The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[PhotoDave219]

I don't know if there is a way of saying this without seeming to be bragging, but maybe I am; I definitely am not ashamed of what I've done.

Me and the SO have been to all 50 US states, all seven continents, 9 of the Canadian provinces, and 76 different countries (without doing a Caribbean cruise). We've been to all 11 Disney parks worldwide (just happened to be in Shanghai the day Disney announced they were building the park there, and by happenstance drove past the site.) But we still go to WDW every weekend, at least once and generally twice. Why? Because it gives us pleasure.

Yes, we are APs, and live about 30 minutes from the farthest park from us. That was the result of job relocation, not precisely a plan. But it was a positive factor in the decision to accept the move. We're former DVC owners, but sold when we moved so close, since the positives were completely overwhelmed by the yearly maintenance fees.

We enjoy the parks. Period, no question. But it isn't because of anything WDW has done recently, it's because people who go seem to be enjoying themselves, and we like seeing that. We do more people watching than anything else. We always do at least one attraction per visit (my rule), but that isn't the driving force in going. Of course, our scheduling may seem strange - get up in the morning, decide where we want to eat, make a lunch reservation, eat, then visit whatever park we happen to be in. The only difference is when something special is going on - just had to see John Ratzenberg last weekend, and Mark Hamill today - but we could do that and nothing else at the park and consider it a good day. So is this the justification for dropping a couple of thousand dollars to do Disney? Obviously not, since we don't spend near that much at one time. But we will spend that over a year, and have no regrets doing so.

Of course, we bought APs to USO earlier this year (before the prices went up), because we want to see the additions to Potter that are upcoming. (We bought APs when the original Potterland opened too.) So while the atmosphere at USO is not as welcoming to us, the adds that Universal is doing are paying off, at least as it relates to us.

I need your budget.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Unfortunately that's where the west coast is so weak. Here, come to DC, see world class museums, then head north to Gettysburg, then head south through the sites like Fredericksburg... then hit Williamsburg and you are taken all the way back to colonial times. And there is some amusement parks along the way

I guess I was spoiled growing up outside of DC because I did all that.

To this day there's nothing I'd rather do than wonder around some museums in downtown DC. Unless it's museums in LA… Or the Kremlin… Sydney Opera House would be nice…

 

[WDW1974]

I tend not to make assumptions about an entire country based on my experience, regardless of how extensive, with only one city.

I would hate if all of Michigan was judge on Detroit. I'm sure the converse is true for most of the residents of Austin and the general perception of Texas. I've lived in Raleigh all my life and we don't even have the same barbeque in the next county over.

Countries are made of people and people are different and I'm not going to hold one country to a singular standard based on one person's observation.

So nice to see you here, @jakeman. I was afraid you might have been run over by a Disney bus.

I would agree that it isn't fair to base opinions on a country on one person's observations. That said, I'll take @flynnibus 's word for his experiences and observations on Norway, much like I'd hope people would take mine on living in China (or SoCal for that matter) over those of someone who has never even set foot in the nation.

I wouldn't put my opinions of Raleigh above yours, for instance, because I have just visited while you live there.

 

[Computer Magic]

A Spirited serious question to all the folks who still have pixie dust in their eyes: what currently going on at WDW has you excited enough to burn through thousands of dollars by visiting in 2014 or 2015?

I've taken one trip to WDW since 2010, when I use to go yearly or every 2 years. I wouldn't have went in 2013 but I wanted to experience WDW w/o the magical bracelet. I have no interest in returning until the magical bracelet evolves to something useful and waiting some of the new attractions at AK. By my estimates, my next return will be late 2016. That will be 1 trip in 6 years. Wow did WDW miss the boat with me as I used to be a sure thing when it came to WDW.

 

[RSoxNo1]

While you put together another impactful (is that a new word?) numbers post, I think you can boil it all down to just what I quoted above.

While ignorant fanbois crow about the level of investment The Weatherman has placed in WDW (and P&R in general), the record shows he doesn't come close to what his predecessor did. And when most of WDW investment is in NGE and timeshares, it sure leaves next to nothing for brick and mortar improvements to the parks themselves.

Sorry, but remodeling a mall and adding timeshares to the Poly are not attendance drivers. Hell, even the little kiddie coaster is more of one than those!

