Move Over Mickey
ParisByAir
Sunday, March 14, 1999
Move Over, Mickey
Universal Studios is betting $2.6 billion that its Islands of Adventure park
can challenge Disney's family entertainment empire in Florida.
By E. SCOTT RECKARD, Times Staff Writer
ORLANDO, Fla.--A weathered lighthouse marks the entry to Florida's newest theme
park, but just beyond, a fiercer icon looms: the Hulk Coaster, which blasts
riders from 0 to 40 mph in two seconds before turning them upside-down in a
zero-gravity loop.
Fans of Walt Disney Co.'s comfortable and inviting amusement parks might
be taken aback by this collision of Marvel Comics and seaport exotica at the
entrance to Islands of Adventure.
But Islands is no Disney park. And the towering green Hulk is surely no
Disney ride.
This park is the edgier turf of Universal Studios Inc., and while it aims
to get a slice of the multibillion-dollar family market that Disney owns, it
will offer a decidedly un-Disney-like experience: an unabashed revelry in pop
culture and thrills.
Universal first challenged Disney in Florida nine years ago when it opened
an updated version of Universal Studios in Orlando.
Now, a continent away from the two companies' headquarters and their
original theme parks in Southern California, Universal is launching a second
front in the battle to loosen Disney's chokehold on central Florida's
$16-billion tourism business.
Islands of Adventure's mix of red-hot coasters, cartoon heroes and
villains, and other attractions stands a good chance of luring tourists away
from Disney this year, analysts say.
The new park is part of a huge bet on music and recreation. by Seagram
Co., Universal's owner. If the wager pays off when Islands of Adventure opens
late this month, it will be seen as setting new technical standards for theme
parks, and Islands will become a major profit center.
Bronfman Calls Plan 'Wildly Ambitious'
If it doesn't pay off, the new park will become another costly bust for
Seagram, which is coming off two miserable years at the box office and a spate
of asset sales, purchases and consolidations.
Whatever the result, it will not come cheap. In all, $2.6 billion is being
spent by the Canadian liquor company, its bankers and its longtime Orlando
partner, Britain's Rank Group.
The eye-popping price tag includes the new theme park; a CityWalk complex
of nightclubs, restaurants and movie theaters; and the first three of five
hotels being built in partnership with Loews Hotel Corp.
The entire complex is called Universal Studios Escape, to emphasize its
status as a self-contained resort. The aim is to create a recreation "brand" to
rival Disney's--but one that is bolder and more appealing to teenagers and
adults.
"As an adult at Disneyland, you're having a good time by watching your
children have a good time," says Universal President Ron Meyer. "But from age 8
to 80 we become really the park of choice."
He compares Universal Studios Escape to a ski trip: Different family
members may take to different slopes, but everyone has fun.
The strategy is "wildly ambitious," acknowledges Edgar Bronfman Jr.,
Seagram's 42-year-old chief executive and heir to the family distilling
fortune.
It's a point not lost on observers of the theme park business. Given the
huge start-up and operating costs, the financial consequences of disappointing
attendance could be huge.
"They'll need to hit a home run," says Jill S. Krutick, a Salomon Smith
Barney analyst.
Swinging for the fences is a tradition in Orlando's booming visitor
industry, beginning with Walt Disney's on-the-sly purchase of land south of
town for $183 an acre in the 1960s.
Disney bought up more than 42 square miles of cypress groves, cow pastures
and swamps for about $5 million. The property yielded Disney about $1 billion
in operating profit last year.
Eyeing figures like that, Seagram hopes to triple profit from its parks
over the next few years. Besides the expansion in Florida, it is a partner in a
$1.7-billion theme park being built in Osaka, Japan. And it recently bought a
major stake in another park in Barcelona, Spain, with room to expand.
Bronfman, whose firm purchased Universal in 1995, said he's still serious
about the movie business.
But much of its function will be to help legitimize his parks. Films based
on Dudley Do-Right and Dr. Seuss' Grinch will feed new attractions, much like
rides at Universal's California park that are based on blockbuster movies such
as "Jurassic Park," "Twister" and "Jaws."
