Expanding Disney's California Theme Parks the right way...

Concept art for Carsland coming to Disney California Adventure in 2012.  Image (c) Copyright Disney.

As many of you may, or may not be aware, I've been an avid theme park goer ever since I was a kid.  As a huge fan of cinema, and with a passion for writing, theme parks, to me, are a similar representation of escapism that I am such a fan of, but with theme parks, you have an opportunity to see your dreams manifest themselves in a physical reality within a physical space.

It's one thing to watch Star Wars on your widescreen TV.  It's another to experience Star Tours at Disneyland, to get a feeling of what it would be like to exist in the Star Wars Universe. 

Concept Art of Star Tours 2, coming to Disneyland in 2011.  Image (c) Coyright Disney.

Disney has always been the best at delivering that escape from reality with such an attention to detail that their experiences are almost always nothing short of impressive.  The only exception to this rule was the introduction of Disney's California Adventure (DCA) in 2001 as a sister park to the original Disneyland across the esplanade.  

If you've been to DCA over the past year or so, you may have experienced a nice addition to the park in the World of Color lagoon show, but you will also have noticed a massive amount of construction happening all around you.

Word of Color at Disney California Adventure.

So just what is going on, and why?

Put simply, Disney is investing about $1 billion to rectify the $1 billion mistake they made with their original concept for California Adventure.  Before we look at the future, here's a brief synopsis of what went wrong originally:

California Adventure was the first Disney theme park to be built following the construction of Disneyland in Paris, which at the time, was called EuroDisney.  EuroDisney was a lavish, epic recreation of Disneyland on a much larger scale, with an astonishing attention to detail and a seemingly limitless budget to bring Disney to life in Europe.  Having been to this Disneyland, I can honestly tell you that the park truly is magnificent.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland Paris as taken by yours truly.

Another perspective on Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris.

Unfortunately, the concept of "EuroDisney" was alienating to a local French population filled with a tremendous sense of national pride, who felt that Americans were capitalizing on their country to make a buck.  As a result, the park initially was a bomb, with long-lasting financial ramifications for Disney.  They invested so much into a park that no one was going to.

After much research and time, Disney reinvented EuroDisney as Disneyland Paris, with a different take on marketing and attractions to let its French population know that this wasn't an "American Disney" on their soil, but rather, a "French Disney" which served as a beacon for travelers from all over Europe to experience.  Reconceptualizing the park turned it into a huge success, but it took many years and the reinvention for the park to turn a profit.

In the midst of this transition, Disney was interested in opening two companion parks to their existing Disneylands in both Anaheim, CA and Tokyo, Japan.  Thinking they were learning from their mistakes in Paris, they chose to partner with Oriental Land Company, which would assume the bulk of the financial risk, in creating Japan's sister park, Tokyo DisneySea.  In Anaheim, Disney took on the full financial burden, but decided on a concept where they would invest fewer dollars up front, then once the crowds flocked to the park, they would use their profits to expand from there.  

Thus, Disney's California Adventure was born, a park rich in shops and dining, and light on rides and immersive theming.

As a point of comparison, Oriental Land Company, in conjunction with Disney, invested $2 billion to create DisneySea, a park many consider today to be the signature theme park experience in the world - even more prominent than Disneyland itself.  

The icon of Tokyo DisneySea.  Instead of Cinderella's castle, a magnificent volcano.

In Anaheim, Disney originally invested $1.6 billion on their expansion.  Doesn't seem that far off, but here's the kicker:  In Japan, all $2 billion went into the creation of the theme park itself.  In Anaheim, $1.6 billion went not only to the theme park, but also to the construction of Downtown Disney, the Grand Californian hotel, the massive Disney & Friends parking structure, and new roads, freeway ramps, and infrastructure.  In total, it is speculated that only approximately $600 million went towards California Adventure itself.

What a difference $1.4 billion can make in a theme park experience!

