A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Tigger1988]

How is that post promoting Jurassic World? You think anyone is going to run out to see it because the kid went to Disneyland?

It's their standard post for "celebs" in the parks. But congrats on giving the blog hits I guess, I know I wouldn't have gone there without that vague post.

 

[Rodan75]

It's not always a competition. The kids went to Disneyland and Disney isn't dumb, they know Jurassic World is a blockbuster right now.

I think this is the key message. The studios work together all of the time, just because the fan community makes everything into a competition, doesn't mean that Universal and Disney folks are at each others throats.

 

[matt9112]

Pretty sad that both Disney park locations in the US are so far removed from any sort of functional public transportation. We've done car-free trips to Disneyland easily (affordable hotels are within walking distance), but it's a shame that locals have to drive. It's ridiculous that there isn't a reliable train between LA and Disneyland, considering that it's Disneyland! Just another way in which the overseas parks whip the American parks.

This is murica public transport? Hahaha isn't that for the poor?

 

[matt9112]

I have NO issues with that at all. The towel animals means as much as someone telling me ''Welcome Home'' or worse ''Have a MAGICal Day/Night.'' ... hell, I remember someone on this site complaining about their first trip to DL because people simply asked them how they were (like in the real world) and told them to have a good afternoon (like in the real world) and they were used to the horrific attempt at sincerity that passes for world class Guest Service in the swamps.

A Mousekeeper's job isn't to pose plush and make a towel gator holding the TV remote. It's to sanitize the remote, vacuum under the bed, polish on top of the furniture, clean the weird sticky substance off the table, make sure there isn't previous guests' hair in the shower or sink etc. Too often they miss the basics while doing something stupid. No need for towel animals. They became a cliche sometime around 2003 anyway.

Although I agree children love the animals. Why not do everything you mentioned and make animals?

 

[matt9112]

They have billions just sitting around. Surely you haven't missed all the stock buybacks over Iger's tenure?

Oh, and just to be crystal clear, but DLR's funds have nothing to do with the recent decisions on WDW's near-term future.

Spirit the 15 year old in me wants to say screw cali spend 3 billion in WDW. cali gets all the good stuff

 

[BernardandBianca]

Don't tell me I'm the first to report this! From today's Orlando Sentinel:

"Oh, poo. Visitors to Disney's Animal Kingdom can no longer buy desserts that look like manure, said a Disney World spokeswoman.
The "Match the Species" treats -- designed to look like the droppings of giraffes, elephants, rhinos and cotton top tamarins -- will not be restocked at Zuri's Sweets Shop, which opened in the Harambe Market section of the park two weeks ago.

"As with any new merchandise location, we test various offerings and make adjustments," a Disney World spokewoman said Monday. "We have currently run out of several items and do not have plans to offer them in the future.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

This also happened today (which I will readily admit is probably somewhat more important than whether chocolate feces is sold at a Disney park or not)-
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ch...officer-of-the-walt-disney-company-2015-06-30

As I said in the other main thread, the new CFO sounds like she's very much of the corporate bean counter variety. Which again makes me very uncomfortable. Either way, clearly more musical chairs being played by existing executives.

 

[matt9112]

Don't tell me I'm the first to report this! From today's Orlando Sentinel:

"Oh, poo. Visitors to Disney's Animal Kingdom can no longer buy desserts that look like manure, said a Disney World spokeswoman.
The "Match the Species" treats -- designed to look like the droppings of giraffes, elephants, rhinos and cotton top tamarins -- will not be restocked at Zuri's Sweets Shop, which opened in the Harambe Market section of the park two weeks ago.

"As with any new merchandise location, we test various offerings and make adjustments," a Disney World spokewoman said Monday. "We have currently run out of several items and do not have plans to offer them in the future.

Thank the heavens. That was just wow.

 

[71jason]

I've been told the new working name is Skippers Cantina now not Cafe. You can do many things with space. But I don't have the plans in front of me. ...and all I have heard is chatter, so view it as rumor.

Rumored to have actual alcohol?

 

[Funmeister]

I have NO issues with that at all. The towel animals means as much as someone telling me ''Welcome Home'' or worse ''Have a MAGICal Day/Night.'' ... hell, I remember someone on this site complaining about their first trip to DL because people simply asked them how they were (like in the real world) and told them to have a good afternoon (like in the real world) and they were used to the horrific attempt at sincerity that passes for world class Guest Service in the swamps.

A Mousekeeper's job isn't to pose plush and make a towel gator holding the TV remote. It's to sanitize the remote, vacuum under the bed, polish on top of the furniture, clean the weird sticky substance off the table, make sure there isn't previous guests' hair in the shower or sink etc. Too often they miss the basics while doing something stupid. No need for towel animals. They became a cliche sometime around 2003 anyway.

I feel the same way about custodial Cast making character water portraits.

 

[flynnibus]

As I said in the other main thread, the new CFO sounds like she's very much of the corporate bean counter variety. Which again makes me very uncomfortable.

That's what a CFO is supposed to be... their role is to ensure the outward market is happy with the company. Not be some product visionary... Their job is mostly to keep the dogs at bay..

 

[Irie]

Although I agree children love the animals. Why not do everything you mentioned and make animals?

