Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[flynnibus]

The upgraded UA 767s are nicer than the UA 777s.. and the newer Airbus' are better than both of them. The UA 747s are still a mixed bag but mostly bad. This last trip was the first upgraded 757 I was on and it was nice.. except for the return of the 'pay for the headphones' mentality of stupid United.

Having virtually unlimited video libraries on the Lufthansa flights is great. But its hard to not love the full recline+booths in the upgraded UA 767s.

 

[COProgressFan]

Back to more pessimistic things, I saw how my family toured this week, and while we utilized GAC access, if we couldn't use that access I see absolutely no way that we could utilize Fastpass+ with any degree of success. Disney's on restaurants can't keep up with reservations and as a result it's unrealistic to always adhere to a 1 hour return window. There either needs to be an extension of that return window (2 or 3 hours) or an elimination of it all together. I would say that if you're scheduling 60-180 days out, you're not going to know when the 36 year old autistic man in your party is going to have to spend 30 minutes in the bathroom, or the 6 year old is going to have a similar "emergency" when he's next in line on both Thunder Mountain and Journey of the Little Mermaid within 3 hours. What about when we check in 20 minutes early for our Be Our Guest or Ohana reservations and aren't seated until 30 minutes after those reservations?

I know Disney will accept Fastpasses late if an attraction features downtime, but I ask what was wrong with the previous system? Utilize the late return policy, link it to your ticket/app and make it only available day of. You can still data mine guests to the point where they feel violated, many guests aren't going to care. However, this sounds more and more like it's going to ruin vacations.

Oh its going to be lots of fun when you can't get to your FP+ time... In addition to the aforementioned reasons (how dare you go to the potty at a time not allocated in your itinerary!!), don't forget broken down monorails, Space Mountain's regular 101's, the gridlock after fireworks, 40 minute waits to order your food at Backlot Express, waiting at your resort for a bus that never comes, an accident on BVD....or, god forbid you actually stopped to enjoy something you hadn't planned on, like seeing entertainment (not there's much of it these days) or another attraction.

I have a sneaking suspicion that while the execs creating NextGen insist that late arrivals cannot be accommodated to make the system "work", the Ops folks in the parks are going to accept late arrivals as long as the guest creates a reason why (legit or not). If you're late to your FP+ time because of something that is Disney's fault, how are they going to prove/disprove that? Tell the guest too bad, try again in another 180 days?

 

[Goofyernmost]

Try living in the frozen wasteland also known as Minn-e-snow-tah freezing your tukus off when the temps don't get above zero all day. Our high today was -5°. Why do I live here???

Awfully good question! That's why I left Vermont for warmer climates. I only made it as far as North Carolina, but it is still warmer here. Hard to tell that today when the high is expected to be only 35 degrees, but since leaving the frozen north, that feels like sub-zero to me. Played golf on Sunday, sunny and 65 degrees.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I rarely buy anything either. Which is why I don't want Disney to know that. Which is why I won't be wearing any freakin' wristband.

OK, I'll bite! Why would it matter if they knew that or not. Do the send troops out and force me at gunpoint to buy a t-shirt? If not, it really doesn't matter if they know or not. The most they will do is tell me I can't come back unless I buy something and then it's...Hello Universal or Seaworld or the possible bazillion other things there are to do and see in and out of this country. Heck, I have a passport just collecting dust, why not use it?

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Oh, one newsey note that hasn't been mentioned here yet, but CM blockouts on MK were lifted last week. They were supposed to last into February (late, I believe) to keep Cast from walking in family and friends during New Fantasyland's first few months of operation.

But, apparently, the crowds aren't that bad (or expected to be) so they lifted them.

So anyone looking to get in for free, now's the time to hit up your CM pals.

It made me chuckle. The blockouts had been in place since Thanksgiving. Even when Carsland opened they only had Disneyland and DCA blocked out for the month of June. Did TDO honestly think that the smidgen of New Fantasyland that they opened was going to draw significantly more crowds in the period from late November-late February than Carsland?

Talk about being full of yourselves...

 

[Goofyernmost]

No. You're right. The locals go nuts for the cute stuff and the tins of cookies and sweets. But I was so disappointed that there literally was almost nothing to buy. I set aside a sizeable budget for myself and friends (and even @Lee) and there just wasn't product. I didn't see one tee or baseball cap for an adult. Collectables were non-existent. Attraction-specific stuff was almost non-existent (oops, did see Splash Mountain tees of all things, but didn't want one). Pintrading doesn't exist, thankfully, at TDR, so they only have maybe 100 different pins. Most are very bland designs.

