Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[Longhairbear]

Being fired is generally the best way to get a raise from Disney when they hire you back a few months later.

A couple of friends of ours are going to WDW this fall, their second time visiting WDW. They asked our advice for their first rip, and did so again for this second trip. I told them about the testing of MM+, FP+ etc. without giving my own opinion. I just got a message on Facebook thanking me for letting them know about California Grill taking reservations again (that I learned from this site.), and that they scored dinner ADR's for their last night at WDW. He was also excited to say they are taking part in the testing of MM+, FP+ etc.
They know nothing of the opinions, and comments made here, or on other websites concerning NGE. I replied to them on Facebook, and told them I was excited to hear about the Magic Bands etc. I am excited to hear because, one of them works the Genius Bar at the local Apple store.

 

[Longhairbear]

More proof that DVC members are taking time from WDW to go to Universal in a new thread on the DVC forums on Disboards.
A member wants to know the best place to get groceries for their DVC without using a car. Pretty tame, and one of the usual questions from newbies. It's the details of the post that reveal the mindset of this particular poster. They are staying in FLA for 10 days, the first 3 at Universal, and then moving over to a DVC villa. And the getting groceries part just smacks of any number of meals cooked in villa, money not spent at a WDW restaurant. It could be morning breakfast, or it could be what we always did, breakfast and dinner cooked in villa.

 

[HMF]

SPIRITED OPINION:

Have been watching some Disney animation from the 90s recently as part of a little project of mine.

Tonight was Hunchback of Notre Dame. I loved it in 1996. I think I love it more now. What an amazing piece of art that film is. Monsters U or even Tangled are much closer to pure children's fodder compared to what Disney produced in the 90s. Truly the Second Golden Age.

Disney wouldn't make the film today. First, the country has moved so far to the right and Disney has become so conservative and afraid to offend anyone (except guests like me!)

Those were really good times and I miss them dearly. Much better than today where it seems everyone is afraid of each other and fear permeates everything.

 

[PeterAlt]

Daily?! Not that living in that bubble wouldn't be nice, but live your life! (Mentally ill, like you said) I'm fixated on Disney. I think about it on a daily basis. I go 2-3 times a year, spending about a month per year there. But geez, I'd be minor league to those people!

Yeah, and I'm not gonna to say when the last time I went was or everyone here will disown me. I have said so in the past here but I'm not repeating it. It's not that I haven't wanted to go back recently. It's that you really have to plan a time when you're free, when others can go too, and when you could afford it. The alignment of these stars doesn't happen as often as I would like. If I lived closer (I'm 2 1/2 hours away), that certainly would help. When I went to UCF, I would go quite often and unplanned as well.

I don't think about Disney every day, but lately I've been thinking of Disney practically every day. Probably because I haven't been there in a while and want to go back soon. Normally, if I went a while without thinking about Disney, I would catch myself not thinking about Disney and start thinking about Disney and rushing to "catch up" with everything. It's like a friend you haven't seen for a while.

 

[WDWDad13]

New Fantasyland...oh boy...lets just say my opinion hasn't changed, and it was a terror to walk through. Mermaid is decent.
Test Track is an improvement.
Fountainview's new exterior look is puzzling.
Had a good dinner at Landscape of Flavors.
MK was slammed and Citrus Swirls are overrated.
I still don't understand the Star Tours hype/love.

Transformers is great. Amazing how fast it was built. The transition between floors is seamless.
Twirl and Hurl is hilarious.
I didn't want to leave USF and especially Springfield.
If you think you can do UOR in a day, you are sorely mistaken. I had 2 days and didn't get to most of IoA and I'm a UOR pro compared to most.

So summarizing your post:

WDW is horrible
UNI is great


Did I miss anything?

 

[WDWDad13]

More proof that DVC members are taking time from WDW to go to Universal in a new thread on the DVC forums on Disboards.
A member wants to know the best place to get groceries for their DVC without using a car. Pretty tame, and one of the usual questions from newbies. It's the details of the post that reveal the mindset of this particular poster. They are staying in FLA for 10 days, the first 3 at Universal, and then moving over to a DVC villa. And the getting groceries part just smacks of any number of meals cooked in villa, money not spent at a WDW restaurant. It could be morning breakfast, or it could be what we always did, breakfast and dinner cooked in villa.

How do you get to they are taking time away from Disney to go to Uni. You said they are staying 10 days and the first 3 at Uni which leaves a week at Disney. Lots of DVC'ers cook some in their rooms. Nothing new

 

[WDWDad13]

REAL SPIRITED NEWS***

OK, here goes. TDO management has been pulling its collective hair out over the NGE rollout. That is fact. That also isn't news. This is.

Last week, a top WDW dog fed up over massive issues with MM+ walked in and fired all the coders. I am trying to get clarification on whether the entire coding team (meaning everyone) was replaced or just a particular group due to frustration over the pace of rollout. I believe it was the entire team.

This is what can happen when you outsource coders to those who aren't as loyal or tied into your company and its culture. Plus if the Disney folks didn't given them good enough specs or instructions they may have just been doing exactly what they were told and nothing more (because that is what they were contracted to do)

This is all speculation but I've seen it many times and sounds like this is what could be happening here and helped create the mess and overspend having to redo things

Regardless it sounds like their project management office needs a quick "refurb" as well

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

So summarizing your post:

WDW is horrible
UNI is great


Did I miss anything?

The point, but thats normal.

 

[WDWDad13]

The point, but thats normal.

and that was....

