Spirited Spring Break News, Observations & Thoughts ...

[tirian]

@WDW1974

Spirit, I'm not trying to hijack your thread with someone else's blog, but did you see this article on MiceAge today?

It's a WDW menu from the mid 80s.

That's a perfect example of the effort Disney used to put into its parks. Look at the period-appropriate ads for all of Main Street, including the functioning Cinema, Magic Shop, and Arcade. Read the fictional account of Main Street citizens. This is a menu.

While we're at it, remember the die-cut Cinderella coach menus at King Stefan's Royal Banquet Hall?

Today you're lucky to get a sheet of paper that isn't sticky.

 

[WDW1974]

I don't get why we're continually linking to these women and giving them hits/views.

Seems like the point has been beaten into the ground by now.

No, it hasn't ... although I certainly don't want to help any of them look more significant due to the REAL numbers we generate over here in MAGIC Land.

But the whole issue of Disney and how it handles social media is fascinating. And it will be on full display in 2 1/2 weeks time when the giant summer whorefest descends on WDW. An event with an eight-figure spend to try and get attention and make it seem as if WDW actually has new offerings for 2014.

 

[WDW1974]

It's almost as if this seems like a chamber of echos, doesn't it?

Ah, jake, always welcome with one of your thought-provoking, intelligent retorts in one of my threads. More welcome down in the PML where you can take shots at me to your heart's content.

 

[WDW1974]

Yes, that is pretty much the case. As one of the founders of Fix the Magic, it became apparently clear after spending a few months getting the online architecture in place that we needed reliable boots on the ground. Everyone was gung ho and all aboard as helpers but we never found the right people to step up. Us 3 were far from locals and we needed (in our estimates) at least 3-6 hardcore locals that could verify user information.

Our database would have been supported by users but verified by our people on site.

It was a great idea and we were willing to put in the work. And I do believe a site that was completely unbiased and only showed accurate defects and/or issues could have held some toes under the fire. for real change maybe not but who knows...you have to dream and all.

You need people who can make it a full-time job. And you need to pay people like it's a full-time job.

That's just the reality. Everyone in the social media game is in for whatever they can personally gain, no matter the flocks who support them.

You want someone on the ground reporting about WDW, then you need to have some financial incentive. Lifestylers may say they are at the MK five days a week because they love the place, but that isn't the whole story.

You find a funding source that can legitimately pay someone something like a salary (I'd say $500-1,000 a week) and then you have a chance of snagging a quality person in O-Town who can do that type of job. I just don't see Disney fans banding together to pay someone to be the eyes and ears of the resort daily.

 

[WDW1974]

I think that the social media aspect deserves waaaaay more attention than we are currently paying to it. If TWDC is willing to throw the kind of money and resources like they did this weekend for DSMM's (I won't hashtag that), then they could be willing to base future decisions for parks or resorts on the opinions of these bored housewiv.....I mean woman. Do you want someone who commands an entire 7 viewers on Youtube and probly couldn't tell you didly squat about Disney as a corporation or its history contributing to the parks and resorts even at the smallest level? I dont. It's nothing against ladies like Fadra, it's the misguided path the company is on, even if they can take the financial blow, which they can, it's just.....silly is the only word I can describe it as.

The fact that a site like wdwmagic got her more views simply from a member dropping her name is the real proof of the power of social media, or like others have mentioned, this thread alone got 11,000 views in 24 hours. Those are real numbers, not pathetic numbers in the single digits that are mostly just family and friends. And this thread is just a random thread started by 74 about his observations over spring break. That woman was at DL doing very exclusive "on the scene" videos. She should be killing it on IG, Twitter, YT, etc.

This IS true social media.

Disney isn't looking for that. It's looking for control of the message. It's looking to spin PR propaganda through people who rubes are supposed to believe are just like they are, they are simply blogging about their experiences.

Again, this is the No. 1 WDW-centric site on the web. When do you see Dr. Blondie here? Or Crazy Gary? Or Bland Tommy? They all read as do their bosses. Why are they so afraid to engage in social media? Oh, that's right ... because that isn't the business they're in at all.

