A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Bairstow]

I think a lot of FP+ supporters miss the fact that the standby line doesn't function like it did prior to FP+. They've increased capacity on the FP+ line, so they're pulling fewer people from the standby line. As a result, this line moves slower. So the standby wait times for popular attractions seem to be longer now than ever before. For me, personally, I feel like I spend MORE time waiting in line than I did prior to FP+ (and even before legacy FP).

It might be appropriate to draw conclusions based on this if it weren't for the fact that the rollout of fastpassplus coincided with a substantial increase in park attendance.

 

[lazyboy97o]

BTW.... How the hell did we get back on this topic again?

Because just as Disney hoped, the added personal conveniences make the deliberate increase in crowding tolerable.

It might be appropriate to draw conclusions based on this if it weren't for the fact that the rollout of fastpassplus coincided with a substantial increase in park attendance.

These issue are not new to FastPass+. They existed with FastPass and resulted in it being removed from some attractions.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I'm going to be away from these MAGICal realms for most of this month, though I will be back briefly for D23 news. It seemed like it we could use some light August reading.

Director James Gunn reflects on "Guardians of the Galaxy" one year later.
https://m.facebook.com/jgunn/photos...536156/10152836780791157/?type=1&notif_t=like

Theme Park Insider interviews former Imagineer and current head of creative at UNI Osaka, Steve Tatham. Continuing his UNI scoop streak, Robert writes that a Jurrasic Park themed suspended coaster is coming to the park.
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201507/4674/

Roland Kelts and The California Sunday Magazine have a profile on the former Pixarians who founded the animation studio Tonko House; Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi and Robert Kondo. Tsutsumi and Kondo directed last year's Academy Award nominated short film "The Dam Keeper"; available here. Are you guys still looking forward to "Cars 3" and "Incredibles 2"?
https://story.californiasunday.com/after-pixar-tonko-house-animation

Ever wanted to know how much VFX spending takes up on the budget of a big Hollywood production? Thanks in part to the Sony Hack, Dean Wright has compiled the VFX budgets for films Sony Pictures Imageworks was contracted on, including "Oz The Great and Powerful" and "Maleficent", to provide an idea of what the average VFX shot on these films can cost. A second segment compares the cost per second of the film's of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, Dreamworks, Blue Sky, and Illumination.
http://getwrightonit.com/how-much-does-3d-animation-cost/

I'm not sure if this has been brought up in the ongoing "will ESPN sink DI$" conversation, but Will Hobson of the Washington Post has a thoughtful take on ESPN's future troubles. What's that thing those anonymous twits say about Bob Iger's Disney being a house of cards?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...alk-would-indicate-at-least-until-next-decade

Emperor Mickey needs Lord Vader to use H1-B visas to keep his operating costs down. Nevermind the film production and VFX government subsidies they receive.
http://cis.org/Disney-Death-Star-H1B-Replacements

 

[the.dreamfinder]

TEAM DISNEY BURBANK-THE MICHAEL D EISNER BUILDING

INT-BOB IGER'S OFFICE
http://www.businessinsider.com/universal-record-breaking-box-office-2015-8
Universal will be the first studio ever to have three films hit $1 billion worldwide in the same year

 

[the.dreamfinder]

SIGGRAPH is this week and WDAS has rolled out the carpet to showcase its Hyperion lighting engine, which was used in "Big Hero 6" and "Feast". They have created an approachable and informative video explaining how Hyperion works.

More details here:http://www.disneyanimation.com/technology/innovations/hyperion

 

[Bairstow]

Ever wanted to know how much VFX spending takes up on the budget of a big Hollywood production? Thanks in part to the Sony Hack, Dean Wright has compiled the VFX budgets for films Sony Pictures Imageworks was contracted on, including "Oz The Great and Powerful" and "Maleficent", to provide an idea of what the average VFX shot on these films can cost. A second segment compares the cost per second of the film's of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, Dreamworks, Blue Sky, and Illumination.
http://getwrightonit.com/how-much-does-3d-animation-cost/

Oz had an F/X budget of $90m and it ended up looking like THIIIIIIS?!?!

HOW?

 

[BrianLo]

Theme Park Insider interviews former Imagineer and current head of creative at UNI Osaka, Steve Tatham. Continuing his UNI scoop streak, Robert writes that a Jurrasic Park themed suspended coaster is coming to the park.
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201507/4674/

Not really a scoop...

Surprisingly - Screamscape may have been the first to break this rumour in March.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

TEAM DISNEY BURBANK-THE MICHAEL D EISNER BUILDING

INT-BOB IGER'S OFFICE
http://www.businessinsider.com/universal-record-breaking-box-office-2015-8
Universal will be the first studio ever to have three films hit $1 billion worldwide in the same year

I wonder if Disney could also have 3 this year? Avengers 2 already reached that goal, and it's a given Star Wars 7 will, but could either Pixar release do it too? Inside Out has made over $600 million worldwide with many foreign countries (including China and Japan) not having seen it yet, and there's a chance (although less so) that The Good Dinosaur could hit the mark as well.

 

[Mike S]

Not really a scoop...

Surprisingly - Screamscape may have been the first to break this rumour in March.