Bronfman's other big bet, of course, is on music. His recent $10.4-billion
purchase of PolyGram created the world's largest record company. That emphasis
takes center stage at the CityWalk mall between the two Florida parks, with
attractions themed to Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett, Thelonius Monk and Motown.
A live-performance venue is being added at the world's largest Hard Rock
Cafe, which is owned by Rank Group.
"You theoretically could have a concert there by [Universal artists] U2,"
says PaineWebber Inc. analyst Christopher Dixon.
CityWalk will compete with the Downtown Disney entertainment complex,
whose attractions include the nightclub zone Pleasure Island and the world's
largest Planet Hollywood.
All told, Disney has four Florida theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot,
Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom. Universal now has two: Universal Studios
Florida and Islands of Adventure. Universal owns one water park; Disney has
three.
The mismatch doesn't end there. Disney also has four PGA-certified golf
courses, 27 hotels, a 200-acre sports complex, a cruise line, 1,029 time-shares
in Orlando and 274 elsewhere in Florida.
"We're still tiny compared to them," Bronfman says. "It's David versus
Goliath."
Numbers Understate Disney's Dominance
Counting multi-day passes, Disney sold 41.7 million theme park tickets in
Florida last year, compared with Universal's 8.9 million, according to the
trade publication Amusement Business.
But those numbers understate the imbalance. With its vast sprawl, hotels
and other attractions, Disney has no peers in its main goal--making sure
visitors spend no time or money away from its empire.
A couple with two young children will pay $1,844 for a six-night,
seven-day package at the cheapest Disney hotels this summer, including
unlimited access to the company's parks and Downtown Disney nightclubs.
If they spend $150 a day on food and souvenirs, they're out another $1,000
for the week--all easily accomplished without leaving Disney's turf.
In the past, Universal responded mainly by trying to poach one-day
admissions from Disney-sated parkgoers.
But that strategy has limited returns. At current ticket prices for the
big Orlando parks--$42 for adults, $34 for kids--a family of four might spend
just $300 on a day at a Universal park with food and souvenirs.
Universal hopes to make a virtue of its urban, 840-acre site, which is
dwarfed by Disney's 30,000 acres outside town. Disney has 150 buses to move
guests around; Universal has none because it doesn't need them.
Bronfman claims that getting from parking space to park will never take
longer than 12 minutes. "It can take you 45 minutes to get from your car to the
park at Walt Disney World," he said.
Across a bridge from CityWalk, a familiar Universal globe marks the
studio-themed park. Across another bridge, the Islands of Adventure lighthouse
beckons. To the right, the lagoon leads off to the faux Italian fishing village
of a Portofino resort.
The Islands of Adventure park also has a simple layout, with five
"islands" around another lake. They include:
* Seuss Landing, with a "Cat in the Hat" ride and a Green Eggs and Ham
Cafe.
* Lost Continent, featuring dragon coasters battling in the sky and gods
beneath the sea.
* Jurassic Park, with ferocious dinosaurs along with some downright
pettable ones.
* Toon Lagoon, featuring Popeye and Dudley Do-Right water rides and a
100-character Comic Strip Lane.
* Marvel Super Hero Island, where Hulk hangs out near Spider-Man and Dr.
Doom attractions.
Universal executives say they tried to set new technical standards
throughout the park.
"We really didn't just want to raise the bar," said park designer Mark
Woodbury. "We wanted to redefine the experience."
The Spider-Man ride, for example, is billed as the first ever to combine a
moving vehicle, live action and 3-D special effects. Such innovations aren't
limited to the theme park. In the hotels, sensors will alert maids if a room is
occupied, so guests won't have to endure intrusive knocks.
Universal Spending Millions on Ads
Hoping now to take a far-bigger bite out of the tourist business,
Universal is spending more than $60 million on print and TV ads for its new
complex.
That's nearly double what Walt Disney World spent on advertising for all
of 1998, according to Competitive Media, a New York company that tracks ad
spending.
Another $100 million will be spent by Universal marketing partners such as
Coca-Cola and Dodge. Think Spider-Man in a Caravan and you get the picture.
