A Terror-rific Spirited 13th (ToT fans have lots to fear)...

[mickEblu]

I like the design of SDL's castle itself. The problem is the hub, for all the same reasons as the MK's hideous hub. A vast open expanse, interspersed with poles and turrets, with some hedges.

For one, it makes the castle of MK and SDL look like a weird fiberglass folly plonked down on the parking lot of a garden center.

This picture makes me realize how much I appreciate Disneyland while at the same time realizing nothing will ever be built like it ever again. It doesn't come without a cost though. The charming, tiny 1955 sized hub, walkways and landscaping make it very difficult to navigate with crowds and can test your patience at times.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I'd love a Tangled castle. I think it would be perfect for HKDL.

 

[Cesar R M]

Whoa, an alternate World of Color show that's actually classy. It really is a Christmas Miracle.


Pure Christmas music, no "Let's awkwardly string this together with Olaf or Neil Patrick Harris", and the Goofy segment set to Wizards in Winter is awesome.

HOLY sh... the part of Wizard in winter was incredible!!!

 

[Cesar R M]

Great, we have a turret measuring contest going on here.

Like I said before (not sure if it was in this thread).
I cant wait for the castle wars.. ending in a 1Km tall skyscraper "Cinderella" tower.

 

[Cesar R M]

HKDL Fantasyland is more MK than DL.

The scale is actually pretty bad. Certainly they don't need an Enchanted Story Book castle or even Cinderella size, but the profile needs to be at least 75% bigger. The scale is horrible and isn't designed for outside visual intrusions like real mountains.

I actually think SDL's problem is the hub more than the castle. Hong Kong's is definitely the castle.

They should just buy a castle that fits a mountain background then. Beast's castle its in my mind right now.

 

[WDWFigment]

HKDL Fantasyland is more MK than DL.

The scale is actually pretty bad. Certainly they don't need an Enchanted Story Book castle or even Cinderella size, but the profile needs to be at least 75% bigger. The scale is horrible and isn't designed for outside visual intrusions like real mountains.

I actually think SDL's problem is the hub more than the castle. Hong Kong's is definitely the castle.

Given that Neuschwanstein Castle is surrounded by mountains that dwarf the castle on approach, I'm not sure what the issue is. Mountains tend to be larger than buildings.

 

[BrianLo]

Mountains tend to be larger than buildings.

Castles tend to be larger than Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

The effect works for me in DL with a scaled down Matterhorn. It looks silly in Hong Kong, mostly due to the backdrop breaking the forced perspective.

There was no rational reason to use Walt's Sleeping Beauty Castle, other than cost savings.

Do you feel it should stay/works for you?

 

[WDWFigment]

Castles tend to be larger than Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

The effect works for me in DL with a scaled down Matterhorn. It looks silly in Hong Kong, mostly due to the backdrop breaking the forced perspective.

There was no rational reason to use Walt's Sleeping Beauty Castle, other than cost savings.

Do you feel it should stay/works for you?

Main streets also tend to be larger than MSUSA. My point was that I don't think mountains throw off the scale as they are, by definition, large. Moreover, mountains vary pretty dramatically in size (with no frame of reference, I doubt most people could accurately estimate the size of a mountain within 1,000') so it's tough for them to cause scale issues, period.

In the case of HKDL, once you get even 1/4th of the way down MSUSA, the perspective causes the mountains to shift much lower in the background. Here's an example that I took towards the end of MSUSA--I think this arrangement of castle and mountains looks good:

I'm not about to defend all of the cost-cutting measures undertaken when building HKDL, and I think that copying Sleeping Beauty Castle was a poor idea at that time.

With that said, for selfish reasons, I'm fine with SBC being their castle now. With dramatic changes at Disneyland, HKDL is now the "quaint" park. In a few ways, it feels more like Walt's park than the original. (Sadly.)

Additionally, I think HKDL has bigger fish to fry and more urgent problems than rebuilding a castle.

However, if management has identified that as one of the reasons they are losing guests to SDL (I suppose I could see a case being made for that, especially in an ostentatious culture), I'm not necessarily against the idea.

