A Spirited 15 Rounds ...

[matt9112]

And there's my excuse to jump in and ask what you know of any recent developments beyond the possible KidZone closure around HHN

Any word on Uni's Avengers ride?

There's been rumors for a while now that an update for River Adventure is in the cards that would replace the animatronics with better ones made by Creature Technology (the guys behind the new Kong), but yeah, I see no reason to get an AP again until the new Harry Potter ride opens.

Oh, and the day may finally be coming where they replace Shrek if recent stuff I've been reading on OU is accurate!!!!!!!

I think uni made a big mistake rushing kong out the door when by all accounts Jurassic world was a hit. should have created a nice mini land. retheme entire land to Jurassic world.

 

[thehowiet]

Same. Hunny Hunt is great but Mystic Manor is better. Mystic was my #1 worldwide, but some days Pirates at SDL is my #1. Very different rides, but Pirates is a monumental step forward for rides - it's just off the charts. Hoping that the SWL battle attraction surpasses it and domestic guests will finally see what Disney is truly capable of.

Any chance you know what MM and Pirates at SDL cost? If not, maybe @marni1971 and/or @WDW1974 would know...If you don't feel comfortable sharing total costs, can you say if the cost of FOP is in line with the cost of those two attractions? I know cost isn't always exactly indicative of the end result, just curious.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Any chance you know what MM and Pirates at SDL cost? If not, maybe @marni1971 and/or @WDW1974 would know...If you don't feel comfortable sharing total costs, can you say if the cost of FOP is in line with the cost of those two attractions? I know cost isn't always exactly indicative of the end result, just curious.

I actually have no idea on the budgets, except that Pirates was very, very, very expensive, I'm sure much moreso than Mystic which has much smaller sets and scale overall.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Same. Hunny Hunt is great but Mystic Manor is better. Mystic was my #1 worldwide, but some days Pirates at SDL is my #1. Very different rides, but Pirates is a monumental step forward for rides - it's just off the charts. Hoping that the SWL battle attraction surpasses it and domestic guests will finally see what Disney is truly capable of.

I haven't been to Hong Kong or Shanghai and I'm envious of anyone that has experienced Mystic Manor or Shanghai's Pirates. With that said, Hunny Hunt is a great ride and a fantastic use of the trackless technology. For me though, it was probably a coin toss between that and Monster's Inc Ride and Go Seek for favorite rides in Tokyo Disneyland. I'd also argue that no single ride in Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea was worth the trip, but the entirety of the experience most definitely is. Conversely, I've heard people say that both Mystic Manor and Shanghai Pirates are worth the trip by themselves.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Any chance you know what MM and Pirates at SDL cost? If not, maybe @marni1971 and/or @WDW1974 would know...If you don't feel comfortable sharing total costs, can you say if the cost of FOP is in line with the cost of those two attractions? I know cost isn't always exactly indicative of the end result, just curious.

Whatever the official # is from Disney, you can add $800 million to the cost of Shanghai Pirates.

 

[thehowiet]

Whatever the official # is from Disney, you can add $800 million to the cost of Shanghai Pirates.

Wait, are you saying that the cost for SDL Pirates was more than $800 million???

 

[Travel Junkie]

I haven't been to Hong Kong or Shanghai and I'm envious of anyone that has experienced Mystic Manor or Shanghai's Pirates. With that said, Hunny Hunt is a great ride and a fantastic use of the trackless technology. For me though, it was probably a coin toss between that and Monster's Inc Ride and Go Seek for favorite rides in Tokyo Disneyland. I'd also argue that no single ride in Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea was worth the trip, but the entirety of the experience. Conversely, I've heard people say that both Mystic Manor and Shanghai Pirates are worth the trip by themselves.

I prefer Monster's Inc. to Hunny Hunt, but both are pretty great.

I would describe the difference between SDL Pirates and Mystic Manor this way. Mystic Manor is classic Disney storytelling using the latest technology. It is masterful in its design and execution. Everything from the setup, the characters, to the production design, to the music, all fits together perfectly.

SDL Pirates looks and feels like an entirely new class of attraction. It's size and scope is unparalleled. The first time through you are simply in awe of it. For me at least it didn't feel like a "Disney" ride, but not in a bad way. It was completely different than any other ride I had ever experienced Disney or not.

