StageFrenzy
Well-Known Member
Does it have touchscreens?
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Spirited WDW Observations, News and Provocative Comments
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
Does it have touchscreens?
TheRustyScupper
Member
1) It truly is a shame about the reduced amount of decorations this year.
2) Pitiful.
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
There's a good thought. I would not mind that....And a new facade...:lookaroun
I don't get them either. I like a few of them, but they are kinda odd looking. If they were not so expensive, and you knew which one you get, I would have gone for the Monorail one..
Figment1986
Well-Known Member
maybe but probably not.. since Siemens sponsors SSE, and Sylvania sponsors illuminations, as well as osbornes lights.... at DL they sponsor Disney's Electrical parade (bring it back to main street) and now small world... (as well as having project tomorrow at WDW at end of SSE and at DL in innoventions) we get the better deal...
but if they fund development who's saying it cannot be used at WDW later on.
Oh well, maybe next time ... and I'll get the first drink or two (unless I quit working first which after this week is a distinct possibility!)
Well, I didn't even stay on property this time, and WDW was a great value. It was going to be either WDW or Las Vegas (and once you add the flight and car rental even with the deals there ... WDW comes out ahead). Although late in the game there was talk of a mileage run to HK, which would have included a day at HKDL and I would have gladly swapped out WDW for that!
I may be in Anaheim in February, but I'm trying to push it off until March because I WANT TO ... NEED TO ... see WoC ASAP!
Anyway, are YOU putting up a trip report/observations thread? :xmas::xmas::xmas:
Quote:
Originally Posted by draybook
We were there from 12/4-12/15. For all of you people saying that it wasn't crowded, exactly what is your definition of not crowded? I'm wondering because every day we were there most rides were 20+ minutes standby with the major E-rides going at 50+. You guys think that's not crowded?
Maybe we really got spoiled from last year, because the longest we waited was 15 minutes for Peter Pan.
That being said, I agree with WDW1974 completely. We're definitely not going back in December and next time it will be when we went last year.
Again, other than Saturday at MK, all the parks were empty to slight crowds ... wouldn't even term anything else moderate except maybe EPCOT on the night of the 11th and SW on Sunday the 13th.
I didn't check wait times at MK on Sat. beyond what we did ... HoP, Mansion, JC, Treehouse, Tiki Room, CBJ, PoC all before having lunch and leaving. There were no waits for those attractions at all ... just what it took to walk the queue and enter really. I know it became packed at lunch and was that way when we returned at night.
But the other days, there simply weren't big waits ... even attractions known for them ... like TSMM had posted standby times of 45 minutes (the actual wait was about 22) ... there just weren't bigtime waits. TT, which is always one of the worst, had waits listed at 20-30 minutes all three nights I rode -- and used the singles line so it was only 10-15. Everest was a walk on, so we rode three times in a row.
There were big attractions I didn't go near Soarin, Splash and ToT are the big three I skipped this trip. But even if they had wait times of over an hour, when you look at everything else, it just doesn't add up to crowds.
I honestly don't think I waited even 30 minutes for anything. And I don't recall the last trip where I had so many walk-ons day after day. THAT WAS MAGICAL! :xmas::xmas::xmas:
Originally Posted by draybook
We were there from 12/4-12/15. For all of you people saying that it wasn't crowded, exactly what is your definition of not crowded? I'm wondering because every day we were there most rides were 20+ minutes standby with the major E-rides going at 50+. You guys think that's not crowded?
Maybe we really got spoiled from last year, because the longest we waited was 15 minutes for Peter Pan.
That being said, I agree with WDW1974 completely. We're definitely not going back in December and next time it will be when we went last year.
Again, other than Saturday at MK, all the parks were empty to slight crowds ... wouldn't even term anything else moderate except maybe EPCOT on the night of the 11th and SW on Sunday the 13th.
I didn't check wait times at MK on Sat. beyond what we did ... HoP, Mansion, JC, Treehouse, Tiki Room, CBJ, PoC all before having lunch and leaving. There were no waits for those attractions at all ... just what it took to walk the queue and enter really. I know it became packed at lunch and was that way when we returned at night.
But the other days, there simply weren't big waits ... even attractions known for them ... like TSMM had posted standby times of 45 minutes (the actual wait was about 22) ... there just weren't bigtime waits. TT, which is always one of the worst, had waits listed at 20-30 minutes all three nights I rode -- and used the singles line so it was only 10-15. Everest was a walk on, so we rode three times in a row.
There were big attractions I didn't go near Soarin, Splash and ToT are the big three I skipped this trip. But even if they had wait times of over an hour, when you look at everything else, it just doesn't add up to crowds.
I honestly don't think I waited even 30 minutes for anything. And I don't recall the last trip where I had so many walk-ons day after day. THAT WAS MAGICAL! :xmas::xmas::xmas:
Obviously, there's an incredible level of profit with a product like that. Much like pins or plush.
I just think they are incredibly ugly ... and I saw loads of them for sale at Character Connection/Prop Control.
I don't doubt folks are buying them, but I think Disney is hoping they're the next 'pin sensation' and I don't see it. :xmas::xmas::xmas:
Other quick thoughts/notes ...