They only have so much time in a day. Plus many people return to their rooms for a mid afternoon break and expect their room to be clean (even though it is before 3:00 p.m.). With all the publicity/expose' over the past few years about dirty hotel rooms, they may want to avoid WDW being included in those stories.

The towel art is/was a nice touch but I would gladly give that up for a cleaner hotel room.

 

[AEfx]

He's missing out of points on the world-wide gross!

LOL, FWIW, I got it from the beginning. You weren't calling him a "loser" like a pathetic person, but a "loser" as in - he died, everyone else is making bank, but he "lost".

I got it, I did I did!

 

[Cesar R M]

I recall the Bambi rabbits were out at Disney Animal Kingdom to help promote the release of Bambi on Blu Ray. It doesn't seem that long ago but perhaps it was. Thumper and . . . Miss Bunny? I can't recall if she had a different name than that.

Again, it seems that not so long ago Jungle Book character King Louie was making appearances in Adventureland. Balloo comes out for appearances with King Louie at the Animal Kingdom park during the Disney Marathon - always a fun time to encounter rare characters, if the running doesn't kill you first.

Robin Hood has always been associated with the Magic Kingdom to me because characters from his movie (Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Sheriff of Nottingham) were out and are captured in my parents' photos from 1970s trips and we have photos with Robin Hood from a family trip around 2005-06, and then he suddenly disappeared. I felt fortunate to catch the opportunity for a photo with Robin Hood, Little John, Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John at Epcot during the half marathon in 2009. No Friar Tuck in that photo, poor neglected guy. ha-

Maybe after that, the issue becomes one of continuity? There are characters people expect to see on every trip and there are characters known to be in the parades. After those slots are filled who knows how the decision is made which characters to trot out on which days. I've never seen a guest survey asking me which characters my family wants to see but it is always fun when someone unexpected pops up like Pinocchio or Jiminy Cricket by City Hall.

Honestly, for the biggest chance of seeing rare characters... Its the Dance Party at AK.

The characters rotate in the "appaloosa" at AK every day at 5:30pm (I think)

The ones that always appear are Chip and Dale. Sometimes you will see rare ones.

Speaking of characters.. During one party with a friend (who was a CM) I was next to "Meeko".
And christ! the person inside must be TINY!!

 

[Funmeister]

I always saw the towel animals as a distraction. During my many visits as a child to WDW resorts this was never a thing. Neither was making crafts at EPCOT Center or character water pictures. What I did notice is that these were "guest satisfiers" and became the norm and expected. When you offer these "magical" extras around every corner it really waters down what is specials.

The problem is over the years these little "extras" became expected and instead of getting new entertainment offerings of substance, guests were ok with towels and water.

The Kidcot craft stations were nice as something extra but when they billed it and sold it as something there for the kids to do I thought it was crap. I paid how much for my kid to make a paper mask? I actually heard a Guest Service Manager trying to sell the value of the Kidcot craft stations to a family. Epcot died a little more that day.

 

[Mike S]

I think this is the key message. The studios work together all of the time, just because the fan community makes everything into a competition, doesn't mean that Universal and Disney folks are at each others throats.

Yeah, they just reward eachother's hard work

 

[MotherOfBirds]

Speaking of characters.. During one party with a friend (who was a CM) I was next to "Meeko".
And christ! the person inside must be TINY!!

I'm glad Tom Cruise is still finding work

 

[AEfx]

I'm glad Tom Cruise is still finding work

Haha, he is a busy guy right now - M:I5 is out soon, and it was just reported that Maverick may be flying again.

Meanwhile, while Tom takes his kid to WDW, apparently Katie has the good sense to take her to Disneyland.

 

[chiefs11]

They only have so much time in a day. Plus many people return to their rooms for a mid afternoon break and expect their room to be clean (even though it is before 3:00 p.m.). With all the publicity/expose' over the past few years about dirty hotel rooms, they may want to avoid WDW being included in those stories.

The towel art is/was a nice touch but I would gladly give that up for a cleaner hotel room.

Why not both? A clean room at a reasonable time and some towel art.....? What they really need is to hire more housekeepers and train the ones they have better..that way they can provide nice clean rooms in a reasonable time-frame. Them worrying about and cutting the towel animals seems to be kinda missing the point to just save a few pennies in the grand scheme of things.

seriously though, I can't remember getting anything other then the mickey-circle-towels the first night. Did this get cut out a while ago??

 

[Irie]

Why not both? A clean room at a reasonable time and some towel art.....? What they really need is to hire more housekeepers and train the ones they have better..that way they can provide nice clean rooms in a reasonable time-frame. Them worrying about and cutting the towel animals seems to be kinda missing the point to just save a few pennies in the grand scheme of things.

seriously though, I can't remember getting anything other then the mickey-circle-towels the first night. Did this get cut out a while ago??

Maybe it takes to long to clean the room thoroughly and do the towel art. I don't have the answer to that one. As to the frequency of towel art, I think it has always been hit or miss depending on the mousekeeper. We have had trips where we see towel art only on the first day and we have been on trips when there was something different each day. Don't get me wrong, the towel art is appreciated but if the staff has been instructed to spend more time cleaning the room than they did before, I will not complain about the loss of towel art.