The results:  DisneySea turned a profit after one year of operation.  California Adventure took many, many more years before it saw the return on its investment.  Ironically, Disney found itself in the same hole as it was in with EuroDisney, but for very different reasons.  They underestimated a local California population that was thoroughly uninterested in a park themed to a modern California.  They also didn't consider vacationer demographics.  For example, in Florida, 70% of the theme park goers come from out of state tourists, with 30% being the local population.  In Southern California, it's the complete opposite - 70% of theme park attendees are made up of the local population, with only 30% coming from tourists!  Yet, California Adventure was a park geared towards that 30% tourist population! Its no wonder the park has struggled ever since its opening!

In the years since California Adventure first opened, Disney has seen a complete overhaul of its upper-level management:  A new Chairman and CEO, new heads of their theme park divisions and imagineering departments.  In short, everyone responsible for the original California Adventure are no longer with Disney, so with no one hanging onto their pride, the new regime at Disney has taken over the reigns to reinvest in California Adventure to finally turn it into a worthwhile destination.

What changes are coming?  Answer:  A lot!  Are the changes really going to be a difference-maker?  Answer:  Absolutely!

Instead of a park themed to a modern cutesy cheesy "best of" that California has to offer, California Adventure is transforming into a "Walt Disney's vision of California" as seen through his eyes when he first moved to the state. 

A recreation of the Carthay Circle Theatre, circa 1926, where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered, comes to California Adventure.

The entry plaza, which has already removed the ridiculously lame tile mural, the sun icon, and soon the Golden Gate bridge recreation, all designed to resemble a shot from a postcard, will be transformed into a 1920's era vintage "Main Street".  Hollywood Pictures Backlot will become "Hollywoodland" reminiscent of the early days of Cinema.  

Paradise Pier has already seen the removal of its cheesy stores, the awfully-themed Orange Stinger and Maliboomer, in favor of a feel of a period seaside amusement park.  Anchoring this transition will be the introduction of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, which is essentially a moving "dark ride" using a vehicle mechanism similar to Haunted Mansion to take you on an underwater journey with Ariel.

A birds-eye overview of the new show building for The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure coming to California Adventure in 2011.

But the biggest expansion comes in the form of Carsland, a complete recreation of Radiator Springs as featured in the Pixar film, Cars.  Carsland represents one of the most epic expansions in the history of any Disney theme park, with a level of detail expected to be on par with Disneyland or with DisneySea in Japan.

A closeup showing the incredible detail of the volcano at DisneySea.

Impressively, the rockwork and "mountains" being constructed are on a scale apparently larger than the massive Icon of DisneySea in Tokyo, namely, the large volcano that looms above all else in the park.

The soon-t0-be "Cadillac Range" mountain peaks and a glimpse of the track for Radiator Springs Racers in Carsland at California Adventure.  The workers in the foreground give a great sense of scale of this massive new addition.

Most importantly, Carsland gives California Adventure that which it has desperately needed from Day 1, namely, a true world visitors can "escape" into and let their imagination run wild.  The major E-Ticket ride of the new land is Radiator Springs Racers, with a ride vehicle system identical to "Test Track" at Epcot Center in Orlando, yet with the environmental feel of a Big Thunder Mountain.  It's going to be a fast-paced exciting journey through the textured environment of Radiator Springs, complimented by smaller-scale child-friendly rides, and the usual assortment of themed stores and restaurants.

Universal put Disney on notice last year with the introduction of its Harry Potter land at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, a new land, with a massive ride in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, that is of a scale and calibre unlike anything I have personally experienced in all of my years as a theme park goer.

Disney will attempt to replicate this scale with Carsland.  While the movie Cars doesn't have the rabid fan-base that Harry Potter does, and while the concept of Cars does skew to a much younger demographic, and therefore won't have the cult-following that Harry Potter land in Orlando is experiencing, it will give us a unique, fresh perspective within the park, along with its own version of a thrilling new ride concept, to get us excited about going to California Adventure.

In short, Radiator Springs Racers is going to be the first must-experience ride in the history of California Adventure.  That, in my book, is an amazing leap forward for the park, and a massive step in the right direction.

And by the way, let's not forget Star Tours 2 coming to Disneyland in 2011.  And rumors are circulating about bringing a new, modern version of the PeopleMover back to Tomorrowland, a new E-Ticket ride themed to the new version of Tron coming to theaters later this year, as well as Disneyland's own massive land expansion, rumored to be in the Frontierland section of the park.

