The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[WDW1974]

It still has a long way to go to surpass the thread on the waterfall being removed from the Polly lobby, but it may be approaching the Starbucks replacing Main Street Bakery thread.

Yeah, I said my piece over in that thread. ... But my only issue is WHY these groups are being replaced, not that they are being replaced. But I certainly respect the folks who really enjoy them and are upset.

I enjoy some of the discussions around the international parks and some of the TV talk, but I haven't been to those parks and don't watch all of the shows discussed so some times I just sit back and listen.

I get that. But I come here to get a pulse on the community and discuss things, so I don't particularly enjoy simply reading my own posts (only a few are truly works of art). If people tune out, then I generally tune out.

I just don't give two empty yogurt containers that The Bowler Hat Guy is at MNSSHP to encourage the addicts to spend for the event ... talk and threads like that just send me back to the very ugly real world.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I would be shocked ... truly ... and not much shocks me ... if Disney received any significant bump in bookings due to FP+.

Generally, I view @ParentsOf4 as one of the brightest bulbs we have here, but I don't see a correlation at all. More like a convenient convergence of circumstances.

shocked is an understatement. If people plan a vacation around planning a vacation they truly deserve the lackluster show they are getting from WDW. They won't think its garbage though. I know a family that was there this week and even though they hate what FP+ is doing, and that the parks are stale, they still planned and paid for a trip there.

All we have to do is look at the popularity of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the numerous WDW vacation planning sites (including this one) to recognize that "guests" plan their WDW vacations more than any other place in the World.

Anyone who thinks a system like FastPass+ would not appeal to that substantial crowd is ignoring the obvious.

Make FastPass+ an "onsite only" perk and just watch those uber planners switch from offsite to onsite stays.

Whether MyMagic+ will ever justify its bloated budget, well, that's a horse of a different color.

However, if FastPass+ could have been brought in at $100M and was made an onsite perk only, I'd bet my stack of unused WDW tickets that hotel occupancy would have improved significantly and that FastPass+ would have been a financial success.

As shown at pretty much every other amusement park in the world, vacationers willingly pay extra for preferential ride access.

 

[WDW1974]

Let’s put what Eisner and Wells did into perspective.

By the end of their first 5 years, they had introduced price increases that doubled Parks & Resorts revenue. However, they also had more than quadrupled Parks & Resorts capital investment!

Within their first 5 years, Eisner & Wells had built Disney-MGM Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, Pleasure Island, Mickey's Toontown Fair (then called Mickey's Birthdayland), the Norway Pavilion, the Living Seas, Captain EO, Illuminations, the Grand Floridian, Caribbean Beach Resort, and more.

Eisner and Wells took the money they generated and created the modern WDW.

During his first 5 years, Iger built Toy Story Mania.

That's just an amazing comparison and one that should be Tweeted by every Disney Twit out there. What a difference?!?! And let's also not forget that Morocco had just opened at EPCOT from the prior administration, and that WoL opened near the end of that. ... With the entire EPCOT resort area sans BW opening in 1990. There were also major short term entertainment events like the 15th Anniversary ... and new parades.

To be fair to Iger he also had a bang up start IF you go out a year or two more ... he opened three DVCs at WDW ... and the AIE too!!!

 

[Darth Sidious]

That's definitely newer artwork. The Wayne logo in Gotham was used in the Dark Knight trilogy, as well as an Easter egg satellite image on Man of Steel.

Could this be for Universal Orlando? Maybe. But my guess is we'll see something like this pop up at the park in Japan or Singapore instead.

If that was going to Orlando the Marvel Park rumor mill here would run rampant. That being said I don't believe that it's for the United States as DC Comics characters have an agreement with Six Flags dating to when TW owned Six Flags. I'd have to do further research but I think that deal terminated if Six Flags were purchased by Uni or Disney so it was a poison pill of sorts. I could be misstating though but it would seem those rights are pretty tied up unless TW can terminate at any time.

 

[WDW1974]

@WDW1974 is the Frozen special the one that was noticeably absent from the Blu Ray/DVD?

With Disney ... it certainly is possible. I'm sure parts absolutely are.

 

[WDW1974]

I just got the 2015 Unofficial Guide and it's interesting how much the current edition reads like the boards here (so much so that I think @ParentsOf4 wrote half the section in "Money Matters" ). Bob and Len don't hold back on calling out Disney for their steep and sudden price increases in all areas and how it hurts any American family making less than $100,000 a year. Lots of digs against the overly complicated nature of FP+, but admitting it can help if you know what you're doing. Also interesting to note the number of restaurants that have had their overall and/or food quality ratings dropped in the past two years.

Most of all the new stuff at Disney (Spice Road, 7 dwarfs, FoF, pirate game in Adventureland) gets good reviews.

