The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[WDW1974]

I don't know about Knott's Berry Farm tickets, but one can purchase the Southern California CityPass at the Disneyland Resort that bundles a day's admission to Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld SanDiego with a 3 Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper.

Yep. I knew that. They display it quite prominently and even have brochures in the Disney hotels. I have never heard of them selling regular day passes to KBF though.

 

[WDW1974]

None. Stage show. M&g. Fireworks.

Clearly, I missed a rumor out of the mill today ...

 

[Snowflake82]

Do you know why vacuuming is no longer done regularly in WDW Resort rooms? Nothing like paying eight times more than a nice room off-property costs and getting a room with filthy carpet. I know Georgie likes clean carpet, so what's the deal?

Eeeww..... just eeeww.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Clearly, I missed a rumor out of the mill today ...

And if true, Dave says they want this to be open sometime next month (which probably means it'll be done on the cheap)

 

[WDW1974]

I made it's own thread. Apparently people up high want to make a Frozen show, m&g and a fireworks show. This is rather recent, sudden and fast tracked according to my people.

I'll have to check it out ... it sounds a bit bizarre (not the show part) though ... they already have a meet and greet at MK (unless they want to move it to help pump up numbers, which actually makes sense!) and a Frozen-themed pyro show? Eight minutes of shells being blown up synched to Let it Go?

 

[Astro Blaster]

Ha, that's great. In a blog post I wrote last October titled, "Is the Walt Disney Studios Park a Disney Theme Park?" I wrote: "This is part of the reason why people prefer actual parks to a collection of rides set up at the edge of Wal-Mart parking lots (beyond just the general shady feel of the latter)."

Exactly. On the DLP feedback survey sent to me by Disney, my only complaint was the design/layout of WDSP. I will have to read that blog post, because WDSP certainly does not feel like a Disney theme park. You are not "transported" anywhere. It does have good rides, though.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'll have to check it out ... it sounds a bit bizarre (not the show part) though ... they already have a meet and greet at MK (unless they want to move it to help pump up numbers, which actually makes sense!) and a Frozen-themed pyro show? Eight minutes of shells being blown up synched to Let it Go?

My sources are 100%.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Clearly, I missed a rumor out of the mill today ...

I started this one. I get to call out lifestylers for not crediting where they heard it, right?

 

[bhg469]

I'll have to check it out ... it sounds a bit bizarre (not the show part) though ... they already have a meet and greet at MK (unless they want to move it to help pump up numbers, which actually makes sense!) and a Frozen-themed pyro show? Eight minutes of shells being blown up synched to Let it Go?

It's a good move, make sure the parents of young kiddies will have to buy park hoppers so they can ride all the MK attractions and catch a bus to DHS for their 3 hour long meet and greet line.

 

[Next Big Thing]

It's a good move, make sure the parents of young kiddies will have to buy park hoppers so they can ride all the MK attractions and catch a bus to DHS for their 3 hour long meet and greet line.

Exactly. There's more than enough for kids of that age to do at MK and not enough for them at DHS.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I started this one. I get to call out lifestylers for not crediting where they heard it, right?

Call them out? Hell, you get to beat them down.

 

[crispy]

Insiders always had us believe that the "cutthroat" petty stuff was more fan imagination than not, but between Marvel (remember the monorail wrap controversy?) and Universal's relentless addition of quality attractions - I wouldn't be surprised if that has changed.

It's a good thing - they need to start fighting dirty. Disney has been sitting in the corner pretending nothing is happening while they work away on billion dollar bracelets. I want them to get angry. I want them to get fierce. I want them to care enough to not take this lying down.

Universal is not their enemy. What's the quote? We have seen the enemy...and he is us. Disney needs to see the real enemy. Being petty makes them look like a 16 year old girl in a catfight (no offense to 16 year old girls). They can truly fight by living up to the standards they set and creating immersive attractions.

They have got a very steep hill to climb and they've packed on quite a few extra pounds. I can't logically bet they're going to make it back up that hill.

Disney has turned into Fat Elvis.

