A previous poster mentioned how the film would have fared better had they stuck with the original book. A great movie comes from a great story to tell, and people young and old recognize that. Obvious pandering with "solar surfboards" and other gimicky/trendy additions are a turn-off.
Disney needs to follow Pixar's model and produce one, very good movie every other year and not rush to the market with whatever shlock they have thrown together. With more and more competition for their entertainment dollars, consumers are increasingly picky over what to spend it on.