Top ten DisneyFox perks!

So by now we've all heard about the big Disney purchase of Fox's assets. Here are what I think are the 10 best pickups.

10. Avatar- Not a great franchise, but it gives Disney ownership of it so they don't have to license and they always need new anthology type series.

9. Modern Family- This show is a true gem and consistently does well in the emmy's and would greatly help ABC.

8. Predator- This franchise hasn't done much in the recent past, but it iconic. How will Disney use it? I honestly don't see many avenues unless Disney brings back Touchstone or keeps the Fox name alive in some form. Probably the best thing they can get here are new video game ideas.

7. The Simpsons- How will Disney use this? Probably not much, really wouldn't fit in at the parks also and since it's at Universal, but the licensing rights will be helpful.

6. Die Hard franchise- It's tired, but it's classic.

5. Planet of the apes- Personally i think this is done with, but it still makes the bucks.

4. Fight Club- again, nothing happening, but classic.

3. Hulu minority ownership- Though its not exciting, Iger has been adamant about getting into the streaming areas, now this will help that. Watch out Netflix.

2. Star Wars: A New Hope Distribution Rights. Disney never acquired the distribution rights to Episode 4 until now, now all Star Wars rights are back home.

1. Marvel gets characters back home. The biggest pick up is obviously the X-Men franchise and its many characters, who can now be intertwined with the MCU, along with the Fantastic 4, Deadpool, X-Force, New Mutants, and more. A wolverine vs Hulk movie would be swell about now...

Do you have good ideas?

Do you have good ideas for a column? Submit your idea in the comments section today!

Parks and Resorts- Magic Kingdom Roundup- Adventureland

Ahh Adventureland, the land of mystique. This south seas/Polynesian/asian/jungle is meant to signal danger, rescue, discovery, and fun. As with any other land, Adventure has some amazing elements, but there is of course room for improvement.





The current roster includes

- Jungle Cruise
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Tiki Room

This land is not that large, and of course the Jungle Cruise takes up a lot of geography, but there is room and potential for great new attractions.

First, I propose an Indiana Jones attraction (similar to Disneyland, but more plussed and updated to make a slightly different experience.

Second, Princess and the Frog could be a good IP for a smaller attraction here...something in the bayou or swamp.

Third, though Moana was underwhelming, it could fit in here as well.

Fourth, create a "Blue Bayou" type restaurant inside Pirates of the Caribbean.

Fifth, Lilo and Stitch can go here, but the IP would need a reawakening.

Sixth- Jungle Cruise has a movie coming out in the next few years, incorporate new elements into it, similar to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Seventh- Let's expand the Dole Whip stand...this gem is an attraction in itself and it clogs up the walkways badly. Perhaps we can make it so you can drink these inside of the Tiki room.

Parks and Resorts- Unique Attractions to Specific Resorts

Disney Parks and Resorts has an eternal conundrum to deal with after a new attraction is opened; should the attraction be exported to other resorts or not? This can be a difficult decision because there are benefits and drawbacks to exporting and to keeping it solitary.

I have compiled a database of major attractions to their respective resorts (it is not ALL inclusive, only major attractions). Due to formatting issues it is not clearly visible to you, but it can be sent upon request.

Some attractions are meant to go to several different resorts. These attractions translate well to other languages and should be in every resort. These include Tower of Terror, Mickey's Philharmagic, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.

Some attractions should not be exported and should remain at one resort so that each resort has some unique elements. Attractions such as Matterhorn, Safari's, Mission Space, California Screaming, etc. fall under here.

New attractions typically will stay at one resort for several years until it will be moved, thereby giving the original resort a short ownership privilege. However, within a few years, we should expect attractions such as Iron Man and Tron to make their way elsewhere.

How should we know what attractions should not be exported? I believe it is a few factors

1. Ease of recreation- Some attractions are not easily able to recreate due to the landscape or contributing factors. Think the Safari's at Animal Kingdom...not able to easily replicate this elsewhere.

2. Fit with the culture- Some IP's just don't mesh with certain cultures, so the attraction should not be exported (though the technology can).

3. Contractual issues- This one is more limited, but think about Marvel. Due to the Master licensing agreement, Disneyland resort is in a unique and powerful position to use these IP's to their fullest potential.

4. Unique "flavorful" experiences- By this I mean that "signature" attractions will likely be exported due to their high cost and demand. However, an attraction short of signature status, but still entertaining and popular, should remain at one resort. Matterhorn is a good example. It is a thrilling and fun attraction, but is not as legendary to most guests like Splash Mountain, etc. Therefore Matterhorn should remain solely at Disneyland, however Indians Jones which is signature should be exported to Florida (I don't count the stunt show).

Note, the exported attraction does not have to be identical to the previous versions, there can be minor changes as in Pirates of the Caribbean lengths from California to Florida.

Keeping each park unique will drive up attendance to each individual resort, but the exporting of signature attractions will make them relevant and exciting, thereby making Disneyland resort  no longer a regional theme park and will drive higher attendance at the international resorts.

Thoughts?

