So long as Tom doesn't have pics of gators near the Poly bungalows or people feeding them, he is fine.
Of course, if he does, then he likely can 'find' a six figure 'gig' with WDW Co.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
A Spirited Dirty Dozen ...
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
So long as Tom doesn't have pics of gators near the Poly bungalows or people feeding them, he is fine.
Of course, if he does, then he likely can 'find' a six figure 'gig' with WDW Co.
Oh question for both @BrianLo and @WDWFigment: squat toilets versus regular ... percentage of each in a typical theme park restroom?
And, if you spent time, what about public facilities in the hotels and Disneytown?
And, if you spent time, what about public facilities in the hotels and Disneytown?
No Name
Well-Known Member
Oh aha! That's the mystery building adjacent to Tron? Yes, I saw that in the construction photos and had no idea what it was. Thanks. Though I was hoping for a ride of some sort, it sounds somewhat cool. At least it's something extra to do, so I can't complain.
About the queues, I'm more disappointed than surprised. What you said about SDMT's just confirms my theory. The company thought that, since the Chinese apparently have more difficulty understanding the concept of queueing (was that noticable to any of you?), having things that could hold people up would create too much of an issue. That, coupled with the fact that interesting/interactive queues are expensive to build and maintain, probably resulted in their decision.
However, the queues could've been a bit more interesting without holding people up. I think the queue for Soarin' and the queue to meet Mickey are the best examples of good ones that don't hold people up. The fog fade effect in Tron's queue looks cool too. But Pooh's queue, at least the outdoor portion from what I've seen, looks atrocious. So do many others. Overall, even with the potential concerns/reasons I guessed above, I think they could've done better.
Oh, and Brian, thanks for taking a few pictures. Hope it didn't bog you down at all. Don't feel rushed to share them, and I know you can't right now. But thanks again. The queues are a real interest of mine, if you haven't figured that out.
I've read your whole report/opinion on SDL too. And it was great! Thanks for writing it.
I worry about HKDL too. Other than the new hotel coming, which does express some faith in the park, there are no new rides announced or under construction. At least not to my knowledge. By the way, I have no insight, I'm no "insider" at all. I just share your concern.
Attendance levels began to really rise and the park started to become profitable when they added new, quality attractions. By continuing to add new, quality attractions, they could've kept that momentum and really improved its profitability. However, because they haven't added a ride for the last three years, they lost it. Attendance has dropped*, and the park is losing money again
*more than the loss-in-mainland-visitors excuse justifies. Ocean park experienced far less of an attendance drop.
Last edited:
PhotoDave219
Well-Known Member
Well now I have incentive to check thru my archives......
To be fair, it is always overblown. I remember in 2008 people talking about restaurants serving dog in Beijing. It was on one menu I saw in four months there, at a small Korean place. As to kids defecating anywhere, I saw a few instances of that (none in HKDL on ANY visits, although a few doing liquid functions when restrooms were literally next door) in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. But you notice because it DOES standout, not because it is a norm. It is not acceptable behavior in these cities. But it isn't as unacceptable as in the USA.
And I don't know how many times I've seen similar behavior at WDW over the years.
But I do think that this crowd isn't the same one that will be there in normal times, so we need to wait and see.
WDWFigment
Well-Known Member
I'll preface this by saying this isn't my definitive top/bottom 5, just what comes to mind right now:
Top:
-POTC: Battle for the Sunken Treasure: the new gold standard for an 'epic' attraction; I would put it right up there with Mystic Manor as the pinnacle of modern day Imagineering. I hope some of the IAAPA folks walking around were from UC, and saw just how well physical sets could be integrated with screens. (And I say that as someone who'd put both Potter attractions and Spider-Man in my top 20 worldwide.)
-Counter service dining: Barbosa's Bounty was incredibly good, and my ~$12 meal there with water view was better than my last ~$50 meal at DL's Blue Bayou.
-Treasure Cove/Adventure Isle: I think these are unquestionably the best lands at SDL.
-Camp Discovery: Far more than a play area for kids, as I expected it would be. The rope course here is something you'd never find stateside (and I fear it'll be retooled even there), and it's a really special attraction with something for people of all ages.
-Cast Members: I'm not one for the feigned 'have a magical day' line, but I couldn't help but smile when they tried their best to deliver it in English. More importantly, there was a genuine enthusiasm that was consistent in the CMs.
(I'd put merch up there as an honorable mention, but wouldn't be surprised to see this all homogenized within 6 months, so I won't.)
Bottom:
-Fantasyland: The layout, size, and scale are all lacking. The thing that bothers me the most, though, is that you can't see the boat ride or castle from huge swaths of Fantasyland, because they've put up trees and fence. (For the life of me, I can't figure out what some of this fencing is for, so I'm hoping a trail cutting behind Crystal Grotto can be added.)
-Tomorrowland: I'm still partially torn on this, but I'm not sold on the ultra-modern, cold design chosen here. Beyond that, there's a huge empty plot with a view of DisneyTown, and the layout is confounding despite the whole land being visible from its main courtyard.
-Shade: They planted a ton of trees, but not enough mature, shade-providing ones. If those picnic areas are actually for picnics (and not just ex post facto justification for expansion pads in plain view), they should've planted mature trees. Instead, I saw tons of guests lounging around CS dining areas in the middle of the day.
-Mickey Ave: The concept has grown on me, but it's too short, and the architectural styles strike too harsh of a contrast in places.
-Dumbo in the Gardens: They took the Storybook Circus theme and didn't modify it at all. It doesn't work in its current location. Otherwise, I can give the gardens a pass as a glorified hub (it's definitely not a land), with some nice secluded spots.
