Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

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WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
alissafalco said:
That's funny because I saw this in my news feed on Facebook (note the headline on the bottom left & star wars sign in the background)
View attachment 34251
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Right now, those crazy swinging babes are the reason Leanne J and Gary B largely have jobs.

Which brings me to an inescapble conclusion and something that I wanted to write about, but haven't had the time ...yet, is something we've all been discusing on numerous threads at many times whether we consciously connected things or not.

Simply put, Disney is using technology and social media platforms to cover for a stale crappy product. Above all other excuses, those two things have allowed Disney to coast off of what it created in the 70s, 80s and 90s. ... Whether it's MM+ or a Mommy Blogger from Miami, they are designed to take your mind off of reality ... they are in essence pixie dust for the masses.

I really do want to delve further into this, but I have to get back to the real world.

Now, let's see what gets more attention, what I wrote above or what I am about to post:

Watched ABC's Tuesday lineup again. Not at all impressed with S.H.I.E.L.D., it is mediocre at best ... and the Goldbergs are even worse. Please, bois, take off your Incredible Hulk undies and admit that the ABC Marvel product isn't very good at all. They'll still let you into the club.
 
the.dreamfinder

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
Right now, those crazy swinging babes are the reason Leanne J and Gary B largely have jobs.

Which brings me to an inescapble conclusion and something that I wanted to write about, but haven't had the time ...yet, is something we've all been discusing on numerous threads at many times whether we consciously connected things or not.

Simply put, Disney is using technology and social media platforms to cover for a stale crappy product. Above all other excuses, those two things have allowed Disney to coast off of what it created in the 70s, 80s and 90s. ... Whether it's MM+ or a Mommy Blogger from Miami, they are designed to take your mind off of reality ... they are in essence pixie dust for the masses.

I really do want to delve further into this, but I have to get back to the real world.

Now, let's see what gets more attention, what I wrote above or what I am about to post:

Watched ABC's Tuesday lineup again. Not at all impressed with S.H.I.E.L.D., it is mediocre at best ... and the Goldbergs are even worse. Please, bois, take off your Incredible Hulk undies and admit that the ABC Marvel product isn't very good at all. They'll still let you into the club.
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We need to talk Breaking Bad.
Also, http://variety.com/2013/tv/ratings/...es-in-week-2-voice-ncis-top-night-1200688043/
 
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71jason

71jason

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
Simply put, Disney is using technology and social media platforms to cover for a stale crappy product. Above all other excuses, those two things have allowed Disney to coast off of what it created in the 70s, 80s and 90s. ... Whether it's MM+ or a Mommy Blogger from Miami, they are designed to take your mind off of reality ... they are in essence pixie dust for the masses.
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I'd throw in low-tech meet & greets and retro merchandise, but I agree with your basic argument.

WDW1974 said:
Watched ABC's Tuesday lineup again. Not at all impressed with S.H.I.E.L.D., it is mediocre at best ... and the Goldbergs are even worse. Please, bois, take off your Incredible Hulk undies and admit that the ABC Marvel product isn't very good at all. They'll still let you into the club.
Click to expand...

Only watched SHIELD, thought it was predictable but fine for a network show. Not as bad as The Backlist (love Spader, still bailed after 20 minutes) or Ironsides (watched the whole thing, but only because I was paid $25). Compared to anything on FX or AMC, a network show is going to come up lacking.

With the show taking a 34% nosedive in the ratings even after word of SLJ's cameo leaked, the discussion is probably moot anyway.
 
Funmeister

Funmeister

Well-Known Member
I agree "shield" (not all caps worthy) is not a very good tv show. What will give them the viewership they need is teasing upcoming appearances by various characters. The Sammy L.L. Jackson cameo was cool. The problem I have is all of the resources that "shield" has and they allow their plane to get hijacked by Panamanian rebels? It was such a "POWERFUL" weapon but only blew a hole in the plane the size of...the size of....I don't know...an inflatable emergency raft?