Diagon Alley is also highly praised, but gets some nitpicking too (Hermonie's voice continues to unimpress). They rank it above Cars Land which I found interesting, but can't comment on just yet (maybe by mid-February I'll be able to compare the two ).

I'm just wondering if @lentesta ever answered my question about whether he ever asked for an explanation as to why Disney stopped credentialing him and his organization for its events ... I think Disney trying to control the narrative, and failing miserably (sorry, social media experts), is a huge story.

 

[marni1971]

I wonder if he's even been to UNI. .

Baxter most certainly has. Steerage class too.

His reaction after his first ride on FJ was fantastic. Pretty much like everyone else.

 

[misterID]

I wonder if he's even been to UNI. You know WDW execs and Imagineers regularly are over there, just like UNI leaders and creatives regularly visit WDW. ... But I really could see him being so into hos role as a BRAND advocate and ***** to the point he never visits any places in O-Town that are not Mouse controlled.

Freudian slip?

I am hoping to drop some meaty material out soon on the HUGE construction quality issues they are having (remember what UNI dealt with in Singapore with largely Chinese contractors? ... well, they are nothing compared to what is happening in Shanghai. ... This one was an easy one to see coming.



Too bad that space didn't stay empty into the day of videos from iPhones ... just think of all those naughty clips of the Princes playing (yes, that really did go on up there!) that would be floating down from 'the cloud' (BTW, yes, the world was a better place when we didn't have things that sound like they came out of scary utopian sci-fi films!)

And just like that, a part of my childhood fascination of that apartment was murdered in a Frankie Goes To Hollywood visual image nightmare.

And thus heralds the end of courteous discourse. (Sorry to quote from you misterID, but your comment is symtomatic of evolving standards for addressing disagreements.)

Yes, that's how I handle all of my disagreements.

 

[alissafalco]

I wonder if he's even been to UNI. You know WDW execs and Imagineers regularly are over there, just like UNI leaders and creatives regularly visit WDW. ... But I really could see him being so into hos role as a BRAND advocate and ***** to the point he never visits any places in O-Town that are not Mouse controlled.

There is a thread on here showing pics of him at UNI this past week. I can't remember where I saw it, maybe someone else can pull it up.

 

[SJN1279]

Baxter most certainly has. Steerage class too.

His reaction after his first ride on FJ was fantastic. Pretty much like everyone else.

You mean he vomited in the gift shop too?

 

[danlb_2000]

You mean he vomited in the gift shop too?

No, he reportedly called it "The greatest thing ever", but what would he know about theme park attractions.

 

[Nemo14]

There is a thread on here showing pics of him at UNI this past week. I can't remember where I saw it, maybe someone else can pull it up.

It was actually in this thread - back at page 746.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Even though I haven't experienced it myself- I trust Tony Baxter's opinion on new park attractions. His taste for what is considered quality seems to mirror mine.

 

[bhg469]

No, he reportedly called it "The greatest thing ever", but what would he know about theme park attractions.

If he was so good he wouldn't have retired!

 

[TubaGeek]

Baxter most certainly has. Steerage class too.

His reaction after his first ride on FJ was fantastic. Pretty much like everyone else.

Are there any reports online of his response to Uni? I would love to hear some of his reactions.

You mean he vomited in the gift shop too?

Please stop. Seriously, you contribute nothing.
Stop.

 

[marni1971]

You mean he vomited in the gift shop too?

Funnily enough, a tiny percentage of riders have had issues. You're wrong yet again. Or was that an attempt at humour? It's so hard to tell on the Internet.

Motion sickness has been lessened even further with the refined profile, mainly to save the downtime of cleaning up the mess particularly on the unload belt. It was this that was the single worst reason for downtime.

Baxter was actually saying how it was the best theme park attraction he had ridden.

A few days later we talked about what a mess Imagination 3 is and how bad TWDC were for ruining it. His words not mine.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

You mean he vomited in the gift shop too?

Why had he seen you in there?

 

[marni1971]

Why had he seen you in there?

WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

 

[lentesta]

I'm just wondering if @lentesta ever answered my question about whether he ever asked for an explanation as to why Disney stopped credentialing him and his organization for its events ... I think Disney trying to control the narrative, and failing miserably (sorry, social media experts), is a huge story.

Yes, through Bob (Sehlinger) we got a one-sentence explanation. It suggested we change the tone of our coverage to be more like another well-known site.

I gained an enormous amount of respect for the person who said it. I'm not going to name the site or the person who provided the response.

That said, it seems to apply only to media events. We've since asked for (and received) special help with our own research projects in the parks and resorts.

 

[PhotoDave219]

There's a very vocal minority of this fanbase that makes the rest look absolute reprehensible. We seem to have a generation of petulant children who feel entitled to everything and throw tantrums at 30 years old when they don't get their way.

It goes far beyond the Disney community however the common denominator I see of these behaviors is people living their lives online.

Unplug, people. Put the phone down and experience life.