A Spirited Perfect Ten

[MonkeyHead]

Opening in phases is completely a monetary decision and the Walt Disney company has NO good reason to do that. But they do anyway. New Fantasyland an excellent example. No good reason the Dwarf Coaster couldn't be ready.

 

[tribbleorlfl]

speaking of that figment comic. Didnt they went into more editions? because the firsts were all sold out?

Correct, at least for issues 1 and 2.

 

[MonkeyHead]

Also, it appears the new WoC show has some major issues (that hopefully will be addressed after tonight's preview). It seems as though the show -- though a Steve Davison joint -- was largely dictated by marketing and is not what it needs to be.

I consider WoC the best nighttime "Spectacular" stateside. DL Fantasmic is its only rival and they may in the end be equally as good. I will be very sad if this is lessened in the process of re-doing the show....

 

[PhotoDave219]

Spirited Late Night Musings:

Apparently, the entire P&R upper management team as well as all the top company leadership (minus Willow Bay's favorite mealticket) is currently at DLR getting a preview of all the entertainment offerings for the 60th Anniversary.

Also, it appears the new WoC show has some major issues (that hopefully will be addressed after tonight's preview). It seems as though the show -- though a Steve Davison joint -- was largely dictated by marketing and is not what it needs to be.

There was some filming going on around WDW property this week, and it appears some of it will play into the Shanghai Disney Resort. I'm not quite sure how yet. We shall see. Could be advertising campaign or an instructional campaign because Disney needs to teach locals just what a Disney theme park is and how you consume that product. Yes, again, for real.

While I won't be visiting the O-Town Rocco's Tacos on my next visit, I will definitely try the Boathouse after some reviews by people I respect.

And to end of a food note, I have a 12:30 a.m. craving for fried chicken and it will go unanswered.

Dammit man, now I want friend chicken.

Also highly recommend the boathouse. Dig the ambiance.

So The Tail is wagging the dog with WOC? I'm so shocked.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Id say MM+ was just a PR excuse to justify the required renovation of the backend (which includes the upgrades of all ancient disney systems)
It was NEEDED, MM improvements or not.

Thats essentially what a lot of the expenses were - necessary infrastructure upgrades that were required.

 

[WDW1974]

Yeah, everyone knows Disney likes to have meetings. And meetings. And meetings. Either that or the executives in charge of green lighting stuff in Glendale just simply don't get that when you have 30% growth in 10 years, you're going to need places to put those people.

And I would argue that Uni is only growing because they had nowhere else to go but up. When Blackstone owned them, they were neglected as bad as DHS/DAK are today. Looking at USO, they went from 6.85M visitors in 2003 to 7.06M in 2013. (MK went from 14.04M to 18.58M in the same time period) They essentially have to invest because for years, they were flat out ignored.

Absolutely. UNI had one company owning it that didn't really care about it after another. But I have loved those parks since the 90s.

And WDW has been getting by on barely investing in the parks (in terms of product, I won't disagree that they spent $2 billion plus on NGE and infrastructure and new buses etc ... those don't count here). The worst thing is the MK was so stale and neglected and they finally do a large scale project and it's the dull and lacking Not So New Fantasyland, which is going to look just like what it is when TDL's new Fantastyland debuts in not that many years, as well as the first new parade in the park since 2001. There just is no buzz about anything they do in O-Town, unless you're a fanboi Twit who wants to argue the thematics of the New Hub (here's an opinion, but a very educated one based on Disney's own standards for design -- it sucks!!!)

Unfortunately, the people keep flocking to a lousy park -- and, yes, I absolutely believe the MK right now is lousy. I'd much rather be in DAK or EPCOT or UNI or IOA. I get that it has lots of attractions (by Central FL standards) but so many of them are well past their prime and others are simply falling apart.

 

[WDW1974]

A quick glance at the orange county property appraiser site shows that, amazingly around 1/3rd seem to be from owners in Brazil.

They do have Brazilians there. And a few wealthy white bread top one percent Americans from largely the flyover states.

But it's who owns the other homes there that I find far more interesting ... and how ... well, I'm not really looking to start a 20-page diversion with all the arsehats who don't particularly like me talking about tinfoil Mouse Ears. I've seen the docs. I've researched. There are things that make me ask deep questions.

Should Soup & Sandra or the pathetic excuse for a reporter she replaced have looked into this? Sure. But it's much easier to rewrite press releases and interview Twits for stories and walk home with your $425 take home for a week.

But any pretense of the Sentinel being able to write long form/enterprise journalism died a very long time ago.

 

[WDW1974]

Not to sound too glass half full, but Mine Train did get added later in the project for FLE. Not this late, but it's not totally unprecedented. Early on James Cameron seemed to imply multiple attractions (more than 2). I always thought maybe the 2 rides and a walkthrough or something. Your theory on NGE spending makes a lot of sense. Maybe it got cut and is added back now. Any idea if this would be a minor ride or something more substantial?

