Al Lutz: Carsland for WDW, FLE not Bringing in Guests

[WDW1974]

Im off work this week and was watching business news on CNBC, its ideal for those who like to be entertained rather than swamped with too many hard facts, and one of the ists between gushing over Disneys performance was highlighting how great the parks were doing, especially domestic parks because of all the brand new cutting edge attractions Disney had opened. I guess gambling with other folks money dulls the ability to define cutting edge or infact high attendance. For a business news item it sounded very propaganda like to me.

CNBC works for Wall Street.

Their talking heads kissed up to Bernie Madoff until he was arrested. They were telling people the market was fine well into 2008 when anyone could see it wasn't.

People talk about the dangers of FOX News and MSNBC in this country due to their big and obvious biases. But no one seems to care about CNBC's and their bias is so much more dangerous to a democracy. They will sell whatever the Street is cooking and if it destroys Main Street (or MSUSA) they couldn't care less.

 

[WDW1974]

I have a question for some of the insiders (@WDW1974 @RSoxNo1 @Lee). If the debate on WDW's NextGen project continues to go in a direction that the Weatherman and others don't like, would they use an expansion project at WDW as cover to change the topic so to speak?

They'll do anything to shift attention ... this week it was news of new 'stand alone' Star Wars films. Who knows what it will be next week and next month ...

And it's not as much debate (although they are certainly very concerned, hence the nasty defensive Iger letter) that concerns them as the actual functionality of the system. So far ... not so good. Not so good at all!

 

[the.dreamfinder]

CNBC works for Wall Street.

Their talking heads kissed up to Bernie Madoff until he was arrested. They were telling people the market was fine well into 2008 when anyone could see it wasn't.

People talk about the dangers of FOX News and MSNBC in this country due to their big and obvious biases. But no one seems to care about CNBC's and their bias is so much more dangerous to a demcracy. They will sell whatever the Street is cooking and if it destroys Main Street (or MSUSA) they couldn't care less.

At least we we're getting Al Jazeera and some markets get BBC World News.

 

[WDW1974]

Yep.
Not sure the destraction would work long term, but they would/could certainly attempt redirect fans' attention.

Oh c'mon Lee, old chum ... let's face it: the majority of the fan community are like kitties and all you need is to move the laser pointer and they'll chase the light.

WDW's are the worst because they have absolutely no focus on the big picture ... unlike DL's back in the 90s and early 00s that kept their eyes on the prize and made sure their voices were heard and mattered.

If The Disney Parks Blog comes out tomorrow showing a new line of EPCOT retro tees, then they'll forget that NGE even exists . WDW fans largely focus on one small thing that they are attached to (AC anyone? Too close to home? OK ... Horizons? Poly DVC? Imagination? Splash Mountain? Any of the parades/night spectaculars? etc) and they don't see the forest.

 

[WDW1974]

Careful...
That ride has been known to cause certain spirits to get a bit teary-eyed...

I love it. It is a work of art. It was lovingly crafted in the old WDI ways and is a wonderful immersive long family attraction fit for all demos.

Just a great ride ... something like Mermaid (in either park) is total crap in comparison.

 

[HMF]

They'll do anything to shift attention ... this week it was news of new 'stand alone' Star Wars films. Who knows what it will be next week and next month ...

Besides expansion announcements, The only real thing they can do that would be big enough to distract the fanbase in a substantial way from MM+ is remove the Dreaded Hat.

 

[WDW1974]

Yeah, Sinbad is better than Splash although I'd look at it as a 1A, 1B kind of mentality since all of their attractions are kept up to the highest quality standard by OLC. The score done in this attraction by the musical genius Alan Menken does really blow you away and put you in awe/tears. A trip to TDL anyone?

They are both phenomenal. The difference is Splash is quite popular and you usually need a FP (but you do NOT get wet, let alone soaked, which makes it even better!) while Sinbad is busy only on busy days. My two visits to TDS, we rode at least 3-4 times each day because it was a walk-on to at most 10 minutes.

And I am really hoping I can somehow get back to Japan later this year!