Would be surprised if Sylvania/Seimens sponsors Small World here as they already sponsor so much ... but it is possible, especially with the attraction going down for what has been termed an 'unscheduled rehab of some magnitude'.
Lots of CMs from China.
They were (amazingly) still charging for parking at TPFKaTD-MGMS one night at 5:45 when the park closed at 8. Usually, they stop four hours (or more) before park close.
A little birdie told me something I pretty much knew (but it's nice to get confirm from someone on the inside) and that's the fact that almost everyone staying at WDW in a moderate or deluxe resort right now is staying on a discount. At the deluxe level, it's almost 100% with only groups like conventions etc still paying rack. Apparently, the poor fools at Disney's value motels actually have a much greater amount of folks paying close to or at rack.
I know I mentioned the Valentine hard-ticket party, right? Did I also mention that Studios latest attempt at a Hallowen event of their own was shot down (makes at least the fourth REAL time in the past 12 years)?
Never made it over to TSI ... but it looked very sad and shabby from across the water. Anyone taken a trip recently? God, I miss the smell of (a word that rhymes with miss) in them caves.
The fishies at the DD Rainforest Cafe look much healthier and better cared for than the ones in my local mall's RC.
Again, why do folks buy dated merchandise when it isn't a very special occassion?
Buzz's queue wasn't a disaster this time. (see lack of crowds)
Pulling the rope in front of the Indy Stunt Show at park closing can wind up attracting quite a crowd.
The folks stuck on BTMRR in the rain did NOT look magical as we went by on the RR. Speaking of which, I saw a bus on the perimeter road from the train for the first time ever due to the thinning of trees by both natural disasters and Disney ... and it isn't magical either.
Is anyone here excited by Space Mountain? I mean .... as Seth and Amy would say ... REALLY?!??!
Best way to make an attraction's attendance fall ... don't have anyone at the turnstile or in the queue (see Tiki Room). many folks left because they had no idea if it was open or even what was inside.
Speaking of which ... WDW guidemaps flat out suck the big one. Compare them to the guidebooks of the 1970s-90s. Just a joke. Space Mountain is 'an indoor roller coaster' ... Snow White's Scary Adventures is 'a journey inside through the dark' ... Small World is 'an musical indoor voyage' ... and people question Walmarting?
More to come ... maybe ...
Would be surprised if Sylvania/Seimens sponsors Small World here as they already sponsor so much ... but it is possible, especially with the attraction going down for what has been termed an 'unscheduled rehab of some magnitude'.
Lots of CMs from China.
They were (amazingly) still charging for parking at TPFKaTD-MGMS one night at 5:45 when the park closed at 8. Usually, they stop four hours (or more) before park close.
A little birdie told me something I pretty much knew (but it's nice to get confirm from someone on the inside) and that's the fact that almost everyone staying at WDW in a moderate or deluxe resort right now is staying on a discount. At the deluxe level, it's almost 100% with only groups like conventions etc still paying rack. Apparently, the poor fools at Disney's value motels actually have a much greater amount of folks paying close to or at rack.
I know I mentioned the Valentine hard-ticket party, right? Did I also mention that Studios latest attempt at a Hallowen event of their own was shot down (makes at least the fourth REAL time in the past 12 years)?
Never made it over to TSI ... but it looked very sad and shabby from across the water. Anyone taken a trip recently? God, I miss the smell of (a word that rhymes with miss) in them caves.
The fishies at the DD Rainforest Cafe look much healthier and better cared for than the ones in my local mall's RC.
Again, why do folks buy dated merchandise when it isn't a very special occassion?
Buzz's queue wasn't a disaster this time. (see lack of crowds)
Pulling the rope in front of the Indy Stunt Show at park closing can wind up attracting quite a crowd.
The folks stuck on BTMRR in the rain did NOT look magical as we went by on the RR. Speaking of which, I saw a bus on the perimeter road from the train for the first time ever due to the thinning of trees by both natural disasters and Disney ... and it isn't magical either.
Is anyone here excited by Space Mountain? I mean .... as Seth and Amy would say ... REALLY?!??!
Best way to make an attraction's attendance fall ... don't have anyone at the turnstile or in the queue (see Tiki Room). many folks left because they had no idea if it was open or even what was inside.
Speaking of which ... WDW guidemaps flat out suck the big one. Compare them to the guidebooks of the 1970s-90s. Just a joke. Space Mountain is 'an indoor roller coaster' ... Snow White's Scary Adventures is 'a journey inside through the dark' ... Small World is 'an musical indoor voyage' ... and people question Walmarting?
More to come ... maybe ...
Mr.EPCOT
Active Member
Yes, the Guidebooks of the first couple of decades as opposed to the Guidemaps of the past 15-20 years are a great example of the difference in quality level between now and then. They gave an excellent overview of everything in the park, was an amazing value as a free souvenir, and even had the last pages dedicated to plugging other experiences throughout Walt Disney World, and done very classily at that! That's the part that really gets me, is that they don't jump at the chance now to use the maps to spread the word about a lot of the other stuff you can do on property. But I guess that's the problem with todays marketing is that it's all PARKS PARKS PARKS CASTLE CASTLE CASTLE!
