Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[WDW1974]

The problem is price.

I just stayed at the Montreal Marriott for about $240/night. That's for a luxury, modern, centrally located hotel in a major city. Oh, and I had a lovely view. I promise you the Marriott is banking a lot of cash at $240/night.

Disney's resort prices are insane.

I probably should have stayed there my last time in Montreal. ...I stayed in a Crowne Plaza that had seen much better days.

 

[PeterAlt]

Sure, they are.

Teenagers are great at getting into places (that some feel they shouldn't go), namely other teens' pants.

But, as always, your post was amusing!

Amusing? My sister was very serious. Hey, you have a right to be amused by my post, and that I find... amusing.

 

[ToTBellHop]

They are all wonderful resorts. I spent 11 days at DAK Lodge in May and have over 100 nights at both Lodges and a few dozen at Contemporary.

But the service and upkeep etc are not up to the prices the resorts command. And, again, you picked three of my favorites and hotels that generally are better maintained than say BC and YC, which are 3-star all the way.

I have to say, when I stayed at the Contemporary last month, I was NOT impressed with the service. So many unknowledgeable, apathetic cast members that I was shocked that this was a deluxe. For example, we had to call the front desk 4 times to get two Pack n Plays for our infants. That we requested when we booked. And when we online checked in. And, of course, due to my magic plus, Disney already knew all of our ages before we arrived. Finally, at 9 pm, the rude custodial CM shows up to begrudgingly give us two cribs. The view was wonderful (and the bathroom cool but not terribly functional) but no thank you. Keep your A frame with off-centered TVs showing the Must Dos from 2006.

 

[englanddg]

I have to say, when I stayed at the Contemporary last month, I was NOT impressed with the service. So many unknowledgeable, apathetic cast members that I was shocked that this was a deluxe. For example, we had to call the front desk 4 times to get two Pack n Plays for our infants. That we requested when we booked. And when we online checked in. And, of course, due to my magic plus, Disney already knew all of our ages before we arrived. Finally, at 9 pm, the rude custodial CM shows up to begrudgingly give us two cribs. The view was wonderful (and the bathroom cool but not terribly functional) but no thank you. Keep your A frame with off-centered TVs showing the Must Dos from 2006.

I liked for that bolded statement alone. That...is hilarious!

If you read my review in my trip report, my experience at the Atrium level wasn't much better (though, I will stand up for the Mousekeepers and service staff...they were great)

 

[Ignohippo]

I guess the question for anyone in the know-

Is there any indication for a light at the end of the tunnel for Disney turning things around, what with this obvious declaration of full-on war from Universal? Has Universal's success and WDW's problems sent ANY sort of signal to Disney headquarters and informed them that perhaps their competition is doing something better at the moment?

I do get that Iger and his friends aren't in it for the long haul and intend on cashing in their chips in a couple of years thinking they'll be out of the company before the company really begins to sink. But it sounds like the company may be in for a far rougher time than they expected, and much sooner than they predicted. They may end up being forced into action before they can jump out of the plane with golden parachutes.

I want an all-out theme park war between both companies creatively speaking. And I want it to be a perpetual battle that keeps both sides on track and serving the customers. But to do that, both sides have to fight.

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.

 

[Darth Sidious]

I would in no way call the best episode of a TV series. Hell, there are many BB episodes that I feel are better.

that said, it was damn fine entertainment ..typical of the best BB it started with a slow simmer and started to boil when Walt got the phone call with the dummy money picture, then it all boiled over in the desert.

So many questions ...does someone else have Walt's confession? Why did they show up when he called them off? Is Lydia involved in that? Who will live and who will die? We know Mr. White escapes death again. And the easy thing would be to kill Gomie. I also think it would be weak to off Hank there, but I have a feeling they may go that way.

I thought about my statement and rescind it. I was coming off a high of suspenseful entertainment.

I think it is clear why Walt purchased that hardware in the flash forward now. However, with BB you never know what they will do, even when they lead you to think you do. I think Gomez and Hank are done.

 

[PeterAlt]

Maybe the patient is actually a bus driver?

