Average Guests Reaction?

[gonnichi]

I was just wondering if anyone knows how the average guest at WDW is responding to the new FLE. Since it is still under construction and not officially open yet, are people waiting til it is complete to make a judgement. Are there rave reviews from guests? Are people spending alot of time and money in the new areas? just wondering if anyone here knows how its going.

 

[cba]

I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure they were impressed. I think WDI did a great job so far, and I think it's nearly impossible to not like this land. I know I'm speaking for myself, but I'm pretty sure the average guest is happy with the land.

 

[afar28]

How could anyone not be impressed? It looks stunning in pictures, so im sure it looks even better in real life.

 

[GoofGoof]

Just my opinion, I have no actual data and I am far from an insider:

I have not seen too much in the way of negative press so i assume most are impressed. The average guest is probably pretty happy with the overall experience. Most probably have no idea that LM is a clone of a ride at DCA and so dismissed by many of us. Between the ride itself and the elaborate queue most are probably impressed. Most probably have not eaten in BOG since it is so new, but they are probably impressed with the overall look of the place and the rockwork and scenery are quite impressive. Plus, whenever you have the opportunity to be among the first to see something it makes it more special so I think you are more likely to be happy with it. This happened to me in June with Casey's Splash Zone. I happenned to be there the week it opened and I thought it was pretty cool and was excited to report back here my experience. When I got back home there was already a lengthy thread about how poor the attraction was based mostly on someone's picture of a kid climbing a fence. I was a little surprised how much negativity there was towards the attraction here compared to how happy everyone appeared in real life enjoying it. Definitely showed a major difference between the average guests and the members here.

I have to assume that many might be disappointed with the eyesore that is the mine train construction site. Storybook circus is probably well received for what it is. Dumbo is a vastly improved experience (especially if you have ever baked in the summer waiting for the original ride).

 

[GoofGoof]

I just re-read my post and decided I am not impressed with it. Used the word impressed way too often

 

[GoofGoof]

This has some guest reviews:

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201210/3229/

If you click on the attractions everything gets an 8 or 9 rating (granted there is limited voting). Seems like most people are impressed

 

[luv]

People going to WDW for the first time...it's new to them, just like everything else. While many turned and walked away from ridiculous LM lines...the lines were long for a reason. When I picked up my LM FP, I heard someone looking for the Pooh FP ask the kid (regarding LM), "What's that?"

Your average visitor is probably thinking (or maybe not even thinking, but noticing in a way) that it is nicer than the rest of the MK...but they aren't falling all over themselves about this most recent opening. It's just one ride.

The average visitor isn't going into every restauarnt and gift shop just to look at it, so I don't think they'd be going into BOG just to see what it looks like.

It's hard to know. I'm sure Disney is watching, though.

Like a pp said, press on fan sites has been very positive...but it kind of has to be. Those people make part or all of their living off of Disney. Some get little perks like being invited to special events/openings. It would not serve their purposes to be negative. I'm not saying that they're lying. I'm just saying I take all their praise with the grain of salt required. And...they are fan sites, lol. They aren't the average visitor.

Time will tell.

I have heard that people are spending a lot in the gift shops, lol.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

While I have had a chance to ride Little Mermaid at DCA And with all the heavy theming around B&TB I am REALLY Glad they didn't go with the 2 other Princess M&G shows for Cinderella and Aurora and went with A Coaster for a Thrill factor which the area needs and with The Toontown Fair Conversion to Storybook Circus it really looks better than the concept of the Fairies area that was to be there..

 

[Patricia Melton]

Well, I actually have a first hand report of what regular guests think of everything. Because a woman in my church just got back from WDW and she had no idea that anything knew was even being built. I don't know her well so she never talked to me about her trip before she went and I was surprised she went down there. It was fun hearing about it from her, who was telling our study group about everything she saw, not knowing that I really love Disney and have been following these projects.

Here are some things she said:
* She said that her daughter was VERY excited to meet Ariel and felt like she was underwater. She was excited to see Prince Eric's castle and to ride the mermaid ride. They loved it and felt like they were at the ocean.

