A Spirited Perfect Ten

[truecoat]

With this kind of release schedule I think this will be the year at least one major studio goes bankrupt, Too many big budget tentpoles chasing too few consumer dollars is the long and short of it.

Most of these will make money, they just don't make as much as they want sometimes. You have to remember they use Hollywood accounting. Hollywood accounting tells us that Return of the Jedi hasn't made money yet and the actor in the Darth Vader suit isn't getting any residuals because of that.

 

[71jason]

Fair enough, What do you think is comparable in the Orlando market? - Next trip is in may so suggestions appreciated.

At least a dozen places just west of Millenia, in the "touristy" part of town. Off the dome: Capital Grille, Tommy Bahama's, Oceanaire, Bull & Bear, at least one in the old Peabody, at least two in Rosen Shingle Creek, Johnny's Hideaway, the aforementioned "vanilla" Ruth's Chris and Mortons ...

Your fallacy is assuming there is a single, unified "Orlando market." I don't think there is a legitimate argument that a restaurant at Boathouse's price point (or Morimoto or STK) can't survive anywhere in Orlando. The argument is whether such a market exists to support four or five new huge restaurants at that level specifically in Disney Springs.

But again, I find myself interjecting in an online debate between non-Orlandoians who have never set foot in Boathouse who are convinced its horrible vs. non-Orlandoians who have never set foot in Boathouse who are convinced its the best restaurant on property on its second day of operation. The haters and foamers have both devolved into self-parody on this site.

 

[71jason]

I thought the point was that these bloggers are attending an invite only event and don't make an effort to dress up for the occasion.

I thought the point was finding one more thing to complain about at WDW (because the existing glaring problems aren't enough).

 

[jakeman]

But again, I find myself interjecting in an online debate between non-Orlandoians who have never set foot in Boathouse who are convinced its horrible vs. non-Orlandoians who have never set foot in Boathouse who are convinced its the best restaurant on property on its second day of operation. The haters and foamers have both devolved into self-parody on this site.

I believe folks from Orlando are OrLando Calrissians.

Also, I assume there's not just an option to actually try the Boathouse before forming an opinion is there?

 

[xdan0920]

But again, I find myself interjecting in an online debate between non-Orlandoians who have never set foot in Boathouse who are convinced its horrible vs. non-Orlandoians who have never set foot in Boathouse who are convinced its the best restaurant on property on its second day of operation. The haters and foamers have both devolved into self-parody on this site.

Of course it's an online debate. This is a website, after all.

I don't think living outside Orlando is any sort of a disadvantage when discussing WDW restaurant options, seeing as how many of us have eaten hundreds of meals on property.

 

[Cesar R M]

And the BFG9000 although I was always partial to the 'Drunk Missile" in Rise of the Triad...

it has always been "BFG9000". of course, until the Quake games, where it changed to BFG10k

 

[Cesar R M]

ECCC (and until this year - Asbury Park Comic Con) is woefully small, and focuses primarily on actual comics. As they write, they don't allow press passes because it doesn't benefit THEM. Best believe if they saw a return they'd be sending out passes, in the meantime they'd rather take the bloggers' money.

Wake me when NYCC or SDCC invoke this policy, that will mean something.

I still wonder why bigger events would even need bloggers.
the word of mouth should be enough.

 

[Cesar R M]

It is not a fine dining restaurant. They use signature dining as its category. The environment is casual, which is perfect for its location.

Your loss if you skip it, as its one of the best.

would you classify the California Grill as "Casual" now ?

yep it does.

hold on, did you already tried the boathouse?

 

[Cesar R M]

Although somewhat tangental, since we touch upon the subject of capitol expenditures often I though I would share this piece. BlackRock's Larry Fink wrote a letter to ALL CEOs in the US. In it, he urges them to reduce dividend increases and stock buyback programs and instead use that capitol for innovation and long term strategy.

BlackRock’s Chief, Laurence Fink, Urges Other C.E.O.s to Stop Being So Nice to Investors

So we can assume all the current generation of CEOS are "Nice guys" with "Fedoras" right?

