Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[WDW1974]

I was wondering how well that promotion did, the discount for the PAP. Was it a hit, or a flop? We didn't get any AP because we have no plans to go to WDW again.

I don't know how it did, but I can tell you it's all about convinced me to drop my AP next year (I am a charter meaning I've had one since they began the program when EPCOT Center opened). The only damn thing I've gotten for my loyalty was the lowest renewal rate and they chopped that -- and the pass has gone up roughly 22.5% in two years. Now, DVCers get a PAP for the same price as my Charter Regular AP?!? And I see Florida resident deals and AAA deals and these passes are barely much more than mine. What does three-plus decades of loyalty get you with TWDC?

Absolutely nothing.

I'm sorry, but if some DVCer that bought at Kidani Village last year can get a $399 PAP, then I should be getting one for about $150. Really!

Loyalty is a two way street.

 

[Longhairbear]

I don't know how it did, but I can tell you it's all about convinced me to drop my AP next year (I am a charter meaning I've had one since they began the program when EPCOT Center opened). The only damn thing I've gotten for my loyalty was the lowest renewal rate and they chopped that -- and the pass has gone up roughly 22.5% in two years. Now, DVCers get a PAP for the same price as my Charter Regular AP?!? And I see Florida resident deals and AAA deals and these passes are barely much more than mine. What does three-plus decades of loyalty get you with TWDC?

Absolutely nothing.

I'm sorry, but if some DVCer that bought at Kidani Village last year can get a $399 PAP, then I should be getting one for about $150. Really!

Loyalty is a two way street.

When OKW opened members got free passes to the parks.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

WDW is having a problem with strollers?

"So They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot,
mmmm bop, bop. mmmmm bop, bop."

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Now concerning the new "Bling In The New Year" Dance Party? They are just trying to replicate the success that Disney's California Adventure had with the alcohol fueled ElecTRONica Street Party. I dropped a hint as to why it will fail.

TDO just simply doesn't understand why some things are successful and others are not, as evidenced by them wanting to replicate the success of Carsland. But TDO wants/wanted to replace the magnificent and sumptuous Cadillac Range with painted flats. Burbank should have fired, on the spot, whoever made that suggestion because they are obviously too stupid to work there and are a danger to the brand.

 

[icecreamrules]

The different EMH are always hard to keep up with, I personally would prefer a FP instead.

 

[asianway]

hah-hah ... he said Friar's Nook ...

(seriously, is that the place near Pooh that used to serve McD's fries and was once Lancer's Inn, home to the only pizza at the MK?)

I was just reminded last night about night runs from the Contemporary to Lancers for dinner in the 70s-memories. Now there's teriyaki chicken nuggets & homemade chips which are kinda tasty. It used to be open more regularly, but has been shut since the walls took out its seating area.

 

[KevinYee]

I only wish I had eaten at Gurgi's Munchings and Crunchings...

 

[ParentsOf4]

The different EMH are always hard to keep up with, I personally would prefer a FP instead.

With NextGen, you'll get your wish. Eventually there will be no more EMH or traditional FP. Instead, you'll be able to use FP+ to book a limited number WDW experiences before you arrive. So far, most people report receiving 4 FP+ during trial runs. Furthermore, preliminary information suggests onsite guests will be able to book their FP+ before offsite guests.

FP+ demand for WDW's most popular attractions will far exceed supply. It will be interesting to learn how these "good" FP+ will be distributed. Since people will have to identify themselves before booking FP+, Disney will know exactly who everyone is and, theoretically, could use this information to decide which FP+ to offer people. Since NextGen is an integrated system combining demographic and purchasing data with hotel information, Disney will have tremendous control. For example:

• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those staying at Deluxe Resorts.
• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those who book cash experiences such as the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those with a pattern of spending more in the theme parks.
• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those whose middle name starts with the letter "P" or whatever other demographic they choose.

If some or all of these concern you, I'm more concerned if WDW decides to treat FP+ like ADRs. The last thing I want to see is a 180-day before arrival Internet free-for-all as onsite guests flood Disney's website to book the "good" FP+ before they're gone.

The executives running WDW are not out to make your vacation magical. They're out to make their year-end bonuses and stock options magical. They control FP+, not you. What do you think they will do?

 

[John]

With NextGen, you'll get your wish. Eventually there will be no more EMH or traditional FP. Instead, you'll be able to use FP+ to book a limited number WDW experiences before you arrive. So far, most people report receiving 4 FP+ during trial runs. Furthermore, preliminary information suggests onsite guests will be able to able to book their FP+ before offsite guests.

