A Spirited Summer Special (AKA Phil Holmes Takes Anaheim!)

[Bocabear]

Every now and then, an employee needs a little gentle... reminder... on how to do their jobs. Sending him to Disneyland to see how it's done is a good way of doing that. Whether it'll change anything, we will certainly see, right?

I'm going through this with our 13 offices next week. Long standing secretaries who suddenly forgot how to secretary.

I am just hoping that Phil is not there to show Disneyland how WDW cut their expenses... thereby causing a plummet in quality in Anaheim like the Pressler/Harriss years...

 

[ford91exploder]

I am just hoping that Phil is not there to show Disneyland how WDW cut their expenses... thereby causing a plummet in quality in Anaheim like the Pressler/Harriss years...

I know Spirit is a really good source but I also know that Disney spends it's time grubbing for pennies and I'm really afraid that the Pressler/Harriss years could come again if Phil is allowed to work his malign magic.

 

[ford91exploder]

Every now and then, an employee needs a little gentle... reminder... on how to do their jobs. Sending him to Disneyland to see how it's done is a good way of doing that. Whether it'll change anything, we will certainly see, right?

I'm going through this with our 13 offices next week. Long standing secretaries who suddenly forgot how to secretary.

The only problem is Phil is not an 'employee' he's a senior executive and as such granted the power and privileges of a demigod in the corporate world. And executives like leopards don't change their spots.

 

[ford91exploder]

Hey all Coast Guard gets is ugly tan melamine plates

At least they don't break when they hit the deck in a rough sea...

 

[ford91exploder]

*cough*

That last is from the LOWEST priced resort at UNI and its open till 1-2AM ... Food for thought.

 

[ford91exploder]

They were part of the slope.

They retained grease nicely to assist the slide down the slope...

 

[ford91exploder]

Wait....did you say a 21day pass? That is unheard of to an American....

Besides for those of us Americans who are not inhabitants of Mahogany Row, Well 3-4 days and maybe 5 if you luck out on a long weekend is about the best you are gonna get no matter how many vacation days you have officially.

 

[Filby61]

The only problem is Phil is not an 'employee' he's a senior executive and as such granted the power and privileges of a demigod in the corporate world. And executives like leopards don't change their spots.

Nor does the hyper-politicized and toxic corporate culture of Disney suddenly get healthy.

 

[brb1006]

I've heard their poor excuse for a Halloween parade will return this year and that the Paint The Night Parade will not be presented with the party.

Disneyland's Halloween Parade (Mickey's Costume Party Cavalcade) looks so disappointing and cheaply done. I remember Miss Piggy was featured one year.

 

[brb1006]

Im wondering if there is a parade. The procession of fiends could be the horse and carriage thats been bringing the villains to Town Square.
Ride of the Headless Horseman at Mickey’s Halloween Party
Heads Up!
A black stallion is trotting through the heart of Disneyland Park with a headless rider at the reins.


The Headless Horseman has risen from the shadowy depths of Sleepy Hollow to herald the arrival of a procession of frightfully delightful fiends down Main Street, U.S.A. And just as the creepy legend foretells, this eerie Halloween spirit silently holds a flickering jack-o-lantern to light his way—in search of a new head to call his own.

Please note: Ride of the Headless Horseman is exclusively available to Guests attending Mickey’s Halloween Party, taking place on select nights during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. A separate admission ticket is required for this special party event.

I wish Disneyland had the storyteller that used to tell the story of "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" near Liberty Square years ago at WDW. I remember seeing this old video where the Horseman passes by the guests and the storyteller goes crazy after he witness the horseman passing him.

 

[brb1006]

Bingo.

I rarely throw out Walt quotes, but this one applies perfectly.... "There is no magic in magic, it's all in the details." -Walt Disney

That quote of his got edited down to "The magic is in the details" by modern CM's who think Walt actually built WDW and planned it all five years after his death. But the point is the same, the magic is in the details. And stuff like napkins are the details. I can't be the only one who remembers when each quick service restaurant had their own themed plastic trays that said "Tomorrowland Terrace" or "Plaza Inn", etc., etc. Disneyland and WDW used to be full of those types of details. Most of them are gone now.

I need to find photos of the themed plastic trays all of a sudden now.