No, it was in the original plans for the land (well, not the real original 1999 plans but the ones for the project that was built). It was cut in favor of many meet-and-greet-and-gropes. When Staggs took over P&R, he simply swapped the train back in. It really was no biggee (and the ride was shorter and with fewer show scenes as @Lee or @marni1971 can attest).

Since the project formerly went ahead and they broke ground, the plan was always two real attractions. ... And to answer your question, I'd say ''more substantial'' which again gives me pause.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Absolutely. UNI had one company owning it that didn't really care about it after another. But I have loved those parks since the 90s.

And WDW has been getting by on barely investing in the parks (in terms of product, I won't disagree that they spent $2 billion plus on NGE and infrastructure and new buses etc ... those don't count here). The worst thing is the MK was so stale and neglected and they finally do a large scale project and it's the dull and lacking Not So New Fantasyland, which is going to look just like what it is when TDL's new Fantastyland debuts in not that many years, as well as the first new parade in the park since 2001. There just is no buzz about anything they do in O-Town, unless you're a fanboi Twit who wants to argue the thematics of the New Hub (here's an opinion, but a very educated one based on Disney's own standards for design -- it sucks!!!)

Unfortunately, the people keep flocking to a lousy park -- and, yes, I absolutely believe the MK right now is lousy. I'd much rather be in DAK or EPCOT or UNI or IOA. I get that it has lots of attractions (by Central FL standards) but so many of them are well past their prime and others are simply falling apart.

I shot a few panoramas while I was at the new Hub just for the sake of doing so. I did not care for it one iota.

And youre right, there isnt any buzz. Avatar has negative buzz, Star Wars has buzz but you and I both know its not going to open any time before 2020. Any Pixar expansion is still time away at the studios. Future world is looking OLD (it really is)....TWDC has gotten by on hype alone in Orlando since 5/5/05. Anyone who would scream "Waddaya mean, thats it!?" has been marginalized.

And lines continue to be long, prices continue to be high and trips continue to complicate exponentially anymore.

The lack of constant reinvestment shows. And shows bad.

 

[WDW1974]

Maybe, just maybe, that somewhere along the lines Glendale began to realize that with the crowds theyre drawing and the profits theyre making, that they simply cant do this stuff on the cheap anymore?

Or am i wishfully thinking?

Pandora will be quality. Whatever they do with Star Wars (again, opening around 2021 at present ... ) will be as well. But that's about it. I'm sure the soccer mommy bloggers and Lifestyler whores will love Frozen at EPCOT, but if TDS's attraction is a 9 on a 1-10 scale (and that may be a low grade) than EPCOT's will be like a 4 if we're lucky and they don't cut anything.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm actually wondering.. The wonder drydock is long needed. Have they scheduled the dry dock changes for the Wonder yet?
Have they even ordered new ships?
Seems the RCLL and all other companies (except disney) is actively renovating and upgrading their fleets.

I'm not even sure. I believe it is scheduled for fall of 2016, but will need to check.

No, they haven't. But I do know they have an agreement in principle and believe that they've had it for well over a year now. Just waiting to pull the trigger and slot their builds into when the German shipyard can deliver them.

Disney did major work on the Magic and it looks great. The Wonder is in great shape for its age ...although they did recently redo the staterooms (they wanted to wait for dry dock, but simply couldn't!)

 

[PhotoDave219]

Pandora will be quality. Whatever they do with Star Wars (again, opening around 2021 at present ... ) will be as well. But that's about it. I'm sure the soccer mommy bloggers and Lifestyler whores will love Frozen at EPCOT, but if TDS's attraction is a 9 on a 1-10 scale (and that may be a low grade) than EPCOT's will be like a 4 if we're lucky and they don't cut anything.

I forget whom i was talking to on here but they were suggestion that Glendale is expecting a 20% bump in attendance for Epcot with Frozen.... I'm not sure what reality they're living in. You'd have to Boost more than 2M people over a year to do that. (2.25M to be precise using last years estimated numbers or an additional 6167 people per day. 13.48M for the year is a 20% increase, or 36,931/day)

 

[Captain Neo]

No, it was in the original plans for the land (well, not the real original 1999 plans but the ones for the project that was built). It was cut in favor of many meet-and-greet-and-gropes. When Staggs took over P&R, he simply swapped the train back in. It really was no biggee (and the ride was shorter and with fewer show scenes as @Lee or @marni1971 can attest).

Since the project formerly went ahead and they broke ground, the plan was always two real attractions. ... And to answer your question, I'd say ''more substantial'' which again gives me pause.

