A Spirited 15 Rounds ...

[peter11435]

Second UNI does not close the parks for 'parties' and there are no 'dessert parties' in prime viewing spaces.

When Uni runs special events they are included with regular admission not upcharges

You mean like Halloween horror nights?

 

[Travel Junkie]

To bring up something from a few pages back, assume I have no non-completionist interest in HKDL and SDL and have been eyeing my chance to get to TDL for years, is it still worth it to visit DPL first to get my international feet wet? There's a lot I'd like to see at Paris, but far more at Tokyo.

The primary difference is that English is much more common in Paris vs Tokyo. Comparing the two cities (not necessarily the theme parks) in Paris they are more likely to speak English but be less helpful. in Tokyo they are less likely to speak English but will go out of their way to help even with a language barrier. The Japanese are incredibly helpful. Paris will also feel more familiar as a city and Tokyo will feel more exotic as a city. Also if you are not of Asian decent you will obviously blend in more in Paris where in Tokyo you stick out (not that it's a bad thing though.)

If you want visit Tokyo more I would say go for it. I would just do more research so you know where you are going, because there is more of a chance you will have to figure it out on your own. Signs in most places around Tokyo and larger cities are in English. Also Japan has some customs you might want to read up on.

Warning, going to TDR will completely ruin you for Disney parks from that point forward.

 

[Mike S]

You mean like Halloween horror nights?

Or when corporations rent out Harry Potter.

 

[The_Jobu]

Or when corporations rent out Harry Potter.

They can do that?

That's got to be a pretty penny.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

One thing I forgot to mention about Shanghai was about getting from the airport to the resort. We stayed at the SDLH. When you exit the airport ignore all the cab people lobbying you to join their taxi. Instead go out and find the line for the normal taxis. Have Shanghai Disneyland Hotel or wherever you're staying at in Google Translate to Mandarin. This way, if the driver does not understand you, he can look at GT and understand.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

You get ExpressPass with your hotel stay if staying onsite, paid Express pass is for day guests. And you get it with the Premier Passports, Second UNI does not close the parks for 'parties' and there are no 'dessert parties' in prime viewing spaces.

When Uni runs special events they are included with regular admission not upcharges.

So yes WDW very much has a 'velvet rope' problem.

As to prices Universal admission is the same but food and beverage is much more reasonable at Uni and everything is first come first served, no insane 6 month ADR systems

You do realize the complementary Express Pass service to those staying on site is completely analogous to to Disney's on site perks like EMH that you would consider to be part of the 'velvet rope' problem, right? And while I can understand your points on food and beverage to an extent, your argument completely falls apart when you act like Universal had no hard ticket events. May I remind you that Universal's most iconic annual special event, Halloween Horror Nights is not included with park admission. http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/tickets.php

We can argue specifics all day, but when you boil it all down, the 'velvet rope' isn't just a Disney problem, it's an industry wide one. You are more than entitled to criticize the fact that it's become more difficult than ever for many to afford these experiences, but you just need to make sure that you're aiming at the right target (in this case, the entire industry) before you state your case.

 

[ford91exploder]

Food and beverage really isn't but go ahead and keep doing you.

Really, The freestyle machines all you can drink for 8.99 a day,

I tend to eat in citywalk where the prices are on par with Orlando generally and as a plus the restaurants are not full of out of control screaming toddlers.

And you can get a Hard Rock burger for far less than Disneys deluxe burger place charges.

 

[ford91exploder]

You do realize the complementary Express Pass service to those staying on site is completely analogous to to Disney's on site perks like EMH that you would consider to be part of the 'velvet rope' problem, right? And while I can understand your points on food and beverage to an extent, your argument completely falls apart when you act like Universal had no hard ticket events. May I remind you that Universal's most iconic annual special event, Halloween Horror Nights is not included with park admission. http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/tickets.php

We can argue specifics all day, but when you boil it all down, the 'velvet rope' isn't just a Disney problem, it's an industry wide one. You are more than entitled to criticize the fact that it's become more difficult than ever for many to afford these experiences, but you just need to make sure that you're aiming at the right target (in this case, the entire industry) before you state your case.

in short the 'velvet rope' problem is Disney charging for what used to be included with Admission/Resort Stay to give people a faux sense of exclusivity. (And charging up the wazoo for the experience)

 

[Tavernacle12]

If you want visit Tokyo more I would say go for it. I would just do more research so you know where you are going, because there is more of a chance you will have to figure it out on your own. Signs in most places around Tokyo and larger cities are in English. Also Japan has some customs you might want to read up on.

