Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[PhotoDave219]

Attractions or distractions, folks.

Pick your poison

 

[PhotoDave219]

These examples will increase Disney profits without MM+. These are the things Disney should be considering. Get additional profits by offering a better experience.

When spending over $150 for two on a meal, we like to dress a little nicer. We hate walking into Yachtsman's and seeing the dining room full of children running around, Crayons on the floor and a high chair. I get better service and food at Texas Coral. Nothing wrong with Texas Coral as long as my bill tells me I'm at Texas Coral.

One of my pet peeves (not signaling you out) is everything at Disney have to have a kids experience. At times adults try to be elite over those without kid in tow. I've seen it at parades, meet and greets. Hey I have a kid and you don't so I should be served first, get the better seating, etc. I've even heard it okay to have kids only experience but not adult only experiences. Shortsighted.

That's why I will now only do signature dining at Shula's or on Sand Lake.

Guests dressed or behaving inappropriately for a signature meal is unacceptable.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Without the water park slides and the carousel at Downtown Disney, that still adds up to 102, ahead of Disneyland's 84 count.

Nope. WDW has I believe 51 rides and the DLR has 57 rides.

 

[George]

One of my pet peeves (not signaling you out) is everything at Disney have to have a kids experience. At times adults try to be elite over those without kid in tow. I've seen it at parades, meet and greets. Hey I have a kid and you don't so I should be served first, get the better seating, etc. I've even heard it okay to have kids only experience but not adult only experiences. Shortsighted.

It is not only short sighted it is kind of dumb. Besides, in the real world, kids are at nice restaurants, attending church services, watching re runs of TV shows they find boring because mom or dad like them, listening to a crazed uncle regale them with the story of the time the back up catcher for the Indians gave them a baseball....Kids don't require everything to be for them even if they are in tow.

 

[crispy]

The problem is that WDW's Fantasyland now incorporates rides in what used to be Toontown. Disneyland still has a separate Toontown, with five attractions, but those aren't counted in the Fantasyland total like they are now for WDW's Fantasyland. Also, the WDW website designers are fibbing a bit and overhyping some stuff that isn't actually an "attraction".

Storytime With Belle is an "attraction" in WDW's eyes, but Disneyland knows the larger and multi-offering Princess Fantasy Faire complex is wonderful but it's really just a meet n' greet on steroids and not an "attraction", so it doesn't even get counted in the Disneyland total.

When you consider that the WDW website counts Cinderella Castle as an "attraction" at WDW even though it houses no actual attraction, and are counting the Casey Jr. Soak Zone fountain as an "attraction" in WDW's Fantasyland, plus have counted the old WDW Toontown rides as part of Fantasyland now, you would actually end up with the following total if the Fantasyland/Toontown/Storybook Circus complex were compared evenly between the two coasts;

Fantasyland/Toontown/Storybook Circus Attraction Total
Disneyland: 17 Attractions
WDW: 10 Attractions (11 Attractions when Mine Train opens in 2014)

I think I am the only person who loved the new Storytime with Belle. I thought it was very well done, and it had some wonderful elements like the magical mirror and Lumiere that really wowed me. I definitely feel it is a real attraction and not just a meet 'n greet.

 

[Computer Magic]

That's why I will now only do signature dining at Shula's or on Sand Lake.

Guests dressed or behaving inappropriately for a signature meal is unacceptable.

I think next time I will skip the deluxe dining and pay out of pocket. I'll skip all dining that is on the regular dining plan. I did notice a difference in Feb as I was able to go to some dining that is only offered with the deluxe plan.

Now let me state, I'm not a fan of the dining plan. Disney forces this on you by inflating the price. I don't go often enough for the Table of Wonders or any other discounts. However, I will not pay full price for the food being delivered to by table.

 

[TP2000]

Also, according to their websites, Walt Disney World in total has 127 attractions while Disneyland has 84.
More attractions my butt.

