The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[DrAlice]

@Rich T and other Floridians.....
How are the crowds at Universal and WDW in October? Would Express Pass at Universal be necessary? Will I need to pay for all ILLs at Disney? Or are the crowds manageable that time of year?

Thanks!

 

[DrAlice]

One more question:

How do Halloween events affect the crowds? One of the dates at Universal includes a HHN (which we have no interest in attending). Do we prioritize IOA on that day or USF? Ditto for the Halloween party at Magic Kingdom: good day to visit MK, or go to a different park?

 

[Rich T]

@Rich T and other Floridians.....
How are the crowds at Universal and WDW in October? Would Express Pass at Universal be necessary? Will I need to pay for all ILLs at Disney? Or are the crowds manageable that time of year?

Thanks!

Just from my own observations: October is a nice time to visit, and, while the crowds shouldn’t be too crazy, expect all the parks to be at least moderately crowded. At this point they’re almost never *not* crowded, but October shouldn’t be at the “insanely mobbed” level.

I would hold off on Universal Express Pass, especially if your party can do single rider lines. Also, Hagrid’s is excluded from Express Pass: Early entry rope drop is the only way to get on Hagrid’s quickly. I would actually recommend at least one night at a Universal Hotel just to get the Early Entry, but even so, an hour wait for Hagrid’s isn’t bad, because the queue is fun, and the line moves fairly quickly.

The other coaster lines (except Hippogriff and Rip Ride Rocket) generally aren’t too bad. And, if you can rope drop for an early start, you should be able to do most of the big attractions without spending huge amounts of time in line.

Disney… I can’t really contribute much here, because as a local I’ve never used Lightning Lane, but if this is a special trip, I’d say do LL as needed, especially for Flight of Passage (and Tron and Cosmic Rewind if they’ve by any chance dropped the Virtual Queues).

If you can rope drop the Disney parks, most of the rides should be do-able without LL.

The Disney parks don’t have a lot of Single Rider lines, but the one for Expedition Everest is amazing, because it’s so well hidden; nearly no one knows it’s there.

 

[Rich T]

One more question:

How do Halloween events affect the crowds? One of the dates at Universal includes a HHN (which we have no interest in attending). Do we prioritize IOA on that day or USF? Ditto for the Halloween party at Magic Kingdom: good day to visit MK, or go to a different park?

For Universal, always prioritize IoA. On a HHN day, I’d start early at IoA, take Hogwarts Express to USF, do a leisurely loop to get the good Studios rides done, then head back to IoA before the HHN guests start arriving.

I’ve found MNSSH days at MK to be a good time to visit that park if you rope drop and leave around 4 o’clock.

 

[Phroobar]

Please let me know when you finish the movie, because I’d like to comment on it.

Enjoyed it a lot. I love how Katharine Ross is going crazy trying to figure out how all the women around her are changing. It reminds me of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. " It won't be me. She'll be like one of those robots at Disneyland." Any movie today would let the cat out the bag earlier just to show off some tech. The tension keeps growing to the end. It's good dark scifi.

 

[Rich T]

Enjoyed it a lot. I love how Katharine Ross is going crazy trying to figure out how all the women around her are changing. It reminds me of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. " It won't be me. She'll be like one of those robots at Disneyland." Any movie today would let the cat out the bag earlier just to show off some tech. The tension keeps growing to the end. It's good dark scifi.

Glad you enjoyed it. Now, I haven’t seen it since it was originally released, but…I kinda hate this movie. It has good moments, and you mentioned its rather excellent slow build. Also, it shines a great satirical spotlight on the way many corporate tv ads of the 6O’s and 70’s portrayed “ideal” housewife priorities.
*****SPOILERS*********
But I was so ticked off at the reveal, which just—for me—destroyed any shred of “suspension of disbelief.” Okay, so this movie wants us to believe that all the men of this town have no problem having their wives murdered and replaced by sex robots. And then, near the end, when Katherine Ross asks the big question that EVERYONE in the audience wants an answer to: “WHY???” The response is “Because we can.” What the—-????

That’s the film’s low, cynical view of all male humans. No character development, just a bunch of shallow, unrepentant murderous horndogs. If this was a cheesy horror film, ok, but this is trying to be something more and its only character motivation is “Because we can.”

I think it’d make a great campy musical in the style of “The Rocky Horror Show,” but… for me the movie’s payoff relies on accepting too big—and too cynical—a leap in believability. But that’s just me.

 

[DrAlice]

Glad you enjoyed it. Now, I haven’t seen it since it was originally released, but…I kinda hate this movie. It has good moments, and you mentioned its rather excellent slow build. Also, it shines a great satirical spotlight on the way many corporate tv ads of the 6O’s and 70’s portrayed “ideal” housewife priorities.
*****SPOILERS*********
But I was so ticked off at the reveal, which just—for me—destroyed any shred of “suspension of disbelief.” Okay, so this movie wants us to believe that all the men of this town have no problem having their wives murdered and replaced by sex robots. And then, near the end, when Katherine Ross asks the big question that EVERYONE in the audience wants an answer to: “WHY???” The response is “Because we can.” What the—-????

