The Spirited Sixth Sense ...

[StageFrenzy]

For the Marvel fanbois here, two stories from THR on upcoming projects:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/why-guardians-galaxy-is-riskiest-681656

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/fox-chooses-fantastic-four-reboot-681868

I have to shock everyone here, but Guardians has piqued my interest. Maybe I'm just tired of the endless stream of films with characters I know, but I liked the look and feel of the trailer ...

I was wondering when you would weigh in on GoTG, a lot of people had this one pegged as the marvel flop that many people have been prognosticating. I think the first trailer hit all the right notes, it successfully introduces each character, sets the tone for the movie and builds excitement. I don't think this movie will make a John Carter sized crater on Mars. How much credit do we give to Feige vs Wheedon and the rest of the actor/directors for the success of MCU?
On a different note are people excited about Amazing Spiderman 2? I am getting a very green lantern vibe from Jamie Foxx’s Electro.

 

[WDW1974]

Fun With Tweets:

Tom Bricker ‏@Tom_Bricker 1h
@easywdw If you want to up your game, get a posse of goats together and come live in a shanty in Southern Indiana. If you can dream it...

Tom Corless ‏@TomAmityCorless 12h
This community reaches new levels of insanity and creepiness daily...

EPCOT Explorer ‏@EPCOTExplorer 4h
TDO makes a comment about guest spending and attraction funding that reveals how much they don't care and we are THIS surprised? Okay, sure.

Gary Buchanan ‏@Gary_Jerry 10h
Well, there go my plans for a Hot Pockets Chefs Table tonight.

Jason Grandt ‏@43SquareMiles 15h
Frederick Douglass has a pretty rad duck on his raft... Never seen it before

Progress City ‏@ProgressCityUSA 9m
@zannaland @WedwayRadio I'll never take you for granted again dear bread bowls!

James Hilger ‏@photojames 8h
@epcotexplorer @dcalover @mkpony @elby2007 In my dreams Califia randomly shows up in the Little Mermaid ride and starts blowing things up.

Suzannah Mitchell ‏@zannaland 1m
@ProgressCityUSA yes, I think the current state of Epcot inspires many a "Network" moment...

Adam Roth ‏@arothwdwc 2h
My Orange Bird from @AmigurumiKngdm is currently in Flushing, NY. Probably stopping in for a visit to the 1964 World's Fair site.

 

[WDW1974]

Speaking of tracking, @WDW1974, did you hear or read a story about how the Federal government wants access to a license plate database? Just like how the NSA compiles data on the US citizens of website visits/internt usage, phone calls, etc... the government now wants to start tracking US citizen movements with their vehicles...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...474ae8-9816-11e3-9616-d367fa6ea99b_story.html

Saw it ... and since we never have real regime change in the USA, it's likely to happen.

We are a country with absolutely no privacy and no expectation of it.

And now watching news and they are hyping a non-existent threat about shoe-bombers on airliners to scare the masses.

Why can't I go off-planet? Why?!??!

 

[Cesar R M]

Saw it ... and since we never have real regime change in the USA, it's likely to happen.

We are a country with absolutely no privacy and no expectation of it.

And now watching news and they are hyping a non-existent threat about shoe-bombers on airliners to scare the masses.

Why can't I go off-planet? Why?!??!

I wonder if they do it on purpose. (aka scare people with terror nosense, like they did with Russia to boycott the socchi event due of Snowden and other things).
aka Scare people when a massive privacy-destruction scheme is about to be set up.

In Mexico there is always a soccer match of the national team before some dumb rule or outright robbery happens.
Like letting external companies benefit from Mexico's oil company PEMEX, or the selling of "Luz y Fuerza del Centro" (local energy zone for Mexico city, very profitable and owner of one of the largest fiber optic network in Mexico, which was in debt due of money laundering and other stuff)

To resume.. its like they already mastered the art of DECEIT to STEAL from the GENERAL CITIZENS to benefit a very TINY PRIVILEGED GROUP...

