The Spirit Takes the Fifth ...

[asianway]

Since it's not in theaters yet ... what does a guy who takes pictures of theme park attractions and bathrooms know about film criticism to score an invite to the preview?

Since you bring him back up--wonder if brought along his mentally unstable ... "fan" who, unprovoked, threatened to do physical violence to me inside an Orlando theme park a couple weeks ago. Clearly the social media team in Celebration is unfamiliar with the concept of "vetting."

Hope you alerted security crap like that should have a zero tolerance policy with a trespass warning the end result.

Looks like WDW has social clubs too, they just don't wear vests

 

[NowInc]

Here are the addresses

Walt Disney World Guest Relations P.O. Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

This is the universal address! For example, if you want to write to the General Manager of All Star Music, or any other resort, address the envelope to the person and use the P.O. Box 10000 address.....or for this case add George K.

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Robert A. Iger Chief Executive Officer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4873

Thomas O. Staggs
Chairman
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4873

Meg Crofton
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, U.S. & France
The Walt Disney World Resort
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

This should be a sticky on the top of this forum

 

[erider]

Does show how differently the SAME management team runs the two USA resorts.

I am more interested in Christmas Dreams in DLP, since that's the new show I'll be seeing this holiday season. I am guessing that much of it was lifted from the new WoC show.

Just came back from a weekend in Disneyland Paris and saw all the Christmas stuff. I was very impressed with the 'Disney's Dreams of Christmas' show! It uses all the elements from the original Dreams show, exept the flame throwers. I didn't see the WOC Christmas show so I can't compare it to that. I was expecting Disneyland Paris to cut back on the pyro for this Christmas show, but they didn't. And they added a great new element to the show. SPOILER ALERT: they added lights that can change color in all the tree's that surround Central Plaza. At a certain point in the show they light up which surprises a lot of people. Overall I loved the show (I also love the regular Dreams version). Also saw the new Christmas tree show. The new Christmas tree is so much nicer than the old one. It's really a high tech tree with lots of lighting effects.

One thing Disneyland Paris does have to watch though is the maintenance in some attractions. I could clearly see some broken animatronics in Pirates, Phantom Manor and Small World. I wish they would invest more in the upkeep of their attractions.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I went to the Shanghai World Expo. It was bedlam. Besides there being too many people, the manners and etiquette of the Chinese mainlanders is really (what's the right word) rough? Uncouth? Self-serving? Lackadaisical? Unbecoming?

Their behavior has been a sore point for Hong Kong Disneyland for many years. I don't know how they've handled it there, and I don't know how they're gonna handle it when these types of customers become the majority of the park.

Especially with such a small roster of attractions. With that crowd, it can get tough really quick...

Which is one of the many reasons why I have to wonder why anyone gives a crap about Shanghai other then Shanghai natives. How many of us, realistically, are ever going to get there. Sure some will, not denying that, but the DL and WDW majority are not going there no matter how good it is perceived to be. Most of the parks out of the US (maybe not France, I don't know) are subsidized by the governments. If the government in this country subsidized DL and WDW I'll bet that we have a lot of fancy things too. But, this is the way it is, so why get so excited about it. Means nothing to me at all.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Shanghai Disneyland, what relevance or importance does Lincoln hold or any us president for that matter over there? One that is remembered so fondly they would build an attraction for em.

Sarcasm.

 

[Figments Friend]

Bloody hell.

Just when you think it couldn't possibly get worse.


EPCOT without Figment, without Imagination (lower case and upper case). Princesses in, Figment out. They say that the biggest fantasy of unimaginative people is being able to fly. So why not, give them another dusty imax with seats without a floor and a four minute Best of California YouTube video and the rubes are happy with their Epcot. Besides, it's off to World Barcase to get drunk, its past four o'clock!

But wait..!
Bob promised us that 'Figment is not going anywhere'...!

 

[Goofyernmost]

But wait..!
Bob promised us that 'Figment is not going anywhere'...!

The chances are that as soon as he got back to his office, he called in one of his minions and asked.."What the hell is a Figment"?

 

[Figments Friend]

Sooo, Future World is going to be lacking Imagination in every way possible!

It already has been for the last...oh..15 years or so....

 

[the.dreamfinder]

This should scare some folks at TDO today.

http://qz.com/148670/americans-are-leaving-more-than-half-a-billion-vacation-days-on-the-table/
In 2013, Americans only used 10 out of 14 vacation days, leaving more than 577 million days untouched, according to an Expedia survey of 8,535 people across 24 countries. That’s more than twice as many as the year before.