 

[ford91exploder]

Generally, arrested development adults who can't make it in the real world, who move to Orlando to be closer to WDW (often taking money from spouses, ex's, friends, family, charity etc...) start blogs or websites devoted to Disney and then spend 5-6, even even seven days of the week at the parks. They group together so they can convince themselves that their behavior isn't in fact indicative of underlying mental illness (many view the world like a middle school student might) and Disney has fed this behavior by foisting freebies on them for 'coverage' on largely insignificant ( but not all) websites.

Many of them (again, not all) have all sorts of other 'issues' as well. It is not a term of endearment.

Holy Cow, So these are not like the folks who do the Passporter and Unofficial guides These people have real issues relating to the real world.

 

[Darth Sidious]

http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=1

Now I know it seemingly isn't in alignment with the popular opinion here but I do think that Finding Nemo and Toy Story are deserving of the list. Other than those two it's a split between your first golden era of Walt Disney himself and the second golden era of Mr. Michael Eisner.

Overall though, I think this list is accurate and I agree with it.

 

[ford91exploder]

I don't think there are as many Bronies as people say. I never had one. I don't recall any males with stuffed animals that weren't also mentally retarded. Women - yes, especially the Borderlines. But not men.

And never a little pony.

Fwiw. Don't mean to take this too far OT.

UtOh, I'm in trouble the the plush bug on my monitor from grandmother long ago so i would always know where 'last bug in my code was' and the tiny Figment on my lab bench...

 

[ford91exploder]

Oh boy, Definitely read Fred Brooks 'The Mythical Man-Month' on second system effect, This is textbook on how it goes on a underspecified, overambitious system.

 

[ford91exploder]

I'd say marketing myopia would apply more to the specific components of MM+, not the system. The idea of Marketing Myopia is similar to the Apple idea - look at this fancy, pretty device, see how it feels, touch it, look how sleek it is. Less concentration on say what it does that it didn't do before, how it enhances your life, etc. You pay attention to the fact it's a new offering - not if the new offering is actually benefiting anything.

Disney does fit in some ways - you are right that they are throwing it at you (look, see these new turnstiles, look, look), not marketing you the beauty of the new system - look at how you can now tap to pay for things, or that you can know for sure that your daughter will meet Princess X because you booked that in advance. While some of us may not view those as benefits, that's the idea of the system, but not what is being marketed. Instead, we're being marketed a "band". But what does that band do.

Oh btw on the pics - it would be illegal for them to post them online, use them in marketing, etc., but they can take your photo.

I think Disney can use your photo as somewhere in the boilerplate for Ticket/AP, it states that you give disney rights to use your image while as terms of admission and I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

 

[Darth Sidious]

Just ordered the Mel Brooks Blu-Ray set! Whaddup! May the schwartz be with you!

 

[WDWDad13]

Generally, arrested development adults who can't make it in the real world, who move to Orlando to be closer to WDW (often taking money from spouses, ex's, friends, family, charity etc...) start blogs or websites devoted to Disney and then spend 5-6, even even seven days of the week at the parks. They group together so they can convince themselves that their behavior isn't in fact indicative of underlying mental illness (many view the world like a middle school student might) and Disney has fed this behavior by foisting freebies on them for 'coverage' on largely insignificant ( but not all) websites.

Many of them (again, not all) have all sorts of other 'issues' as well. It is not a term of endearment.

which is not at all related to many of us who visit Disney message boards multiple times a day?

 

[ford91exploder]

Hercules is next on my list. I also want to see Atlantis, which came out post 20th century, but I never got around to it

Saw Mulan last and can only agree with you.

Disney doesn't make animated films for mass audiences anymore (jury is out on Pixar right now). They make films for kids that adults may like, or at least be able to sit through.

Mulan and Hunchback are not kiddie fare, much like Walt's great films weren't.

Definitely agree on Mulan and Hunchback, Atlantis not quite as good but is an interesting story about a society which lost their technology and the ability to read and write out of fear (Sounds like the US at the moment)

 

[Snowflake82]

Hercules is next on my list. I also want to see Atlantis, which came out post 20th century, but I never got around to it

Saw Mulan last and can only agree with you.

Disney doesn't make animated films for mass audiences anymore (jury is out on Pixar right now). They make films for kids that adults may like, or at least be able to sit through.

Mulan and Hunchback are not kiddie fare, much like Walt's great films weren't.

Mulan also holds up remarkably well over multiple repeat viewings IMO - having been through one of those periods where the kid wanted to watch it over and over and over.

 

[alphac2005]

NEWS COMING SOON

GAC changes. Hint: I love what I am hearing.

But I don't weigh 450 pounds and drive an ECV, have a made up anxiety issue that allows me to visit WDW but just not wait in lines or have a child who is mildly autistic that I use as a get me to the front of the line with six family members pass.

That's great to hear. GAC is made for people like my father: Two devastating diseases, one being a rare neuromuscular disease, the second an even rarer cardiovascular disease, along with having a permanent tracheostomy, and he has to be in his custom wheelchair for any distance more than essentially walking from the house to the car, etc. It INFURIATES me to see all the lazy, disgusting turds in their ECVs rolling around and little Johnny who just doesn't like to stand in a line (what kid does?) and he gets bestowed a GAC. Good riddance to all the abusers.

 

[marni1971]

I thought brits only burned.. and never tanned??

I don't do too badly... the missus has to be careful though. Need to show off the colour in the autumn in Mancunia!