Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

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GoofGoof

Premium Member
Also, I'm on a limited budget. How can I avoid parking fees? When I lived in Orlando, I used to park at DTD and take the bus to any park. Can I still do this with the Disney Springs construction going on?
No. They discontinued the busses directly from DTD to the parks to prevent people like you from beating the parking fee;) However, if you still want to do it just take a bus to CR and walk to MK or monorail to MK/EPCOT or take a bus to Poly and walk to TTC for all 4 parks or walk over to SSR and take a bus from there. You didn't hear it from me. If you were thinking about bringing an old refillable mug to take advantage of the "free drinks" they put in machines to stop that too.:oops:
 

PeterAlt

Well-Known Member
No. They discontinued the busses directly from DTD to the parks to prevent people like you from beating the parking fee;) However, if you still want to do it just take a bus to CR and walk to MK or monorail to MK/EPCOT or take a bus to Poly and walk to TTC for all 4 parks or walk over to SSR and take a bus from there. You didn't hear it from me. If you were thinking about bringing an old refillable mug to take advantage of the "free drinks" they put in machines to stop that too.:oops:
Thanks. My trip today is not certain. Considering I haven't left yet, I may have to plan on another day...
 

Wikkler

Well-Known Member
This is really funny - I can't go backwards on the Monorail. I actually stood on our most recent trip, even though the backwards facing bench was almost empty. And, I can't go backwards on TTA. Also can't do Star Tours.
But RnRC, ToT, and Space Mountain, I can do all day. EE, I can only do 3 times in a row because of the backwards component.
What about Maelstrom? Spaceship Earth?
 

Blufusion

Member
Wow, that's a scary (but happy-ending) story.
Did you have your actual heart attack on MS? In the capsule? After the ride? Was your heart ailment a known pre-existing condition?
So glad you're doing better, and are still determined to enjoy the parks. Good for you!


I had heart problems as a kid. But I was born in 1961 and before 5 years of age I had problems. My family tell me I would have problems breathing. I used to take a medicine as a kid till I was about 10 or 11 yrs old they problem went away for some reason.
I was always a worrier as a kid and adult " Thanks Mom" Any way I had a long career in Television News and Radio for 25 years. I directed TV Newscast from 18 till I was 39. It was a very stressful job. But it was a good kinda stress. I loved what I did and I was damn good at it. Then about 2 years before I left that. I was starting to have the rhythm problems again it would come and go and the doctors would never find a problem when I would go to them. At the last 4 years of my Career. I was offered everything I had worked for basically hand to me. But it was in DC to work. I was in DC 4 days before 9/11. Ever have that feeling in your gut. You know something is wrong. I knew the Thursday before 9/11 .
The next day on Friday was my interview I got the job. But the thing was I was leaving the only place I knew and the people I worked with. I was born and raised in Amarillo Texas till I moved to DC. I moved to DC 3 weeks after 9/11 . It was a very stressful situation. In the 1st year I became a small fish in a large pond and I was having to reprove what I did. Instead of being a person I became a # in a company of 400 people. I went to work for XM Satellite Radio. But also during that time we had the Anthrax scare. The post office where that happened was 3 blocks from where I worked. In the same year we had the sniper shooting. The little boy that was shot at the school. That school was 1 mile away from our home and we drove by that school every day.
It was just a scary and stressful situation. Going to get gas for the car or anything outside you walked in a zig zag line to just hopefully avoid being shot.
We were at WDW the week they caught the people that did it. We were having a great time I was doing ok. But this was in June of 2002 when this happened I had just ridden MS and it was hot and humid.
When I got off I felt my chest getting real tight and I could not breath. I tried to sit down and I thought ok this just doesn't feel right. My chest felt like someone had stuck knife in it and my partner was asking for help and I over heard someone screaming get him so help I think he's having a heart attack. With a less than a minute or so a person from Disney not a cast ember but I guess their boss had gotten me to the back area of the park and a ambulance was called and I was on my way. I was hurting so bad. I was taken there to Celebration Hospital and when the lifted me up on the bed in the emergency room It happened . I don't know from there it just hurt and I passed out. I though I was gonna die.
I woke up a later i don't know how long I was out but i was in ICU for 4 days and they were trying to figure what happened the said I had a heart attack. But could not figure out why. I stayed 4 days and like my previous post. They took care of us. I was in pain for 2 days the breathing problems and the chest pain was terrible. I was given morphine shots when ever I needed them and other things to lesson my stress. I went back to DC and I stayed till 2005 and moved to Florida. I was still under the stress. I had everything to gain but I also had everything to lose at the job. As with most people we identify with our work and XM was a great opportunity.

