The Spirited Sixth Sense ...

[Goofyernmost]

By that logic, WDW and six flags are two in the same, they both have rides food and shows. So let's break free from that a hair, differences set six flags and WDW apart just like differences set rolls and honda apart. Next analogy...

Nice try, but that isn't what it means at all. It means that we all hold to a different interest or interests in life. Some think the old days were just swell, others remember out houses, wringer washing machines, wells in the front yard, cars that (although stated to be "like they used to make them") would consider a trip of over 500 miles to be an amazing adventure. I'm just saying that you get the same result from the watch whether it be digital or not. You get the same place with a cheaper car as an expensive one. I didn't say the experience is exactly the same. (well, maybe for the watch thing) Six Flags does not get you to the same place as Disney, I think everyone has made that abundantly clear. Going back to the watch if you have an expensive finely built watch and I have a digital and someone asks us what time it is, we will both have the same answer. Why would one be better then the other strictly on a functional basis?

 

[SJN1279]

Taking my 5 month old to Disney(thinking Epcot) for the first time Saturday. He won't remember anything, but I'm hoping it goes well just the same.

 

[NearTheEars]

I'm complaining about the removal of real, steam powered locomotives. To be replaced by cheaper, crappier, non steam powered trains. Your attitude is the reason things like this get done.

I love the trains, and don't want to see them changed, but how would a brand new, modern train be "crappie" (sp)? They will certainly be much cheaper. That I agree with. I hope it's just a silly rumor, though.

 

[Goofyernmost]

But are not the good things in life developed by those that obsess?

In their time yes. But, like Walt with everything except trains, admiration of the past is and sometimes must be changed to fit with today's concerns not yesterdays memories. Sure, once they are gone, they're gone, but, really are they needed any longer.

 

[alissafalco]

Spirited Friday Musings:

No, I didn't die. Sorry. Still here.

So, MM+ did drop dead today at TPFKaTD-MGMS? Yeah, technology is great. You should need a personal tracking device (i.e. a JOBSPhone) in order to experience a theme park. Sure.

I got a note today from an anonymous source that felt my feelings about Morgan C. were accurate. What a surprise. I didn't realize she was the person who replaced Mrs. Tom Amity Corless with Touring Plans. Just another reason to not like her.

Looks like Anaheim's BTMRR will be open for all in the very near future. FINALLY!

A belated Happy B-Day to my pal @PhotoDave219 ... BTW, do you know Al Diaz?

OK, so Disney decided to cancel a live show during Star Wars Weekends and take my advice and make fireworks a nightly part of the event? And push the event out another weekend to just about when the media preview/opening of Diagon Alley should be? They seem more desperate then the last fanboi standing at an Imagineering mixer.

Who do you think hates me the most at Celebration Place?

Am I watching Last Man Standing on ABC right now? Well, it beats the Olympics (spolier alert: we lost the only sport that matters to Canada today!)

The latest ABC sitcom failure to follow Modern Family premieres this week. Mixology looks unwatchable.

Some days I wake up and think it's still 2011.

The MK steam train issue goes all the way to the top ... Iger himself. Same rationale that has radically changed the product in RoE at EPCOT. The idiot
(and I don't use that word lightly) wants the railway to be as green as possible. ... If he really gave a $hit about being green, then maybe he wouldn't be pushing to develop every square inch of WDW ... then maybe he wouldn't be clogging roads with buses ... then ... yeah, he doesn't.

Anyone man or woman enough here to say they won't visit a foreign Disney resort because they are afraid to leave the USofA?

My sister was at HS today and this is the exact text message I got from her:

Omg-all the machines r down at HS!!!
We have to show the app on phone to prove fast pass they won't accept a picture of it-to enter park they had to use iPads to scan us in

 

[StageFrenzy]

Taking my 5 month old to Disney(thinking Epcot) for the first time Saturday. He won't remember anything, but I'm hoping it goes well just the same.

Is it more for you to get out of the house and soak up some atmosphere/take a stroll through the parks? Or is it for his first disney trip?

 

[SherlockWayne]

Unless the weather sucks there really are no dead weekends anymore at Universal. Not like there used to be before the boy wizard. It still amazes me how much the crowds have grown especially at IOA.

