Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[Padraig]

So, Ricky and his wife will either do the right thing, and suffer the loss of perks, or ....

Face the horror of ending up as reviled as Ain't it Cool News' [pwesents] Harry Knowles [/pwesents]

 

[WDWFREAK53]

I'm still waiting for Universal to start offering discounts to DVC members... I really think it should happen.

I see where you're going but wouldn't that be more incentive to purchase DVC?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Ha, that's funny. Where he went to high school has nothing to do with money we've personally made.

If that's the case, cities, states, and the federal government need to stop investing in city schools.

But, then I take a look at college acceptance rates from affluent high schools vs. city schools and average salaries for the same groups and think you are incorrect. It's not discounting personal work ethic and drive, but to suggest where someone goes to high school has no effect on their wealth is absurd. I'm very happy that my parents could afford to raise me to go to an affluent high school, get into a good college b/c of the offerings my high school had, get into an even better grad school because of the undergrad school, and get a job that will allow me to take my family to WDW several times a year and stay at deluxes if we want. That would have all be FAR less likely had I grown up 10 minutes to the west of where I did.

 

[HTF]

You don't say? What is "spring" in theme park terms? @HTF

As I have stated before elsewhere, target is June

 

[jt04]

Like I've said before, I'd love to know how most of them stack up against this site or simply threads like this one or Sotto's that get loads of eyeballs.

My strong belief is most of them added together don't have the reach that MAGIC does.

My, my how your attitude has changed towards this magical place since you first arrived. Night and day.

As for Uni changes it is my opinion this is a continuance of a certain 'domino effect' going on in the entertainment business. Likely only to intensify. And I know what started it.

 

[jt04]

I swear I thought jt had moved on. Not sure how I feel about his continued presence/existence.

Well you could always try to get me banned again. That is always good for some chuckles.

 

[flynnibus]

I see where you're going but wouldn't that be more incentive to purchase DVC?

Only if the discounts were 'permanent' - which you wouldn't need to do. The point of attacking a customer base like that would be to convince them 'Uni is worth seeing..' - get those customers over the hump of being scared to leave Disney and visit Uni. Once you get them moving.. no need to keep offering the discount.

 

[twebber55]

If that's the case, cities, states, and the federal government need to stop investing in city schools.

But, then I take a look at college acceptance rates from affluent high schools vs. city schools and average salaries for the same groups and think you are incorrect. It's not discounting personal work ethic and drive, but to suggest where someone goes to high school has no effect on their wealth is absurd. I'm very happy that my parents could afford to raise me to go to an affluent high school, get into a good college b/c of the offerings my high school had, get into an even better grad school because of the undergrad school, and get a job that will allow me to take my family to WDW several times a year and stay at deluxes if we want. That would have all be FAR less likely had I grown up 10 minutes to the west of where I did.

well it all comes down to parents who value education whether they are poor or rich..if parents value their child's education you can get a great education

edit: i think im agreeing with you

 

[Reddog]

From my perspective on the manufacturing and retail side, Marvel licensed toy products continue to underperform on the big box side and Monsters University was a grossly overproduced line on the consumer products side and they're struggling to unload product. I've seen discounting of the MU of up to 50% places and where there isn't discounting, the shelves are full with poorly performing product. I believe ThinkAway has the license here and that's going to be a real bummer when they have mass quantities of pallets of returned, unsold big box merchandise. ThinkAway produced a limited line of Despicable Me 2 products and the shelves are completely bare.

A side-note with regard to the issue of too much DISNEY product in the marketplace: I was speaking to the owner and management of a company that we used to do a good deal of business with and I was asking as to why they had let certain licenses lapse? Disney was a big license for this company for half of the past decade. The answer was simple, the licensing fees were absurd and the marketplace is flooded with too much Disney product. The same company that dropped Disney also manufactured Marvel products (licensing deal predating the Disney purchase) and now has brought DC Comics on-board. Their answer for that one was real simple, Marvel barely moved and they can't keep Batman, Superman, Wonder Women, etc. produced at a fast enough clip. The reality is that what this company produces, (Guess what?) DC doesn't have the marketplace flooded with junk and it makes the product desirable.

That doesn't even get into the PITA that Disney Consumer Products is for manufacturers, as I have a friend who owned a major toy company (sold in the past several years), and the hoops they had to go through to get DISNEY to approve any of the final product designs would make one rip their hair out. Multiple times the issues became so absurd that this guy's holiday products wouldn't get to retailers until after the holidays because of the arcane approval process.

I work for a company that has had a licensing deal with Marvel for about 10+ years now. Now that Disney owns Marvel, we have a cap on the number of units we can produce for any given product. Before we were allowed to produce as many as we wanted. Now we are selling out before the product hits shelves.

 

[case88]

Universal: Two parks. New attractions every year.

Disney: Four parks. Can't manage new attractions every year.

If Comcast is serious, this is how the tide turns. Younger demographic who doesn't feel nostalgia for WDW feels no loyalty to the Mouse's brand.

Other company starts offering better offerings at competitive prices.

Former industry leader piddles away money on vanity projects, management arrogance, and thinks it can maintain its industry dominance by controlling the message online.

Welp.

I'm caught up in this turning tide....Past AP holder and didn't renew this year...wife wants to take the family down for a few days and hit up MNSSHP (2 young boys and we had a blast at last year's party)...We are both early 30's - I grew up going to WDW every year, my wife did not and doesn't feel the nostalgia I do for the parks.

