T3 Investigates, Confirms, and Survives The Heat and The Masses! 7-23-08 Update

[t3techcom18]

Hey there everyone! I'm FINALLY back on here posting an update for all y'alls, and unfortunately, my camera batteries died and I couldn't get new ones til the end of my day; BUT, with that note, I do have pics of something relatively big, AND, finally confirmation of a long standing rumor abound!

Without further adue, here is the update!:

MGM:

- Went to TSM early in the day, first thing at 10:30. Strangely (and sadly) enough, FP's were being distributed for between 4:30 and 5:30, and when I came out, it down to 8:30 til 9:30 I believe. Standby was up to 65 at the time, and Single Rider already wasn't available.

- WOW. I HAVE to give kudos to the crew over at TSM today. I remember the waits being near to/unbearable the past 2 times I went, enough that the second time I went, which was 3/4 of the main queue room was filled, was posted at 45 but was actually near to 2 hours, with a preference for FP going on, well...due to an appointment I had, I had to leave. This time, I was free, so I went to wait the 65 minute wait, which had the line going out the door to the overflow. Why do I give kudos? The line was handled VERY well, ensuring both FP and Standby had good timing to get in. The line was being moved every 10-15 minutes or so, and that's definitely good. Whatever you guys are doing, keep it up! :sohappy:

- Talkin' bout TSM, for those wondering, Mr. Potato Head does indeed have new phrases/routines added to him. The ones missing notably (at least from what I could see in the 25 minutes of his side of the queue): The removal of his left ear, and the Midway Mania song. Some of his new jokes are still a bit corny, but are a step up from the ones before. I gotta say though, the new one bout his wife is really funny though, haha. That, and he has more added ID's to pick up people in the crowd ("Hey you, you're wearing Mickey Mouse!"), and the new movement, instead of taking out his ear, is the hat at the top lifting up, as well as him turning side to side. Awesome stuff.

- On a bit of bad news though, the paint seems to chip off real easily in the queue. Already, as I have seen before, many parents are letting their kids touching and climb over everything, even if its beyond the metal railings. This is letting in a lot of scratched paint, making itself look real bad.

- Went into GMR, with a 50 minute wait. Yes people, an actual 50 minute wait, haha. It was THAT busy today. Other than that, the Host/Hostess were really subpar today. The Hostess felt a bit TOO cheesy, and the Gangster was really just plain stereotypical. At the same time, it was a bit too early on with his arrival, as you could see him up top before his actual entrance. Too many things he did wrong, BUT, being in theater myself, I think I was just being too nitpicky.

- On a random note, I vote GMR to be the next to recieve a giant upgrade like HM or POTC or SSE (minus any video screens...haha). It surely needs it.

- Still no visible progress on Idol.

Onto Epcot!:

- MS has a 60 min wait for Green, while Orange had 40. Sadly, MS was being preferred at the time to FP's, having the FP's get the majority while Standby only let a few through at a time.

- The other issue I had with MS was during the ride itself. Several times when anyone in the cabin touched their main command position buttons, the audio for it would go in and out. Also, the end video with Sinise was slightly out of sync. Bad show I say.

- TT was 80 minutes, and went down two times, one for weather, and the other for actual issues.

- SSE was at 45 minutes! Yeesh, two ol' classic attractions getting 40+ minute waits...that's definitely a sure sign of how things were.

- The cooling station next to TT has recieved a new upgrade! Instead of being just a cool off point, there is now a Coca-Cola/Icee slushie machine cart installed into the back wall.

- The Brazilians are here! The Brazilians are here! Oy vey....

- As a bit of a random note, I've started to notice Mears busses going around property that have papers taped on, on indicating where they're going and also saying Disney Transport on the side. Is this something seperate, or am I seeing what I'm thinking? Did Disney just start to use Mears to conserve money for fuel prices???

- When I was at China ordering lunch and asked for the Mongolian Beef (the new kiosk for mini-Nine Dragons), they actually said they had no beef in stock. I gotta say...sorta awkward for any food place that isn't vegetarian to not have any beef, haha.

Crowds themselves today were awful. Just be kind to your CM's, as I saw a LOT of hostility towards CM's today, especially when I was having lunch at China. Heat didn't help either, plus the enormous amount of rain and thunder coming through at the moment.

Sooooo, what's this big news I have you're asking? One is minor, the other is major. The first concerns the resorts going under rehab right now. All work is being done as we speak. For the resorts I go to the most, the Yacht and Beach, the Beach is having work done at the moment. The lobby at the Yacht has nearly finished its woodwork replacement. The entire 5th floor in the Beach (Concierge) is done, except for the actual lounge, which will be rehabbed/expanded seperately. With the new batteries in hand, I have pics of the finished product! I'm honestly kinda bleh about it. Curtains makes it look like modern mint chocolate chip colored couture. You'll get what I mean when you see it.