What’s their excuse? More than a third of Americans said they had to push off planned vacations due to unforeseen work, while around a quarter claimed to be saving up their allotted holiday for a big trip in the future. They can’t blame their offices, though: the survey found that 76% of bosses in the US are supportive of their employees taking time off, compared to the global average of 65%.

The vacation rate is even worse in Japan, where the average worker took just one week off in the year, leaving 11 vacation days untouched. South Korea and Thailand showed similar patterns to the US, with workers accepting around 70% of their allotted paid leave.

It’s a different story in Europe. Not only do some European countries offer twice as much paid holiday as America, but their workers are better at taking this time off. The average French adult, for example, uses all 30 vacation days available.

Americans are better at switching off when they do take vacation, though. More than 90% of French adults said they check work email and voicemail while on vacation, compared to two-thirds of US workers. Perhaps that has something to do with why 90% of French workers said they feel “vacation deprived."

 

[Stevek]

Everybody's favorite Ricky did an interesting flip flop with Frozen.

After the movie he tweeted it has "really good parts, really eh parts." Sounds pretty ambivalent, right?

His review a few days later calls it a "beautiful and funny adventure that's a sure-fire Disney classic."

I know, I know. Shocking, isn't it?

Just heard and read his review and he really didn't flip flop. Pretty balanced, disagreed with the promotion that it's the best thing since Lion King, actually stated he liked Tangled more and felt that Frozen was very good but has it's issues. I'm kinda mixed with RB...podcast can be pretty decent at time re: news but still feel he's in Disney's pockets. That being said, he's well below Mongello who at this point has to be on the Disney payroll full time. I can't think of anyone that is more of a Disney shill than sweet Lou. If Disney was willing to send me on cruises and fly me to Disneyland and Aulani, I'd do it to. Seems like a nice guy though.

 

[danlb_2000]

I posted the full SDL attraction list over in the Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai forum, thought that would be a good place for people to discuss it.

 

[Figments Friend]

it is a waste, but this is Disney and this is how it operates.
i am not sure people truly realize what a dysfunctional, chaotic, political mess this company really is.

 

[ParentsOf4]

The Weatherman doesn't intend to compete with UNI. Like one of our less cerebral fanbois, he doesn't believe he has any competition.

It's not that CEO Bob Iger doesn't believe there is competition; he simply believes in not competing.

This is all part of the Blue Ocean Strategy philosophy. Competition is bad. Competition leads to industrial wars. Competition costs money. Competition must be avoided.

That's one of the reasons why NextGen was so popular when it was first evaluated. It was "next generational". It didn't try to do business the old-fashioned way by earning the customers' money. It tried to separate WDW from the pack and create an entirely new market, a market not based on theme park attractions but on customized vacations. By being able to provide customizable vacations, Disney could achieve price discrimination (a.k.a. charge each customer the absolute most possible).

But, like everything at WDW, it all comes down to capacity. WDW simply doesn't have enough good ride capacity to achieve NextGen's goals. They have 3 theme parks that don't have enough popular attractions to keep guests occupied for an entire day.

With Carsland, Disney achieved a pretty good balance between DLR's two theme parks. However, WDW is a mess.

Iger still doesn't understand that WDW has 1 theme park that's equivalent to DL and 3 theme parks that are equivalent to the old DCA.

WDW needs to seriously invest in Epcot, DHS, and DAK, not be distracted by MyMagic+.

 

[WDWFanDave]

It's not that CEO Bob Iger doesn't believe there is competition; he simply believes in not competing.

This is all part of the Blue Ocean Strategy philosophy. Competition is bad. Competition leads to industrial wars. Competition costs money. Competition must be avoided.

That's one of the reasons why NextGen was so popular when it was first evaluated. It was "next generational". It didn't try to do business the old-fashioned way by earning the customers' money. It tried to separate WDW from the pack and create an entirely new market, a market not based on theme park attractions but on customized vacations. By being able to provide customizable vacations, Disney could achieve price discrimination (a.k.a. charge each customer the absolute most possible).

But, like everything at WDW, it all comes down to capacity. WDW simply doesn't have enough good ride capacity to achieve NextGen's goals. They have 3 theme parks that don't have enough popular attractions to keep guests occupied for an entire day.