* Dumbo's Circus was not exciting to her because she thinks circuses are "dumb" (her word). She said it was loud in the Big Top tent and that it smelled like paint in there (probably because everything is new). She said there were kids screaming and yelling in that water area and so she didn't want to be there, plus it was cold and she didn't want to get wet. I don't know why they have that turned on if it's cold.

* She said that she did not go and do the Belle's story time because the line was long and she didn't know what was inside. Her son thought that it was just for girls and there would have been nothing for the boy to do, so they didn't go in there.

* They toured the restaurant Be Our Guest and were impressed. She said the room with the big music box looked "tacky" and that the room with the ripped curtains and the rose looked like it was "kind of empty except the rose". But she said the ballroom and the entrance area were gorgeous. They were not serving food when she visited but walked around. She said a lot of cast members were just standing around "doing nothing" and talking to themselves.

This disturbed me because she kept saying she was disappointed in the cast members. "They stand around in groups and talk to each other and ignore everyone else". This is not something I have ever noticed them doing, but next time my family goes down in June of next year I will look for it. I told the woman from church that maybe they were training or something and getting coaching or whatever. I can't believe Disney would just pay them to stand around like that.

* She didn't like the pork in Gaston's and thought that Cinnabon was better than the cinnamon rolls. She said that the apple drink was so sweet it hurt her teeth but that it "looked cook in side like in a forest or something".

The overall impression was that "they spent a lot of money on this and it showed". She felt like she got a good value out of her trip and said that it was worth the price of admission to see all this new stuff.

Her family also went to Islands of Adventure to see Harry Potter and she said that while the Potter stuff was great she though the rest of Universal was junky. I've always thought this too. She also said that the rides for Potter look like they were there before and then people just built Harry Potter stuff around them which is really funny because that is really what happened.

She said that Harry Potter is a once in a lifetime trip for her but that next time they go to Orlando in a few years they are just going to do Disney and they want to ride the Snow White ride when it is built. I didn't tell her that there would be a Potter expansion because I didn't want to give Universal any business!

 

[BigThunderMatt]

I didn't tell her that there would be a Potter expansion because I didn't want to give Universal any business!

Considering what Universal will do in 2-3 years construction time versus what little Disney will manage to woefully underdeliver in 5 when all is said and done (remember, despite the 12/6 date, this project is nowhere near 100% complete), they won't need any help drumming up additional business. The results of the capital they've poured into their parks will speak for themselves.

 

[td1129]

Considering what Universal will do in 2-3 years construction time versus what little Disney will manage to woefully underdeliver in 5 when all is said and done (remember, despite the 12/6 date, this project is nowhere near 100% complete), they won't need any help drumming up additional business. The results of the capital they've poured into their parks will speak for themselves.

Gotta give you credit, you tried really hard. Uni will keep pumping out crap, Disney will keep delivering quality, and there will continue to be domination in Orlando and Anaheim. Why people think this will change is beyond me. Cute post though.

 

[luv]

The FLE is nice, but its no Harry Potter.

I love e LM ride (really, i heart it a lot), but is isn't the amazing ride that FJ is...it isn't even close.

Disney is nice and magical and cute, but Uni is amazing, state-of-the-art fun.

I also don't think Disney would ever do anything new if they didn't have to keep up with Uni. I don't think they'd even have put in FP, honestly.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Considering what Universal will do in 2-3 years construction time versus what little Disney will manage to woefully underdeliver in 5 when all is said and done (remember, despite the 12/6 date, this project is nowhere near 100% complete), they won't need any help drumming up additional business. The results of the capital they've poured into their parks will speak for themselves.

My goodness, there sure are a lot of rain clouds on your side of the street, Sunshine.

 

[Patricia Melton]

The FLE is nice, but its no Harry Potter.

I love e LM ride (really, i heart it a lot), but is isn't the amazing ride that FJ is...it isn't even close.

Disney is nice and magical and cute, but Uni is amazing, state-of-the-art fun.

I also don't think Disney would ever do anything new if they didn't have to keep up with Uni. I don't think they'd even have put in FP, honestly.

