The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[TP2000]

"I Want You Back" is unquestionably the best drop profile, right? And "Give Up The Funk" is the least thrilling? So curious if there's broad consensus on this or if I'm alone in my depression when Parliament starts playing.

"I Want You Back" ties with "Free Ride" as the best in my book. Love the song "Give Up The Funk," and thought it was a fun choice, but as you said, it's the weakest drop profile.

I have to be honest (see my post above!) and say that I can't tell a damn difference between drop profiles. I forgot there was a difference actually, until you mentioned it.

I just like those three songs the best, and in that order. But if there's some sort of physical difference in the way the elevator drops and moves between each song, than so much the better. I'm really just there for the tunes, and then I take a couple of Doan's right after.

That would be a fun corporate sponsor for that ride, wouldn't it?!?

Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout, Hosted by Doan's Pain Relievers

Learn More - Doan's OTC Pain Relief Cream and Caplets

Learn about how Doan's over the counter pain relief products provide quick relief from back pain caused by muscle and ligament strains and arthritis

www.doans.com

 

[October82]

Yes, I meant IOA. Thank you—fixed it.

Islands of Adventure is a beautiful, beautiful park. Hagrid’s is my favorite ride on Earth currently, Velocicoaster is an amazing terror machine that’s also fun to just sit back and watch. Hogsmead is beautiful, and—as someone who loves, loves, loves the works of Dr. Seuss—Seuss Landing is one of my favorite theme park lands ever.

I’m getting older and am no longer a huge thrill ride fan (I rode Velocicoaster last birthday for possibly the final time), but I still love IoA over all the other Florida Parks. If Universal actually does build something like a Zelda Land there… it will be amazing. Sometimes I just go there, stroll around, ride some of the gentler rides (they exist) eat at Three Broomsticks and have a great relaxing time.

And that’s key to me. Right now, as a passholder at both, and considering the way the two resorts are run, I find UOR a much more relaxing, enjoyable experience than WDW. And it feels fresher; much of WDW feels very stale to me right now. And that is up to the Disney corporation to fix; those are 4 great, beautiful parks in need of much TLC and much swifter action in the “new attractions” department. Still the best CMs in the U.S., though.

And that’s just my opinion: When comparing the two resorts… the more affordable hotels, the wonderful water taxis, and the relaxed, no reservations-required atmosphere of UOR goes a long way with me.

I don't know where I'd put IOA relative to the WDW parks, but it's probably the clear best IP-based theme park, and I don't think it's especially close. Also agree that (up until EU, at least), Universal has avoided a lot of the 'soft product' problems that Disney has across the domestic parks.

Part of why I'm generally very optimistic about Epic Universe, although it's not entirely clear to me how all of the USO parks will retain distinctive identities given the reliance on IP over the long term. Disney at least established clear tonal differences across the WDW parks before muddying the waters, while EU feels like more/an evolution of IOA than a really new concept.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Thankfully, I've gotten to a place in my life where I only have to lie if its to be polite, a social white lie. Like "Your hairdo looks fabulous!", when it actually isn't very flattering. That sort of thing.

But if the cuts in DCA's budget circa 1996-1999 were really just shifts, then so be it. I trust you.

Except I never said that, so why are you lying now?

 

[Rich T]

I don't know where I'd put IOA relative to the WDW parks, but it's probably the clear best IP-based theme park, and I don't think it's especially close. Also agree that (up until EU, at least), Universal has avoided a lot of the 'soft product' problems that Disney has across the domestic parks.

Part of why I'm generally very optimistic about Epic Universe, although it's not entirely clear to me how all of the USO parks will retain distinctive identities given the reliance on IP over the long term. Disney at least established clear tonal differences across the WDW parks before muddying the waters, while EU feels like more/an evolution of IOA than a really new concept.

I think EU’s biggest distinction right now is in its going all-in on the Super-immersive big-reveal entry design for all its non-hub lands. One land at a time to thoroughly explore, then exit to Celestial Park and choose the next portal. But, yes, any of those four IP lands would feel right at home as an IoA expansion.

 

[TP2000]

But almost all of it [DCA California Workplace factory tours planned circa 1997] got canceled and cut. Or as our friend Lazyboy would say, it got shifted.

Except I never said that, so why are you lying now?

It came from this comment you made over in the DisneylandForward thread, which I found genuinely amusing.

The things people talk about being cut due to budget aren’t cut because the project budget was reduced but because the money was shifted to another aspect of the project.