When Jim hill leaked the plans in late 2008 there were actually 3 attractions: little mermaid, the dwarfs coaster, and a beauty &I the beast dark ride.

 

[BrerJon]

Serious question: if Shanghai's eventual second gate is an EPCOT Center like park with new versions of fanboy favorites like Horizions or Journey into Imagination, would they visit?

If they haven't been to DisneySea a decade after it opened, I can't see them getting to Shanghai any time soon.

 

[BrerJon]

I would be surprised bordering on shocked, which is why I've kept it under wraps for months. There's no way it was added into the $500 million (before overruns) budget. They would have had to get extra funding. I just can't believe that happened unless it was always intended and simply put off due to all the NGE spending.

'A new attraction' could be cover for something in the old plans not working out and being scrapped, and a more cost efficient replacement being introduced.

 

[Mike C]

More Major Uni news (Just mentioning it here, there are already other threads about it):

http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...sal-Parks-Resorts-Create-World’s#.VUtVQJNu6wk

"Nintendo Partners with Universal Parks & Resorts to Create World’s First-Ever Theme Park Attractions Based on Nintendo’s Beloved Games and Characters"

 

[BrianLo]

More Major Uni news (Just mentioning it here, there are already other threads about it):

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150507005307/en/Nintendo-Partners-Universal-Parks-Resorts-Create-World’s#.VUtVQJNu6wk

"Nintendo Partners with Universal Parks & Resorts to Create World’s First-Ever Theme Park Attractions Based on Nintendo’s Beloved Games and Characters"

Wow, there is some fanboi fantasy if I've ever seen it... And it actually has come true!

Guess we know what is happening to Kidzone, thank goodness, because just about everything else sounded awful and with no real lasting appeal. They finally have a lot of proper kid IP, it's not Disney princess, but it's definitely a big step up when rolled in with Seuss, Minions and the occasional dreamworks projects.

Lord of the rings now stands as the sole last great prize...

 

[FigmentJedi]

Wow, there is some fanboi fantasy if I've ever seen it... And it actually has come true!

Guess we know what is happening to Kidzone, thank goodness, because just about everything else sounded awful and with no real lasting appeal. They finally have a lot of proper kid IP, it's not Disney princess, but it's definitely a big step up when rolled in with Seuss, Minions and the occasional dreamworks projects.

Lord of the rings now stands as the sole last great prize...

There's applications for Nintendo stuff all over their trouble areas. Kidzone, Toon Lagoon, even what's left of Lost Continent. Think about it, Mario, Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Pokemon, Kirby, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, all that IP that can be put to work

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Those wait times are all inflated by MM+. Mermaid would never have a 25-minute wait without it. And I can tell you that based on four trips to WDW in the last 12 months that the average wait time of Pirates has gone from walkon-10 minutes to 25-45 minutes. That is the NEW normal.

That's not the issue. I was responding to a poster who was arguing that wait times are an adequate proxy for perceived ride quality, independent of capacity or other factors. Whether we're in a no-FP world in which both attractions have 10 minute waits or a FP+ world in which both attractions have 30 minute waits, the fact remains that Pirates and Mermaid have comparable wait times to one another. Thus, if the poster to whom I was responding wants to claim that Mermaid is a poor quality attraction on the basis of wait times alone, he (she?) would also have to conclude that Pirates is a poor quality attraction as well. Throw in Mansion for good measure.

 

[Nmoody1]

Dammit man, now I want friend chicken.

Also highly recommend the boathouse. Dig the ambiance.

So The Tail is wagging the dog with WOC? I'm so shocked.

i alsonreally liked the Boathouse. the bar out the back has a great ambience - quite a nice atmosphere for drinks with friends... dare i even say when i visited the kack of kids made it feel very much like i could have not been ag Disney.

The atmoaphere inside was also nice - to me it felt like a 'nice' NYC restaurant. although i feel like there could have been maybe 1 less table in the area we sat.

Our experience started well... bread and water, then our waiter arrived and i never felt we had his full attention. He would be making recomendations or taking orders before interuoting to excuse himself and running off to another table to deliver thier food.

The apoetizers or desserts didnt jump out at me. except the $40 baked alaska for 4... there was two of us so we passed.

I had the t-bone that was cooked perfectly, and the baked potato was nice... although i'd have preffered a fully loaded option.

Some really nice craft beers were enjoyed. I had to ask for extra bread... its really good!

I am returning to Orlando for a week next week, i'll go back to introduce the venue to my partner, although i still rank Yachtsman a tiny bit higher... if they could just shift the dining plan crowd!

And THAT is when I make my decisions on the boathouse. currently no discounts or acceptance of the dining plan. if that changes it could dramatically change dynamics.

It was so refreshing to walk up to a restaurant on property without a reservation and just have to wait 10 minutes!