Universal has also redoubled efforts to sell multi-day packages combining
its two theme parks, the Wet 'n Wild water-slide park it purchased recently,
Anheuser-Busch's Sea World and various local hotels.
A seven-day package with unlimited admissions to those attractions and
stay at a Holiday Inn costs $1,270--nearly $600 less than the similar Disney
package. Many other combinations are modest two- or three-day packages costing
a few hundred dollars.
When Universal opens its first hotel this September, the luxury Portofino
Bay Resort, a two-night, three-day package for four--including admission to
both its parks--will cost $970.
"It's cheaper to buy the Universal package and add on a couple of Disney
parks," said New Jersey travel agent Vinnie Amico, who expects many veteran
Disney vacationers to build a trip around Universal in the coming year.
Universal's addition of a second park, hotels and an entertainment mall in
Florida is a larger-scale version of Disney's expansion plans in Anaheim.
Orlando or Anaheim, Disney or Universal, the idea of the new complexes is
the same: not to equal Walt Disney World, but to capture the time and wallets
of visitors just a little longer.
"We just want them for two days instead of one," said Universal's Meyer.
"The good news for us is that we don't need a big piece of Disney. We just need
a shave."
The big fear is too much "cannibalization"--attendance at the new park
coming at the expense of the old.
Universal projects attendance of at least 6 million at the new park, and
is hoping for 8 million. Executives say they are prepared for 20% of the total
to come from declines at Universal Studios Florida, leaving the old park with 7
million annual visitors.
But Universal executives say Disney's Animal Kingdom--a less ambitious
park that opened last year for $850 million--also expected a cannibalization
factor of 20%.
Instead, they say, 40% of the guests came from Disney's other parks, where
attendance plunged. Disney officials wouldn't disclose figures but said profits
for the new park and all of Walt Disney World have met projections.
In anticipation of Universal's new onslaught, Disney has beefed up
attractions. Animal Kingdom has a new Asia section and 3-D movie based on "A
Bug's Life." Test Track, an Epcot speed ride, is open after a year's delay.
The Magic Kingdom has added a "Toy Story"-themed ride. And a spectacular
Cirque du Soleil venue has opened at Downtown Disney.
More major draws are coming soon: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney-MGM
Studios, with a high-speed launch, multiple inversions and a trip through an
"O" on the Hollywood sign, and what sounds like another Universal winner, a
"Men in Black"-themed attraction.
Dixon, the PaineWebber analyst, said the additions by both companies
should boost visits for the entire Orlando area--a view that Universal
executives welcome.
Even a Former Exec Is Optimistic
"If Disney gets aggressive about marketing and we're aggressive, we may
wind up growing the market significantly," said Cathy A. Nichols, head of
Universal Studios Recreation Group.
Disney World President Al Weiss was circumspect in assessing the new
Universal competition.
"We wish them every success," Weiss said. "But right now we're focused on
the biggest year of growth in the history of Walt Disney World, and that has
got us very, very busy."
Sidney J. Sheinberg, pushed out as Universal's president when Seagram
bought the company, has accused Bronfman of bungling on many fronts, indeed, of
ruining what Sheinberg helped build. But he still sounds excited about what's
happening in Orlando.
"When I left, if there was any part of MCA I missed it was being part of
this theme park," he said. "I've always taken a great deal of pride in taking
on Disney, a formidable opponent, and being successful.
"And I think the elements are there at Islands of Adventure for a terrific
park. I would bet on it."
* * *
How They Size Up
THEME PARKS
* Disney: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, Animal Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios
* Universal: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure
* * *
ATTENDANCE
* Disney's four Florida parks combined: 41.7 million
* Universal Studios Florida: 8.9 million
Note: Estimated for 1998
* * *
ADMISSION
For family of four
Disney
* Seven-day package with unlimited access to four theme parks, three water
parks and nightclub zone; lodging at economy Disney hotel: $1,844.
* Single-day admission at one park for a family of four: $152 (two adults
and two children over 3)
Note: Single-day admission prices are the same for all parks: $42 adults,
$34 for children 3 to 9, free children 3 and under.