Disney's California parks are finally getting the love and effort that they deserve, which we expect, and the future is going to be incredibly exciting for people all of ages!

- Jeremy

Jeremy Howard is the Founder and CEO of Real Estate Dynamic (www.RealEstateDynamic.com), the most progressive and influential Social Club for entrepreneurial real estate professionals on the planet.  He is also the Broker & President of several successful prestige real estate brokerages, is a published author with a tremendous passion for writing and cinema, and an avid snowboarder.

www.jerhow.com

A Crossroads of real estate experience, and what you should ask your agent...

Change is in the air.  Can you feel it?  Can you smell it?  

The real estate industry is at a crossroads point - and there is a clear divide between the "old school" and the "new school." The plain fact of the matter is this ain't your mom and dad's real estate industry anymore.  

From a consumer perspective, if you are looking to buy or sell a home, it is critical that you align yourself with an agent who knows how to get your transaction closed!  How many of you have worked with an agent who just can't seem to get your offers accepted?  The problem isn't you.  Most likely you're working with an agent who lacks the experience and hunger necessary to get your offer accepted!

Here's the irony though:  Its the concept of Experience.  As a home buyer or seller, you can no longer feel confident working with an agent who says they have "25 years of experience in the industry."  In many cases, what we learn is that these agents continue to do things the "old" way, and as a result, do their clients more harm than good.  Their "old school" experience actually can do their clients a disservice.

Those 25 years can mean nothing if the agent doesn't truly understand the process of a "short sale," for example, or if they simply don't have the drive and hunger necessary to go to bat for you the way they need to in today's market.

If an agent tries to convince you to work with them because they have "years of experience," be wary.  

If you're looking to purchase a home, here are some great questions you should ask your perspective agent to truly gauge just how right of a fit they are for you...

Q:  How familiar are you with the areas I'm interested in?

Q:  I will most likely be competing against several other buyers on any given property.  What do you do differently that will make my offer stand out from the rest?

Q:  How many other clients are you working with simultaneously?  How often will we go look at properties?  Will you go with me or do I go on my own?

Q:  What do you recommend in terms of submitting offers?  One at a time and wait for the results?

Q:  Please explain to me how making an offer on a short sale works.  Do you recommend we continue to submit offers on other properties even if we get an acceptance on a short sale?  

Q:  I'd like to see a sample of an offer package you've put together in the past to see how professional your offer presentations are.

Q:  How do you come up with an accurate home price in this market?  How do you do your research?

Q:  What makes you stand out as an agent from the rest?  What makes your brokerage stand out from the rest?

As a consumer, you're asking these questions for very specific reasons.  You want to know that your agent is literate, articulate, and can present themselves well - how agents sell themselves to a seller and listing agent can be just as important as how they sell you and your offer.  

You also want to make sure they, and their brokerage, stand out from the rest.  Believe it or not, an agent with a unique identity can make them unique in the mind of a listing agent and seller.  Not only that, but you want to make sure the brokerage your agent is associated with has a stellar reputation - not a reputation with any sort of negative connotation.

You're listening to hear that the agent is willing to dedicate the time and energy necessary to close your deal.  You don't want them sending you out on your own to find properties for them.  You also don't want them to submit one offer at a time and wait for the results - especially on short sale listings!  And even if your offer on a short sale is accepted!

Most importantly, you want to know that your agent has your best interests at heart - that they are two steps ahead of everyone else - and that they are keeping you educated and informed about every step of the process.

Stay tuned for some great questions to test your agents on the listing side of things if you're looking to sell your home!

- Jeremy

Jeremy Howard is the Founder and CEO of Real Estate Dynamic (www.RealEstateDynamic.com), the most progressive and influential Social Club for entrepreneurial real estate professionals on the planet.  He is also the Broker & President of several successful prestige real estate brokerages, including Casa Latino Southern California (www.CasaLatino.com/SoCal) of which he is the Territory Owner for franchise development for Los Angeles County and Orange County, and H Premiere Properties (www.HPremiereProperties.com), specializing in a wide variety of higher-end prestige properties and a celebrity clientele.

www.jerhow.com

  

Top 10 Impacting Movie Moments...