 

[seascape]

How you guys feel about fox is how conservatives feel about network news and msnbc and cnn
Not that im conservative but pretty much fox kills it in cable news
Its not even close

The worst news channel is MSNBC followed by FOX. CNN used to be good when it started but is now weak. I believe if you really want to know what's going on watch all the news stations and make up your own mind realizing they all have an agenda. But my favorite channel is still CNBC. They are fair but

An ugly Saturday night in paradise and I am in an ugly, ornery mood. Perfect time to log back onto MAGIC and see what kind of fun has been going on.

But one thing I forgot, it seems that a newish member of our community has been blathering on about WDW's hotel count and claiming that WDW has 35K rooms. If he/she/it is doing so because WDW is like a town and a town many have 35K hotel rooms, then he is accurate.

BUT ... you can't include Swan/Dolphin/DD Hotel Plaza/SoG etc in any resort stats because they are not owned and operated by the Mouse. Well, you can, but you look like a fool with an agenda.

No you look like someone who made a mistake and didn't read what I said. I don't want to call someone a fool because they didn't read I said hotels on the property not hotels owned and operated by disney. If you go back and see my post you will see I am correct. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and not call you or anyone else here a fool.

 

[WDW1974]

It doesn't bother me, and I haven't disappeared. I haven't been checking in as much because whenever I do, it seems like the same posters are rambling on about the same things. That, plus the "summer style" posting is in full swing around the forums lately. To be fair, though, I have to say that @PhotoDave219's Diagon Alley review was one of the most insightful and exciting posts I've read in a while.

Oh thank goodness. I was afraid you had been killed by a WDW bus while rushing for a morning photoshoot and they had paid Mrs. Bricker off to keep it quiet.

Seriously, I haven't had a chance to check out your site the last few weeks and I am staying (largely) clear of Twitter, so I thought you were on a trip somewhere! Glad you are here.

And summer has started slowly (thankfully) in MAGICland.

As for WDSP v. DHS, I disagree with your numbers (4 v. 8), but I do agree that however you count, WDSP has more. My issue with WDSP is--as you point out--that it's ugly. Saying it "may" be the ugliest Disney park is an understatement. There are amusement parks that outdo it in terms of design. Obviously aesthetics matter a lot to me because of the photos, but even before I got into photography, I've felt that the defining characteristic of a theme park is the design. Attractions--without a doubt--are incredibly important, but for me, design is right up there. I think this is especially true for regulars, as there are only so many times you can do any particular attraction before you need an alternative reason to come back. For me, that sense of place is the reason I enjoy visiting so much. That's why I still love Epcot, even as it is a shell of its former self. To each their own, but that's my take.

I don't disagree, but I have spent far less time there than in any American Disney park, DLP or HKDL. I am sure you have barely spent any at all. So, I'm not tired of the attractions at all. As for the design, you are quite right. It was totally done on the cheap and is one of the ugliest parks I have been to. It's been made slightly better by the addition of ToT. I think the Rat area looks amazing, though. And I don't care about photographs. When I want one, I simply ask Angie to take care of that and she does. I think your routine is fine for taking park pics, but I am not sure it allows you to enjoy a park (especially one like DSP that isn't photogenic) to its fullest.

I enjoy EPCOT's ambiance, but so much makes me sad there because I went for decades when you didn't have to just walk around with a drink in your hands to enjoy yourself. There are plenty of beautiful places that don't charge you $100 a day.

As for WDSP's design, the entrance to that park is insultingly bad, and I think it was a huge mistake not to do a DCA-style relaunch with the Ratatioulle area plus a new front entrance. I'm not sure what could be done due to how Tower of Terror was just sort of plopped down, but I'm sure something could be done. The rest of the park feels like a parking lot with some rides plopped down, and even its (former) flagship attraction, Crusher's Coaster, I feel is overrated.

See, I think the entrance is the best damn part of the design. To me, it's all downhill after that. The huge soundstage area works both from a theme PoV and from a let's provide an area to escape what can be harsh weather one as well. I don't think it needs a new entrance. It desperately needs some water and trees, though. And, much like in FL, the tram tour has to go. It serves no purpose.

Crush's Coaster is fun. It's a nice attraction for what it is ... sorta that park's version of the SDMT, only better and longer.

Of course, it doesn't help WDSP that the second most beautiful Disney park in the world is right next door, which makes it look even worse by comparison. Heck, I'll bet Thunder Mesa/Frontierland cost more to construct than the entirety of WDSP when it opened!

