asianway
Well-Known Member
My favorite articles are when an IRS auditor goes after one of these guys after reading said article
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A Spirited Perfect Ten
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Is there ever any surprise? I kind of understand the unboxing of Apple products because there is a segment of the fan base that loves to look at the packaging, but I've never understood what else was so attractive to the endeavor.
bhg469
Well-Known Member
charcoal broiled = win!
Mr.Skunkape
Well-Known Member
Forumageddon has begun
Quinnmac000
Well-Known Member
Bad news for Big Hero 6 as its been upsetting South Koreans for miniscule imagery of The Rising Sun and the movie isn't even out there yet....
http://kotaku.com/why-big-hero-6-is-upsetting-some-people-in-south-korea-1680370861
http://kotaku.com/why-big-hero-6-is-upsetting-some-people-in-south-korea-1680370861
asianway
Well-Known Member
I just saw that one of the issues of the Figment comic has an endorsement from inside the magic on it.
Let's break that down for a minute. I'm in a comic shop and don't know who Figment is. But I do know who ITM is and that will influence my decision to purchase.
I can't even
Let's break that down for a minute. I'm in a comic shop and don't know who Figment is. But I do know who ITM is and that will influence my decision to purchase.
I can't even
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
Ahhhhhh nine days in FL. The AKL.....crisscrossing Fl. I come home and the more things change the more they stay the same. Discussing discussions about lifestylers. BTW, some people never learn. I would suggest choosing someone else to do your back and forth other then the judge.....God how I missed these spirited threads.
My week at WDW what did I learn? That it seems that maintenance has gotten better. The place hasn't looked as good. I was pleasantly surprised.
The food has actually gotten worse! The food at the deluxe AKL food court is inedible. But at Boma....oh la la!
I always go to WDW in January, if there is any more evidence that any park named anything else but MK needs additions desperately needs to look no further then this past week. MK was butts to nutts. MGMHollywood Studios or whatever they call the place this week was busy at times but if you were anywhere but the big three ( TOT, TSMM and RNRRC ) the place was basically empty.
Poor EPCOT, the place was a ghost town. Heck I seen Sorin' stand by under an hourFOr all you chainsaw act haters, the act drew a the biggest crowd of any act in the park. I walked right past it. Funny how the CM's would wear ear protection and the guest had none. I could hear it across the lagoon at the American pavilion.
The "Flag act" in Italy......please just no!
Confession time: I cancelled my California Grill ressie to watch the Ravens at ESPN. Only Judge Flynni will understand.
AKL is stunning, a little under lite for my taste but it proved that Disney can still knock it out of the park ( pun intended) where it comes to detail. The place is amazing.
Lastly, I had the utmost pleasure of spending sometime with a certain Magic member and her family while I was at WDW. Her kid to a real liking to me. I was thinking about a possible trade.....a FP for TSMM but I don't think she would go for it. Also a certain other member was noticeably absent. But he is forgiven....till next time.
I can't believe you said The Mara was inedible, that's one of the best QS on property.
NearTheEars
Well-Known Member
You can always grab a cheesesteak hot dog at the Lunching Pad.
It's not the best. But it's also not awful.
NearTheEars
Well-Known Member
If he is upset it would be a little hypocritical. He spends much of his time talking about, analyzing, diagnosing and making fun of lifestylers and fanboys. Seems right up Mr. Spirit's alley.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
And they have Zebra Domes!
shannon12
Active Member
Holy cow. My 4 year old LOVES her videos. Most of the young kids I know do. I would assume that is really the market!
Hope y'all had a nice long weekend. Without sounding unthankful for the man who was MLK, I find that by the time I hit this weekend I'm usually burned out from the holidays -- and that's when they haven't been utter disasters such as my 2014 'holiday season'. My holiday meal today, at a major international quick casual chain, proved that so many American corporations truly are rudderless ships that exist only for short term executive (and, sometimes, shareholder) gain. In other words, it was one service failure compounded by another compounded by another to the point where I felt the entire restaurant should likely close and they can start from scratch with new workers and training. But ... that's a tangent you don't need to hear about.
Thankfully, I've seen the discussion has moved off of sugar and toward DVC and Lifestylers. Haven't had time to pop in until now, but have read many of the posts on the subjects.