Every good movie has that "moment of impact."  Its the point at which the audience fully suspends their disbelief, escapes from reality, and truly believes what they are seeing on screen.

These are what I view as the very best of these moments...my Top 10 Impacting Movie Moments of all time...

10.  "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."  

IMPACT MOMENT:  The Beacons of Minas Tirith.

Hard to believe a movie that is an overload of sensory experiences can have one of its most powerful moments without any actors or dialogue.  When the world is on the verge of darkness, when all hope is lost, young Pippen lights the first of the Beacons, setting in motion one of the most beautiful scenes on film...and we feel that surge running down our spine...that surge of hope.  Not all is lost.  An impacting moment for the ages.

9.  "Star Wars Episode III:  Revenge of the Sith."

IMPACT MOMENT:  "Anakin...You're breaking my heart."

The only time in the "new" series where real emotions surface, which is why it resonates so deeply.  Until now, the relationship between Anakin and Padmé is such a fairy tale even they don't believe in it, so it seems.  They haven't had to struggle and so they don't know what love truly means, which is why they spew cheesy dialogue for most of the trilogy.  


Its only at the point where Anakin does something truly horrific does reality set in - and Padmé's real emotions surface.  In the very moment she realizes that she does love Anakin more than life itself, that feeling is simultaneously ripped from her, and we hate Anakin for that.  Hate, being the operative word - as "hate" is the path to the Dark Side.


8.  "2001: A Space Odyssey."
IMPACT MOMENT:  The Monolith Part Deux.

It's not the first time we see the Monolith that gets us...its the second time.  When it first appears in a prehistoric land, while extremely eerie, we have no concept of its significance.  After we realize the Monolith is in some way responsible for our evolution, when humans find another one deliberately buried on the moon, that chill instantly runs down our spine.  There are larger things at work in the Universe beyond our understanding...more powerful things.  A great moment of resonance in our cinematic history.


7.  "Jaws."
IMPACT MOMENT:  "You're gonna need a bigger boat."

The reveal of the "monster."  Until that moment, the shark was implied...a victim drowning, POV shots underwater, a severed leg, a fin above water...all aiding in mounting the tension.  When the head of Jaws springs up out of nowhere, audiences leaped out of their seats!  That formula has been replicated and repeated time and time again, but never as impacting as the granddaddy film of them all.


6.  "Star Trek II:  The Wrath of Khan."
IMPACT MOMENT:  Khan strikes first!

Kirk didn't see it coming...and neither did we.  In a flash of instantaneous filmmaking brilliance, the Star Trek Franchise propelled itself into oblivion.  Sure, Trek had its share of cheesy space battles up until this point, but nothing as gritty and real and tense as when Khan strikes first.  The Bridge goes up in flames, the hull breaches in the Engine Room, lives are lost, and William Shatner's face gets dirty.  An entire franchise was revitalized during this "holy sh*t" moment.


5.  "The Godfather."  
IMPACT  MOMENT:  Blam!  Blam!  Michael makes the hit.

In one of the most tension-filled moments in cinematic history, Michael Corleone goes from being an innocent war hero, sheltered and hidden from the ways of his family, to a man who takes his destiny into his own hands via a merciless violent act.  We want to love Michael, yet he guns down a Mob Boss and Police Captain in cold blood.  Granted, both are corrupt - but so is Michael, raising questions about moral ambiguity and the choices we make.  It all comes to a head in a moment we remember forever.


4.  "Star Wars Episode V:  The Empire Strikes Back."
IMPACT MOMENT:  "I love you...I know."

A Star Wars movie where one of our heroes "dies"?  How is that possible?  It wasn't until this moment...one of the greatest gems ever put on film.  Star Wars up until this point was a fantastical roller coaster ride, great fun, great fluff.  And then we lose our beloved Han.  Leia finally realizes her love...and yet its too late.  Han realizes his love...and keeps his bravado...yet we know he feels it...and its too late.  Where the Impact Moment in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King shows us hope when all things are dark, here its the complete opposite:  When we think things couldn't go wrong, this moment of Impact shows us true despair.  A classic tonal shift and a classic moment.


