Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[Sneezy62]

Yes, the Spirit's Faux Top One Percent Spring Holiday has concluded after over a month of fun, sun and food and more food and yet more food.

The trip consisted of a beach vacation that will not be mentioned here, a 5-night DCL voyage on the Wonder, 11 nights in WDW DVC villas (10 at my beloved DAK Lodge) and visits to all four WDW parks, both WDW water parks, both UNI parks, Sea World, Aquatica and -- for the first time since the mid-80s -- BGT too.

All of that will be discussed, dissected, compared and contrasted. I welcome all discussion, but this thread will not be run off the rails so discuss the subjects we talk about and not rantings on why unions are evil and Big Business is great. Start your own thread for that, please.

Lots of news came out of my visit, so we could talk about Wishes going bye-bye in a few years or MSEP staying for a few more. We could talk about the DAK parade leaving for good after Christmas. We could talk about what Disney will be announcing in August (and not on a late Saturday night, Mr. Brigante) ... We could talk about the sheer number of new attractions coming to UNI and how one area of IOA is not long for the earth (and, no, is not the one with Spidey and the Hulk. We could even discuss whether BGT is actually better than DAK.

But I think I'm going to go experience/park/attraction/resort and talk about what I liked and what I didn't ... Finally, I must apologize to the fanbois I was unable to meet, greet or grope. I was with a very special friend (sorry, she's a girl -- but a fanboi at heart) and I kept a lower profile than Georgie K has been.

The trip was great and I enjoyed all of it. Yes, I enjoyed the MK largely least of all ... But we'll get to that.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Looking forward to your take on the state of the parks! Also since you went to both TL and BB, were you behind the seemingly sudden summer closure of TL? Glad you had a great vacation!

 

[yeti]

Thanks. This is a very exciting time in themed entertainment. ... Antarctica opened today at SW .... Simpson's details were given by UNI .... Paramount Park in Spain looks like it will really happen ... And Disney ... Disney ... Um ... Hey, that kiddie coaster is taking shape across from the crappy and overrated Be Our Guest dining trough at MK.

Paramount looks quite good for an opening day park. Anyone else notice how closely the lands resemble Mk parks? Hmm...

Couldn't agree more about BoG...all I can say is the RFID tagging is a chore and the ballroom makes me wish it was the loading area for a ride.

I'd say welcome home but you've probably been told that enough times at DVC over the past month!

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Boy is it great to have you back! This forum has gone mad ever since you left. I have a few questions:

1. What will happen to the land between MIB and Simpsons?
2. What's going on with Avatar?
3. Anything for Epcot?

 

[RSoxNo1]

The ports were great. Castaways Cay always is (Except for the idiot tourist who swam out into an area with a giant manta ray we were all approaching slowly and quietly and splashed and immediately chased it off). Cozumel was amazing. Some of the most beautiful waters for diving anywhere. Getting an extra 90 minutes on our shore excursion since it was Disney's last call of the season (with the Wonder) made it even better, so did all those free margaritas and Pepsi.

I'm very jealous. I've always wanted to see a Manta Ray and I probably would have lynched the individual.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I love "Tapstiles"!!!!

We have to distinguish he ball thing that you "tap" from the stick thing with the finger...and preferably with terms that PhotoDave won't be able to raise his eyebrows over. So, ball, stick and finger are all kind of out, lol. If its PhotoDave-proof, it's safe from everyone! . I've already heard so many dumb "Thats what she said" type comments. (Not from Dave.)

Oh hai!

What are we fingering?

 

[disney fan 13]

4 pages and already this thread has more substance than all of WDWMagic in the time you have been away. I'm not just blowing smoke up your a$$. This place has been damn depressing for the last several months. One more Marvel thread and I was ready to jump off the Daily Bugle. We had two running in the News and Rumors section at the same time. Not to mention I don't know how many DHS speculation threads with no real information. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to get a few genuine nuggets of actual info instead of page after page of fanbois wetting themselves over the latest fantasies from Screamscape.

So welcome back. And thanks for some real news and rumors. It's been too long.

That's why I visit OU. We actually have new things to discuss.

 

[lebeau]

That's why I visit OU. We actually have new things to discuss.

I'll bite. What's OU?

 

[Taylor]

I'll bite. What's OU?

Orlando United. Not the college which I always think it is

 

[breakin2]

Oklahoma University

 

[breakin2]

Darn. Too slow.

 

[janoimagine]

The pendulum is swinging back to WDW. D23 is on the Horizons.

Not sure what you mean, sure they are picking up maintenance a bit ... but it seems like attractions once slated for the Studios and WDW are going to Anaheim.

 

[ChrisFL]

Any news on the 3rd park at Uni?

 

[doctornick]

No offense but those both would be pretty significant additions to those parks (i.e the that is it statement)

Yeah, this. If we see announcement and plans regarding major additions to DAK (Avatar) and DHS (Pixar, Star Wars or whatever is decided upon), then we are seeing what we should be at D23. I don't see how that would be perceived as a disappointment.