I will give it one more episode but I am losing interest fast.

On the Goldbergs....go watch re-runs of the "Wonder Years" and "Married With Children" and you have....The Goldbergs.

Not to change the subject but....I know a few on here are disappointed on how much the company does NOT utilize the Muppets. Fair argument. Compare what they paid for the Muppets and how much they have used them (movies, theme park attractions, etc.) to what they paid for Marvel and how much they are using them?

What does the company have to show for their Marvel purchase? Do not say $1billion-trillion from the movies. You would be shocked if you knew how much the company actually made off of those films. Basically, what are they waiting for? There is nothing to show for it. Merchandise was already there. The movies (some of them - Spider Man) were already there. So far I see the Marvel purchase as an EPIC FAIL. Yeah, yeah, yeah..."JUST WAIT AND SEE!....IT'S COMING!" There are tons of things they could gave done and could be doing to take advantage of that purchase and missing opportunities left and right.

YEAH A MONORAIL WRAP! WOO-HOO!

I have heard recent rumors heating up again about the third Marvel park in California. **I DO NOT KNOW DETAILS OR HOW VALID THE RUMORS ARE. Just that they do exist and are making rounds again. IF Disney does move forward with this park they need to make sure it is one better than what is coming to Universal on the West Coast. I will pay to travel to the West Coast to eat in the Great Hall at Hogwarts than Main Gate in to eat overpriced "grey stuff" at the Magic Kingdom.
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
the.dreamfinder said:
We need to talk Breaking Bad.
Also, http://variety.com/2013/tv/ratings/...es-in-week-2-voice-ncis-top-night-1200688043/
Click to expand...

I loved it. Thought it was the perfect wrap-up of one of the most consistently excellent series I have ever had the pleasure to watch. There was really only one interesting question that never was asked/answered (check out the NY Times for that).

But let's not talk specifics here as I have friends here who haven't caught up yet and I don't wish to spoil things.

As to Shield's ratings, I predict they will continue to fall. Like much with Disney, they hyped the hell out of it and didn't deliver.
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Funmeister said:
What does the company have to show for their Marvel purchase? Do not say $1billion-trillion from the movies. You would be shocked if you knew how much the company actually made off of those films. Basically, what are they waiting for? There is nothing to show for it. Merchandise was already there. The movies (some of them - Spider Man) were already there. So far I see the Marvel purchase as an EPIC FAIL. Yeah, yeah, yeah..."JUST WAIT AND SEE!....IT'S COMING!" There are tons of things they could gave done and could be doing to take advantage of that purchase and missing opportunities left and right.

YEAH A MONORAIL WRAP! WOO-HOO!
Click to expand...

I can only agree and say that Disney only made a few hundred million on Iron Man 3's $1.2 billion global box office. (of course, they made even less on Monsters U's close to $800 million worldwide)

Fanbois can blather on about how much Disney is making off of Marvel, and it simply is not reality.

Funmeister said:
I have heard recent rumors heating up again about the third Marvel park in California. **I DO NOT KNOW DETAILS OR HOW VALID THE RUMORS ARE. Just that they do exist and are making rounds again. IF Disney does move forward with this park they need to make sure it is one better than what is coming to Universal on the West Coast. I will pay to travel to the West Coast to eat in the Great Hall at Hogwarts than Main Gate in to eat overpriced "grey stuff" at the Magic Kingdom.
Click to expand...

Iger wants this. He was the push behind it. He went to WDI soon after the Marvel acquisition and said 'what can you show me?'

I would HATE to see a third gate in Anaheim based on Marvel. With all the IP Disney knows, with all the possibilities, it just would be a tremendous waste to me. I also think it could struggle DCA 1.0 style. Iger doesn't seem to realize that comics and their characters go through phases of popularity mixed with periods of total (beyond the geeks) disinterest. It would be very ignorant to believe that this high point is the new normal, but that is just what he is doing.

