Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[the.dreamfinder]

http://rustinjessen.com/weblog/855

It isn't run by Disney... They just target ads on theme park and travel sites. Disney is their client.... I see no issue with this. Disney is just advertising to their demographic.

It still seems awfully fishy that their main (only?) client is Disney. I've never seen Maingate serve up ads for anyone else.
Edit: Rustin is ex-Disney.
This Rustin did not write that TDR trip report.

 

[disney fan 13]

The REALLY GOOD food at Uni's restaurants had me skipping fast food almost all the time.

I think that many vacationers, going commando, lack the wherewithal to walk to CityWalk and just want to eat and drink wherever they are when they decide its time. So, makes sense to put in fast food.

But I've often thought, too, its almost crazy to eat fast food at Uni when City Walk is full of great restaurants that aren't $50/person.

Amen, Just walk to Margaritaville, or Mythos, or Confisco's or Lombards or etc...

 

[luv]

Amen, Just walk to Margaritaville, or Mythos, or Confisco's or Lombards or etc...

...or Pastamore. Love it!

 

[ParentsOf4]

As to the quality of the food, well, I don't understand anyone paying UNI prices for quick serve when their full serve is reasonable and quality. I think I've had one slice of pizza in five years there because it makes no sense to not have real food. This isn't Disney where there is a big difference between dining at Sunshine Seasons and Le Cellist.

In general, Uni's TS restaurants serve reasonably good food at reasonably good prices. Not much different from <insert your favorite chain restaurant> near your local mall. During our last Uni visit, every TS meal for my family of six was under $100.

It's been several years since we went so I thought about booking Cinderella's Royal Table for the day after Thanksgiving. Thought it would be fun to take the kids since they haven't been there in 10 years and don't remember it. When I tried to book it, they wanted to immediately charge my credit card $371 for a party of six! Who are the insane people paying these prices? And some wonder why DDP went up 12.5% this year. Because people are foolish enough to pay these idiotic prices, it hurts all of us.

Please, I don't want to hear yet another Disney apologist with "they're only a company trying to make money". Do you think they sit around the boardroom making excuses for you? They raise prices by double digits, laughing in your face the entire time, and then get another big chuckle when you actually defend them! A fool and his money ...

 

[dupac]

Man, I'm gone for a couple of days on business and this thread jumps from 64 pages to 81 pages.

In general, this site bums me out. Not this site specifically, but the lack of any confirmation on anything. Sure, more Avatar confirmation and more DHS make-over speculation, but nothing really new on those fronts. It's the same thing we've been going over for the past... 6 months? Uggggggh.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But by extention, doesn't this apply to all cartoon environments?

There's a reason Walt opted for only real life themed environments. We are not toons, we do not visit a cartoon world, we dwell in it as an outsider, not as part of it. This, and not the lack of rides or things to do, is what I believe is what makes New FL feel so flat and underwhelming.

You're applying to animation the same storytelling deficiency often ascribed to embed entertainment in contemporary discourse, that the medium is insufficient to create. There is no reason that animation could not be the medium in which a strong place is first established and explored.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

You're applying to animation the same storytelling deficiency often ascribed to embed entertainment in contemporary discourse, that the medium is insufficient to create. There is no reason that animation could not be the medium in which a strong place is first established and explored.

English please.

 

[lazyboy97o]

English please.

People say themed entertainment has to use an existing intellectual property because its too much to create something engaging. You are saying the same about animation, that it cannot create a setting that is a place with its own texture and depth.

 

[George]

FIrst things first, I want to thank those of you who contacted me after the troll returned and decided to post personal info about me here in the dead of night when he thought he could do maximum damage.

I'm going to post encrypted cell and home phone numbers for spirit. Here goes -

cell: ###-###-####
home: ###-###-####

Any fanboi who successfully deciphers these can have spirited conversations all night long!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

You're applying to animation the same storytelling deficiency often ascribed to embed entertainment in contemporary discourse, that the medium is insufficient to create. There is no reason that animation could not be the medium in which a strong place is first established and explored.

* done googling and reading up *

I disagree! (My default position) Whilst I agree that animation can establish a strong place, I maintain that the exploration of said place can happen only within the strict narrative of the filmed or drawn world, and no further exploration is possible in a 3d environment beyond the scripted environment. The world, in other words, is closed. Human experience does not apply, only the strict rules of the animated world.

In NFL, you can only pretend to be Belle and walk around the village. But on Main Street, you can apply an infinite amount of stories.

 

[Computer Magic]

Beyond the zany antics last night, it seems that two subjects are on many folks' minds.

One is the new Springfield food court at UNI. It would seem that some folks like it and some are disappointed. I can only add that in seeing it just before it opened, it looked like what I would have expected it to. As to the quality of the food, well, I don't understand anyone paying UNI prices for quick serve when their full serve is reasonable and quality. I think I've had one slice of pizza in five years there because it makes no sense to not have real food. This isn't Disney where there is a big difference between dining at Sunshine Seasons and Le Cellist.