I just don't see advocating for a castle replacement on the basis of scale relative to mountains.

 

[yellowrocket]

A little bit off topic, but I can't find anywhere else to post. And, since this is sort of a catch-all article, I thought I'd add it here...

Has anyone seen this new proposal (?) for a project called the Disney Ride Archive (RideArchive.com)? It looks like it's a crowd-funded proposal or maybe a petition?... but it seems professionally created. Will be interested in Disney's response to their intellectual property being used in their marketing.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Great, we have a turret measuring contest going on here.

Ever since they took out the foliage, our Castle is certainly a shower.

 

[Disneysea05]

Will Snow White Castle finally become a reality?

 

[PorterRedkey]

A little bit off topic, but I can't find anywhere else to post. And, since this is sort of a catch-all article, I thought I'd add it here...

Has anyone seen this new proposal (?) for a project called the Disney Ride Archive (RideArchive.com)? It looks like it's a crowd-funded proposal or maybe a petition?... but it seems professionally created. Will be interested in Disney's response to their intellectual property being used in their marketing.

I just signed the petition, “Disney's RIDE ARCHIVE: The future of preserving the past..” Will you sign it too?

Looks really cool, but I am not sure how Disney would feel about this idea. I thought I would pass the link along

Video pitch: http://huddycreative.com/ridearchive/

Sign here:
https://www.change.org/p/disney-s-ride-archive-the-future-of-preserving-the-past?utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&share_context=signature_receipt&recruiter=274241761

 

[BoardwalkGlenn]

In the case of HKDL, once you get even 1/4th of the way down MSUSA, the perspective causes the mountains to shift much lower in the background. Here's an example that I took towards the end of MSUSA--I think this arrangement of castle and mountains looks good:

.

Gorgeous picture!!

 

[AEfx]

It's time they make a new TS E-ticket, one that the IP truly deserves!

Please no more dang Toy Story!!!

 

[AEfx]

not really... the mountains behind already dwarf the main street buildings, and like the Magic Kingdom here, the castle can be seen from almost everywhere in the park....and that's ok...It was kind of silly from the beginning to have built such a small scale castle...

You'll get tons of people lecturing you about "Walt's vision" and forced perspective, etc. - but the truth is, had he lived, I have no doubt whatsoever that the 1955 castle wouldn't have made it out of the 1970's.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Please no more dang Toy Story!!!

They're making Toy Story land whether we like it or not. Would you rather have a new E-ticket, or more carnival rides? I agree though, I don't want anyone Toy Story.

 

[AEfx]

They're making Toy Story land whether we like it or not. Would you rather have a new E-ticket, or more carnival rides? I agree though, I don't want anyone Toy Story.

I've made my peace with the TS junk land - it will be a place I glance at as I pass by, thankful the little buggers have a place to occupy themselves with while I go to Star Wars land. Thing is, a e-ticket would have cost a lot more and not occupy the little buggers as long, so I'm kinda meh on the whole thing. But it's certainly the LAST I feel we need of TS for a very very long time.

 

[asianway]

A little bit off topic, but I can't find anywhere else to post. And, since this is sort of a catch-all article, I thought I'd add it here...

Has anyone seen this new proposal (?) for a project called the Disney Ride Archive (RideArchive.com)? It looks like it's a crowd-funded proposal or maybe a petition?... but it seems professionally created. Will be interested in Disney's response to their intellectual property being used in their marketing.

I've seen some shady lifestyle schemes in my day but this one takes the tamale. Do they plan on just streaming @marni1971 site too?

 

[WDW1974]

So, as per usual, Tom Amity Clueless puts up a crazy rumour and everyone runs with it. This tale was far out of the spoiled manchild's wheelhouse. This one was from all the way in China. A place he likely will never visit because he doesn't have the money of the other O-Town Lifestylers who have made the long journey of late.

The tale he spun was one of two brothers. One was older and lived in Hong Kong. The younger was more flamboyant and resides in Shanghai. It was a tale of supposed castle envy. Size matters my friends. Ask any fanboi when you play a game of "Find the Vinylmation."

