Spirited Summer Musings Part Dos:
Where did we leave off when Bob was personally hacking into my computer? Oh yeah ... Anaheim.
Apparently, Colglazier has been throwing an absolute hissy fit about first the Guardians Tower info being leaked and then that the OC Register actually conducted something known as journalism and wrote about the new hotel for the DLR.
Seems that MC believes he should be able to control the narrative as well as The Weatherman usually does and DLR's fearless leader isn't happy these news stories have come out well before the DLR PR machine can put on a pricey dog and pony and blogger show to announce them.
Good news out of Anaheim is that this fall's return of Fantasy in the Sky is indeed a short-term 'fix' ... designed to enable work to be done on DL's launch system and to get ready for a replacement for DL Forever. The strong rumor is Remember will be coming back in an altered form with upgrades and changes (after all, how can a Disney night show possibly not include Frozen and Star Wars, two of Walt's favorite things?)
More good news is that Fantasmic 2.0, right now slated for a June 2017 debut, will make the show a must see again for even the jaded fanbois and lifestylers who have seen it 784 times and long since moved on.
In what does seem like an Anaheim-centric Spirited update (sorry, I can only talk about gators and new shops at DD so much), Colglazier and Co are looking to play some more games with dynamic/surge pricing as Anaheim attendance hasn't fallen as it has in O-Town. Again, DCA's numbers are criminally low for reasons that only Chappie and The Weatherman could likely explain. The park outdrew at least two if not three WDW parks in 2015 and is doing better in '16.
Anyone wanna go cruising with the Spirit? Well, DCL is apparently looking ahead long term to a future in which the line has over double its current capacity at sea. Yes, that does mean more ships than the two currently on order and it also could mean a new piece of island property in the Bahamas might be purchased. Again, though, these are long term plans and Disney has been very conservative in both expansions it has undertaken.
It took awhile for WDW to acknowledge its Summer Awakens campaign down in South Florida, but the last week has seen it plastered on local TV as well as billboards. I can't say whether this was always the plan, or whether it is a result of all the non-Floridians (be they Americans, South Americans, UKers etc) who have decided not to visit right now.
I haven't been able to catch them, but I do like ABC's idea of new versions of classic game show like $100,00 Pyramid, To Tell the Truth and Match Game as alternate summer programming.
I know it has been discussed ad nauseum, but Iger personally is the reason behind the costly reshoots on Rogue One. He'll never admit it publicly, but he didn't like the film at all and felt it was far too dark and too violent. In other words, for all the talk about creating a massive SW UNIverse with films that are not tied directly to the Mother Ship when the time comes to do that, it's cold feet all the way.
Anecdotal evidence would suggest that even many WDW apologists are starting to grow weary of the constant price increases with almost nothing fresh added to the parks. (I am waiting for someone to point out the borrowed from SDL film, the Frozenstrom boat cruise past dancing Olaf, the apparently so-bad that even the bloggerwhores can't say anything nice Jungle Book show etc to 'prove' me wrong.)
How much are Opening Day SDL guidemaps going for on eBay and how many did
@BrianLo,
@WDWFigment ,
@lazyboy97o and
@Nmoody1 take home?
So, I guess Season of the Force is like a season on some SW planet that lasts seven years, then?
Are the UNI Wand Wavers all hiding because Kong appears to be simply more of the same from Mark Woodbury and Co?
I see that Andy Castro has wrapped up his blogging career on Micechat. Good for him. He's talented and passionate and hopefully will be able to put his skills to good use on something that pays him. But take away the occasional updates on Knott's and UNI-Hollywood and ... there's nothing to see on that site anymore. Much like LaughingPlace.
Nothing like dropping by the local Disney outlet store and seeing all the SW and Pirate toy (word that rhymes with 'buns' that every real 'Murican loves!) for sale. Disney really has no shame. You don't want them in your parks anymore because they are fake weapons that look fake, but you won't stop making them or making money off them. Could Disney be hypocritical? Never.
Let's go to Paris where ... things are getting cleaned up and a totally new Dreams show is on tap for the 25th anniversary (again, likely with massive Frozen and Star Wars ... and even Marvel sections).
Has my pal 'that dude' Derek Burgan Tweeted about the fact the WDW outlet stores are (I kid you not) using DL 50th (yes, the ones from 2005-06) bags? You gotta be on top of that when you have the No. 1 BY FAR and longest running WDW outlet store blog.
I've got a feeling the massive lines are for the popular property more than anything else. Seriously... Who goes to an event that takes up almost a whole park and spends nearly the entirety of it waiting in a line for one stinkin' haunt? The WD haunt line at Orlando two years ago blew my mind. 