Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

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The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
MattM said:
Disney will never drop opposition to gaming in Florida.
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Self-serving or not, long may Disney continue to do so!

Gambling invariably brings with it an entire culture of guests, hotels, businesses and a mindset. This will infect Orlando tourism and drag it down into the gutter even more.

For exactly the opposite reason, I wish the Disney Concert Hall or Disney Museum would've been build in Orlando instead of Cali. :)


Build a casino on I-4, and WDW's guests will demand alcohol and princesses in World Showcase. Build a Concert Hall, and WDW's guest will ask for architecture and fun c/d tickets in WS.
 
71jason

71jason

Well-Known Member
Soarin' Over Pgh said:
There's a lot of money to be had in gambling/gaming/casinos.
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Agreed, but I think this works against casinos. The Seminoles and the existing poker rooms are going to fight tooth and nail to prevent real casinos from honing in on their turf. In DeBary, the Daytona poker room (well, technically it's a dog track, which is ironic) created a fake PETA-like group to oppose a new horse track--that would have been a money-loser, but would have allowed the developer to build a highly profitable poker room next door.

Also, I'm not sure a lot of the tourism power-brokers want the competition, either. Disney, of course, but I'm also thinking like Harris Rosen, who has a vested stake in making sure conventions don't ditch Orange County for a hypothetical new Trump hotel in Miami or Daytona. Basically any tourist mecca that wouldn't get its own casino.
 
71jason

71jason

Well-Known Member
The Empress Lilly said:
Gambling invariably brings with it an entire culture of guests, hotels, businesses and a mindset. This will infect Orlando tourism and drag it down into the gutter even more.
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I think casinos in even the greater Orlando area are a huge long shot. Maybe Lake County, up by the Villages--big maybe there, it's still Bible Belty up there--but more likely in SoFla or Daytona, if they come anywhere.

To be honest, Daytona already feels like a casino town. It relies on questionable special events the way Atlantic City relies on gambling.
 
bubbles1812

bubbles1812

Well-Known Member
The Empress Lilly said:
Great article. Well depressing. I have little to no desire to see any of the fifty movies out now that consist of super machines or super humans fighting other super things amidst a lot of ruination and millions of CGI particles flying around based on the latest algorithm.

Isn't UNI like a summer popcorn blockbuster? Very impressive, very flashy, but ultimately lacking in substance?
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I've seen your posts before regarding Universal, and it's fine that you aren't the biggest fan, but your last questions are quite... well, it mostly appears you just wanted to get a reaction. And you have one. How does Universal lack substance exactly? Because it isn't associated with heaps of nostalgia the way Disney is? (And which is partially responsible for the degredation of the Disney parks, since people refuse to take off their rose colored glasses and demand changes necessary because of nostalgia?) Universal has many rides and attractions that feature IPs that are deep seated in our culture, and no I'm not just talking about Harry Potter, though that would be one. Their parks often have just as much detail and nuance as Disney, and the areas that don't, they are improving... unlike Disney. You want flashy and lacking substance... Just take a look at NFE. It's the very definition of "pretty" but on a closer look, there isn't a whole lot there.
 
|Q|

|Q|

Active Member
Nubs70 said:
I would suggest reading the online versions of Der Spiegel and Deutsche Welle if you want an international take on this little leak situation here in the US. If you are considering alternative national residence, look into an EU passport by means of generational qualification. Look into Italy and Ireland, in particular.
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I'm italian, and it's not really a great time to move around here, believe me :-/
 
rael ramone

rael ramone

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
All these updated European hotels with "rooms by IKEA" :rolleyes: are starting to wear on me. And the rooms are all the size of my master bathroom at home. Seriously.

At least they all have showers now, not like the old days when I has to wash-up in bathtubs. And air conditioning vs. throw-open-a-window-and-listen-to-the-street-traffic-all-night-long. Great for jet lag.
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Looks like a number of people have been conditioned to accept less than comfortable in their hoteling lives. Right up TDO's alley!!! (If guests don't wake up in a room that has a temperature that gives them a clammy/sick in bed feeling, they think are using too much power).

