Any news on todays press conference?

[Tinker74]

Wasn't there supposed to be one today with news perhaps for DVC?

 

[beachblanket]

Wasn't there supposed to be one today with news perhaps for DVC?

Yeah, there's supposed to be "big" news from Disney Parks today at a 10am (PST) press conference.

Of course, every various constituency on the DIS assumes the announcement is going to be one they want to hear (West Coast DVCers are saying it's going to be "a Disneyland located DVC resort," the DCL crowd is saying "it's going to be the third ship," Epcot fans are saying it's going to be some big "Epcot 25th anniversary" celebration, yada yada yada).

Me? I think it's just going to be some throw away hype about the current weak promo du jour, a.k.a. Year of a Million Dreams. Disney has gotten very little traction overall from that (compared to the prior Disneyland 50th promotion), so they're scratching around trying to revitalize it. A Friday press conference (which is designed to get weekend coverage) is a generic strategy to promote stuff like contest winners ("Disneyland announces the Joneses get to stay in the Castle, film at 11")

 

[maciec]

This is what has been reported so far from allears.net:

Friday, January 26, Morning:

The big "What's New, What's Next" presentation that was just held this morning didn't reveal any huge surprises, but did serve to confirm at least one rumor that has been swirling around lately. The main announcement is that Toy Story Mania! will arrive at the Disney-MGM Studios in 2008, in the space formerly occupied by "Who Wants to be a Millionaire -- Play It!" The new ride, which will also open in Disney's California Adventure in the Paradise Pier section, marks the first time an attraction has been designed and built simultaneously at Disneyland Resort and at Walt Disney World. The attraction will "set a new standard" for interactive ride/game technology. When you enter the attraction, you'll be greeted by the "barker," Mr. Potato Head, who, using technology similar to that found in Epcot's "Turtle Talk with Crush," will interact with guests. Then guests of all ages will put on 3-D glasses and ride themed vehicles along a route lined with "classic midway games of skill," while shooting their toy cannons at animated targets. As you ride, you'll pass through a series of games hosted by various Toy Story characters, like Bo-Peep and the Little Green Men. The ride will also be able to determine individual users' skill levels and will increase the degree of difficulty accordingly.

Also at the presentation was famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who was hired to photograph celebrities as Disney characters for the Year of a Million Dreams promotion. Leibovitz spoke briefly about photographing singer Beyonce as Alice in Wonderland, alongside actor Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter and singer Lyle Lovett as the March Hare.

The biggest buzz was the announcement of a pilot program called Disney's Online Concierge. Now being tested throughout the Contemporary Resort, the program involves each room having its own computer that provides a variety of services to guests. Guests can use the computer to check on flights, order room service, play videogames, connect to Disney internet sites, and contact valet and bell services. The online concierge will also send personal emails to the guests, with information on the upcoming day's events and weather. If the program proves successful, it will be expanded and may eventually allow guests to make online reservations at Disney restaurants.

 

[newfamilyman]

I just watched the video of Jay Rasulo's presentation, available on laughingplace.com. He mentions that VAKL will open this fall bid not mention GCH expansion, so that was disappointing. Al Lutz from miceage.com has some explaining to do!

 

[beachblanket]

I just watched the video of Jay Rasulo's presentation, available on laughingplace.com. He mentions that VAKL will open this fall bid not mention GCH expansion, so that was disappointing. Al Lutz from miceage.com has some explaining to do!

Bingo - the level of hype this whole event received on the DIS was ridiculous compared to how little substantive "news" was actually delivered.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I just watched the video of Jay Rasulo's presentation, available on laughingplace.com. He mentions that VAKL will open this fall bid not mention GCH expansion, so that was disappointing. Al Lutz from miceage.com has some explaining to do!

Here's an excerpt of what Al Lutz wrote on January 9, 2006:

Meanwhile, back in Anaheim, there are additional projects about to get underway that don't involve clown fish or pirates. In a press event scheduled for January 24th, Disneyland will finally announce several things regular readers already know about, and a few things you don't know yet. The Toy Story Midway Mania attraction opening in Paradise Pier in June, 2008 will finally be fessed up to at this event, as well as the Pirates Lair at Tom Sawyer Island project.

Also to be announced this month is the first of a series of Disney Vacation Club properties slated for Anaheim.​

He got "Toy Story Mania!" right, and he got "Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island" right (except that the press event was on January 26, not January 24).

Al didn't say that the DVC resort would be announced at the press event, only that it would be announced "this month." The press event today didn't include an announcement of a DVC wing at the Grand Californian. But that doesn't mean it won't happen this month (or some time in the next few months). It's just that the press event wasn't the right forum for such an announcement. The Disney Parks press event was meant to get free publicity to get people to visit WDW and the Disneyland Resort.

A DVC announcement is a real estate announcement. It doesn't make people plan trips to Disney parks. And until the DVC resort is registered in the state in which the potential buyer will be buying it, it's not even something that can produce revenue. Announcements of future DVC resorts are of very little interest to the general public.

 

[drakethib]

I have been searching on what the big deal was on the announcement.

Come to find out there is not a whole lot to it.