That’s the film’s low, cynical view of all male humans. No character development, just a bunch of shallow, unrepentant murderous horndogs. If this was a cheesy horror film, ok, but this is trying to be something more and its only character motivation is “Because we can.”

I think it’d make a great campy musical in the style of “The Rocky Horror Show,” but… for me the movie’s payoff relies on accepting too big—and too cynical—a leap in believability. But that’s just me.

I think that was the point though, right? Like you said, it was poking at the cultural ideals of the time. I thought the ending made it more horrific: There was no reason. They were just monsters. (I mean, even wikipedia calls it "satirical feminist horror". ) I saw this movie as a young, impressionable teen and it greatly disturbed me.

If you want campy, go watch the remake with Matthew Broderick and Nicole Kidman. Actually, don't. It's awful. That's 90 min. of my life I can't get back.

 

[DrAlice]

For Universal, always prioritize IoA. On a HHN day, I’d start early at IoA, take Hogwarts Express to USF, do a leisurely loop to get the good Studios rides done, then head back to IoA before the HHN guests start arriving.

I’ve found MNSSH days at MK to be a good time to visit that park if you rope drop and leave around 4 o’clock.

Thank you so much for your tips!

I'm getting old.. errr... hitting a milestone birthday, so I'm taking my two favorite people on a whirlwind tour of the Orlando parks. None of us has been to Universal, and the kid and husband have never been to the Kennedy Space Center or WDW. We're throwing a ton into 1 week, but we aren't expecting to see everything. The Harry Potter stuff is the priority for us in Universal. For WDW, the unique-to-Florida things are the priority.

I originally planned to book us a night at Universal, but time is limited and I didn't want to waste half a day switching hotels. Instead, we're staying at the Swan for the whole stay. We'll have a car for the space coast, and use uber/lyft for Universal. I think that will work. I hope. lol...

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[TP2000]

Glad you enjoyed it. Now, I haven’t seen it since it was originally released, but…I kinda hate this movie. It has good moments, and you mentioned it
rather excellent slow build. Also, it shines a great satirical spotlight on the way many corporate tv ads of the 6O’s and 70’s portrayed “ideal” housewife priorities.
*****SPOILERS*********
But I was so ticked off at the reveal, which just—for me—destroyed any shred of “suspension of disbelief.” Okay, so this movie wants us to believe that all the men of this town have no problem having their wives murdered and replaced by sex robots. And then, near the end, when Katherine Ross asks the big question that EVERYONE in the audience wants an answer to: “WHY???” The response is “Because we can.” What the—-????

That’s the film’s low, cynical view of all male humans. No character development, just a bunch of shallow, unrepentant murderous horndogs. If this was a cheesy horror film, ok, but this is trying to be something more and its only character motivation is “Because we can.”

I think it’d make a great campy musical in the style of “The Rocky Horror Show,” but… for me the movie’s payoff relies on accepting too big—and too cynical—a leap in believability. But that’s just me.

It was such a talked about movie at that time, I remember it well. I think I've seen it once or twice since, on the late night movie or maybe I rented it on VHS 30 years ago?

To this day, I sometimes find myself in a supermarket aisle with the Muzak playing and I glide my cart along smiling at the shiny products on the shelves and the housewives around me in an attempt to recreate briefly the iconic ending to that movie.

Sadly, I do this without a pastel dress and large sunhat, which I'm mad is a look I can't pull off without attracting stares.

 

[Phroobar]

Glad you enjoyed it. Now, I haven’t seen it since it was originally released, but…I kinda hate this movie. It has good moments, and you mentioned its rather excellent slow build. Also, it shines a great satirical spotlight on the way many corporate tv ads of the 6O’s and 70’s portrayed “ideal” housewife priorities.
*****SPOILERS*********
But I was so ticked off at the reveal, which just—for me—destroyed any shred of “suspension of disbelief.” Okay, so this movie wants us to believe that all the men of this town have no problem having their wives murdered and replaced by sex robots. And then, near the end, when Katherine Ross asks the big question that EVERYONE in the audience wants an answer to: “WHY???” The response is “Because we can.” What the—-????

That’s the film’s low, cynical view of all male humans. No character development, just a bunch of shallow, unrepentant murderous horndogs. If this was a cheesy horror film, ok, but this is trying to be something more and its only character motivation is “Because we can.”

I think it’d make a great campy musical in the style of “The Rocky Horror Show,” but… for me the movie’s payoff relies on accepting too big—and too cynical—a leap in believability. But that’s just me.

Isn't the same excuse used for every evil deed a corporation does. "Because we can." That was the same excuse for creating Tyrannosaurs, Velociraptors, cloned organ donors and Skynet. Disney is constantly using that excuse. Lets make them pay for fast passes. Why? Because we can.