 

[tirian]

I wouldn't mind paying the price for a stay on property if it came with the truly exceptional Guest service found on the cruise line. We get that at WDW and I'd consider it

To give an example of the kind of guest service the hotels on property should offer: free packet pick up for RunDisney events. I'm running the Marathon this January, my third RunDisney race overall. The expo feels like hell on earth. Takes forever to get to WWoS from any hotel and leaving isn't any better. We always take the earliest flight to MCO from PHL, yet that first day is wasted on account of the expo. We, like many other guests, are staying on property for the weekend, give us a substantive plus like packet pick up as we check in with a dedicated space for the race merch. That's the kind of thing I expect from staying at a Disney hotel.

Today's least expensive room at the Poly averages $608/night throughout the year, while the Contemporary's least expensive is $519/night.

At today's equivalent of $174/night, a stay at the Poly or Contemporary was never cheap. However, it was possible for most families throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Today's equivalent would be a stay at Caribbean Beach Resort or Coronado Springs Resort, whose least expensive room averages $235/night. Add in a 15% discount (the WDW of old almost never offered hotel discounts) and that drops the rate to about $200/night.

I agree with @WDW1974's earlier post that prior to 1984, WDW prices were being kept below market rate by corporate leadership focused on providing their customers with outstanding value. That was a legacy of Walt Disney, who very much cared what his Guests thought. (Let's not get into a discussion of how he treated his employees.)

It's still possible to stay onsite for comparable prices, it's just means staying at a Value or Moderate Resort, not the Polynesian or the Contemporary.

Out of curiosity, I pulled up hotel rates for the weekends surrounding the January marathons. @WDW1974 , you might be interested in this.

All Stars is currently $186/night for the week before the marathon. That is beyond insane; it's almost criminal.

 

[tirian]

I have to assume neither of you have been on Mystic Manor?

Don't get me wrong, Hunny Hunt is amazing. But to me it has all the bones of a C-ticket Fantasyland classic slathered with a high tech E-ticket budget. Mystic Manor started with the bones of an E-ticket.

It's another reason I'm very excited for Beauty and the Beast. The purported 8 minute run time helps stoke that excitement.

I haven't been to HKDL.

 

[po1998]

Out of curiosity, I pulled up hotel rates for the weekends surrounding the January marathons. @WDW1974 , you might be interested in this.

All Stars is currently $186/night for the week before the marathon. That is beyond insane; it's almost criminal.

The only thing insane, is the guests who keep willing to pay skyrocketing prices. Until guests STOP booking at ridiculous $$$, TDO will keep raising and raising and raising resort prices.

 

[tirian]

The only thing insane, is the guests who keep willing to pay skyrocketing prices. Until guests STOP booking at ridiculous $$$, TDO will keep raising and raising and raising resort prices.

If they've never stayed at that hell-hole, they don't know how overpriced it is.

 

[WDW1974]

Some thoughts on subjects I know we have talked about, but not sure to what extent.

Disney (aka the state of Florida) is in the process of eminent domain proceedings that will force all businesses at the Crossroads of Lake Buena Vista to vacate their property as part of 'I-4 improvements' ... improvements that will also greater aid pushing people into the three parking structures of Disney Springs and eliminating much of the competition right on Disney's doorstep. Soon it will be time to say good-bye to everything from McDonald's to Chevy's to Taco Bell to Red Lobster to Uno's to Fuddrucker's to Sweet Tomatoes etc. But you can always visit Disney's lifestyle center as well.

And the timing of this is interesting considering Disney is now talking up adding urban sprawl to its failed Flamingo Crossing project with strip centers and the same dining locations that you can get on 192. I strongly suspect the companies that are being put out of business by Disney at 535 will be offered 'sweetheart' (if you are Georgie K) lease deals to open on the far side of Pandora or is it at Disney's Galaxy's Edge?

This is all combined with the movement of all CP and IP housing over there, so Disney can sell the valuable real estate that Vista Way and Little Lake Bryan sit on to outside developers (likely more hotels and timeshares and sprawl ...what Old Dead Guy Walt always wanted).

For those paying attention at home, Dakota got a last-minute visa and his SDL trip is on!!! Great. I can read his tweets as my roof gets torn off!

Been told that Disney Blogger to the Stars, Tom Bricker, is at WDW right now (he had to be the first blogger to write about how Disney handles hurricanes!) I think we should have a contest and the first person to spot him and post a picture here can win some piece of unneeded Disney crap picked up at the outlet stores by that dude @derekburgan (preferably Star Wars related!)

Lots here that I would like to comment on, but with a major storm eyeing the swamps, I need to focus on much more important things.

