The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[mickEblu]

I feel that you could make a case for just about any resort that isn't value tier (although Contemporary, however iconic it is from the exterior, is not to my taste) over there. They're all impressive in their own way. Grand Californian is the only one at DLR that approaches or matches the feel of the resorts at WDW, though I think there are some nice aspects of the Disneyland Hotel as well.

If money was no object, my choice would be Animal Kingdom Lodge, but there are plenty of resorts there that I haven't explored. I was very pleasantly surprised by Coronado Springs in October (and the bar at the top of their new tower has a spectacular view of much of the resort). Of the ones I haven't explored yet, I'd most like to visit Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans, and Wilderness Lodge.

Polynesian seems to match the vibe that I want on a vacation and i love Hawaiian food. It also has great transportation to MK and Epcot(?) I believe?

I like that Beach Club is located right next to two of the 4 parks but I’m not as drawn to the theme/aesthetic. I eliminated Yacht Club and Boardwalk as I feel Beach Club Is the best of the 3 for me.

The Contemporary, although I enjoy the Mid Century Modern aesthetic and the Iconic A frame with the monorail going through it, isn’t really the vibe I want to go all in on for a 9 day vacation. Especially the first trip. The food options sound pretty good though.

I love the look of Port Orleans but I feel that it’s kind of in “No Man’s Land” meaning you re not splurging and staying in a Deluxe but also not saving the money you would be at a value - a couple of which have much better transpo options like Pop Century and Art of Animation.

Wilderness Lodge - I’ve been to Yosemite and have stayed at The Grand Californian a couple times which I feel is similar enough so it’s not as high on my list

Grand Floridian - Looks nice but I have 2 young kids so it doesn’t seem like the right choice.

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Doesn’t seem like the place you stay at on your first trip. Far away from everything and only buses for transportation.

We decided that we re going to splurge on our first WDW trip and do like a 10 day stay at a Deluxe Resort. I could totally see me coming back thinking it’s not worth the money and go with a value resort the second trip, if there is one. I see myself wanting to go to the parks a lot (which drastically lowers the value of a Deluxe Resort) but with a longer stay we could bake in 3 down days and with the kids we’ll probably need it. We were going to to go to WDW for my wife’s best friends wedding next January which they almost booked but plans changed and they are now getting married in California. Once again the WDW Gods have not shined on me. So now we re thinking of going next Spring or possibly as late as when our youngest turns 4 which wouldn’t be until Fall 2024. If I go next year they will be 7 and 2 years old. I think waiting til they re 9 and 4 probably makes more sense and will make for a better trip. At a certain point though you just get tired of waiting for the perfect time.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Polynesian seems to match the vibe that I want on a vacation and i love Hawaiian food. It also has great transportation to MK and Epcot(?) I believe?

I like that Beach Club is located right next to two of the 4 parks but I’m not as drawn to the theme/aesthetic. I eliminated Yacht Club and Boardwalk as I feel Beach Club Is the best of the 3 for me.

The Contemporary, although I enjoy the Mid Century Modern aesthetic and the Iconic A frame with the monorail going through it, isn’t really the vibe I want to go all in on for a 9 day vacation. Especially the first trip. The food options sound pretty good though.

I love the look of Port Orleans but I feel that it’s kind of in “No Man’s Land” meaning you re not splurging and staying in a Deluxe but also not saving the money you would be at a value - a couple of which have much better transpo options like Pop Century and Art of Animation.

Wilderness Lodge - I’ve been to Yosemite and have stayed at The Grand Californian a couple times which I feel is similar enough so it’s not as high on my list

Grand Floridian - Looks nice but I have 2 young kids so it doesn’t seem like the right choice.

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Doesn’t seem like the place you stay at on your first trip. Far away from everything and only buses for transportation.