I stayed for the money I had a great paying job that paid me $65000.00 a year stock options and other great benefits . But after 3 and half years I knew it was time to go. I was smart enough our lucky enough to walk away with about $200.000 cash from my stock options and 401K. I moved to Florida and it was rough. Even though I had the money to take it easy. I worked for about another 3 years but it was at another stressful job. I worked as a shift supervisor for CVS and on every Tuesday morning me and 3 other people would have to unload an a semi tractor of merchandise and put it all out that was a 14 hr day. That just made it worse. I had the heart problem taken care of. But also at the same time I developed 3rd stage kidney and liver disease. But I take my meds and that as leveled off. But I'm living proof that stress can and will do damage and will kill you. The worst of it all I had to quit working at age 47 and file for disability. That took 2 years to get and I was stress out over that too. I had worked basically full time from age 13 to age 47 and I didn't know what to do. I get a decent amount of Disability and my back pay helped rebuild our savings and all that. But now. I have a purpose. To let everyone know that when the chips are down and your back is up against the wall. Don't give up and best of all I found that God is there and there is a reason for me to be here. n. Sorry for the long post and I know this is boring to most of you. I love my Disney and WDW . But for now I just see them not taking care of the Legacy of Walt Disney and yes it is a public Company and they have shareholders to take care of. But since 1997 and AK. They have let it stagnate and it has become a big money trap .
 
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danlb_2000

Premium Member
I'm betting the train will be similar to the monorail system, with an 'engine' at each end. You'll see the locomotive pull into the station, without seeing that there's a similar engine at the other end of the train. There aren't any windows, so the illusion is easy to pull off. The train is 'push-pull' without having to switch or turn around. There can be spurs to run as many trains as the demands call for. They could even have a dummy locomotive that never physically pulls away from the station.... Only the passenger compartments move!

The trains are cable driven, not self powered. They will have no need to turn around.
 

Blufusion

Member
You don't have to answer this if you don't want to (or can't), but did you sign any sort of hold harmless agreement with Disney before or during your receiving this care?[/quote

As far as Im know and remember I didn't have to sign anything like that. I do remember signing papers to be treated. I never ever thought about suing Disney. At the moment they were doing the best they could to save my life. It was going to happen sooner or later I'm sure of that. I am grateful for all they did and I never thought about it all. I can understand the terrible tragedy that happens at Disney. The Monorail accident and all those types of things. But in the end I survived and I am happy to be alive. And if I did sign something at the moment in all those papers they had me sign. Then I'm sure MORGAN and MORGAN would have been happy to take the case. Come on they will sue for anything.
Overall I'm glad my health is better and I'm still alive to do the things I can do. But the main point of my previous post and the 1st one is. I am a BIG,BIG WDW fan. But I was able to go during the years of what I call The Golden Age of Walt Disney World. I saw it when it was just the Magic Kingdom in 1982 and I saw Epcot Center 3 months before it opened. And from 1982 to 1997 I saw it grow and it was fun. But overall the biggest disappointment is they for me anyway have become what they didn't want to happen in California. My biggest complaint and the turning point for me was when they built the so called race track and then they built Animal Kingdom. That was a waste of money to build it and to operate it as well. All they money they spent building and maintaining it in the 16 years it has been opened they could have done some great stuff and put in a new addition of attractions to the Studios and into EPCOT Center and Magic Kingdom and the timeshare thing really turned me off the last time I was there. It seemed every 100 feet or so there was a kiosk or a Timeshare sale mans trying to get me to buy. Also with the money they could have added the extra monorail track to DTD and the studios. But Disney wanted to overtake every thing in Florida as far as theme parks.
There are better Zoo in America than and for me and I have the money to do the things I want to do. But after doing Hawaii. Like I posted in my previous post. Theme parks especially Disney is just too much for me to pay for. They just don't offer the fun I used to have at them anymore. I surprised that Disney hasn't tried to by kennedy space Center as well. Next year os my last time going to theme. Age has caught up to me and Sea World I have nevr done, I'm looking forward to the NEW Space Shuttle Exhibit at KSC and doing Universal Studios for 2 days. Yes it's not Disney. But now Disney is Disney I knew.
And if I did return to Disney and stay on property and thats a BIG IF. Is when they build a Star Wars section at the Studios. That would be the only time I would return. But the way it looks if it takes 5 years to build a few meet and greets and a mountain and a kiddie roller coaster at the Magic Kingdom. I will be 60 yo by then.
 