FP+ demand for WDW's most popular attractions will far exceed supply. It will be interesting to learn how these "good" FP+ will be distributed. Since people will have to identify themeselves before booking FP+, Disney will know exactly who everyone is and, theoretically, could use this information to decide which FP+ to offer people. Since NextGen is an integrated system combining demographic and purchasing data with hotel information, Disney will have tremendous control. For example:

• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those staying at Deluxe Resorts.
• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those who book cash experiences such as the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those with a pattern of spending more in the theme parks.
• Disney could offer more of the "good" FP+ to those whose middle name starts with the letter "P" or whatever other demographic they choose.

If some or all of these concern you, I'm more concerned if WDW decides to treat FP+ like ADRs. The last thing I want to see is a 180-day out Internet free-for-all as onsite guests flood Disney's website to book the "good" FP+ before they're gone.

This^ exactly.....so if you want to stay "off-property"...go right ahead. The its IASW and PP for you. The nbotion people will get what they want....when they want it, will no way be reality. What would be the point of FP-?...atleast from Disneys perspective? IMO there is going to be some severe backlash to this program when the general masses and the Honey Boo Boo crowd finally figures this out. WHen they are faced with the reality that unless they want to stand in a line for 90+ minutes there is no way they are riding their favorite ride.

For those who think....well it will be great, I am not a morining person.....I can sleep in. I bet that if you have three FP's one will be for the am.....one around lunch and one pm. Disney is going to control your day as much as possible as you have noted. NexGen is a program to make us into "sheeple" as much as possible.

 

[Goofyernmost]

....but the truly well mannered thing to do would be to inform the people in front of the single line of the presence of the empty line, then to join either the old or newly formed line at the back oneself.


'The Others' are not dumb sheep that therefore deserve to be taken advantage of. This is the very mentality of the line cutters in the first place. Complain, but always lead by example.


[/end insufferable righteous pedantry mode, itself completely at odds with the spirit of the above ]

I think that what people have to realize is that protocol at a place like Disney is unknown to most people. Oh, yea, they know about line cutting and were taught that at a very early age. So, for example, they come to a place that has a two column line and they see some people on one side of it, they get in line. They don't know for sure. In the meantime others have come in behind them. Now they are starting to wonder if that other line is open. Bear in mind that no one of authority is there to tell them to go fill in the empty line. They stare at it, but are afraid that if they go there and then find out that it isn't really a second line, they will have to go back to the end of the line they were already in. It isn't always a matter of being part of the "lamb syndrome". It is many times just that lack of knowledge of a specific location and procedure.

When I come up to those lines, I know that it is two sided and will head directly for the empty spot. I don't care if others were not able to understand the procedure or just didn't have the experience to know. It doesn't matter, they can all they want. You will notice that a line will form very quickly behind you once you do. Besides that, one line or two the line moves at the same rate because they only take care of one side at a time. If everyone were in one line or they naturally formed into two from the onset, they will take about the same amount of time to get through. If you were second in one line or first in line number two. Same difference!

 

[michmousefan]

4) @WDW1974 You had me at the other 'bans,' you lost me at tripods. Probably from a personal perspective since I have a vested interest in them sticking around, but I've never been run into by a tripod, been honked at by a tripod, etc., by a tripod. People wandering around taking photos with their iPads are far more "dangerous" and irksome.

This!

Last time I was in the MK I was stunned at how many people were using iPads to document their vacation. I can only hope with the introduction of the iPad mini that at least the big iPads will go away... but still, it's as if people think of the relatively lousy camera on that device (or any tablet, for that matter) as the gold standard for taking photos and even worse, video.

At least they are getting a decent upper-body workout by hoisting the damn thing in the air for a fifteen-minute parade... that's got to help to a degree with the fitness problem.

 

[Darth Sidious]

This!

Last time I was in the MK I was stunned at how many people were using iPads to document their vacation. I can only hope with the introduction of the iPad mini that at least the big iPads will go away... but still, it's as if people think of the relatively lousy camera on that device (or any tablet, for that matter) as the gold standard for taking photos and even worse, video.

At least they are getting a decent upper-body workout by hoisting the damn thing in the air for a fifteen-minute parade... that's got to help to a degree with the fitness problem.

Just use an iPhone 5 if you have one. It about on par with digital cameras. Not shabby for a phone at least plus it's small and one less thing to carry.

 

[disneydudette]

For those who think....well it will be great, I am not a morining person.....I can sleep in. I bet that if you have three FP's one will be for the am.....one around lunch and one pm. Disney is going to control your day as much as possible as you have noted. NexGen is a program to make us into "sheeple" as much as possible.

