A Spirited Perfect Ten

WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Spirited Sea Musing:

Wouldn't want to have been on the current voyages of the Wonder through the Panama Canal (same cruise Angie and I did a year ago -- yes, time truly does fly even if you're not having fun!) or the Magic across the Atlantic.

I also wouldn't want to be the Disney reps who are going to be getting a lot of demands for freebies, money off current and future cruises and the like.

Why?

Both the Wonder and the Magic haven't been able to sail their scheduled itineraries due to circumstances beyond their control.

The Wonder couldn't make it's regularly scheduled stop in Puerto Vallarta (home of my beloved Cassandra) due to some major violence between a local drug cartel and the authorities that, apparently, included shooting down a police helicopter with a stinger missile and starting fires at places like gas stations. None of this violence has been near the tourist areas, but Disney as well as other lines have decided to not stop. Carnival made a regularly scheduled stop there this week. Will be interesting to see if the Wonder does its regular schedule of stops there this fall when it is homeported in San Diego.

Originally, the day was changed to a sea day, but since heard they stopped somewhere in Guatemala instead.

The Magic had a different sort of impediment: namely huge chunks of ice in the north Atlantic that made safety (DCL didn't want its own Titanic, even if Disney would have synergized it to death!) an issue. So, after being the priciest eastbound Transatlantic cruise Disney has ever offered because of scheduled stops in Canada and, more importantly, Iceland, the Magic had to cancel calls on Halifax (I believe) and Iceland (completely). I've been told that the Magic was making an unscheduled stop in Norway (the first for the line) instead of Iceland.

This cruise was very coveted by DCL regulars due to the different itinerary, which also included a stop in NYC.
I had interest in taking this cruise until I looked at the pricing.
 
1023

1023

Provocateur, Rancanteur, Plaisanter, du Jour
WDW1974 said:
Spirited Sea Musing:

Wouldn't want to have been on the current voyages of the Wonder through the Panama Canal (same cruise Angie and I did a year ago -- yes, time truly does fly even if you're not having fun!) or the Magic across the Atlantic.

I also wouldn't want to be the Disney reps who are going to be getting a lot of demands for freebies, money off current and future cruises and the like.

Why?

Both the Wonder and the Magic haven't been able to sail their scheduled itineraries due to circumstances beyond their control.

The Wonder couldn't make it's regularly scheduled stop in Puerto Vallarta (home of my beloved Cassandra) due to some major violence between a local drug cartel and the authorities that, apparently, included shooting down a police helicopter with a stinger missile and starting fires at places like gas stations. None of this violence has been near the tourist areas, but Disney as well as other lines have decided to not stop. Carnival made a regularly scheduled stop there this week. Will be interesting to see if the Wonder does its regular schedule of stops there this fall when it is homeported in San Diego.

Originally, the day was changed to a sea day, but since heard they stopped somewhere in Guatemala instead.

The Magic had a different sort of impediment: namely huge chunks of ice in the north Atlantic that made safety (DCL didn't want its own Titanic, even if Disney would have synergized it to death!) an issue. So, after being the priciest eastbound Transatlantic cruise Disney has ever offered because of scheduled stops in Canada and, more importantly, Iceland, the Magic had to cancel calls on Halifax (I believe) and Iceland (completely). I've been told that the Magic was making an unscheduled stop in Norway (the first for the line) instead of Iceland.

This cruise was very coveted by DCL regulars due to the different itinerary, which also included a stop in NYC.
I had interest in taking this cruise until I looked at the pricing.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... I am curious if they stopped in Manzanillo, Mexico. That was one of the nicest, sleepiest places to stop on the A to P version of the canal trip. Strangely, I can't stop thinking about how many ports have a WalMart within viewing distance of the ports on that trip. I have been on the A to P trip when there is no Castaway stop and extra time in Aruba.... Aruba didn't need the extra time... It never occurred to me to ask for discount/freebie for missing a stop due to safety or weather. I guess I'll have to be more cavalier in my approach to those things in the future.

*1023*
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Spirited Chinese Graft Musing (appropriate because I am eating Chinese take-out now!):

Fascinating story in the NYT today on how the USA has become a safe haven for Chinese nationals on the run for major graft-related crimes.:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/16/w...0150516&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=58490726&_r=0

The more I read stories like this in both US and international media, the more I get why Mike Crawford left Shanghai (and his gig as General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort/President of The Walt Disney Holding Company of Shanghai) without ever packing for more than a long weekend -- and is now based in Singapore with the Four Seasons -- and why Bob Iger deemed it so necessary to have his wife, Willow Bay, cleanse the internet of the Huff-Po Op-Ed entitled 'Disney CEO Fumbles Entry to China.'

(As an aside, Crawford's abrupt resignation, that the company hasn't ever publicly acknowledged, allowed Shendi to get a Chinese face as the overlord of ALL THINGS Disney in Greater China in the form of Stanley Cheung.)