That would make me think it's primarily locals though, probably because the annual pass is such an amazing value. I was just there on Wednesday, didn't wait more than 5 mins for anything.

 

[WDW1974]

Hate Twitter all you want (is it really so bad, or is it an easily pointed-to symptomatic element of society?), but one of the great things about social media is that it puts a spotlight on customer service complaints. Had I sent Frontier an email, I would have been blown off. By taking to Twitter, I received an instant (although in my opinion, awful) response. In that way, Twitter empowers consumers in a manner that no other social media network does. Is that not an upside of social media?

Oh, Tom ... you have little idea of the depths of my dislike of Twitter. Never has a tool existed to spread misinformation, bad information, rumours and outright lies as fast and to as large an audience. That's progress for ya. And that's leaving out all the fanboi drivel about how much they all love the Orange Bird and EPCOT wall carpeting.

Your first mistake was flying Frontier to begin with. Take a look at their recent public ing match between the CEO and the mother of a woman who was denied boarding to her connecting flight. Much like Spirit (I am involved in a legal dispute over them stealing my name!), I wouldn't be caught dead or with a special fanboi on a Frontier flight.

But generally, email won't result in a blow-off IF you contact the right person. That person will NEVER be in guest relations anymore than it would if you had a major MK issue and went to City Hall. They exist so the real people in power don't have to deal with the results of their decisions ... namely angry customers.

Now, it certainly helps to be a name. And you, Tom ... buddy ... pal ... you are now a name because of your websites and travel photography. But you don't have to be a name. Most folks simply won't contact executives because they are afraid. I made an off-hand comment on this thread about emailing or phoning Phil Holmes. I can get people to him (among many others) quite easily. I didn't get one fanboi hitting me up for Phil's contact info because they're afraid that Disney will ban them for life if they pick up the phone to complain to Phil about the MK and his leadership of it.

I alluded to the fact this week that I had two CEOs waiting to hear back from me for two days. I stated they weren't with Disney or UNI. Now, a little more info. They are both very well-paid execs of global BRANDs with companies that are worth billions. They are in the hospitality sector. I had a bad experience. I went to the top. Via email. Direct. A Sunday night note to one CEO, brought a Tuesday early afternoon response. No, it wasn't immediate. But it had a very positive response for me. ... Not only did I make them listen to my concerns, I also received FREE STUFF that made up for my issues tenfold. And I now have a dialog open with one of them about a possible consulting gig. Yes, I damn well know they spent all day Monday researching who I was and what kind of damage I was capable of doing before engaging me. Yes, they likely figured out pretty quickly that I am a Spirit of significance and one that you don't want to screw with. But I also firmly believe that the majority of people who would have done what I did, would have had a positive outcome of some sort.

I usually don't place personal info out there, but my point is you can get places and no, you don't need Twitter for that. Twitter largely gets you a very low level employee who is looking to get rid of you just like at City Hall.

So if you have concerns about show quality at the MK, you don't comment to a 25-year-old at City Hall. You engage Phil or George or Meg or Tom or all of the above ... because they absolutely don't want to deal with you. And Twitter won't do jack for you in such a situation.

I guess I am saying you are soooooo wrong!

I'd never normally fly Frontier, but for this route, it made sense (taking my dad to the Grand Canyon and who knows where else). Normally, we fly a combo of United and Southwest/Airtran depending upon the destination--even though airline status means so much less now than it ever has. Still, flying United means getting put on ANA flights to Asia, which is pretty much the best airline I've ever flown. I have nothing but glowing things to say about both airlines.

OK, first, it's great to know I am not the only insane person to visit the Canyon in February! Hope you guys have a great time ... and that you don't make the old man rise before dawn (you do know that you can get great pics at times that the sun is neither rising nor setting, right?)

I have ended a 15-year loyalty with Continental (and more recently United). Most of those years I was either Silver or Gold elite (even back when it meant something ... and when you could fly a 777 from IAH to LAX and always got a free upgrade to BusinessFirst). I am now trying American with the first time and have status with them. I haven't actually taken one flight with them yet, so it should be interesting. But UAL absolutely destroyed the best domestic carrier in CO (one that as recently as 5-6 years ago could compete with foreign carriers).