 

[WDW1974]

After seeing those Tokyo videos I cannot understand for the life of me why anybody on this forum would go to Walt Disney World until SERIOUS changes take place. Your paying top dollar to ride old broken down attractions that get minimal maintenance if even that. It's the true definition of a tourist trap. What was once a terrific vacation destination and a symbol of exceptionalism has become practicaly a scam operation at this point.

No further comment is needed. But I wanted to make sure no one missed your post.

 

[WDW1974]

Sinbad looks great - but isn't that popular of an attraction. Looks aren't everything...

@flynnibus Pirates of the Caribbean isn't a popular attraction at Tokyo Disneyland. Just because something isn't popular doesn't mean it's not a great attraction.

They are both GREAT. And both, like everything else, look like they opened yesterday.

They are not the most popular, true enough. But they also are people-eaters.

I waited 20 minutes for PoC one day (and you should see the huge queue they have) and another night it was a walk-on and we had a boat to ourselves during fireworks.

You can't use crowds to judge attractions ... many times PoC, Mansion and ToT are virtual walk-ons in FL, it doesn't mean they aren't popular or great.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Study Abroad: Tokyo 2014!!

 

[RandomPrincess]

It disgusts me, but many East coast residents or Midwesterners are simply afraid to travel west of the Mississippi. It's like they think California is another country and it scares them. The west is so beautiful and has so much diversity and things to do. Florida has beaches and theme parks -- and pretty damn good ones at that. But that's largely it. And I say that having spent much of my life here.

It astounds me when I see/hear someone has taken 36 trips to WDW resorts since 1995 and hasn't ever been to DLR or anywhere else of note ... at some point it does come down to being very afraid of experiencing anything out of their comfort zones. only explanation ...

It goes both ways. I moved from west coast to the east coast over 20 years ago guess how many if my family members have been out to visit us? 3 out of 50. Most of them can more then afford a trip. They also all have AP to DL and only 3 of them have ever been to WDW. The same 3 that have been to DC to visit us.

 

[flynnibus]

You can't use crowds to judge attractions ... many times PoC, Mansion and ToT are virtual walk-ons in FL, it doesn't mean they aren't popular or great.

Correct - which is why I value what you see people ride and what they skip each trip as more revealing. If you don't make time for it, it's obviously not as important as the attraction you do make time for. And there are plenty of Americans who see it and go 'huh' and don't ride again.

Tds for all it's praise has several of those... Storm rider, sinbad, Raging spirits, aquatopia

Heck, if looking at just attractions people like to repeat, dca v2 beats Disney sea. 3 of Disney sea's top attractions are even shared with dca if you trade journey for rsr

 

[Californian Elitist]

It goes both ways. I moved from west coast to the east coast over 20 years ago guess how many if my family members have been out to visit us? 3 out of 50. Most of them can more then afford a trip. They also all have AP to DL and only 3 of them have ever been to WDW. The same 3 that have been to DC to visit us.

Last Christmas I was walking out of Disneyland and I overheard a woman saying she hated Disney World, with a lot of emphasis on the "hate" part. Shame, really.

It's both ways but I've noticed a lot of Disneylanders are more willing to visit WDW, than vice versa.

 

[Captain Neo]

The problem exists right here on this forum where there is a friggin thread about new bathrooms and people hyping up the dumbest things like a water play area for 4 year olds. Instead of making such useless threads how about being constructive and start letter writing campaigns to top Disney people saying that you and your family will stop visiting Walt Disney World because you are unhappy with quality and will not be going back until corrective action is taken which should include, but not limited to: more maintenance to ensure all effects and animatronics and ride hardware is working correctly, investing in new attractions and freshing up old ones, fixing the disney dinning plan, put more emphasis on the guest experience instead of the bottom line, etc.

If you want Tokyo quality attention to Walt Disney World then you have to fight for it. You have to let Disney know and send a strong message that the status quo will no longer be tolerated. It's up to you, the consumer. One guest at a time.

