Originally Posted By davewasbaloo thanks mr x, still loads to go. It goes to show I can never buy japanese clothes.
Originally Posted By Mr X Dave, you are on track and doing great!! Don't think about "loads to go" so much...think about how good it feels to have come so far! Keep those positives in mind...it's really important! As for buying Japanese clothes...that's a non-sequeiter. Practically everyone who is even SLIGHTLY overweight can't fit over here. That was kind of my point (and TDLFAN's too).
Originally Posted By MPierce You know Spirit I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with you on the strollers, and ECV's. It has to be a cultural thing...advantage Europeans. Your food experiences I find very surprising. When I think of Paris I just naturally think of long gourmet meals. I guess that just comes from stereo typing. I have always been curious about the price of meals, and lodging at all the different parks. I just never wanted to go around to the different forums cluttering things up with dumb questions. I know you said it is the most beautiful of all the MK Parks, but does it have that special Disney feel?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo To a degree it does have the special Disney feel, and what the imagineers have created is much better than the MK in Fla. However, the guest and cast behaviour, lack of streetmousphere, maintenance and cleanliness erodes a lot of the magic for us. Food at DLP is not a bad price. A counter service runs about $12 each, a table service about $36. If youcompare that to Legoland Windsor where I paid $20 for counter service ribs yesterday, DLP is a bargain (they were good, especially for counter service, but that is pricey). But DLP is the most beautiful MK the Imagineers have ever created!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>the guest and cast behaviour, lack of streetmousphere, maintenance and cleanliness erodes a lot of the magic for us.<< BINGO! I agree. Let's not forget the non-Disney street vendors who set up shop outside Disney Village by the RER station... It's as UN-disney as you can get. >>But DLP is the most beautiful MK the Imagineers have ever created!<< BINGO again!! With TDS being the most beautiful 2nd gate ever created... (just wanted to make that clear)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<You know Spirit I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with you on the strollers, and ECV's. It has to be a cultural thing...advantage Europeans.>> It absolutely is. You see NO double and triple wide strollers ... you see almost no wheelchairs and ECVs and the ones you do see it is very obvious they are folks with a need. Not folks who are lazy and would rather chew on a turkey leg while running people down in an ECV. You just don't see morbid obesity there. I have said I need to lose 30 pounds, but am quite average sized in the USA ... well, in France, I am FAT. No two ways about it. BTW, I also notice a difference in the fat/laziness quotient from WDW to DL (where I was Friday). It is much more pronounced at WDW ... there are strollers at DL, but fewer and not the huge double-wides that clog the walkways. There are some wheelchairs and ECVs, but far, far fewer than in Orlando. Again, though, DL is close to LA, Hollywood and the 90210 lifestyle ... fat ain't beautiful here. Apparently, in O-Town, it is. <<Your food experiences I find very surprising. When I think of Paris I just naturally think of long gourmet meals. I guess that just comes from stereo typing. I have always been curious about the price of meals, and lodging at all the different parks. I just never wanted to go around to the different forums cluttering things up with dumb questions.>> I firmly believe there is no such thing as a dumb question and would rather answer questions then have people assume things that are far from the truth. <<I know you said it is the most beautiful of all the MK Parks, but does it have that special Disney feel? >> Yeah. But is it different? Sure. Just like DAK doesn't feel like DL, which doesn't feel like Epcot, which doesn't feel like the MK etc ...
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "You just don't see morbid obesity there." You have obviously never seen me there!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "Again, though, DL is close to LA, Hollywood and the 90210 lifestyle ... fat ain't beautiful here. Apparently, in O-Town, it is." At the risk of escalating something here, this was something I was stricken with when I took a road trip as a kid. Being a San Francisco Bay Area native, people were very fit, and I really felt out of place being so big. As we travelled further East people seemed to get bigger and lazier. There seemed to be a real trend for different behaviours. Though feeling the humidity of the South, I didn't feel like doing much either. Tooo danged opressive and sticky. What really struck me is in Europe, I am huge, at WDW I felt average in size and a number of people made me feel small. I came home, and after christmas went on a strict diet and exercise regime.
Originally Posted By Mr X I imagine there are a ton of factors...but nice weather sure does help as far as just getting out and being active. Coming from the frozen NorthEast, many people I know (myself included) gain in winter and lose in summer. It just takes a VERY motivated person to get out into the bitter cold and do stuff, rather than turn up the heat and veg in front of the TV all winter unless you absolutely HAVE to go out. I would imagine that Florida would be surprisingly similar...with most people avoiding the outdoors as much as possible during the long oppresive summers there. So, considering nicer climates like California...I can imagine that lots more people would be able to get out and get moving (and really WANT to, with the nice weather) all year round. Of course, that IS but one factor amoung many.
Originally Posted By Mr X >>Food at DLP is not a bad price. A counter service runs about $12 each, a table service about $36. If youcompare that to Legoland Windsor where I paid $20 for counter service ribs yesterday, DLP is a bargain<< "not a bad price"???? I can only assume you are saying this "relatively speaking". It sounds horribly expensive to me! And I live in TOKYO for pete's sake! I always thought WE were the most expensive city around...but I guess we've got some competition ($36 for a meal for one?? are you including alcohol in that price I hope? I had a meal at TGIFridays that amounted to as much, but there were several drinks attached). And, compared to that, prices at the Tokyo Disney Resort are downright CHEAP!! For sure. Aside from the 2 luxury restaurants in DisneySea (I think meals there would run $40-50 bucks easily), all the restaurants in the park are nowhere near $36, and counter service is not even close to that either (I do believe we're talking around $7-10 for a meal at almost all of them).