The older sibling was jealous of his younger brother's size advantage and set about to blow up his MAGICal castle for a more ostentatious one (think anything Trump here). He too would have a large castle and not lose face, nor fanbois, in China. Sound good?

Except, like most of what you read on the Internet, it ain't true.

Just think about the stupidity of the story. I don't even want to poke holes into this because you should be able to figure them out on your own. Why this was so out there.

How does this happen? Does he simply make things up as he goes (when he isn't stealing stuff from me or others here or elsewhere)? I don't think so. Much like an old blogger who lives for attention and takes 10% facts and makes up the other 90% cloaked in folksy homsepun BS, I believe he (or, more likely a source) found plans for a castle rehab that has been on and off for years. Basically, Sleeping Beauty Castle in HKDL was built as a carbon copy of DL's like much of Main Street and the entrance. Except, unlike Anaheim's, which features a shop and a charming walk-thru, China's first MK has a castle that is really simply a facade. You enter one side in the Hub and come out in Fantasyland. That is it. Don't like it? Blame Pressler and Eisner and Co. (you could also blame Iger since he was the No. 2 at the company then).

For years, plans have existed to plus the exterior of the castle a bit and add something or somethings to it. The space exists as the castle was literally copied from DL. So this could easily be done ... or they could be a bit more creative with the space, although not much.

The point is that is all that will be done. HKDL still has some issues, although it certainly is a beautiful and unique Disney park now. No one has castle envy and the idea of this happening ... well, I know I am the one telling you things like the GotG taking over one and now, possibly, two ToTs ... is crazy and dumb.

I would suggest something to Tommy Boi, though. Make sure you know who your sources are and where their information is coming from and what their agendas are. Or else you will wind up with No. 69: Egg Foo Young on your face.

I am disappointed that people simply take his stuff for truth when so much is crazy like this. But then you see him on Ch-9, the ABC affiliate in O-Town and you realize that real news doesn't exist in this country anymore.

BTW, this episode reminded me of the entire Joe Rohde and Tom Ftizgerald are losing their jobs insanity, which did start here and then jumped to Tommy's site. Vet your damn information and these things wouldn't happen.

 

[WDW1974]

Oh, I did see the DIS earnings report and listened to Bob Iger and dissected the numbers (not nearly as good as @ParentsOf4 , I am sure) and ... I got nothing. I just am not overly interested in them or the spin.

Oh, and here is how it was spun to the Cast:


"I want to congratulate you on another incredibly successful year. As we announced earlier today, with your help we delivered our sixth consecutive year of record performance – with revenue, net income and earnings per share all reaching historic highs. The year was also defined by two of the most important achievements in the history of our Company: The return of Star Wars, with the creative and box office success of The Force Awakens, and the spectacular opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, which is already exceeding our expectations.

Additionally, this has been a stunning year for our Studio. With a phenomenal slate that included four movies topping $1 billion each in global box office – and a fifth that came awfully close – total box office for our Studio releases in Fiscal 2016 was an astounding $7.5 billion. I’m especially proud of the fact that Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm all contributed to this remarkable achievement. And their momentum continues: Marvel’s Doctor Strange just opened to huge numbers… Disney Animation’s Moana is already generating buzz ahead of its opening later this month… and in December we have Rogue One, our first stand-alone Star Wars story, which is fantastic.

I also want to congratulate the talented, dedicated team at ABC News for their excellent coverage of the 2016 Presidential Election. Once again the ABC News team rose to the challenge and made us proud.
If you’d like to know more about our performance, you can listen to a replay of this afternoon’s earnings call by clicking here. As you can see, we have a lot to be proud of – this has been a year of huge effort and extraordinary achievement.
As 2016 draws to a close, I want to personally thank you for being an important part of our success, and wish you and your family a peaceful and joyous holiday season."



Bob


***P.S. Can't wait to see next year's results if civil unrest comes to this country like I believe is brewing! (And, no, I don't want to see that, but really won't comment further so we don't have the crazies running to Mom!)