 

[TP2000]

We saw retro styles on them, but more so on the men waiting tables at the Carthay Circle. We commented to the CM that waited on us at Trader Sam's. He was not aware of any uniform requirement of males waiting tables at Carthay Circle to sport Brylcream hairstyles. We noticed they all had short black hair, or longer combed back, perfect parts,impeccably groomed hair, combed to perfection. Mandated, or if it were something the CMs came up with on their own. Whatever, it set the ambiance perfectly.

The brylcream look isn't exclusively a Disneyland thing, it's a Southern California thing. I noticed the local "kids" (anyone under 30 at my age) sporting the brylcream side-parted Mad Men look in SoCal about a year or 18 months ago. It spread quickly in 2012, and I've noticed lots of Disneyland male CM's doing that look now. It's the hip look, along with their slim pants and skinny ties. Suddenly, it's 1962 again.

This Radiator Springs Racers CM guy on the right is the epitome of "Disneyland Cool" circa 2013. The CM on the left needs to go back to the drugstore for more Brylcream, but as the trend grows quickly in SoCal I'm sure he'll catch on. If he hasn't already.

Or this waiter at DCA's Carthay Circle Restaurant in 2013. He could time warp back to Disneyland circa 1962 and Walt Disney himself would say "There's a clean cut young man, let's hire him for our little amusement park". Right away, Walt!

But I agree, the Anaheim CM's are really getting into their overall "look" more and more lately. The girls on Buena Vista Street with their elaborate rolled hairdo's, and the gals at Racers and in Cars Land with their rockabilly locks and the Racers male CM's with their brylcreamed perfect side-parted haircuts. It really sets them apart.

The brylcream side-part is seen all over SoCal now with hip youngsters, and I'm sure it will spread to the rest of the country quickly as a stylish look in the next few years. It may even reach New Jersey in a year or two, where it would eliminate the Jersey Shore gelled wind tunnel look once and for all. Or not.

The WDW CM's, bless their hearts, seem to go with the simplest and easiest haircuts and styles. I think it helps with the heat and humidity in Orlando. But a big part of that is that SoCal and Orange County, California is a style center that sets the trends for the nation. You just observed the youngster CM's in Anaheim sporting what are actually fashionable haircuts that also theme fantastically with their Disneyland or California Adventure environments.

 

[lego606]

Since we're on the topic of FLE, what in the world ever happened to that dragon?

 

[Longhairbear]

The brylcream look isn't exclusively a Disneyland thing, it's a Southern California thing. I noticed the local "kids" (anyone under 30 at my age) sporting the brylcream side-parted Mad Men look in SoCal about a year or 18 months ago. It spread quickly in 2012, and I've noticed lots of Disneyland male CM's doing that look now. It's the hip look, along with their slim pants and skinny ties. Suddenly, it's 1962 again.

This Radiator Springs Racers CM guy on the right is the epitome of "Disneyland Cool" circa 2013. The CM on the left needs to go back to the drugstore for more Brylcream, but as the trend grows quickly in SoCal I'm sure he'll catch on. If he hasn't already.

Or this waiter at DCA's Carthay Circle Restaurant in 2013. He could time warp back to Disneyland circa 1962 and Walt Disney himself would say "There's a clean cut young man, let's hire him for our little amusement park". Right away, Walt!

But I agree, the Anaheim CM's are really getting into their overall "look" more and more lately. The girls on Buena Vista Street with their elaborate rolled hairdo's, and the gals at Racers and in Cars Land with their rockabilly locks and the Racers male CM's with their brylcreamed perfect side-parted haircuts. It really sets them apart.

The brylcream side-part is seen all over SoCal now with hip youngsters, and I'm sure it will spread to the rest of the country quickly as a stylish look in the next few years. It may even reach New Jersey in a year or two, where it would eliminate the Jersey Shore gelled wind tunnel look once and for all. Or not.

The WDW CM's, bless their hearts, seem to go with the simplest and easiest haircuts and styles. I think it helps with the heat and humidity in Orlando. But a big part of that is that SoCal and Orange County, California is a style center that sets the trends for the nation. You just observed the youngster CM's in Anaheim sporting what are actually fashionable haircuts that also theme fantastically with their Disneyland or California Adventure environments.

