“Disney dismisses idea of building miniparks in US”

[SonofBaconator]

https://www.reuters.com/article/walt-disney-parks/disney-dismisses-idea-of-building-miniparks-in-us-idUSL4N37J386?utm_source=reddit.com

I think we’ll see more mini parks of non Disney IP, similar to what we’re seeing with Nintendo, Peppa Pig, etc.

Regarding this article, this seems like a complete contrast to Disney’s entertainment model in the 90s when they wanted to be present virtually everywhere as they tried their hand at their own version Chuck E Cheese, their introduction into international markets, and of course the failed Disney’s America in Virginia.

[Taylor.B03]

Their loss 

[beastfan11]

They have enough work-wise to do with their current park lineup. Probably a good call. 

[purdude86]

I'm not too surprised by this. They are still being somewhat frugal and might be waiting to see how some of these others do. As mentioned they have tried some similar standalone experiences before and they haven't done well, or not gotten to actual construction like Disney's America.

Peppa Pig only has one park right now that is more of a second gate to Legoland Florida, and another set to open in an area that is currently growing and set to have the Universal kid's park (which was announced first). and these parks appear to be very small and likely inexpensive, not something that will probably draw people to it, but capture families already there for an extra stop.

Nintendo doesn't have any parks themselves, just lands within existing Universal parks.

Universal's park in DFW is the only other similar thing to what Disney would do. If it does really well and they expand, Disney might reconsider this stance, but I think they just want to pull people to their other parks. Universal's theme parks aren't really geared towards children overall. They have small kids areas and family attractions but aren't targeted at young children. Their new park is so it isn't really competing with their current resorts but can build loyalty and brand recognition for kids from a young age like Disney does already.

[TombRaiderFTW]

I really question how firm they'll be on that if Universal does well in Texas. You can't tell me there isn't money to be made by building a Disney minipark somewhere like the Midwest, East Coast, New England, etc., especially if it promises Disney magic at a price point that's less than a ticket to Magic Kingdom + airfare + hotels, and especially especially if it uses IPs Disney hasn't used (or used well.) I have no concept of a Frozen minipark outside Chicago, the NYC/Boston/Philadelphia area, Atlanta, Toronto, etc. not doing well.

At the risk of tiptoeing into political territory: The Walt Disney Company and the state of Florida are already in a legal battle regarding Disney's control of the local government. Last week, Disney cancelled the move of its Imagineering team from California to Florida. Trips to Magic Kingdom are baked into American culture, the Walt Disney World complex is far, far too big to move elsewhere, and it's not in Disney's interests to start neglecting its Floridian parks... but it could also start to cannibalize its domestic WDW attendance (while still seeing a big-picture increase) by building miniparks, depending on how they're built. Why would parents pay thousands to meet Belle in Orlando when just as much magic can be found when meeting her in Chicago, and it only takes a few hours in the car?

[SonofBaconator]

Mini parks can prove to be a success, they just need to have good attendance. The benefit of the WDW Resort is that there are multiple parks for people to go to and that’s not even including the other non-Disney Parks around central Florida. 
 

If Disney wanted to branch out to say New York or Chicago, they would have to do it in a way where the company can take advantage of other tourist attractions, similar to what they already do in Florida and California. For example, they could do an indoor Star Wars experience in a colder climate city that resembles the inside of the Death Star, a Star Destroyer, or whatever suits their fancy. They could have gift shops, immersive experiences, certain types of rides, actors, etc- basically a Star Wars mixed with the Mall of America if you will. I’m just spitballing ideas for how something like that could work in a realistic setting- Disney gets to benefit from the tourism of a big city and expand their brand and the big city gets another tourist attraction. This would work better than say a Frozen themed park in Michigan. 
 

I am quite intrigued by the idea of mini parks as I’ve brought them up in past threads. Location seems to be the deciding factor with these things and for good reason. I’m not sure how Disney’s America would’ve fared had it been completed.
 

 

[CorkscrewMcPuke]

15 hours ago, beastfan11 said:

They have enough work-wise to do with their current park lineup. Probably a good call. 

Would be interesting to see them franchise some of their IPs out to entrepreneurs, but I could never see that happening with Disney.

[Kenban]

What Universal is building in Texas is unlikely to even say Universal anywhere but the fine print. If you look at the concept art it’s a Dreamworks park.  I doubt it will be marketed as a Universal park except as a way to get approvals to build the park.  I believe having that separate identity is important, it focuses it to a much smaller group of IP, and provides less competition for the resorts.  This also allows them more flexibility in their standards as they build and operate the park.

Except for maybe Pixar, Disney would have a hard time separating a single brand from the parent company.