* * *
Universal
* Seven-day package with unlimited admissions to two Universal theme
parks, Wet N' Wild water park and Sea World; lodging at Holiday Inn: $1,270.
* One-day admission for family of four at Universal Studios Florida: $152
(two adults and two children over 3)
Note: Single-day admission prices are $42 adults, $34 for children 3 to 9,
free children 2 and under.
* * *
HOTELS
* Disney: 27 at Walt Disney World, including 17 owned and operated by
Disney.
* Universal: Five, in partnership with Loew's Hotels, the first of which
is to open in September.
lci.partnership with Portofino Bay Resort (opens in September); four more
scheduled to open by 2005. Owned in partnership with Loew's Hotels.
* * *
TOTAL ACREAGE
* Disney: 30,500 acres
* Universal: 2,640 (includes a nearby 1,800-acre site for future
development)
Graphics reporting by Janice Jones Dodds and E. Scott Reckard / Los
Angeles Times
Sources: Walt Disney Co., Universal Studios, Amusement Business Magazine,
Mickey's Travel, Times reports
Copyright 1999 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved
TEEVTEE
coming at the expense of the old. <<<
Well despite the numbers and specifics which are obviously horribly bitched by
the author I think this statement is the big question.
There is no doubt IOA will do well this year. I am willing to bet that the
bulk of them come from Universal Florida though and that will hurt.
Teevtee:
TIMMMMMMMGOSHOVE IT WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE!!!!!!!!!
Arstogas
villains, and other attractions stands a good chance of luring tourists away
from Disney this year, analysts say. <<<
First, people have to know it EXISTS.
>>> Another $100 million will be spent by Universal marketing partners such as
Coca-Cola and Dodge. Think Spider-Man in a Caravan and you get the picture. >>>
Did anyone SEE the pull-out in USA Today? Could anyone tell that this was
about a THEME PARK? I mean, they used the words "Theme Park" but you never
actually SAW the park.. not an artist's conception... just some little blurbs,
badly written copy, and some cartoon characters and dinosaurs. Very sad... so
much money, so little point.
>> "As an adult at Disneyland, you're having a good time by watching your
children have a good time," says Universal President Ron Meyer. "But from age 8
to 80 we become really the park of choice." <<<
Gosh, does he even KNOW that there is a park in Orlando that is NOT called
"Disneyland"? This is honestly scary... if all he's been to is DL in
Anaheim, no WONDER that this guy thinks they've got Disney beat... I mean, it
really is consistent with the lack of consistency these Uni Execs seem to
display... This whole thing looks like a bungle... I hope it does well, or
Disney's going to be spending LESS money and laughing their butts off.
>>>Bronfman claims that getting from parking space to park will never take
longer than 12 minutes. <<<
But RETURNING to Universal Studios, that's going to take a little longer...
like three or four years... My opinion is that the choice will NOT be "Disney
or IOA/USF"... it's going to be "well, we've BEEN to USF, there's not much new
there, so let's go to IOA, then we'll go back to Animal Kingdom tomorrow. Or
the Magic Kingdom, or Epcot, or ...
You get my point. WDW is a buffet (Trav?) and Uni Escape is kind of like
Wendy's salad bar.
Arstogas
My Korean Honor Student will eat your kitty... with pleasure (and catsup).
ParisByAir
Wendy's salad bar. >>
Unfortunately, that buffet is a Sizzler -- and it's been kept out in the cold
for too long.
DailyRich
>about a THEME PARK? I mean, they used the words "Theme Park" but you never
>actually SAW the park.. not an artist's conception... just some little
>blurbs,
>badly written copy, and some cartoon characters and dinosaurs. Very sad...
>so
>much money, so little point.
The park doesn't open for another two months. Now most people are not as
knowledgable about this stuff us we are here. They see these ads and they're
not thinking "But where are these coasters? Why can't we see the park?"
They're thinking "Ready for what? What's this all about?" I'm sure as we get
closer to opening the ads will be more specific in their references to IOA, but
I really think we're holding off on showing anything so that people are caught
by surprise when they finally see the place. People complain about movie
trailers that give away too much of the movie. I think this is the same
concept. These are the teasers. The actual trailer is yet to come.
