HugoRR

Well, lets hope Paris will get its LPS (trackless) ride with the Ratatouille theme as Hong Kong gets this Manor thing. If this "Mystic Manor" turns out to be as good as the Winnie the Pooh Honey Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland will, for the first time ever, finally write a (good) part of the Disney Theme Parks history with a unique and inovative ride. What's curious about the "Toy Story (Play)Land", we're going to open next year in Paris too, is that this concept seems totaly misplaced in a Magic Kingdom. While I personaly think it will work well in Europe, this looks like a good way to "save" money by replacing the Pirates of the Caribbean Land with this cheaper Toy Story project.

Disney only owns 40% of the of Euro Disney S.C.A. (which is the publically traded company that actually owns DLP) stock. They are also only 43% owners of the company that controls Hong Kong Disneyland (The Hong Kong government owns the rest) Yep, but this is not where they're making money with Paris or Hong Kong. Paris a "joint venture", like Hong Kong, which means that 14% of Paris annual turnover is taken every year by the Walt Disney Co. Contrary to Tokyo, which is a franchise,run by Oriental Land Co, and just pays royalties to the WDC (and huge Imagineering fees for new rides by the way). Add the royalties, Imagineering fees and co, plus guests not spending as much money as they do in Tokyo Disneyland and you get Euro Disney SCA never making profits. Sorry, we're going off topic, anyway, glad to see DCA finally reaching Disney standards!

I don't believe this is the case. Right before the DCA overhaul was announced, Disney sold $1 billion in bonds. Coincidence? I think not. If they had the 1 billion dollars right now, they would have done everything as expected. But they didn't. We all know that The Walt Disney Co takes its money from Paris, the "Golden company", to the US parks., which seems normal indeed, if Disney revinvest in Paris in return. This is how Walt Disney World recieved so many new rides the past few years, contrary to Hong Kong Disneyland, China. This makeover project is not about saving money Jew, Lasseter wants to transform DCA into a great Disney theme park. But as you know, WDI projects are very expensive, and with the purposed 1 billion dollars you can really make over a queue line for a fun wheel. DLP turnover expections decrease? Some details of the DCA placemaking are left aside. Plus this makeover is beeing done in several years, which let time for the WDC to receive money from Paris for Anaheim, clever executives. If all money may not come from Paris, we all know that when Jay Rasulo can save money, he does everything in that purpose. This mechanism may work well anyway, and that's a great thing for you, folks! And The Gost, outside Crush with its small but nicely themed area and the ToT with its beginning of a future Hollywood blvd (a la DHS), The Walt Disney Studios are only less than 25 hectares (50 acres), and theming is still quite missing in some part of the part (for a Disney theme park). Thus this park has a huge potential with Toy Story Land (2010) and especially the rumored Ratouille Dark Ride with Tokyo's Winnie the Pooh LPS system (2012). You're still leading the parade with DCA when compared to WDS.

Well well, due to the world economic crisis they seem to scale back some "details" like the Wheel's queue, and it's sad, I have to agree. But most of the money used for DCA placemaking is taken from Euro Disney (Disneyland Paris), directly on the annual turnover which will decrease this year, this might be one of the reason why they could not afford a makover for some "small details" in Anaheim. Please Disney do the same thing with the Walt Disney Studios Paris, which still is Miles behind Disney's California Adventure in term of theming especially. So please Anaheim friends (I'm from Paris), don't complain, caus in Paris we're still waiting for some makeover plan!

Hey Soren! This is Hugo, your host at Phantom Manor, I finally made it to theme park review! Glad to see you had such a good time at Paris, looking forward seeing you again! And please beware the gosts, and spirits! And yes folks, this photo just above is a pod racer or something from the Imagineering triumph Horizons ride at Epcot, which can been seen in Paris version of the Backlot Studio Tour.