I get it technically and grammatically. From a project management perspective if the budgeting in advance of the project was done poorly and/or the development project was mismanaged by executives (Hello, DCA 1.0!) then stuff getting cut from the original plans so that other stuff can still be built in some fashion is shifting budgetary line items around.

But for the vast majority of theme park fans and mere mortals without an Associate Degree in project management, DCA was crap in 2001 because Paul Pressler and Michael Eisner cut the budget on the whole thing in the late 1990's.

But I love the rephrasing of what we've long called budget cuts to Disney's theme park projects to "the money was shifted". Goodness knows WDI has plenty of money to shift around. Those Teslas don't pay for themselves!

 

[lazyboy97o]

It came from this comment you made over in the DisneylandForward thread, which I found genuinely amusing.



I get it technically and grammatically. From a project management perspective if the budgeting in advance of the project was done poorly and/or the development project was mismanaged by executives (Hello, DCA 1.0!) then stuff getting cut from the original plans so that other stuff can still be built in some fashion is shifting budgetary line items around.

But for the vast majority of theme park fans and mere mortals without an Associate Degree in project management, DCA was crap in 2001 because Paul Pressler and Michael Eisner cut the budget on the whole thing in the late 1990's.

But I love the rephrasing of what we've long called budget cuts to Disney's theme park projects to "the money was shifted". Goodness knows WDI has plenty of money to shift around. Those Teslas don't pay for themselves!

So you genuinely don’t understand the concept that different things happen at different times and places? There was a time when Disney did cut budgets after projects had been scoped and started.

 

[TP2000]

So you genuinely don’t understand the concept that different things happen at different times and places? There was a time when Disney did cut budgets after projects had been scoped and started.

So, in your opinion and/or phrasing, what happened with DCA 1.0 circa 1996-2001? That's the conversation where I referenced your "shifted" terminology for stuff that was shown in the pre-opening artwork but never showed up in reality.

Do you classify that as having its budget cut to deliver what we got in 2001, or having its budget shifted to deliver what we got in 2001?

 

[PiratesMansion]

And that’s key to me. Right now, as a passholder at both, and considering the way the two resorts are run, I find UOR a much more relaxing, enjoyable experience than WDW. And it feels fresher; much of WDW feels very stale to me right now. And that is up to the Disney corporation to fix; those are 4 great, beautiful parks in need of much TLC and much swifter action in the “new attractions” department. Still the best CMs in the U.S., though.

Honestly, I'll take easier over needlessly complicated any day. It was quite stark, visiting WDW the year before I visited everything else in Orlando (and MK) how much more pleasant the other parks were-even SeaWorld and Busch Gardens-because you could just *gasp* show up and have a good time with minimal planning or knowledge of how the parks worked. It was so easy to do everything at UOR compared to WDW, and that helps a lot.

And to be clear, you are saying that WDW has the best CMs of any big Disney/Universal resort in the states, right? I don't have any particular opinion on that one way or another, but I'm curious why you feel that way.

 

[Rich T]

…And to be clear, you are saying that WDW has the best CMs of any big Disney/Universal resort in the states, right? I don't have any particular opinion on that one way or another, but I'm curious why you feel that way.

I should have included DLR CMs in that Disney praise. Actually, I think the CMs at Universal are generally just as great… but Disney CMs get extra points for basically propping up the whole current Disney park experience on their own shoulders and doing their best to help people have a fun day IN SPITE of all the awful choices the corporation has made in how a guest should “experience” the parks. I wrote that comment having returned from a particularly crowded MK/Epcot day full of insane standby waits, grumpy guests shouting at each other and bubbles, bubbles everywhere (honestly, I used to LIKE soap bubbles!) What saved the day for me were the many pleasant interactions I had with CMs.

 

[Consumer]

It's such a treat when somebody decides to take a deep dive into the more esoteric aspects of Disneyland history.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Our beloved theme park voted biggest “scam” in California.

https://www.foxla.com/news/california-biggest-tourist-scam-attraction

 

[Consumer]

Our beloved theme park voted biggest “scam” in California.

https://www.foxla.com/news/california-biggest-tourist-scam-attraction

Because it is. $180 per person, $30 for parking, $20 per meal, long lines, horrible service, poor maintenance, confusing technology. Disneyland has become an absolute disaster and a miserable experience for guests. I love Disneyland for its history but I have absolutely no plans to return due to all the headaches I associate with the park now.

