The Spirited 11th Hour ...

[Goofyernmost]

Unrelated... when I went on Carousel of Progress I saw people get up to try to use the bathroom.

You can't fix stupid!

 

[Mike S]

wait.. I dont follow you..
can you.. elaborate?

"Mom, I need to use the bathroom"

*a few moments later*

"No privacy at all around this place!!!"

 

[asianway]

Spirited Musings (For the first time in 2016! ... Call all the Lifestylers!!! Someone let Dr. Blondie know!):

This one ain't going to make all the UNI Wand Wavers happy, but it IS reality. Recently, UNI has been surveying a select group of customers with the entire topic being MAGIC bands and MM+ at WDW. Now, we can all pretend they are curious as to what people like or dislike about being "part of the band" or we can look at this for what it is: UNI's great braintrust is considering implementing a similar system.

They are. Because when you are Disney you can do things that are as ridiculous as the spend on NGE and because of your size and share of the market, others (especially the No. 2) will pay attention to what you are doing.

UNI is very interested, btw, in whether you'd pay for the bands.

Not to be outdone, but WDW has been surveying APers for different reasons. Apparently, they have been hit hard by people not renewing APs following the recent restructuring of the program (with requisite insane price increases) and they want to know why. Possible responses even include honest reasons like "Disney costs too much" and "Disney is greedy" and "Not enough benefits" and "Not enough new things to see" ... not sure what the end game is, but this survey I did respond to. Yeah, I think the servers burned up with my answers.

Well, Flamingo Crossing Phase I is completed ... only nine years or so later ... and if you believe two of Marriott's budget suite brands to be of import then you are so happy for the genius of Bob Iger. I don't. And I am not.

Still waiting for the O-Sentinel or OBJ or O-Town TV, or even this site to report that the Buena Vista Palace was purchased by Hilton last fall and that Hilton is in the midst of a huge renovation and connecting of the resort to the existing Hilton at DD by that wonderful Disney constructed pedestrian bridge. In effect, Hilton will own the entrance to the new Disney Springs and with its Bonnet Creek resorts be the No. 2 hotel company (behind Disney) on property.

Saw The Hateful Eight. Liked it more than Star Wars. Not quite sure it was as good as The Peanuts Movie, though.

Speaking of films, the new live action version of The Jungle Book doesn't look good. It looks really, really good.

With the delay of Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters (is that the name?), I'm starting to wonder whether Disney will hold off and have a large media blogger whorefest to make a big summer deal of that opening, the new Soarin film and the Frozen musical because summer is when all those DL Star Wars construction closings are going to hit and hit hard.

I know there has been reporting about the new restructuring of what amounts to middle management at the WDW theme parks. From what I have been told, the idea is a solid one, but that the implementation as well as the manpower simply isn't there to make it successful. I am not sure, but here's the new MK management structure under MK VP (and future WDW king) Danny 'Lee's Boy' Cockerell:

These are the new roles with the individual's history with WDW and former position listed:

Frontierland GM, Steve Schreiber 15+

GM All Star Resorts;

GM Main Street and Arrivals, Tim Sypko 20+

GM MK Park Operations;

Entertainment GM, Rachel Quinn 15+

GM MK Entertainment;

Engineering GM, Don Weschler 30+

Dir MK Engineering Services;

Adventureland Liberty Square GM, Ann Williams 35+

GM Studios F&B;

Fantasyland GM, Donald Brannon 20+

GM MK Merchandise;

Tomorrowland GM, Debbie Hart 20+

Dir Experience Services and Guest Communications.

I can't really comment on these individuals as most of them I have never crossed paths with. If any of you have experience with anyone here, please feel free to offer comments.

So, the EPCOT Spring Food and Wine Fest is running for three entire months (March, April, May). Not shocked. Are they offering a free day for the local blogging whores to come in and eat and drink for free?

Debbie Hart "leads" the army of Joan Martins who give you lip service when you try to bring legitimate concerns forward. Going from a cush corporate director position to the special hell that is Tomorrowland at the Tragic Kingdom is a fitting reward.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Just going to pause and enjoy that we're on page 69.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Just going to pause and enjoy that we're on page 69.

Depending on how vast your ignore list is, some of us could still be on page 65.

 

[PhotoDave219]

This just in.....

Deadspin is reporting that ESPN and daily fantasy/gambling site Draft Kings have dissolved their exclusive advertising agreement.

 

[Tigger1988]

Took my first trip to DLR in 15 years last week.

Watched a blackout drunk get carried out of Disneyland. In the middle of Main Street, as people lined up for the parade watched. Her naked rear was flashed to the crowd in the process. Literally never seen anything like it in a Disney park before. Guessing she park hopped after having some fun at Mad T Party.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Took my first trip to DLR in 15 years last week.

Watched a blackout drunk get carried out of Disneyland. In the middle of Main Street, as people lined up for the parade watched. Her naked rear was flashed to the crowd in the process. Literally never seen anything like it in a Disney park before. Guessing she park hopped after having some fun at Mad T Party.

Now that's dazzling!

 

[Tigger1988]

Now that's dazzling!

We had a good laugh at it, CMs stood by with a shopping bag to catch her vomit.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Took my first trip to DLR in 15 years last week.

