The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[Rich T]

I actually rode Rescue Rangers Raceway. The best part of the “theming” were the wanted posters for the show’s villains along the route. And the underpass walls were lined with plywood cutouts of reporters and photographers… and actual flashes activated in the painted cameras as the cars drove past. Disney Afternoon Avenue was a great little temp overlay.
(Edit)
Chip n’ Dale doing the safety spiel was a fun detail too!

 

[Disney Analyst]

Haunted Mansion reopened today, fyi.

 

[Rich T]

Haunted Mansion reopened today, fyi.

Every time HM reopens after its Holiday overlay, Disney should put up billboards of Jack Skellington being forcefully kicked out of the Mansion’s front door, under the words, “The Nightmare is Over.”

 

[waltography]

This video of "Steps in Time" came up in my recommended feed this evening so I finally sat down and watched it, and my god what a fever dream. I can't decide yet if it's bad or so-bad-it's-good, but regardless I want a DCA 1.0 Nite with this as the featured entertainment. (Also, you cannot go wrong with Eden!)

 

[D.Silentu]

Okay, I need a bit of clarification on this one. I went to California Adventure during its opening week and saw a show at the Hyperion. However, the frame story for that show featured two fighting siblings and a hip fairy godmother who taught them to get along through the uniting power of Disney musical numbers. What show am I thinking of?

Also, you cannot go wrong with Eden!

Absolutely. I had the good fortune of catching her performance as Elphaba back when Wicked was the hot ticket.

 

[waltography]

Okay, I need a bit of clarification on this one. I went to California Adventure during its opening week and saw a show at the Hyperion. However, the frame story for that show featured two fighting siblings and a hip fairy godmother who taught them to get along through the uniting power of Disney musical numbers. What show am I thinking of?

You're thinking of the same show! Apparently the "Steps in Time" that debuted to park guests was a revised version of the media preview I posted after Eisner demanded a storyline be added to the revue.

 

[mickEblu]

For months my Disney cruise app was telling me that 2/6 I could reserve all dining and excursions in advance. Go to the app on 2/5 9pm pacific and all the dining is booked as well as all the good excursions. Reminding me of some of the BS we deal with planning trips at the parks. @PiratesMansion (or any other Disney cruisers), will I have any luck booking a brunch at Palo when I’m on the ship? I don’t care as much about the excursions as I’ll just find vendors at the port to do the stuff I want.

Anybody have any advice on how one should deal with transportation on the British Virgin Islands with a 2 year old? One of our stops is Tortola and we want to take a ferry to Jost Van . Only thing is I’ll need to take a taxi to the ferry and another taxi to the beach on Jost Van . I’ve read that car seats aren’t required and I don’t really plan on bringing one anyway… at least if I can help it. Just wondering what is the safest/ best way to get around with a 2 year old?

 

[mlayton144]

For months my Disney cruise app was telling me that 2/6 I could reserve all dining and excursions in advance. Go to the app on 2/5 9pm pacific and all the dining is booked as well as all the good excursions. Reminding me of some of the BS we deal with planning trips at the parks. @PiratesMansion (or any other Disney cruisers), will I have any luck booking a brunch at Palo when I’m on the ship? I don’t care as much about the excursions as I’ll just find vendors at the port to do the stuff I want.

Anybody have any advice on how one should deal with transportation on the British Virgin Islands with a 2 year old? One of our stops is Tortola and we want to take a ferry to Jost Van . Only thing is I’ll need to take a taxi to the ferry and another taxi to the beach on Jost Van . I’ve read that car seats aren’t required and I don’t really plan on bringing one anyway… at least if I can help it. Just wondering what is the safest/ best way to get around with a 2 year old?

Since I assume this is your first Disney cruise you are at the back of the line to book behind Silver, gold , etc cruisers (loyalty status) who get to book a day or more in advance for everything. I would keep checking as cancellations do happen. Worst case once you board ship go straight to guest services (or defined location) to see about snagging a palo reservation or get on waiting list. We did island tour ending in cane garden bay beach through Disney and it was fun , couldn’t advise on independent operators but I’m sure there are some reputable ones out there

 

[PiratesMansion]

For months my Disney cruise app was telling me that 2/6 I could reserve all dining and excursions in advance. Go to the app on 2/5 9pm pacific and all the dining is booked as well as all the good excursions. Reminding me of some of the BS we deal with planning trips at the parks. @PiratesMansion (or any other Disney cruisers), will I have any luck booking a brunch at Palo when I’m on the ship?

Unfortunately, I have never done a Disney Cruise, but I'm sure there's no harm in trying on the ship and/or continuing to look for openings and cancellations.

 

[mickEblu]

In line for classic Mansion on this cloudy day. This artificial turf lawn looks terrible in every kind of lighting.

 

[SuddenStorm]

In line for classic Mansion on this cloudy day. This artificial turf lawn looks terrible in every kind of lighting.