Oh, and Marvel has made it to DLP ... or rather DSP ... but in a typical cheesy way.
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
Iger wants this. He was the push behind it. He went to WDI soon after the Marvel acquisition and said 'what can you show me?'

I would HATE to see a third gate in Anaheim based on Marvel. With all the IP Disney knows, with all the possibilities, it just would be a tremendous waste to me. I also think it could struggle DCA 1.0 style. Iger doesn't seem to realize that comics and their characters go through phases of popularity mixed with periods of total (beyond the geeks) disinterest. It would be very ignorant to believe that this high point is the new normal, but that is just what he is doing.

Oh, and Marvel has made it to DLP ... or rather DSP ... but in a typical cheesy way.
Click to expand...

Based on this post, I'm inferring that Iger is thinking, or planning the third gate to be Marvel-based. Is it possible for these plans to change years from now? What are the possibilities of a Marvel gate in Anaheim actually happening?
 
alphac2005

alphac2005

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
Simply put, Disney is using technology and social media platforms to cover for a stale crappy product. Above all other excuses, those two things have allowed Disney to coast off of what it created in the 70s, 80s and 90s. ... Whether it's MM+ or a Mommy Blogger from Miami, they are designed to take your mind off of reality ... they are in essence pixie dust for the masses.
Click to expand...

My company occasionally goes into the time machine of the past decade and a half of our business and we'll put some pictures up on Twitter, a blog post, etc. We have a treasure trove of things that we could do, but by harping on the past, it would make us look stale and unappealing to our customer base and considering we are constantly influx with making our business relevant to the latest generation, we very consciously stay away from doing so.

We use social media for fun things for our customers and also as a valuable tool for SEO related matters. What you're pointing out is incredibly relevant and spot on with their strategy. I know one thing for damn sure, the majority of teens and college kids that see Disney and their use of social media and tech think that they are completely lame and a picture of a creepy looking magician with a purple dragon isn't appealing to them, but a multistory tall Optimus Prime on Universal's feed looks mighty appealing. Time machine pictures of buildings that they bulldozed or attractions that they shuttered, while not replacing them or putting garbage in their place, it's one heck of a disconnect.

They are rapidly losing their next generation of lifelong customers and either are blinded by their own pixie dust, simply don't care because management has the Street attitude of caring only about their our personal monetary gains on the job, as well as what you're pointing out, just playing to the fools that will continue to buy the garbage they dish out.
 
71jason

71jason

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
As to Shield's ratings, I predict they will continue to fall. Like much with Disney, they hyped the hell out of it and didn't deliver.
Click to expand...

Does it get a full season? Or quietly disappear right before November? I don't know how much deep under Iger's thumb ABC is.
 
Travel Junkie

Travel Junkie

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
I can only agree and say that Disney only made a few hundred million on Iron Man 3's $1.2 billion global box office. (of course, they made even less on Monsters U's close to $800 million worldwide)

Fanbois can blather on about how much Disney is making off of Marvel, and it simply is not reality.



Iger wants this. He was the push behind it. He went to WDI soon after the Marvel acquisition and said 'what can you show me?'

I would HATE to see a third gate in Anaheim based on Marvel. With all the IP Disney knows, with all the possibilities, it just would be a tremendous waste to me. I also think it could struggle DCA 1.0 style. Iger doesn't seem to realize that comics and their characters go through phases of popularity mixed with periods of total (beyond the geeks) disinterest. It would be very ignorant to believe that this high point is the new normal, but that is just what he is doing.

Oh, and Marvel has made it to DLP ... or rather DSP ... but in a typical cheesy way.
Click to expand...

With the limited amount of land Disney has in Anaheim and the cost it takes to aquire more land around them, they need to be very careful about what they do. A 3rd gate exclusively about Marvel is a long term mistake. Comic book movies are hot right now, but we are getting close to over saturation (if we aren't already there) and interest will die off and the public will move onto something else. What then?
 