Broadcast Networks- Avoiding Partisanship

If you haven't heard, ABC recently cancelled the comedy "Last man standing" (LMS) despite it having a high and steady viewership. This has caused a significant backlash since LMS' main character (played by Tim Allen) is a prominent conservative and made fun of liberal positions and politicians. Conservative outcry was fierce because there aren't generally too many network shows that appeal to conservatives while ABC (and many other networks) are filled with very liberal friendly shows.

ABC should immediately reinstate LMS because it reaches a key demographic that it needs to reach and does so with over 8 million viewers. More importantly though ABC (and Disney as well) need to avoid the partisan political climate in terms of content. It is ok to have liberal shows as long as there are conservative shows, but it is not ok for corporate to espouse some values over the other and make programming decisions based on them.

ABC has responded that it was not political decisions that cancelled the show...ya right. ABC has kept terrible shows on TV if it had ratings and viewership, so when did that criteria not become the end all/be all. Since the early 2000's, ABC has gotten progressively more liberal in its content. ABC news is very liberal, the sitcoms should be free from that partisanship. ABC cannot afford to alienate half of all viewers with political value debates or picking favorites. The executives views should have no bearing on whether it is a hit show or not. ABC has consistently broached its political head on issues over the years including gay marriage, equal rights, and more. This is not the job of ABC unless they will also champion conservative positions like smaller government and entitlement reform. So,

Bring back LMS!

Disney Studios- Top Ten sequels or reboots needed

Some films just need a sequel and some need a reboot...I know that sequels and reboots are usually worse than their predecessors, but we still need these characters or franchises. As such, I propose the top ten stories in need of film sequels or reboots. This list does not include any films that are already in development.

Honorable mentions-

- Enchanted. I know that the sequel Disenchanted is "in the works", but until we see something concrete then it goes on the list.

- Haunted Mansion. Again, I know the Guillermo Del Toro reboot is in the works, but haven't seen anything yet. This franchise is ripe for a good film with a fresh take.

- Honey I shrunk the Kids. This is a fun film idea and the original is not quite a classic, but is very dated. Could be a good reboot.

- Saludos Amigos/Three Caballeros. Though this is a pretty thin franchise, there is certainly potential to revive the characters including Jose and Panchito.

10. Winnie the Pooh- The 2011 sequel was pretty weak, but the franchise is too beloved to let it slip to merely merchandise.

9. The Muppets- The 2011 sequel was a great reboot, but the 2014 sequel was fairly weak. Let's keep regular appearances of the Muppets going.

8. Aladdin- Aladdin is a bit of a sacred cow for the company, but there is certainly room and potential stories for a sequel...the question is will people go see it without Robin Williams?

7. Inside Out- This 2015 film was a new and fresh hit and is probably the most recent film that deserves a sequel in itself.

6. National Treasure- The 2004 film was fun and exciting. The sequel was pretty weak, but this franchise is the modern day equivalent of Indiana Jones and is also ripe to be in the parks for an attraction.

5. Ratatouille- This film left little room to further the current storyline, but we could definitely see how the restaurant will continue to run and adventures from that.

4. Davy Crockett- Can the 1950's franchise be relevant again? I believe it can. There aren't many westerns anymore an American heroes franchise could be revamped.

3. Johnny Tremain- Again, an old short lived classic, that could revive the colonial genre and American hero.

2. Homeward Bound- Kids love animals, they love their personalities, and they love their adventures.

1. Swiss Family Robinson- Reboot material! People stuck on a deserted island and surviving (and thriving) is a storyline the company has used many times in the past. Let's see this one happen again!

Parks and Resorts- Magic Kingdom Roundup- Liberty Square

Liberty Square is a true gem of a land because it is pure storytelling with Americana. Though this land is small, it is packed with content and talent, but is there room for improvement? Sure.

The current roster in Liberty Square includes

Haunted Mansion
The Hall of Presidents
The Muppets present great moments in American History

Liberty Square Riverboat

There is also the restaurants

Liberty Tree Tavern
Diamond Horseshoe
Columbia Harbour House
and the Liberty Square Market cart

This is a great lineup with few misses, but the land could still use additional material. Obviously the problem is land, but there is still room for a few areas to plus.

First, I think the Muppet idea is great, but let's make it permanent as an attraction. It needs an actual building where people can sit, it should be extended some. I recommend it next door to the Hall of Presidents.

Second, I also recommend branching out into this theme a little bit more. Let's have an exhibit on the founders; who was Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, etc. Let's have Common Sense available to read. Let's have a room seated much like the delegates sat at the Constitutional convention.

Third, I suggest a revamping of Liberty tree tavern (it's ok, but food quality can be improved), and turn one of the other counter service places into another full service place.

Fourth, we need a true Haunted Mansion gift shop...and maybe a restaurant? That may be too tacky, but why is there no true Haunted Mansion gift shop...forget the cart!

Fifth, Sleepy Hollow...find a way to add this theme in there (it's already in a Disney film "the adventures of Ichabod and mr. toad)

Sixth- More current IP...how about National Treasure? That could make a great attraction where you're moving in search of an artifact (think forbidden journey technology).

Seventh- This will seem strange, but I believe the shops in a land make the atmosphere. Here, the Christmas shop is great, but let's also add an antique store, an old time book store/library on American history, and art/sculptures could be good.





Thoughts?