BTW, as I said in the Irma thread, if you have a WDW/UNI/FL trip planned in the next two weeks, my very educated opinion and strong advice would be to reschedule or cancel. You'll hear other opinions for certain. But they're generally based on the idea that a visit to WDW is as important as life and limb and it isn't.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Great comment Spirit!!! Please keep your head down and stay safe to you and all of my Florida friends!! Marie

 

[FigmentJedi]

Some thoughts on subjects I know we have talked about, but not sure to what extent.

Disney (aka the state of Florida) is in the process of eminent domain proceedings that will force all businesses at the Crossroads of Lake Buena Vista to vacate their property as part of 'I-4 improvements' ... improvements that will also greater aid pushing people into the three parking structures of Disney Springs and eliminating much of the competition right on Disney's doorstep. Soon it will be time to say good-bye to everything from McDonald's to Chevy's to Taco Bell to Red Lobster to Uno's to Fuddrucker's to Sweet Tomatoes etc. But you can always visit Disney's lifestyle center as well.

And the timing of this is interesting considering Disney is now talking up adding urban sprawl to its failed Flamingo Crossing project with strip centers and the same dining locations that you can get on 192. I strongly suspect the companies that are being put out of business by Disney at 535 will be offered 'sweetheart' (if you are Georgie K) lease deals to open on the far side of Pandora or is it at Disney's Galaxy's Edge?

I've always jokingly described that area as "The edge of Mickey's lawn that he keeps a loaded gun aimed at" as a way to describe the contrast of being on-site or off-site, but I never really expected him to pull the trigger.

 

[WDW1974]

A few more quick hits:

On the subject of TDL's PHH and HKDL's MM and SDL's Pirates for 'best attraction' ... I find the whole notion to be ridiculous. There isn't anything but opinions nor can there be. I haven't been back to HKDL since MM opened, but know many that have. They all loved it. But that doesn't make it the best.

All I can say is all three of the above are in what I would put a Top 20 worldwide attractions along with everything from MK's Mansion to DL's Pirates to WDW's ToT to DAK's KS etc etc.

The one thing that SDL's Pirates has in its favor is the scale and substance are completely bar-raising. But everything from Anaheim's Pirates to DAK's KS did so as well in their own way. They may be old (ancient in DL's Pirates case), but you can't deny how they changed the dynamics of what could be done. The theming, the immersiveness, the storytelling ...

Like I said, at some point, it just comes down to personal preference with no right and wrong. ... Unless your favorite attraction comes from WDW's New, New, New (if it is 2012) Fantasyland. Then, you are flat out wrong!

 

[WDW1974]

BTW, saw a post by @RSoxNo1 that I may never get to properly respond to about TDR being more about the sum all of the attractions and overall quality versus there being one attraction you just have to visit to ride. I would agree.

But I'd also say -- and say it as someone who has said SDL's Pirates is worth the plane ticket -- that is the case anywhere. I love FJ at UNI, but would I make a trip for it? Hell, no.

 

[WDW1974]

On the subject of WDW resort prices versus value and what they should be. I think if you read @ParentsOf4's posts on the subject, then there isn't much left to say.

If a room at WDW actually cost what it should (or even close) like say $300 a night for the Poly (not $800), then people might have a legit comeback to my saying WDW resorts are absolutely not worth staying at. But pretty soon you will have $300 rooms at CBR and over $200 at Pop because of location and the gondolas and ... addicts will be staying and making excuses.

To be clear, my last on-site, non-DVC stay was seven years ago in 2010. This is someone who once could spend well over 30 nights a year at WDW resorts.

 

[Mike S]

I think uni made a big mistake rushing kong out the door when by all accounts Jurassic world was a hit. should have created a nice mini land. retheme entire land to Jurassic world.

They got all the land they need over at Site B to start fresh and unrestricted.

 

[BernardandBianca]

I have to assume neither of you have been on Mystic Manor?

Don't get me wrong, Hunny Hunt is amazing. But to me it has all the bones of a C-ticket Fantasyland classic slathered with a high tech E-ticket budget. Mystic Manor started with the bones of an E-ticket..

Nope, haven't been on it yet, or on Shanghai Pirates. Will be doing both of them in March.

 

[stretchsje]

@WDW1974, it was probably a year ago that you were telling people that the corporate relationship between Uni and Disney has never been better, that Disney didn't care if Universal grew so long as they were meeting their own growth targets. Disney was just as happy to make money from licensing, etc. I'm paraphrasing, of course.

Has anything changed? Does this have anything to do with the eroding plans for Marvel in the parks?