What comes to mind on the subject of DVC is that if you really want timeshare and you want it in O-Town and you don't want to pay tens of thousands of dollars just to start, then perhaps the way to go is resale on properties like Vistana (Starwood), Orange Lake (Intercontinental/Holiday Inn) or any of the myriad of properties owned/run by reputable companies like Marriott and Hilton.
I don't have a clue what the market is like now (perhaps @ParentsOf4 does?), but as recently as 18 months ago you could buy a week at Vistana (a very nice high end product) for $1 on the resale market. Yes, those annual dues that so many people sorta look at as a small afterthought just weigh down on folks who don't have the money to 'own' timeshare. I have no idea why someone would spend $165 a point PLUS those annual maintenance fees so when they could literally pull a dollar out of their kid's piggy bank and just save up and pay those fees and you have that vacation every year. I know it's not that simple ... but the thing is that it isn't nearly as complicated as folks make it out to be either.
DVC bought from The Mouse has never been a great value. Now, there is absolutely no value in the thing at all unless you wait decades. DVC resale can make sense under certain circumstances, but in most cases they are not nearly as good as simply saving money and not 'investing' in timeshare at all.
Now, complex ... that is the whole 'Lifestyler' deal. BTW, I do hope I (and my huge sch... I mean ego) that y'all recall I was the first Spirit online to coin the Lifestyler term ... much like Walmarted and Inoverherheadmeg etc ... it's BRANDING, baby. It's what I do ...
What exactly is a Lifestyler seems to be a hot topic. Not sure how or why, but it's clearly trending on Spirited theads!
I said earlier to someone close when asked for my definition that ''I know one when I see one'' but that isn't really fair. It's certainly more complex. And in many ways it's easier to explain what doesn't make someone a Lifestyler automatically.
And, no, everyone who is a fan isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who posts on a Disney fan forum (even with 15,000 posts in seven years like yours truly) isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who enjoys WDW or Disney, in general, isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who owns DVC or stays at Disney resorts isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone interested in how TWDC operates from a business standpoint isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who buys Disney items isn't a Lifestyler.
So, OK Mr. Big Evil Disney-Hating Lives on Fanboi Tears Spirit, what does make one a Lifestyler?
Simplest thing: equating one's self-worth as a member of the human species with the creative output AND financial decisions of the largest entertainment and media company in the world.
What else?
Things like moving to O-Town to be closer to the parks. Visiting them like you would a mall or town park. Spending obscene sums of $$$ when you don't know what real work is and don't come from a top one percent background. Yes, having a blog or Disney site sorta is a guaranteed golden membership card into Lifestyler circles. Never missing anything new, no matter how small or trivial, as soon as it opens. In other words, if you were waiting for the walls to come down for the SDMT (or Diagon Alley) on a daily basis instead of ... you know ... living a life, then you're a Lifestyler. Having a Twitter account where all you do is converse 28 hours a day about Disney (and/or UNI) makes you a Lifestyler. Waking up in the morning and your first thought isn't about your family or friends or work (no, having a Disney blog isn't work, no matter how many hours you devote to it) or what's news in the world, but something like ''The new Disney Springs walkway is open, I better go get pictures before Mr. XYZ gets them first.'' then ... yeah, you're a Lifestyler. If you have the Marvel theme park rights contract downloaded on your computer, yet you didn't know who Thor was in 2009, then you're very likely a Lifestyler. If you feel that having the approval of a Celebration Place cubicle dweller (like Dr. Blondie) means you have a real friend and makes you better than other fans, then you're a Lifestyler. If you plan your life and real activities around Disney events, seasons, openings etc then you're a Lifestyler. If you buy Disney crap on eBay, then you're a ...wait, what's that @Lee ... oh, nevermind ... there are always exceptions.
Why do I feel like Jeff Foxworthy?
I don't when Lifestylers began. You can make a claim that it started with the advent of the Internet, about two decades ago. But I don't really agree with that date. You can say it started with the advent of Disney fans sites online ... especially with the first 'celeb site owners' ... folks like Al Lutz, Jim Hill, etc. I don't think that was really it either.