Originally Posted By Mr X Perhaps someone could give me a rundown of current prices at WDW for comparison (just a generic counter service and sit down "about" price)...it's possible I've just lost touch with "the rest of the world" living in Japan so long. PLUS, whenever I return to America now it's on vacation so I tend to not pay close attention to prices. I do recall being "sticker shocked" when I first came to Tokyo in 1998, but I must say that it doesn't seem like inflation has hit too hard like it has elsewhere. The prices today in 2007 here in Japan don't seem particularly higher than back in 1998...while going back to America I am sometimes surprised at how much prices have risen. I suppose I should research this anyway, I could be way off-base.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I understand Mr X. We find the US very cheap these days. I kid you not, here are some of the prices over here in Europe for parks: Legoland Windsor: Footlong Hot dog - $5.30 Refill of Coke - $4.10 Ribs platter - ribs, coleslaw, fries and 3 onion rings - $20 DLP: Counter Service - £12 3 course meal at the Silver Spur/Walt's - $36 (no drinks included) UK in General Harvester - Steak and salad, 1 diet coke - $36 TGI Fridays - a burger $25, a sundae $10, a coke $5 Burger King - A Whopper Meal - $10 Dominoes - Large Pizza with 5 toppings - $30 A chinese meal (take out) with 5 dishes for a family of 4 - $40 - 50. And I pay $2 a litre for Diesel. A 50 mile rail fare is $56, a single underground ticket anywhere in london is $8. A movie is £12. How does that stack up compared to Japan. And an AP at DLP is $240.
Originally Posted By MPierce Try this link Mr X, it will give you a price for all the meals at WDW. Just click on Dining at the top. Prices are just a little high by standards here, but not outrageous. However the quality is slowly taking a nose dive. Thanks to the Disney Dining Plan in my opinion. <a href="http://allearsnet.com/" target="_blank">http://allearsnet.com/</a>
Originally Posted By Mr X Thanks, MPierce, I'll check it out. Well, Dave, I'd have to say that off the top of my head everything on your list (pretty sure about gas too) is quite a bit CHEAPER in Tokyo. The only exceptions would be Dominos (about the same), and the annual pass (one park is around $330, 2 parks almost double that!). In fact, doing some quick exchange rate math, a TGIFridays burger in Tokyo is more than HALF that price (around $12 usd)!!!! And the value meals at McD's are all under $5 usd. Wendy's no more than $6 or so (Burger King ain't around, but when it was I don't recall much difference in price!). I'm going to have to stop telling all my friends Tokyo is the most expensive city! p.s. of course, the big factor is the exchange rate, which is pretty favorable for the dollar right now at around 121.12 yen to the dollar. A month or two ago, it was as low as 115, so of course, those prices wouldn't look quite as good.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>Well, Dave, I'd have to say that off the top of my head everything on your list (pretty sure about gas too) is quite a bit CHEAPER in Tokyo.<< ..in souvenir cups and plates I may add... which you never get at WDW.
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, I prefer they just pour it into the tank. It'd be a real bitch trying to clean the stench out of your souveniers before use.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<At the risk of escalating something here, this was something I was stricken with when I took a road trip as a kid. Being a San Francisco Bay Area native, people were very fit, and I really felt out of place being so big. As we travelled further East people seemed to get bigger and lazier. There seemed to be a real trend for different behaviours. Though feeling the humidity of the South, I didn't feel like doing much either. Tooo danged opressive and sticky. What really struck me is in Europe, I am huge, at WDW I felt average in size and a number of people made me feel small.>> At WDW, I always feel small ... and I shouldn't. I know that. At DL, I always feel like I'm a bit overweight but not huge. At DLP, I feel fat. It's because I am. As to the obesity deal, like WalMart or idiot Disney execs, it's a hot button topic for me because it's affected me. I have a relative who weighs over 500 pounds (well over, likely). It's only a matter of time before he dies. He knows he needs to be hospitalized and FORCED into surgery. He doesn't want to. I have a good friend. He had gastric bypass surgery about 6-7 years ago when he reached 450 pounds. It worked at first ... he dropped about 125 pounds. He's now put a good 75 of that back on. Worse, hie normal-sized wife, is about to give birth to twins ... he can't even walk up one flight of stairs without looking like he's gonna die, but he's going to suddenly be a daddy in his shape at age 45? It has become very cool in this country to not put the shame on people who have morbid obesity ... that somehow because their addiction isn't drugs, booze, gambling, multiple sex partners etc ... that it's OK. It's only food so it's OK, right? Wrong. It's a national epidemic and one that I see more at WDW than anywhere ... 400-pounders aren't abnormal in the guest (and now cast) population ... it starts with double-wide strollers and ends with ECV's ...
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< It's a national epidemic and one that I see more at WDW than anywhere ... 400-pounders aren't abnormal in the guest (and now cast) population ... it starts with double-wide strollers and ends with ECV's ... >>> I read a statistic recently that with current trends, fully 1 in 2 babies born this year will develop diabetes in their lifetimes. Wow.
