The Spirited Back Nine ...

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
It's Disney's fault for building the interactive queues in the first place. Here's a good rule of thumb - if something moves and a guest can touch it, they will break it. This should have been evident to anyone paying attention (in other words, nobody in Disney management) within hours of the Winnie the Pooh queue opening. If you are going to build interesting queues, they need to be visually and audio-logically interesting, not interactive.

/Yes, I know ... nobody in parks management (or WDI) agrees with me or values my opinion.

Nope, I was going to say the same. :) I can hardly blame the guests here, it's what happens when you design a park to accommodate kids and guests who can't necessarily understand English; everything has to be guest-proof.

I think interactive queues can work when there's no mechanical/moving components within reach, like the Soarin' video screens... although that's not a great example since it doesn't work half the time. Maybe for Pan, Disney can use Kinect technology and projections to have guests interact with their "shadow" in the nursery, or maybe Pixie Dust.
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
First off, you spelled Geno's wrong. Secondly, as a Philly Cheesesteak fanatic, I have tried it at various places around the Philadelphia area, as well as other areas within the US. By far, Geno's (and some would claim Pat's, depending on what you like) does have the superior cheesesteak and is NOT a tourist trap. There is a reason why they are a bit pricey; my father knows the owners and I can vouch that they use a better brand of steak.

Little girl… First off. Siri spelled Gino's wrong. I did not. I use voice to text because… It causes some hilarity. Clearly you don't pay attention because everyone who's regular around here knows that and also finds it ridiculously hilarious.

And clearly you have been deprived in your life because no one is taking you to South Street for what a real cheesesteak is. That's Jim's steaks at the corner of fourth and South streets in Philadelphia.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
First off, you spelled Geno's wrong. Secondly, as a Philly Cheesesteak fanatic, I have tried it at various places around the Philadelphia area, as well as other areas within the US. By far, Geno's (and some would claim Pat's, depending on what you like) does have the superior cheesesteak and is NOT a tourist trap. There is a reason why they are a bit pricey; my father knows the owners and I can vouch that they use a better brand of steak.
Little girl… First off. Siri spelled Gino's wrong. I did not. I use voice to text because… It causes some hilarity. Clearly you don't pay attention because everyone who's regular around here knows that and also finds it ridiculously hilarious.

And clearly you have been deprived in your life because no one is taking you to South Street for what a real cheesesteak is. That's Jim's steaks at the corner of fourth and South streets in Philadelphia.
Here's my contribution of useless knowledge for the day:

Ironically the place was almost called Gino's. A guy named Joey Vento started Geno's but there was already a Joe's Steaks so he picked the name when he saw a kid named Gino had graffitied his name on the wall at the restaurant. He switched to Geno's with an e since there was already a fast food chain called Gino's at the time. Then he named his kid Geno after the restaurant and the rest is history. Joey Vento passed away a few years ago, but made national news when he posted a sign at Geno's saying "This is America, when ordering speak English".
 

RivieraJenn

Well-Known Member
Nope, I was going to say the same. :) I can hardly blame the guests here, it's what happens when you design a park to accommodate kids and guests who can't necessarily understand English; everything has to be guest-proof.

I'm not sure the English capability of WDW guests really has any effect on the status of interactive queues. I mean, it's pretty standard knowledge worldwide that you shouldn't break other people's stuff. Plus, have you been around any large groups of English-speaking U.S. kids lately? I'd say there's an equal or greater chance damage is caused by English-speaking Americans (not even necessarily kids!).
 

FloridaRes

Active Member
Little girl… First off. Siri spelled Gino's wrong. I did not. I use voice to text because… It causes some hilarity. Clearly you don't pay attention because everyone who's regular around here knows that and also finds it ridiculously hilarious.

And clearly you have been deprived in your life because no one is taking you to South Street for what a real cheesesteak is. That's Jim's steaks at the corner of fourth and South streets in Philadelphia.

Your habit of addressing females as "little girl" is extremely offensive and discourteous. Maybe you could enlist your phone to acquire some manners?

Once may have been funny, but not twice.
 

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
Your habit of addressing females as "little girl" is extremely offensive and discourteous. Maybe you could enlist your phone to acquire some manners?

Once may have been funny, but not twice.
It is well established Siri is a habitual serial ageism offender. A formal complaint has been filed with Mr. Cook, HR has been notified and Siri will be attending mandatory ageism sensitivity training.
 

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
Went to Universal on Saturday, and despite some planning website's prediction of a "slow" day, the place was packed like a summer day.

Hour-long waits for the E-tickets. Saw a posted 45-min wait for the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmeade Station. Later in the afternoon, Kings Cross had a posted 30-min wait. Gringotts was maintaining a 60-min wait late in the day. Late afternoon, the line for Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream was spilling out the door as far as the entrance to Knockturn. My wife commented that the area looked busier than it had been this summer.

The Kongstruction building looks massive. The photos I've seen from the ground don't convey the size very well. Walls are already going up. It'll be curious to learn when it's scheduled to open.

Some scant Christmas decorations (wreaths and garland) in Port of Entry and in Marvel Superhero Island's Cafe 4 of all places.