Funmeister

Well-Known Member
Yes, and Six Flags occasionally does a good job with the signage as well. But I will never sign off on Islands of Adventure being the best "Themed" park as long as those coasters remain unthemed. I love IoA, but I hate seeing exposed steel coasters in parks like this. I think the best execution of "Exposed" steel is California Screamin' but that's by no means perfect.

The lift hill for Dragon Challenge should have been enclosed, and effects should have been added to the attraction. Right now it's the equivalent of two "Mind Erasers" from Six Flags New England intertwined. They're perfectly good coasters, but I think Six Flags has them beat on a Coaster standpoint and The Mummy, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Expedition Everest have them beat from a ride standpoint.


So, does that mean you would never "sign off" on DCA, DLP, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, DIsneyland or the Magic Kingdom? They all have exposed "non-themed" coaster track.
 

RandySavage

Well-Known Member
So, does that mean you would never "sign off" on DCA, DLP, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, DIsneyland or the Magic Kingdom? They all have exposed "non-themed" coaster track.


My own opinion is that family coasters under a certain size (e.g. Flyingfish, Barnstormer, Hippogriff) get something of a "pass" because they are small enough to be absorbed by trees and landscape without dominating their environment (or nearby environments).

Temple du Peril/Raging Spirits show how a somewhat bigger scale coaster superstructure can be sold as "archeological scaffolding." I think Thom Schillinger put together some cool ideas for Disney Paris on how to theme a bigger scale coaster to a tree-top jungle village http://3dconceptualdesigner.com/3DCD_2D_environments/ - although that might have been challenging/expensive to pull off if built at a mega-coaster scale.

I think California Screamin loses its 'old woody' look the closer you get to it - I would have liked to have seen wooden (real or fake) timbers overlayed on the steel structure to help sell the area as a unique, turn-of-the-century boardwalk.

Crystal Wings has got to be the most elaborate theme-ing ever done for a mega coaster, I only wish the pylons themselves were themed to integrate with the "ancient citadel" look. It's like you've told 90% of the story, but left off the ending.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train looks to be brilliantly executed (granted it is of moderate size) to feel like something beyond a roller coaster, joining the tiny number of really convincingly-themed outdoor coasters.
 
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ScoutN

OV 104
Premium Member
That's Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Southeast Virginia. The yellow one is Loch Ness Monster (first of its kind interlocking loop coster) and Alpengeist, the blue one.

Do not know if has been said but the blue is Griffon, white is Alpengeist.

EDIT. Just saw it was corrected quickly.

I could always show some photos of Apollo, Wolf, or Bolt (even though the new trees have some height to gain).
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Speaking of news, yahoo had a story about "never built" structures, including art work for the never built Disney Sea in Cali...this would have been amazing!
Depends on if you believe it was a serious project. Some people think Port Disney was publicized to scare Anaheim into agreeing to Disney's concessions for the building of WestCOT.
 

Funmeister

Well-Known Member
My own opinion is that family coasters under a certain size (e.g. Flyingfish, Barnstormer, Hippogriff) get something of a "pass" because they are small enough to be absorbed by trees and landscape without dominating their environment (or nearby environments).