 

[WDW1974]

300+ Bloggers and their families put up in 300+ rooms at the Disneyland Hotel during Easter vacation. Plane tickets and rental cars for all of 'em. 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners and 2 cocktail/dessert receptions for hundreds. Cocktails and wine and beer nightly. A custom design package of banners and signage and décor for hotel ballrooms and outdoor plazas and theme park events. Swag. Exclusive use of two lands and their rides in busy theme parks; Toontown for dinner and dancing, Cars Land for a Fun Run and breakfast. Plus all the speaker fees for celebs and presenters.

That is a package of multi-day events and perks that would run well into seven figures (Over a million bucks) if it was Boeing or Microsoft buying that same menu of offerings for 300 of their employees and families. And what does Disney get out of it?!? Another glowing review from Fadra that is lucky to get 59 views after sitting on YouTube for six months like her Impala video?

There's got to be something here we don't see. There just has to.

Nope. There isn't. Just a media company that fundamentally doesn't understand what social media is.

 

[TalkingHead]

You need people who can make it a full-time job. And you need to pay people like it's a full-time job.

Or you need someone mentally unstable who's willing to go to the parks everyday -- short of financial incentive, I don't know how you could otherwise.

There's a Universal fan/photographer who is at the parks what seems like everyday. He's admitted he's bipolar. Evidently, he's spent some time in the hospital for medication reasons. (He tweeted all this information BTW.)

On several occasions, he's tweeted about getting into arguments with other guests who invade his personal space. Sounds like he's gotten into their faces in a threatening manner. Supposedly he's banned from Disney property for some indiscretion that involved (semi-?) stalking a female CM at DHS.

Oh, and he also uncomfortably and awkwardly hits on female Twitter users who use their pics as their avatars.

Dude may take daily pictures of the London buildings, but he strikes me as a ticking time bomb.

For some reason, he's what I imagine when I think of someone who goes to the parks every damn day.

 

[WDW1974]

@WDW1974

Spirit, I'm not trying to hijack your thread with someone else's blog, but did you see this article on MiceAge today?

It's a WDW menu from the mid 80s.

That's a perfect example of the effort Disney used to put into its parks. Look at the period-appropriate ads for all of Main Street, including the functioning Cinema, Magic Shop, and Arcade. Read the fictional account of Main Street citizens. This is a menu.

While we're at it, remember the die-cut Cinderella coach menus at King Stefan's Royal Banquet Hall?

Today you're lucky to get a sheet of paper that isn't sticky.

Nope. But I will check it out now.

Theming used to matter at WDW. It doesn't now. The worst offender easily is the MK. The lands all blend together into one giant Disney BRAND fest.

MSUSA is just an O-Town outlet mall with all Disney merchandise. To say it is a themed land is a joke.

 

[stevehousse]

Because no matter how much money Disney spends advertising this, many people are still not going to have a clue what it is or how it works. They still don't get FP and that has been around for 15 years.

This! MM+ and FP+ is more of a headache in getting users to adapt. People complain about longer FP lines now, but the reality is, before with legacy, you had people who either got it and used it to its full potential, or didn't have a clue and didn't bother. Now that all guests are "forced" to use it, that's what is inflating the wait times! It's not that it takes 2 seconds to scan a band or some techy answer that people try to blame on the system now, it's that more people have to use the system than before.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Man, I wish I could have dined at the Castle when its restaurant was still King Stefan's. A friend of mine did, and said he had Duck L'Orange or something like that, and it was fantastic and so was the restaurant.

And I wish I could have dined at Captain Hook's in Disneyland...Disney ought to build another pirate-themed restaurant (by which I mean one that has uber-cool pirate theming, which the seldom-open Tortuga Tavern doesn't.) Disney practically OWNS the fantasy-pirate motif, so it ought to be doing more with it IMO.

 

[PhotoDave219]

This IS true social media.

Disney isn't looking for that. It's looking for control of the message. It's looking to spin PR propaganda through people who rubes are supposed to believe are just like they are, they are simply blogging about their experiences.

Again, this is the No. 1 WDW-centric site on the web. When do you see Dr. Blondie here? Or Crazy Gary? Or Bland Tommy? They all read as do their bosses. Why are they so afraid to engage in social media? Oh, that's right ... because that isn't the business they're in at all.

Well, honestly.... would JFB want to come on here and engage me when I call her out for lying about working for the NYT?

That still irritates me.

As for Disney's social media? I get the feeling you're calling out the front line folks for the decisions made by people far above them. Its a company by committee that has meetings to schedule meetings. They're very corporate; the bosses would never let anyone come on here and engage in conversations. And if they did on the downlow? I'm sure they'd be escorted out the building that same day if they were ever caught.

