The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[Nemo14]

FWIW, there's an excellent trip report here:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/dont-touch-my-mustache-and-other-japanese-phrases.887040/

 

[PhotoDave219]

Aren't you attending one of those as I type this? We expect a full report here!

I want to know what character Scary Steven dressed up as ...

I didn't see him dressed up… I really wasn't looking around for him as I was paying attention to my friend.

 

[WDW1974]

Nothing that I heard of... Tho I was out of town.

I just thought The Four Seasons(tm) was a classy joint that didn't need to stoop to such schilling.

No need to patronize such an establishment.

Disney gave a list of folks to the FS. How much that affected who was invited ... who knows? I am sure it made some difference.

I am just amused as the only Lifestyler I saw there who could afford FS, although he'd never pay, was Loveable Lou. ... Was Deb Wills there? Someone said she was ...

 

[PhotoDave219]

I hear Dave is going as Spirit...

I went just my usual rock star self…

 

[PhotoDave219]

Disney gave a list of folks to the FS. How much that affected who was invited ... who knows? I am sure it made some difference.

I am just amused as the only Lifestyler I saw there who could afford FS, although he'd never pay, was Loveable Lou. ... Was Deb Wills there? Someone said she was ...

There were lots of cast members there as well as lots of locals. Lots of people recognized.

Only a couple of people actually dressed up. (Friends I know as it turns out)

 

[Nemo14]

I went just my usual rock star self…

 

[WDW1974]

I seriously doubt that. I can't see that Disney helping competition

With all due respect, there is no way Four Seasons sought this particular group out and rolled out the red carpet without some help

Yes. For the purpose of getting FS off the ground as a successful operation (in a town not known for upscale hotels until very recently), Disney has a very vested interest in seeing the FS as successful. As discussed in the 8th Wonder, Four Seasons guests are not WDW deluxe resort guests at all.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Disney gave a list of folks to the FS. How much that affected who was invited ... who knows? I am sure it made some difference.

I am just amused as the only Lifestyler I saw there who could afford FS, although he'd never pay, was Loveable Lou. ... Was Deb Wills there? Someone said she was ...

Oh you were asking about the four seasons… Yes. Deb was there. That's what got retweeted into my feed.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Yes. For the purpose of getting FS off the ground as a successful operation (in a town not known for upscale hotels until very recently), Disney has a very vested interest in seeing the FS as successful. As discussed in the 8th Wonder, Four Seasons guests are not WDW deluxe resort guests at all.

I'm more interested in seeing how many people would go to the front desk and ask for Frankie Vale.

 

[WDW1974]

There were lots of cast members there as well as lots of locals. Lots of people recognized.

Only a couple of people actually dressed up. (Friends I know as it turns out)

I actually was surprised by how few folks that I know as Lifestylers were on the list. I know some are at Comic-Con ... and I'm guessing there's a few who escaped from the asylum for a bit.

Was Dr. Blondie there wearing green bodypaint?

 

[Mike S]

Well… I just left the screening of guardians of the Galaxy…

It was very good. It was very enjoyable popcorn movie, lots of action, decent character development. A little dark in spots… A little bit of language for you parents out there… it's a long film, runs to an a half hours not including previews.

It's solid, it's not going to pull a ventures type money but it should pull pretty decent especially with the overseas markets.

Knowing absolutely nothing about this comic book franchise, it was not a problem. They explains everything as you went.

I'd pay money to see it again. I give it a solid be. It wasn't as good as the avengers or the most recent captain America film but it's by far the best film I've seen come out this summer.

Very good to hear. Maybe if it does well enough we'll see it in WDW!!!!!! I'm terrible, I know Still excited to see the movie though.

 

[WDW1974]

Oh you were asking about the four seasons… Yes. Deb was there. That's what got retweeted into my feed.

I like Deb. Met her a few times. She worked hard to create a business when social media didn't exist. I recall going to her site to check WDW menus around 1995. She's earned her place. So ... I can't say anything bad about her being there. But she often is in over her head ... I saw her attempt an interview (like 30 seconds or a minute) with either Staggs or Iger at DLR a few years ago and it was just painful.

 

[WDW1974]

Interesting. I'm still kind of surprised Disney went ahead and built a second Moroccan restaurant in the first place; I never got the impression Restaurant Marrakesh was one of the more popular WS restaurants.

The restaurant may be in Morocco ... but the food is really ... not.

And Marrakesh is one of the least popular, which is a shame because it is beautiful and the food is quite good and not as insanely priced as other EPCOT eateries. I think it scares many of WDW's bread and butter American guests who eat like spoiled eight-year-olds.

 

[WDW1974]

Lets talk ESPN.

Lets talk ESPN defending a man who beats up women.

Lets talk about ESPN personalities saying that women provoke domestic violence.

Lets talk about ESPN devoting time to women's responsibility to avoiding being beaten by a man or athlete.

ESPN has a problem with its personalities and if today is any example, the inmates are running the asylum.

Fox Sports on the other hand, does not mess around when people attack their female personalities.

There's a lot of dollars at stake with both of these stories. God help ESPN if any advertisers decide they want to yank their ads because of the content at hand.

