The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[Cesar R M]

[By "GotG," I mean the line-up of characters on the team, not the movie itself. Again,

Spoiler

Thanos and the Collector

, the rumored villains, are certainly in the Avengers family. And apparently even the Marvel logo is off-limits to TDO.]


4) Even assuming Universal has the rights to the GotG, they could only use the comic book likenesses, not the versions in the movie. Which would be somewhat confusing.

They will have a lot of freedom then, because the characters changed of appearance more than a NFL player changes socks.
and some of these changes are kinda radical if you follow the GOTG comic series and TV cameos.
Specially for Rocket and Groot.

Coolest thing I ever saw: Jimmy Fallon dropping F-bombs directly at the guy (5 people away from me) with his iPad out at the fun taping in Universal. "Yeah, like you, guy right there with the iPad, it's so f***ing annoying!!!"

Well deserved.. ipad photographers look hilariously bad... only worse thing is.. videotaping with an ipad!

 

[lazyboy97o]

No I'm not.
and I know they are different signals with different way of working.
You guys still do not seem to get my primary point.

@Bolna is in Germany and I was overseas without a roaming plan not too long ago. A smartphone is not just a brick with only access to WiFi. It does everything a WiFi only tablet will do in a smaller size.

 

[randyrut]

This is completely off topic, but can someone tell me if keeping a FP+ for SDMT is worth it? Have never experienced it, and we have it for one day right now along with Splash and BTMRR. The other day we have Space, Splash, and BTMRR again. Thanks for any insight. Just dont want to waste it if everyone thinks the ride isnt very good. Thanks all.

 

[Cesar R M]

That got deleted? Because I stuck up for people who aren't around to defend themselves? Because I actually think its wrong to instigate and make fun of people from twitter?

I understand last nights hijinx - (If this status gets 30 likes, I will go ice skating at the studios today!) - but really, we should not be ripping on people from twitter. Even if they're an easy target.

And can we knock off the "Brian Singer sex debate?" Ive heard from professional media people outside these forums that our opinions are being laughed and dismissed at simply for that.....

I dunno.. some of these guys happily love to rip WDWmagic( and spirited) a new one in their ultra filtered twitter "hugbox".


(edited for clarity)

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

This is completely off topic, but can someone tell me if keeping a FP+ for SDMT is worth it? Have never experienced it, and we have it for one day right now along with Splash and BTMRR. The other day we have Space, Splash, and BTMRR again. Thanks for any insight. Just dont want to waste it if everyone thinks the ride isnt very good. Thanks all.

Sure. I think you always have to experience things for yourself to know if it is worth it or not.

 

[PhotoDave219]

It wasn't just yours that were deleted...basically the entire discussion, the initial post, your defense and everything up, down and inbetween. Probably for the best just to get rid of it all.

You know how much crap I get from people in real life because of posters who do things like that?

It becomes more & more difficult to defend being on this message board lately.

 

[PhotoDave219]

After some sleep, just a few more stray thoughts from my visit yesterday:

Spoiler

-I'd expected that Diagon would be crowded like Hogsmeade is -- difficult to navigate with the crowds. I was pleasantly surprised to find that's not the case. Diagon is much more spread out. The pathways really felt cramped like they do in Hogsmeade. The only two shops that were really crowded were Weasleys' Wizarding Weezes and Borgin & Burkes. All the other shops were pretty easy to get around.

-Ollivanders had no wait in the late afternoon -- I guess having three showrooms is going to really help that location.

-There's one restroom in Diagon, and it's located a considerable distance from Leaky Cauldron. The proximity between Three Broomsticks and the restroom in Hogsmeade is a little more convenient.

-We saw both of the live entertainment shows -- they were great diversions, much better than the entertainment in Hogsmeade.

-Interactive wands looked fun, and the spots weren't as crowded as I thought they'd be. But there were a lot of kids using the interactive wands.

-Something I realized about Diagon: there's only so much that we see of it in the movies, but Uni Creative was able to build on the feel of the movies' Diagon and improve upon it while fleshing out the area. Everything around Carkitt Market feels perfectly at home in the Potter world, and yet it's all original to the park. Just goes to show how rich this franchise is -- it really allows the creative minds to have fun. Not sure if another IP has the same richness of place.

