Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[Californian Elitist]

Valid point Parentsof4. It is extremely intimidating for newbies planning their first visit, or even the first few visits. Because of the growth on property, the plethora of options really can overwhelm someone. This was not the case back when it was just One Park...or even Two Parks. BIG big difference now...in so many ways.

This is true for me. I haven't visited WDW yet, but I've already decided that when I do go, I'm only eating at the quick service spots, because I don't feel like dealing with dining reservations and rushing to get to restaurants and whatnot. I've also decided that I'll be visiting one park per day, because "park hopping" seems like a hassle and waste of time.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I don't understand this need to plan everything out

No matter what you read or hear, WDW is not doing this for its "guests"; it's doing this for itself. All the song-and-dance you are going to hear from Disney is just them "selling" NextGen and FP+ to the public. For them, it has the potential to be a huge money maker. They're investing $1.5B in it. They need it to be a huge money maker.

You might be interested in reading this post to understand how I think Disney is going to make money from it:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/nextgen-deep-impact.857159/page-2#post-5244711

 

[GoofGoof]

This is true for me. I haven't visited WDW yet, but I've already decided that when I do go, I'm only eating at the quick service spots, because I don't feel like dealing with dining reservations and rushing to get to restaurants and whatnot. I've also decided that I'll be visiting one park per day, because "park hopping" seems like a hassle and waste of time.

I never get the hopper passes anymore. When park hopping was included I would use it sometimes, but it's not worth the extra money to me anymore. Maybe if I was staying at an EPCOT resort I would consider it since I would be tempted to get a pastry in France every night.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I never get the hopper passes anymore. When park hopping was included I would use it sometimes, but it's not worth the extra money to me anymore. Maybe if I was staying at an EPCOT resort I would consider it since I would be tempted to get a pastry in France every night.

Yeah, I just can't see myself park hopping when I get there. Just can't do it.

 

[unkadug]

Yeah, I just can't see myself park hopping when I get there. Just can't do it.

IMO it's a waste of time if you are a first time visitor...there is enough to do to fill your day at any park

 

[steamboat wil]

I quit park hopping when we started having to make dining reservations 6 months in advance. It becomes a pain to jump back and forth. So we usually just stick to the park we are eating at. I'm sure FP+ will make it even more of a pain to hop. I also usually don't have my own transportation (usually fly and take the ME) and with a handicapped person in our party the less we ride the buses, the better.

 

[Californian Elitist]

IMO it's a waste of time if you are a first time visitor...there is enough to do to fill your day at any park

That's what I figured.

 

[lunchbox1175]

IMO it's a waste of time if you are a first time visitor...there is enough to do to fill your day at any park

I would disagree with this philosophy a little, as a full day for me doesn't end until 10pm, so when AK and HS close at 6 & 7 respectively, I want to go somewhere else. Not getting it limits your ability to see the most that you can. I have only spent the entire day at 1 park one time and that was on leap day. Some parks are better to be at when it rains the whole day, i wouldn't want to be stuck at AK if it started raining with no end in site, that would be a waste of a ticket. I don't see the added expense of the hopper being that much, espeecially if you weigh that against the cost of a wasted ticket. Heck, even the water park and more option is only an additional $22, that is half the cost of what it would be to get into DisneyQuest alone, so that is a savings right there.

 

[crispy]

For me, it's not so much the germs (I am not a germaphobe), but how nasty that honey screen looks at Winnie the Pooh. The last time we rode, you could see dirt, grime, food particles, and just general nastiness all over it. I definitely didn't want to touch it because it just looked disgusting.

 

[lunchbox1175]

For me, it's not so much the germs (I am not a germaphobe), but how nasty that honey screen looks at Winnie the Pooh. The last time we rode, you could see dirt, grime, food particles, and just general nastiness all over it. I definitely didn't want to touch it because it just looked disgusting.

Not to mention slightly perverted, especially when you look at the mushrooms. I am just saying you would think they would think of that kind of stuff, even my mother noticed it.

 

[icecreamrules]

For me, it's not so much the germs (I am not a germaphobe), but how nasty that honey screen looks at Winnie the Pooh. The last time we rode, you could see dirt, grime, food particles, and just general nastiness all over it. I definitely didn't want to touch it because it just looked disgusting.