Love the picture of Ginger in the sun top.

 

[Consumer]

Rather disappointed by this news. Not that I ever went there, but I loved the existence of it and its historic murals. I hope the art can be preserved, though I fear it will be lost.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/historic-disney-themed-cafe-in-hollywood-abruptly-closes/

 

[SuddenStorm]

Rather disappointed by this news. Not that I ever went there

Therein lies the problem, haha!

It's neat as a novelty and for the artwork- but this is the sort of place you read about on 'Hollywood trivia' sites or Disney trivia sites, not somewhere you actually go to on a Friday night.

 

[Disney Irish]

To this day, I sometimes find myself in a supermarket aisle with the Muzak playing

Its funny you mention Muzak, its a brand name that became synonymous with a type of product even though it doesn't exist anymore. The brand name Muzak was retired in 2013 by its new owners Mood Media after acquiring it in 2011.

I've found most chain supermarkets I go to now don't play music anymore, they use their own sound systems that play ads about in-store specials.

 

[Rich T]

Isn't the same excuse used for every evil deed a corporation does. "Because we can." That was the same excuse for creating Tyrannosaurs, Velociraptors, cloned organ donors and Skynet. Disney is constantly using that excuse. Lets make them pay for fast passes. Why? Because we can.


Love the picture of Ginger in the sun top.

No, John Hammond sincerely wanted to give the world something worthwhile. He never thought, “I don’t have enough wristwatches. What if I spend billions to perfect dinosaur resurrection, build a theme park on an island, fool people into coming to the park, let the dinosaurs loose to feast on the people, and then I can sort through the Dino-poop and I’ll have all those pooped-out wristwatches! Bwahahahahaha!!!”

If all the men in Stepford really wanted mindless sex robots… why not just stay single and build the freaking robots? It’s a huge, huge leap from there to premeditated mass murder of the women they fell in love with and had children with. If it was the the one guy being an unhinged murdering psycho— ok, that’s a scary villain. But the entire male population of Stepford thinks it’s a swell idea???

I was caught up in the film’s mystery and suspense all the way up to the ending. I’ll say this: Stepford Wives is full of clever ideas, good performances… and the poster is absolutely iconic. And though I don’t like the full film (and I’m probably in the minority on that), it is unique and unforgettable.

 

[Rich T]

Its funny you mention Muzak, its a brand name that became synonymous with a type of product even though it doesn't exist anymore. The brand name Muzak was retired in 2013 by its new owners Mood Media after acquiring it in 2011.

I've found most chain supermarkets I go to now don't play music anymore, they use their own sound systems that play ads about in-store specials.

When I was a teenager, I mocked and sneered at Muzak.

Now I have a playlist of easy-listening orchestral pop music from the 60’s and 70’s on my phone. And it’s growing.

 

[Disney Irish]

When I was a teenager, I mocked and sneered at Muzak.

Now I have a playlist of easy-listening orchestral pop music from the 60’s and 70’s on my phone. And it’s growing.

Its was always the "elevator music" brand, and I used to mock it too. I've found myself listening to a lot of "Yacht Rock" lately as well.

 

[TP2000]

When I was a teenager, I mocked and sneered at Muzak.

Now I have a playlist of easy-listening orchestral pop music from the 60’s and 70’s on my phone. And it’s growing.

For the past few years, in mid December when the Christmas spirit finally hits me like a ton of bricks, I decorate the house a bit, but only after I put this YouTube channel on the stereo system. It's perfect for that task...

 

[TP2000]

I was caught up in the film’s mystery and suspense all the way up to the ending. I’ll say this: Stepford Wives is full of clever ideas, good performances… and the poster is absolutely iconic. And though I don’t like the full film (and I’m probably in the minority on that), it is unique and unforgettable.

It was a movie that was perfect for its time. It hit the zeitgeist of the Women's Lib movement at exactly the right time. We knew it was semi-campy and a bit silly back then, but it also was chilling and thought provoking. This was also around the same time that Westworld with Yul Brenner came out, and hit a similar chord. But the Stepford Wives was aimed right at Women's Lib and the forces still pushing against it in the mid 70's.

You couldn't really pull that movie off today the same way. You just had to be there in '74 to get it.

But I'm serious.... I really need a supermarket off-the-shoulder number and a sun hat!

SPOILER ALERT:

 

[NobodyElse]

When I was a teenager, I mocked and sneered at Muzak.

Now I have a playlist of easy-listening orchestral pop music from the 60’s and 70’s on my phone. And it’s growing.

While not true Muzak, I just came across this gem:


Please ignore if not interested.
PS: Let's have another round of applause for "The Miscellaneous Thought Thread".

 

[DrAlice]

Calling @TP2000..... High Speed Rail in California news!

https://ktla.com/news/california/pl...ullet-train-gets-full-environmental-approval/