I think Universal is junky. My new friend from church thinks it is junky too.

I never feel like I am in a different or magical world at Universal. I feel like I am in a cheap amusement park with bad paint jobs and a staff pulled from the people who applied to Disney but were rejected for some reason.

It just reminds me of Miracle on 34th Street and Disney is Macy's...but Universal is Gimball's. You can shop at Gimball's but I prefer to shop where the magic is, where Santa lives...and in the theme park world, that's the House that Walt built.

To each their own.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I think Universal is junky. My new friend from church thinks it is junky too.

I never feel like I am in a different or magical world at Universal. I feel like I am in a cheap amusement park with bad paint jobs and a staff pulled from the people who applied to Disney but were rejected for some reason.

I couldn't agree more. Except about Uni staff, whom I find very friendly and accomodating.

 

[EpcoTim]

Ah, another post by a disney nut, who has a non-disney-nut friend, who thinks the same way about Disney as they do. This proves everyone else who likes other things, wrong.

 

[Patricia Melton]

The FLE is nice, but its no Harry Potter.

I love e LM ride (really, i heart it a lot), but is isn't the amazing ride that FJ is...it isn't even close.

Disney is nice and magical and cute, but Uni is amazing, state-of-the-art fun.

I also don't think Disney would ever do anything new if they didn't have to keep up with Uni. I don't think they'd even have put in FP, honestly.

I think it's kind of sad that the Harry Potter stuff wasn't more immersive somehow. I don't feel like I'm really stepping into that world...but I feel like I am just in the Harry Potter Department at a very expensive FAO Schwartz or something. I also wish the roller coaster was concealed better and themed instead of just having the theme around it. Wish they had built something from scratch and not just repainted an old ride and slapped Harry Potter on it for the dragons.

Also wish that sight lines were respected more by Universal and that when you were in one land the other ones didn't bleed in as much. I hope they get rid of the whole Lost Continent area in time. Make that all Harry Potter...add the Shrieking Shack and have it be a haunted house or something.

 

[menamechris]

Also wish that sight lines were respected more by Universal and that when you were in one land the other ones didn't bleed in as much. I hope they get rid of the whole Lost Continent area in time. Make that all Harry Potter...add the Shrieking Shack and have it be a haunted house or something.

If this is very important to you, you will be very displeased with the New Fantasyland. There is no way around seeing Space Mountain and the Contemporary. Maybe you will learn to ignore it for Disney though...

 

[menamechris]

After touring the area twice now - I think the average guest will be very impressed with the theming of New Fantasyland. But I think they will be searching for a little more substance. It really is just one pretty ordinary ride (with a fantastic queue) - a recycled Belle show in a more elaborate setting, fantastic looking restaurant, and gift shop. Storybook Circus looks great, but doesn't add much more than eye candy to already existing attractions.

Again, there is no denying that some amazing talent and creative minds were put to work on this (as well as money...and we know how hard it is for Disney to part with that these days), but average guests pay attention to details and theme less than fans. It's more of a passive experience for them, and I can't help but think the average family will be expecting a little bit more from an attractions/experiences point of view.

 

[Patricia Melton]

After touring the area twice now - I think the average guest will be very impressed with the theming of New Fantasyland. But I think they will be searching for a little more substance. It really is just one pretty ordinary ride (with a fantastic queue) - a recycled Belle show in a more elaborate setting, fantastic looking restaurant, and gift shop. Storybook Circus looks great, but doesn't add much more than eye candy to already existing attractions.

Again, there is no denying that some amazing talent and creative minds were put to work on this (as well as money...and we know how hard it is for Disney to part with that these days), but average guests pay attention to details and theme less than fans. It's more of a passive experience for them, and I can't help but think the average family will be expecting a little bit more from an attractions/experiences point of view.

The Mona Lisa is a very well-done painting, but in the end it's just some dead lady smiling. While the Leaning Tower of Pisa is interesting, it is still leaning and it's a more passive experience to have while on a vacation. I can't help but think the average family will be expecting a little more from the Empire State Building if they ever go to New York. It's tall and all, but it could be taller.

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