Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[crispy]

It is very simple. The more you plan at WDW, the less chance you will ever leave Disney property and head over to UNI, SW or the Olive Garden.

The other side of this is how many people are going to feel like a WDW vacation is anything but a vacation and opt for UNI and SW and other places?

I walk on attractions at WDW ALL THE TIME (and I don't have a GAC, just a brain). If I have to wait 40 minutes at 10 at night for Pirates or Mansion, then they can keep their much less MAGICal product.

I have been helping a friend of a friend plan a WDW trip for the November. She was to the point of tears when I talked to her because she was so overwhelmed (not to mention her travel agent had given her some bad information). She has been researching and trying to plan, but trying to figure out transportation, hotel options, the dining plan, fastpasses, child swap, etc., is a lot to take in especially when this is expected to be a once in a lifetime trip for them. I mentioned the MagicBand because who knows if it will be live when she goes in the fall. She made a comment that that is just something ELSE she is going to have to research and stress about.

If Disney wants to make repeat customers out of first time visitors, they need to make a WDW vacation simpler, not more complicated. Maybe that was part of the plan with the NextGen stuff (in addition to increasing profits), but it's just not happening. I am a longtime, loyal WDW visitor, and it's almost to the point where I don't want to visit until they get all of this stuff worked out and I can see how it will affect my vacation. I have said it many times - taking a trip to a them park should not be this complicated!

 

[WDW1974]

FastPass, FastPass+, Magic Bands, RFID, room key cards, and interactive this and that, I've got a headache. I'm admit that I'm reluctant to change, especially when the motive for said change is questionable, but forgive me, I like simple. Reading these threads about Next Gen makes me feel a bit "out of the loop". Maybe I'm just old.

Not old, perhaps old school. It shouldn't be work to plan and visit a family resort vacation destination ..and everything Disney has done has made it more complicated and more of a chore than it ever used to be.

You wouldn't need to plan like this to visit in 1973 or 1993 (hell, even 2003) ...the reason you do now has everything to do with Disney's business model and squeezing every penny out of every guest ...and by increasing capacity without adding or expanding its parks.

 

[Nemo14]

The only thing that all this NextGen stuff has made easier for me is planning a FL trip without setting foot in WDW.

 

[WDW1974]

Do the guests need it? no. Does WDW "need it" to sell FP+ to unsuspecting guests? they think so

Exactly, imagine visiting EPCOT at a busy time and you have FPs for Maelstrom, Captain EO and Illuminations. Because that scenario will play out soon.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

So, Monsters U makes it a perfect 14 of 14 No. 1 openings for Pixar. Looks like they'll have no trouble making a profit on this one, unlike Brave. ... I haven't seen it yet, so can we keep the spoilers out until it's been in theaters two weeks?

Laughter is 10x more powerful than screams. [/spoiler]

 

[WDW1974]

"Cooking With Mickey Volume II" (no date of publishing on the book) has the recipe for Tony's House Dressing. It's the Italian dressing we use at home (w/ some modifications), and it is fantastic. (I don't know how it compares to what Tony's serves back then or now since I've never eaten there).

Disney cookbooks (esp. older ones) are a treasure trove of recipes that are both aspirational as well as accessible (often w/ few and/or simple ingredients that's easy to replicate at home).

Aspirational yet accessible. Words that could describe what WDW was once as a whole.

Thanks, but that isn't the same. What I am talking about was served literally all over property from the Terrace Buffet at Contemporary to Pinocchio's at MK to Village Restaurant etc ..but the Tony's stuff was good too if it's what I think it is (or was).

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Exactly, imagine visiting EPCOT at a busy time and you have FPs for Maelstrom, Captain EO and Illuminations. Because that scenario will play out soon.

I'm convinced a key point of NGE is to allow folks like Phil to "see" how the parks are doing at home in their pajamas.

 

[willtravel]

I am trying to figure out why ssssooo much planning has to go into going to WDW even for the first time?

 

[WDW1974]

Was there any doubt MU would hit #1? The family movie release slate this year has been pretty sparse so far and Pixar (and Monster's Inc.) still have a good name for them amongst the general family movie going public.

Not really. But the numbers are VERY impressive with Man of STeel only in its second week and World War Z opening (that had huge numbers too!)

I just find it bizarre how quickly summer movies are in and out these days ... Iron Man 3 is ancient history and Star Trek is almost as old. ...and those are summer movies. They'll be in the dollar theaters (do they even exist anymore?) in a month and out on DVD in two. It's just a ridiculously short window and if you don't make it big in your opening weekend, you're dead in the water(like say The Internship or AFter Earth).

 

[Nemo14]

but it's not "planning" - we prefer to think of it as "Maxxing the Magic"

 

[Nemo14]

Not really. But the numbers are VERY impressive with Man of STeel only in its second week and World War Z opening (that had huge numbers too!)

I just find it bizarre how quickly summer movies are in and out these days ... Iron Man 3 is ancient history and Star Trek is almost as old. ...and those are summer movies. They'll be in the dollar theaters (do they even exist anymore?) in a month and out on DVD in two. It's just a ridiculously short window and if you don't make it big in your opening weekend, you're dead in the water(like say The Internship or AFter Earth).

