I think some of his "50/50" belief comes from things getting out, causing a ruckus, and then end up not happening because of the ruckus.
A while back, I know that TDA was seriously considering shelving Fantasmic! ; (if I remember correctly it would have been at the same time DCA was opening, and DCA had their own nighttime lagoon show that didn't last long). ; Of course, word got out, and complaints came in, and the plans were reversed....
While some leaks may be intentional deception from Disney, I can't remember the last one. ; Jim Hill said in August there was no way EO was coming back. ; Yet, Rasulo and Iger, and Michael's kids (I believe that one!) got to see it in the theatre, which was changed back to HISTA after Jim mentioned it. ; The way I read Al's posts on the EO thing is that *multiple* sources have told him that they had already made plans to schedule a conversion; it's just that someone not at TDA has Iger's ear. ; I guess we'll see if HISTA closes after next summer (assuming EO doesn't come afterall) to convert to the Laugh Floor if that additional rumor is true.
I'm trying to remember any other rumors which didn't come true. ; Subs into Atlantis Expedition was a real plan, but I know who leaked it, and why, and it got shelved because the movie didn't do as well as expected (not to mention the cost). ; The Imagineer who did that I believe was punished.
The IASW rumors ended up being true, although Disney has never officially admitted one of the major reasons they had to rehab it.
After the accident almost 11 years ago the Columbia almost didn't return: ; you have to look at who was running the parks at the time, and things like that cost money to fix and they didn't want to spend money to fix the parks. ; It was evident during that time frame with routine maintenance deferred, faded or badly chipped paint.... ; Heck shortly thereafter Roger Rabbit had its' accident, and if I remember correctly Al had the rumor that it wasn't going to return. ; It did, after 12/14 months[nb]It was a really long time, I may have the time line wrong. ; But that was also during the time that Toontown opened really late each day and closed for the evening at fireworks time, even if the park was open to midnight....[/nb] - to install netting on each car. ; Does that seem like a long time for such as simple fix?
Little other things, like having more kid play areas in the park[nb]Referring to another thread[/nb]: ; Toontown used to NOT have a kids play area[nb]But wasn't there one behind the treehouse, it was never open between 98 and 06[/nb]: until Matt Ouimet (maybe Rasulo, can't remember)'s wife took the kids to Toontown and there was no place to play - to burn off steam. ; So while the park survived that long without one, it only took a matter of weeks to be installed after that "incident".
So while some things seem strange to be added, or look like there would be NO need, Disney is in the business of making money and making their customers happy. ; If the customers want something[nb]Within reason. ; When they complained about the lack of thrill rides at DAK, what happened?[/nb], it will happen.[nb]More than likely. If the POTC movies had been a bomb, do you think that Jack Sparrow would have been added to the ride?[/nb]
I'm not talking about the fanboys[nb]As a gender neutral term[/nb] wanting things like a coaster at the Festival of Fools theater area, or the long rumored (and probably gone) coaster in Fantasyland at MK....but things the general public wants to see. ; A part of me doesn't like the fact that Disney has added rides that the whole family can't enjoy. ; But I'm not angry about it - it's just the reality that we live in right now that a large portion of certain key demographics want the intense thrill rides. ; So we get things like Mission:Space over a hanging pseudo-omnimover attraction.