Lets us know how the ride looks! Hopefully the narration works properly.

 

[Skip]

Lets us know how the ride looks! Hopefully the narration works properly.

I rode yesterday and just about everything seemed to be in good working order. All of the pop up ghosts appeared to be working. Narration was fine. Constance looked a bit misaligned, but what else is new.

 

[Rich T]

I rode yesterday and just about everything seemed to be in good working order. All of the pop up ghosts appeared to be working. Narration was fine. Constance looked a bit misaligned, but what else is new.

I wish they’d replace Constance’s face and voice with Phyllis Diller archive footage.

 

[TP2000]

This video of "Steps in Time" came up in my recommended feed this evening so I finally sat down and watched it, and my god what a fever dream. I can't decide yet if it's bad or so-bad-it's-good, but regardless I want a DCA 1.0 Nite with this as the featured entertainment. (Also, you cannot go wrong with Eden!)

I remember it just being bad. And kind of boring. And underwhelming.

And then they reworked it quickly by that first summer, and it still was bad and boring.

I remember when Power of Blast! (was that the name?) showed up there a year later, and that was really good! Especially compared to Steps In Time. Whenever I hear Bolero on the radio to this day, I think of that wonderful Blast! show at the Hyperion.

 

[mickEblu]

Lets us know how the ride looks! Hopefully the narration works properly.

Ride looks fine. No ghost fruit effect but there hasn’t been for a while. The Audio seems kind of low but perhaps I’m just comparing it to the louder overlay soundtrack. Also in the stretching room the ghost hosts narration sounded like it was moving around the room. Never noticed it before. I’m wondering if this was done to make it seem like he’s floating around? It wasn’t very effective and the quality of the recording seemed to change as it moved to different speakers. Just kind of made it sound like he was coming in and out. Maybe a speaker was just coming in and out?

Overall the energy just felt low to me and I guess that’s do a combo of the audio being low and the fact that I rode the louder, busier HMH 4-5x during its unprecedented 7 month run.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Ride looks fine. No ghost fruit effect but there hasn’t been for a while. The Audio seems kind of low but perhaps I’m just comparing it to the louder overlay soundtrack. Also in the stretching room the ghost hosts narration sounded like it was moving around the room. Never noticed it before. I’m wondering if this was done to make it seem like he’s floating around? It wasn’t very effective and the quality of the recording seemed to change as it moved to different speakers. Just kind of made it sound like he was coming in and out. Maybe a speaker was just coming in and out?

Overall the energy just felt low to me and I guess that’s do a combo of the audio being low and the fact that I rode the louder, busier HMH 4-5x during its unprecedented 7 month run.

I've never been- but it's my understanding WDW's version uses a 'floating voice' effect in their stretching room, to make it sound like the voice is drifting around the room.

Anaheim's has stuck with the speakers in the walls, where it's obvious where the voice is coming from but it does switch locations once or twice during the narration.

So it sounds like there's a chance they installed the WDW effect?

 

[TP2000]

Here's a Miscellaneous Thought on Super Bowl Eve...

NORAD just shot down over the Yukon Territory the third "unidentified object" that came from Communist China in a week. Later, the commercial airspace over northern Montana was shut down for a time tonight due to a fourth unidentified object that NORAD was tracking.

France has never sent spy balloons over the USA since Disneyland Paris opened in 1992. Japan has never sent spy balloons over the USA since Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983. And yet Burbank has two operating theme park properties in Communist China today. Why? (Short answer: Money!) But long term answer... why?

And what happens to that theme park relationship when the mysterious spy balloons from China turn into something even more serious?
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Walt Disney Company should have NEVER have gotten into bed with Communist China.

The way it's going, this won't end well for Burbank.

 

[mickEblu]

I've never been- but it's my understanding WDW's version uses a 'floating voice' effect in their stretching room, to make it sound like the voice is drifting around the room.

Anaheim's has stuck with the speakers in the walls, where it's obvious where the voice is coming from but it does switch locations once or twice during the narration.

So it sounds like there's a chance they installed the WDW effect?

Yes and if they did I don’t like it. It sounded like to switched around 3-4 times.

 

[TP2000]

I've never been- but it's my understanding WDW's version uses a 'floating voice' effect in their stretching room, to make it sound like the voice is drifting around the room.

Anaheim's has stuck with the speakers in the walls, where it's obvious where the voice is coming from but it does switch locations once or twice during the narration.

So it sounds like there's a chance they installed the WDW effect?

The WDW version does use a much improved audio tracking version in their non-stretching stretching rooms. Maybe they installed a similar system into Disneyland's actually stretching, stretching rooms?

 

[mickEblu]

The WDW version does use a much improved audio tracking version in their non-stretching stretching rooms. Maybe they installed a similar system into Disneyland's actually stretching, stretching rooms?

Or maybe they tried to mimic it without upgrading the speaker system? I didn’t find it to be effective. I’m still wondering if a speaker was coming in and out. Haha