DSP cost at opening was widely pegged at $600 million. That is absolutely nothing ... and it shows to this day.

Now, before anyone thinks this is some defense of DHS, it's not. DHS has a ton of problems and is in dire need of serious work, but in terms of design, I think it's worlds ahead of WDSP. With that said, when looking at the whole picture in a "for what they are" sense, I would be very tempted to put Typhoon Lagoon ahead of both studios parks.

MGM was a beautiful park from opening day (yes, I was there!) to the late 90s. It has since become a total mess. When filming largely stopped, they started opening backstage areas up and making them part of the theme park in a very haphazard way. They've never had a master plan (only WDW park that didn't) for expansion, so things like cast parking were constantly relocated. I can't look at the animation studio (knowing what was created and some of the talent that toiled there) and see it used as exec office space and call cubicles and not want to shed a few tears. And then there is the giant hat ...

No, DSP isn't beautiful. But Disney-MGM was like a beautiful house before a gang of methheads moved in and it is quite painful to see it that way.

I didn't even mention Sid's because if I did, then I'd start flinging the 'f word' around. (no, not flatulent!)

 

[wm49rs]

No you look like someone who made a mistake and didn't read what I said. I don't want to call someone a fool because they didn't read I said hotels on the property not hotels owned and operated by disney. If you go back and see my post you will see I am correct. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and not call you or anyone else here a fool.

Says one for whom opines are facts. But, then again, footers aren't monorails either.....

 

[WDW1974]

I've made a futile attempt to avoid photos of the land itself, but that has been downright impossible. Fortunately, most people seem to be focusing on the dragon and London waterfront with photos, so I still haven't seen too much.

I already am planning a visit down for later this year. I've done a lot of research into ticket prices, and it sounds like just buying an AP is probably the most pragmatic move. I loved Universal as a kid, and even though my favorite attractions are gone, they still look like great parks.

Now, the only question is whether to get the mid-tier AP or the highest one. I doubt I will be able to make it for HHN this year, so that makes the decision a little easier, but I'm wondering how "necessary" Express Pass is. Anyone have any insight?

I look at pics, but won't touch a video clip and don't need attraction (or even area) spoilers. Glad to hear you are FINALLY going to visit WDW's competition. It will do you good to get out of the bubble. I'd love to see your photos of the UNI parks too!

An AP is always the best choice and it isn't like single day tickets ever make sense. Besides, if you still insist on giving WDW parks multiple days on a visit, then I can't see how you wouldn't need 2-3 to see and do most things at UNI.

Express Pass is great. It is only as necessary if the parks are very busy, which they likely will be from here on out this year. I'd look into staying at a UNI resort because Express is free and included ... and since you stay at Disney resorts all the time, it might do you good to stay at a true 4-star caliber themed resort in O-Town!

 

[WDW1974]

And if true, Dave says they want this to be open sometime next month (which probably means it'll be done on the cheap)

Oh yeah, this sounds like a very quick and desperate move on their part. And there's no way the show can be much if they are talking about such a short timeline ... where's Drew? He's the Studios Entertainment guru here?

 

[WDW1974]

I started this one. I get to call out lifestylers for not crediting where they heard it, right?

They will steal anything and run with it ... and NEVER give you credit!

 

[Sped2424]

Clearly, I missed a rumor out of the mill today ...

Care to elaborate?

 

[Cesar R M]

Still not as much fun as the time Faraci wrote a long piece explaining why Wall-E is a date rapist.

(I don't think our Jungle Skipper friend has been following Devin very long or he'd know not to engage him. I still remember the brutal wars he got into re: the above and the third act of Batman Begins on CHUD.)

How the hell Wall-e is a date rapist? Is the writer a supposed self named "Feminist"? (())

(note the quotes, because I have yet to see a real feminist attacking all men for everything)

Lots of stuff on Yahoo business about Potter at Universal. Reports about all of Potter costing around a billion dollars with the new ride costing almost half of that. Pundits also predicting the new area won't be as successful as the first. The user comments, being unedited and unmoderated are a riot.

As yahoo business ever been correct with their expectations?
I honestly only read once or two on important news on companies.. and all were wrong (like Intel getting clear of both the US and EURO fines and winning against AMD in their case)