The website designers for WDW parks are fibbing, and they've likely been asked to do so to pump up the list of "attractions" for those planning visits. Consider that the following are currently listed on the website as separate "attractions" according to WDW officials;

Casey Jr. Soak Zone (play fountain)
Epcot Character Spot (photo location)
Kidcot Fun Spots (arts n crafts)
Norway alone has three attractions! (Maelstrom, Stave Church, and Spirit of Norway - which is the exit film after you get off Maelstrom)
Academy of TV Arts & Sciences Hall Of Fame Plaza (small courtyard at DHS with two dozen bronze statues of dead TV stars)
Dino-Sue (a statue of a dinosaur skeleton at DAK, cool to look at for 15 seconds but it's counted as an "attraction")
Fossil Fun Games (extra-cost carnival games at DAK)
Tree Of Life (not the Bugs 3D show inside as that's counted separately as another attraction, and not the Discovery Trails around it as that's also a separate "attraction", just the tree structure itself merely existing is an "attraction")

All four WDW parks have many examples like that on the official website. They've taken little things along pathways, or perhaps just the mere existence of a building or structure itself, and are counting them as an "Attraction" just like Space Mountain or Peter Pan or Spaceship Earth. Epcot is the worst for counting pre-shows and post-shows as separate "attractions" inside pavilions, rather than just the waiting areas or sponsor display areas that they really are.

But that's how you get to a total of 127 Attractions at the four WDW parks. You fib a bit, you stretch the truth on a few things, you exaggerate how wonderful a statue is, and then you just start counting buildings if you have to. And voila!, you've got 127 Attractions!

To be fair, a dozen things on the Disneyland website fall into the same category. But no one does it better or more comprehensively than WDW's website. The reality is that there are about 70 legit attractions at Disneyland Resort (Disneyland & DCA) and 70 legit attractions at WDW (MK, Epcot, DHS, & DAK). Not 127 and 84. 70 on each coast, give or take a couple.

 

[Computer Magic]

It is not only short sighted it is kind of dumb. Besides, in the real world, kids are at nice restaurants, attending church services, watching re runs of TV shows they find boring because mom or dad like them, listening to a crazed uncle regale them with the story of the time the back up catcher for the Indians gave them a baseball....Kids don't require everything to be for them even if they are in tow.

You are correct. In fact, I bet the kids would rather be at Disney Day Care while Mom and Dad are having a nice dinner.

 

[Wikkler]

Ok, so Disney World minus non-theme park has 55 "rides" while Disneyland has 57.

Disneyland wins and Disney World needs to get bombed. Perhaps hydrogen would be best...?

And then Disney World doesn't have 55 "rides" it has 7. And Disneyland has 68.

 

[matt9112]

And I also never see that behavior at other top end resorts. I didn't see it at Portofino Bay either.

Hell , you don't see it at a typical airport Hilton!

im going to stalk you and find your local hilton and do this...=) just so you can explode...haha joking

 

[George]

What does the type of ride matter? A ride is a ride. Carnival-type rides are most fit for Paradise Pier's theme.

It matters if the implication the WDW experience is much lesser in terms of rides. WDW does have more long, languorous, rides. KS, the Great Movie ride, SSE, UoE, LwTL...I know WDW does need a few more small and large scale things to flesh the parks out (especially in DHS and DAK). I didn't mean to imply that Paradise Pier was badly themed. I enjoyed it and liked the look of it, but I can't really rag on WDW for not having more Jumping Jellyfish, type things. Besides, you completely ignored the 4-5 rides in Bugs Land which I can ride when the un-licensed traveling carnival shows up in my grocery store parking lot.

 

[doctornick]

I think I am the only person who loved the new Storytime with Belle. I thought it was very well done, and it had some wonderful elements like the magical mirror and Lumiere that really wowed me. I definitely feel it is a real attraction and not just a meet 'n greet.

Haven't been yet, but I think it's an excellent addition. I am firmly in the camp that everything Disney does should be done with utmost quality in mind. M&G's are going to happen because they are popular and a big guest satisfier -- so I applaud Disney for making a run of the mill M&G into a plussed attraction with neat effects.

I think the problem with ETWB and the FLE in general is that stuff like Belle, BoG and the Little Mermaid ride are the highpoints when they should be the filler than accompanies the top notch addition. And also that virtually everything is geared towards children rather than whole family experiences.

 

[EpcoTim]

That's why I will now only do signature dining at Shula's or on Sand Lake.

