Is Disney changing focus?

[Veritas]

Some of the threads seem to be touching on a theme lately, which is the apparently shifting focus of WDW. In some instances WDW seems to trying to woo the thrill seeker crowd with thrill rides such as Expedition everst, and in other areas Disney seems to be trying to introduce separate fee entertainement such as the rumored MGM show.

What do you learned folk think?

[mini-V]

Some of the threads seem to be touching on a theme lately, which is the apparently shifting focus of WDW. In some instances WDW seems to trying to woo the thrill seeker crowd with thrill rides such as Expedition everst, and in other areas Disney seems to be trying to introduce separate fee entertainement such as the rumored MGM show.

What do you learned folk think?

The marketing of Expediton Everest was never "a thrill ride". They tried to make sure people considered it "thrilling", but not a thrill ride. I think they succeeded.
I don't know much about the separate ticket events. They have offered special ticket events for some time with Halloween, Christmas, and Party for the Senses during the Food and Wine Festival. I think it's a way to be able to offer an event that needs limited attendance or has costs that far exceed what would normally be incurred with your normal ticket. I don't have a problem with those being offered now since I don't HAVE to go every time I visit WDW. When I do, I know that I'm with a smaller number of people, and that what I attend will be out of the ordinary.

[turkeymama]

I agree with the need for selling tickets to events that depend on a slightly lower attendance level. I'm not sure that they are shifting gears but obviously with Everest they pushed advertising since it was something new to Animal Kingdom. I wonder if such an effort would have been put forth on a comparable ride in Magic Kingdom.

[mini-V]

I think the marketing money would still have been available to Magic Kingdom had a compariable ride to EE been put there. I'm guessing the cost of the ride drives the amount of marketing dollars spent.

[turkeymama]

Good point