 

[Jimmy Thick]

WDW Co. is an enabler of behavior that ends with premature death. I don't particularly think that's cool and that is more of an issue than seeing folks with folds of hanging flesh and not finding it very attractive.

Don't single out WDW, its every theme park around the globe.

Not to mention every shopping mall, big box retailer, theatre, sports arena, etc...

Jimmy Thick- Blanket statements for shock are fruitless.

 

[Jane Doe]

I wonder if they do it on purpose. (aka scare people with terror nosense, like they did with Russia to boycott the socchi event due of Snowden and other things).
aka Scare people when a massive privacy-destruction scheme is about to be set up.

In Mexico there is always a soccer match of the national team before some dumb rule or outright robbery happens.
Like letting external companies benefit from Mexico's oil company PEMEX, or the selling of "Luz y Fuerza del Centro" (local energy zone for Mexico city, very profitable and owner of one of the largest fiber optic network in Mexico, which was in debt due of money laundering and other stuff)

"It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors' expenses?" Jo Moore - UK Government Press Officer, 11th September 2001. The email was sent after the planes had struck the towers but before they had collapsed.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Anyone else catch this hilarious tweet?

Brandon ‏@DCAlover
WDW CM's are being told that they're not getting new attractions bcuz guests don't have enough time to see the attractions already available

But...what if that is true? The guests really do lack the time to see it all.

It is received wisdom in the fan community that a fifth park will not draw new guests. Because holidays (by Americans, not by us socialist 'three weeks at Fla each year' Europeans!) are so short - four, five days - that a new park will only cannibalise on the existing ones.
That is also the interpretation TWDC gave to DAK's effect on WDW, one of not bringing new guests, or extended stays, but of spreading out existing crowds. The guests lack the time to see it all, and will not extend their trip to see more attractions.

'New attractions' can denote expansion, or replacement. The former is unecessary, because guests don't have the time. The latter though is what is happening. Intead of park expansion, WDW invests heavily in replacement, optimilisation and operational efficiency.


Das Boat - Me, I'm fat in the right places. Obese even.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Spirited Minion anecdote of the day ...

WDW is having a charity bowl-a-thon. CMs who volunteer to help out have been told they will NOT get a T-shirt for their trouble if they got one for helping out last year.

Mean at first sight, yes.

However, when I donate to a charity, I want the money to go to the intended recipient of the charity, not to fashion items or little extras for the charity organisers.

Charity ought to cut all pork to be credible.


Das Boat - Yum, pork.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Don't single out WDW, its every theme park around the globe.

Not to mention every shopping mall, big box retailer, theatre, sports arena, etc...

Jimmy Thick- Blanket statements for shock are fruitless.

With one caveat: not around the globe. Obesity is a US epidemic. All the excuses and all the deceit of Big Food and the fat acceptance astroturf movement become instantly meaningless once you board a plane.


Das Boat - two months of steamed veggies and everybody can be a fashion model.

 

[asianway]

Are you talking about Dr. Blondie. Even with her PhD, you can bet she isn't touching $75,000. Seriously. Disney is sooooo cheap.

You can tell by the 'talent' they have in the ranks.

Check the twitter feed of @DCAlover who I was responding to. $100 bounty for a copy of any PowerPoint related to the brainwashing he speaks of in his feed

 

[Lucky]

Anyone else catch this hilarious tweet?

Brandon ‏@DCAlover
WDW CM's are being told that they're not getting new attractions bcuz guests don't have enough time to see the attractions already available

But...what if that is true? The guests really do lack the time to see it all.

It is received wisdom in the fan community that a fifth park will not draw new guests. Because holidays (by Americans, not by us socialist 'three weeks at Fla each year' Europeans!) are so short - four, five days - that a new park will only cannibalise on the existing ones.
That is also the interpretation TWDC gave to DAK's effect on WDW, one of not bringing new guests, or extended stays, but of spreading out existing crowds. The guests lack the time to see it all, and will not extend their trip to see more attractions.

