Originally Posted By Bolna Exits - that's something I can't get excited about. For example, I never liked the France Telecom exhibit at the end of Small World. But even though I never got into what was at Star Tours originally it was many times better than what there is now! I was so shocked: a run down and ugly arcade.
Originally Posted By Bolna <<I agree that Peter Pan is the worst queue - even when clean it just feels like when you see milk bottles on a conveyor belt - single file and restrictive!!!>> Lol, milk bottles! Great comparison!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>For example, I never liked the France Telecom exhibit at the end of Small World.<<< Now see, I loved that exit and was really upset when I heard the Princess meet and greet is going in there. I could spend ages in there, as could my kids. But then again, I do love IASW.
Originally Posted By u k fan TBH, we rarely stopped at the France Telecom exhibit anymore. It's cute, but not something that needed endless repeat visits. While I'm not personally looking forward to the Princess meet & greet, anything that helps stop the character free for all that is present at DLP is a good thing. Ultimately, it's replacing something old and tired for something that many guests want. It might represent commerce over global communication, but like it or not people like meeting the Princesses so something more formal in Fantasyland isn't necessarily the end of the world. I'll get my coat...!!!
Originally Posted By Bolna <<I'll get my coat...!!!>> Lol! I am kind of torn on the issue of those greetings. When we were at DLP in March, one day we nearly weren't able to get into Frontierland because there were some characters at the entrance who were mobbed. Very unpleasant and I could not understand how anyone would want to join that mass of people. I would really prefer if those people were in a orderly queue somewhere where I don't have to deal with them clogging up the walkways. It also makes it less stressful for those who want to meet the characters. The sad thing is though when they take something out which used to be an attraction. Of course I never got into the France Telecom exhibit (perhaps I never gave it enough of a chance, but if I remember correctly, it was always filled with kids and I never visited DLP with kids). So I don't mind losing it too much. But it annoys me on principle. And then there is the general question of what DLP wants to be: a place to meet the characters with a nice distraction of some rides thrown into it, or the other way round. For me that should not be a question at all: DLP is about the rides and the atmosphere. A few characters add atmosphere, but that's their role: a pleasant addition.
Originally Posted By u k fan To me the France Telecom exhibit was never an attraction in it's own right, if anything we're gaining an attraction in the Princess meet & greet if it's done well. For me DLP is all about the atmosphere, attractions are second - I'm not sure characters make the top 10, but you and I aren't typical guests and the Princess franchise is huge all over the world. To me Disney parks and the Princesses are extensions of each other. Girls with a Princess lunchbox want to meet them so they go to DLP, once they've met the Princesses they love them even more so they buy the dress and the doll and the backpack.... All these things fuel their love for the Princesses and so it goes. I'm not saying Disney is all about characters or all about kids, but what's so wrong with removing an underused France Telecom exhibit so that a 6 year old girl can fulfill her dream of meeting Belle? And don't argue that this change is all about making money and not dreams, how many dreams came true because of the France Telecom exhibit and how much money did Disney make from it? Very few companies can get raked over the coals for adding a permanent space for one of their biggest franchises, but somehow Disney seems to get it in spades!!!
Originally Posted By Bolna Oh, I thought that I had made it clear that I am not sad about the France Telecom exhibit going away, I think we are on the same page there. I understand what you are saying about the Princesses, and I think it is good that there will be a place to meet them. And neither do I think that it will ever only be about characters. But I think a healthy balance is important. If those little girls' parents have a great time as well, they are more likely to take the little girls on another trip. And those little girl will continue to enjoy the parks when they grow up. I guess Disney has realised that too much characters aren't necessarily the best way to go and that might have been one of the reason the princess meet and greets were cut from the MK Fantasyland redo (besides the fact that it was too girly).
