A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Iwerks64]

From what I can tell, looking at about 5 different wide shots of the ceremony..... I can't find Bob or Tom in the photos.

Unfortunately, I was not in Shanghai anymore for opening day. I'd love to hear from someone who was actually there.

I looked through all the photos. There's a stage. There's an official opening ceremony. The CEO and the #2 fly to Shanghai to be there. And they are in none of the photos? And why is Candland the figurehead? This is the first time I've heard his name attached to any Shanghai project.

 

[marni1971]

Just a question out of curiosity. Did they close the attraction while they were waiting to repair/replace it?

They couldn't really. Not with the demand for it.

Instead they acted as fast as possible in ordering and manufacturing what was needed.

And made sure it can't happen again. Despite the fact it was a) after hours b) unauthorised and c) not possible to happen anyway during operating hours.

 

[1023]

I don't understand why people hate FastPass+, I go to the parks often and have no issue with the system. My only complaint is that The App works best on IOS and I have a strong hatred for that OS.

There are whole threads dedicated to this HATE. I have several posts about the MDE and all it's over-reaching affiliated tech. Go look for them. I for one will not open this particular bag of Funyuns on this thread.

*1023*

 

[Lee]

I don't understand why people hate FastPass+, I go to the parks often and have no issue with the system.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Here's what I want to know:

-It's firmly been established that this is "China's Disney Park", similar in the way Tokyo Disney is "OLC's Disney Park".
-China doesn't particularly care for Iger, and are using their clout to prevent him from planting his favourite brand (himself) firmly in Shanghai.
-They are not actually blocking him from site visits, they just don't like parading the man around.
-There was still a proper opening ceremony for the Disney store, crowds showed up, locals used a fake key and a giant lock, there was pomp-and-circumstance a minor representative from TWDC made a speech and most importantly Mickey/Minnie were present. One could argue they (Mickey) are far more important as company figure-heads than Iger, who will be long gone a decade from now.
-As part of their clout, China wants to be more tight-lipped than the normal 'overshare every little detail including benches' that is Disney's current M.O.
-A to-do was made of the castle topping, pretty similar to the Paris video @WDW1974 posted, albeit with just photos. There was no commentary or Eisner in that 1991 video either.

Everything is pretty close to the norm... but Iger is clearly being pushed to the side.

So the question - Is this actually a bad thing from our perspective?

Sure it's a bad thing for Iger, and perhaps for Disney by having a partner who are willing to make demands, but is it actually a bad thing overall?

I'm still not seeing how this is really all that unusual for the Disney of today. We don't see Iger all over the U.S. resorts looking at construction, including his other legacy project at Disney's Animal Kingdom. When it does happen the photos tend to come like a week after the fact and the content is just as lacking. Projects here run slow, late and over budget. The branding strategy is different, but we hate it here so I am still confused as to how it is a huge shortcoming that this park isn't being shoved full of franchises. The majority owner being vocal shouldn't be a shock either. The joint venture is not an SCA (a very peculiar arrangement pretty much unique to France) and the Government of Hong Kong had also stopped playing the fool. Even the Oriental Land Company, with its 100% ownership, has pushed back against Disney's say for the past decade. I can only be shocked if I ignore everything else going on with Disney's theme parks.

 

[Rasvar]

I cant even get through watching it. Its delegated the fountains to a backdrop and storytelling is more fit for the one mans dream theater than woc....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=WK38wHBNOJM

Flow is completely missing. First half is too slow and second half is too incoherent. Having NPH just seemed too disruptive for me. Also, just let go Let It Go. It takes up too much time. Visually it looks great. Story wise, I was actually nodding off early.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I don't understand why people hate FastPass+, I go to the parks often and have no issue with the system. My only complaint is that The App works best on IOS and I have a strong hatred for that OS.

Yes but you are not a passholder.

 

[PhotoDave219]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peo...sney-store-Shanghai-attracts-huge-queues.html
Apparently the Shanghai Store is being very well received. It's interesting that the line went on that long when people don't know about Disney there. Any ideas why people showed up?

Sorry if this is a double post.

Not sure if I lumpEd that in with my compilation of links And photos from the event.

While there was a huge crowd and a 180 minute wait to get in to the Disney store… I find it really really really really really weird that you have a photo of Bob from inside the store… And a really bad one bad… Yet you do not see him in any of the 90+ photos out there from the ceremony.

It's weird.

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

Visually it looks great. Story wise, I was actually nodding off early.

I agree. There are some serious pacing issues with the new show. I also feel the soundtrack lacks the emotion of the original. It's definitely nowhere near as memorable.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Unfortunately, I was not in Shanghai anymore for opening day. I'd love to hear from someone who was actually there.

