Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[Magenta Panther]

I find that 80 percent figure to be waaay high, but it could be accurate where your friend is working. But MK and EPCOT sell a tremendous amount of one day tix. The other parks, less so.

Bedbugs are an issue all over again due to regulations against the insecticide that wiped the out. Has nothing to do with a place being dirty. People are bringing them with them.

Have heard the same thing. Parks are not exactly packed. I'm sure folkls decided to wait for the kiddie coaster to open. Yeah, that's it.

My only comment on the buns is that I spoke to someone high up the food and beverage ladder and while they are getting plenty of complaints about the pastries (that are exactly the same at Gaston's, EXACTLY), they are a pittance compared with the praise they are getting for having drinkable coffee beverages at the park.

Well, at least Gaston's has a pretty damn good chocolate croissant, and Starbucks has NEVER had that. Just those endless varieties of "breads" - pumpkin, banana nut, lemon, blah, etc., - and those crappy apple fritters. And those stupid cake lollipops! Lumps of cake on a stick! Seriously, who the heck eats those?

 

[yeti]

I've been out. Someone point me to this planned leak...

http://orlandounited.com/word-of-hatetofly-return-of-the-king/

 

[Magenta Panther]

Got to hand it to the timing of their planned leak. As the Disney community goes into meltdown over the announced "no new announcements" Universal fires another 2,000 lb shell.

Well played.

I really hope they go all out on the Kong AA. Maybe then Disney will fix the yeti.

Man, I don't know. Can Disney be shamed into ANYTHING? Remember that Orlando Sentinel article a ways back, talking about the broken yeti? Was anything done? NO!!!! I've just about lost hope...

 

[Magenta Panther]

http://orlandounited.com/word-of-hatetofly-return-of-the-king/

Wow, that is all just frickin' amazing...I never got to ride the original Kong ride, although I've seen videos...Disney's gotta be shedding a few sweat beads over this news...

 

[BryceM]

What is the Toon Lagoon replacement.

Nobody knows. It's just been rumored. Honestly, I'd rather see Dudley get a major refurbishment, putting it on the level of Splash Mountain, demolition of the games, a new ride where the theater is and a better transition info Marvel Super Hero Island than see the whole land get the axe.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Disaster isn't the most popular attraction, but I'm a fan. It was better as Earthquake. Caught me off guard the first time I was on it, lol. I really thought we were in trouble, lol.

I don't know about King Kong. Have to see. Disaster will be easier to part with than Amity & Jaws.

I love Disaster, I think it's a very well done attraction but if they're revisiting King Kong, especially an updated version of the original I'm optimistic.

 

[NoChesterHester]

Wow, that is all just frickin' amazing...I never got to ride the original Kong ride, although I've seen videos...Disney's gotta be shedding a few sweat beads over this news...

Wow! Well... Lets go back to talking about our non announcement shall we?

 

[Calvin Coolidge]

Since people have mentioned Tiki Room, a stray musing...

So, Country Bear Jamboree was developed for Mineral King, yes? The idea being that MK was not just going to be a ski resort, but a Disney ski resort, which offered world-class, technologically advanced entertainment in addition to great skiing.

Now that Disney is building resorts that aren't attached to theme parks, was there any consideration given to adapting this model to, say, Aulani? Wouldn't a modified Tiki Room, with an extended show that ran for a few performances a night, be nice counter-programming to the same Luau that you'll find at every resort on Oahu?

I tend to think that this is the sort of thing which would give Disney a comparative advantage over other resorts in the area.

Obviously it would be somewhat difficult to maintain AAs, considering they can barely do it in places where lots of AAs are heavily concentrated. But I wish P&R had pursued it

 

[cbconglom]

Wow! Well... Lets go back to talking about our non announcement shall we?

Perfect! It goes right along with showing models of things they didn't build. They can do a whole presentation on things they were going to announce at d23 but didn't since the magic band budget got out of control. And this concept art here is the amazing immersive audio animatronic ride we were going to build for Star Wars land..

 

[HTF]

I would love to know is Avatar still going forward 100% ? It seems like there are some issues

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Now that Disney is building resorts that aren't attached to theme parks, was there any consideration given to adapting this model to, say, Aulani?

I would guess that the specific problem with a Tiki Room, for example, in Hawaii is that it would be competing against the real Hawaii. Then there's the issue of show times. Waiting to catch the next show at the Tiki Room in Disneyland is low investment if you're already in line for a Dole Whip. But who is going to schedule their day around a 4 p.m. Tiki Room show? I doubt they'd run the show even 1/10th as much as in Disneyland. If there was a limited schedule, then they'd probably have to sell tickets, or let guests make reservations . . . Most guests would probably opt to engage in activities outside the hotel, I would guess.