I so wanted something from TDS and Mysterious Island in particular, but it just wasn't to be.

I do know the park opened with area specific stuff in 2001 (much like DCA), but that it all sorta swung to a Tokyo version of cutsey crap.

The only disappointment from the place. Not enough to keep me from going back, though!

The only silly little collection I allow myself to be involved with is souvenir Golf Balls. I went to Disneyland during the celebration of it's 50th Anniversary in 2005. I went to a gift shop to find a Golf ball that had the 50th on it, I couldn't find one. I then looked for something that even said 2005 on it. That way until I get to senile to remember, I can tell folks the significance of that date. No chance! They had many with Mickey or Goofy or Donald on them, but nothing specific to the Anniversary.

I remember mentioning to a CM in the store that I was disappointed that I couldn't find something with a date, she said, and I quote.. " Yea, that would have been a good thing to have. I wonder why we didn't have any of those." If you don't know, ma'am, I'm sure I don't.

 

[briandoc]

Have you ever been to DLR? What about the international Disney resorts? Have you taken a cruise with Disney (or someone else for that matter)?

No, no and no. I really don't plan on or intend to travel to the west coast or out of the country to go to a different Disney park. No real interest. Just guessing but I'm pretty sure there are other things I'd rather do if I got the opportunity to travel more extensively. But I don't see that as a near future opportunity. Air fare/car rental/hotels are price inhibiting at this time for us. I priced out a Disney cruise for my family just a few months ago. it's just way too far out of the budget at this point. Maybe in the future because I think our kids and we would really enjoy it. Our Florida trip costs are relatively modest over the years with having inherited my timeshare so it's only maintenance costs for us and our fuel to get there, we've also stocked up on non-expiring Disney tickets over the years at tax return time

The question is why not try UNI ... or SW? You understand WDW is offering a lesser product. Are you simply addicted? And, yes. that is a serious question and, no, not meant to be insulting. Just a simple question because many people who mindlessly visit WDW are certainly addicted just like a gambling, , food, booze etc addict is.

No, I don't think I'd classify it as an addiction. I didn't mean to imply we didn't do anything but Disney, just never been to Universal. Been to SW and BG. Maybe it's more of a routine thing. We always have fun and it seems to center around relaxing at the resort, going to the Disney parks 2 maybe 3 days, going to Clearwater beach, shopping in the Orlando area, lots of restaurants etc. It's just a vacation pattern that we almost always have fun and make memories by doing. And now that I have small kids, it's sort of like starting over with getting to enjoy MK with them and having fun through their eyes. Maybe it's boring to others or crazy that we don't try other things but in the end we have a great time and that's what keeps us going back. Like I said, I think Uni is in the cards in the future and I'm sure it'll be a blast.

 

[Lil Fort]

Awfully good question! That's why I left Vermont for warmer climates. I only made it as far as North Carolina, but it is still warmer here. Hard to tell that today when the high is expected to be only 35 degrees, but since leaving the frozen north, that feels like sub-zero to me. Played golf on Sunday, sunny and 65 degrees.

We're working on moving south ourselves. Now if the economy would only improve so we can sell our house and find employment in a warmer climate!

It is -7now BTW. Brrrrrrr!

 

[Darth Sidious]

I rarely buy anything either. Which is why I don't want Disney to know that. Which is why I won't be wearing any freakin' wristband.

I think part of NextGen would be using data also from those who make few purchases. That data is very important since then they can try to extrapolate why and find ways to fix that.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I rarely buy anything either. Which is why I don't want Disney to know that. Which is why I won't be wearing any freakin' wristband.

That's the most devious part of the wristbands. Like a frequent buyer program, your WDW "rewards" will be tied to your spending habits. In order to receive benefits, you're going to want Disney to know how much you spend, even if it is a relatively small amount.

The initial step is to get the public to accept My Magic and MagicBands so don't expect to see a rewards program immediately. However, by the time Avatarland opens (if it opens ) a "Disney Rewards" system will almost certainly be in place.

It's possible WDW benefits eventually will be tied to purchases made outside WDW, similar to Disney Visa by Chase. Imagine years from now spending $100 at The Gap (for example) using your MagicBand and getting a bonus Disney Dollar or, even better from TDO's perspective, a "bonus" FP+. FP+ are essentially free for TDO. Making business deals to receive percentages of sales in return for "bonus" FP+ represents tremendous revenue opportunities for Disney and affiliated businesses. Does it make any business sense for Disney to not pursue this additional revenue source? Disney already has this relationship with Chase. Why not pursue it further with other retailers using MagicBands?