We stayed at SDLH, and it was nicer than I expected. (I was half expecting it to be garish.) Lobby reminded me of a DCL ship. Guest rooms could've been a bit more ornate, but I would still put them on par with HKDLH. Didn't step in Toy Story Hotel, but it looked hideous from the outside.
Cesar R M
Well-Known Member
never heard of that one. Its been 3 years since I have been to Cancun. Kinda disappointed because the days I was there, a huge bunch of stores were closed and sealed. And the once beautiful hotel area is now filled with monstrous towers that block everything (aaah, the wonders of corruption).
Yes. I saw the Shanghai Daily refer to it as a new attraction, but it sure seems like a post-show/Tron Track kind of deal.
Someone I read (might have been @lazyboy97o) did not like the Tron queue. ... I think the interactive elements left with "the puckish gladhander" and "the oddly waifish man of anemic personality" ... and Just Nick (Franklin) because I don't have someone else's cool nickname to borrow ... just like the rest of MM+ Shanghai Edition.
Oh wow, so we were close at some point, at least?
We experienced one instance of line cutting, and an elderly man in front of us made his displeasure known as they passed. The cutters were ultimately stopped by people further up.
My guess (and this is a guess) is that there's still a chasm between cultural norms in the city versus rural areas, and those in the major cities don't want their reputations sullied, so they are being proactive on the 'manners' front. China has been thrust onto the world stage and changed considerably in the last 30 years, so it's no surprise that some growing pains would be felt along the way.
Also, behind the Great Firewall? ExpressVPN, for the win. Worked flawlessly for me.
Absolutely true. There is a huge difference between someone who is 31 and grew up middle class in Shanghai versus someone who is 59 and comes from a rural area 287 miles away and has very little clue about how to act in the big city. ... Think of it this way, it's like the difference between the typical diner at the California Grill before the DDP who largely knew how to dress and act at a high end restaurant, and today's rubes who were sold a deal and eat steak (allegedly) at the Golden Coral at home (except for the one time when mom's boss gave her a $25 gift card for The Longhorn and everyone piled in the pickup and drove to Jacksonville to eat!)
I recall the guy. To me, that doesn't count as anything beyond insanity. A visit isn't an "I'm here, snap a picture and let's run to the next" deal ...
Yeah ... he gets no fanboi award from me. ... But maybe a place in my Mental Health and The Disney Fan Community novel!
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
I want to say the one I used was something like four squat stalls, one Western and one accessible (Western).
Dislike is probably a mild way of describing my view of the TRON queue.
Last edited:
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
Toilets - run about 10 urinals, 7 squat to 3 sit. Something like that. Usually the very end sit is a full disabled restroom with its own sink and dryer... Which I might have used post Roaring Rapids. Washrooms were abundundant inside the park and there were a ton of temporary mobile washrooms outside. The permanent ones were similar on the outside. The criticism that there weren't enough is being addressed apparently.
I spent an entire day doing the resort stuff (although only meandered the grounds of the hotel as they would only let staying guests in during the opening period).
I do have a ton of thoughts, but in an effort to feign being concise I dropped it.
Very, very briefly...
-The wishing star park is very well put together. It's almost like someone at WDI CAN design a public garden. Tons and tons of cleaning staff that seemed under the CM net assigned to the park. Should be a lovely public space as it grows in further.
-Disneytown as a finished product impressed me on the ground way more than aerial pictures of it. It's not Disney Springs huge, but the Spanish architectural style does nothing for me. I prefer Disney town's look as a whole. Solid number of food options.
-Who let the Chinese pick the final metro station look? It's surprisingly nice for a metro station inside and suprisingly ugly on the exterior.
-G town which is taking residence in the mirror of Disney town in the second park slot seems alright. Opening would probably be within months would be my guess. They went overboard with flowers and the walls are green spaces. Looks passable for something Disney had no obvious hand in.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
That's a great publicity stunt, but by the quality I bet Disney paid for it, he would have had VIP escorts past lines etc.
I'd love to see that trip but done in an unvarnished way, on a budget, just videos of a crazy fan (hopefully me!) running for the plane, stressing at the length of lines while looking at their watch, getting held up at immigration, and seeing what the reality of such a trip would be like.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
Given the famous stories of ladies heels sinking in the wet cement at Disneyland's opening, that's quite an appropriate thing to happen on opening day.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
How is the spitting these days in China? When I was in Beijing several years ago the main noticeable habit was everyone spitting all over the place in public streets. I would imagine restraining that to stop Mickey Avenue being covered in bodily fluids must be quite a task for Shanghai Cast Members.
I have reached an opinion on what I think should happen to George K, but it has been a long day and I wanted to chat with the guys who visited SDL ... so I will post that opinion soon ... OK, here's the opinion (rationale to follow in the next few days): George should resign.
Absimilliard
Well-Known Member
On
I am very surprised WDI opted to include the rope course attraction. Dollywood was the first to try it as a non upcharge ride in 2009-2010 and their Adventure Mountain triple rope course only lasted until 2012.
The noise, highest running costs of any attractions in the park as well as ridiculous manpower requirements doomed the ride there. At least they were able to recycle the structures for a cool family coaster!
Based on that, I don't feel SDL course stands much of a chance.
I am very surprised WDI opted to include the rope course attraction. Dollywood was the first to try it as a non upcharge ride in 2009-2010 and their Adventure Mountain triple rope course only lasted until 2012.
The noise, highest running costs of any attractions in the park as well as ridiculous manpower requirements doomed the ride there. At least they were able to recycle the structures for a cool family coaster!
Based on that, I don't feel SDL course stands much of a chance.
Absimilliard
Well-Known Member
I could attempt the thing... but I seriously don't see the fun in it. My record is right now DLP-HKDL OR TDL-WDW in a single year and that's more than enough for me. I even skipped TDL on this trip to avoid burning out on it like what happened with me and DL.