We decided that we re going to splurge on our first WDW trip and do like a 10 day stay at a Deluxe Resort. I could totally see me coming back thinking it’s not worth the money and go with a value resort the second trip, if there is one. I see myself wanting to go to the parks a lot (which drastically lowers the value of a Deluxe Resort) but with a longer stay we could bake in 3 down days and with the kids we’ll probably need it. We were going to to go to WDW for my wife’s best friends wedding next January which they almost booked but plans changed and they are now getting married in California. Once again the WDW Gods have not shined on me. So now we re thinking of going next Spring or possibly as late as when our youngest turns 4 which wouldn’t be until Fall 2024. If I go next year they will be 7 and 2 years old. I think waiting til they re 10 and 4 probably makes more sense and will make for a better trip. At a certain point though you just get tired of waiting for the perfect time.

The Polynesian is definitely in the sweet spot for transportation-monorail to Magic Kingdom (although you can also now walk there-or, crucially, back at the end of the night-should you choose) and Epcot. And because of where the resort is, you can walk to the Epcot monorail without having to take the MK monorail around first.

I have no idea who Grand Floridian is for at this point, with the prices where they are, the elimination of many of the perks, and the fact that there is now an actual Four Seasons on property. Who would want the fake Disney version of luxury when you can have the real thing? Clearly plenty of people, but it hurts my brain.

10 Days is a good amount of time for a first visit, and waiting a few years for the kids to age a bit is probably a good idea. Such a lengthy trip may also give you a chance to sample some of the more minor offerings-water parks, Hoop De Doo should it ever come back, mini golf, etc. assuming time/money/interest/children allow. At this point I personally would just go for a value resort and visit the Deluxes when you can unless you won't get a chance to visit any deluxes unless you're actually staying there, in which case I totally understand the desire for the splurge.

I'm happy that WDW is still on your radar even if there have been a lot of unforeseen and frustrating setbacks-there's still a lot worth doing there despite many of its frustrations.

 

[CaptinEO]

The social clubs are just a very unfriendly image. I'm sure 95% of them are dads just in a mid life crisis, but dressing like actual biker gang members that are violent and commit crimes doesn't belong in Disneyland.

They are creating a weird nerd cringe where they think they are tough guys for liking kids films and princess movies. Nothing wrong with that hobby, but why are you dressing like organized criminals to express this?

Yes I know it's just an outfit, yes I know they are all out of shape, but I don't like the image personally.

I find the dapper day people off putting but at least they are cringey in a non violent spectrum.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Doesn’t seem like the place you stay at on your first trip. Far away from everything and only buses for transportation.

Everything ends up far away from somewhere but a Savannah view can’t be beat.

 

[No Name]

I like that Beach Club is located right next to two of the 4 parks but I’m not as drawn to the theme/aesthetic. I eliminated Yacht Club and Boardwalk as I feel Beach Club Is the best of the 3 for me.

Not trying to sway you but I do just want to mention the Beach/Yacht club has the best swimming pools and water slide. I stayed there when I was 7 and it’s really the main thing I remember about the trip.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Not trying to sway you but I do just want to mention the Beach/Yacht club has the best swimming pools and water slide. I stayed there when I was 7 and it’s really the main thing I remember about the trip.

Yep the biggest resort pool on property

 

[mlayton144]

I think the Poly is the perfect choice if within your budget - convenient, nice ambience , and easy access to eat or visit any of the monorail resorts within 5-10 mins (and you should) . Disagree about doing the value resorts - with kids that age I doubt you want marathon park days - you want a place to return to enjoy the resort and kick back over 10 days. Plus , if may be your only trip

yacht and beach are the same resort sharing all amenities - wouldn’t get hung up on which one - the yacht rooms all have balconies and a bit quieter which isn’t a bad thing

AKL is beautiful - plan a meal there to check it out and the animals

 

[mickEblu]

Not trying to sway you but I do just want to mention the Beach/Yacht club has the best swimming pools and water slide. I stayed there when I was 7 and it’s really the main thing I remember about the trip.

The pool does look great. That was the other big draw outside of its location.