Now not all the TV commercials have been great, but I do like the Cat in the
Hat one and the triceratops one (okay, maybe a bit of bias towards that one).
They're slowly showing the elements without coming out and saying "HEY WE'VE
GOT A TRICERATOPS!!!"
DailyRich
"It's not abstinence if you have no choice."
Meeko1520
attraction that has already been out for years and offers NO hint of a new
theme park or resort complex whatsoever. These may just be teasers but too
much teasing can actually have a negative effect on audience reception.
Peter
KTREALTORS
not thinking "But where are these coasters? Why can't we see the park?"
They're thinking "Ready for what? What's this all about?" I'm sure as we get
closer to opening the ads will be more specific in their references to IOA, but
I really think we're holding off on showing anything so that people are caught
by surprise when they finally see the place. People complain about movie
trailers that give away too much of the movie. I think this is the same
concept. These are the teasers. The actual trailer is yet to come.>>
But Rich, A bad movie trailer will not bring people out to see the movie. Word
of mouth and critics can overcome that. The ads suck.
Now I agree we haven't seen them all, but so far no good.
I think the word of mouth will be big and mostly positive for this park. But
that is all this park is going to have working for it. These ads aren't doing
it. They aren't even hinting that they are going to show us something if we
just wait a little longer. I think once they figure out how badly these ads
have missed the mark, the next round of ads will be people standing in the
park going "Wow dude, this is awesome!"
Rich, I admire your loyalty, I really do. WDW needs more people like you. But
these ads ain't gettin it, and the movie trailer reference doesn't work either.
When was the last time you saw 60 mil spent on a movie trailer?
SHOW ME THE WIENIE!!!!
oh boy, that, i'm sure will bring rain.
Kerry
Kitties in the morning, Kitties in the evening, Kitties for suppertime!
TEEVTEE
GOT A TRICERATOPS!!!"
<<<
Rich...
Others have already hit most of my points so I won't repeat...but a few
comments:
I understand what they are doing...a slow reveal. This is VERY common in
advertising and can be effective. However they have created a series of not
very entertaining or enlightening ads...and then WAY overbought the main
markets. What this means is that I (being in a target market) have to watch
the same fucking 4 commercials over and over and over and over again...to the
point of having to change the channel because I can not endure seeing those
kids find the Gad damned book again.
It is just poor planing and poor execution.
Like it or not people want to see the goods. Disney has the name, the image
everybody knows what it is...they can afford to go for the emotional level.
IOA does not have this luxery. Universal holds zero brand identity in people's
minds and they have never heard of IOA. They need to be hit over the head with
ads showing EXACTLY what is there. As was said before I am SURE this will
becoming soon once they realize how low the reccognition of Uni Escape really
is.
Do you remember back in 1989 when both Lexus and Infiniti launched?
They were both very upscale divisions of two major Japanese car makers. They
were both going for the same as yet unapproached luxey car market.
Lexus launches with ads showing the car...nothing but the car. They talk about
big engines, leather seating, quality build etc. People were being introduced
to a new car that was competing with existing giants like Mercedes and BMW.
They thought "Hmmmm, Lexus, those look great. That looks as good as a Mercedes
for thousands less...I'm going to check that out."
On the other hand Infiniti lunched with ads that showed rocks.... or trees...
or clouds. They did not show ANY car at all. They were going for an image,
for some Zen like feeling of reassurance. Well the problem was no one ever had
heard of Infiniti. They didn't know what the hell the ads were about, they
certainly didn't get the feeling that this new company could compete with BMW
from these ads. Perhaps an established company could have gotten away with
this...but not a brand new one.
The result today? Lexus is a HUGE success and now legitimately does compete
with the big German boys. Infiniti on the other hand was embarrassed by the
ads. Rushed a series of new ads showing the cars as quickly as possible and
lag far behind Lexus today (though 10 years later they have made somewhat of a
comeback).
IOA is showing us rocks and clouds... they should be showing us giant coasters
and exciting new Spiderman rides.
LtheP
>says PaineWebber Inc. analyst Christopher Dixon.
Like hell they will. This guy is out of his mind.