I think it began about a decade ago. Facebook and Twitter, iPhones and tablets were all tools that helped. Digital photography certainly did. A big difference from discussing Disney on message boards (like these) and any/every one trying to play citizen Disney (or UNI) journalist by snapping a photo (or 765 in a morning) and placing them out in social media. It's all about cliques and very juvenile at its heart. Of course, I often hear that I have followers (I prefer 'minions' myself) and I well know there are groups here that don't like me ... so, we're not very different from the cliques that pop up in the Twitverse. But at least here, you have virtually unlimited space to present a case or debate a point or issue. 140 characters ... to communicate? Really?
Those are some very quick thoughts. I'm interested in reading through some of the posts from the weekend.
Thankfully, I've seen the discussion has moved off of sugar and toward DVC and Lifestylers. Haven't had time to pop in until now, but have read many of the posts on the subjects.
What comes to mind on the subject of DVC is that if you really want timeshare and you want it in O-Town and you don't want to pay tens of thousands of dollars just to start, then perhaps the way to go is resale on properties like Vistana (Starwood), Orange Lake (Intercontinental/Holiday Inn) or any of the myriad of properties owned/run by reputable companies like Marriott and Hilton.
I don't have a clue what the market is like now (perhaps @ParentsOf4 does?), but as recently as 18 months ago you could buy a week at Vistana (a very nice high end product) for $1 on the resale market. Yes, those annual dues that so many people sorta look at as a small afterthought just weigh down on folks who don't have the money to 'own' timeshare. I have no idea why someone would spend $165 a point PLUS those annual maintenance fees so when they could literally pull a dollar out of their kid's piggy bank and just save up and pay those fees and you have that vacation every year. I know it's not that simple ... but the thing is that it isn't nearly as complicated as folks make it out to be either.
DVC bought from The Mouse has never been a great value. Now, there is absolutely no value in the thing at all unless you wait decades. DVC resale can make sense under certain circumstances, but in most cases they are not nearly as good as simply saving money and not 'investing' in timeshare at all.
Now, complex ... that is the whole 'Lifestyler' deal. BTW, I do hope I (and my huge sch... I mean ego) that y'all recall I was the first Spirit online to coin the Lifestyler term ... much like Walmarted and Inoverherheadmeg etc ... it's BRANDING, baby. It's what I do ...
What exactly is a Lifestyler seems to be a hot topic. Not sure how or why, but it's clearly trending on Spirited theads!
I said earlier to someone close when asked for my definition that ''I know one when I see one'' but that isn't really fair. It's certainly more complex. And in many ways it's easier to explain what doesn't make someone a Lifestyler automatically.
And, no, everyone who is a fan isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who posts on a Disney fan forum (even with 15,000 posts in seven years like yours truly) isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who enjoys WDW or Disney, in general, isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who owns DVC or stays at Disney resorts isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone interested in how TWDC operates from a business standpoint isn't a Lifestyler. Everyone who buys Disney items isn't a Lifestyler.
So, OK Mr. Big Evil Disney-Hating Lives on Fanboi Tears Spirit, what does make one a Lifestyler?
Simplest thing: equating one's self-worth as a member of the human species with the creative output AND financial decisions of the largest entertainment and media company in the world.
What else?
Things like moving to O-Town to be closer to the parks. Visiting them like you would a mall or town park. Spending obscene sums of $$$ when you don't know what real work is and don't come from a top one percent background. Yes, having a blog or Disney site sorta is a guaranteed golden membership card into Lifestyler circles. Never missing anything new, no matter how small or trivial, as soon as it opens. In other words, if you were waiting for the walls to come down for the SDMT (or Diagon Alley) on a daily basis instead of ... you know ... living a life, then you're a Lifestyler. Having a Twitter account where all you do is converse 28 hours a day about Disney (and/or UNI) makes you a Lifestyler. Waking up in the morning and your first thought isn't about your family or friends or work (no, having a Disney blog isn't work, no matter how many hours you devote to it) or what's news in the world, but something like ''The new Disney Springs walkway is open, I better go get pictures before Mr. XYZ gets them first.'' then ... yeah, you're a Lifestyler. If you have the Marvel theme park rights contract downloaded on your computer, yet you didn't know who Thor was in 2009, then you're very likely a Lifestyler. If you feel that having the approval of a Celebration Place cubicle dweller (like Dr. Blondie) means you have a real friend and makes you better than other fans, then you're a Lifestyler. If you plan your life and real activities around Disney events, seasons, openings etc then you're a Lifestyler. If you buy Disney crap on eBay, then you're a ...wait, what's that @Lee ... oh, nevermind ... there are always exceptions.