D

djlaosc

Well-Known Member
71jason said:
Does it get a full season? Or quietly disappear right before November? I don't know how much deep under Iger's thumb ABC is.
Click to expand...

Well, based on the ratings of Lucky 7, Betrayal, Trophy Wife and The Neighbours, and the reviews of Super Fun Night, it will probably get at least an extended season (No Ordinary Family got 20 episodes, for example).

As for a Season 2, it will all depend on if the ratings continue to plummet, or if they can stay in the 3s/2s.
 
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asianway

asianway

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
Right now, those crazy swinging babes are the reason Leanne J and Gary B largely have jobs.

Which brings me to an inescapble conclusion and something that I wanted to write about, but haven't had the time ...yet, is something we've all been discusing on numerous threads at many times whether we consciously connected things or not.

Simply put, Disney is using technology and social media platforms to cover for a stale crappy product. Above all other excuses, those two things have allowed Disney to coast off of what it created in the 70s, 80s and 90s. ... Whether it's MM+ or a Mommy Blogger from Miami, they are designed to take your mind off of reality ... they are in essence pixie dust for the masses.

I really do want to delve further into this, but I have to get back to the real world.

Now, let's see what gets more attention, what I wrote above or what I am about to post:

Watched ABC's Tuesday lineup again. Not at all impressed with S.H.I.E.L.D., it is mediocre at best ... and the Goldbergs are even worse. Please, bois, take off your Incredible Hulk undies and admit that the ABC Marvel product isn't very good at all. They'll still let you into the club.
Click to expand...
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/10/01/social-media-manager/

Not sure if you saw this
 
Soarin' Over Pgh

Soarin' Over Pgh

Well-Known Member
Absimilliard said:
Indiana Jones is indeed getting a full refurb. To put it in perspective, the current ride was temporary (for roughly 5 years) and was rushed through design and manufacturing to get a new coaster open as soon as possible after the resort opened. So, Intamin (maker of California Screamin', Kali River Rapids, Maelstrom, Grizzly River Run) got an existing carnival coaster design, modernised it and built it on a cement slab. There are no actual foundations to the ride. It is simply bolted to the cement slab. They filled the pit with gravel to hide the cement and WDI quickly built a temple around it with fixed props. The temple may look solid, but it consist of thin cement projected on a foam shape if what I read is to be believed. It was very temporary and made to be removed quickly... but after 20 years of hard and loyal service, both the ride system and the temple are suffering.

In 2000, they already had to change the trains. They went from a fleet of 6 trains with 2 cars of 4 riders to 7 trains with 2 cars of 6 riders. So capacity went up, but in order to keep the same weight, had to remove nearly all the padding and "rider comfort" from the seats. They also changed a few track pieces.

Track wise, the ride is still suffering, especially the loop. It is a mess of spot welds and repairs right now, so in the upcoming refurb, they will change the loop and other track pieces. As for the temple, it is a full rebuild. They will make a new temple using projected cement on a steel frame, like they did at Carsland.

Big Thunder Mountain will also get a full refurb after Indy is done. Space Mountain will finally get its new ride cars too. This test car has appeared backstage....

ye18.jpg
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Wow, thank you for that information. Is that a splash log in the back and a piece of the carousel? Very cool.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
Captain Neo said:
@WDW1974 what are your thought on Disney World giving part time workers the option of switching to fulltime to get more benefits from the Affordable healthcare act?

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/10/02/2716951/disney-world-obamacare-promote-full-time/
Click to expand...

You really think WDW only had 427 part-timers working more than 30hrs a week? Just how many College Program kids do you think are on property??

Meanwhile, the same TWDC has been cutting hours for DLR employees to ensure they stay UNDER the limit.

This 'annoucement' sounds of spin spin spin city.
 
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