Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

culturenthrills

Well-Known Member
I wonder if UNI would go for what some (mostly Disney addicts) might feel is cheap shot advertising these days ... but I hope they would. I'd be glad to help!:D
They have actually been running new commercials lately that are really different from the ones they have run before. Seems like they finally have a new ad campaign and I think it looks a lot better than there past ones.
 

Sneezy62

Well-Known Member
On life support, but I do know that pressure is being put on Cameron from 20th century to move on the sequels ASAP, he's also got pressure from disney to finally decide on the final layout. From all things outside of lightstorm, the real avatar crusader is Iger. People on both sides of the fence have given up on the project. I would say if something doesn't happen by June then it's over, but at this point who really knows, you hear one thing tonight and tomorrow morning everyone's poops and giggles, and saying that its going to have the largest 3d 360 degree immersive simulator ever built and really pumped to build it. This project has been a huge weight on a lot of people, one example, they designed at least 15 attractions and only 2 have been considered. One posted here the other hasn't even gotten to true print stage

I wonder what Iger sees in this and why he thinks it would work in a theme park? The Kathy Franklin part of this makes me wonder if she got the job by pulling strings at Disney to get this considered or if the Disney deal was in the works and Cameron wanted someone with experience at Disney? The whole Avatar/Disney thing just seems odd to me. Animal Kingdom is really an awesome extension of Disney's involvement with nature films and certainly has room in that theme for mythical creatures, but Avatar is just off the wall and out of left field. I don't get it.
 

briandoc

Member
I wonder if they are going to allow you to "link" Disney gift cards and the Disney Redemption card to your MagicBand... I usually have a fistful of GCs that we buy throughout the year as $$ allows and because of our local grocery store FuelPerk-type programs. We also usually have a good bit on the Redemption card as well so we rarely use credit cards during our visits. But other than the "convenience" of not having to manage the GCs, I'm not sure it would be worth it to link them. There's no real benefit to the user. It would only help Disney get a more complete picture I guess... I think I just talked myself out of caring if they would let you link them. Meh.
 

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
I don't either. Sometimes, I just sorta attract nuts (as well as women and fanbois!)
But I don't trust Disney spending money. Whether its WDI spending $425 million on the small-scale (relatively-speaking, that's what it is) Fantasyland project or them spending billions on NEXT GEN or them spending untold millions on social media consultants and wining and dining Mommy bloggers. They spend money like it means nothing. And, worse, most of it tends to be a waste. And most of them (and all of the top dogs) get rewarded for it.

Truly the American dream.



It's fair to complain about that, though. People visit WDW for attractions and shows and what was flat out the top in immersive family entertainment. They don't visit it to be datamined. They don't visit it to be tracked all day. They don't visit it so they have to be like one of the most OCD planners from any WDW trip planning forum (you know, the kind who will be calling Disney tonight to make Palo ressies for a cruise:D!) ... the people who use spread sheets for vacationing and plan 10 days out in mindnumbing detail to the point it would seem a trip to Guantanamo would be more fun.

And since you mentioned the new dining locales at WS, all via third party money, I'd add, I'll simply state that while we all enjoy eating (some more than others) that no one goes to WDW for dining. It isn't a foodie's paradise or even close, even during Food and Wine Fest.



If I knew how they allowed $500 million overruns, then I'd have an office in Burbank and the Spirit as you know him would cease to exist. I know plenty about what goes on. But as to he pathology at play that allows those types of things whether we're talking things the Sub Voyage or Cars Land in Anaheim, Fantasyland in FL or this ridiculous MyMagic+ boondoggle, I have no idea.

I can only say something pithy like if I controlled the purse strings, money would be spent differently and people would truly be accountable. But Disney wants to control my money and spending, not vice versa!
Unless it's $3 million to fix a parade.
 

scpergj

Well-Known Member
This is my first chance to post in a couple of days - take a few days off and man, this thread just keeps going!!

Ok, I've spent the last couple of days hanging with my 1 percenter friends and associates (see, @WDW1974, I get to do that some too!!) at Daytona for the 24 Hour race. Came home late Saturday night and saw the little 'problems'...then they were gone when I got home last night...

to take care of some business first - I do indeed wear a watch pretty much every day, everywhere (except the shower and the beach!).

Second, I'd like to address those that dismiss the child predator possibilities. All it takes is a couple of those animals that know each other, one that maybe works where they have access to the datacenter. They call (or IM, or email, whatever) their buddy, they grab a kid, do their thing with them and hold them for their buddy's use later. Next thing we hear is kidnapped or dead kid. Now, is this probable? No. Possible? Oh, definitely yes. That's just the first layer. Now, what if a weirdo is following a family around (not hard to do at such a crowded place without notice) because of a cute kid. They hear cast members call them by name a few times...hear and watch them pitch toys or plush to said kid - and lets say parents say no. Said weirdo goes and purchases one of whatever, and when the parents backs are turned, or they are distracted by...hmmm..- a DVC sales person calling them by name and trying to sell them on DVC?? - dirtbag shows up with toy, gives it to kid, and quickly runs off with the child. Ugly....

I'm still on the side thinking this entire thing is sinister...and I'm a programmer and security type.
 

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
Well, you shouldn't trust somebody to spend your money for you, but the $ is Disney's to spend. Unless your secretly Disney's biggest shareholder, all us plebeians can say is that we don't agree with how Disney spends their dough.

FLE may not have been what diehards wanted, but I think overall it is a plus that helps the park connect with the average guest.

