Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[Californian Elitist]

This too. The only late teens/20 somethings you see at WDW are often just Cast Members.

Another thing I noted about the crowds at DLR, and I realize that having only spent a few days there ever I could be wrong, but more of the crowds seemed completely content with just "hanging out" and doing whatever came up, whereas at WDW, most people are on or trying to be on a strict schedule and are stressed out, trying to get everything in.

That's pretty much true, actually. My friend and I went up to the parks at the beginning of this month because her pass was getting ready to expire. We got a Fastpass for Space and met up with one of her CM friends. We rode Pirates, then went to Pizza Port for food. After eating, we just stayed where we were and talked for hours about any and everything... Didn't even bother to use our FP for Space. We walked to DCA, rode Mermaid and Monsters, then went to the Grand Californian and sat and talked for another hour or two. Then we went home. That was our day.

Then, of course, there are the people who come in the afternoon and stake out spots for Fantasmic! four hours before showtime.

 

[WDW1974]

These are my questions as well. If Cars Land is off the table, then shouldn't that mean that Osborne Lights are safe for now? Or is the Star Wars expansion taking over all of the SoA space (Muppets/the fake streets where the Osborne lights go) in addition to most of Echo Lake?

And if Cars Land is not happening, is anything else going into that corner of the park? Any Pixar stuff?

I know of no plans to remove Echo lake. It is the only water in a park that is otherwise all concrete.

other stuff is coming, but with the pace of changes as well as the never-ending money pit that is NGE (anyone want to know what's in the those two big boxes on each side of the MK entrance plaza aimed at the train station? I am sure it is not military grade tracking equipment, so what can it be?)

And c'mon, can someone get on Georgie's about tree removal? Is there anyone at TDO who knows how to run theme parks?

 

[WDW1974]

Did you guys see Jim Hill's story on MM+? He drops the real truths about what's really going on with this project:

http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_c...ed-response-from-wdw-guests.aspx#.UhRkUxYbZOc

I am not sure Jim Hill would know the truth if it came on the same plate as his 4000 calorie lunch.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm under the impression that WDW Star Wars is "more definite" than the DLR project but that both are in the "probably going to happen" category.

they are both going to happen, but the BoD is more friendly toward throwing money at DLR after the billion dollar detaining boondoggle in the swamps posts more daily...

 

[WDW1974]

Is #2 really a problem in Disney's eyes? Seems to me like they already have the DVC'ers money and this way they get out of their end of the bargain and don't have to provide any services.

when people don't stay, they don't spend. Disney can play with occupancy figures all it likes, but when it says a 1500 room resort is 90% full, but has 600 rooms out of service, it is lying.

And resort load levels have been abysmal for much of August, free dining or not.

 

[englanddg]

Come on, really? Many (most?) young children want to take a trip to Disney World. It's a rite of passage that many parents indulge their children in. I don't know how you could argue, culturally speaking, it isn't perceived to be a rite of passage.

Many (most) kids never go.

So, yes, I don't see it as an implied "rite of passage"...

 

[englanddg]

when people don't stay, they don't spend. Disney can play with occupancy figures all it likes, but when it says a 1500 room resort is 90% full, but has 600 rooms out of service, it is lying.

And resort load levels have been abysmal for much of August, free dining or not.

I can tell you why I spend less each Disney trip...

They offer nothing new.

 

[Captain Neo]

they are both going to happen, but the BoD is more friendly toward throwing money at DLR after the billion dollar detaining boondoggle in the swamps posts more daily...

Well regardless of MM+. They are forced to approved projects here if only to prevent universal from completely eating their lunch as well to give guests an incentive to come back. Not doing anything isn't an option unless they all want to be thrown out in a shareholder riot in a few years.

 

[ford91exploder]

when people don't stay, they don't spend. Disney can play with occupancy figures all it likes, but when it says a 1500 room resort is 90% full, but has 600 rooms out of service, it is lying.

And resort load levels have been abysmal for much of August, free dining or not.

Just TRY to get a room on points if you are a DVC member, The availability has gone to nothing and assuming your figures are accurate it seems Disney is gaming the resort availabilty so as to be able to only make rooms available for rack rate and is effectively stealing from DVC members by making it impossible for them to USE their points.

I can understand not being able to book peak seasons at short notice using DVC or Cash, But during traditionally low seasons like last two weeks of august - all of september etc there is suddenly 'no inventory' something fishy is going on.

 

[stevehousse]

I am just curious to know why if Disney has Star Wars so "front of the line" and " full steam ahead", why they only showed what they did at D23? I didn't get the boxes of nothing? Wish they would just announce something now.

But as I say that, im sure Disney doesn't want a repeat of avatar's too early and irrational announcement with now years of not hearing anything new on the project as of late...

 

[ford91exploder]

I can tell you why I spend less each Disney trip...

They offer nothing new.

Bingo!

For example we happen to LIKE pins - but recently there are so few original designs now we might just buy 2-4 per trip because there is nothing new or creative about recent offerings. 5 years ago that number would have been 10-15 in our case price increases though annoying don't figure in its now just cheap and generic, in the past Disney experimented with designs and materials and the majority were cloisonne, now it seems just cheap painted pins of Disney princesses for the same price.

We liked pins because they were small art objects - yes mass produced but still at one time creative and high quality now that's all but gone.