If they did another show that was as good as the Tiki room, but modern, it might well have a draw for the resort. But I think they'd have to mix it up more with live performers to make it special.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I would love to know is Avatar still going forward 100% ? It seems like there are some issues

At the moment it's full steam ahead.

 

[bubbles1812]

http://orlandounited.com/word-of-hatetofly-return-of-the-king/

Just got back from World War Z and find such a pleasant read... Two good things in a night!

Such a nice contrast from "no new products will be announced," "scope still being decided," "looks like Cars will be the only Pixar expansion in DHS," and "Avatar is still plodding along... Slowly". I'm damn skippy Thanks Uni!

 

[englanddg]

Hey, I'd buy it!

Here you go...mock up...


BAH Humbug by englanddg, on Flickr

 

[IHeartArt]

http://orlandounited.com/word-of-hatetofly-return-of-the-king/

This is all sounding really great!

Though, I have to bring up a point of contention... The HHN house lineup has been known for several months now. This mostly matches up except for Legendary Truth, which I've heard absolutely nothing about. I keep hearing something more about a prison house (separate from Walking Dead, of course!)... If he's right, and that's actually the theming for it, well... that'd certainly would be something.

 

[lazyboy97o]

At the moment it's full steam ahead.

And you know this or are you parroting what you've read from others?

 

[Longhairbear]

Someone help me out with a memory lapse. Since Comic Con was mentioned here, I sorta, kinda remember some news of a Disney related thing in preparation for the event. Did I read it here? Did a friend on Facebook mention it? Did I read it in Entertainment Weekly, or TV Guide? I seriously cannot remember what it was, perhaps Star Wars, George Lucas, Spielberg? I do remember thinking at the time that, "Oh, Disney owns that now". I'm pretty sure it wasn't the article on James Cameron in National Geographic...but. It all was something big at Comic Con, and Disney related.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Perfect! It goes right along with showing models of things they didn't build. They can do a whole presentation on things they were going to announce at d23 but didn't since the magic band budget got out of control. And this concept art here is the amazing immersive audio animatronic ride we were going to build for Star Wars land..

They can call it, "The Coffee Table Book of Tomorrow: First Look!"

 

[TP2000]

Since people have mentioned Tiki Room, a stray musing...

So, Country Bear Jamboree was developed for Mineral King, yes? The idea being that MK was not just going to be a ski resort, but a Disney ski resort, which offered world-class, technologically advanced entertainment in addition to great skiing.

Now that Disney is building resorts that aren't attached to theme parks, was there any consideration given to adapting this model to, say, Aulani? Wouldn't a modified Tiki Room, with an extended show that ran for a few performances a night, be nice counter-programming to the same Luau that you'll find at every resort on Oahu?

Mr. President, those are excellent points regarding Aulani and its lack of a Mineral King-like animatronic show. If Walt had been able to get Mineral King off the ground before he passed away, I think it would have been amazing in a way that Aulani is not. And it's stuff like a Tiki Room that's missing.

What about going back to the original 1962 concept for the Tiki Room, as a dinner theater? It was supposed to be hosted by Stouffer's and the show would only be performed for those dining below the birds.

Original Pre-Opening Poster Circa 1962 - "Tiki Talk Say Better Go! Wondrous Food! Wondrous Show!"

That's also why the Disneyland version of the Tiki Room has those funny little low-back bamboo chairs instead of just long benches; the chairs had already been purchased for the dining tables late in '62 when the Stouffer's restaurant concept was scratched in favor of the theater show. They strung the dining chairs together into long rows and turned them into theater seats. And with Stouffer's out, Disney got United Airlines to sign on at the last minute as the big Tiki Room sponsor, to plug their new Jet Mainliner service from the West Coast to Hawaii. (And folks say Starbucks is an abomination? Walt got any sponsor he could, and shoehorned them in to Disneyland as soon as the check was signed. Smart man!)

Walt Says Aloha! To Jose Circa 1963 - Hurry, Only Three Seats Left!

Aulani could have had a special restaurant with animatronic birds and flowers, performing a show perhaps in tandem with human performers in an upscale dinner theater facility. This is a missed opportunity for Aulani, and for Disney entertainment in general, to be sure.

 

[danlb_2000]

I would guess that the specific problem with a Tiki Room, for example, in Hawaii is that it would be competing against the real Hawaii. Then there's the issue of show times. Waiting to catch the next show at the Tiki Room in Disneyland is low investment if you're already in line for a Dole Whip. But who is going to schedule their day around a 4 p.m. Tiki Room show? I doubt they'd run the show even 1/10th as much as in Disneyland. If there was a limited schedule, then they'd probably have to sell tickets, or let guests make reservations . . . Most guests would probably opt to engage in activities outside the hotel, I would guess.

If they did another show that was as good as the Tiki room, but modern, it might well have a draw for the resort. But I think they'd have to mix it up more with live performers to make it special.

You are talking about the company that build an entire theme park about California,..... in California!