Thinking about this has made wonder, if you showed both a current map and an older Guidebook of the same park to the average joe who hasn't been to Walt Disney World before, totally ignoring the actual content of the parks (such as the attractions), which would make them want to go to the park more? My guess would be the Guidebook.
EPCOTPluto
Well-Known Member
*sigh*
Don't forget KODAK and PhotoPass... :lookaroun
But I agree in the lack of mentioning other activities to do in the World. While they do have other brochures explaining other things to do, it is not the same... Heck, they even had several pages devoted how to take pics with your SLR camera. :lookaroun
Mr.EPCOT
Active Member
That's the other thing I forgot to mention. Disney obviously used to do an incredible job with the money Kodak gave them for the Guidebooks. So wat happened? Is Kodak giving them less money? Is Disney using it for something else? Are there too many parks to spread the money around for? :shrug:
misterID
Well-Known Member
Haha, that had to suck. But its always nice to laugh at someone elses expense.
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
You know, I don't know. I've thought about it. Maybe.
So far I haven't gotten up the energy for it. :lol: Plus, a lot of is has been said by either you or others that have posted observations recently. But I do have a few I think I'll probably share... Probably in a bullet point form. I don't feel like getting as verbose as you!! :lol:
71jason
Well-Known Member
Not trying to jump on Disney again, but genuine curiosity: why kill the Studios Halloween event? I was under the impression HHN is one of the few things keeping Universal in business these days, and on the fan boards, this idea always seems to generate a lot of excitement. This seems like a logical step in a park that targets tweens and teens, and would mean an extra hard ticket event each year for the die-hards.
lebeau
Well-Known Member
:king: Nice to hear someone gush over transportation that is not a monorail.
We don't have a spiel per say. We're just required to go over safety and docking procedures. Most don't spiel at all. I always do.
If you did, you still wouldn't be able to afford the things you want (on cast pay)...the irony.
I've had a few good bus experiences. Once, we were on a bus headed for the TTC. We were the only ones on the bus and the driver asked where we were going. When we said Chef Mickey's, she dropped us off at the Contemporary instead.
Another time, we hit the bus right after Spectromagic. Once again, we were the only ones in the bus back to our resort. The driver said, "Why don't we get out of here before the park empties out?" He left right away and gave our daughter some collectible transportation trading cards and a monorail driver lisence.
hack2112
Active Member
HHN costs a lot of money year after year considering that they create eight new mazes, six new scarezones, a set for Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (though it's nothing like it used to be at IoA), and hire thousands of scareactors for a month. While this could be used by Imagineering as a great way to just create ideas year after year that would be used, over at WDW, it may pull people away from their other offering. Also, Disney would have to bring in a marketing genius to get people out of USO and into DHS which would also cost tons of money. While I would love to see Disney take a shot at this, I think HHN has turned into a complete monster of an event, and it would be close to impossible for Disney to pull people away from it. Universal has been trying to slowly usurp Knott's Scary Farm by bringing HHN back to USH, and while they have been doing better and better each year, they even make fun of themselves as the place to go to when you're too lazy to go to Knott's. If Disney wants to play 2nd fiddle to HHN, they can go right ahead, but they would go in knowing they would only be an added night for someone who has already been to HHN.
And be honest, would you really trust TDO to do an event of this magnitude without doing it on the cheap? Because I've seen HHN on the cheap, and it was not a pretty sight.
Mr.EPCOT
Active Member
I was once on a bus to EPCOT where the driver told the passengers that Spaceship Earth was 220 feet tall. I mentioned something to him about it once we arrived, but of course he insisted he was right. It was only afterwards as I was entering the park that I realized that's how tall the wand used to be.
EPCOTPluto
Well-Known Member
That's the satisfied spirit!
:lookaroun
yoyoflamingo
Well-Known Member
I don't understand the purchasing of yearly merchandise either, but we were there on the 5-7, and all Celebrate merchandise was 50% off. There were no signs, but some CMs were telling us. We went to the AP sale at the World of Disney where they started telling us (and scored the $20 WDCC too, never would have bought if not the price), and throughout our stay CMs were telling us 50% off 2009. Even the pins!
And I agree, DTD had more holiday cheer than many areas of WDW.
And I agree, DTD had more holiday cheer than many areas of WDW.
MiklCraw4d
Member
+1000
So true. This is something that's been driving me crazy lately, as I've been doing a lot of research that causes me to look in the old guidebooks a lot. They're actually helpful - what an idea! And they always, *always* promote the resort as a whole.
This really struck home the other night, actually, as I was trying to trace what happened to the space on Main Street that was originally the "Wonderland of Wax". In guidemaps up to the mid-80s, each individual space was clearly delineated and labeled in the guidebook. Take a look at the current park map - there's about three labels for the entire land. *None* of the shops are labeled. I couldn't believe it. I guess I hadn't really examined one of these maps in a while, but it's true - the park maps don't even show the shops. No surprise, I guess, since every shop is exactly the same these days.
Pardon me while I sit here and growl now.
Grrrrrrrrr....