.
The IBM logo is still there.
We’re less than a month away from this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival!
Another rare sight, the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood outside the American Adventure!
This sign at Soarin’ could use some fixing up.
Halloween Decorations are now up at the Magic Kingdom
New statues around the hub on Main Street U.S.A.
They even light up in certain places at night
Banners up at the majestic train station.
Banners on the side of the Exposition Hall.
The Exposition Hall.
City Hall.
Work is still being done on these columns outside the Emporium.
Halloween decorations inside the Emporium.
Very, very short wait times for the Magic Kingdom
The off-season is here
The Liberty Square bridge is one again open to guest flow & parades. It looks pretty good.
However work is still going on in the water beneath the bridge.
New concrete in Liberty Square
The Liberty Bell is behind walls.
They’re working on wiring by & beneath the McDonalds Fry Cart in Frontierland. It’s been going on for 7 months now.
They have repainted the castle stone wall above Snow White’s Scary Adventures (the light tone wall). It looks much better in my opinion.
Same work being done on the Mickey’s PhilharMagic facade.
A funky new Mickey Mouse shirt.
A cool new shirt for the 15th anniversary of Nightmare Before Christmas.
Construction on the new north wing of the Contemporary Resort.
And to cap off this photo report, a billboard advertising T-Rex (and new employees) on the way to Walt Disney World.
The great Disney’s Hollywood Studios focused website StudiosCentral has a new photo report up today. Here are some newsworthy photos:
The single rider line from Toy Story Midway Mania is gone. Expect Fastpass for this attraction to be leaving in the not-so-distant future.
Some strange Orange and Red lights have appeared on top of the strange bridge on Pixar Place
Stage 1 has a new sign telling guests preparation for a new production has begun. This is rumored to be the location where the Monsters Inc. roller coaster is going.
Preparation continues for the American Idol Experience at the Studios. Installation of the proposed jumbo-screens to broadcast the live shows should begin in early September.
Is it just me, or does this area of the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure seem a little more “buggy” now that it is out from behind construction walls?
More and more busts from the ATAS Hall of Fame are preparing to make a move. Again, this is more preparation for the American Idol Experience.
Work continues on the new Cars character meet and greet location.
Ad for the Tinker Bell movie at the end of Pixar Place, near the Backlot Tour.
To see more photos, head on over to the StudiosCentral photo report HERE.
Our good friend Adam Roth from WDWCelebrations has provided us with a fantastic photo update from his latest trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. Let’s take a look at some interesting things going on at the world this weekend:
A new spinning topiary has appeared outside the Imagination pavilion at Epcot. Expect this to be a temporary change…
Something new in Innoventions, most likely for the return of the interactive Kim Possible game at Epcot.
Some exterior work taking place as Nine Dragons Restaurant is refurbished.
While the restaurant is closed, Epcot invites you to enjoy the rest of the China Pavilion, and the restrooms in Norway.
Some construction going on in the Morocco Pavilion as well.
More exterior work on some buildings in the United Kingdom.
Moving over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Drew Carey and Golden Age Souvenirs are closed until August 5th for refurbishment.
As you can see, just having Sounds Dangerous closed has effected the crowds in this area.
Al’s Toy Barn has been completely removed and is set to become a backdrop for Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars.
The back-side of Pixar Place is complete and looks like a pretty picturesque spot to end this photo report.
With Toy Story Mania now operating, bigger plans for the entire Pixar Place area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios are firming up. Imagineering is already beginning to work on upgrades for Toy Story Mania, with holiday version of the ride planned to debut in 2011 and an updated Toy Story 3 inspired version coming Summer 2010.
Across the street, the new shop, small-scale food service area, and the “top secret” Toy Story meet and greet spot are all nearing completion. According to Disney, the waiting area for the meet and greet will feature something they “have never done before”, to quote an Imagineer. Also slated to debut on the street, around the same time in June as the other Pixar Place offerings, is the Wall-E interactive living character animatronic. Plans are to have the “living” character roam the street now through January 2009, where he will be put away until work is completed on the second phase of the Pixar Place project.
Already rumored for the next phase of the project is a Monsters Inc. roller-coaster to fill in soundstage 1 and a smaller-scale version of the Car’s inspired Radiator Springs Racers attraction debuting Disney’s at California Adventure park in a few years, replacing the Studio Backlot Tour. By the end of the project, Pixar Place will extend from the Narnia exhibit to New York Street, wrapping around the northeast end of the Great Movie Ride. Other minor changes include some minor theme changes, including changing the Honey I Shrunk The Kids Movie Set into a set from “It’s Tough To Be a Bug”, changing the Backlot Caterers food location into a Monsters Inc. or Ratatouille themed eatery, and changing the theme of the small store that used to be “The Loony Bin” to a Monsters Inc. themed shop.
While most of these points are still completely rumor, many of these plans should eventually be executed. The current plan has the final pieces of Pixar Place (the Cars E-Ticket attraction and Monsters Inc. roller-coaster) being put into place by 2015, with the minor pieces all completed by 2011. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more info on Pixar Place progress becomes available.
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