 

[DisDan]

would you classify the California Grill as "Casual" now ?



hold on, did you already tried the boathouse?

Yes he has! He posted his review on the main page of this website. He paid for his own meal and from what I read/saw it was a great meal all around! I can't wait to try it!

 

[WildcatDen]

It was : "This blogger's posts are no longer available on the Huffington Post due to inaccuracies in representations he made regarding his professional affiliations."

That's not what I recall. I thought it was more along the lines of, This blogger's posts are no longer available on the Huffington Post due to his not wearing pants"

 

[GoofGoof]

I think WDW pushed pretty hard to ensure Gibson did NOT enforce a dress code, Yet V&A has one and they do not lack for business. Just for the lack of a dress code I think I'll skip 'The Boathouse' If I'm paying for fine dining I want the full experience not a bunch of people in shorts and 'I'm with Stupid T-shirts'.

As to the 'dockside bar' I've been on Nantucket on during the Figawi race weekends and they enforce a dress code casual but still a dress code.

The atmosphere at V&A and the Boathouse are very different. Boathouse has something like a third of it's seats outside and a rather large bar area that's pretty casual as well. I wouldn't have a problem if they had a business casual dress code restricting things like tank tops and flip flops but I think it would be a stretch to ask a bunch of people sitting on an outdoor patio to wear a coat or tie in Florida (especially in the summer). A nice pair of shorts and a golf shirt would be perfectly appropriate IMHO.

I think it's very possible to have a "fine dining" menu in a more casual atmosphere. I've seen it work many places, especially in tourist areas and beach towns.

 

[WildcatDen]

Theres a Christina Hendricks joke here.

Simple yet so honest, like a flick to the left nut. Applause times 2.

 

[shernernum]

Te

The atmosphere at V&A and the Boathouse are very different. Boathouse has something like a third of it's seats outside and a rather large bar area that's pretty casual as well. I wouldn't have a problem if they had a business casual dress code restricting things like tank tops and flip flops but I think it would be a stretch to ask a bunch of people sitting on an outdoor patio to wear a coat or tie in Florida (especially in the summer). A nice pair of shorts and a golf shirt would be perfectly appropriate IMHO.

I think it's very possible to have a "fine dining" menu in a more casual atmosphere. I've seen it work many places, especially in tourist areas and beach towns.

The last part seems to be the trend for restaurants in general....especially in urban areas. Casual upscale is thriving while many of the older luxury restaurants are disappearing...ex. Citronelle in DC and Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia.

 

[FigmentJedi]

New Tomorrowland featurette. Can we please get more of this thinking back into the actual parks?

 

[PhotoDave219]

So we can assume all the current generation of CEOS are "Nice guys" with "Fedoras" right?

I'm a nice guy with a fedora!

 

[Mike S]

New Tomorrowland featurette. Can we please get more of this thinking back into the actual parks?

Sorry, a positive look at an amazing future isn't family friendly. Kids aren't interested in the possibilities of the future when they're grown up, just characters 24/7.

 

[WDWFigment]

Citricos
Shula's(not a fan, but it's comparable)
Brown Derby (again, not a fan)
Cali Grill

My list of 'is it better than...?' restaurants would be:

Yachtsman Steakhouse
Jiko
Artist Point (underrated)
Flying Fish Cafe
V&As (price point for some dishes is close enough to make the comparison apt)

I can't speak to the food as I have not tried it, but just in seeing photos, it cannot touch a single one of those restaurants in terms of ambiance.

 

[WDWFigment]

It is not a fine dining restaurant. They use signature dining as its category. The environment is casual, which is perfect for its location.

Your loss if you skip it, as its one of the best.

I think it all comes down to preference: many people, when paying that much for a meal, want a fine dining, elegant experience. Others don't. I don't think you can necessarily criticize either group.

Personally, if paying that much, I want a date night, refined experienced with nary a child in sight. I realize not everyone is me, though.

 

[WDWFigment]

I can't find the discussion thread now, but no one should wear cargo shorts anywhere, ever. Unless time traveling back to 1997.