slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Until/unless I had kids, I'm not sure how much this would affect me personally. I guess I could see it as a small chain of deluxe, micromanaged themed restaurants in major metropolitan areas, places with enough local talent that they could have decent-sized mini-productions and still make the dining experience seem more like an event.
But to try to build it ala Chuck E Cheese, where there are thousands of restaurants all over the country where weekend dads take their progeny for some can't-leave-fun? They wouldn't be able to develop a high enough standard of quality that can be effectively maintained (which is not to say they'd wind up looking like pig stys [sp?] just that the care and effort that normally goes towards making a character meal at WDW special would have to be diluted and made more generic so minimum wage jockeys who aren't necessarily as indoctrinated in "Disney magic" as WDW CMs can maintain it). You'd have the embarrassing notion of Paul Tittington, the T.F who runs the local Community Theatre throwing on way-too-tight tights to play Peter Pan, or too much rouge to play Jack Sparrow. You'd have kids doing awful things with the costumes when/if they ever get disgruntled. And as others have said, it risks the idea of going to WDW or DL seem that much less necessary to people who aren't suckers for it like all of us are (and I inculde myself in that "us" thank you).
Lot of down side, very little upside, unless, as I said, they only have a few of them, and they really do them up right. I can see it as the concession a family makes to their little ones after a day in Chi-town or NYC visiting museums (OK, you've been so good, we're gonna have dinner with Mickey). But as part of the everyday mallification of America? Don't think it's long term benefits work for the company.
But to try to build it ala Chuck E Cheese, where there are thousands of restaurants all over the country where weekend dads take their progeny for some can't-leave-fun? They wouldn't be able to develop a high enough standard of quality that can be effectively maintained (which is not to say they'd wind up looking like pig stys [sp?] just that the care and effort that normally goes towards making a character meal at WDW special would have to be diluted and made more generic so minimum wage jockeys who aren't necessarily as indoctrinated in "Disney magic" as WDW CMs can maintain it). You'd have the embarrassing notion of Paul Tittington, the T.F who runs the local Community Theatre throwing on way-too-tight tights to play Peter Pan, or too much rouge to play Jack Sparrow. You'd have kids doing awful things with the costumes when/if they ever get disgruntled. And as others have said, it risks the idea of going to WDW or DL seem that much less necessary to people who aren't suckers for it like all of us are (and I inculde myself in that "us" thank you).
Lot of down side, very little upside, unless, as I said, they only have a few of them, and they really do them up right. I can see it as the concession a family makes to their little ones after a day in Chi-town or NYC visiting museums (OK, you've been so good, we're gonna have dinner with Mickey). But as part of the everyday mallification of America? Don't think it's long term benefits work for the company.