With Carsland, Disney achieved a pretty good balance between DLR's two theme parks. However, WDW is a mess.

Iger still doesn't understand that WDW has 1 theme park that's equivalent to DL and 3 theme parks that are equivalent to the old DCA.

WDW needs to seriously invest in Epcot, DHS, and DAK, not be distracted by MyMagic+.

Always, always, love your posts.

The more I learn about the system, their initiatives, and having recently lived through a lousy MM+ experience of my own, the less I like it. It's really interesting too, as I share information with my DD7, she tells me that maybe we should try and go someplace different on vacation next time, as it sounds like it's just not going to be as much fun to go to WDW anymore.

We did get to use both the FP+ and legacy systems, but honestly, with the exception of TSMM, having the FP+ on the bands really didn't give us any advantage...it was really more of a pain in the rear making sure that we remembered to be where we were scheduled to be, and removed the fun of being spontaneous around the parks. And now that they are putting the tiers into place...well, count me out.

What they've really missed while trying to create 'customized' vacations, is that they are only creating 'fully scheduled' theme park attendance days. There is no vacation involved any longer. Now, you have to plan, plan, plan, and plan, and then when you get there...you have to keep planning...

I've been going to WDW since 1978. For the first time in my life, I'm not sure when, or if, I'll be going back. Will I do any other Disney vacations? Maybe. I'd like to see Disneyland, and I'm contemplating a Disney cruise, due to the accolades I see on here, but if we ever return to Orlando, it'll likely be a single day at the MK (if at all) and a full week enjoying Universal, SeaWorld, etc.

Between the MM+ fiasco, the continual degradation of the food service quality, and all the other issues that we all debate passionately here...well, it's just sad what's happened at WDW over the last several years.

Sorry if my post is a bit scattered...I'm still very upset at everything that happened during our most recent visit! But, again, love your posts, and enjoy the insight you share.

 

[Funmeister]

It's not that CEO Bob Iger doesn't believe there is competition; he simply believes in not competing.

This is all part of the Blue Ocean Strategy philosophy. Competition is bad. Competition leads to industrial wars. Competition costs money. Competition must be avoided.

That's one of the reasons why NextGen was so popular when it was first evaluated. It was "next generational". It didn't try to do business the old-fashioned way by earning the customers' money. It tried to separate WDW from the pack and create an entirely new market, a market not based on theme park attractions but on customized vacations. By being able to provide customizable vacations, Disney could achieve price discrimination (a.k.a. charge each customer the absolute most possible).

But, like everything at WDW, it all comes down to capacity. WDW simply doesn't have enough good ride capacity to achieve NextGen's goals. They have 3 theme parks that don't have enough popular attractions to keep guests occupied for an entire day.

With Carsland, Disney achieved a pretty good balance between DLR's two theme parks. However, WDW is a mess.

Iger still doesn't understand that WDW has 1 theme park that's equivalent to DL and 3 theme parks that are equivalent to the old DCA.

WDW needs to seriously invest in Epcot, DHS, and DAK, not be distracted by MyMagic+.

I really believe it would take $6b+ to fix WDW as an overall resort at this point. Studios and Epcot both need at least a $1b investment each just to get them back up to speed. (This is based on the DCA makeover) IMHO Epcot is worse off than DCA was before its facelift. So beween those two parks alone that is almost $3b.

Keep in mind the $6b I mentioned is not jsut to bring the parks up to speed but also give them something to put them ahead.

A new and improved transportation system. QUIT making it seem like you are about service and an all inclusive resort when it can take you hours to get from point A to point B. YOUR SERVICE SUCKS!

Even though MK has the new Fantasyland I would say there are many parts of the park that are so behind and lacking (Adventureland and Tomorrowland).

I do not ever see or not sure how the company would be able to take a financial hit to fix all of these problems at once. If they do it in stages and started yesterday I would say the completion date would be around 2037? if lucky?

What a shame. The life is gone. The magic is gone. The entire resort is a shell of what it once was.

The little details that Disney used to do was what made the experience above and beyond anything around. The problem is that they cut the meat out and replaced it with more fat.

Sure the interactive games at the parks are cute and neat blah blah blah but they are to distract you and eat up your time because they do not have the number of REAL rides and attractions that they used to based on the number of guests admitted into the park. They now let in a LOT more people, decreased the number and capacity of shows and attractions and added interactive games and BS KidCot locations where you can make a paper mask.

$91 per person to make a paper mask. Oh, but the memories will last a lifetime!