 

[mickEblu]

I think the Poly is the perfect choice if within your budget - convenient, nice ambience , and easy access to eat or visit any of the monorail resorts within 5-10 mins (and you should) . Disagree about doing the value resorts - with kids that age I doubt you want marathon park days - you want a place to return to enjoy the resort and kick back over 10 days. Plus , if may be your only trip

yacht and beach are the same resort sharing all amenities - wouldn’t get hung up on which one - the yacht rooms all have balconies and a bit quieter which isn’t a bad thing

AKL is beautiful - plan a meal there to check it out and the animals

Good point about the kids and then of course just being there so many days you ll need down time. I’m exhausted doing DLR two days in a row and that isn’t even a lot of walking.

 

[Okee68]

If any of you are interested in the old Randall Duell theme parks of the sixties and seventies (original three Six Flags parks, AstroWorld, Opryland, etc.), then here's a big document I wrote which describes "Kentucky Fair," my very own "spiritual successor" park which is themed around my home state of Kentucky:

Kentucky Fair

KENTUCKY FAIR: A brand new old-fashioned theme park by Okee68 Original draft published February 7, 2022 Behold Kentucky Fair, a fictional theme park located in Louisville at the present site of Kentucky Kingdom. In many ways, Kentucky Fair is a spiritual successor to the many theme parks of the ...

docs.google.com

For all of you who are unaware, pretty much every theme park designed by Randall Duell (and especially the first three Six Flags parks) shared more or less the same roster of attractions. They all had a mine train coaster, a log flume, a sky gondola ride, a miniature railroad, an antique car ride, various stage show venues, and a bunch of other low thrill/no thrill attractions. Each park went about applying these attractions to its own theming in its own unique ways, which is something that I find to be fascinating. For years now, I've wanted to come up with a Kentucky theme park which does exactly the same thing with that classic roster of attractions, and now I've finally done it.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

If any of you are interested in the old Randall Duell theme parks of the sixties and seventies (original three Six Flags parks, AstroWorld, Opryland, etc.), then here's a big document I wrote which describes "Kentucky Fair," my very own "spiritual successor" park which is themed around my home state of Kentucky:

Kentucky Fair

KENTUCKY FAIR: A brand new old-fashioned theme park by Okee68 Original draft published February 7, 2022 Behold Kentucky Fair, a fictional theme park located in Louisville at the present site of Kentucky Kingdom. In many ways, Kentucky Fair is a spiritual successor to the many theme parks of the ...

docs.google.com

For all of you who are unaware, pretty much every theme park designed by Randall Duell (and especially the first three Six Flags parks) shared more or less the same roster of attractions. They all had a mine train coaster, a log flume, a sky gondola ride, a miniature railroad, an antique car ride, various stage show venues, and a bunch of other low thrill/no thrill attractions. Each park went about applying these attractions to its own theming in its own unique ways, which is something that I find to be fascinating. For years now, I've wanted to come up with a Kentucky theme park which does exactly the same thing with that classic roster of attractions, and now I've finally done it.

It's interesting how Six Flags parks are known as "parking lots with coasters" when they originally started as theme parks. My local one is Great America (which used to be owned by Marriott) but the areas still have some sort of theming, which gives a small bit of that Disney Magic in a way. You could think of the Giant Carousel as the equivalent of the Castle and there's also a railroad.

 

[Okee68]

It's interesting how Six Flags parks are known as "parking lots with coasters" when they originally started as theme parks. My local one is Great America (which used to be owned by Marriott) but the areas still have some sort of theming, which gives a small bit of that Disney Magic in a way. You could think of the Giant Carousel as the equivalent of the Castle and there's also a railroad.

I think every single Randall Duell park met with the exact same tragic fate: Purchased by Six Flags, then had their unique theming (usually based on local history) gradually stripped away in favor of Looney Tunes, DC, and generic coasters and flat rides that aren't themed around anything in particular. Even the prettiest spots in Six Flags Over Texas and Georgia are tainted by ugly, garish signage.

 

[TP2000]

This kind of weather always keeps me up late at night. I just padded out to the kitchen for a glass of cranberry juice and the windows all along the western side of the house were aglow, and it genuinely startled me and made me stop in fear.

Somewhere between me and Disneyland tonight at 1am there is a MASSIVE FIRE. It looks to be about several city blocks wide, perhaps a large warehouse complex off Katella near the Santa Ana River, not quite in Anaheim but rather the city of Orange. It also appears to be an industrial facility of some kind and the entire large facility is all on fire all at the same time, and the flames are at least 100 feet high and spread over several city blocks. Now I'm hearing rumbles as some explosions kick off and the flames blast higher.