Nothing in early testing shows this to be the case, though I suppose the current "demand" isn't much either. An example of what "current" FP+ Experiences look like:

12/14/2012
9:00a to 10:00a: Star Tours
10:00a to 11:00a: Toy Story Mania
11:00a to 12:00p: Tower of Terror

12/15/2012
11:25a to 12:25p: Splash Mountain
12:45p to 1:45p: Haunted Mansion
1:45p to 2:45p: Jungle Cruise
2:45p to 3:45p: Big Thunder Mountain

The more intriguing aspect (to me) is the ability to change your experiences or times via in park kiosk or eventually smart phone app. Even more so, the ability to apply those changes to every member of your party, or certain individuals. Jefflangedvd has a great YouTube video of this process.

 

[michmousefan]

Just use an iPhone 5 if you have one. It about on par with digital cameras. Not shabby for a phone at least plus it's small and one less thing to carry.

Yep, I am an iPhone5 user... it's just getting others convinced to do the same!

 

[Rasvar]

Just use an iPhone 5 if you have one. It about on par with digital cameras. Not shabby for a phone at least plus it's small and one less thing to carry.

Or even an iPod Touch. My cell phone stinks. With the free WIFI, I'm now using my iPod touch 5 in the parks. I'm not about to lug an iPad around the park. I don't like carrying around huge bulk.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Or even an iPod Touch. My cell phone stinks. With the free WIFI, I'm now using my iPod touch 5 in the parks. I'm not about to lug an iPad around the park. I don't like carrying around huge bulk.

Neither an iPhone or iPod touch costs a minimum of $500 up front. It's about showing off, not convenience or photo quality.

 

[EpcotFanForever]

Cite these 'laws' then you keep referring to.

Ever hear of Cal-OSHA? Just check their website: http://www.cal-osha.com

 

[BigThunderMatt]

They'll do it at WDW after they have a stampede and a few people are killed. That's just the reality of it. Poor WDW Co, they just can't afford to hire a few hundred more $8 an hour CMs.

Which really speaks to the problem that they currently have. On most nights where significant crowd control is required, they usually have between 90 and 120 Cast Members along the parade route. You'd think that would solve the problem right?

Wrong. The positions are mostly untrained. Whoever calls the shots that night has a different interpretation on how crowd control is supposed to work. They are constantly coming up with new ideas and throwing them away. Changing the rules and changing them back. And then to top things off, the core of Cast Members do not do it on a nightly basis. Many of them are, I'm sorry but I'm going to get flak for this, barely English-speaking Hatians from Custodial and Housekeeping that pick up the shifts because they don't require training and then proceed to do nothing.

This is why crowd control is a joke at WDW.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Nothing in early testing shows this to be the case, though I suppose the current "demand" isn't much either. An example of what "current" FP+ Experiences look like:

12/14/2012
9:00a to 10:00a: Star Tours
10:00a to 11:00a: Toy Story Mania
11:00a to 12:00p: Tower of Terror

12/15/2012
11:25a to 12:25p: Splash Mountain
12:45p to 1:45p: Haunted Mansion
1:45p to 2:45p: Jungle Cruise
2:45p to 3:45p: Big Thunder Mountain

The more intriguing aspect (to me) is the ability to change your experiences or times via in park kiosk or eventually smart phone app. Even more so, the ability to apply those changes to every member of your party, or certain individuals. Jefflangedvd has a great YouTube video of this process.

Good grief. Every part of the above post looks like a nightmare. The schedules are so stacked. When we're in a park we generally have 1 FP in our pockets, sometimes 2. There's a LOT of empty space to do whatever comes to mind. With those FP+ schedules we'd be stressing over whether we could fit things in between. And then there's the absurd thought of waiting around between attractions because we don't want to chance missing a window. Ugh!

Oh geez! And now there's kiosks to find & utilize, more crap to figure out on the iPhone, time spent doing stuff we don't want to fool with from the very start. But if you don't utilize the system you're shooting yourself in the foot because you'll either not experience the e-tickets or wait hours for them.

Nightmare.

 

[Rasvar]

Neither an iPhone or iPod touch costs a minimum of $500 up front. It's about showing off, not convenience or photo quality.

Actually, for me it is convenience. I make heavy use of smartphone apps. My cellphone is a cheaper android but it is much less stable. Instead of buying the iPhone, I bought the Ipod touch to get the apps and stability I wanted. I never bought it for its camera ability. I have other items that perform much better. However, as the park gets more integrated with apps, especially My Disney Experience, I just find it is a convenience. A 10 megapixal camera is not all that bad. It is better than the camera I had five years ago for $300. I'm a heavy tech user. I don't buy to show off but for what it can do.