When my kids and I rode this we had a FastPass, so they were sad they didn't get to walk by and touch this - but not me. Hand sanitizer dispensers at each attraction would be cool.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I'm only on Page 10 of this thread but I figured I'd post this now. My upcoming trip is over MLK weekend 1/17-1/22. Here are some park hours for 2013:

MK (2013)
Thursday 1/17: 9 AM - 8 PM (Morning EMH)
Friday 1/18: 9 AM - 8 PM
Saturday 1/19: 9 AM - 10 PM
Sunday 1/20: 9 AM - 10 PM (Evening EMH)
Monday 1/21: 9 AM - 9 PM
Tuesday 1/22: 9 AM - 9 PM

Compare that to the MK in 2012 over the same long weekend
Thursday 1/12: 9 AM - 9 PM (Morning EMH)
Friday 1/13: 9 AM - 9 PM
Saturday 1/14: 9 AM - 1 AM
Sunday 1/15: 9 AM - 12 AM
Monday 1/16: 9 AM - 10 PM
Tuesday 1/17: 9 AM - 9 PM

Epcot, DHS, and DAK were all comparable but the difference in park hours at Magic Kingdom is shocking to me.

 

[WDW1974]

Nothing beats slow as a turtle service at the Electric Umbrella and in an effort to save costs, packing you in like sardines downstairs because they don't want to pay for someone to upkeep the seating up the stairs...

Why am I thinking about my old pal Gary Tuchman when you talk about sardines?

 

[WDW1974]

In spite of my adoration for you (cough) I'm afraid that you got that part, dare I say, wrong. It isn't what Disney thinks, it is what Disney see's. You are very fond of recalling the "good old days" so I'm sure that you remember the time before Fastpass. We all stood in the same line, spoke with our neighbors, and patiently waited while we amused ourselves with conversation either with our own families or those along side of us.

Then came the hand held toy generation. How many times have you seen the question..."What can we do to keep the kids amused and quiet while we wait in the queue?" It is a restless generation that has lost the ability to communicate non-electronically that created the desire for interactive queues, and that's not the "rubes" as you so nicely describe your fellow human beings, it is the educated, disposable income'd, non-rubes that are demanding it. It is those that have been multiple times that are no longer stimulated by the place as a whole and must be entertained constantly. Besides that, what the hell is wrong with the interactive stuff anyway, do you really want Disney to stagnate any more then they already have? It is, at least, an effort to stay current, it really isn't a negative. Are there things we would like to see changed more than that, probably, but interactive, in and of itself is not a bad thing.

If Walt Disney gave into the LCD of his era, think what DL would have looked like for the year or two it would have lasted down in the middle of nowhere (yep, Anaheim was that way back when).

Disney seems to say 'people are dumber than ever, so let's help them get dumber' ... if people have the attention span of knats (some because I certainly am not that way!), then Disney should be raising the bar, not lowering it by giving in.

(Oh, and I don't believe you really adore me, which is quite shocking!)

 

[WDW1974]

Very stimulating conversation going on here...

It's one of my Spirited threads. No one should expect anything different.

 

[WDW1974]

I don't have your fanboi problem, but I agree on the fact that I don't like those "social network" aspects they have introduced. I was really annoyed when I realized that I was forced to give names for everyone in my party for a dining reservation. I am now dining with Mr A and Ms B - I could see no sense in putting in real names, there is no reason why Disney has to know.

When did I say the fact fanbois loving me was a problem?

Now, having to tell Disney who I am dining with ... THAT is a problem. It's flat out none of their effing business.

Oops, sorry. I hope your friend does not read the boards and won't be offended that I took her to be a man!

Well, she can be tempermental ... quite judgmental too. ... But I doubt that someone of her importance would ever waste their time here with all us losers! So, I think you're safe!

Unfortunately I could not get a reservation for the California Grill even booking 6 months ahead this time for my upcoming trip - it's being refurbished. And I agree, this is the one signature restaurant that suffers the most due to the dining plan as people use it as an event dinner - just like a character meal.

