Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[englanddg]

I'd start by kissing up to the Celebration Place Social Media Cabal team. They aren't able to grant free trips to DLR, but one organism feasts on the others.Recently, DLR Social Media has been much freer in credentialing O-Town leeches to come west ... But they haven't been burned by these folks like WDW has ..yet.

Social media is such a crock. Either it comes off as too amateur or too professional. To win at social media, you have to be...um...social!

I could rant for hours about SEO and how it's a crap investment, especially for a company the size of Disney with very specific marketing...

No amount of optimization is going to trump that content is king. I thought, a few years ago when Disney was asking for home videos, that they got it. But, I see they don't.

 

[asianway]

No but money towards DVC like Aulani could get money diverted from going elsewhere. If my memory server me right, NGE was budgeted after Aulani was completed. Now people will say DVC will make up the money on sales. Perhaps but you have to have an initial investment before sales.

As for simplistic, well sometimes you have to keep it simple...lol

DVC is always going to recover its cash outlay at a much faster pace than anything else, hence it becoming the well they continue to go to

 

[WDW1974]

Now DL is using him too?! I thought @WDW1974 said his days were numbered ... that's paraphrasing of course, '74.

No, what I said was he had ed off folks at TDO by whoring the Lou Mongello BRAND over the WDW one.

Disney has paid his way to Anaheim multiple times, sent him on free DCL voyages and sent him to Aulani for a week. ... Who knows what else? Thomas Smith, Jenn Fickely-Baker and Gary Buchanan do or can access the info. But Disney has spent tens of thousands of dollars on loveable Lou likely.

 

[englanddg]

No but money towards DVC like Aulani could get money diverted from going elsewhere. If my memory server me right, NGE was budgeted after Aulani was completed (and lets now even talk about that big mess of undervaluing the initial DVC offer). Now people will say DVC will make up the money on sales. Perhaps but you have to have an initial investment before sales.

As for simplistic, well sometimes you have to keep it simple...lol

Cheaper, easier ways, to see Hawaii than a Disney Resort. The question is, what is the point of differentiation?

They even have resorts right next door. Sorry, for the price, a character meal isn't going to make me spend, and I'm a Disney nut. Imagine someone who isn't?

Now, if they tied it into the cruise line, that would be a different matter...

 

[Computer Magic]

DVC is always going to recover its cash outlay at a much faster pace than anything else, hence it becoming the well they continue to go to

I don't disagree. That is a cash cow for Disney and locks people in for 50 years without Disney having to invest into the parks.

 

[Sue_Vongello]

No, what I said was he had ed off folks at TDO by whoring the Lou Monticello BRAND over the WDW one.

Disney has paid his way to Anaheim multiple times, sent him on free DCL voyages and sent him to Aulani for a week. ... Who knows what else? Thomas Smith, Jenn Fickely-Baker and Gary Buchanan do or can access the info. But Disney has spent tens of thousands of dollars on loveable Lou likely.

Sorry I tend to remember things more romantically ... being "fired" sounded better than "hey little guy, knock that off!"

 

[Computer Magic]

Cheaper, easier ways, to see Hawaii than a Disney Resort. The question is, what is the point of differentiation?

They even have resorts right next door. Sorry, for the price, a character meal isn't going to make me spend, and I'm a Disney nut. Imagine someone who isn't?

Now, if they tied it into the cruise line, that would be a different matter...

You won't see me there anytime soon unless it included on a DCL or ABD vacation. Let not even talk about trying to use WDW DVC points at Aulani.

 

[englanddg]

I don't disagree. That is a cash cow for Disney and locks people in for 50 years without Disney having to invest into the parks.

It just annoys and cheapens Disney to me. I know there are a lot of people who are DVC members and swear by it, but really, I don't want to be on vacation and annoyed by people at an obvious marketing kiosk trying to entice me for my next one.

Suggestions, sure. Buying into some complex system with "points" etc...yeah, way more than I care to manage or even care about. It just makes Disney feel cheap. I know a lot of people love it, but I wouldn't mind seeing it go away.

The salespeople seem like those who wore leisure suits in the 80s and came onto women by saying "Hey Baybay".

 

[WDW1974]

Did anyone ever follow up on the Spirit's report that Lou's been known to flash a maingate?

To be accurate, I said I had heard people tell me this. I have seen on the Hub that he isn't listed as an employee anywhere, but that doesn't mean he hasn't 'worked' for Disney. You can do contract work or freelance or stuff that is off the books. I don't believe he has a Maingate despite what my source claims.