Guests dressed or behaving inappropriately for a signature meal is unacceptable.

Doesn't it clearly state in the fine print of the Dining Plan that kids wearing only diapers are allowed to pick off the plates of other diners while their parents relax with a bud tall boy?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Some of the rides at WDW are un matched in duration by any of the rides at DLR (Great Movie Ride, KS, SSE,



It matters if the implication the WDW experience is much lesser in terms of rides. WDW does have more long, languorous, rides. KS, the Great Movie ride, SSE, UoE, LwTL...I know WDW does need a few more small and large scale things to flesh the parks out (especially in DHS and DAK). I didn't mean to imply that Paradise Pier was badly themed. I enjoyed it and liked the look of it, but I can't really rag on WDW for not having more Jumping Jellyfish, type things. Besides, you completely ignored the 4-5 rides in Bugs Land which I can ride when the un-licensed traveling carnival shows up in my grocery store parking lot.

I ignored the bug's land rides because Paradise Pier's theme partners with carnival-type rides, which was the point. Bug's Land, not so much.

I see your point (specifically the second paragraph).

 

[lebeau]

I can truely say I've never had any of them. Tho I did try the cinn. bun in DCA since people were ranting about them here..

I know I have had a churro. My wife got a taco salad in the Mexico pavilion and since we were on the meal plan, the churro was included as dessert. She didn't want it, so I got it. It was fine, but I can get a churro anywhere.

I have probably had a Dole Whip at some point in my youth. I remember the stand, but not the actual experience of eating one. It's pineapple soft serve. I'm sure it's yummy but some people need to calm down.

Turkey legs are gross. Not to mention you can buy them just about anywhere now. And who gets excited about a cinnamon roll? Do they not have Cinebon where these people are from? Or bakeries? Or Pillsbury? I just don't get it.

Snacks at Disney are tasty because snacks are tasty and hard to screw up. But there's nothing wondrous about Disney junk food.

 

[lebeau]

Let's not forget the drunkfest The Food & Wine Festival has become (especially on weekends) or what they are trying to do with the Flower & Garden Festival.

I have only been to the F&W festival once. It was a zoo. Future World was empty. But the World Showcase was shoulder to shoulder with drunk locals clogging the walkways swapping notes on what to eat and drink. Trying to navigate that with two kids and a stroller was a mess. These people were too caught up in their own thing and/or too drunk to notice people trying to walk from one pavilion to another. It was not a place for kids.

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

Sorry, Flynnibus, but I've got to ask--why never a Dole Whip? Allergy thing? Because I can't fathom caring enough about Disney to post on a board like this, often, and never once saying, hey, let me try that iconic ice cream thing people have raved about for decades and which is supposed to be the be-all-end-all Disney treat.

IMHO if you haven't tried a dole whip you're no true disney fan....just kidding but seriously I'm po'd that you guys grout them up since I can't have one right now. They are a highlight of my trips to MK

 

[Wikkler]

I know I have had a churro. My wife got a taco salad in the Mexico pavilion and since we were on the meal plan, the churro was included as dessert. She didn't want it, so I got it. It was fine, but I can get a churro anywhere.

I have probably had a Dole Whip at some point in my youth. I remember the stand, but not the actual experience of eating one. It's pineapple soft serve. I'm sure it's yummy but some people need to calm down.

Turkey legs are gross. Not to mention you can buy them just about anywhere now. And who gets excited about a cinnamon roll? Do they not have Cinebon where these people are from? Or bakeries? Or Pillsbury? I just don't get it.

Snacks at Disney are tasty because snacks are tasty and hard to screw up. But there's nothing wondrous about Disney junk food.

The only thing I can think of that we think is unique, snack-wise, at Disney is the Butterfinger Muffin at Starring Rolls in Hollywood Studios. Yum!

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

I don't like pineapple.

They have orange too!

 

[FutureWorld1982]

The reality is that there are about 70 legit attractions at Disneyland Resort (Disneyland & DCA) and 70 legit attractions at WDW (MK, Epcot, DHS, & DAK). Not 127 and 84. 70 on each coast, give or take a couple.

Just to understand, do you also include all the WS countries there? Because to me they fall under the "walk-through" attractions category (like the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through at DL).