Warning, going to TDR will completely ruin you for Disney parks from that point forward.

Thanks! I've been looking into to TDR for awhile now, so while there's still a LOT of things I'd need to look into further before I booked it, I have at least a general idea of the challenges involved. It seems worth the extra effort, unless every glowing review I've read of the park has been wrong. DLP has a lot of nice things to it, I really want to go on Phantom Manor, for instance, but TDR seems to be the rightful holy grail as far as theme parks go.

I know enough about it to recognize its merchandise when tourists from Japan visit WDW, and I always wonder what they think of it (and how they justify not just spending more time at DisneySea).

 

[Grumpy4196]

in short the 'velvet rope' problem is Disney charging for what used to be included with Admission/Resort Stay to give people a faux sense of exclusivity. (And charging up the wazoo for the experience)

You do realize Universal Express Pass use to be free to anyone with a park ticket just like Disney's fast pass right? It worked just like the paper fast passes at WDW did.

 

[Mike S]

You do realize Universal Express Pass use to be free to anyone with a park ticket just like Disney's fast pass right? It worked just like the paper fast passes at WDW did.

It did? Guess that didn't last too long then.

 

[NearTheEars]

You mean like Halloween horror nights?

Nope, doesn't count. Doesn't fit his agenda. Duh.

 

[Grumpy4196]

It did? Guess that didn't last too long then.

It was there in the early 2000's. Not sure when exactly what year they were done away with.

 

[GoofGoof]

You do realize Universal Express Pass use to be free to anyone with a park ticket just like Disney's fast pass right? It worked just like the paper fast passes at WDW did.

Here's a stupid question, but if everyone had Express pass wouldn't it just be the standby line then? Or did it have return times like fast pass classic? I think the only reason Express Pass in its current form works is because it's limited.

 

[fgmnt]

Here's a stupid question, but if everyone had Express pass wouldn't it just be the standby line then? Or did it have return times like fast pass classic? I think the only reason Express Pass in its current form works is because it's limited.

Universal Express used to just have a system directly equivalent to the OG FastPass sytem. It lasted for a very short time, less than 5 years.

As long as I have been going the Express line for resort guests has existed, but the plus pass was phased in and the ticket machines were phased out around 05.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

in short the 'velvet rope' problem is Disney charging for what used to be included with Admission/Resort Stay to give people a faux sense of exclusivity. (And charging up the wazoo for the experience)

You seem to miss my point yet again. The fact is that overtime, the entire industry has been moving in this direction. What differentiates Disney and Universal in this situation is ultimately their individual circumstances. Since Universal opened in a more recent decade, the resort expanded along with the prevalence of these standards so price hikes and additional amenities have been brushed off due to the value of the product having nowhere to go but up. Meanwhile, Disney held a prestigious reputation for many years before Universal even opened so when Disney had succumbed to the modern standards, it was a much greater and notable shift. Basically what I'm saying is that Disney had a much higher place to fall from than Universal which created its image of quality as these standards were becoming commonplace. Hopefully, this puts things in a more clear perspective for you.

 

[Grumpy4196]

Yes, pretty much an identical system to the WDW paper fast pass system. Surprised Disney has stuck with the "Free" Fast Passes this long as the most of the industry years ago moved to the paid express pass system. Hopefully if Disney does go this route they will follow Universal's lead and make it free for resort guests and paid for off property guests.

 

[Kman101]

Really, The freestyle machines all you can drink for 8.99 a day,

I tend to eat in citywalk where the prices are on par with Orlando generally and as a plus the restaurants are not full of out of control screaming toddlers.

And you can get a Hard Rock burger for far less than Disneys deluxe burger place charges.

 

[Mike S]

Yes, pretty much an identical system to the WDW paper fast pass system. Surprised Disney has stuck with the "Free" Fast Passes this long as the most of the industry years ago moved to the paid express pass system. Hopefully if Disney does go this route they will follow Universal's lead and make it free for resort guests and paid for off property guests.

If Disney did it like Universal only Deluxe guests would get it for free.

 

[5thGenTexan]

I was at Universal when they kicked us out for a Microsoft private function. Some guy was yelling Windows 8 as the Hulk took off. Windows 8 was a real gem. The sky is the limit when you are burning through stock holders money.

Hmm.. I guess you could polish coprolite and make a gem.