Watched a blackout drunk get carried out of Disneyland. In the middle of Main Street, as people lined up for the parade watched. Her naked rear was flashed to the crowd in the process. Literally never seen anything like it in a Disney park before. Guessing she park hopped after having some fun at Mad T Party.

This is why Walt banned guests from purchasing alcohol at Disneyland.

 

[Disney Analyst]

This is why Walt banned guests from purchasing alcohol at Disneyland.

So you're saying there's no possibility she just came to Disneyland wasted? Or somehow snuck alcohol in? She just simply got so wasted in DCA, not anywhere else?

 

[MKCP 1985]

Do I care about Captain America: Civil War? Much less than Superman vs Batman: Dawn of Justice ... and I am not exactly counting days down until that one.

Why do Hollywood types always want to run with plot lines that turn beloved characters against each other? Do they just run out of story ideas? And yet they don't see that turning Iron Man against Captain America is the opposite of what the paying public wants to see (or Batman against Superman). Thankfully Luke Skywalker & Han Solo never went after each other. But what do I know? Those movies could make another billion dollars, but if they don't, all we will hear is that people are tired of hero movies - not that the studio blew it with the script.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Why do Hollywood types always want to run with plot lines that turn beloved characters against each other? Do they just run out of story ideas? And yet they don't see that turning Iron Man against Captain America is the opposite of what the paying public wants to see (or Batman against Superman). Thankfully Luke Skywalker & Han Solo never went after each other. But what do I know? Those movies could make another billion dollars, but if they don't, all we will hear is that people are tired of hero movies - not that the studio blew it with the script.

Both films are adapted from rather popular comic stories.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Why do Hollywood types always want to run with plot lines that turn beloved characters against each other? Do they just run out of story ideas? And yet they don't see that turning Iron Man against Captain America is the opposite of what the paying public wants to see (or Batman against Superman). Thankfully Luke Skywalker & Han Solo never went after each other. But what do I know? Those movies could make another billion dollars, but if they don't, all we will hear is that people are tired of hero movies - not that the studio blew it with the script.

Batman vs Superman seems to be taken from Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns." Which was genius and should not be made into a movie.

I'm betting Deadpool overperforms.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Both films are adapted from rather popular comic stories.

Oh believe me, we are all very aware of that. My guess is that for the films to be successful on the level the studios expect, they need to draw a broader audience than the devoted comic book fans. I question whether people will turn out in the same numbers for civil war versus Avengers going against "the bad guys."

 

[Bairstow]

Why do Hollywood types always want to run with plot lines that turn beloved characters against each other? Do they just run out of story ideas? And yet they don't see that turning Iron Man against Captain America is the opposite of what the paying public wants to see (or Batman against Superman).

Aren't big fights what the public ALWAYS wants to see?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Oh believe me, we are all very aware of that. My guess is that for the films to be successful on the level the studios expect, they need to draw a broader audience than the devoted comic book fans. I question whether people will turn out in the same numbers for civil war versus Avengers going against "the bad guys."

Marvel being less concerned about "wider appeal" and being true to their characters has won them a wider audience and repeated box office success. The repeated attempts to "give people what they want" is similarly a big part of Warner Bros. continuing to bumble around for decades.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Anything on Attendance?

Domestic attendance for the quarter was up 10% but that included nearly an entire extra week during Christmas. (Last year's Q1 ended December 27. This year's Q1 ended January 2.)

To give you some idea of the importance of those days, Disney reported that Parks & Resorts operating income was up $176M but more than half of that ($90M) was due to those few extra days.

Thus, a good chunk of the attendance increase was due to the extra days during holiday season included in the quarter.

Also of interest:

• Per Capita Guest Spending: Up 7%
• Per Room Guest Spending: Up 9%
• Room Occupancy: 92%

You have to go back to 3Q2008 to find the last time room occupancy was 92% for a quarter.

During the Q&A, COO Tom Staggs mentioned potentially "expanding our hotel capacity down the road."

Disney's domestic theme parks are humming. Disney is recognizing this and is finally opening up the spigots on capital spending at WDW. The next several years should be the most exciting time at WDW this century.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Those are great examples, @Bairstow. But didn't all of those characters fight against each other before they ever fought together? I sense I might be out on a limb here so I'm going to quit sawing. But for the record, I'd rather see the Avengers versus Kingpin or an alliance of imagined super villains.

 

[BrianLo]

I question whether people will turn out in the same numbers for civil war versus Avengers going against "the bad guys."

Batman v. Superman is nothing more than characters misunderstanding each other at first meeting, fighting, until they realize they need to team up against some big bad. This is nothing new and is a formula well worn by the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy, X-men and many others before it. It's clearly no different when the trailers already show them 'working together' in the end. That's not a bad thing, but the title is completely disingenious.


Civil war is a fair more interesting premise due to the ongoing serialization and cinematic history that we have with these actors/characters. Marvel has had enough random and all very shallow characterizations of big bads. I bet the movie going audience is far more interested in Ironman being the antagonist then generic CGI villain #32 you have no prior investment in.

Who'd have thought movies can be more nuanced than purely good vs. evil.

To answer your question though: no the exact same numbers are unlikely to turn out. This is still a Captain America branded movie, not Avengers. That said, it's clearly going to make huge gains on Cap 2.