3.  "The Shining."
IMPACT MOMENT:  Jack descends into his self-made purgatory.

Jack.  He looks like he's aged a hundred years.  His facial hair is razor sharp.  And his eyes.  He never blinks.  He never blinks.


2.  "Avatar."
IMPACT MOMENT:  Hometree Collapses.

No movie truly flips the switch like Avatar does in this one breathtaking moment.  Until this point, we watch Jake Sully transition from Human to Na'vi, his rite of passage into manhood, and his love with Neytiri blossom.  Its fantastical and fun, but the dangerous reality hasn't set in yet.  Then in an Impacting moment, everything changes.  This is Avatar's "Titanic" moment - the point when the ship finally goes under, or in this case, when Hometree collapses.  Its in this moment that we, the audience, truly believes in the artificial world James Cameron has created.


1.  "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
IMPACT MOMENT:  Indy gets shot in the arm!

Lots of iconic moments in Indiana Jones lore.  The ball.  The snakes.  Sean Connery.  Very rarely does anyone highlight the above screen capture.  It's almost shocking.  An Indiana Jones movie with blood splattered on the windshield - Indy's blood.


No action sequence in the history of Cinema does it better.  During the first half of the action sequence, we're along for the ride with Indiana Jones - laughing at he does - as he shakes hanging Nazis off the truck, knocks Nazis off their motorbikes into the water, and drives them over the edge of cliffs.  All good fun.  Then it happens in a split-second.  Indy gets shot in the arm.  Blood sprays on the windshield.  Indy's smile wrinkles into a tense frown.  He feels the pain, and we feel the tension.  From light humor to thrilling drama in the blink of an eye.  At this point, this moment of Impact, Indy is fighting for his own life, and we believe it.


Raiders.  #1, Baby!

Harry Potter and Islands of Adventure!

The entrance to Hogwart's Castle.

Our trip to Orlando last week for the yearly Casa Latino leadership summit was capped with an amazing surprise when Nicholas and myself journeyed to Hogsmeed to experience the newly-opened Harry Potter land at Islands of Adventure in Orlando.


I can't emphasize enough just how special and spectacular this new land is.  It was by far the single greatest theme park experience I've ever had - the next closest being the opening of the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland - and that was back in 1995!

Universal spared no expense, and it shows in the tiniest of details.  Whether you're sipping on Butterbeer straight out of the films or listening to "Moaning Myrtle" singing to herself when you're in the restroom, this new land is an absolute experience that resonates on an emotional level.

Many times, I found myself actually touched at the love and care they brought to this new land, and to see the joyous expressions on the children who truly believed they were transported into another world was just special.

The big "E-Ticket" ride in the land is "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey," and here as well, Universal has set the bar with groundbreaking technology and epic scale the likes of which we truly haven't seen at any park.  If you're curious, the ride is part "dark ride," part "roller coaster" and part "simulator."

The ride system utilized a robotic arm technology.  Essentially, you sit in 4-seater cars with your legs dangling that are attached to giant robotic arms which enable your car to swivel and rotate on its own axis.  So the arm can tilt you all the way up, all the way down, can make you left, right, have you do barrel rolls - whatever is programmed into the system.

This arm physically moves through a show building that takes you to various scenes.  At times, these scenes are practical - physical recreations of forests, creatures, etc. that you move past.  But a quick turn during the ride brings you to a giant IMAX screen which your robotic arm synchronizes to perfectly to give the illusion of moving outside into a real space.  So at times, you actually experience flying outside of Hogwart's castle or through a Quidditch match.  

The ride is thrilling, epic, and state-of-the-art.

My experience is best summed up by a conversation I had with the Conductor of the Hogwart's Express while sipping Butterbeer outside a full-scale replica of the train itself.  The conductor asked where we were from, to which I replied, "We're from Los Angeles.  Where are you from?"  Without missing a beat, the conductor said, "Born and raised in Hogsmeed."  In that instance, I knew this was a different experience than anything else on the planet.  Had he said he was from Orlando, the illusion would have been broken.  Instead, this conductor truly was from Hogsmeed and we were truly in a magical place.