We still have a dollar movie theater, but it's actually a buck and a half now. Right now Oz is over there.

 

[spacemt354]

I loved Man of Steel and I think it's better than Batman Begins and the Dark Knight Rises. The only two superhero films that top it in my opinion would be The Dark Knight and The Avengers. I liked the ending and I loved the flashback scenes, especially the ones with Kevin Costner. I found the score of the film fantastic as well. Best film of the year so far but that's not really saying much. If the film kept with the first 90 min, it would of been more well received. Saw MU and loved it.

I saw it the other night and thought it was very well done. My one gripe was that it felt like two movies.

The first half felt like Batman Begins to me a little, seeing Clark wonder the world in search for his identity and such. And the flashback scenes were very well done, the music fantastic (it's Hans Zimmer, what do you expect?) and the acting very well done. These scenes added depth to the movie and it felt like Nolan and Goyer were directing. Then the second half came along and it felt like Snyder's over the top directing took over. Action scene after action scene. It was really awesome to see, but in terms of story it kinda just tossed that aside and said let's see how much fighting and destruction and awesome Hans Zimmer music we can throw up on screen at once.

Overall I'd give it 8.5/10, would have gotten a 9 or 10/10 if they dialed down the final action scenes a bit and focused, like you said, on the tone that the first half of the movie instilled. But overall great movie!. Also did anyone catch the shout-out to Batman during the final fight scene?? As Sups and Zod were fighting in space they passed a Wayne Enterprises satellite. I thought that was pretty cool.

 

[unkadug]

Lol. This is honestly what I think every time I see people raving about the food at Disney. I mean don't get me wrong, Disney does have some decent to good food to offer at Epcot and the resorts, but the way people rave about it, you'd have thought they were dining in the most expensive restaurant in NY. Disney offers good food that I have enjoyed (that is way overpriced), but it isn't fine dining in any sense at the majority of the restaurants with the possible exception of Albert and Victoria's.

Overpriced food does not equate to fine dining.

 

[WDW1974]

Cool way for Disney to increase their profit. Charge more and close earlier. However, is the true issue no one is spending time in the parks after 11pm or 7pm at AK. Seems keeping the park open would have a better chance in guest spending money instead of returning to their resort. Or worse, do these guest head off site.

Has nothing to do with guests. I've never known people to not want to be in the parks at night, especially in the miserable Florida summers. Disney saves a tremendous amount of money in labor by snipping an hour here or a few hours there.

I was just surprised no one had mentioned the cuts yet, but I realize they are busy obsessing over Starbucks ruining the MK (guess what? Disney did that itself over the last 15 years)

 

[WDW1974]

Lol. This is honestly what I think every time I see people raving about the food at Disney. I mean don't get me wrong, Disney does have some decent to good food to offer at Epcot and the resorts, but the way people rave about it, you'd have thought they were dining in the most expensive restaurant in NY. Disney offers good food that I have enjoyed (that is way overpriced), but it isn't fine dining in any sense at the majority of the restaurants with the possible exception of Albert and Victoria's.

There are others (non like V&As to be sure) ...I had great meals at Jiko, Flying Fish and Il Mulino last month and would say all were fine dining.

 

[WDW1974]

Just on my mind due to Facebook's recent "bug" where it was revealed that they are amassing shadow profiles that contains data not explicitly shared with Facebook. They've been caught with the tracking cookies in the past.

Interesting ... Sorta like looking at a site for something in Macau and then getting an ad from DCL ... IN Portuguese ... Just a coincidence, "I'm sure.

 

[spacemt354]

Lol. This is honestly what I think every time I see people raving about the food at Disney. I mean don't get me wrong, Disney does have some decent to good food to offer at Epcot and the resorts, but the way people rave about it, you'd have thought they were dining in the most expensive restaurant in NY. Disney offers good food that I have enjoyed (that is way overpriced), but it isn't fine dining in any sense at the majority of the restaurants with the possible exception of Albert and Victoria's.

I'd agree for the most part, though I would put California Grill, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Jiko, and possibly even Artist's Point in the category of fine dining. Maybe evena few more that I can't think of off the top of my head. Though yes, for the part, fine dining in the parks is not to be found, and even at the resorts, they are few and far between.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

There are others (non like V&As to be sure) ...I had great meals at Jiko, Flying Fish and Il Mulino last month and would say all were fine dining.

Faux one percenter Spirit, have you dined at Victoria & Alberts?

 

[Travel Junkie]

While we are talking movies, they had a free screening today for AP's at DCA of Lone Ranger. It has the same director, producer, and a couple of the same writers as Pirates 1-3, not to mention Johnny Depp in a Jack Sparrow type role. It should come as no surprise then that you get Pirates as a western and more in the vain of Pirates 2 and 3, than the first one and that should tell you enough. The trailer gives off that impression anyway so I don't think I'm spoiling anything.

 

[bubbles1812]

Overpriced food does not equate to fine dining.

Agreed. I should have phrased that better. (Though the most expensive restaurant in NY undoubtedly is ) Many seem to think it is though.