'New attractions' can denote expansion, or replacement. The former is unecessary, because guests don't have the time. The latter though is what is happening. Intead of park expansion, WDW invests heavily in replacement, optimilisation and operational efficiency.

.

We'll find out in a few months whether guests can find time to see new attractions, won't we?

 

[alphac2005]

Spirited President's Day Musings:

OK, I am done with House of Cards and I am done with House of Cards. And, after speaking my anger to an industry friend, I realize that I am not alone. I'm not going to spoil anything for anyone except to say that Frank Underwood ends Season two exactly where you would expect him to ... in say season 4 or 5 or 6. My friend compares the rush to push storylines based on the whole Netflix model. It was also why Arrested Development was so bad in its comeback despite the talent associated with it.

... It all comes down to binge viewing. It's sorta like the OCD fanbois that must have every piece of EPCOT ephemera ever produced. Folks watch an entire season in a weekend so you can't develop a show normally. You have to move at warp speed to account for the fact that the vast majority of your viewers are going to be done with the show in ... at most ... a month. And you don't want them cancelling their Netflix accounts ... So, what I termed poor writing and holes you could drive a triple wide MK guest through after watching the first five hours become something more. I'm sad and disappointed because Spacey and Wright are so damn good. But at the end of the day, this type of writing does not serve them well. I know my opinion won't be the popular one, but that never bothers me and won't now.

Having been in that industry, I'd like to throw in my two cents. It's not quite as cut and dry as binge viewing. For the record, I'm only done with the first four episodes of the second season. Netflix said to the talent that they liked the concept and how much $ did they need? How many episodes did they want to create at the start? We'll be hands off, have a good time.

They weren't in the programming development business. For creatives it has a major upside of this outfit supplying a ton of cash and the ability to do as they please, but one of the biggest assets of the networks is that they foster talent and programming development, which Netflix wasn't doing. Apparently Netflix got the message and they're now investing heavily in the development side. You need a referee in-between the creatives and management and they're creating that infrastructure.

As for the first few episodes, I've been surprised by the pace, which does back up some of what you're saying, however, keep in mind that the initial order was for 26 episodes. If I was Beau Willimon and entering an entirely new concept and programming space, it doesn't seem unreasonable that he'd basically construct a show from beginning to end in that sequence 26 episodes because even with the cash being thrown at the production, there was no guarantee that the original programming was going to work on Netflix. So an accelerated pace is no surprise. Now that season three was ordered before season two premiered, it'll be interesting to see what pacing the next season is given.

 

[ford91exploder]

Saw it ... and since we never have real regime change in the USA, it's likely to happen.

We are a country with absolutely no privacy and no expectation of it.

And now watching news and they are hyping a non-existent threat about shoe-bombers on airliners to scare the masses.

Why can't I go off-planet? Why?!??!

Perhaps Ford Prefect will lend you his thumb, I quite agree it's time to leave the planet even listening to Vogon poetry would be better than the evening news these days...

 

[ford91exploder]

We'll find out in a few months whether guests can find time to see new attractions, won't we?

We will indeed especially since these will take transit time as well...

 

[ford91exploder]

With one caveat: not around the globe. Obesity is a US epidemic. All the excuses and all the deceit of Big Food and the fat acceptance astroturf movement become instantly meaningless once you board a plane.



Das Boat - two months of steamed veggies and everybody can be a fashion model.

True indeed, And it's indeed 'big food' which is the root cause here. Spend some time in Europe actually working and eating in the company cafeteria's the lunch fare is far 'richer' than what we see in the US but very few obese people are seen and the portion sizes are not that much different than in the US. Now my experience is primarily in the low countries so YMMV

Key difference is in Europe it's 'real' food sweet things are made with Sugar and/or Honey NOT HFCS and beverages tended to be coffee/tea/milk/water/juice instead of soda and soda used SUGAR not HFCS.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Recall that the original plan for a New Fantasyland had a pricetag of close to a billion dollars and would have encompassed the entire land. We got the value engineered version.