Yes, I have (unfortunately) seen my share of characters there. And met some interesting people as well. I recall when the Jennerkardashians were dining there about a decade ago when Bruce was the only celeb at the table.

 

[WDW1974]

Oh, I have to try to remember this phrase!!! Fondling fake funerary ornamentation!

That sounds like an activity at an Imagineer/Fanboi mixer, but I like it.

I think you make a great point there. One of the things I notice as I "mature" as a Disney traveller is how I appreciate things differently the more often I see them. Compared to many here I still haven't spend that many days in the parks, but I am fascinated which attractions are good at staying fresh over the time and which aren't. And I can very much see that those interactive experiences fall exactly in the category of things that are fascinating at first but don't keep up over time.

Interactivity appears to be great because everything is about ME - it appears very personal. But old fashioned story telling is about new experiences. Most of us adults are no longer good at inventing our own stories. So if I am the focus, there is nothing new I can add. After a few times it is just always the same thing. A very detailed queue like Expedition Everest on the other hand gives me something new to explore every time.

So true on so many levels.

Funny how to this day attractions from the 60s like Mansion, PoC, IaSM, PPF etc are as beloved as ever by a wide range of demos, yet how dated so many others that have opened since the mid-90s feel.

Those interactive things are fun exactly once (unless you're a very young child). I've touched everything I could (except, perhaps, for a few fanbois who put in special requests!) in the Mansion's new queue and none of it ever needs to be touched Spiritually again. When Mansion suddenly has 65-minute waits on traditional slow days because of FP+, no one is going to be happy because they can run their hands over a few cheesy effects.

 

[WDW1974]

Yep. Confirmed case of the Flu. At least I'm off for tomorrow too.

Feel better soon!

 

[WDW1974]

Yes, indeed. I remember a 45-minute wait for TDS's Tower of Terror going by in a flash. It was early in the day, so FP hadn't really kicked in, and the standby line was constantly moving. Additionally, every part of that queue -- from the outside garden to the lobby to the elevator loading area -- is studded with detail, so there's always something to marvel at.

When you are in a queue that's both constantly moving and rich with detail and atmosphere, it's likely that there will be more themed elements in the queue than you will have time to fully appreciate during a single go-through of the line. Consequently, a guest is apt to feel that Disney has gone above and beyond in providing a deep and immersive experience for the attraction as a whole.

In contrast, if the queue barely moves, then interactive elements can only help so much with the tedium. The simplistic sound and motion effects that characterize most of Disney's nextgen queues are unlikely to prevent a general feeling of stagnation when a guest is at a standstill in front of the same effect for 10 minutes or more.

That's so true. It's how I felt in the Mermaid queue. Nice rockwork (the railings are gonna come as soon as some crazy lawyer comes thru and realizes all the places kids can climb!) and little else ... sure, the animated crabs are entertaining for all of about 2-3 minutes ... and then you realize how long you are waiting for a lousy ride ... and an Omnimover, that by it's very design is so efficient that real lines shouldn't exist except on the busiest of days.

It gets old very fast.

Big Boi is on Letterman now *** just an alert to anyone who knows who he is.

It's a problem unique to @WDW1974... due to the special Spirited pheromones that he gives off. I'm speculating that decades of overexposure to pixie dust have fully infused his system with the stuff, such that trace amounts of aerosolized pixie dust are constantly being emitted from his person. Ardent fanbois can detect and are drawn to even a minute whiff of particulate pixie dust in the air, much as with sharks and blood in the water.

I like to think of myself as a shark in the boardroom ... and a teddy bear in the bedroom ... but I think you may be on to my secret and I'm wondering if as @Lee suggested we could turn my sweat into cologne or perfume, then I could be sitting on a Spirited Scent fortune.

And you know, I don't think I nearly traveled enough in 2012!

Not being a fanboi myself, said pheromones had no effect on me... but I did think he smelled a little musty, or maybe ripe... kind of like he hadn't bathed in a couple of days.

First, you most definitely are a fanboi. Second, you should just be honored I let you close enough where you could get a whiff of me without my minions swooping down and taking a baseball bat to your kneecaps or more important regions. Don't assume there will be a repeat performance.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Feel better soon!

Thanks, It's kicking my butt right now. But I do feel better than I did this morning.