Now, I think this is overdue and they should have started building new stuff in WDW (DAK/DHS in particular) in the last 1-2 years, but I'm glad to see they are actually addressing what needs to be addressed.

Anything new as it concerns the mouse? Seems like we get better info from tiki and tim and others. But any morsels of info are welcome. Just sifting through the negativity is a chore. GK is in place. Construction walls everywhere. The pendulum is swinging back to WDW. D23 is on the Horizons.

Agreed, This thread seems to just contain confirmation/rehashing of what we are seeing elsewhere, at least in regards to WDW. Which is certainly appreciated, but nothing groundbreaking. I'm exciting that it sounds like WDW will be getting much deserved additions.

 

[doctornick]

Earlier this spring Al Lutz had an update that said they were planning on turning the sleepy back corner of HollywoodLand at DCA into a Monstropolis mini-land. It would take out MuppetVision and Stage 17 and install a Monsters Inc. Door Coaster next to the existing Monsters Inc. dark ride, plus a shop and restaurant, and rebrand it as Monstropolis. The monorail would zip right through the Monstropolis skyline. This was supposedly being fast-tracked due to the overwhelming popularity of DCA now and the need for more capacity.

This was all per Al Lutz in recent Miceage updates, and no one else had mentioned it before that, so it's one of those things that has Lutz out on a ledge by himself. But now it sounds like Spirit is backing up that story, so yet again Al Lutz seems to be on to something legit.

Someone had suggested in another thread that the ride system for the door coaster wasn't workin out an it had been scrapped. No idea if that is true.

If the door coaster is truly planned for DCA, then I don't quite understand why they wouldn't add it to DHS in Soundstage 1 at the same time. Unless they have that space allocated for something else, it would be cost effective to spread the development cost and build it simultaneously in both parks (like they did with TSMM and TLM).

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

That's why I visit OU. We actually have new things to discuss.

Unless it's an inactive or low member forum, every single forum has something new to discuss

 

[GoofGoof]

Someone had suggested in another thread that the ride system for the door coaster wasn't workin out an it had been scrapped. No idea if that is true.

If the door coaster is truly planned for DCA, then I don't quite understand why they wouldn't add it to DHS in Soundstage 1 at the same time. Unless they have that space allocated for something else, it would be cost effective to spread the development cost and build it simultaneously in both parks (like they did with TSMM and TLM).

The 2 for 1 makes a lot of sense.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Someone had suggested in another thread that the ride system for the door coaster wasn't workin out an it had been scrapped. No idea if that is true.

If the door coaster is truly planned for DCA, then I don't quite understand why they wouldn't add it to DHS in Soundstage 1 at the same time. Unless they have that space allocated for something else, it would be cost effective to spread the development cost and build it simultaneously in both parks (like they did with TSMM and TLM).

Honestly I hope only DHS gets the Monster's attraction. It doesn't belong in DCA. At all.

 

[novawildcat18]

Welcome back Spirit! Looking forward to hearing about both the Monster's Inc coaster in DCA and the going-ons over at IOA!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Disney could place a medical waste facility in the MK and people would show up. That's just the mentality, so there is no push whatsoever to bring the quality up to what it is at the other castle parks.

Which is a shame. I just got back from DLP and their MK is several times better than the one here. Even after the dwarfs have their coaster built, New Fantasyland still won't be able to touch what was built in Europe 20 years prior.

Totally agree about Be Our Guest. The food simply isn't very good, but of course they have already jacked the prices up. Lol

You want a real in park meal go to Walt's. BoG looks nice, but is nothing special in terms of food.

 

[CBOMB]

Yes, the Spirit's Faux Top One Percent Spring Holiday has concluded after over a month of fun, sun and food and more food and yet more food.

The trip consisted of a beach vacation that will not be mentioned here, a 5-night DCL voyage on the Wonder, 11 nights in WDW DVC villas (10 at my beloved DAK Lodge) and visits to all four WDW parks, both WDW water parks, both UNI parks, Sea World, Aquatica and -- for the first time since the mid-80s -- BGT too.

All of that will be discussed, dissected, compared and contrasted. I welcome all discussion, but this thread will not be run off the rails so discuss the subjects we talk about and not rantings on why unions are evil and Big Business is great. Start your own thread for that, please.

Lots of news came out of my visit, so we could talk about Wishes going bye-bye in a few years or MSEP staying for a few more. We could talk about the DAK parade leaving for good after Christmas. We could talk about what Disney will be announcing in August (and not on a late Saturday night, Mr. Brigante) ... We could talk about the sheer number of new attractions coming to UNI and how one area of IOA is not long for the earth (and, no, is not the one with Spidey and the Hulk. We could even discuss whether BGT is actually better than DAK.

But I think I'm going to go experience/park/attraction/resort and talk about what I liked and what I didn't ... Finally, I must apologize to the fanbois I was unable to meet, greet or grope. I was with a very special friend (sorry, she's a girl -- but a fanboi at heart) and I kept a lower profile than Georgie K has been.

The trip was great and I enjoyed all of it. Yes, I enjoyed the MK largely least of all ... But we'll get to that.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

You've been gone?