The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[TalkingHead]

BTW soft opening lasted until park close at 10.

 

[lazyboy97o]

BTW soft opening lasted until park close at 10.

I would imagine that over the next week the hours will get progressively closer to full day.

 

[Mike S]

A couple of random non-spoiler observations from HE today:

-I've never seen so many people taking pictures of an attraction as I did when we got to 9 3/4 platform. Just a sea of camera phones.

-Riding in a cabin with other guests provides a nice moment to chitchat with other people.

-Wife and I both thought the train ride had a Peoplemover feel to it. Obviously a bit more involved, but it was relaxing like the Peoplemover.

Spoilerish comments: the screen looks very good. I sat by the door once and closer to the screen a second time. The screen looked fantastic up close. Not sure which direction I liked better. The ride to London was excellent. I saw "sensitivity to fog effects" on the warning signs but didn't see any fog. Maybe the effect wasn't operational? Getting to 9 3/4 is very clever. The platform is massive. Jaw-dropping massive. Oh and great sound effects while you're downstairs in King's Cross!

Figured if I didn't ride it now, will probably be September at the earliest. Surprisingly not that busy (soccer game helped after my first ride, but this thing has better capacity than predicted). Also, not going to lie, had inside info that pinned opening time down to within a couple hours.

Ok, I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little jealous both of you got on the Hogwarts Express today. I can't wait to experience the full Diagon Alley myself on the weekend of my birthday (perfect timing huh? )

 

[lazyboy97o]

Ok, I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little jealous both of you got on the Hogwarts Express today. I can't wait to experience the full Diagon Alley myself on the weekend of my birthday (perfect timing huh? )

Now, now, be honest. You're not a little jealous, you're a lot jealous. I know I am.

 

[stevehousse]

yeah, it felt like they changed directors and animation studios at that point.

broken animations, severe clipping, scenes that made no sense.. scenes that were left too long with nothing visible (aka editing error), characters that were left static.. the list goes on.

I can tell you 3 things about the dragon movie since I work at the theater. Yes they do use multiple companies to animate, just look at the end credits...with that said, the animation software they used on this film was brand new. Dragons 2 is the first movie to use this new software and it seems like always, with something new, it's not gonna be perfect the first time out. If anyone is to blame, it's the editors that should have paid better attention to detail...

Also, I would say that in terms of kid movies, Maleficent had done much better than dragons 2 at my theater. Heck, even Peabody and Sherman did better...(I actually liked P and S very much and so did my boys)

 

[TalkingHead]

Ok, I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little jealous both of you got on the Hogwarts Express today. I can't wait to experience the full Diagon Alley myself on the weekend of my birthday (perfect timing huh? )

If this is the appetizer to Diagon's entree, then we're all in for a huge treat. FWIW, I hadn't watched any videos of the ride, but I just did. It doesn't translate very well to Youtube. In person the pic quality is far superior.

 

[Bolna]

You ladies can make fun of my mental state to spread it around. Im watching the US World Cup match and screaming at the TV like a madman who hasnt taken his meds. The cat is even hiding out of fear. Im gonna go outside and punch a tree until I pass out. Ive gone round the bend..

Well, I think this is nothing to worry about, it is just normal World Cup viewing behaviour!

 

[spacemt354]

John, seriously... I have known Spirit, in print, for many, many years. I have told him more then once that he is the guy that throws the threads to the wind, and then seems upset when they drift away. I don't usually care one way or the other, but in this case the discussion has been limited just to the few people that follow this thread and most of them are not Universal Fanbois. Yes, they are upset that Uni has Potter and envious of what they have done with it, but it is not the total story, it's just amongst ourselves. I am just saying that if anyone wants to have a serious discussion about the new stuff at Uni (specifically) then it should be someplace else. Someplace where others besides the select few can pat each other on the back in joyous (uni)fication.

Another point is that this is indeed NOT his gig. He started the thread, but, as you have said has wandered off in many directions with his musings. OK, not a problem, but, how does that make him lord of this board or this thread. No one else seems to have that privilege or the ability to own a media source and what gets posted on it. Sorry, I cannot buy that nor will I ever succumb to it.

What I am trying to say has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I like the threads sponsored by 74 or not. It is the context and placement that I have been trying to get across. In the long run it doesn't matter and I know that as well as anyone. However, if this is truly a discussion forum, I should have a right to have an opinion that might be in disagreement, without being told to not read it or to "skip the thread". I also do not necessarily consider spirits opinions as being infallible. Never have, never will. I will also not be bullied into not expressing myself because of the obsessive cult like following of Mr. Spirit. However, I'm not even questioning him here, I'm questioning the rest of you concerning this blind devotion to a poster. It is sometimes quite bewildering.

I can understand your beef. I too am confused when this thread can talk about anything from Disney to Uni to daily news and so on yet not be moved to a proper thread placement. If I started a thread that talked about Uni soft openings, it would be moved. But this one can talk about anything and stay where it is.