I have flown United to China multiple times and I can't speak highly of their product at all.

 

[WDW1974]

To be fair the DCA version is off the midway, where HS version is in the middle of the park. Most people in the park probably call it the toy story ride anyway. I agree they could have come up with a better name for the Ratatouille attraction. Most people believe that WDSP much like DHS is a casserole of half-baked ideas and execution. Is Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy no longer the name of the ride?

I am not even sure what the French version of the name is. I believe it is more than the English one. But it should be the same. And not quite so lame.

 

[WDW1974]

Sorry to hear about the trains, that is just horrible news.

Yeah, but what about my bronchitis?

 

[WDW1974]

The problem.. these companies staff 'social media' staff to quickly reply to things.. but if they aren't empowered to actually do anything of substance, it's just all a pretty face.

Flynn's right again ... like twitter, probably a sign of the end of days!!!

 

[StageFrenzy]

Am I watching Last Man Standing on ABC right now? Well, it beats the Olympics (spolier alert: we lost the only sport that matters to Canada today!)

The latest ABC sitcom failure to follow Modern Family premieres this week. Mixology looks unwatchable.

ABC will probably cancel Trophy Wife even though it's(subjectively) the best thing on ABC besides Modern Family. I don't know if their problem is trying to stake out multiple "family comedy nights" or what. Also leave the critical darlings on the air, they will eventually get or hold their marketshare. Mixology is a worse version of Happy Endings which makes you wonder why they canceled the thing in the first place.

 

[WDW1974]

This whole train thing is an outrage, rediculous

If it happens, it will be directly traceable to The Weatherman.

 

[WDW1974]

Details like actual steam is what used to set Disney apart. Now people don't care, clearly.

The scary part of it all is that so many so-called Disney fans have no clue anymore what true Disney Quality is all about ... they don't understand the history ... they don't understand what the Disney Details were (not Obvious Mickeys everywhere!) ... and many of them (Mongello, Brigante etc) are leading the charge that WDW has never been better (and except for say 1971-1996 or so, they're right!)

 

[WDW1974]

I just can't get my head around this sort of thinking, and you aren't the first person to have said something like this around here. Disney has always been praised for it's details. Details are really what sets Disney apart from other theme parks. People often don't consciously notice the details, but start taking them away and it diminishes the quality of the park and people will eventually start to notice. Note this is not about "steam on a train" this is about the loss of detail. If this is the only detail that has been lost it wouldn't be a big deal, but people see it as a symptom of a larger problem. Nobody who loves the Disney parks should be accepting of the loss of details.

So true ... and some of us get tired of fighting it. There are times when WDW truly seems like a lost cause and the biggest cause of that is the majority of its fans are just ... well ...

 

[WDW1974]

If the illusion is maintained and the downgrade isn't perceived, is it really a downgrade?

And that says it all ... if you lower quality and your audience is no longer discerning enough to get it, did you just get away with more Walmarting? As my beloved Sarah would say ''You Betcha!''

 

[Cody5242]

Yeah, but what about my bronchitis?

I'm surprised the Lifestylers aren't tweeting about your sickness and cracking jokes at it. I guess your not that important to the community. I know that upsets you

 

[WDW1974]

TDO could spend brazillions of dollars on new attractions or parks, fix the yeti, can pandora land, cure cancer and HIV, save the endentured orcas down the road, convince the obese to walk instead of ride, ban strollers, flog bloggers, and tar and feather lifestylers, and people would find a lightbulb burned out and gripe about it.

And you are the honorary WDWMAGIC Drama Queen of the Day!

CONGRATS!!! You'll get a Chicken Little 5th Anniversary pin for your efforts!

 

[WDW1974]

@Spirit - what are your thoughts on USJ looking to open a second gate, possibly in the same area as TDL?

They are not. They don't have land in Osaka. And they have no desire or plans to open anything in the Tokyo area. They are looking at other regions of Japan as well as other Asian nations.

 

[Funmeister]

They are not. They don't have land in Osaka. And they have no desire or plans to open anything in the Tokyo area. They are looking at other regions of Japan as well as other Asian nations.

What about OLC wanting to add a possible non-Disney park? truth or leverage move against Disney?