The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[ajrwdwgirl]

Some Food Pics from Dinner at AK Rain Forest last night
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I'd like a bite of that chocolate cake!

 

[Cesar R M]

What are those new turrets for?

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they are for controlling the show. The right one at least.
They replaced the older weird "tent" like control towers.
And the second towers have the speakers if I remember correctly (the ones between the castle and the control towers).

There was a thread update in the "hub" construction.

 

[Gabe1]

The Joys of Parenthood

 

[Gabe1]

Personally, I don't remember the hub being more aesthetically pleasing and functional then it is now. Just a difference of opinion, I guess.

That makes me so sad. The Hub with the shade from the beautiful cherry trees was a very relaxing part of my families many years in the MK. I loved it. I cringe with every tree that is reduced to mulch. I also have a thing for all the pretty palm trees throughout WDW and while cool the Tomorrowland metal Palm are just not the same. I am that way 'bout lots of things. Plastic Cheese makes me cringe too.

Goes to show you one person's Ugly is another person's Beautiful.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

All those who have been to Disney lately...do you see a lot more foreigners? It seems to me they are the ones that are making attendance go higher. Of course it helps, when you give free dining plan and discounts (cheaper dollar) to Europeans and not Americans.

Not really. I don't think there's been a significant change in the amount of foreign visitors as opposed to American visitors.

Who you see depends on the time of year. In the winter, there tend to be a lot of South Americans, especially Brazilian Tour Groups, and there are fewer Europeans. In the summer, it reverses.

And just as a side note, it's really not cheap at all for visitors from Europe, especially the UK, to come to Disney. For the most part, they're paying a lot more than we are for hotel rooms and such.

 

[Gabe1]

And an opinion that we share. It looks great to us, and it's much easier to get around during parade or fireworks times. Why people are fixated on the fact that they used artificial grass is just totally confusing to us.

Yep that is me you'd be referring to. Not thrilled with Plastic being our bright new tomorrow. It would tick me off it the Flower and Garden in Spring went plastic too. Natural grass areas help cool areas as do the trees and they have turned many of them into mulch. The shade is missed by many during parades.

Full disclosure, I'm not a fan of Astroturf around homes or on soccer and football fields either. I view it as blight over beauty. I don't put out bowls of fake fruit in bowls around the house either the imperfect but real stuff just makes me happy. I love the smell of cherry blossoms in the spring and the smell of freshly cut grass. To me it is all part of the ambiance of WDW.

I do concede though that not everyone has an appreciation for horticulture and landscaping or the benefits of plants bring to environments encased with asphalt and concrete. I miss the shade in many of the the Disney Parks that use to be more prevalent. Me, I could ride living with the land many times per vacation. I love all the varieties of plants and trees at AK more than most of the attractions. I have a great appreciation for all the planning that went into the MK originally and bringing in trees from around the country to compliment the various lands within the MK. The grass throughout was pretty and well taken care of. There is one tree at POR and another in Liberty Square that took so much planning to get them there and and then into the ground. I'd be heartbroken if they took a chainsaw to them and plopped plastic ones in their place.

 

[Gabe1]

To be fair, it also doesn't die and turn brown when massive amounts of people walk on it. It doesn't create mud to drag around the park and it fits the need for the shows and parades. I don't understand why being "real" is such an issue while we sit and stare at a plastic castle. Personally, I don't remember the hub being more aesthetically pleasing and functional then it is now. Just a difference of opinion, I guess.

Help me. I can't remember standing in the grass to see fireworks or mud being tracked through the hub from that. Where was the grass area for viewing?

 

[Gabe1]

It's not looking good for the party, he'd rather do Behind the Seeds and have a few extra dollars for Potter stuff in UNI. Late father's day

I can see that x4 is very expensive. He'll appreciate the Father's Day gift.

 

[Gabe1]

Budget cuts -- and . . . Astroturf doesn't need to be mowed or watered!

And more room for additional Dessert Parties! Revenue!

 

[Gabe1]

they are for controlling the show. The right one at least.
They replaced the older weird "tent" like control towers.
And the second towers have the speakers if I remember correctly (the ones between the castle and the control towers).

There was a thread update in the "hub" construction.