>In the hotels, sensors will alert maids if a room is
>occupied, so guests won't have to endure intrusive knocks.
What if you're sleeping? Exactly where are these sensors?
The one who says it cannot be done...
should never interrupt the one who is doing it.
Arstogas
concept art of attractions, etc... giving people a very clear concept that this
is a THEME PARK... it's never been a question what they were marketing..
You don't spend 2.6 billion and not tell people it's a theme park... I mean,
that would be insane...
Oh. Never mind.
Rich Pearl
<<The park doesn't open for another two months. Now most people are not as
knowledgable about this stuff us we are here. They see these ads and they're
not thinking "But where are these coasters? Why can't we see the park?"
They're thinking "Ready for what? What's this all about?" I'm sure as we get
closer to opening the ads will be more specific in their references to IOA, but
I really think we're holding off on showing anything so that people are caught
by surprise when they finally see the place.>>
Hmmmn. Sounds like the Infiniti approach. Remember when Lexus and Infiniti
debuted at about the same time? Lexus advertized its cars, showing details of
what was to come. Infiniti advertized nature, showing nothing of their cars,
in the hopes that anticipation would build and people would be thrilled when
they finally saw the cars. Guess what? It didn't work. While Lexus quickly
became a leading luxury marque, Infiniti never recovered and still languishes
today.
--Rich
IOA/DOA: The boredom has been unchained!
Petey Gold
>>occupied, so guests won't have to endure intrusive knocks.
>
>What if you're sleeping? Exactly where are these sensors?
>
>
They're called tiny hidden cameras, Lisa...and be sure and get dressed under
the blankets.
Never let a cat
pack your parachute.
Larax2
>>says PaineWebber Inc. analyst Christopher Dixon.
>
>Like hell they will. This guy is out of his mind.
Have you any idea who has been playing at Hard Rock Live lately? Elton John
just played the grand opening, and the rest of their line-up is very
impressive.
-Lar...@aol.com
When you wish upon a star... not a damn thing happens.
CooperEA
>"Disneyland"? This is honestly scary... if all he's been to is DL in
>Anaheim, no WONDER that this guy thinks they've got Disney beat... I mean, it
>really is consistent with the lack of consistency these Uni Execs seem to
>display... This whole thing looks like a bungle... I hope it does well, or
>Disney's going to be spending LESS money and laughing their butts off.
Not to mention the fact that you hardly sit around waiting for the kiddies to
get off of a ride at Disneyland or Disney World. Heck, I've only been to DL
ONCE with kids! I don't know many eighty year olds who ride inverted coasters,
etc. either.
This space is sponsored by Teev and the world famous Buttface Beer.
Remove the 'bite me' if you want to respond to me via email. The bite me is
directed towards all spammers.
CooperEA
>knowledgable about this stuff us we are here. They see these ads and they're
>not thinking "But where are these coasters? Why can't we see the park?"
>They're thinking "Ready for what? What's this all about?" I'm sure as we
>get
>closer to opening the ads will be more specific in their references to IOA,
>but
>I really think we're holding off on showing anything so that people are
>caught
>trailers that give away too much of the movie. I think this is the same
>concept. These are the teasers. The actual trailer is yet to come.
I don't think that is a very accurate comparison. It doesn't require
reservations months in advance for airplanes and hotels, plus arrangements for
vacation time at certain workplaces.
ChedderMJS
>Did anyone SEE the pull-out in USA Today? Could anyone tell that this was
>about a THEME PARK? I mean, they used the words "Theme Park" but you never
>actually SAW the park.. not an artist's conception... just some little
>blurbs,
>badly written copy, and some cartoon characters and dinosaurs. Very sad...
>so
>much money, so little point.
>
I was puzzled as why they would spend so much money as well. What do they
expect me to do, hang it on my wall?
Matt
disn...@my-dejanews.com
Matt,
1. go to www.dejanews.com
2. search fl.attractions "forums"
3. you will see our messages by thread
4. you have to register with dejanews if you want to post
5. after you have registered...poke around and explore
I hope you have a computer that is faster than a 486...this takes forever on
my computer!
Good luck, Cindy
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
LtheP
>heyday. They would be lucky to be playing Hard Rock Live's venue.