That's the thing, there has been quite a bit of money being spent at Walt Disney World, but very little of it will drive attendance. I've previously made the argument that all this stuff is essentially infrastructure improvements. That's not just Next Gen, but hotel additions as well. They're there to encourage guests to spend money while they're being entertained. They are not the things that are entertaining.

The answers to so many of the ailments at Walt Disney World are simple: Maintain and upgrade what you have and make regular attraction additions to keep the parks fresh. There was a time when Disney had the goal of a new E-Ticket every 3.75 years. They are looking at an 11 year gap between E-Tickets now (Everest to Avatar). Universal Studios was really struggling prior to the Harry Potter additions, it gave the resort a second life and they have taken that opportunity to be aggressive. The most obvious example of this was the Transformers addition. Yes, it's a clone. Yes, there was a clause in the contract that required them to build it sooner rather than later. But no, it wasn't really needed.

There is no excuse for Disney being any less than a year into construction of a Star Wars land. There is no excuse for not having another attraction in Pixar place. There is no excuse for the current state of Imagination or the Yeti. Addressing those things would have cost less than half of Next Gen. Disney can talk about all of the revenue growth they want, it's certainly important. But since 2009, they have gone from 74.86% to 71.18% in percentage of guests visiting Central Florida. During the same time, Universal has gone from 16% of guests to 21.59%. The parks that lost the greatest percentage during that time? Sea World #1, Epcot #2.

Disney rested on their laurels. They let Universal up off the mat and haven't noticed that they've been taking stomach punches for the last 4 years.

 

[WDW1974]

The remote possibility you will make the drive north and I get to meet you Not to mention it really isn't going to cost me thousands. Thanks to a heavy CM discount in January. Other then that I promised a mutual friend I would hook her up. Disney wise? meh.... I am really looking forward to HP 2.0 does that count?

Be careful what you wish for, John. While I'd love to meet you, I must warn you that while the vast majority of folks I meet wind up liking me just fine, it isn't UNIversal. ANd if you think I am opinionated here, it is nothing compared to the real un-self-censoring version you'll get in the real world.

I made some great new friends on my WONDERful cruise, but I also made one life-long Disney fan almost cry and jump overboard and didn't make fast friends with a woman who was actually sorta from the town where I live (she even pointed me out from the opposite jacuzzi one day and I am pretty sure she wasn't saying what an amazing guy I was!)

 

[WDW1974]

It's near Universal.

But who says I'm spending thousands?

The question was more for the majority here that are.

I can go to WDW for a few weeks, stay at friend's luxury apartment or another's luxury townhome, and spend $500-1,000 (most not going to TWDC).

I'm looking at those who already have the next 2-3 trips penciled in and booking at WDW resorts etc...

Same reason the question really isn't for someone who lives in Winter Garden or Clermont or Sanford and has an AP.

 

[Cody5242]

@WDW1974 how information do you know about the PotC going into Shanghai? Are you impressed by it? This is the most intriguing ride to me

 

[WDW1974]

When are you going back?

I have no idea. Really.

My AP expires shortly. I'm going to renew for the 34th straight year (and get absolutely nothing from Disney for that kind of loyalty!) because it's cheap enough and with monthly payments, I barely think about it, and don't want to (GOAL ... KINGS!) have to bother a friend to walk me in when I decide I want to be there.

I want to see Potter 2.0. But we are likely looking at 3-4 weeks before that opens at best and I HATE Florida summer weather. So, I don't see myself headed up before the fall, but who knows ...

Like I said in the last post, I can always stay with friends. I have been able to get $50 TM rooms at Portofino Bay thanks to a friend (although I suspect those won't be available this summer), so it isn't a financial burden on me to do a spur of the moment trip.

I'd rather be in Europe, though, seeing the opening of the Ratatouille ride at DSP and then checking out Europa Park. Or even back in SoCal ... we'll see.

 

[WDW1974]

I found him:

I'm thinking he'd rather be frozen in carbonite or even thrown in the pit of Sarlacc and slowly digested over 1,000 years

Anyone look at this above and get an inkling of why J.K. may have felt UNI would be a better fit for her 'world'?

 

[Computer Magic]

Anyone look at this above and get an inkling of why J.K. may have felt UNI would be a better fit for her 'world'?

Totally agree, worlds colliding.

 

[WDW1974]

Because its a mere bagatelle, and one simply must feel the love and magic to keep in-touch with ones inner self. Or maybe it because the current Mrs Sak insisted we do WDW before she lets me go back to Vegas.

