More Spirited WDW Live Musings:
Let's start with some positives (there are a few):
The Frozen singalong is new and the storytellers are quite talented (but much like meeting foamheads, I don't go to WDW to sing ... or listen to other non-pros,
@Lee excepted, do likewise);
To walk into the park that will always be The Disney-MGM Studios to me and not see that hideous toon hat blocking the view of the Chinese Theater is amazing. Even though it was promised to Bob Weis years ago when he came back to lead the DCA makeover effort, it took way too long to restore the park to its rightful look;
The Boathouse looks like a nice new addition to WDW's dining scene (no, didn't eat there ... when someone wants to buy me dinner, then I'll try it ... until then I'll go to Portobello -- truly one of the best-kept secrets of WDW dining where today three of us saved almost $33 between three free desserts as park of an April Levy's promo and a 20% AP discount).
Trader Sam's Grog Grotto is decent enough, but way too many CMs hanging out (was quoted a two hour wait time at 4 p.m. on a rainy Monday that turned out to be 55 minutes). The drinks are also flat out Disney/O-Town specials ... meaning they don't have the potency of their west coast counterparts. I was so happy that I didn't see any bloggers/podcasters or Lifestylers there.
The Poly lobby really isn't THAT bad. Yes, you heard me. No, I don't like the fact they removed the fountain and tropical foliage, BUT it isn't nearly as bad as some fanbois make it out to be ... the Hub, that is awful. This isn't.
Some of the redo looks great, as far as the DVC studio rooms. Very, very nice.
Contempo Cafe is still a great place for a QS meal at fair prices with quality offerings. I think
@WDWFigment would agree if he's still around.
Studios were wonderful tonight as the weather turned a seasonal 67 after a rainy, ugly day and I got to STEAL two hours of EMH in which I rode ToT once (sound problems were gone), RnRC twice, TSMM once and saw Fantasmic (again, show looked much better than I've seen the last 2-3 years) and looked around the Animation Gallery and took pics of the Theater with no BAH blocking it.
Oh, I also flat out stole soda (just so my PML pals can judge my worth as a moral member of the species based on a very important metric as we all know Jesus wouldn't steal Coke!) at Sunshine Seasons the other day. I thought $4.25 for a tiny (but tasty) apple crunch cake should come with a pair of Cokes ... so, I just got them. I am about as sorry for it as any Disney P&R exec over the last 15 years has been for any decision that resulted in screwing Guests and/or Cast.
Now ... what my PML pals read this for, namely the bad, the ugly, the crazy:
Those Bora Bora Bungalows are No-ra, No-ra Way Bungalows for me. They are as misplaced and misguided as can be. They sit over swamp grass and freshwater fish and some trash too. I don't at all get their appeal.
I can't be negative enough about the Hub. It is horrendous. It ruins sightlines from 1971 with poorly thought out planning. It will be an oven about 7-8 months a year. Oh, and it does nothing to aid congestion in its current (albeit incomplete) form.
WDW desperately needs new nighttime entertainment. Thankfully, we'll get some starting in a year.
Disney is so out of touch with its product and what it should be. So, WDW continues to have trees removed, and sprawl added. A friend said the trees along I-4 were removed because TDO wanted ''curb appeal'' for its newly remodeled (likely not finished before fall of 2016, for those playing at home, as this isn't a UNI project) Lifestyle center. Just add no berms and lots of asphalt to Walt's dream of WDW ... as he said once ''We have enough land here for all the timeshares we can possibly imagine.''
BTW, if you think DVC is slowing down at WDW, you're insane. More deluxe room inventory will be converted and then Disney will move over to the moderates. Again, if you think this is a good thing for WDW, then, yes, I believe you are insane.
I have no idea if this will happen (and perhaps
@jakeman can tag
@AustinC -- who likely accomplished what he set out to here and is gone -- since I have no idea how to do this simple function ... amazing what one learns as a WDW CPer, am I right?), but one idea that has been tossed around WDW of late is giving all resort Guests an extra FP selection every day (at first, the thought was just deluxe and DVC, but last I heard it was discussed as an all in deal). Just another way to turn WDW into a class stratified resort.
CMs have been a mixed bag and I find the least happiest to always be at MK. Shocking, I know. One crowd control dude came very close to having me insert his large green traffic light into his rectum by being nasty to me about having to move because he wanted to squeeze as many bodies into the Hub (the old part) for Celebrate the MAGIC Sunday night.
EPCOT AC is lacking in spots, but not nearly as bad as MK (I can only imagine the mold damage being done by being a bunch of cheap bastards) ... but Studios park has it working well in attractions and dining as well as shops.
I can't tell you how excited I am that TSSTFBKaDD has two flip-flop shops and an Art of Shaving location. Cutting edge stuff.
Keep hearing that Disney is going to operate locations in Disney Springs, but I don't believe it. They've spent the last two decades getting away from that.
Is there a more misplaced dining locale than Chef Mickey's? No. There isn't.
You should have seen the Ghetto Tram doing runs in the Studios parking lot ... people had peeled away layers that looked to date back the the 70s or early 80s. Maybe Danny Cockerell should get out there and work on fixing them.
Thanks to those lovely ladies at the China pavilion who gave me some 'extra' food because I love their country and us having a nice conversation about everything from HKDL to SDL to favorite places to eat in HK to the MTR. That snack turned into dinner for less than Wendy's would have cost and was tasty!
Should I compare the Guests I saw at the Royal Pacific to the Guests I saw at the Poly or do we all know where that will head? Because, of course, you can't judge trash by its appearance.
Speaking of which, I have never heard so many obscenities spoken/yelled at WDW then I have of late. Two nights have ended with screaming matches between spouses/significant others at the top of their lungs with f-bombs aflying.
So, I cross the entire da mn MK to get a Dole Whip only to find out that they no longer swirl it with Vanilla soft serve (Guess it cost too much!) Well, I find Dole Whip sans vanilla to be way too tart for my tastes. Should have just had a sundae on MSUSA. Or brought in some rum ...
Sure seems like Disney is testing out some Iron Man Experience like footage out in Anaheim.
Sure, that new Peter Pan queue is wonderful. And you can expect it in some form in SDL (except for folks who simply will never go and resent me talking about the park, which they should take up with Robert A. Iger as he seems to feel it's the most important park move for TWDC this century). ... But it sure makes the ride look even more dated, more cheap and more neglected. Again, do they have a clue what they are doing?
No. They don't.
Going back to MM+ and something important to think about ... but it was supposed to make sure Guests hit that MAGICal nine attractions/spectaculars/character interactions so Disney could do away with EMH. That was always in the plan. It was factored in as a labor savings. Funny, but last I heard, EMH will be around for 'likely years to come' ... yet another way it has failed spectacularly. Not that you'll read that story.
I'm still not quite sure why Studios decided at 3 p.m. on Sunday to extend hours from 8 close to 9:30 close and add a 10 p.m. showing of Fantasmic. Park was not busy. Everything was what I term a 'virtual walk-on' (meaning waits listed at 20 minutes or less) except for 80 minutes for TSMM, which was likely close to twice what it really was.
What is the deal with what looks like LP vinyl albums (yeah, like records) of soundtracks of Frozen, Lion King, Cinderella, Little Mermaid and one or two others for sale now? What do you play these on? Does anyone make record players in the 21st century? Does anyone know what they even are?
I'd like to go on ... but that should help give you things to talk about. But I'd rather be in Germany ... or in China ... or on a cruise right now ... too bad I had to settle for WDW, but it is incredibly cheap for moi.