Annnnd lastly, the BIG announcement!!! I have recieved a little CM booklet/brochure today in the mail, and it reflects on the past 25 years, how far we've come, where we're going, etc. Well, in the last paragraph on one of the pages, it states this:

"...And Epcot continues to be a source of innovation: a Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure Game under development will have Guests using portable electronic devices such as mobile phones to acess interactive features hidden throughout the park."

As noted, the Kim Possible Challenge is indeed coming back!!

Enjoy, and pics will be up in a bit! :wave:

PS - If anyone hasn't heard of it, look up and try to see via iTunes or otherwise, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog". It's an awesome superhero spoof and also a musical comedy. Awesome stuff.

 

[surfsupdon]

I'd like to see some Beach Club rooms. Will be there soon.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Nice!


Thanks for the OFFICIAL confirmation on KP.

 

[DisneyDellsDude]

Great update!
Hopefully Mr Potato Head will still remove his ear in the future. I always thought that was awesome!

 

[jtwyatt]

thanks for the update....sounded crowded...I leave in one week!!!!!!!!!

 

[t3techcom18]

Annnd now, here are the pics from the newly renovated Beach Club rooms!

Behold the new festive carpet:

This is the hallway with it's previous benches with the new, now festive, carpet:

And in those carpets that are festive, light blue, and full of sea animals, I notice two familiar faces!:

Amidst the carpet, a familiar shape abounds:

The lounge as it is now, unchanged:

Look inside:

From the door!:

 

[t3techcom18]

Bathroom faucets/mirror:

With lights!:

Shower with new cover:

New desk, and what looks to be new high speed internet jacks:

New LCD TV! (With HD might I add, haha):

The weird looking drape cover things:

Beds!:

New couch!:

Annnd lastly, the weird new carpet:

Honestly, I'm sorta bleh and letdown by the result. I thought it was going to be a much larger rehab, ala Contemporary, but all they did was just update the stuff. I don't remember if the wallpaper was new, but it looks like it is. The drapes are pretty ugly in my opinion. I would call them mint chocolate chip, haha. Also, the new carpet poses some new questions and issues. While I like the pattern/design a whole lot, the texture is very strange. Each little ridge shown as a texture to it. At the same time, concerning the design, how in the frak will it be compatible with the new carpet outside is all festive while in the rooms they are ultra modern?? BIG clash right there. That, and the carpet outside I found to be a lil too kiddy-ish.

Honestly, I think the big one is gunna come with the Yacht. I've always liked the Yacht for being much more formal than the Beach, so I expect to be wowed with theirs than the Beach...but if the Beach is a sign of things to come...yuck.

 

[surfsupdon]

Great pictures with a nice report. Thanks buddy.

 

[CTXRover]

Thanks for the great update. The Yacht and Beach are my favorite resort hotels on property and I appreciate the pics of the updated hallways and rooms.

I like the hallway carpet quite a bit actually. It plays up the more fun style of the Beach club with subtle Disney references hid throughout.

The rooms appear more modern and upscale in design than before, but I agree with you that it clashes the more lighthearted and fun design in the hallways. I do like the new headboards over the green wrought iron framing that was there before. I understand the new thing in many hotels is to do away with bedspreads that are not frequently washed in favor of thicker top linens blankets, which I believe can be more routinely washed, but I miss the the old beadspreads. I just hope they keep the footer, which was been absent from the Contemporary beds recently. Flat screen TV, upgrade. The desk and dresser are the same with new darker finishing on the top, but I noticed the stenciled painting was missing from the fridge door, downgrade. The carpet is nice and should hold up better in the long-run. It does somewhat clash with the new hallway carpet, but works for the new room design. I actually like the drapes. I just wish there was a bit more subtle "Disney" in the room decorations. Overall, its a nice update. Don't know if I would say I like it better or not, but a very nice, upscale update to the rooms. Very curious as to the Yacht club update, as that is my favorite hotel.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Thanks for the update! BTW, that slushie cart has been at the cool station for a long time now. Just depends on whether or not its open. Shame to hear about the TTMM queue. Hopefully they put new screens or something along the railings to keep people from climbing and touching. You'd think parents would have enough sense to restrain their kids and tell them, "No, don't do that, its wrong," but apparently not.

 

[t3techcom18]

Thanks for the update! BTW, that slushie cart has been at the cool station for a long time now. Just depends on whether or not its open. Shame to hear about the TTMM queue. Hopefully they put new screens or something along the railings to keep people from climbing and touching. You'd think parents would have enough sense to restrain their kids and tell them, "No, don't do that, its wrong," but apparently not.

Thanks for the clearup bout the slushie machine. I guess each time I've gone the past few months it was never open, haha.

