On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
I'm an American. My wife is from Dresden. I am not hated when I go over there. In fact, people hear my accent and are excited to practice their English.

The only time I get concerned is when the AfD is having their rallies. And that's all I'll say about that because I don't want to get political.
AfD is pretty indifferent to Americans. Die Linke, on the other hand...

I never noticed any hostility in Dresden, but for the most part, Germans really don't go out of their way to speak with strangers, unless you jay walk, or put the wrong waste in the wrong recycling container.
 

Miss Bella

Well-Known Member
Thanks to everyone for your help on touring Germany. You've given me a lot to think about. I'm also thinking about changing the course and spending 10 days in Germany and taking the transatlantic home to relax. We did that last year. We spent 5 days in London pre-cruise. It was great except for the menacing hurricane.
 

Miss Bella

Well-Known Member
This thread was never great about staying on topic, but come on! Yet another COVID debate, politics, and tips for vacationing to Germany?
We all may disagree on a lot of things, but the one thing we all agree on is that we love to travel and plan vacations. A friendly off-topic conversation once in a while is healthy. I'm sure we'll be back to arguing about the state of Disney soon enough.
 

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
We all may disagree on a lot of things, but the one thing we all agree on is that we love to travel and plan vacations. A friendly off-topic conversation once in a while is healthy. I'm sure we'll be back to arguing about the state of Disney soon enough.
Hence, my notes on how the traditional architecture of Germany and Austria heavily influenced Disney's fairy tale aesthetic.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
I've read all your back-and-forth in the COVID thread, and haven't found it to be healthy at all. Can we please keep it in any of those existing threads that have already been, um, infected?
An occasional talk around the covid thread is healthy. The constant doom and gloom is not.
 

DisneyDebRob

Well-Known Member
An occasional talk around the covid thread is healthy. The constant doom and gloom is not.
Neither is the” there’s nothing to see here” banter. There is a middle ground and that is.. if everyone does what they need to do until some help arrives we can keep it in kind of check. On the other hand it’s not going to just disappear and everyone should not be worried. That’s just as bad. Middle ground.
 
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Tom P.

Well-Known Member
Neither is the” there’s nothing to see here” banter. There is a middle ground and that is.. if everyone does what they need to do until some help arrives we can keep it in check. On the other hand it’s not going to just disappear and everyone should not be worried. That’s just as bad. Middle ground.
Worry and fear, especially to excessive levels, does nothing to help anyone. A healthy dose of concern that prompts one to take reasonable precautions is good. But there is only so much we can do. You can't live your life in a bubble, totally isolated from the outside world. Even Dr. Fauci said that you can get to a level of paralysis that isn't workable.

So I think folks should be aware, have knowledge, and take reasonable precautions, but still live their lives. Where a luxury item like a Walt Disney World vacation factors into that remains open for debate. :)
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I knew a guy from FL who had a German girlfriend. They both went to Dresden to visit her family. My friend said the Germans in Dresden hated Americans. He told me why.
Was that ONE Instance justified? Because it doesn’t qualify as a generality.
View attachment 494311
This from the Oragerie at SanSouci in Potsdam. That marble floor is so precise you could hold a curling match on it. After laying several tile floors, it was amazing.
Reminds me of Versailles.
Some renters though are taking advantage of extensions of eviction bans and not paying rent. Amazon deliveries are on the upswing in those locations.
That’s a false equivalency.
I'm an American. My wife is from Dresden. I am not hated when I go over there. In fact, people hear my accent and are excited to practice their English.

The only time I get concerned is when the AfD is having their rallies. And that's all I'll say about that because I don't want to get political.
Here here.

One of DUMBEST...in an extensive list...of things Americans do at home is foment the idea that every other nation on earth is jealous/hates us in their native land.

Not the case really much at all. Especially not in Western Europe.

Before I began traveling to France...all I heard was how they detested the US. Then I must be going to a Star Trek holodeck because that’s not the case at all.

Can you blast into a patisserie and start shouting orders in accented English? (Which I saw once)

No...but try shouting something in a pizza place in NYC in French...

There is mutual respect almost everywhere...as long as you pack yours and take it on the plane.

The Deutsch have a certain “blunt” quality that is unusual to Americans. But hate or disrespect?? No.
You do have to be somewhat sensible...for sure. That should be a constitutional amendment here as well.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Worry and fear, especially to excessive levels, does nothing to help anyone. A healthy dose of concern that prompts one to take reasonable precautions is good. But there is only so much we can do. You can't live your life in a bubble, totally isolated from the outside world. Even Dr. Fauci said that you can get to a level of paralysis that isn't workable.