Had the pleasure of dealing with the lockers at Forbidden Journey for the first time. What a headache those are. Almost as good was the line of people entering the Fountain of Fair Fortune through the exit and queuing up so that there were two lines of guests waiting to be served. They could have used another few TMs directing traffic.

I'm really not a fan of the interactive wand locations, especially on busy days. In Hogsmeade and DA you had several people with wands at a single location doing the spells simultaneously. What's the point of buying a wand if you don't get your individual turn?

The giant storefront figure at Weasley's wasn't lifting his hat. I haven't seen that effect in operation since the area opened. Anyone else seen it working? It's a great bit of kinetic action when it works. Then again, the water and fog effects didn't work on Gringotts, either. Maybe Universal's trying to beat Disney at their own game?

For those negatives, though, DA is still a marvel to walk around and observe. It will be interesting to see how the area handles the holiday crowds.
 

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure the English capability of WDW guests really has any effect on the status of interactive queues. I mean, it's pretty standard knowledge worldwide that you shouldn't break other people's stuff. Plus, have you been around any large groups of English-speaking U.S. kids lately? I'd say there's an equal or greater chance damage is caused by English-speaking Americans (not even necessarily kids!).

Oh definitely, I definitely wouldn't say international guests are any worse behaved than Americans (could be the opposite, actually). I was just thinking in terms of park design in general; often, you can't rely on signs or written instructions to be effective in making things "guest proof". For instance, putting a "Keep Off" sign in the Finding Nemo planter in front of the Seas pavilion wouldn't be effective to guests that can't read it, so Disney has to instead surround it with taller plants to keep guests out. And so they have.

That said, there are many English-speaking guests that would probably ignore such a sign in the first place...
 

Mike S

Well-Known Member
Went to Universal on Saturday, and despite some planning website's prediction of a "slow" day, the place was packed like a summer day.

Hour-long waits for the E-tickets. Saw a posted 45-min wait for the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmeade Station. Later in the afternoon, Kings Cross had a posted 30-min wait. Gringotts was maintaining a 60-min wait late in the day. Late afternoon, the line for Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream was spilling out the door as far as the entrance to Knockturn. My wife commented that the area looked busier than it had been this summer.

The Kongstruction building looks massive. The photos I've seen from the ground don't convey the size very well. Walls are already going up. It'll be curious to learn when it's scheduled to open.

Some scant Christmas decorations (wreaths and garland) in Port of Entry and in Marvel Superhero Island's Cafe 4 of all places.

Had the pleasure of dealing with the lockers at Forbidden Journey for the first time. What a headache those are. Almost as good was the line of people entering the Fountain of Fair Fortune through the exit and queuing up so that there were two lines of guests waiting to be served. They could have used another few TMs directing traffic.

I'm really not a fan of the interactive wand locations, especially on busy days. In Hogsmeade and DA you had several people with wands at a single location doing the spells simultaneously. What's the point of buying a wand if you don't get your individual turn?

The giant storefront figure at Weasley's wasn't lifting his hat. I haven't seen that effect in operation since the area opened. Anyone else seen it working? It's a great bit of kinetic action when it works. Then again, the water and fog effects didn't work on Gringotts, either. Maybe Universal's trying to beat Disney at their own game?

For those negatives, though, DA is still a marvel to walk around and observe. It will be interesting to see how the area handles the holiday crowds.
Those same effects have been off and on every time I've been to Diagon Alley. Do you remember if the teapot on the wall next to the ice cream shop was spewing steam? Last time I was there was the first time I saw it not working.
 

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
Those same effects have been off and on every time I've been to Diagon Alley. Do you remember if the teapot on the wall next to the ice cream shop was spewing steam? Last time I was there was the first time I saw it not working.

I don't recall seeing it, but I might have overlooked it, too.
 

Zac Skellington

Well-Known Member
83% is still pretty bad given what they charge.

But anyway, I thought occupancy numbers were rigged by closing wings of hotels to make less room inventory available. I'd love to see occupancy numbers based on 100% of rooms, instead of just those they decided to make available to book.
I tried to book a room using dvc points for the weekend of December 12-14, to add to my existing trip. There is NOTHING available on property but Saratoga, which I don't like. Nothing available! really?! It's been like that for months. Guess who's family of 4 is spending 2 nights and 3 days at Universal.
 

FloridaRes

Active Member
Little girl… First off. Siri spelled Gino's wrong. I did not. I use voice to text because… It causes some hilarity. Clearly you don't pay attention because everyone who's regular around here knows that and also finds it ridiculously hilarious.

And clearly you have been deprived in your life because no one is taking you to South Street for what a real cheesesteak is. That's Jim's steaks at the corner of fourth and South streets in Philadelphia.

I tried to book a room using dvc points for the weekend of December 12-14, to add to my existing trip. There is NOTHING available on property but Saratoga, which I don't like. Nothing available! really?! It's been like that for months. Guess who's family of 4 is spending 2 nights and 3 days at Universal.

Obviously Disney needs more DVC.
 

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