The irony of this is the WWoS interns/CMs that had a very graphic sexual conversation in front of the working media in a press box during a Major League Soccer event on 2/19. That was inappropriate beyond belief yet clearly they aren't in fear of their jobs.

 

[PhotoDave219]

You need people who can make it a full-time job. And you need to pay people like it's a full-time job.

That's just the reality. Everyone in the social media game is in for whatever they can personally gain, no matter the flocks who support them.

You want someone on the ground reporting about WDW, then you need to have some financial incentive. Lifestylers may say they are at the MK five days a week because they love the place, but that isn't the whole story.

You find a funding source that can legitimately pay someone something like a salary (I'd say $500-1,000 a week) and then you have a chance of snagging a quality person in O-Town who can do that type of job. I just don't see Disney fans banding together to pay someone to be the eyes and ears of the resort daily.

And someone with a journalism background and ethics; someone who is not just here for the goodie bag and free cruises.

 

[WDW1974]

Or you need someone mentally unstable who's willing to go to the parks everyday -- short of financial incentive, I don't know how you could otherwise.

But that's just the problem, you want a serious professional to be able to document WDW on a daily basis. You don't get that with some mental defective. That's simply another Lifestyler. That's not what is needed here. There are 2,865 people who have blogs with pictures detailing the Hub construction. You don't need the 2,866th.

There's a Universal fan/photographer who is at the parks what seems like everyday. He's admitted he's bipolar. Evidently, he's spent some time in the hospital for medication reasons. (He tweeted all this information BTW.)

On several occasions, he's tweeted about getting into arguments with other guests who invade his personal space. Sounds like he's gotten into their faces in a threatening manner. Supposedly he's banned from Disney property for some indiscretion that involved (semi-?) stalking a female CM at DHS.

Oh, and he also uncomfortably and awkwardly hits on female Twitter users who use their pics as their avatars.

Dude may take daily pictures of the London buildings, but he strikes me as a ticking time bomb.

For some reason, he's what I imagine when I think of someone who goes to the parks every damn day.

That is scary. And it doesn't surprise me at all.

You can't live at theme parks and have a life. Sorry, even to my fanboi pals, but that just ain't how you live ... it's how you avoid living until the money, credit and parental support run out.

 

[TalkingHead]

But that's just the problem, you want a serious professional to be able to document WDW on a daily basis. You don't get that with some mental defective. That's simply another Lifestyler. That's not what is needed here. There are 2,865 people who have blogs with pictures detailing the Hub construction. You don't need the 2,866th.

That is scary. And it doesn't surprise me at all.

You can't live at theme parks and have a life. Sorry, even to my fanboi pals, but that just ain't how you live ... it's how you avoid living until the money, credit and parental support run out.

Absolutely agree. I can't imagine many professionals who would be willing to live in the theme parks. It's bad enough for the CMs who realize they're in bad jobs. I can't imagine going to the parks as a blogger and treating them like my office. Disturbing.

As for the Universal guy -- I find him very disturbing. An NRA member, a couple other things, and...uh...if I saw him in the park, I'd run the other direction. Just seems like he's going to eventually snap. But at least he keeps us updated on the theme park construction progress. Priorities, right?

 

[WDW1974]

Well, honestly.... would JFB want to come on here and engage me when I call her out for lying about working for the NYT?

That still irritates me.

Of course she wouldn't. But that isn't the point. True social media means a meeting of divergent opinions and minds and Disney wants no part of that. ... the woman lies about who she works for, works for a newspaper and a company's PR operation at the same time and has a PhD in freaking texting?!?!

No. She'd be devoured in here faster than a young virgin at an Imgineering party ...

As for Disney's social media? I get the feeling you're calling out the front line folks for the decisions made by people far above them. Its a company by committee that has meetings to schedule meetings. They're very corporate; the bosses would never let anyone come on here and engage in conversations. And if they did on the downlow? I'm sure they'd be escorted out the building that same day if they were ever caught.

The amusing thing is that they ALL read. The even more amusing thing is I absolutely could see them having a meeting to talk about how the Moms Whorefest went and how well they succeeded in covering up how much money they spent and how much swag was given away, in which case this thread will get talked about.