If making sure that teenage guests aren't getting into places they shouldn't be is a primary motivation for NextGen, I would have suggested investing in a couple more security cameras, door locks, and CMs -- it would have cost substantially less than $1-2 billion...

Very funny. As I said, I doubt it was the primary reason but certainly could be a reason.

I did explain the $2.5 billion cost factor to her to see if she would back-peddle on the story and she didn't flinch. I also told her the story I heard here about the warehouse full of coding geeks and how a manager walked in one day and had most of them fired. I asked her if her patient was that manager. She said she will ask if she sees him again.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I felt they were the best of the recent lot, but still aimed at the younger set. If parents enjoyed them, fine. But they weren't made for that ... I also felt Tangled's merits were highly overblown as I saw it months after it came out. A lot of folks want to make it on par with Disney's 90s fare and I didn't feel it. I thought it was safe.

Too bad John hasn't learned from Miyazaki that you can make animated films that connect with all ages and contain layers. I say this after re watching Spirited Away earlier this week because Disney's animated ought to strive for being more than just films that are great for kids and ok/tolerable for adults.

 

[vagabondarts]

I appreciate that. Really. ...I get out in the middle of the road and grab turtles ...and when a lizard gets in my house, I let it live until I can catch it and get it out. If a kitten is stuck in a drain, I am out there.

But some creatures are not worth the time or effort. ANY of these people (with a few exceptions who were so onerous they were banned, something that seems near impossible here) are capable of joining a discussion and engaging in what social media and the internet is supposed to be about (beyond ).

It isn't like they aren't all reading or having others report in. If they don't want to come and defend themselves it just may be because they feel a little defensive about what they are engaging in.

While I'm not going to bring up my past arguments all over again, your disdain for their behavior is not lost on me.

Frozen being "Tangled ...in snow" sounds... not good.

Tangled was partly created with the help of Glen Keane, right? Is he even working at Disney anymore?

Pixar has either been effectively neutered by Disney studios politics or the talent has moved on (my personal conviction is that it's both, but I'm a humble outsider drawing my own conclusions).

 

[Ignohippo]

I felt they were the best of the recent lot, but still aimed at the younger set. If parents enjoyed them, fine. But they weren't made for that ... I also felt Tangled's merits were highly overblown as I saw it months after it came out. A lot of folks want to make it on par with Disney's 90s fare and I didn't feel it. I thought it was safe.

The problem with Tangled was that the music really missed he mark. Everything else was fantastic, but the music wasn't anywhere near the same ballpark as the 90s flicks.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I agree with everything you say here, but what were the 3 Pixar stinkers you refer to?

Cars 2 was horrific, Brave was fair (but hardly a "stinker"), Monsters U was outstanding (as far as sequels go). Before that was TS3, Wall-E and Ratatouille.

We'll see just how dry the well is when Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory come out. I have high hopes for all 3.

Ah, wait, I had Planes in mind. Puzzled by your reply I did a quick google that reveals it isn't Pixar, but DisneyToonStudios. My bad. I must confess to not having seen it. Then again, I rarely do watch direct-to-video fare.

Cars 2 is rubbish. Brave was a frustrating movie. It has all the ingredients for a terrific flic, but somehow manages to mangle them.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The problem with Tangled was that the music really missed he mark. Everything else was fantastic, but the music wasn't anywhere near the same ballpark as the 90s flicks.

The lantern scene with the Mandy Moore song in the background has to be one of the most gorgeous bits of animation in ages.

 

[WildcatDen]

Seeing as the ball is now rolling, I will not comment on this further.

QTIP does not apply here. Carry on my wayward son. . .

 

[nytimez]

Pixar has either been effectively neutered by Disney studios politics or the talent has moved on (my personal conviction is that it's both, but I'm a humble outsider drawing my own conclusions).

I can tell you from a pretty good source that the folks in Pixar in general do not feel that Disney has neutered them in any way. The concern I hear is that Lasseter has gotten too powerful and there is no longer anyone who can say "no" to him.