The news and rumors section clearly gets the most views. And this is one of the site's most popular threads. So it's placement here, in a highly viewed part of the site, is apparently warranted.

All I can say is: Not my monkeys, not my circus. Translation: Not my site, not my decision.

That's why I think the "just don't read it" responses come about. It's clear that the people who run the site have no issue with the thread, and we have to respect that. And the funny part of it is, even the people who don't like the thread, still stick around and read the thread, commenting on it as well. I don't think this is going anywhere. I chime in when the conversation is interesting to me, but other than that, I move on and don't waste my time worrying about the thread's proper location.

 

[Mike S]

Now, now, be honest. You're not a little jealous, you're a lot jealous. I know I am.

Well, I did say at least a little jealous. At most, I'm extremely jealous

If this is the appetizer to Diagon's entree, then we're all in for a huge treat. FWIW, I hadn't watched any videos of the ride, but I just did. It doesn't translate very well to Youtube. In person the pic quality is far superior.

I purposely have avoided all video of the Hogwarts Express except for what was featured in the NBC special for that very reason. I want to be wowed by it in person when I first see the whole thing.

 

[PhotoDave219]

A couple of random non-spoiler observations from HE today:

-I've never seen so many people taking pictures of an attraction as I did when we got to 9 3/4 platform. Just a sea of camera phones.

-Riding in a cabin with other guests provides a nice moment to chitchat with other people.

-Wife and I both thought the train ride had a Peoplemover feel to it. Obviously a bit more involved, but it was relaxing like the Peoplemover.

Spoilerish comments: the screen looks very good. I sat by the door once and closer to the screen a second time. The screen looked fantastic up close. Not sure which direction I liked better. The ride to London was excellent. I saw "sensitivity to fog effects" on the warning signs but didn't see any fog. Maybe the effect wasn't operational? Getting to 9 3/4 is very clever. The platform is massive. Jaw-dropping massive. Oh and great sound effects while you're downstairs in King's Cross!

Ehhhhh Spoiler tag things you think are spoilerish.

And You saw the fog effects. You just didnt realize you did.

 

[PhotoDave219]

For all those DA and Harry Potter fans....

Pfft. You haven't seen anything yet.

 

[Ranch Dressing]

Disney campgrounds going away for a new "flagship" resort because a stuffed shirt is worried Four Seasons might outshine GF?

Something I heard, I don't know anything about this.

 

[Cesar R M]

I can tell you 3 things about the dragon movie since I work at the theater. Yes they do use multiple companies to animate, just look at the end credits...with that said, the animation software they used on this film was brand new. Dragons 2 is the first movie to use this new software and it seems like always, with something new, it's not gonna be perfect the first time out. If anyone is to blame, it's the editors that should have paid better attention to detail...

Also, I would say that in terms of kid movies, Maleficent had done much better than dragons 2 at my theater. Heck, even Peabody and Sherman did better...(I actually liked P and S very much and so did my boys)

eeeh, I was talking about THE NUT JOB not Dragons 2.

Dragons 2 didn't had that many flaws.. hell! Frozen had more clipping and issues in their rendering!..
I believe the snow and particle effects in RISE OF THE GUARDIANS were infinitely superior than frozen's.

but good call on software!

 

[Mike S]

eeeh, I was talking about THE NUT JOB not Dragons 2.

Dragons 2 didn't had that many flaws.. hell! Frozen had more clipping and issues in their rendering!..
I believe the snow and particle effects in RISE OF THE GUARDIANS were infinitely superior than frozen's.

but good call on software!

I didn't notice any clipping or rendering issues in Frozen, can you bring up an example? Also I'm starting to consider myself lucky I had no interest in seeing The Nut Job, my judgement seems like it was spot on.

 

[wdisney9000]

John, seriously... I have known Spirit, in print, for many, many years. I have told him more then once that he is the guy that throws the threads to the wind, and then seems upset when they drift away. I don't usually care one way or the other, but in this case the discussion has been limited just to the few people that follow this thread and most of them are not Universal Fanbois. Yes, they are upset that Uni has Potter and envious of what they have done with it, but it is not the total story, it's just amongst ourselves. I am just saying that if anyone wants to have a serious discussion about the new stuff at Uni (specifically) then it should be someplace else. Someplace where others besides the select few can pat each other on the back in joyous (uni)fication.

Another point is that this is indeed NOT his gig. He started the thread, but, as you have said has wandered off in many directions with his musings. OK, not a problem, but, how does that make him lord of this board or this thread. No one else seems to have that privilege or the ability to own a media source and what gets posted on it. Sorry, I cannot buy that nor will I ever succumb to it.

What I am trying to say has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I like the threads sponsored by 74 or not. It is the context and placement that I have been trying to get across. In the long run it doesn't matter and I know that as well as anyone. However, if this is truly a discussion forum, I should have a right to have an opinion that might be in disagreement, without being told to not read it or to "skip the thread". I also do not necessarily consider spirits opinions as being infallible. Never have, never will. I will also not be bullied into not expressing myself because of the obsessive cult like following of Mr. Spirit. However, I'm not even questioning him here, I'm questioning the rest of you concerning this blind devotion to a poster. It is sometimes quite bewildering.