 

[WDWDad13]

Just TRY to get a room on points if you are a DVC member, The availability has gone to nothing and assuming your figures are accurate it seems Disney is gaming the resort availabilty so as to be able to only make rooms available for rack rate and is effectively stealing from DVC members by making it impossible for them to USE their points.

I can understand not being able to book peak seasons at short notice using DVC or Cash, But during traditionally low seasons like last two weeks of august - all of september etc there is suddenly 'no inventory' something fishy is going on.

Not true. So many rooms are dedicated for DVC and only so many for cash res

Rooms are just being booked. More dvc members these days with all the newer resorts/owners

 

[ford91exploder]

Not true. So many rooms are dedicated for DVC and only so many for cash res

Rooms are just being booked. More dvc members these days with all the newer resorts/owners

I emphatically do not agree

We own north of 500 points at several of resorts - NOT a DVC newbie, There is a closely held concept called 'breakage' where DVC cedes 'unused' inventory to CRO this at one time was 14-21 days, And in the past if a DVC request came in the inventory was moved out of breakage back into DVC.

Now it seems to be in the 45-90 day range depending upon season, Supposedly all points can be used in a use year this no longer seems to be the case.

 

[WDWDad13]

WDW has become the mall Santa. American parents buying into this premise that they must go and do certain things to make their kid's childhood perfect. The end product is screaming kids in line, miserable parents, and a horrible time by all. Forcing and scheduling "memories" isn't how you create exciting and lifelong moments.

Yet if they promote pre-planning with MyMagic+ there may be less miserable kids and parents standing in long lines for their must do attractions

Nothing is wrong with parents wanting to take their kids to Disney. As a parent I can honestly say those are some of the best memories and photos we have as a family and seeing how happy and how much fun my daughter has each time with go is worth the extra cost for soft drinks lol. Also most parents have great memories themselves when they were kids and want to experience that with ther kids as well. Nothing wrong with that....Disney is one of the best places for a family vacation because there is so much you can do all around you

 

[WDWDad13]

I emphatically do not agree

We own north of 500 points at several of resorts - NOT a DVC newbie, There is a closely held concept called 'breakage' where DVC cedes 'unused' inventory to CRO this at one time was 14-21 days, And in the past if a DVC request came in the inventory was moved out of breakage back into DVC.

Now it seems to be in the 45-90 day range depending upon season, Supposedly all points can be used in a use year this no longer seems to be the case.

Hmmm well maybe so at the 45-90 day range I'm not sure. One thing I've learned as a dvc member as well is if you wait 45-90 days out to book a trip you're probably too late to find a room

 

[ford91exploder]

Hmmm well maybe so at the 45-90 day range I'm not sure. One thing I've learned as a dvc member as well is if you wait 45-90 days out to book a trip you're probably too late to find a room

At your choice of resort yes, That has always been the case, Now it's ANY resort and that is a new twist starting this year MS is asking if you want to convert points to cash so you can pay them $95 bucks and pay 50 points/night at a moderate.

Sorry but the Mark III Bravo-Sierra sensor tells me DVC is playing fast and loose with inventory.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Just to add to the above Disney UK is currently marketing SSR & OKW at 35% off + free dining for most of 2014. And its across all units except grand villas.

 

[WDWDad13]

Just to add to the above Disney UK is currently marketing SSR & OKW at 35% off + free dining for most of 2014. And its across all units except grand villas.

I'm finding it harder to even book OKW and my home resort SSR these days. My guess is SSR will only become more popular once Disney Springs is complete

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I'm finding it harder to even book OKW and my home resort SSR these days. My guess is SSR will only become more popular once Disney Springs is complete

As long as I can get a tree house or 3 bed at OKW I can live with it. Self self self

 

[alphac2005]

Yet if they promote pre-planning with MyMagic+ there may be less miserable kids and parents standing in long lines for their must do attractions

Nothing is wrong with parents wanting to take their kids to Disney. As a parent I can honestly say those are some of the best memories and photos we have as a family and seeing how happy and how much fun my daughter has each time with go is worth the extra cost for soft drinks lol. Also most parents have great memories themselves when they were kids and want to experience that with ther kids as well. Nothing wrong with that....Disney is one of the best places for a family vacation because there is so much you can do all around you

I'm not talking about My Magic+, I'm not talking about you, I'm not talking about my family. Sometimes it can get frustrating posting because people always look inwards and not outwards with their statements.

You're right, many families have a fantastic time on their vacation, but there are also many that go to WDW because they just feel that in society (e.g. their local community, etc.) that it's something that they are supposed to do and you see the misery on many of their faces and hear about it afterwards. My goodness, look at the WDW marketing campaigns, that's what they directly imply. They completely cater to young families and multi-generational families that going to WDW is something that you're supposed to do and it will bring you happiness because they say so.

It's funny to me that certain posters (not you) have made it seem like the whole premise is outrageous that going to WDW is very much an implied rite of passage in many communities in America and that many simply do it because of that. Again, one area that I oversee at our company is marketing, and Disney couldn't be any clearer in how they market their product as I mentioned above. Maybe if people didn't always take everything so personally and realize that statements don't include everyone and obviously many people on a WDW fan site wouldn't see that maybe a trip to Disney for lots of families isn't the greatest thing in the world. Again, @WDWDad13, this isn't to you, but I get the feeling that some around here just like to argue and pick at everything for some reason.