I'm just curious as to how many Mrs. Saks there have been!

 

[PhotoDave219]

I LOVE American history, specifically the Civil War era, so seeing Gettysburg would be a real treat for me. I plan on seeing it someday.

I did an internship in York. Spent many an hour out in Gettysburg.

Also, Drove through Manassas Battlefield every day on my way home from school when I was in college.

I'm well versed with the history of our civil war....

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The question was more for the majority here that are.

I can go to WDW for a few weeks, stay at friend's luxury apartment or another's luxury townhome, and spend $500-1,000 (most not going to TWDC).

I'm looking at those who already have the next 2-3 trips penciled in and booking at WDW resorts etc...

Same reason the question really isn't for someone who lives in Winter Garden or Clermont or Sanford and has an AP.

In my case I am staying on site, but spending less than $1000 on flight + hotel + airport transfers before tax, and I'm not staying at All-Stars either. I'm also not the kind of person who pays for a 7-day hopper with fun option "just in case" I want to do any of those things at any given time. I'd have to really s-t-r-e-t-c-h the food budget to hit $2K, let alone the $7 grand figure that gets thrown around here sometimes. Such is the perk of travelling solo. When it comes to vacation spending, it's about doing it smart, not just paying the asking price. I also already did an on-site stay at UNI early in the year and only want to do one day there for Diagon Alley.

And speaking of prices, can someone explain to me why Swalphin is charging the better part of $300/night for a Spetember weeknight when they were offering $148/night Easter weekend and I can get a room at AKL for $198/night for the same day, even booking through Disney?

 

[WDW1974]

I'm not sure why anyone needs to explain or justify their choice of vacation destination.

You missed the point.

It was a legit sincere question on a discussion board.

No one has to explain or justify anything.

I was asking for voluntary OPINIONS.

 

[WDW1974]

The park has 4 excellent rides. There's no need to downplay it when that's the best thing you can say about it.

Honestly, I think that is debatable. It has the excellent ToT ... and it has a group (ST, RnRC, TSMM) that all appeal to various groups. I certainly don't find two of those to be excellent at all.

 

[Absimilliard]

I doubt I'll ever ride a wooden coaster again. And I am perfectly OK with that. I don't feel like coasters need to be endurance tests or result in pain for them to be enjoyable.

What make Ghostrider a complete disaster is a combination of two things...

1- the dry weather wreck the track and structure. Over in Germany, a park built the world second tallest wooden coaster... and prevented that issue by installing a sprinkler system that can spray the whole ride in a dry spell!

2- The original manufacturer was among the worst ever. The lady who ran it was content to under bid on rides, deliver the crappiest wood, cut corners and everything and run away away before the client realised they had been had.

A small park in Connecticut built a large wooden coaster in 2000 from CCI (the company who did Ghostrider in 1998) and the quality was so atrocious it needed new trains and 75-90% of the ride rebuilt from the ground up 7-8 years later! Six Flags built 3 of those wooden coasters in 2000. One got ripped out after the park closed and the company who ran it figured the ride was better as scrap. One just got a 10 millions $ makeover to make it rideable and operate and the third desperately need that 10 million dollars makeover!

Meanwhile, other companies make wooden coasters that make your average steel coaster feel like Ghost Rider 2x.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

How many women and gays will be celebrating this film and looking the other way at the repressive society that gets to benefit from it being lensed there?

Now now Spirit, we have to respect the fact that their culture is different than ours and appreciate the diverse views our wonderful world has to offer.../sarcasm

 

[WDW1974]

hey guys, sorry to interrupt.. but question:

Does most of the staff and CMS at Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong's and DisneySea speak english?
or they all speak mostly their local dialects?

English is the prevalent language at HKDL.

English is barely spoken at TDR, but you'd have very little trouble communicating ... we didn't. Only at Guest Relations are you guaranteed to find perfect English speakers. Most CMs know little or absolutely no English at all. But again, do NOT let that dissuade you as it simply is a non-issue.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I did an internship in York. Spent many an hour out in Gettysburg.

Also, Drove through Manassas Battlefield every day on my way home from school when I was in college.

I'm well versed with the history of our civil war....

That sounds amazing. Growing up in California, we didn't do cross-country trips, so our history trips were to missions and pueblos, besides museums.

The Civil War is awesome to learn about. None of my friends like learning about it, including American history in general, but I find it all fascinating.