I respect you for two reasons. One is that your are older than me and thats just how I was raised, and two, you have been on this site for quite some time. However, I respectfully disagree with your thoughts and would have to ask why you would only dispute the topic of this thread when it becomes about Uni? The thread has talked about a dozen different things and gone off topic almost daily but you only have an issue with the Universal Studios conversation.

Why didnt you request a shift back towards Disney discussion when everybody was discussing food, or cars, or airports, or any of the other random topics? Honestly, why? Those subjects are actually even more off topic than Uni. At least Uni is a theme park and has waaaaaay more things in common with Disney than Chipotle or Bojangles. Judging by your emotions of a thread drift about Uni, you should be furious when it wanders to issues such as sandwiches and burritos or foreigners upgrading their Iphone while visiting America. You suggest people are blind followers of 74 because they participate in this thread, yet you are here each and every day. Even if your not 74's biggest fan, you obviously find some type of entertainment value in his threads for your own personal reasons and so do the people you point the finger at. Nobody should need to explain why theyre here or for what reason and definitely should not be labelled as being in an "obsessive cult" or having "blind devotion to a poster". Stop the hate, sir.

 

[Cesar R M]

I didn't notice any clipping or rendering issues in Frozen, can you bring up an example? Also I'm starting to consider myself lucky I had no interest in seeing The Nut Job, my judgement seems like it was spot on.

The most visible one, is the hair of Elsa after she is loosening her hair during the "Let it go" sequence right after she built her castle.
her hair goes thru her arm and part of her chest. It is very visible in the first official releases of the song.

I remember also (could be wrong) in a part where Anna gets picked up by Kristoff. Her clothes clip through various parts of Kristoff.

In the other hand, the particle snow effects (psychics) is really well done, but their ICE is not on par with ROTG. (very simplistic vs realistic)

As for the NutJob, You were right on not watching it.
There were also some atrocious parts.. like embedding GANGNAM STYLE with a 3d render of the singer in the ending of the song... clearly the last sequences were made 100% by koreans during the peak of GANGNAM STYLE song.

 

[Mike S]

The most visible one, is the hair of Elsa after she is loosening her hair during the "Let it go" sequence right after she built her castle.
her hair goes thru her arm and part of her chest. It is very first official releases of the song.

I remember also (could be wrong) in a part where Anna gets picked up by Kristoff. Her clothes clip through various parts of Kristoff.

In the other hand, the particle snow effects (psychics) is really well done, but their ICE is not on par with ROTG. (very simplistic vs realistic)

As for the NutJob, You were right.
There were also some atrocious parts.. like embedding GANGNAM STYLE with a 3d render of the singer in the ending of the song... clearly the last sequences were made 100% by koreans during the peak of GANGNAM STYLE song.

I just watched a gif of Let it Go with the hair flip and you're right. I guess I never noticed it before because it happens pretty fast in the movie and I wasn't really looking for it. You were also spot on with The Nut Job having ties to South Korea, read the Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nut_Job#/search it also says Nut Job 2 is coming

 

[PhotoDave219]

has Gringotts begun soft openings?

Only the Hogwarts Express - Nothing in Diagon Alley

 

[PhotoDave219]

Disney campgrounds going away for a new "flagship" resort because a stuffed shirt is worried Four Seasons might outshine GF?

Something I heard, I don't know anything about this.

Thats a new rumor - the campground going away, not the Four Seasons outshining the Grand Fla.

Of course the Four Seasons will outshine the Grand Fla. The Grand Fla is not as upscale as they want to think it is... as attested to by countless posts here.

Something to pay attention to, yes. But unlikely IMO.

 

[wdisney9000]

Thats a new rumor - the campground going away, not the Four Seasons outshining the Grand Fla.

Of course the Four Seasons will outshine the Grand Fla. The Grand Fla is not as upscale as they want to think it is... as attested to by countless posts here.

Something to pay attention to, yes. But unlikely IMO.

We stayed at the GF a few years ago. Had a great view of MK and watched the fireworks a few nights from the bench by the marina and on our balcony. It was a lovely hotel and we enjoyed the proximity to MK but for the price we paid we were glad we could check it off our "resort bucket list". Cant wait to check out Four Seasons even if it is owned by some jag-off's (IMO). Ill take the Yacht and Beach any day over GF and we can stay Club Level for the same price as standard room in GF. Having ESPN Zone open until 2 am doesnt hurt either and those damn pork nachos call to me after a long day in the parks. My chick does her crossword puzzles in the room to relax (shes addicted to them) while I go have a few drinks and defend the Braves, Hawks, and Falcons to whomever I happened to sit next to at the bar. There is always some convention people there too that are charging drinks to the company credit card so Ive lucked out a few nights and got free booze. I didnt think I was that good looking, but oh well...it only happens when I wear my red shirt??? lol. kidding