The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[tirian]

The Travel Channel doesn't mention any of this on their infomercials that masquerade as TV shows.

Balloons are forbidden in AKL due to animal choking risks. I've never had issue keeping the room cool, but I have never stayed in AKL later than May so it could just be my weather luck. I also have two children who don't sleep very well, so it could be their tossing and turning that keeps the AC on as well. I have heard, however, of people having success by tying streamers or ribbons to the ac vent to have a similar balloon effect.

 

[bhg469]

I hate that too...and it's not just Disney that uses thermostats like that now too. I guess it's all about saving money and being "green" ....or in my opinion not caring about guest comfort. The first thing I do before staying at a Disney resort is figure out how to bypass that stupid sensor thing and turn it down where it's practically snowing at night

Our resort in st Lucia was "green" as well.

When you entered the room there was a slot for your room key to put in the wall. The ac would not turn on unless your key was in it and the door was closed... took me 2.5 seconds to put a best buy rewards card in it to keep it running.

I think I remember some trickery with the door opening/closing once would make the system assume you left, then you did it again and it would kick back on. I did my Ocd impersonation and closed the door twice when we left to assure a non sweltering room on our return.

We did sleep one night with our patio doors wide open because it was a little cooler outside and the ocean was crashing very loud.. it made for one very cool nights sleep.

I believe it was to save their own costs and not the environment.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Been holding back, because I have friends in the various cliques, but I'll say it. Twitter is mostly made up of Gen Y--the first generation primarily raised by women. You can't be shocked they grew up into 20-something pussies who eschew confrontation.

Poor choice of words...
I understand what you were trying to say.. but don't think for a second that being raised primarily by women has much to do with the way this generation is.

 

[RivieraJenn]

Holy sexism, Batman. How about we blame both parents and not try to pin this on mothers, eh?

Yes, that, and the statement makes absolutely no sense. Women (particularly married women) only entered the workforce in large numbers in the mid-twentieth century. Who do you think was raising the children for all the hundreds of years before that? It certainly wasn't men.

 

[RivieraJenn]

It's the age of over diagnosis (internet) and entitlement (who knows). Mothers have long been the nurturers so I doubt that's the issue. However, a lack of disciplining in the home and kids that aren't part of a sports team don't help either.

What? This is way off topic, and I don't want to take up too much time on this thread discussing it, but being on a sports team as a child is not a necessity for growing up into a well-adjusted, responsible adult. And, frankly, too many kids are so overly scheduled in organized activities these days that even if it were a requirement, this would be a non-issue. In fact, I would say exactly the opposite--too many directed, scheduled, organized activities hamper a child's development of imagination, problem solving and coping skills. The younger generations would be better served by being left to their own devices for more of their entertainment rather than signed up for yet another rec league sports team.

 

[Tigger1988]

Yes, that, and the statement makes absolutely no sense. Women (particularly married women) only entered the workforce in large numbers in the mid-twentieth century. Who do you think was raising the children for all the hundreds of years before that? It certainly wasn't men.

Right. Maybe the kids were being raised by wolves all those years.

 

[GoofGoof]

Right. Maybe the kids were being raised by wolves all those years.

I was raised by wolves...all female wolves and I played tons of organized sports. Look how well adjusted and "normal" I turned out

Actually I don't even have a Twitter account. It's against the code of the wolf pack to tweet

 

[crispy]

when i 1st read this i read it as repent now shriner. i was like ***?

He said he was wearing a trilby, not a fez.

 

[Gomer]

The Travel Channel doesn't mention any of this on their infomercials that masquerade as TV shows.

Hey, aren’t we always complaining about the dumbing down of Disney World here? These are real problem solving challenges Disney is giving us. Tell me what other hotel chain makes you MacGyver your way to a comfortable night’s sleep. That’s what I call added value.

 

[crispy]

The front half of Epcot is, after all, Future World. Predictions for the future constantly evolve. Meanwhile, there are gaping holes where additional countries should be slotted into the World Showcase.

You know, the bleakness that is Future World may just be a statement by Disney about the bleak future they foresee. Tomorrowland is for optimism, Epcot Future World is for truth. Empty pavilions are representative of the emptiness that most will feel as technology grows bigger, but our humanity grows smaller. The sinkholes represent the vast sinking feeling we all have at facing an unknown future. The cartoon overlays are symbolic of the empty mindless distractions we use to keep from focusing on the bleak future. The ever growing list of ways to get completely wasted at World Showcase is symbolic of the escape mechanism that we use to cope. The psychedelic color scheme is symbolic of the confusion feel as we face an uncertain future. I SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY NOW! DISNEY IS BRILLIANT! HOW CAN I HAVE EVER DOUBTED THEIR INFINITE WISDOM????

(This message brought to you by the Pixie Dusters - when Disney does wrong, we can spin it faster than Test Track!)

 

[LithiumBill]

You work in the comic industry? What kind of Job if I may ask?

I letter and design books. Those TTHWIPs and SNIKs and KABOOMs - that is what I do.

 

[ABQ]

Hey, aren’t we always complaining about the dumbing down of Disney World here? These are real problem solving challenges Disney is giving us. Tell me what other hotel chain makes you MacGyver your way to a comfortable night’s sleep. That’s what I call added value.