1. Shaded queue for Dumbo, double capacity, big win for parents with little kids.
2. Be Our Guest restaurant, nice, could be better, but is so much better than a Pinocchio burger and fries, and much nicer surroundings.
3. Seven Dwarf Mine Train could be a nice addition, though I think they lost some story when they closed Snow White.
4. Princess FairyTale Hall will probably be a big win.
5. Mermaid, nice outside queue, maybe on day they can fix-up the inside.



Some people may very well visit WDW because of MagicBand, if they have a great experience with CMs greeting them by name and arranging special perks. Data-mining is a pretty vague term, IMHO, given how often companies do this and for a plethora of reasons.

If you're a charter APer at WDW, then maybe you'd like it if CMs recognize this distinction, yes?



Obviously, MagicBand will allow guests to spend money quickly, i.e. impulsively/hassle free, and thus more stuff will be bought, more money for Disney. Also, no need to fumble for a ticket, fastpass, hotel key . . . sounds like a lot more fun to me than the old way of doing things. A vacation with fewer hassles means more repeat business for Disney, plus they'll get guests who come just for the novelty of the system in the first couple years, IMHO.
The Fantasyland expansion was a positive for the park, I don't think people are saying otherwise. The issue for most is that it was too little, too late.

Also, Pinocchio's has pizza not burgers and it has improved significantly in the last 5 years.
 

asianway

Well-Known Member
The Fantasyland expansion was a positive for the park, I don't think people are saying otherwise. The issue for most is that it was too little, too late.

Also, Pinocchio's has pizza not burgers and it has improved significantly in the last 5 years.
Typical TDO thinking-no ones buying counter service and we tried it, the food sucks.

Quick, build a new restaurant
 

briandoc

Member
Now, what if a weirdo is following a family around (not hard to do at such a crowded place without notice) because of a cute kid. They hear cast members call them by name a few times...hear and watch them pitch toys or plush to said kid - and lets say parents say no. Said weirdo goes and purchases one of whatever, and when the parents backs are turned, or they are distracted by...hmmm..- a DVC sales person calling them by name and trying to sell them on DVC?? - dirtbag shows up with toy, gives it to kid, and quickly runs off with the child. Ugly....

If they are following the family around, I think they would hear the kid's name from the parents/friends or siblings more so than the new enlightened CM they might encounter.

I just don't see the child predators of the world rejoicing that Disney has now given them such an improved methodology for snatching kids. If Disney wants to or is made to, they can lock down access to viewing individuals in the system and provide tracking for who accessed any visitor records (as healthcare systems do with patient data) etc. Can someone get around this despite best intentions, yes given the right circumstances. But if you worried about every possible misuse of what is data is out there, you would go crazy. You could never wear the bands, never go to Disney again, never go where there are cameras tracking you, use cash your entire life instead of credit cards and your kid could walk out of your sight for a second and be grabbed by someone who had an impulse. Nothing in what Disney is going to do or people have speculated that they will do has led me to believe I or my family will be less safe.
 

LOSTllama

Member
On life support, but I do know that pressure is being put on Cameron from 20th century to move on the sequels ASAP, he's also got pressure from disney to finally decide on the final layout. From all things outside of lightstorm, the real avatar crusader is Iger. People on both sides of the fence have given up on the project. I would say if something doesn't happen by June then it's over, but at this point who really knows, you hear one thing tonight and tomorrow morning everyone's poops and giggles, and saying that its going to have the largest 3d 360 degree immersive simulator ever built and really pumped to build it. This project has been a huge weight on a lot of people, one example, they designed at least 15 attractions and only 2 have been considered. One posted here the other hasn't even gotten to true print stage


We all have seen the drawings for the one attraction; what's the other? Out of curiosity...
 

culturenthrills

Well-Known Member
Perhaps these people, after visiting WDW for nearly 4 decades and enjoying it tremendously for the first 3, are tired of TDO treating its guests like disposable inventory. Perhaps these people are tired of attraction stagnation, 10% Annual Pass price increases, 12.5% Disney Dining Plan price increases, non-functional animatronics, and pieces falling off major attractions. Perhaps these people recognize and appreciate that Universal is treating its guests the way WDW used to.

Perhaps these people want WDW to be the way it used to be.

Perhaps.

Whereas Uni has barely raised the Florida AP price in the last few years, offers real discounts and extra deals and perks every month. Oh and all kinds of new attractions that have opened and more to come. My kids are older now and have tired of WDW because there has been barely anything new in the last 5 years that they care about. But they can't wait for Transformers at Uni and Antartica at SW. But hey WDW doesn't need our money. We were only passholders for the last 5 years but not anymore.
 

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
MagicBand will most likely decrease wait times in the following lines:

1. Entrance line.
2. Fast Pass lines.
3. ODV lines.
4. Cash register lines for merchandise.
5. Counter Service lines.

Even lines to get into the parking lot.

So, no, I didn't say anything about the wait in lines for attractions, but theoretically, a virtual queue is better than standing in a conventional line. It could work for certain attractions.
So it improves effeciency in these places - that's a good thing. Isn't that sufficient? Why take this as an opportunity to make Standby lines longer?
 

MattM

Well-Known Member
This shtick is getting old....

It really reflects poorly on the poster when they latch onto fads and throw stuff out with zero basis.

the basis is that social media 101 tells you to never let a negative post or review go unanswered. Maybe you missed that?

But if it gets so old and I have a poor reflection in your eyes, why reply?

Also, I'm not sure what the fad is, but its nice to be trendy I suppose. (though I'm certain my wife would laugh at the suggestion that I'm trendy).
 

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