What you say is very true. We live in a mid century house in Palm Springs, built in 1962. Our entire neighborhood is being restored by new owners. Modernism week is coming in a few weeks, and we'll be seeing these hair styles a lot more. The city is skewing younger, and we are seeing lots of retro hair on men, and women.
And, Walt used to live in Palm Springs.

 

[TP2000]

What you say is very true. We live in a mid century house in Palm Springs, built in 1962. Our entire neighborhood is being restored by new owners. Modernism week is coming in a few weeks, and we'll be seeing these hair styles a lot more. The city is skewing younger, and we are seeing lots of retro hair on men, and women.
And, Walt used to live in Palm Springs.

Oh, I knew I liked you here for a reason!

I'm heading out to Modernism Week myself, after missing it the last two years. I had close family who had a 1964 Eichler home in Orange, California until they passed away a few years ago. (To establish my MCM street cred, if you will.)

I'm well aware of the mid-century modern aesthetic and how stylish it has become. Heck, I have EVERY back issue of Atomic Ranch Magazine! I tried to fight the good fight here recently in that thread about IBM's new THINK exhibit at Epcot's Innoventions, gently educating folks about how Charles and Ray Eames created the original IBM exhibits in the 1960's and why they worked perfectly with the original Epcot vision and this latest IBM THINK exhibit now at WDW. Sadly, some folks just don't get it, but we're making progress east of the Mississippi.

Walt Disney loved mid-century modern Palm Springs, and his vacation home at Smoke Tree Ranch. And it makes me chuckle warmly to suddenly see all these Anaheim CM's sport retro hairdos and haircuts. The brylcream side-parts on the young guys working rides like Racers or Indy or Jungle Cruise, or waiters at Carthay Circle or Blue Bayou, just makes me smile. They are so perfectly parted, so expertly combed and styled, and so militantly kept in place with a sleek application of pomade, that it just stands out and looks so sharp and modern and hip. God bless those Anaheim CM's for being so trend-setting.

Disneyland Resort Cast Member waiter Circa 1962 2013

It improves the appearance of a Disney theme park immeasurably. Let's hope it catches on in WDW quickly.

 

[Californian Elitist]

This reminds me, Dapper Day at Disneyland is coming up, soon. There will be plenty of folk dressed in their vintage, Sunday best.

 

[Longhairbear]

Oh, I knew I liked you here for a reason!

I'm heading out to Modernism Week myself, after missing it the last two years. I had close family who had a 1964 Eichler home in Orange, California until they passed away a few years ago. (To establish my MCM street cred, if you will.)

I'm well aware of the mid-century modern aesthetic and how stylish it has become. Heck, I have EVERY back issue of Atomic Ranch Magazine! I tried to fight the good fight here recently in that thread about IBM's new THINK exhibit at Epcot's Innoventions, gently educating folks about how Charles and Ray Eames created the original IBM exhibits in the 1960's and why they worked perfectly with the original Epcot vision and this latest IBM THINK exhibit now at WDW. Sadly, some folks just don't get it, but we're making progress east of the Mississippi.

Walt Disney loved mid-century modern Palm Springs, and his vacation home at Smoke Tree Ranch. And it makes me chuckle warmly to suddenly see all these Anaheim CM's sport retro hairdos and haircuts. The brylcream side-parts on the young guys working rides like Racers or Indy or Jungle Cruise, or waiters at Carthay Circle or Blue Bayou, just makes me smile. They are so perfectly parted, so expertly combed and styled, and so militantly kept in place with a sleek application of pomade, that it just stands out and looks so sharp and modern and hip. God bless those Anaheim CM's for being so trend-setting.

Disneyland Resort Cast Member waiter Circa 1962 2013

It improves the appearance of a Disney theme park immeasurably. Let's hope it catches on in WDW quickly.

We subscribe to Atomic Ranch too, in fact our neighborhood is featured often. We are in Racquet Club Estates, a house on my street is part of the home tour. I'm taking my 57 Chevy out of the garage and displaying it in the driveway for added ambiance.
We had a gate made for our breezeway, it looks like bubbles floating. Of course there is a hidden Mickey.