But, your second thought is correct - they have lost some good people, and the Skipper gets the blame for some of that.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Absolutely, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have been partners in the one park. It wouldn't mean Blackstone would have any say in anything else at the resort.

Blackstone/Merlin building Legoland at he old Cypress Gardens site shows how misguided they are. Yeah, they probably saved 30% in construction and real estate costs, but I their attendance would probably be at least 3x higher if they would have built it from scratch in Orlando.

It's way too far out to even be a factor.

Attendance would be 3X higher, but it would have cost 30X more. The Legoland concept, in my book, is too fundamentally flawed to work as very serious, high quality themed entertainment, namely due to the exclusive focus on young children.

 

[Kuhio]

I thought Tangled and Ralph were terrific - not just kids flicks that I happened to like. I even thought the 3D in Tangled was used with artistic effect, rather than solely as a gimmick.

I really enjoyed Ralph, but that was probably because I'm squarely in the demographic to which it chiefly caters.

I do think that Tangled is every bit an enduring classic and among the best of Disney's animated canon, though. It strikes a nearly perfect balance between comedy, drama, and action, and the relationships between Rapunzel and both Flynn and Mother Gothel are notably more nuanced than in most other animated films, Disney or otherwise. The floating lanterns scene is one of the most heartfelt and memorable interludes in any Disney film. (As an aside, the "Rapunzel's Birthday Sky"/floating lanterns dome is also my favorite of the Disney Infinity hexagonal discs.)

And, since this is a thread concerning news and rumors about the Disney company -- how's that for a segue? -- Disney Infinity has sold quite well so far, moving $30 million worth of product in its first two weeks. This is heartening news for Disney's interactive division, which has lost $103 million through nine months of this fiscal year.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...hes-skylanders-giants-debut-analyst-says.html

I think the sales should continue to be strong through the holiday season, as word of mouth has largely been positive -- like the best of Disney over the years, Disney Infinity is really something that parents and kids can enjoy together.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Brave was a frustrating movie. It has all the ingredients for a terrific flic, but somehow manages to mangle them.

The crude humor is what brought it down a notch or two in my eyes.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Too bad John hasn't learned from Miyazaki that you can make animated films that connect with all ages and contain layers. I say this after re watching Spirited Away earlier this week because Disney's animated ought to strive for being more than just films that are great for kids and ok/tolerable for adults.

I wish Disney Animation would bring in a Japanese director or writer. Or even a European one.

Hollywood is a bore. Even CGI animation, which felt so fresh not even a decade ago, has now moved from a technique to a genre. Boring family flicks, where a parrot lost in Brazil is regarded the height of dramatic tension.
Watch some Fireflies instead, which will crush your soul and haunt you in your sleep.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

While I'm not going to bring up my past arguments all over again, your disdain for their behavior is not lost on me.

Frozen being "Tangled ...in snow" sounds... not good.

Tangled was partly created with the help of Glen Keane, right? Is he even working at Disney anymore?

Pixar has either been effectively neutered by Disney studios politics or the talent has moved on (my personal conviction is that it's both, but I'm a humble outsider drawing my own conclusions).

Glen Keane "retired" from Disney last year after having trouble getting a project post-tangled approved. He did consider moving to DreamWorks.http://www.blueskydisney.com/2011/03/between-mouse-moon.html?m=1
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/rumor-mill-did-glen-keane-leave-disney-today-59592.html
Glen was the original director on Tangled/Rapunzel/Rapunzel Unbraided. After the "hip & edgy" Unbraided was canned, Glen Keane worked with Dean DeBois, Chris Sanders' directing partner on Lilo and Stitch and HTTYD, on a darker version of the story that tried to get back to what Glen had intended back when he first pitched the idea in the late 90's. Glen has a heart attack, moves into role as Producer and Supervising Animator for Rapunzel. That's just the truncated version.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The crude humor is what brought it down a notch or two in my eyes.

Where has the maturity of Wall E gone? Or even Finding Nemo, which still makes me tear up (perhaps more so as a father). I will be miffed if Finding Dory is to Finding Nemo what Cars 2 was to Cars.