That is great imagineering. We have a cell tower in our very old Community Church in my town. The church has very few parishioners and was always struggling yet the building is over a 100 years old and beyond beautiful but fell into disrepair. The hidden cell tower up in the steeple has brought the revenue to fix the pretty windows, put a new roof on, fix the parking lot and the 'ole church is once again a thing of beauty and nobody is the wiser what is under the cross within the steeple. Nobody can see the ugly beneath. Win Win

 

[BuddyThomas]

Well, American Psycho, the new Broadway musical, just posted its closing notice. Opened April 21. Didn't catch on with audiences. Closes June 5. Very sad, because it was an incredibly innovative and original show with great music by Duncan Sheik.

For those who can't go, below is the opening number, followed by some clips from the rest of the show.

 

[Gabe1]

I managed to get everything, but not really at the times I wanted...it's more difficult than I imagined it would be to puzzle everything together when you have to have an hour between selections, and then you have to take ADR times into consideration as well, and then try to get everything in early enough to possibly make more fast pass selections later, AND fit in an afternoon nap. Wow. But I got it all puzzled together into a reasonable schedule. I think.

I'm so glad my DD does it. We generally travel now in less busy times and don't have as many issues and all this wasn't a thing when my kids were young. Heck, we didn't have FP when my kids were young. I liked it better. It was simplier. My goal is very different than yours as you travel so far for your WDW vacation and infrequently. I so get that. It is too much stress for me to have a schedule I can't dump on a whim, I need a vacation from schedules. I always took my kids out of school for our WDW trips once a year in the early fall for 2 weeks. It worked well for us as a family. They did the work before we left and came back to school always ahead of the class. It worked for us.

 

[Gabe1]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I figure my dh and I will get some sleep when we get home I'm not sure if it's a blessing or curse my boys are park commandos

My kids were too and from young. We were opposite of you though. We slept in somewhat in the morning in comparison to you anyhow and we'd be able to close the parks in the wee morning hours. Even when they were infants and toddlers we didn't do back to the resort breaks. My kids gave up naps by 18 months. Before that they'd pass out in strollers and we'd baby swap some things we couldn't do with them or take them asleep onto small world or haunted mansion type attractions while they snoozed. My DD 2 months old learned to sleep through the night on her first WDW vacation after 24 hours in the parks. Worth every penny of that trip cost us as she had her nights and days mixed up.

 

[Gabe1]

Guess who is finally going to go see it at the budget theater this weekend?

I have not seen it. Where is it at?

 

[Gabe1]

Something like that. Today the little angel tried to take my Figment to school for dress like a tourist day. Let's just say my little Figgy is safe and sound at home where he should be

Thou shalt not touch the Momma's stuff! Golden Rule.

 

[Gabe1]

Yep, this ought to be good.

I hope as I wade through these posts, more than a day behind I find the photo from @Cesar R M or someone tag it to me, please.

 

[Gabe1]

If I wanted hot and sticky, I would go to WDW. I wasn't done airing the house.

My DD is kinda excited. She still works her PT job in addition to her full time career job managing a water park. It opens Saturday and she has been placed in charge of all the pre-op stuff. She is above and beyond organized. She has trained all the new lifeguards, certified them, scheduled them, ordered all the capital items, budget items, uniforms, set up the ops office etc etc etc. all the while working her regular job, year 3. Her boss genuinely appreciates her. She appreciates all the extra income as she can do a chunk of it off site. When she is done she will have enough additional income for her annual WDW vacation. Perseverance.

 

[Gabe1]

It isn't the heat, it's the humidity. And it looks like it is about to start pouring again, so absolutely no open windows.

Yep, we're getting it too.

Yep. River overflowed. Trees in water again. Oy

 

[Gabe1]

Yes, I believe one of his quotes regarding the exterior of the attraction was something like "We'll take care of the outside and let the ghosts take care of the inside."

Never heard of the dinner inside the Mansion before. Where in the attraction do they have it...?

I'll try and go back and pull it for you. I remember seeing the overview. You know how much I love that attraction, a big bucket list for me that dinner.

 

[Gabe1]

pretty sure it wont have "massive" amounts of people, since its locked to FP+ on the hours that are important. And hardly any people on the normal hours.

And now they have turned a big chunk into dessert party so there is even less room than originally speculated. You know they had a master plan. It is now just clear.