Recent content by The Empress Lilly

I meant that DLP's financial struggles made Eisner investment shy. DCA and WDSP were bare-bones parks, even DAK though it hides it better. HK was built as a miniature park. If DLP can rival them, that's also owing to DLP itself very much having prevented future parks from opening on a lavish...

One can argue specifics, but yes, 35 years later DLP can still pretty much hold its own against most anything built afterwards. Noteworthy, it is itself responsible for that not just in the positive way of its creative strengths, but also negatively because of its financial weakness. Making...

I share the IP fatigue sentiment. But not that DLP's hotels are a match for WDW's. Only the Sequoia and Disneyland Hotel can match anything morerate or above at WDW. And there's nothing to rival the Poly, Contemporary, Crescent Lake - despite two decades of efforts to destroy these erstwhile...

Starting at FS entrance to the bus lot entrance there was almost enough land for a third gate. Or, with some better planning, BatB could've crossed over into FS, combining both parks into one, Universal style.

Well if four nights at TDL is too long (two days each park?), then you don't need two days in the Chinese parks. Tokyo's parks are more dense, more developed. HKDL is the only one of the four Asian parks without excessive attraction wait times issues and can be done in one day. If you skip...

Neither option sounds particularly dreadful, well the second a bit more than the first, but I regret the loss of the resort's cohesion. All hotels had an Americana theme, as did the Buffalo Bill show and the main park. Everywhere the resort followed a clear program of this being a showcase of...

I don't know the financial construction behind this McDonald's. But lucrative it is indeed. This is the largest McDonald's in France in surface area, and might surpass in revenue the current most lucrative McDonald's in the entire world, the one 45 minutes away on the RER A on the Champs-Élysées.

One day is doable, but feels too short. Both parks have great original lands and rides, if you do make it out there as a specific Disney fan why not give yourself some time. SDL is five minutes by train from the international airport, or a bit of a haul from most places of interest in the city...

Was there any reason you went now? You didn't feel any urge to wait a few months and see DAW? And the new village, especially when staying onsite five nights. Just real life etc?

Is UP secretly mega popular? Or just the easiest Pixar IP to randomly insert to satisfy the 'more Pixar' mandate? Bird show? UP! Adventureland viewed from treehouse? UP! Fantasyland canal boats? UP! MS background music? UP! I don't dislike UP, but I can go more than five minutes without seeing...

Random comments: Yes, Storybookland is neat. If you're not a Disney cynic, which ultimately I'm not, it's a fun, good Disney corner with that boat ride for a secret favourite. Yes to Crush! I was surprised to find out Crush wasn't popular on this site. Maybe I tolerate it because of the low...

SDL FL suffers, like other parts of the park, from too much space. It lacks density. Density creates intimacy and reassurance. Most constituating elements of their FL are good in their own right, but they are too far apart, you are never embraced in between two sides of dense structures on...

Perhaps more than any other ride the Grotto gains enormously from being done at night, with theatrical lighting creating intimacy and bringing life to the show scenes. It goes from 'nice' to 'magical'. From sailing past Disney Store props to a superb dark ride.

Grizzly is one of Disney's greatest coasters, so much fun. Simply one of their best rides anywhere. And its surroundings area is also superb, great placemaking. Mystic and its restaurant are gorgeous. Pictures don't do this area justice. Ridewise, I find it good rather than superb. It leans a...

Same here. All of the theoretical reservations about FS would be moot if the place had charm, or beauty, or created a sense of place. But it's very short on each of those. Just rocks, and not the most attractive Disney has done, and fake flowers. Dotted with character sculptures that distract...