-Both times we were in line, there was significant downtime for Gringotts. The first ride there was a good hour when the ride wasn't running. Both times we got to the load platform, there were delays in dispatching the trains. Last night, they were using both sides of load, but it only looked like three trains were running. Sounds like they didn't open the ride today until 11:00 or so.

-I'm sure Universal has staffed HP 2.0 with their A-team, but we ran into a lot of great TMs yesterday. Some of the TMs at Knockturn Alley are playing up their part like the CMs do at Haunted Mansion. It's a great addition to the atmosphere. The Hogwarts Express TMs are very friendly and the ones in London play along when you ask them about Harry Potter. (They'll play ignorant if you ask about anything Potter-related.) Even the TMs we encountered in other parts of the park seemed more enthusiastic than normal. Maybe that's what having a new world-class expansion will do to employee morale?

-Ministry of Magic must be a foregone conclusion at this point, right?

Hey… Spoiler tag that if you can please. Thanks.

 

[TalkingHead]

Did any Orlando locals hear a local TV news story after July 5 that reported on MK's attendance figure for the 4th? Someone swears to me that the news reported a number, which caught me by surprise. I didn't remember ever seeing daily attendance numbers on the news...

 

[Mouse Trap]

Did any Orlando locals hear a local TV news story after July 5 that reported on MK's attendance figure for the 4th? Someone swears to me that the news reported a number, which caught me by surprise. I didn't remember ever seeing daily attendance numbers on the news...

I can't imagine it being too hard to even ball park it due to the phase closings.

 

[Cesar R M]

We get the deluxe dining plan. I know everyone says this is the biggest waste of money, but I am curious if I am the only one who will admit to getting it. We are big eaters. But more importantly, it allows us to get out of the heat 3 times a day and sit down at nice restaurants. Those breaks are what keeps us going on our trips. Plus eating at places like Le Cellier, Be Our Guest, Cali Grill, etc are fun and interesting. Anyone else do this or are we the only nutbags?

Well, It depends.
In my case I got a discount on the dinning plan, so I got the deluxe too.
Pretty sure my weight increased by 10 kilos( or more) after that trip to WDW.

 

[wdwmagic]

Just as a reminder. Please be mindful of the language that you use. WDWMAGIC is a family site, with a variety of aged readers. The same rules that exist for the rest of the forum also apply to this thread.

Abbreviations of inappropriate language, the use of self censoring - such as ***** are not permitted.

Please review the rules at http://forums.wdwmagic.com/help/terms.

Thanks.

 

[TalkingHead]

I can't imagine it being too hard to even ball park it due to the phase closings.

True, but it just struck me as odd. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for local media to get figures from management-types. It just sounded like a "Hey look -- we're still super busy over here!" kind of thing. I mean, you have Lou going on local TV to talk about Frozen and when he's asked about Potter, he sputters, "I know not of what you speak." The publicity battle sounds like it's ramping up.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I dunno.. some of these guys happily love to rip WDWmagic and spirited a new one in their twitter ultra filtered "hugbox".

So some do and some of them are correct in their opinions.

Others of them have to my face and I reacted similarly…

Point being, there is no need to acknowledge some of these people who are simply seeking attention.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Did any Orlando locals hear a local TV news story after July 5 that reported on MK's attendance figure for the 4th? Someone swears to me that the news reported a number, which caught me by surprise. I didn't remember ever seeing daily attendance numbers on the news...

No. I did not hear this.

 

[Cesar R M]

@Bolna is in Germany and I was overseas without a roaming plan not too long ago. A smartphone is not just a brick with only access to WiFi. It does everything a WiFi only tablet will do in a smaller size.

yeah but why have BOTH devices?
I suppose I am the minority, but I do not like to carry too many devices when I'm trying to enjoy the parks
Only device I had was my entry DSLR.

 

[Mouse Trap]

True, but it just struck me as odd. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for local media to get figures from management-types. It just sounded like a "Hey look -- we're still super busy over here!" kind of thing. I mean, you have Lou going on local TV to talk about Frozen and when he's asked about Potter, he sputters, "I know not of what you speak." The publicity battle sounds like it's ramping up.

Possibly. Or maybe they've always done it, and we are now only paying attention because full-on, real competition exists.