 

[D.Silentu]

Brushing aside network agendas, I'd enjoy seeing this vote circulated on national news . The odds of a policy change are right below the return of the Peoplemover, but this sort of attention is the only kind that gets theirs. It will never return to what it was, but the guest experience needs to be streamlined.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Because it is. $180 per person, $30 for parking, $20 per meal, long lines, horrible service, poor maintenance, confusing technology. Disneyland has become an absolute disaster and a miserable experience for guests. I love Disneyland for its history but I have absolutely no plans to return due to all the headaches I associate with the park now.

Make that $35 for parking.

It’s a tragic disaster for families who go in blind, not realizing a day at Disneyland requires mind-numbing prep work.

As a local AP who knows all the tips/secrets, I can pop in, hit a couple attractions, and have a delightful time. But my itineraries at Disneyland are not typical. The guest experience for non-AP folks spending a full day trying to ride all the E-tickets is absolutely dreadful.

 

[Too Many Hats]

The characters should ride the rides. Kids should never know whether Goofy is going to sit in front of them on Space Mountain, Stitch will squeeze in beside them on Pirates, or Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox will climb into their log on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, belligerently harassing and splashing water onto the AAs while shouting obscenities.

The one rule is that characters cannot ride their own attraction. Can you imagine AA Tiana teaching riders about the missing ingredient while real-life Tiana is sitting in the log listening? Deeply unsettling.

Dumb jokes aside, I think it’s a fun idea.

 

[Rich T]

Make that $35 for parking.

As a local AP who knows all the tips/secrets, I can pop in, hit a couple attractions, and have a delightful time. But my itineraries at Disneyland are not typical. The guest experience for non-AP folks spending a full day trying to ride all the E-tickets is absolutely dreadful.

Same for me with the WDW parks. I can get my money’s worth from the cheap $350 locals annual pass by just dropping in for a few hours a couple times a month, not buying a dang thing, and then heading somewhere else to eat (usually Universal). But while at Disney I look around at what vacationers are having to deal with (including the depressing sight of families eating their expensive food off the tops of trash cans because they can’t find a vacant table) and my heart goes out to them.

 

[Rich T]

The characters should ride the rides. Kids should never know whether Goofy is going to sit in front of them on Space Mountain, Stitch will squeeze in beside them on Pirates, or Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox will climb into their log on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, belligerently harassing and splashing water onto the AAs while shouting obscenities.

The one rule is that characters cannot ride their own attraction. Can you imagine AA Tiana teaching riders about the missing ingredient while real-life Tiana is sitting in the log listening? Deeply unsettling.

Dumb jokes aside, I think it’s a fun idea.

At DL in years past, characters would often hop on the carousel or Dumbo. Alice and the Hatter would often ride the Mad Tea Party.

I can imagine Ariel taking a trip on her own DCA ride… and falling asleep from boredom.

 

[SuddenStorm]

The characters should ride the rides. Kids should never know whether Goofy is going to sit in front of them on Space Mountain, Stitch will squeeze in beside them on Pirates, or Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox will climb into their log on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, belligerently harassing and splashing water onto the AAs while shouting obscenities.

The one rule is that characters cannot ride their own attraction. Can you imagine AA Tiana teaching riders about the missing ingredient while real-life Tiana is sitting in the log listening? Deeply unsettling.

Dumb jokes aside, I think it’s a fun idea.

I've seen Mary Poppins on the carousel and the Mad Hatter on the teacups.

 

[TP2000]

I think it's a shame that Disneyland has retreated from live animals in the park. Twenty years ago we had the horses on Main Street, plus goats and a barn dog and a donkey in Frontierland, live macaws in the queue of Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, a real pony in the Indian Village along the Rivers of America, etc. But now it's just the horses on Main Street, who commute in daily from Norco, thank God!

I think we talked about this lovely young couple last winter, but something reminded me of them this evening so I went to take a look... Jackie and her gentleman friend Shadow in their nest up at Big Bear! I'm forever amazed (and yes, I used that word correctly) at the resilience of animals in often harsh nature. This evening it is 23 degrees with blowing snow in Big Bear, and those two eagles are tucked under a half foot of snow waiting for morning. What a treat this Nest Cam is!

Backtrack to 22:52:30 on the night of February 7th on this live feed to see what kind of night they went through, and watch young squire Shadow wake up and check on his lady friend Jackie below in the nest. You can just hear him saying "Are you freaking kidding me with this?!? Honey, in March let's fly down the mountain to Palm Springs for Spring Break"...

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

Lunch the other day