Why do I feel like Jeff Foxworthy?
I don't when Lifestylers began. You can make a claim that it started with the advent of the Internet, about two decades ago. But I don't really agree with that date. You can say it started with the advent of Disney fans sites online ... especially with the first 'celeb site owners' ... folks like Al Lutz, Jim Hill, etc. I don't think that was really it either.
I think it began about a decade ago. Facebook and Twitter, iPhones and tablets were all tools that helped. Digital photography certainly did. A big difference from discussing Disney on message boards (like these) and any/every one trying to play citizen Disney (or UNI) journalist by snapping a photo (or 765 in a morning) and placing them out in social media. It's all about cliques and very juvenile at its heart. Of course, I often hear that I have followers (I prefer 'minions' myself) and I well know there are groups here that don't like me ... so, we're not very different from the cliques that pop up in the Twitverse. But at least here, you have virtually unlimited space to present a case or debate a point or issue. 140 characters ... to communicate? Really?
Those are some very quick thoughts. I'm interested in reading through some of the posts from the weekend.
Don't know if this is too late for you. But everything there my party (myself, 'Angie', and my 'granddaughter') had there was amazing. We did the tableside guac, which seems to be priced a bit on the high end, but really is something so great and filling that I'd advise splitting an entree if you're getting that with a table size of four or under. I may well go in the future and just get that and those drinks ... favorite would be the blood orange margarita.
My entree was a chicken chimichanga that, very likely, was the best I've had in the 21st century. Just phenomenal. Sadly, I left about a third as the guac and chips are very filling and very yummy and I intended to have it as a leftover in our villa, but just never did and it got tossed (I wish I had it now!)
I can't recall what the others had. I am so focused on my own food all the time, as one might expect from a Spirit who needs to drop some pounds. I think there may have been an enchilada for one and tacos for another, but really that is just a guess.
But I can't say enough good things about the place. Great food, ambiance, service and live music.
Phenomenal post 783 (on page 50 for those as behind as myself) by MAGIC's official numbers guy (and usually that's a bad thing!) @ParentsOf4 ... don't know what else to say. You explain the numbers better than anyone I've seen here (and better than most people in the business!)
I think you just nailed my feelings on Gringotts and why while I like it a lot, I don't love it. It does feel in places that they just plopped you down in front of a movie where the characters are yelling at you.
John
Well-Known Member
I guess everyone has an opinion. They do have a really good cup cake. I am sure I didn't eat everything on the menu and its quite possible there are items that are tasty. But after my breakfast there and the chicken meal that I had I decided enough was enough. You enjoyed it.....great!
GoofGoof
Premium Member
I was talking more about the cheese steak and hot dog references.
So what you are saying is, if you want to truly grow domestic revenue, you need to build more domestic parks.
I will totally say that I think Iger has missed the boat (ha ha) on DCL. I don't think it's feasible to double the number of Disney Parks domestically anytime soon, but there is no reason DCL couldn't have been as bullishly expanded as Eisner did to the parks in the 90s. Disney is still very niche in that market, they could easily be sailing 20+ ships around the work today.
No, not at all. DCL works precisely because it's a niche line. DCL would never work with 20 ships. I doubt very much it could work with 10. It certainly can work with six, which is why you'll see two added in the not too distant future.
One could argue that Michael and, later, Bob were a bit too slow to expand DCL. I recall when they only had two ships and they were very slow to even change up ports and itineraries. Only so many times you can go to Nassau or even St. Martin etc. The first 5-6-7 years they never did much different. But having four ships gives them the ability to snag all the newbs and the afraid to go to sea with anyone but Mickey holding their hand crowds as well as do long voyages in Europe, summers in Alaska, and new places like Arendelle ... oops, I mean Norway this year!
But the only way to keep the prices where they are is to limit the product and that is why you'll never see DCL more than double the size it is today (if that big).