My guess is that the average WDW hotel room generates 500-600 a night in revenue (including admission, food, souvenirs, and perhaps an 'add-on' like a princessy makeover or a round of golf) - and the deluxes can hit that number by themselves... And how much does each room cost to run?....
 
Skibum1970

Skibum1970

Well-Known Member
bubbles1812 said:
I've seen your posts before regarding Universal, and it's fine that you aren't the biggest fan, but your last questions are quite... well, it mostly appears you just wanted to get a reaction. And you have one. How does Universal lack substance exactly? Because it isn't associated with heaps of nostalgia the way Disney is? (And which is partially responsible for the degredation of the Disney parks, since people refuse to take off their rose colored glasses and demand changes necessary because of nostalgia?) Universal has many rides and attractions that feature IPs that are deep seated in our culture, and no I'm not just talking about Harry Potter, though that would be one. Their parks often have just as much detail and nuance as Disney, and the areas that don't, they are improving... unlike Disney. You want flashy and lacking substance... Just take a look at NFE. It's the very definition of "pretty" but on a closer look, there isn't a whole lot there.
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I tend to agree with you. I think that UNI/IOA have a lot to offer that goes beyond glitz and does have a lot of substance. Spiderman is impressive and Jurassic Park was almost as impressive. IOA provides a great deal of immersiveness with some excellent theming. It could use a few more attractions but so could some park that has a malfuntioning Yeti. UNI wasn't as good although I'll need to ride Transformers and the new HP ride to offer a better opinion. IOA's detail is very impressive.
 
Darth Sidious

Darth Sidious

Authentically Disney Distinctly Chinese
Speaking of Casinos... New York needs to legalize them and also legalize UFC. NY needs the money they will bring in.
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Kuhio said:
I recently visited the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco (much recommended for any Disney fan), and what impressed me most about what I learned wasn't Walt Disney's incredible imagination and acumen for both business and art, but his willingness to take risks and to stand behind his convictions, even in the face of overwhelming uncertainty.

It's kind of hard coming back to the reality of "Disney parks" today after seeing the courage and confidence that was exemplified by the Company's early decisions in both animation and themed entertainment.

In the context of what the WDC accomplished under Walt's guidance, and even for several decades after his passing, the Company's current complacency and even abject spinelessness -- especially as it relates to the stateside parks -- is heartbreaking.
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So true. I haven't been to the Museum yet, but I absolutely want to soon.

Complacency and spinlessness is a great way to describe it. People don't understand that true vision requires taking real chances. Watching Bob Iger get lauded for having vision for buying proven IP assets in Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm just sorta makes my stomach churn. There's no real chances being taken at all.

Walt Disney took chances his entire life. And would have continued had he not died so young.
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
ParentsOf4 said:
Nope, WDW and Uni was last week. The trip before that it was London. The trip before that ...

All these updated European hotels with "rooms by IKEA" :rolleyes: are starting to wear on me. And the rooms are all the size of my master bathroom at home. Seriously.

At least they all have showers now, not like the old days when I has to wash-up in bathtubs. And air conditioning vs. throw-open-a-window-and-listen-to-the-street-traffic-all-night-long. Great for jet lag.

Whoever picked the décor for BLT spent way to much time in modernized European hotels. It's really depressing staying in a BLT room; I don't think I'll ever do it again.

It's why AKV is an awesome resort!
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Ah, I didn't realize you traveled like a Faux One Percenter !

I haven't, for the most part, had hotels with the rooms by IKEA look (BTW, I HATE IKEA but 'nother subject).
I did have a strange room for one night in Munich last year that cams closest to your description. It was only 3 star and part of a chain that I can,t recall right now.

BLT was built cheap thinking that rubes would stay there for location no matter what. The fact that it was falling apart as soon as people started using the units, showed that. I too would (and recently did) take DAK Lodge Villas over it.
 
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