So I think folks should be aware, have knowledge, and take reasonable precautions, but still live their lives. Where a luxury item like a Walt Disney World vacation factors into that remains open for debate. :)
Worry and fear...is exactly what got Texas, Arizona and Florida to take steps that got them in line.

Or are we doing the “partial truth” thing today??

Worry and fear - like it or not - broke the ice on the “you ain’t tellin me what to do” nonsense and saved suffering and/or lives. Whether they admit it or not.

They’ve studied these creatures we speak of quite extensively. Not the first rodeo.
 
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Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
The Deutsch have a certain “blunt” quality that is unusual to Americans. But hate or disrespect?? No.
You do have to be somewhat sensible...for sure. That should be a constitutional amendment here as well.
Germans have a mode of interaction known as "business polite" (I forget what the actual term is in German) that some American travelers mistake for coldness. For example, if you're accustomed to wait staff pretending to be your life-long friend and stopping by every 10 minutes to ask if everything is OK, don't expect that in Germany (or most of Europe, actually). There's no pretense that the interaction between two parties who don't know each other is anything other than a business transaction. Respectful courtesy is maintained, but don't expect to meet your new besty (looking at you, Rick Steves fans...).

As someone who naturally is a bit more introverted, I vastly prefer the honesty of a business polite interaction to the shallow friendliness we do here.
 

GimpYancIent

Well-Known Member
Worry and fear...is exactly what got Texas, Arizona and Florida to take steps that got them in line.

Or are we doing the “partial truth” thing today??

Worry and fear - like it or not - broke the ice on the “you ain’t tellin me what to do” nonsense and saved suffering and/or lives. Whether they admit it or not.

They’ve studied these creatures we speak of quite extensively. Not the first rodeo.
Please! Wear a mask, wash hands, disinfect surfaces, exercise, eat well, worrying is normal this illness is no joke and deserves to be respected not feared. Allow the medical and scientific communities to finish working out therapies and cures. Bottom line get out there and live not just exist. A trip to a Disney property and a brief dose of entertainment may just be the way to go, just give each other some elbow room (yea, No Crowding).
 

duder

Active Member
Never had a problem overseas with thinking a particular culture was rude or hated americans.

Just be a decent respectful person and more than likely, you will receive it back in kind. Learn a few local phrases, make an effort to conform to the proper etiquette and learn the P's and Q's before going.

People are people, all over the world. Yes, languages and social etiquette may change from place to place, but the more you travel, the more you will find that there is not that much difference. Thats the joy of traveling out of the country. Its a shame that more people dont do it, the world would be better off.
 

GimpYancIent

Well-Known Member
Never had a problem overseas with thinking a particular culture was rude or hated americans.

Just be a decent respectful person and more than likely, you will receive it back in kind. Learn a few local phrases, make an effort to conform to the proper etiquette and learn the P's and Q's before going.

People are people, all over the world. Yes, languages and social etiquette may change from place to place, but the more you travel, the more you will find that there is not that much difference. Thats the joy of traveling out of the country. Its a shame that more people dont do it, the world would be better off.
Lived in Europe off and on for over 7 years. Lot's to see as the whole place is drenched in history, different art forms and architecture spanning centuries. Learn to speak some of the local language / languages. You will see the locals actually appreciate the effort to communicate with them in their language and reciprocate. Communication is a wonderful thing.
 

Heppenheimer

Well-Known Member
Never had a problem overseas with thinking a particular culture was rude or hated americans.

Just be a decent respectful person and more than likely, you will receive it back in kind. Learn a few local phrases, make an effort to conform to the proper etiquette and learn the P's and Q's before going.

People are people, all over the world. Yes, languages and social etiquette may change from place to place, but the more you travel, the more you will find that there is not that much difference. Thats the joy of traveling out of the country. Its a shame that more people dont do it, the world would be better off.
And don't talk so loud in Europe. Inside voices, people.

The stereotypical "ugly American traveler" in Europe is actually an almost extinct species (I think most of these types only travel domestically now), but if there's one thing that makes us stand out in a less-than-desirable manner is that our loud volume can easily become intrusive.

As for the comment of "the world would be better off", if more Americans could see
how cruddy and primitive much of our infrastructure is compared to western Europe, parts of Asia, Australia and New Zealand, perhaps this would create public pressure to actually improve things here.
 

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