This is so far from the truth, it's not even worth discussing any further.
>as I speak Sammy Hagar is playing there. Later this month you'll
>have B.B. King, Candlebox, David Sanborn, and, well, okay Ringo Starr is a
>bit
>of a hack.
Oh gee... Sammy Hagar: I-had-a-great-thing-with-Van-Halen-but-blew-it... he's
a winner. Candlebox? What have they done lately? Who is David Sanborn?
Nothing against B.B., but I think they keep him moving around so he doesn't
drop dead. Ringo... well, I can be forgiving when it comes to him because he's
friends with a guy I work with and drummers are cool. Other than that... I'm
not impressed yet.
Rich Pearl
to DOA's ad campaign:
<< Michael...where is this from?
I know the first was my statement but who said the second...was that me as
well? >>
I don't think I lost any posts, Teev. You and I apparently posted at about the
same time the Lexus/Infiniti cautionary tale. I was stunned when I saw your
response and noticed how similar it was to mine. But, as I told Michael,
there's really only one of us.
--Rich
Rich Pearl
<< AHA! So it was Rich who ripped off my ideas about the Lexus vs. Infiniti
launches.
You thieving bastard...get your own analogies! >>
You catsucking san'wich! Check the time stamps and you'll see that you're the
rotten thief.
--Kindly ol' Rich
ParisByAir
since U2 had a hit? I mean, really? Today's St. Patrick's Day so I don't want
to come down on the Irish but U2 lost its Edge (get it, The Edge, hahahaha)
about a dozen years ago. Actually, to me, Boy was their best ever, then came
that junk October and everything went downhill after War.
As for the other guys. David Sanborn is probably the most famous white guy
playing jazz today. It's the wimpy A/C jazz but he still has a huge following.
Candlebox just put out a great follow-up album. They are getting plenty of
airplay down here in South Florida. Sammy Hagar actually had a more lucrative
career as a solo performer before Van Hagar.
Hard Rock Live! and CityWalk for that matter isn't all about one genre. That's
why Ziggy Marley was just there. It's why Petra (who when I was growing up was
the biggest Christian rock group) will be there this month too. Ringo and BB
King are legends.
Uni has also been packing some decent acts at USF itself. Doobie Brothers next
week, 38 Special and Journey were there earlier in the Mardi Gras festivities.
Granted, it's not Backstreet Boys and Brittney Spears, but we can't all be
pre-pubescent recordbuyers either.
Rick
CindyHyde
>of a hack.
>
>
No way, Jose.......
Cindy
~__/>
/\ /\
TEEVTEE
response and noticed how similar it was to mine. But, as I told Michael,
there's really only one of us.
<<<
Well I like to stun myself...er I mean you.
But can you repost yours? I'd like to see just how similar our posts were.
CindyHyde
....yesterday my husband got into a small fender bender....he was driving an
Infiniti and the lady that hit him was driving a Lexus......what are the odds
of that happening?
Cindy
~__/>
/\ /\
TEEVTEE
an
Infiniti and the lady that hit him was driving a Lexus......what are the odds
of that happening?<<<
Did they get into a debate over whose advertsing campaigns were better?
Petey Gold
>Infiniti and the lady that hit him was driving a Lexus......what are the odds
>of that happening?
Will he come with me to the casinos?
CindyHyde
Cindy
~__/>
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LtheP
Oh yes! One needless music battle coming up. It's painfully obvious that
we've got different tastes in music and while I prefer to see groups evolve and
grow musically with age, you're stuck in that "it's not as good as the first
one" mentality.
Candlebox hasn't had airplay in Boston since 1994. Sammy Hagar had one major
hit song, then did his real work with Van Halen. Ziggy Marley I'll give you.
Petra I've never even heard of. Ringo and BB are legends - and I don't think
that legends should be playing at restaurants.
The Doobie Brothers put me to sleep faster than a bottle of vodka and a shot of
nyquil. 38 Special hasn't been 'special' since the early 80's, and Journey's
the same. Their last comeback attempt was unbelievably lame.