What else was included in this plan?

 

[RSoxNo1]

Absolutely. The question is really whether Disney is helping these folks by enabling them (to continue to act in a way that will lead to higher costs for all of us in society, a lower quality experience at WDW, and -- for the obese -- much greater chance of serious ailments and early death) ... or is it simply helping its bottom line?

The 'my autistic 8-year-old can't wait in any lines' deal got so played by cynical, immoral, simply bad people that it became a much more serious 'stealing soda' deal thanks to the 'net and Mommy Bloggers. Disney originally was absolutely trying to do the right thing for the right reason and it still bit them on their collective arses. ... I have no doubt that Disney was trying to do the right thing here again, but it has turned into catering to people who have a problem that probably at least 90 percent of them is simply a matter of addiction.

Why is this an OK addiction, but others are not? ... Oh yeah, this one pumps millions of dollars into TDO's coffers annually.

I'll maintain that I don't think it's Disney's role to enable or discourage obese people. Clearly they learned that discouraging them isn't an option thanks to Habit Heroes. Bottom line is what you said earlier. They're a revenue stream just like anyone else. If they can accommodate them, they will.

 

[alphac2005]

This is important. Young families and folks who are planning for families are being priced out/have been priced out and can't imagine what it will cost to take their families on vacation to wdw in a few years from now. Instead of affording a vacation every year it's becoming every few years. Disney should be worried about this. It doesn't seem like they are.

Cradle to the grave consumerism is what corporations desire, yet Disney has abandoned this standard branding notion in the quest for immediate profits benefiting those in management to show incredible returns for their shareholders.

Example of what you noted above: We have 10 year old twins and a 3 year old. When our 10 year olds were younger and we no longer lived in Central Florida, we'd go down to Florida twice a year. We stayed long enough that having annual passes were cost effective. Today, our 3 year old is priced at the same as an adult AP rate, which is $648 and change. Just to get in the door for two adults and three children it would be $3,240 omitting the cost of travel, lodging, and food. A 3 year old at the same price. Laughable. He only goes on a few attractions and they keep removing ones that require the high upkeep or just don't maintain them while they MK has become some odd almost fetish like deal with the meet and greets everywhere. Paying a college kid $9 to wear a Goofy suit an hour doesn't constitute a kid AP at the adult price.

As you said, what is the long-term plan here? AHHH.. There isn't. It's all about now. Immediate returns to the so-called 1% (more like the .01%) to line their pockets. The long-term health of the (Walt) Disney Company isn't what Iger and the company care about. It's greed and now. End of story.

They'll never have my kids as consumers of their junk. I grew up with trips to CA and FL each year and my family spending a ton of money on any and everything related their brand. I'm not snorting that Pixiedust in my house and now all my kids think is that Disney is crazy expensive and rightly so.

If a 10 year old can tell that something is prohibitively expensive, you as a business have a problem. The company just doesn't care. I just don't care then either. I'll remember that days when they had an amazing product. The pinnacle of quality and an amazing theme park in EPCOT CENTER. Now it's people that don't care to use their legs in carts rolling around the parks, filthy upkeep, strollers looking like an alien invasion, and a bunch of Vista Way residents doing meet and greets with kiddies. No thanks.

 

[sshindel]

Anyone else catch this hilarious tweet?

Brandon ‏@DCAlover
WDW CM's are being told that they're not getting new attractions bcuz guests don't have enough time to see the attractions already available

Pardon my ignorance, I'm not really up on the tweets. What is the reputation of the tweeter? More or less than a bus driver? Just trying to gauge the proper level of anger I should have based on the potential level of truth here.

 

[PhotoDave219]

If you're looking for a prime example of mismanagement, look no further than Disney sports and the like world of sports complex.

I am not going to get into it publicly but my experiences yesterday were not very good…