A Spirited Perfect Ten

[WDW1974]

Dol.cn is Disney's Chinese website, not an outpost for a Chinese Disney Channel. What that Wikipedia exerpt states, which may not be up to date, is that Disney content is shown in syndicated blocks on state television. There is a large difference between this and a proper dedicated cable channel, like the ones Viacom has for MTV and Nickelodeon.

Correct. There is no Disney Channel in China. But I won't make 112 posts saying the OP was wrong and must have an agenda for making such a false claim that seems to make Disney look good!

 

[WDW1974]

Is there a section reserved for lifestylers? They're going to need a lot of room for theme park experts pontificating on the merits of the themed design while nursing their souvenir drinks.

Wasn't it opening today? I can only imagine what Twitter looks like.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Wasn't it opening today? I can only imagine what Twitter looks like.

Negative.

It did not open today.

 

[WDW1974]

Just got home from a full day at Magic Kingdom...an awful day...

Pirates had an 80 minute wait...Mansion 70...are you kidding me? Every time I walked by 7 Dwarves Mine Train it was down. All in all, even with my three fast passes, I only got on five rides(and I skipped my third FP and headed home). Five rides in over twelve hours at the park. Yeah, I did go see the characters in Storybook Circus and sat through Hall of Presidents, but seriously...this place is a madhouse. People eating attractions need to be fast tracked for this park NOW.

The new hub is spacious, but it's so bland and shadeless. I dislike it. Actually, the majority of this park has become a massive concrete jungle. Such a shame.

As for upkeep? Three of my bathroom visits started with me walking into filthy poop covered stalls(and a fourth with vomit in the toilet). Two completely dead animatronics in Pirates, as well as a number of them without their mouth movements. Didn't Splash just come back from a rehab? Saw a few issues there too. People mover went down for quite awhile(when I was going to ride), they eventually evacuated everyone from the ride and it remained closed well after.
On a good note, the staff does a great job of cleaning up the sidewalks and walkways after guests trash the place. Also, the new lighting in Mermaid definitely helps that ride...too bad they haven't fixed that rushed ending.

It's clear with over 18 million people visiting this park yearly something needs to be done, and the New Fantasyland was nowhere near enough.

If Disney honestly expects Shanghai Disneyland to bring in 25 million people annually, they had better get moving on adding tons of attractions if they want to survive their first year. (Realistically, I'm betting on about 10 million people visiting the first year.)

Hey, what's your problem?!?!?! You HATER!!!!

The MK and, indeed, all of WDW have never been better!!!

Seriously, you do realize how many 'fans' believe that the above is what WDW is supposed to be like and will make excuses and lie and tell you it always was that bad during Spring Break. It wasn't, but they'll say so.

 

[WDW1974]

Negative.

It did not open today.

Does it have an official opening? ... Do we have Lifestylers camping out in the lobby (after all, with all that new space there's enough room for their ample behinds!)?

 

[WDW1974]

Talk about cuts....EE had its share, before and after opening.

That's an awfully long post for you. Did DD help you write it? C'mon, fess up!

 

[WDW1974]

MK can hold roughly 90-95k+ people. But not easily. And not where guests are comfortable.

When you have 80-125k people as guests at any given moment, its really REALLY bad when they all head to MK at once.

You sure on that MK number?

Last I heard, the upper limit was around 75,000 (down from 85,000 in the early 90s). I just can't fathom how they could hold that many people in an era where everyone has either a double-wide stroller, an ECV, a wheelchair etc ... I find the park damn near intolerable when the crowds hit 40K at MK.

There is nowhere near enough capacity and way too much dead zones (same could be said of every park, but at least EPCOT has huge walking paths).

 

[WDW1974]

Did anything ever come of the EPCOT parking lot / DVC development?

It's still out there ... my guess is it will happen eventually. They are quickly approaching the period when they have no locations left beyond swamp and scrub to place them. It'll be a hoot to see what happens when DVC can no longer be added to WDW. Yep, a hoot!

 

[PhotoDave219]

You sure on that MK number?

Last I heard, the upper limit was around 75,000 (down from 85,000 in the early 90s). I just can't fathom how they could hold that many people in an era where everyone has either a double-wide stroller, an ECV, a wheelchair etc ... I find the park damn near intolerable when the crowds hit 40K at MK.

There is nowhere near enough capacity and way too much dead zones (same could be said of every park, but at least EPCOT has huge walking paths).

Not 100% solid, but the last time I discussed numbers post NFL at MK, Phase 4 was 90k+. So compromise on 80-90 and we've got something relatively solid?

I agree with you on this.... Which is why I dont enjoy the MK on busy days.

 

[PhotoDave219]

That's an awfully long post for you. Did DD help you write it? C'mon, fess up!

You had me at DD.


Just gonna leave that there.....

 

[WDW1974]

@WDW1974 Is Star Wars Land for Disneyland going to be very similar to what they are planning to build for Hollywood Studies or whatever the new name is going to be or are they planning for two very different experiences at both parks?