The scale and amount of this culture of corruption is simply staggering due to China's sheer size and economic might.

What's also interesting about the above piece is Wei Chen, the man in the lede and an alias, has been in the news in SoFla off and on for a few years due to his attempts to revive/redevelop a dead mall (that opened in the late 80s as a luxury mall with the first Macy's in South Florida as well as Lord & Taylor) and is now being accused of criminal activity here. The mall -- the Plantation Fashion Mall, which has been completely shuttered for a decade since Hurricane Wilma damaged its roof, has had literally dozens of plans for redeveloping as it struggled since opening and never came close to filling all of its space.

OK, there's even a Disney connection as the mall opened with one of the first 10 Disney Stores in the country (I think it was like No. 6) and I spent loads of $$$ there in the 90s before they shuttered and moved across the street to the older and more successful Broward Mall. They closed that store about 3-4 years ago now.
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
PhotoDave219 said:
Hearing mixed reviews from the Tomorrowland preview out in Cali this morning. One friend said it was excellent, another said it was just okay.
Click to expand...

I found it pretty boring myself, but it does seem rather polarizing. I appreciated the intent and the message - but the film itself was a mess for me. Kept waiting for some massive secret twist that never came. And that lead actress - all she did was scream for two hours. Couldn't stand her.
 
Travel Junkie

Travel Junkie

Well-Known Member
GiveMeTheMusic said:
I found it pretty boring myself, but it does seem rather polarizing. I appreciated the intent and the message - but the film itself was a mess for me. Kept waiting for some massive secret twist that never came. And that lead actress - all she did was scream for two hours. Couldn't stand her.
Click to expand...

It will be a polarizing film for sure. I didn’t like the lead actress either. The actress who played Athena was excellent though.

Overall I enjoyed I it, but it is a very very flawed movie. I like the theme and it does have some nice moments. However, it is poorly constructed. I have a feeling that Brad Bird did not get final cut. You can tell there were multiple visions at play and hurts it immensely.
 
A

Absimilliard

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
Spirited Sea Musing:

Wouldn't want to have been on the current voyages of the Wonder through the Panama Canal (same cruise Angie and I did a year ago -- yes, time truly does fly even if you're not having fun!) or the Magic across the Atlantic.

I also wouldn't want to be the Disney reps who are going to be getting a lot of demands for freebies, money off current and future cruises and the like.

Why?

Both the Wonder and the Magic haven't been able to sail their scheduled itineraries due to circumstances beyond their control.

The Wonder couldn't make it's regularly scheduled stop in Puerto Vallarta (home of my beloved Cassandra) due to some major violence between a local drug cartel and the authorities that, apparently, included shooting down a police helicopter with a stinger missile and starting fires at places like gas stations. None of this violence has been near the tourist areas, but Disney as well as other lines have decided to not stop. Carnival made a regularly scheduled stop there this week. Will be interesting to see if the Wonder does its regular schedule of stops there this fall when it is homeported in San Diego.

Originally, the day was changed to a sea day, but since heard they stopped somewhere in Guatemala instead.

The Magic had a different sort of impediment: namely huge chunks of ice in the north Atlantic that made safety (DCL didn't want its own Titanic, even if Disney would have synergized it to death!) an issue. So, after being the priciest eastbound Transatlantic cruise Disney has ever offered because of scheduled stops in Canada and, more importantly, Iceland, the Magic had to cancel calls on Halifax (I believe) and Iceland (completely). I've been told that the Magic was making an unscheduled stop in Norway (the first for the line) instead of Iceland.

This cruise was very coveted by DCL regulars due to the different itinerary, which also included a stop in NYC.
I had interest in taking this cruise until I looked at the pricing.
Click to expand...

I have a friend on the Transatlantic cruise. I am very curious to hear her impressions of how they handled that!

Cruises have never been an interest to me. Being trapped on a boat with hundreds of out of control kids and knowing Disney, no enforced "adults only" zones... It is pretty much my definition of torture. Plus, I have moral objections to the way they staff the boats.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
Absimilliard said:
Cruises have never been an interest to me. Being trapped on a boat with hundreds of out of control kids and knowing Disney, no enforced "adults only" zones... It is pretty much my definition of torture. Plus, I have moral objections to the way they staff the boats.
Click to expand...

I'd wager you'd think otherwise on both counts if you actually took a cruise vs having prenotions
 
the.dreamfinder

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Virtual Insanity said:
It will be a polarizing film for sure. I didn’t like the lead actress either. The actress who played Athena was excellent though.

Overall I enjoyed I it, but it is a very very flawed movie. I like the theme and it does have some nice moments. However, it is poorly constructed. I have a feeling that Brad Bird did not get final cut. You can tell there were multiple visions at play and hurts it immensely.
Click to expand...
How did the 'chosen one' narrative play out for those of you who have seen it? While you can't judge a film on the marketing, that choice did raise some red flags for me.
 
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