Temple du Peril/Raging Spirits show how a somewhat bigger scale coaster superstructure can be sold as "archeological scaffolding." I think Thom Schillinger put together some cool ideas for Disney Paris on how to theme a bigger scale coaster to a tree-top jungle village http://3dconceptualdesigner.com/3DCD_2D_environments/ - although that might have been challenging/expensive to pull off if built at a mega-coaster scale.

I think California Screamin loses its 'old woody' look the closer you get to it - I would have liked to have seen wooden (real or fake) timbers overlayed on the steel structure to help sell the area as a unique, turn-of-the-century boardwalk.

Crystal Wings has got to be the most elaborate theme-ing ever done for a mega coaster, I only wish the pylons themselves were themed to integrate with the "ancient citadel" look. It's like you've told 90% of the story, but left off the ending.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train looks to be brilliantly executed (granted it is of moderate size) to feel like something beyond a roller coaster, joining the tiny number of really convincingly-themed outdoor coasters.


I do not think smaller coasters should get a "pass." If you are basing it on visual then how can you say that DUeling Dragons is less visually appealing than Gadgets GO Coaster or Barnstormer? I would take DD over those two any day from a theming perspective. I am not comparing an adult ride experience to a child ride experience. I am comparing looks to looks. Steel is steel no matter how big or how small.
 

RandySavage

Well-Known Member
If you are basing it on visual then how can you say that DUeling Dragons is less visually appealing than Gadgets GO Coaster or Barnstormer?

Which power lines have the bigger impact on the vista, the giant steel ones or the old wooden ones (imagine they're made of steel, not wood, for apples to apples) that are of a similar size to the trees next them?
Power-Lines.jpg


As I wrote, the smaller naked ones can be absorbed more easily by foliage, rockwork, etc:

coaster.jpg
 
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FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
Temple du Peril/Raging Spirits show how a somewhat bigger scale coaster superstructure can be sold as "archeological scaffolding." I think Thom Schillinger put together some cool ideas for Disney Paris on how to theme a bigger scale coaster to a tree-top jungle village http://3dconceptualdesigner.com/3DCD_2D_environments/ - although that might have been challenging/expensive to pull off if built at a mega-coaster scale.
And the backstory for Raging Spirits actually explains the loops as being the result of the elemental forces unleashed from the temple twisting and warping the track that the mine carts used in the excavation traveled on.
 

some guy

Active Member
So how about the Star Wars Episode 7 writing changes?
The optimist wants to think of it as "now it's the guy who worked on Empire". The pessimist in me thinks of it as "the guy who seems to have integrity left and now it's the guy who signed off on Ewoks".

Also I have no clue how they'll hit the release date they're talking.
 

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
Crystal Wings has got to be the most elaborate theme-ing ever done for a mega coaster, I only wish the pylons themselves were themed to integrate with the "ancient citadel" look. It's like you've told 90% of the story, but left off the ending.

Plus, since the picture I posted was taken Happy Valley has re-painted Crystal Wing's track from the original pink and orange to a blue and yellow that no longer blends into the surrounding rockwork.
At all.

Crystal_Wing_Happy_Valley.jpg
 

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
OZ isn't Disney, but that's funny. I'm not sure if I think that having Disney properties on the slots is a bad thing, but when Disney is trying to prevent gaming from coming to Orlando, it does seem a little two-sided of Disney.
Not really...it's all about advertising and protecting your current status quo.

Gambling is legal in AC so they advertise where the people are.

Gambling is illegal in Florida and they don't want their share of tourism dollars being lost to the gambling monopolies.
 

The_Mesh_Hatter

Well-Known Member
Plus, since the picture I posted was taken Happy Valley has re-painted Crystal Wing's track from the original pink and orange to a blue and yellow that no longer blends into the surrounding rockwork.
At all.

Crystal_Wing_Happy_Valley.jpg

Exactly. That's why rockwork =/= good theming. Nemasis at Alton Towers is better themed than this and it barely has any rockwork.
 
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