I believe they will be very similar. Very. ... But that is an opinion, not a fact.

 

[WDW1974]

Interesting that matches with my experience in China as well the bland polished 'corporate' types are not liked, The more 'colorful' types seem to get along much better with our hosts. We've got a few crazy Dutchmen on our team and our hosts love those guys.

Yep. That's why I wound up working with so many Aussies (OK, I admit it ... I'm accused of being a hater of many things and they are all basically BS, but I have a strong disdain for most folks I've encountered from Down Under) in China. They were all like redneck Americans with funny accents that could drink more than any nationality I have ever seen and then act boorish. They could be fun at times, to be sure, but when they started saying anti-China things in front of our Chinese management (and I was their boss) it bothered me greatly.

I'm glad that Australia is way down at the far end of the planet ... but I also did work with some Dutch and they were generally fun, but respectful and respected. They didn't drink like the Aussies either.

 

[cheezbat]

Hey, what's your problem?!?!?! You HATER!!!!

The MK and, indeed, all of WDW have never been better!!!

Seriously, you do realize how many 'fans' believe that the above is what WDW is supposed to be like and will make excuses and lie and tell you it always was that bad during Spring Break. It wasn't, but they'll say so.

Haha guess I'm a hater.

I know spring break years ago were not this bad. I've been MANY times during spring break weeks since 2001, and this year was one of my worst experiences ever.

FastPass + has completely screwed up the lines in the parks...and listening to people complain in line to make their FP+ selections let me know how truly unhappy and confused many people were with this 'lovely' new system.(which took me a half hour wait just to use the stupid kiosks. No, I don't have a magic band and I didn't book my FP+ in advance...it was a last minute idea for my cast member friend's b-day.)

You keep it real Spirit, and I appreciate that. So many fanbois just think anything Disney spits out is perfect...but we all know that's a load of garbage. Somebody's got to keep Disney in check and speak the truth! (Yep, I'm definitely a Disney hater!)

 

[cheezbat]

This is for all of the Frozen haters out there. Fox News did a segment on how Frozen is ruining America by saying that it portrays men as villains and fools lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=37&v=z5HuCz1hZEI

That's exactly what I took as the lesson from Frozen. Not one competent guy in the whole movie...and we know the two 'villains' were both dudes. Was this movie supposed to be pro-feminist, anti-man?

Wow...thinking more about it, maybe this was a hidden reason why I disliked the movie so much...(that, and it really wasn't all that great of a story.)

 

[Cesar R M]

Negative.

It did not open today.

There is really a liferstyler area?
I was really hoping it was some sort of joke.. a slap on the quirckyness of these type of people.

 

[Cesar R M]

That's exactly what I took as the lesson from Frozen. Not one competent guy in the whole movie...and we know the two 'villains' were both dudes. Was this movie supposed to be pro-feminist, anti-man?

Wow...thinking more about it, maybe this was a hidden reason why I disliked the movie so much...(that, and it really wasn't all that great of a story.)

I honestly believe Frozen is one of the first "swing to the other side" type of movies.
We've seen plenty of movies who mock women or their man seen incompetence.

 

[PhotoDave219]

There is really a liferstyler area?
I was really hoping it was some sort of joke.. a slap on the quirckyness of these type of people.

No. Its just a joke.

 

[wogwog]

You sure on that MK number?

Last I heard, the upper limit was around 75,000 (down from 85,000 in the early 90s). I just can't fathom how they could hold that many people in an era where everyone has either a double-wide stroller, an ECV, a wheelchair etc ... I find the park damn near intolerable when the crowds hit 40K at MK.

There is nowhere near enough capacity and way too much dead zones (same could be said of every park, but at least EPCOT has huge walking paths).

To mimic a famous politician 'it depends on what your definition of capacity is'. I believe both of you can be correct. According to a Disney mgr neighbor of mine Phase A (previously Phase 1) is usually instituted now at about 75K. That is just to make it near impossible for less profitable day guests from off property to enter MK by closing the parking lot and stopping the express monorail and ferry boat operation. The resort buses continue to run to MK. As the Phases go up to B then C and so on more people are excluded. This site has a good explanation on the different phases. So conceivably a much higher number of folks can be admitted.



http://www.wdwmagic.com/park-closing-phases.htm

 

[CaptainAmerica]

What's the solution to overcrowding at the Magic Kingdom? More attractions that add capacity will draw additional guests to eat up that capacity and then some. It's a catch-22.

A good first step would actually be a crackdown on Main Entrance Pass privileges for CPs, Seasonals, and part-timers. Let those people admit themselves but no guests unless they have a resort reservation. They don't spend any money on merchandise or F&B anyways, so what's there to lose?

 

[asianway]

Does it have an official opening? ... Do we have Lifestylers camping out in the lobby (after all, with all that new space there's enough room for their ample behinds!)?

Yes they're camping outside the door and in the lobby