It's quite clearly raging out of control, although I can see some fire hoses being sprayed high into the air over it.

This will definitely be a story in the morning, so I'm sure there will be details then. But trust me, this thing is huge. It's lit up the side of my house on a hill five miles away. Luckily it's a mile or two east of Disneyland though.

Thank God this happened in the middle of the night when hopefully few were working in whatever that industrial complex was. But this one is going to leave a bad mark I'm afraid.

 

[TP2000]

The fire got even bigger just before 2am, so I busted out the telescope, which I'd dismantled to be packed up.

Through the telescope at my angle due east, the fire appears to be near the backside of the Stadium Theaters on Katella, just across the riverbed from the Honda Center. I can't imagine the backside of the theater megaplex is going to escape without at least some singes.

Again, thank God this is happening in the middle of the night, as if it had happened at 8pm on a Friday that theater/restaurant complex would be packed full of people.

I'm also fascinated looking through the telescope at the firemen on this hugely tall ladder that is all lit up with red LED lights, battling and maneuvering water cannons next to giant plumes of flames. Impressive!

Let's just take a moment to thank our brave firefighters and policemen and medics who are out there at 2am working hard to protect life and property while most of us all sleep safely. God bless 'em!

Here's a photo of the fire I snapped with a bit of zoom. The fire is about five miles west of me, so you can get the scope of how big it is. Disneyland Resort is roughly behind the flames, and slightly to the right of the flames.

 

[SplashJacket]

The fire got even bigger just before 2am, so I busted out the telescope, which I'd dismantled to be packed up.

Through the telescope at my angle due east, the fire appears to be near the backside of the Stadium Theaters on Katella, just across the riverbed from the Honda Center. I can't imagine the backside of the theater megaplex is going to escape without at least some singes.

Again, thank God this is happening in the middle of the night, as if it had happened at 8pm on a Friday that theater/restaurant complex would be packed full of people.

I'm also fascinated looking through the telescope at the firemen on this hugely tall ladder that is all lit up with red LED lights, battling and maneuvering water cannons next to giant plumes of flames. Impressive!

Let's just take a moment to thank our brave firefighters and policemen and medics who are out there at 2am working hard to protect life and property while most of us all sleep safely. God bless 'em!

Here's a photo of the fire I snapped with a bit of zoom. The fire is about five miles west of me, so you can get the scope of how big it is.
View attachment 619891

Industrial fire in Orange generates huge flames, explosion

The fire broke out after midnight in the 2000 block of Batavia Street

www.ocregister.com

 

[mickEblu]

Willow Series coming to Disney +

National Treasure series coming to Disney +

Kardashians coming to Disney +

 

[Disney Irish]

Willow Series coming to Disney +

National Treasure series coming to Disney +

Kardashians coming to Disney +

Well to be fair, Kim and her family aren't coming to D+ proper in the US, but rather Hulu.

I know its a small distinction, as Disney is marketing Hulu and D+ together, but its a big one right now. That is until Hulu comes directly under D+ in a couple years, something I've been predicting for awhile now.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Willow Series coming to Disney +

National Treasure series coming to Disney +

Kardashians coming to Disney +

I will say, I do enjoy a cheesy reality show now and again. You may catch me on Netflix watching Selling Sunset, or something...

So it will be a nice offering for Disney+ here in Canada, I assume on Star. The more variety they can offer, the better.

(I have never watched an episode of their shows before... so I may not even watch it)

 

[Mac Tonight]

I will say, I do enjoy a cheesy reality show now and again. You may catch me on Netflix watching Selling Sunset, or something...

So it will be a nice offering for Disney+ here in Canada, I assume on Star. The more variety they can offer, the better.

(I have never watched an episode of their shows before... so I may not even watch it)

My wife watches Selling Sunset... ugh. I just can't.

 

[Phroobar]

My wife watches Selling Sunset... ugh. I just can't.

You're married?