Unfortunately, parents are actually ENDORSING their kids to do that. Why? Cute pics with the kids, as the kids are right next to the props and all. If I had a quarter each time the line stopped cause their parents were taking pics of their kids doing cutesywhatsit's with the props, especially with 4 or 5 year olds climbing over peg pieces, or touching the walls, grabbing onto the monkeys on the sides, or even scratching the paint with their nails....I would be rich. It's definitely a sad case. Thankfully they got the tall glass sides nailed on the wall in the very beginning of the interior queue, but even then, I wish it was everywhere, or at least, a video camera or more stable/more bars on the railings, then it would prevent it, or at least, make it less. It's pathetic on just 2 months open and that's already happening.

 

[krankenstein]

- As a bit of a random note, I've started to notice Mears busses going around property that have papers taped on, on indicating where they're going and also saying Disney Transport on the side. Is this something seperate, or am I seeing what I'm thinking? Did Disney just start to use Mears to conserve money for fuel prices???

This past May a bus that wasn't a Disney bus picked us up at DAK for the ride to Epcot. I guess Disney does this sometimes, not really sure. But you aren't going crazy b/c I've seen other buses on property too.

Thanks for the great update!

 

[mousecrazy2006]

Beach club rehab

Pardon my ignorance, but is the rehab on all rooms or just concierge ? We will be there beginning Sept 19 and just wodering. Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Unfortunately, parents are actually ENDORSING their kids to do that. Why? Cute pics with the kids, as the kids are right next to the props and all. If I had a quarter each time the line stopped cause their parents were taking pics of their kids doing cutesywhatsit's with the props, especially with 4 or 5 year olds climbing over peg pieces, or touching the walls, grabbing onto the monkeys on the sides, or even scratching the paint with their nails....I would be rich. It's definitely a sad case. Thankfully they got the tall glass sides nailed on the wall in the very beginning of the interior queue, but even then, I wish it was everywhere, or at least, a video camera or more stable/more bars on the railings, then it would prevent it, or at least, make it less. It's pathetic on just 2 months open and that's already happening.

*sigh*

 

[dandaman]

This past May a bus that wasn't a Disney bus picked us up at DAK for the ride to Epcot. I guess Disney does this sometimes, not really sure. But you aren't going crazy b/c I've seen other buses on property too.

I can recall two instances where this happened personally. The first was in Christmas Week 2004, when they also used Mears service. The second happened to be a Disney Cruise Line shuttle that was totally awesome, air conditioned and padded for our 5-minute drive to the Magic Kingdom on the July 4th holiday week. :lol:

I figured they'd have only used these services at peak times for visitors (both of my experiences obviously being major holidays), but it appears not from the OP's recent visit.

Unless no one told Mears that July 23rd isn't a national holiday. :lookaroun

EDIT: Noticed the Dr. Horrible reference at the bottom of the post. I happened to stumble upon the link by accident on its final day of being broadcast free. :lol: Discussion was here: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=325060

Also:

I gotta say...sorta awkward for any food place that isn't vegetarian to not have any beef, haha.

Try working at a fast-food restaurant when you run out of fries. :dazzle:

 

[EpcotServo]

Thanks for the clearup bout the slushie machine. I guess each time I've gone the past few months it was never open, haha.

Unfortunately, parents are actually ENDORSING their kids to do that. Why? Cute pics with the kids, as the kids are right next to the props and all. If I had a quarter each time the line stopped cause their parents were taking pics of their kids doing cutesywhatsit's with the props, especially with 4 or 5 year olds climbing over peg pieces, or touching the walls, grabbing onto the monkeys on the sides, or even scratching the paint with their nails....I would be rich. It's definitely a sad case. Thankfully they got the tall glass sides nailed on the wall in the very beginning of the interior queue, but even then, I wish it was everywhere, or at least, a video camera or more stable/more bars on the railings, then it would prevent it, or at least, make it less. It's pathetic on just 2 months open and that's already happening.

They are Plexiglassin' everything as fast as they can. We just can't have nice things.
:lol:

 

[Iknewagirlnamed]

To Answer your Mears question, Disney's Magical Express buses are owned by Mears so they have a deal worked out. I don't know why the Mears buses had signs on the side. Perhaps they were transporting people to certain resorts from a day at Universal or such. I used Mears to go from All Star Music to Universal for a day.

Secondly, I was wondering how you had access to the rooms? Were you staying on property, or did you ask to see a room at the front desk? Just curious. :0)

 

[Rob562]

To Answer your Mears question, Disney's Magical Express buses are owned by Mears so they have a deal worked out. I don't know why the Mears buses had signs on the side. Perhaps they were transporting people to certain resorts from a day at Universal or such. I used Mears to go from All Star Music to Universal for a day.

I believe Disney has a shortage of bus drivers right now, so it seems logical for them to pay Mears to cover any shortages they have.

-Rob

 

[jonnyc]

Great update, i hope the crowds die down a bit in 2 weeks when i go. Wishful Thinking? lol

 

[coachz]

awful crowds...obviously, you are imagining this. haven't you heard? the economy is a disaster and due to the price of gas, nobody is going to WDW.....but seriously, thanks for a solid report.