Oh, and Disney is all corporate. Try and get a manager or exec's contact info without a CM pal and Hub access. They'll tell you to email Guest Communications, which is a Big Brother term for 'talk to the folks we train to ignore your issues and make you disappear and if you keep complaining then we'll forward you on to Legal, they're as much fun as riding Space Mountain while seated backwards with the lights on!'

It is all PR and Legal.

But I challenge the bosses to come out and talk as well. ... Hell, I challenge Georgie K ... he used to always enjoy talking to me when he needed something.

The irony of this is the WWoS interns/CMs that had a very graphic sexual conversation in front of the working media in a press box during a Major League Soccer event on 2/19. That was inappropriate beyond belief yet clearly they aren't in fear of their jobs.

Did you complain? You say you know Gary Buchanan, did you mention this bad behavior to him? Darrell? They should have been fired on the spot, but someone needs to push them or else it didn't happen.

 

[WDW1974]

Oh, with all that talk about MM+ expanding to allow fourth, fifth and even sixth FPs a day, has any of this even started?

 

[wdisney9000]

Why do some people claim Disney was going to add more than 3 FP+ selections all along? If thats the case, why start with 3 in the first place? Why not announce they plan to add more later, or same for park hopping? What would they have to gain by keeping it a secret? Nothing, unless they were unsure of being able to do it. Were they really planning on doing this, or was it a reaction to people being upset about just having 3? I would say the latter. just guessing though. Im sure many will say it was to ease in the new system.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Oh, with all that talk about MM+ expanding to allow fourth, fifth and even sixth FPs a day, has any of this even started?

I would probably speculate after the next few weeks of stress testing with Easter crowds.

 

[eastvillage]

@WDW1974

Spirit, I'm not trying to hijack your thread with someone else's blog, but did you see this article on MiceAge today?

It's a WDW menu from the mid 80s.

That's a perfect example of the effort Disney used to put into its parks. Look at the period-appropriate ads for all of Main Street, including the functioning Cinema, Magic Shop, and Arcade. Read the fictional account of Main Street citizens. This is a menu.

While we're at it, remember the die-cut Cinderella coach menus at King Stefan's Royal Banquet Hall?

Today you're lucky to get a sheet of paper that isn't sticky.

This is the Disney I love(d)...so much attention to detail. Going above and beyond in everything they did.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Not sure if I have mentioned it yet, but sometime in the not too distant future Little Mermaid and BTMRR will have the DL upgrades added. I believe BTMRR will come first as much of that can be done at night. Mermaid is likely going down at some slow period next year to get the new ending.

I'm liking the new effects on Big Thunder at DL a lot, so it will be great to see those implemented into the WDW version. I miss the shaking rocks, but it would seem like there's no chance in hell we'll ever see that again at WDW (I would assume Tokyo Disneyland still uses the physical rock effects). The smoke effects in the new version however probably won't do well with WDW's poor upkeep (even Disneyland when the ride first reopened the smoke effects were off and on according to videos). I don't know what they used for the rest of the effects. Someone else can confirm otherwise but the fuse effects in the walls look like a mixture of digitally mapped projections and perhaps some LED/fiber optics mixed in. Or maybe all of it is projected, which if so isn't a good sign for maintenance as we've all seen how abysmal WDW is at keeping projected show elements on proper working order.

Our third lift in particular has looked way under par for far too long now. Will especially be glad to see that awful excuse for a projection effect gone they added a while back. I can't even figure out WHAT they were going for there. Part of me thinks they were trying to simulate smoke rising. But the other part of me wonders if they were trying to simulate falling rocks but were so incompetent that they installed the projector upside down (though one would think they could have just easily set the projector to play backwards if that were the case). Either way though it looks awful. I'm glad you confirmed WDW is getting the effect now at least. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that they decided to do that, it seems very uncommon for WDW attractions to get enhancements from other parks. But the maintenance is a worry.

I wonder what the Little Mermaid enhancements will end up looking like. The ending isn't the only problem with the ride though by any stretch. The Ariel animatronics in particular need some artistic work done to the faces, and the Under the Sea scene also needs a ton of work. Too much to even go through with that scene, but they can start with some more appropriate lighting with less mechanical distractions on the ceiling, and some better moving figures that don't resemble toy store window displays as much. That isn't all that needs fixing but I hope if they go through a major overhaul to the ending, they also take that time to improve the other scenes as well.