I hope you are implying Sunshine Season is a better place to dine.

 

[George]

In NFL, you can only pretend to be Belle and walk around the village. But on Main Street, you can apply an infinite amount of stories.

Not entirely true. You can disregard the story part of the theme and pretend like whatever you want is going on in that area. As a result, I think the plot of most Disney rides, shows, and attractions involve beautiful women begging for my attention.....same for Uni....

 

[The Empress Lilly]

People say themed entertainment has to use an existing intellectual property because its too much to create something engaging. You are saying the same about animation, that it cannot create a setting that is a place with its own texture and depth.

No, no. I say that only animation is inadequate.

Although, to large extent, possibly: full extent, the same applies to non-animated IPs. They are very limiting. A Frontierland is always more engrossing than a Lone Ranger land. Even if the Frontierland too is nothing but an amalgam of several internalised IP properties such as Lone Ranger.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Not entirely true. You can disregard the story part of the theme and pretend like whatever you want is going on in that area. As a result, I think the plot of most Disney rides, shows, and attractions involve beautiful women begging for my attention.....same for Uni....

But seriously.

What can you look longer at: a drawn Ariel cartoon, or a real woman with a shell bra? The first is great, but limited. On the latter, you can project an infinite amount of, well, 'fantasies' - although I mean that in a clean sense.

The same applies to a Little Mermaid cartoon castle or a New Orleans Square. Neither the cartoon girl nor the cartoon environment can rise above the limits of their story. A story which is fun, perhaps it's even a blast at first to visit, but ultimately its unfulfilling. This is why so very soon guests grow tired of New Fantasyland and want to leave for elsewhere in the park. You were never really part of that world, never did enter Ariel's cartoon world.

 

[MattM]

Any fanboi who successfully deciphers these can have spirited conversations all night long!

Or just call and ask the White House?

 

[asianway]

In general, Uni's TS restaurants serve reasonably good food at reasonably good prices. Not much different from <insert your favorite chain restaurant> near your local mall. During our last Uni visit, every TS meal for my family of six was under $100.

It's been several years since we went so I thought about booking Cinderella's Royal Table for the day after Thanksgiving. Thought it would be fun to take the kids since they haven't been there in 10 years and don't remember it. When I tried to book it, they wanted to immediately charge my credit card $371 for a party of six! Who are the insane people paying these prices? And some wonder why DDP went up 12.5% this year. Because people are foolish enough to pay these idiotic prices, it hurts all of us.

Please, I don't want to hear yet another Disney apologist with "they're only a company trying to make money". Do you think they sit around the boardroom making excuses for you? They raise prices by double digits, laughing in your face the entire time, and then get another big chuckle when you actually defend them! A fool and his money ...

I've been to CRT once since they added princesses for dinner. Menu is of course dumbed down because 2 TS apparently can't buy you prime rib anymore...did have a great server who we remembered from the King Stephens days. Food was decent but insanely overpriced. The kicker was even though we had prepaid, we somehow owed $15 because they had raised prices since the time of booking. Didn't cause a scene but probably should have.

Wonder how much the meal would cost if they still had Mickey Mouse butter?

 

[MattM]

Seems like daring Walt Disney World to match and make the Magic Kingdom $97.00. The new pricing structure now means that Walt Disney World will be the first to hit $100 with a Magic Kingdom ticket.

Will be interesting to see if a $100 ticket makes any difference. Even though it's only a couple of dollars, there is a huge psychological difference between $97-99 and $100. I'm not sure that it will for a few reasons. But looks like we will probably find out soon.

 

[dupac]

But seriously.

What can you look longer at: a drawn Ariel cartoon, or a real woman with a shell bra? The first is great, but limited. On the latter, you can project an infinite amount of, well, 'fantasies' - although I mean that in a clean sense.

The same applies to a Little Mermaid cartoon castle or a New Orleans Square. Neither the cartoon girl nor the cartoon environment can rise above the limits of their story. A story which is fun, perhaps it's even a blast at first to visit, but ultimately its unfulfilling. This is why so very soon guests grow tired of New Fantasyland and want to leave for elsewhere in the park. You were never really part of that world, never did enter Ariel's cartoon world.

I think another thing to think about is if that IP becomes stale, or the ride itself, you now have an entire land devoted to it. You become limited in terms of what you can build or replace. A land based on fantasy, Africa, or Old Hollywood has a lot more wiggle room.

 

[luv]

Aren't the tickets already over $100? Once the tax is added on?

 

[danlb_2000]

Aren't the tickets already over $100? Once the tax is added on?

Yes, but $95 plus tax is much more palatable then $100 plus tax