 

[Computer Magic]

It just annoys and cheapens Disney to me. I know there are a lot of people who are DVC members and swear by it, but really, I don't want to be on vacation and annoyed by people at an obvious marketing kiosk trying to entice me for my next one.

Suggestions, sure. Buying into some complex system with "points" etc...yeah, way more than I care to manage or even care about. It just makes Disney feel cheap. I know a lot of people love it, but I wouldn't mind seeing it go away.

The salespeople seem like those who wore leisure suits in the 80s and came onto women by saying "Hey Baybay".

I'll leave this as ''I agree" If I say more will turn this into a DVC thread, which I'm sure Spirit doesn't want.

 

[WDW1974]

Orlando Informer says BoG is rumored to go signature this fall for dinner.

I would expect that. Many of the most overrated WDW dining locations are 'signature' ...

 

[WDW1974]

No one has had the opportunity to directly approach him to ask. I guess we'll have to wait for @WDW1974.

No need to wait. I am here right now. But beyond being a brand advocate for Disney, I have no idea what arrangement(s) he has with the company or its CMs in social media. You could always email or phone them and ask.

​

 

[WDW1974]

The current lineup is...

E-ticket ride
C-ticket ride (might be changed to a walk through)
Flex restaurant (counter service by day, table service at night)
Merchandise
Night time show (not necessarily Avatar themed)
Enhancements to the rest of the park for evening hours

We've never really seen much confirmation on the specifics of any of them, which may be because the situation is still fluid. The E-ticket is supposedly far more exciting than a Soarin' type ride. The C-ticket might or might not be the boat ride from the leaked plans; it might be cut down to a walk through (imitating Pangani and Maharajah) but with AAs of animals from Pandora. I've never seen much information about the night time show, though previous to this, people had talked about a World of Color style show coming to DAK, which would require a new body of water to be developed since the existing ones don't work.

There was also talk about a night time parade at some point, but that has seemingly been cut.

I doubt very much that the above is accurate.

 

[WDW1974]

And we all know how well DCA 1.0 worked out...

Shocking Spirit Fact of the Week: he liked DCA 1.0 (just not nearly as much as DCA 2.0).

 

[WDW1974]

@WDW1974 kindly please return to your thread....

I'm here. What would you like to discuss?

 

[BryceM]

Shocking Spirit Fact of the Week: he liked DCA 1.0 (just not nearly as much as DCA 2.0).

Yikes. DCA 1.0 looked to me like the runt of Disney's litter. Now DCA 2.0 is a very different story... Wish I could visit!

 

[WDW1974]

Been in the parks all week and that has not been a problem. Seems like an odd nitpick to keep pushing.

No, not really. Comfort is a very basic guest need. In FL that means AC that is good and cold. How it used to be until sometime about a decade ago when management decided it could shut the AC off entirely in many show buildings at night and raise the temps during the day. It has resulted in hot, sticky, clammy attractions and isn't good for keeping things like mold away, either.

And, no offense intended, but whether you've noticed or not doesn't change the fact Disney has done this. It is fact. Not opinion.

 

[WDW1974]

Going back to the subject of restaurants, I got to eat at Fast Food Blvd yesterday. If you think BOG was bad, wait until you eat here. I had the Chicken and Waffle sandwich. The chicken was good, but the waffles? Holy **** were those bad. Do you like cold Eggo waffles? Then you'll love the sandwich! I expected fresh made waffles and not prepackaged crap. The tater tots were ok. I also had some Buzz Cola, delicious! My dad had a Krusty Burger and said it sucked, tasted just like Ritcher's. If I were you, I'd play safe and get a Nathan's hot dog or the Double Batter Chicken Platter from there, or just eat at Citywalk. There's also no theming whatsoever in here despite what the foamers are saying. Big letdown.

I don't like waffles ... And while I don't mind tangents, that was sorta out of the blue. FWIW, when I new at UNI I do full serve because you can walk in, the food is good to very good and the prices are fair and not much higher than quick serve.

 

[Nemo14]

I'm not prone to breathing difficulties at all, but I very nearly passed out in the line for PoC the last time I went. It was hot and quite noticably "stuffy" - and that was only the beginning of March. I can't imagine what it's like in mid July with the crowds and heat then.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Shocking Spirit Fact of the Week: he liked DCA 1.0 (just not nearly as much as DCA 2.0).

Is this a joke? April Fools was two months ago.