Marriott does it, big pain in the butt too.

http://www.rewards-insiders.marriott.com/thread/15687

 

[Goofywilliam]

Our resort in st Lucia was "green" as well.

When you entered the room there was a slot for your room key to put in the wall. The ac would not turn on unless your key was in it and the door was closed... took me 2.5 seconds to put a best buy rewards card in it to keep it running.

I think I remember some trickery with the door opening/closing once would make the system assume you left, then you did it again and it would kick back on. I did my Ocd impersonation and closed the door twice when we left to assure a non sweltering room on our return.

We did sleep one night with our patio doors wide open because it was a little cooler outside and the ocean was crashing very loud.. it made for one very cool nights sleep.

I believe it was to save their own costs and not the environment.

I have found hotel rooms in many countries to be like that. We also improvise our room key with old reward cards in the slots.

 

[COProgressFan]

In a deluxe resort with rack rates starting around $350/night, guests from around the world—guests who have heard of Disney's outstanding service—have to buy balloons to get A/C.

Does Disney teach that in their guest service classes?

Of course they do! Remember, Disney always aims to exceed guests' expectations*, and guests have been asking for more authentic storytelling experiences, which include hot sweaty nights just like in an African savannah!
*unless doing so costs money, which is most of the time

Last I tried at a Disney resort (which was a few years ago), you could push the UP temp and DOWN temp buttons at the same time, which should put the letters BP (bypass) on the screen. I believe that lets the a/c stay on for 24 hours, before it goes back to sensor mode.

I know this worked last year at Wyndham Bonnet Creek which appears to have the same ridiculous thermostats Disney uses.

 

[jt04]

Woah, hang on.. Whats wrong with stitch?

A lot of people are trying to figure that out. Could be rabies I guess.

 

[Rasvar]

I haven't heard that it isn't.

I will say it was VERY annoying last year when 'Angie' and I stayed at the DAK Lodge Villas that the AC would shut off if you didn't move around (think about that during the night when you are asleep). It was either too hot or too cold. It's insane that you can't set a thermostat down to say 72 degrees (like I would at home) and know that it will be 72.

Of course, most fans/guests won't when they are riding PoC or SSE and they know that the temp isn't as cold as it is in say ... the Emporium because Disney just shuts the system off at night to be ... I mean to save the green $$$!!!

The better AC control system was always the deadbolt for the door. Door is only going to be deadbolted if someone is in room and a good way to make sure people use it. The movement sensors are a waste of technology.

 

[LondonGopher]

I think the light crowds at Mark Hamil weekend bear this out--not saying Star Wars Land wouldn't be a success, but I think it would be overrun by adult SW fanbois who take this stuff too seriously. Just imagine if Jedi Training started taking child-less adults...

Those childless adults...many will eventually have kids...

I mentioned this elsewhere, but it's a point I think bears repeating - my kid and I go to Star Wars Weekend at LEGOLAND Windsor every year - this year was the first that we walked past JTA (or whatever it's called here) while it was being staged. There were LOTS of adult "trainees". Lots. And while it seemed a little creepy at first, I got talking to a dad who participated with his two sons. He was SO JAZZED. He said something like, "I love Star Wars - and to get to LIVE IT WITH MY KIDS, it's brilliant." The family had come all the way down from Scotland to go to SWW.

So while I might have been judging (internally) at first...the more I think about it, the more I wonder if this is what Walt might have wanted when he sat on that bench watching his daughters ride the carrousel.

Scottish Dad is why HP at UNI is such a success and why Star Wars Land seems like such a NO-BRAINER!

HP and (especially) SW are IPs adults are DYING to introduce their children to. Parents are WILLING to stand in a queue so that their kids can meet the latest princess but they are EAGER to take them to Star Wars stuff.

The genius of J.K. Rowling was that the HP books got darker, longer, more "difficult" - so kids wouldn't age out of them during the time they were being written and released. A smart Star Wars Land would do the same. Ewoks (sorry, purists) for the wee ones, JTA, walk-throughs, the speeder coaster AND a proper blow-the-bl**dy-doors-off E-Ticket that kids could grow into - and look forward to (something to COME BACK for - that is smart LONG-TERM design...provided there's enough to do NOW, as well...I'm looking at you, DHS ).

EDIT: fixed for tech issues, I am hopeless at tech

 

[dupac]

Our resort in st Lucia was "green" as well.

When you entered the room there was a slot for your room key to put in the wall. The ac would not turn on unless your key was in it and the door was closed... took me 2.5 seconds to put a best buy rewards card in it to keep it running.

This happened to us in Ireland in January (with the heating obvs lol). I couldn't figure out why it was so cold the first night.

 

[WildcatDen]

I said something nice about the agent p upgrade. I am wondering if people will think I've been abducted by ancient aliens!

Well, the Crystal Skulls are missing once again. . .

 

[WildcatDen]

with an IQ above room temp in Alaska in winter

To be fair, wouldn't room temp in Alaska in Winter be about the same as Ohio, or nearly all of the U.S. except the deep South. I mean, we all set the thermostats to 68 in Winter, right?