We didn't want to make the 7 hour drive down just for MNSSHP - so we called to get pricing on a few nights w/ 2 day park hoppers at both WDW and Uni. These are the prices:

3 nights at All Star Music w/ 2 day park hopper: $965.00 (plus the $200+ for MNSSHP)
3 nights at Portofino Bay w/ 2 day p2p tickets: approx. $985.00

Guess who won? I'll gladly pay the extra $20 for a nicer hotel, a new attraction (haven't been on transformers yet) and Unlimited Express Pass....

 

[FigmentJedi]

To anyone who thinks the Potter Train is going to loose steam, JK Rowling just announced that she's writing a spinoff movie series based around "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=108842

Just think, if Disney was willing to deal with Rowling, we could have had a Beastly Kingdom based on the adventures of Newt Scamander

 

[jt04]

To anyone who thinks the Potter Train is going to loose steam, JK Rowling just announced that she's writing a spinoff movie series based around "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=108842

Just think, if Disney was willing to deal with Rowling, we could have had a Beastly Kingdom based on the adventures of Newt Scamander

Meh. I will take Star Wars over any franchise out there. Plus Indiana Jones etc.

 

[RSoxNo1]

No, what they really need to compete is the hotel rooms and state of the art attractions- and they getting both.

Beyond that comes a state of the art water park and who knows what they'll do with third gate plans, which they have.

Disney is going to lose tremendous gate at any park not called the MK in the years ahead if they stick to their current business models.

This is the biggest thing. Disney is building DVC's with less substance going into the parks that would help drive the purchase of said DVC's. You can have all these hotel rooms and that's great, but until you have a reason to fill them all you've succeeded in doing is create an empty room.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Meh. I will take Star Wars over any franchise out there. Plus Indiana Jones etc.

Sadly for us no one will take you.

 

[scout68]

why do people think he does what he does for perks? My guess is he didn't get jack or ask for anything from Disney when he first got started doing this and he is/was just a fan of Disney wanting to share information with the fan community.

I just don't understand why there is so much hate for the Disney fan bloggers, podcasters, etc. just because they have more ability to share information publically and get a few perks here or there for sharing information to others?

I think\k the question is: Does he or they ignore the glaring deficiencies that abound in WDW (in order to keep the perks)?

If you have a blog that touts info for the un/under informed and that info is purposely left incomplete or skewed (in order to stay in the good graces of the company you provide info for) you are walking a very thin line (or just inside the thin line).

 

[COProgressFan]

Flooring. It seems inane, but it tells plenty about hotels and resorts. Go down the walkways of a corridor in a WDW Resort and feel the carpet and padding (or quality of stone, hardwood, etc), walk elsewhere at a high-end resort without the Disney prices, the flooring standard is nearly universally better at the higher end, lower priced property.

Or just look at it. WDW is the home of more filthy carpeting than I've seen anywhere else.

 

[fosse76]

amazing what the comcast leaders envision for the future of their parks specifically UOR...leadership matters

Exactly. Instead of fabricating growth by psychologically manipulating their customers, they realized that real growth comes from offering guests exciting products, which will result in increases in attendance and guest spending. I have a trip booked at UOR next Sunday for a few days, and will be staying on property in deluxe accomodations for a price that Disney charges for a Value resort. Some value! I am more excited about this trip than the trip to WDW I have planned for November.

 

[WDWDad13]

I think\k the question is: Does he or they ignore the glaring deficiencies that abound in WDW (in order to keep the perks)?

If you have a blog that touts info for the un/under informed and that info is purposely left incomplete or skewed (in order to stay in the good graces of the company you provide info for) you are walking a very thin line (or just inside the thin line).

what?! Any fan of anything knows there are good things and bad things to what they are a fan of. If they have a fan site, podcast, or whatever... they can say whatever they want to do. Some of the blogs and podcasts out there share news, information, etc. and others are more opinionated and share both the good and the bad based on their personal beliefs.

I don't think we have any right to criticize a fan for having some kind of public outlet for sharing whatever news and information he or she wants with others... if Disney or tom morrow gives them a few little things as a way of saying thanks for the publicity and advertisement... so be it

do you honestly think now that Disney gives them a few things here or there as a way of saying thanks now changes his mind to never say anything bad about Disney when he wasn't before???

any fan who has a blog or a podcast has no obligation whatsoever to anyone... people can choose whether or not they want to view it or listen to it...and Disney can decide if they want to acknowledge them or not

again, I'm not a listener of his podcast but I have heard it before... my impression was it was not an opinionated podcast (unless it has changed?) and instead was fairly well done sharing news, information, with some interviews here and there, etc. I see nothing wrong with this or any Disney fan sharing whatever information OR opinions good or bad however they wish.... but I don't think we should be bashing anyone (or calling them a Disney for sure) just because they don't advertise the negative things like this board does

just my opinion

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

They kill fairies. Apparently.

 

[RSoxNo1]

My concern is that Disney is much more interested now with the name recognition of properties than truly great attractions. From the Uni quotes, they absolutely get it. I don't think Disney does.

They will more than likely value-engineer CarsLand, Avatar and Star Wars (just like they did with the FLE). I believe they think the draw will be the property and not the attraction.

For the first time guests, they will be right, but then those guests will never step foot in WDW again because they didn't get their money's worth.

Universal also recognizes that the properties are the initial draw, but the difference is they are looking to "wow" us with how they present those properties in ride form. I sincerely hope that Mine Train is better than expected and truly does "wow" us, but I don't think there was ever that expectation of any component of New Fantasyland. It never had a Forbidden Journey or Transformers anchor, nor was it ever intended to. Now, it's the only project currently under construction while the competition is building great attractions and it looks poor by comparison. No amount of great rockwork and theming is going to make up for the lack of that anchor attraction.