I'm not a 'pre-pubescent record buyer' either. The Backstreet Boys and
Brittney Spears don't do a damn thing for me - but my 14 year old nieces think
they're cool. Hopefully they'll grow out of it.
Arstogas
Petra is a Christian Rock Group with some decent songs... but they are hardly
what you'd call a "A-Class" outfit to play at a venue like CityWalk... I'm
with you, Lisa. Someone got some bad crack before they evaluated the level of
entertainment...
CooperEA
>what you'd call a "A-Class" outfit to play at a venue like CityWalk... I'm
>with you, Lisa. Someone got some bad crack before they evaluated the level
>of
>entertainment...
I don't think that any on-top group is going to perform at CityWalk OR even at
Disney unless it is for some sort of charity event or a televised one.
Whatever happened to cultivating the up and coming talent? Not that I'm headed
for Branson any time soon, but I've seen the young Osmonds rising in their
career on Vault Disney several times now...
KTREALTORS
hit song, then did his real work with Van Halen.>>
He's playing the Hard Rock in Houston tonight. woop eee....boy he is on fire
now.
Kerry
(this area is being remodeled to host a new BAC)
Rich Pearl
<< Someone got some bad crack before they evaluated the level of
entertainment... >>
You mean there's good crack?
Uh, no retaliatory wisecracks, please . . .
--Rich
Rich Pearl
The original NP&R Old Raft
TEEVTEE
hit song, then did his real work with Van Halen.>>
He's playing the Hard Rock in Houston tonight. woop eee....boy he is on fire
now.<<<
He's coming by some sort of WalMart Grand opening next week as well.... he's
the king of the world!
Tinybeetle
>what you'd call a "A-Class" outfit
Petra is not headlining the concert, the Newsboys are. It's a solid bill.
The Newsboys are extremely hot, and Petra is a classic band with 25 years of
great music. What surprises me is that they are limiting themselves to a 2000
seat venue.
Denise
My kitty will eviscerate your Korean honor student...with relish.
http://members.aol.com/tinybeetle/
Link to sites with my photos from AK (including Kali and Asia),
the Disney Magic and Disneyland.
TEEVTEE
If there is a hell on Earth this concert would be it.
Tinybeetle
Sorry you won't be in town yet to join me. Could've made a night of it at the
Hard Rock and a visit to the spiffy Wal Mart Supercenter.
Arstogas
the
Hard Rock and a visit to the spiffy Wal Mart Supercenter.<<<
I THOUGHT they were building a WalMart at City Walk. What a great fit...
Mssmagic
Actually Arsto they are in a bidding war with Eisner for the honor of having
one.
He appraently feels it would be the perfect fit for Downtown Disney.
Mike
Eagerly awaiting TEEV's IOA trip report
ParisByAir
Yep, they needed to keep up with that big ole McDonald's in Downtown Disney.
And I hear, from a good source in the real estate busines, let's just call him
Mr. Hilton for brevity's sake, that the next phase of DVC after the Wilderness
Lodge bit will be a trailer park on World Drive.
Rick
MDeturbide
>Lodge bit will be a trailer park on World Drive.
Could be worse...they could add another All Stars.
Arstogas
>>Yep, they needed to keep up with that big ole McDonald's in Downtown Disney.
<<
Touche'! Well done.
Arstogas
Nervous that TEEV will return from IOA ... strangely changed.
But it wouldn't be the first Frontal Lobotomy of a beloved fictional
character...
TravMatte
children have a >good time," says Universal President Ron >Meyer. "But from age
8 to 80 we become >really the park of choice."
Boy, is this guy out to lunch! As anyone familiar with DL knows, Walt
designed the park for the whole family!
>Bronfman claims that getting from parking >space to park will never take
longer than 12 >minutes. "It can take you 45 minutes to get >from your car to
the park at Walt Disney >World," he said.
This is hysterical!!! It sometimes takes more than 12 minutes just to
get through the TOLL BOOTH!
>The big fear is too much cannibalization"- >attendance at the new park coming
at the >expense of the old...
The moment IOA opens to the masses, the old USF park will become a ghost
town. The only guests there will be Al Weiss and his execs, laughing
hysterically.