 

[Funmeister]

It's not that CEO Bob Iger doesn't believe there is competition; he simply believes in not competing.

This is all part of the Blue Ocean Strategy philosophy. Competition is bad. Competition leads to industrial wars. Competition costs money. Competition must be avoided.

That's one of the reasons why NextGen was so popular when it was first evaluated. It was "next generational". It didn't try to do business the old-fashioned way by earning the customers' money. It tried to separate WDW from the pack and create an entirely new market, a market not based on theme park attractions but on customized vacations. By being able to provide customizable vacations, Disney could achieve price discrimination (a.k.a. charge each customer the absolute most possible).

But, like everything at WDW, it all comes down to capacity. WDW simply doesn't have enough good ride capacity to achieve NextGen's goals. They have 3 theme parks that don't have enough popular attractions to keep guests occupied for an entire day.

With Carsland, Disney achieved a pretty good balance between DLR's two theme parks. However, WDW is a mess.

Iger still doesn't understand that WDW has 1 theme park that's equivalent to DL and 3 theme parks that are equivalent to the old DCA.

WDW needs to seriously invest in Epcot, DHS, and DAK, not be distracted by MyMagic+.

When I worked in marketing many moons ago Randy used to preach to us not to rest on our laurels because EVERYTHING was competition...tv, internet, sports, concerts. If you were doing any of those or anything like them then you were NOT IN A DISNEY THEME PARK! Plain and simple.

Talking to friends there now it is completely different and not in a good way. It totally supports what you posted and that is bad bad bad bad bad.

 

[wogwog]

If the Shanghai World Expo is any indication, there is certainly a demand for theme park-type attractions in mainland China. I'm a little apprehensive about how insane the lines at SDL are going to be, and I certainly hope Disney has carefully considered crowd patterns and capacity issues well in advance of opening day.

I had the interesting adventure of working in China not too many years ago for a short period and experienced the crowd issues every day. But by then WDW will have perfected MyMagic minus and FP minus and sell the system to China. It should be perfected any year now in Florida. (sarc)

 

[the.dreamfinder]

So what happens if the Chinese economy tanks very badly in 2015 or 2016?

 

[stevehousse]

This post goes out to all the tin foil hat wearers out there, but thought it would be interesting for people to digest here, or at least tell me how this happened;

My family was a wdw last week and on 2 rides with ride photos, Dinosaur and Splash Mountain, the photopass photos on the ride showed up in my photopass account without any use of a magic band or photopass card?!?

On Dinsaour, me and my son got a ride swap pass so he could go with his mom on it after we went. He decided to skip riding a second time, but it was him an I tht used the ride swap pass first, no magic band scanning, no stopping at the ride photo booth to load it onto our phtot pass card! It just showed up?!?

Now splash is the creepy one. We were at the Xmas party on Friday, no line at all for splash, I literally walked the que and wa on the ride! Again, no magic band scanned or photopass card swiped to get a picture but it ended up on my photopass account?!?

How did this happen? I know someone on here should have some knowledge but I found it a bit creepy...lol

Btw I only used my phtot pass for my band once to meet Ralph and vanelope, my wife with her own Disney account kept track of all the photos on her band. I know our TT photo showed up on my account but thts because I scanned my band to make a car...

 

[lazyboy97o]

This post goes out to all the tin foil hat wearers out there, but thought it would be interesting for people to digest here, or at least tell me how this happened;

My family was a wdw last week and on 2 rides with ride photos, Dinosaur and Splash Mountain, the photopass photos on the ride showed up in my photopass account without any use of a magic band or photopass card?!?

On Dinsaour, me and my son got a ride swap pass so he could go with his mom on it after we went. He decided to skip riding a second time, but it was him an I tht used the ride swap pass first, no magic band scanning, no stopping at the ride photo booth to load it onto our phtot pass card! It just showed up?!?

Now splash is the creepy one. We were at the Xmas party on Friday, no line at all for splash, I literally walked the que and wa on the ride! Again, no magic band scanned or photopass card swiped to get a picture but it ended up on my photopass account?!?

How did this happen? I know someone on here should have some knowledge but I found it a bit creepy...lol

Btw I only used my phtot pass for my band once to meet Ralph and vanelope, my wife with her own Disney account kept track of all the photos on her band. I know our TT photo showed up on my account but thts because I scanned my band to make a car...

Disney is able to scan the MagicBands without you doing anything or knowing.