Hope it's not like the Puss in Boots coaster that Singapore got........ It probably is........

 

[Bairstow]

Hope it's not like the Puss in Boots coaster that Singapore got........ It probably is........

The rumors I've read say it's going to be a B&M flyer, like Manta.
The picture @BrianLo posted appears to be of the load station, showing the union point at one of the junctions.

 

[Bairstow]

Hope it's not like the Puss in Boots coaster that Singapore got........ It probably is........

BTW, thanks for bringing that one to my attention. I had missed this one.
It seems pretty fun for what it is, though it's a shame they couldn't have had added better motion to the figures.
Also, screw-based lift system!

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

Hey, wanna see the newest reason that Bob Iger should be booted out of the company?

 

[PhotoDave219]

This earnings call? "the best quarter ever"

Last earnings call? "It's the best quarter ever"

 

[brb1006]

There's a rumor going around about Stitch leaving the Magic Kingdom in late September of this year.
http://www.kennythepirate.com/2015/08/04/could-stitch-be-leaving-the-magic-kingdom/

 

[Tigger1988]

There's a rumor going around about Stitch leaving the Magic Kingdom in late September of this year.
http://www.kennythepirate.com/2015/08/04/could-stitch-be-leaving-the-magic-kingdom/

Before anyone gets their hopes up, this is about MEET & GREETS not the attraction.

 

[BrianLo]

Yup, I've seen this. The figure at 2:19 you can see all the exposed mechanics at the base.

Some times I'm not sure if I'm really that confident in Universal Creative, or, just am actually a big fan of Warner Brothers' Production Designers.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

There's a rumor going around about Stitch leaving the Magic Kingdom in late September of this year.
http://www.kennythepirate.com/2015/08/04/could-stitch-be-leaving-the-magic-kingdom/

I don't mean this to be rude (please don't take it that way), but I'd venture to guess most people in this thread won't care. Characters get shifted all the time and typically this thread tackles weightier topics than whether or not Stitch will be present in the MK to sign some moppet's soggy autograph book.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Before anyone gets their hopes up, this is about MEET & GREETS not the attraction.

If only!

 

[Cesar R M]

Considering this story takes place in a world where DOPEY got married, all bets are off.

What if he doped his wife?

I watched the beginning online, it was brutal. That said I'm not in the target demo at all.

It performed huge and will likely be a series.

Add 6.6m live viewers plus 1.4m online app viewers and 'premiere night viewership for Descendants would eclipse the 7.7 million who tuned in for the TV premiere of the first High School Musical movie in 2006' Source: http://deadline.com/2015/08/descendants-premiere-ratings-disney-channel-1201489249/

It will be a money printing machine.

There is always the initial "rush" to see whats new, specially disney wise (and specially for teenagers who want to see Disney princess stuff in real life).
So, I dont think you should judge by the initial viewership.
Id judge after the final episodes of the first season.

 

[Cesar R M]

FWIW, nobody here missed that. That discussion has been had, and beaten to a bloody pulp, many times. But again, this goes back to my first comment. You only have 3 FP+ per day, and while that does save some time, your far from having an entire day of "no waiting in lines". The FP+ selections usually fall into a certain part of the day, (morning, afternoon, or evening), so if you use your FP+ selections in the morning, the rest of your day is straight up old school waiting in line, and yes, even in line at kiosk to obtain additional FP+.

I dont think "park behavior" is any different. You make it seem as if every park guest automatically goes to a gift shop or ice cream stand while "waiting" for their FP+ window. Most are cramming in more attractions. People loved Mickey Ice cream bars before FP+ and they arent going to buy more than normal simply because they are waiting for their FP+ window. How was legacy FP any different? You still had to wait for your return time. Did people not know the shops and ice cream stands existed back then while they were waiting for their return window, the same way they wait for their FP+ window now? And the fact that Disney hasnt added much in terms of UNIQUE merchandise to the shops that people are supposedly "waiting in" doesnt give the guest much of a selection to browse through. Most of the shops sell the exact same thing, so after day one of a trip, youve already seen most of the merch available. There will always be parents who will buy their kid that plush mickey doll or that Elsa dress. That was going to happen regardless, it did not happen because of FP+.

I mostly agree with you, except that once you make the forced selections (forcefully suggested by Disney's app), you can then later "edit" the selections better.
In my january trip for example.. the suggestions of the disney app were exactly like you mentioned.. separated in the Morning, Afternoon, Evening groups.
But then you can modify the selections to any time available . I remember having back 2 back selections at Magic Kingdom on the days right prior to the onslaught of the President's day weekend.

But yeah.. the time you save with FP+, is the time you will waste waiting for the inflated standby lines. (because some attractions put almost up to 75% of capacity to FP+)

I think a lot of FP+ supporters miss the fact that the standby line doesn't function like it did prior to FP+. They've increased capacity on the FP+ line, so they're pulling fewer people from the standby line. As a result, this line moves slower. So the standby wait times for popular attractions seem to be longer now than ever before. For me, personally, I feel like I spend MORE time waiting in line than I did prior to FP+ (and even before legacy FP).

Agree. I experienced exactly this.
It was insane in already slow moving attractions like Peter Pan at Magic Kingdom.