 

[seascape]

I missed this story earlier from the sentinal. Another month another increase is hotel occupancy.

Hotel occupancy, room rates rise again in May
July 3, 2014|By Jim Stratton, Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida hotels had year-over-gains again in May, with occupancy rates and average daily room rates increasing compared with the same month last year.

Hotels filled 71.5 percent of their rooms in May, compared with 67.2 percent in May 2013, according to the STR travel research firm.


Average room rates also rose, hitting $105.08. That was an increase of more than $5 over the same time last year.

Revenue per available room — a key industry measure that accounts for occupancy rates and room prices — jumped almost 13 percent, rising from $66.78 last year to $75.18 in May.

Through the first five months of the year, revenue per available room was a little more than $88, up more than 11 percent compared with 2013.

Area hotels are posting strong numbers as the economy and consumer confidence improve. Analysts say demand for travel is up, and there is a greater willingness among consumers to spend on trips and vacations.

That also has been reflected in the tax paid on hotel rooms in Orange County. For May, tourist-tax revenue was almost $16.3 million, a 9 percent increase over May 2013, county officials said.

Orange County Comptroller Martha Haynie called the numbers "another nice increase" that demonstrates "the strength of our hospitality industry."

The STR report breaks the Orlando hotel market into seven geographic areas and five price classes.

Six of seven regions posted higher occupancy rates, with the exception being hotels north of Orlando. All five price classes of hotels saw occupancy rates and revenue per available room rates increase.

Leading the way were hotels in the "upscale" category, one step below luxury hotels. Upscale hotels saw revenue per available room jump more than 23 percent compared with the same time last year. Those in the "economy" class — one step above the least expensive properties — saw revenue rise by more than 18 percent.

jstratton@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5379

 

[xdan0920]

The contemporary is the closest thing to a real deluxe room I've stayed at while at Disney. Big room, comfy bed.

Did it compare to the Westin Copley Square in boston? Sorta.

Is it worth $300+ a night? Nope. Is anything in Orlando? Not really.

Funny you mention the Westin Copley place. I visit Boston a couple times a year, and I've found that Westin to be the poorest value of any place I've stayed in Boston.

 

[Cesar R M]

I missed this story earlier from the sentinal. Another month another increase is hotel occupancy.

Hotel occupancy, room rates rise again in May
July 3, 2014|By Jim Stratton, Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida hotels had year-over-gains again in May, with occupancy rates and average daily room rates increasing compared with the same month last year.

Hotels filled 71.5 percent of their rooms in May, compared with 67.2 percent in May 2013, according to the STR travel research firm.


Average room rates also rose, hitting $105.08. That was an increase of more than $5 over the same time last year.

Revenue per available room — a key industry measure that accounts for occupancy rates and room prices — jumped almost 13 percent, rising from $66.78 last year to $75.18 in May.

Through the first five months of the year, revenue per available room was a little more than $88, up more than 11 percent compared with 2013.

Area hotels are posting strong numbers as the economy and consumer confidence improve. Analysts say demand for travel is up, and there is a greater willingness among consumers to spend on trips and vacations.

That also has been reflected in the tax paid on hotel rooms in Orange County. For May, tourist-tax revenue was almost $16.3 million, a 9 percent increase over May 2013, county officials said.

Orange County Comptroller Martha Haynie called the numbers "another nice increase" that demonstrates "the strength of our hospitality industry."

The STR report breaks the Orlando hotel market into seven geographic areas and five price classes.

Six of seven regions posted higher occupancy rates, with the exception being hotels north of Orlando. All five price classes of hotels saw occupancy rates and revenue per available room rates increase.

Leading the way were hotels in the "upscale" category, one step below luxury hotels. Upscale hotels saw revenue per available room jump more than 23 percent compared with the same time last year. Those in the "economy" class — one step above the least expensive properties — saw revenue rise by more than 18 percent.

jstratton@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5379

So we can concur that All is well for Orlando's economy?

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

They will have a lot of freedom then, because as changed of appearance more than a NFL player changes socks.
and some of these changes are kinda radical.
Specially for Rocket and Groot.

Well deserved.. ipad photographers look hilariously bad... only worse thing is.. videotaping with an ipad!

There's an entire site dedicated to people talking pictures at WDW and USO. It is pretty comical.