 

[brb1006]

If I were to guess, it would be a 75/25 split.

75% cost cutting proposed by some 28 year old MBA snot who was angling for a promotion before he moved on to another company, and 25% laziness by the remaining management who hired the 28 year old MBA snot.

Most tellingly, the themed trays and park-specific napkins still exist in the Tokyo parks. Which are just one of a thousand little details that make the Tokyo parks such a joy to visit.

They also have the greatest Pizza making machine that I've ever seen.

 

[brb1006]

I've been saying this since the retailer list started leaking out. They've got the demographics all wrong. Most of these stores will be gone in 18-36 months. The place is going to be a ghost town in a few years.

Everything about Disney Springs screams Anaheim - from the retail mix, to the restaurant selection, to the architecture. This isn't L.A. folks. These stores may work fine with the Southern California cash flow, but Brazilian tourists (who are scrounging the outlet malls for good deals on luggage) are not going to be buying $3,000 watches. A few those stores is a great idea. A whole mall of it, without anything to draw tourists in, is a recipe for disaster.

People coming to Disney want an EXPERIENCE. The new additions to Disney Springs are as bland as it gets (just like the stupid name). There's nothing at all to get excited about. It'll be interesting to see what the next overhaul of the place will be like in 3 to 5 years.

Isn't it just a microcosm of the current Disney management? At CityWalk, Universal steps up to the counter with their own cash and builds a totally new and exciting concept around a gigantic steampunk chocolate factory. The best Disney can do with their mountains of amazing IPs is vague references to Indiana Jones in a hanger and $175 amphibious vehicle rides.

Speaking of Universal, did construction begin on the Chocolate Factory yet?

 

[brb1006]

I absolutely can't wait for the day Bob Chapek visits Florida's Space Mountain. Disneyland's is not only in top shape, has onboard audio and still runs like new, but it also is a major source of advertising and merch sales because at Disneyland it is seasonly converted to tie into Star Wars,Halloween, etc. and the lines somehow double when they do because people want to ride the different versions.

Not only is Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain in total disrepair (I am still of the opinion it's actually unsafe to ride), it has a very rough track, a dilapidated queue/pre-show, no audio, and in its current state is unsuitable to modify into different versions (such as Hyperspace Mountain, Rock-It Mountain, Ghost Galaxy, etc.). Phil Holmes would probably be fired on the spot if Chapek learned how he completely bungled the refurbishment it got a few years ago because of poor decision making and mismanagement on his part.

Honestly if MK fans want to see real change in Orlando an easy place to start is by emailing or writing to Bob Chapek's office and complaining about Space Mountain.

When I rode SM last year, I remember hearing music but it was mostly very quiet and hard to lesson to. It might had been this one If I remember correctly despite hearing it for a split second.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Speaking of Universal, did construction begin on the Chocolate Factory yet?

It's well under way. Check the Universal Orlando Resort forum.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Disneyland's Halloween Parade (Mickey's Costume Party Cavalcade) looks so disappointing and cheaply done. I remember Miss Piggy was featured one year.

Well that was easily one of the worst parades Disney has ever made anywhere in the world. The only part that looked like any actual effort win to it was the castle float at the end. Miss Piggy was pretty random though.

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

Well that was easily one of the worst parades Disney has ever made anywhere in the world. The only part that looked like any actual effort win to it was the castle float at the end. Miss Piggy was pretty random though.

I hate the music. It so catchy bad, almost like Call me maybe.

 

[Mike S]

I wish Disneyland had the storyteller that used to tell the story of "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" near Liberty Square years ago at WDW. I remember seeing this old video where the Horseman passes by the guests and the storyteller goes crazy after he witness the horseman passing him.

That cements it for me. We need a Sleepy Hollow expansion of Liberty Square.

 

[brb1006]

Well that was easily one of the worst parades Disney has ever made anywhere in the world. The only part that looked like any actual effort win to it was the castle float at the end. Miss Piggy was pretty random though.

Hope you aren't getting tired of the girl saying "I'm a princess see my crown?" as part of the "parade" loop. Because I sure am right now.

 

[brb1006]

I hate the music. It so catchy bad, almost like Call me maybe.

And the random children speaking as part of the music.