What is there to talk about?

ESPN has been a cesspool of debauchery and ''boys being boys'' for a long time (before Disney even owned them) and for being the ''worldwide leader in sports'' and Disney's $$$ printing press, they sure are embarrassing most of the time.

 

[WDW1974]

Re: Ethnic Restaurants at Epcot/WDW

This is an awkward thing to try and put into words BUT it seems to me that by ceasing to market to/draw from the pool of visitors, both international and domestic, that are open to a legitimately "foreign" experience...WDW leaves themselves without a great many potential guests for Morocco (and others).

The "answer" has been to Americanize (maybe Westernize is a better choice of words, no offense is meant) the options at Morocco, Sanaa, etc...my family chose not to dine at RM - not because we don't like Moroccan food (we love it!) but rather because it didn't seem...Moroccan enough. SRT wasn't open when we last visited...it does seem like a peculiar concept...seems to me the food at Tangierine would be a better fit for the location and would probably fill the joint.

So WDW has a Catch-22 here...still too "weird" for the hordes of nugget munchers, not ethnic enough for the shrinking pool of more sophisticated travellers that used to cherish Epcot. Again, perhaps "sophisticated" is the wrong word...I'm stumbling around trying not to sound like Lady Snobbington, here......'cause I took my kid to Mac and Don's Supper Club last week, but that's not what I want for Epcot...

Broken record time to finish, but the dining plan is no help either...

You said it quite well.

I recall when Disney first put in 'fixing bars' at QSRs starting in 1989. And back then they had a much wider array of items (think everything from pineapple to bell peppers to guacamole).

It was amazing to watch how many people would still have a plain cheeseburger. Maybe they'd put ketchup on it.

I recall hearing people freaking out over the idea of chicken as a pizza topping in the 21st century.

I witnessed people at a table not knowing what a risotto was (adult Americans).

I have sat at the California Grill while a family would all order ''the steak'' (CG has had an amazing tamarind BBQ filet since the 90s) ''without that sauce or any veggies ... just bring us fries.''

I have watched adults pay to dine at Boma and eat chicken nuggets, fries and pizza off the kiddie buffet.

WDW has guests with very simple tastes ... like ill-bred 8-year-olds. Was that nicer?

 

[WDW1974]

I agree. I love tapas, but not at full-meal prices. Maybe I'm spoiled by the fact that Teppan Edo just down the way has prices that are not that different from other hibachi restaurants (at least near me) and provide about the same value, but in my experience where most tapas restaurants get their higher sales is because prices per plate are low enough that people end up spending a ton because it adds up so quickly. Six bucks on a few ribs. Five on some sliders. Five more for a few shrimp. My numbers may be a little off but you get the idea. The prices I saw compared with the portions I found when researching the place simply don't work together.

ETA: I realize that, like most things at WDW, food can be a little more expensive, but imo that only works to a point.

People who go to WDW and eat at Teppan Edo when there's a Benihana on property again don't understand the value of money or what WDW dining offers.

 

[cw1982]

People who go to WDW and eat at Teppan Edo when there's a Benihana on property again don't understand the value of money or what WDW dining offers.

True. My point in mentioning Teppan Edo was that not everything on property is ridiculously overpriced compared with similar cuisines elsewhere. Spice Road fails miserably in this area.

 

[Jennifer66]

The restaurant may be in Morocco ... but the food is really ... not.

And Marrakesh is one of the least popular, which is a shame because it is beautiful and the food is quite good and not as insanely priced as other EPCOT eateries. I think it scares many of WDW's bread and butter American guests who eat like spoiled eight-year-olds.

This is an attitude I have never understood. My daughter was very, very picky when she was a child (not so much at 19), but we refused to pander to her limited palate. She learned at early age that almost every culture has some variation of chicken and rice, so whether we were at a small Egyptian restaurant in Queens or just a Pho place in Cleveland, she could find something on the menu to eat. While we would have liked her order different stuff at times, at least she ate without (much) complaint, and now she's much more adventurous.
In fact, we all wish WDW had more interesting places to eat.

Edited to attempt to fix my quoting issues.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm not saying the parks don't need to change. I'm saying it doesn't seem likely to me...until something drives TDO (or the leaders above them) to take action. Strong attendance and per capita spending aren't compelling the leaders of WDW to change their ways.

Apparently I'm not the only one who's thinking that way (except when I say it, I'm addicted to the brand, ignorant, and fundamentally wrong).

If you are saying they don't intend to change and that Wall Street seems (see all the pointed questions that Iger and Rasulo and Staggs have been refusing to answer relating to NGE) OK with it, then there is no disagreement here and you simply are repeating what most of us know.

But it seems that you think this is the OK or at least for a few more years. THAT is the point of contention and THAT is what I fundamentally think is flawed.

 

[WDW1974]

I see tons of Spirited threads, but no actual breaking news about the resort that actually comes to fruition in any of them.

Then why in the world would you waste your time here?

Do you enjoy watching films you don't enjoy? Listen to music that isn't your thing?

Seriously, if you don't find anything of value here, then the best advice I can give you is TO LEAVE.