I looked through all the photos. There's a stage. There's an official opening ceremony. The CEO and the #2 fly to Shanghai to be there. And they are in none of the photos? And why is Candland the figurehead? This is the first time I've heard his name attached to any Shanghai project.

I believe that is what everybody is wondering…

 

[novawildcat18]

Just watched it and I agree. The show just seems off. The whole narration seems very forced and not needed.

I would agree. Of course, I enjoyed the show and it's still beautiful but I prefer the last WoC. I also love NPH but it just seemed a little out of place. Didn't pack the emotional punch that the last version did.

 

[Rasvar]

Yes but you are not a passholder.

I've actually gotten good at gaming the new system. I only go every so often so I can just bulk plan a few weeks in advanced, manually change the schedule since the default is never what I want and then cancel and reschedule if I know I won't go. I use my Night Ninja plan most. Get all fastpasses for the last few hours. Other advantage is that it seems like one out of three times on the night plan, I get the bonus fastpass for the next day because something went down during my window.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I'm still not seeing how this is really all that unusual or the Disney of today. We don't see Iger all over the U.S. resorts looking at construction, including his other legacy project at Disney's Animal Kingdom. When it does happen the photos tend to come like a week after the fact and the content is just as lacking. Projects here run slow, late and over budget. The branding strategy is different, but we hate it here so I am still confused as to how it is a huge shortcoming that this park isn't being shoved full of franchises. The majority owner being vocal shouldn't be a shock either. The joint venture is not an SCA (a very peculiar arrangement pretty much unique to France) and the Government of Hong Kong had also stopped playing the fool. Even the Oriental Land Company, with its 100% ownership, has pushed back against Disney's say for the past decade. I can only be shocked if I ignore everything else going on with Disney's theme parks.

It's a question of significance. Bob, Tom and Jay have trumpeted SDL for years as the "beachhead" for the company to enter the Chinese market. You are correct that Bob doesn't show up to every construction site or grand opening for things in the parks, that's what Tom and now Chappie are supposed to do. However, like with Bob appearing at WDSP for the Ratatouille opening just as they were finalizing the takeover, his absence speaks volumes given the importance of China to the company and his legacy.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I've actually gotten good at gaming the new system. I only go every so often so I can just bulk plan a few weeks in advanced, manually change the schedule since the default is never what I want and then cancel and reschedule if I know I won't go. I use my Night Ninja plan most. Get all fastpasses for the last few hours. Other advantage is that it seems like one out of three times on the night plan, I get the bonus fastpass for the next day because something went down during my window.

That doesn't matter.

How you game the system and how you Plan your travels is vastly an entirely different then a local passholder who decides at the spur of the moment Who says "hey let's go to Disney right now".

The system simply does not work for people who do not plan. And a vast majority of passholders are those kinds of people. And there are a good 30 to 40% of the Disneyland audience is made up of passholders.

Edit: simply because it works for you, does not mean it's going to work for everyone.

 

[Progress.City]

Last night I attended a special sneak preview of the movie Spy. It was one of the best movies I have ever had a chance to preview! Everything about the film was great! The acting, directing, screenplay - all brilliant. It was funny and also action-packed! I will bet that this movie does well when it's released!

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm getting really tired of people… Including the Walt Disney Company… Telling me how I should do my vacations. How I should enjoy my free time.

Clearly these are people who have never decided they can go to the beach RIGHT NOW and just jumped in the car in been there by dawn… of course that was in the day and age where you didn't know where you were staying and couldn't pull out your phone and mid Drive and make reservations.

 

[doctornick]

That doesn't matter.

How you game the system and how you Plan your travels is vastly an entirely different then a local passholder who decides at the spur of the moment Who says "hey let's go to Disney right now".

The system simply does not work for people who do not plan. And a vast majority of passholders are those kinds of people. And there are a good 30 to 40% of the Disneyland audience is made up of passholders.

Edit: simply because it works for you, does not mean it's going to work for everyone.

It's possible that some aspects of FP+ might come to DLR though -- like it being online/changeable -- without it having the exact setup as WDW. Dining reservations are different between the resorts, for example, so there's a precedent.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Any idea when the 2014 TEA attedance figures will be released?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I'm getting really tired of people… Including the Walt Disney Company… Telling me how I should do my vacations. How I should enjoy my free time.

Clearly these are people who have never decided they can go to the beach RIGHT NOW and just jumped in the car in been there by dawn… of course that was in the day and age where you didn't know where you were staying and couldn't pull out your phone and mid Drive and make reservations.

They also don't understand/care how the old masters set up the Disney theme parks either so that's another issue.

 

[stlphil]

Let's get real.

Sure there are potentially lots of possible "explanations" why Bob (and Tom) would be official no-shows at the grand opening and topping-out events. But the fact that they were both in Shanghai at the time torpedoes all of them, except the remaining obvious explanation that they were specifically uninvited.