What an amazing form of free advertising (Disney spends almost $2B annually in advertising), people walking around in Orlando or at the local mall wearing MagicBands. Just read some of the posts on the thread asking "will you wear a MagicBand?" Many are looking for excuses to wear MagicBands; some consider it a fashion statement. Just imagine how they'd feel at the mall with a reason to wear their MagicBands on their wrists. Now that would be the ultimate dream for TDO.

For the rest of us, it might be a nightmare, with RFID readers located at every affiliated retail location. The Gap scene in The Minority Report may soon be part of your future.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I think I'll wear the bracelet around my ankle while wearing one of these?

 

[Goofyernmost]

We're working on moving south ourselves. Now if the economy would only improve so we can sell our house and find employment in a warmer climate!

It is -7now BTW. Brrrrrrr!

If you wait for that they will eventually find your frozen butt lodged in a snowbank. I remember many a day like that. Makes me shiver just thinking about it.

 

[COProgressFan]

It made me chuckle. The blockouts had been in place since Thanksgiving. Even when Carsland opened they only had Disneyland and DCA blocked out for the month of June. Did TDO honestly think that the smidgen of New Fantasyland that they opened was going to draw significantly more crowds in the period from late November-late February than Carsland?

Talk about being full of yourselves...

CM's I talked to pretty much knew that was a joke, and everyone expected the blackouts to be lifted after the New Year, which they were.

 

[RSoxNo1]

(are Memaid's SQ issues solved yet?)

Nope. There were 4 or 5 fish that should be swinging back and forth in the Under the Sea scene that weren't moving. There's a fish on the left hand side right before you move into the next scene that wasn't moving, and Flotsam and Jetsam have never worked to my knowledge. We had to leave the queue twice on this trip due to show issues, and a follow up visit led us to believe that the issue was with Sebastian's eyes. They weren't the cell phone projection screens, they were seemingly painted on. Does anyone know if this is a B-mode?

 

[RSoxNo1]

Hey, you have DD to snuggle with. Or Nigel ...
And I just had to push the AC down as it was getting warm in here, although it did drop to 69.3 outside the Spirit Cave!



Hey, I've done nights at the All Stars and lived to tell the tale. ... But you sound REALLY desperate, like desperate enough to plant your Orange Bird in another fanboi's Sunshine Tree ... and I'm sure we'll get you a vacation one of these days.

Wait, it just dropped to 68.9 here!

You must not be in a Disney show building. It was in the 60s today at Epcot and I swear they were trying to sweat us out of Soarin', Maelstrom and Spaceship Earth

 

[CBOMB]

THIS!!!

There is almost nothing as valuable to corporations (or the government for that matter) than the ability to know as much about you as possible. And the value of that information ... even as raw data is simply HUGE.

If it wasn't, then datamining simply wouldn't exist.

The potential for both profit to corps and harm to individuals is impossible to quantify at this point. ...But maybe in two decades when we're all implanted with iChips and our every move is simply data, then folks might take their privacy seriously (seriously, if I hear one person tell me 'I don't care, I have nothing to hide, I'll find something that they do have to hide ... it's (sadly) quite easy in 2013)

I have nothing to hide.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You must not be in a Disney show building. It was in the 60s today at Epcot and I swear they were trying to sweat us out of Soarin', Maelstrom and Spaceship Earth

Are you sure you weren't having a hot flash? I rode SSE twice last weekend and the temps. were fine.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Are you sure you weren't having a hot flash? I rode SSE twice last weekend and the temps. were fine.

For SSE, I was half asleep so perhaps my judgement was impaired, but I definitely felt warmer temperatures in buildings throughout the trip.

 

[JenniferS]

For SSE, I was half asleep so perhaps my judgement was impaired, but I definitely felt warmer temperatures in buildings throughout the trip.

Some of us would find that lovely. I freeze indoors everywhere in Florida - the rides, the shows, the restaurants, the hotel lobby. BRRRRR. This year, we traveled in mid-November, so with a 2 hour exception every afternoon, I froze outdoors too. Less than an hour after my avatar photo was taken, I was wearing a hoodie. 45 minutes after that, I had a jean jacket on top of the hoodie.
You won't hear this often, but I can't wait for hot flashes to start.

 

[WDW1974]

A quick note here, but Numbers 1 and 2 will be visiting WDW next week to check on the progress (or lack thereof) of MyMagic+. No, not talking about @Lee and myself.

This visit will be by Bob Iger and Tom Staggs and won't be a fly in and fly out deal.