Originally Posted By u k fan Sorry Bolna, after I wrote that post I realised that I probably made it sound like I was arguing with you. I wasn't I was setting up my arguments for everyone who might tell me that I've just spat on Walt's grave! I agree that characters aren't always the way to go, but in this instance I actually think this is one of the times that it might be an improvement!!!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo My good ol friend UKfan (love you buddy), was probably having a dig at me before i started ranting ;-) I must confess, I am fed up with all the characters. To me personally, I wish they were all gone and they put in approrpiate live streetmousphere in the other lands. But that is a selfish position as I know they bring joy to many (including to a degree, my own kids). It is just frustrating when there are so many dead spots around the park where characters would go. Or how they got rid of the Ranch (which had some unusual animals like a Brahma Bull, which is unusual in Europe), to put in Woody's Roundup, then a few short years later they shutter it, and make one of my fav counter service restaurants a character meal (with the same characters). this is of course after losing the shows at the Lucky Nugget, and ruin that place as a character meal. Or turning Auberge into a very expensive character meal (used to be a high priority place for us, and now, relegated to my daughter's birthday only now). But yes, those character meets are like being in a battle, so much so, we try hard to avoid them. This will be a relief. But I did love the post show, and would have enjoyed anything other than a princess meet and greet. Oh well, those people waiting 2 hours will hopefully mean it will lead to less crowds elsewhere,
Originally Posted By u k fan I love having the characters walk round the parks, especially when it's early in the day and they're actually having fun instead of struggling to stay upright in a rugby scrum. To me characters in Fantasyland is appropriate streetmousphere. I'd be happy to have one giant meet n greet area somewhere in each park with random characters strolling the streets through the day (in areas appropriate to who they are). It would make chance encounters so much more special. I'm wondering if combining the Cookout with characters was due to dwindling numbers at the restaurant. I've always loved it, but it is off the beaten track to a certain extent and was very quiet when we went there last June. With the economy the way it is it seems the brown bag brigade is in force. Yesterday on FB DLP asked people to give tips to those travelling with young kids, the overriding theme was "take your own food"! The problem is is that now they're there characters will probably never leave. I'll go on record and say, I hate character meals. Unless you've got kids I see no point in attending one. I would never volunteer to do one with a group of adults only!!!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Yep, we used to do them when Sarah was new to Disney, but not anymore except for the kids (to be honest, other than Auberge for Jessie's birthday last year, I do not think we have done a character meal since about 2007 - the kids are not really that bothered, other than Jessie loving Princesses (grrrr). We love encountering them most, but rarely queue for them (though we did for Jack and Sally - I know, hypocritical).
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo What I wouldn't give to have a band in each land, like the old days.
Originally Posted By EmmaJayne I think I spent about twenty minutes, if not longer in te IASW exit abs in my long e-mail home to Mum about DLP it got it's own big paragraph. Strangely enough, I didn't notice it was sponsored at all, I just thought it was a beat addition to the rode and found it quite enchanting. For me, it was just another beautiful extra touch, much like the dragon under the castle... I really do love meeting characters and have an obsession with the Princesses that could rival any 6 year olds, but I'm still sad to think something as ho- hum as a meet and greet would replace that exit... And this is from someone who has lined up an hour plus at Fantasy Fair multiple times!!
Originally Posted By u k fan Don't get me wrong, I thought it was great fun the first time and probably the second, but IMHO it's repeatability is limited so I don't really lament it's loss!!!
Originally Posted By Bolna EmmaJayne, how funny that you did not notice that it was sponsored! I am sure that France Telecom would not have been very pleased. You all make me feel that I really missed out on something there! It was always crowded in there when I was there, so perhaps I never bothered to really investigate it further...
Originally Posted By Bolna <<My good ol friend UKfan (love you buddy), was probably having a dig at me before i started ranting ;-)>> Yes, I kind of got the feeling after post 28 that it might have been a pre-emptive strike. <<But yes, those character meets are like being in a battle, so much so, we try hard to avoid them.>> Why is that so? Even on a normally crowded day people just go crazy. It wasn't like that during my visits in the 90s? Or do I just have a very selective memory?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I think it is the fact that that seems to be all DLP advertises, your little darling seeing a character, they put it in the entertainment listings (rather than just stumble on them), and they sell autograph books (which came in the late 90's). They started character meals (used to be a little treat in the DLH and HNY), so those that think them too expensive see it as a free way of seeing them. There are sites dedicated with where to find them, which ones are new, and on the Disboards and Magicforum, it seems not 5 minutes go by before someone writes a post, I'm going to Disney where can I fine X, they are my/my child's fav character. It is a different culture than the one that launched DLP sadly, but it seems to work for them. I remember as a kid in DL, we would chance upon a character and just play (no autographs, sometimes no photos). Heck, even my kids played musical chairs (with a live pianist) with Bert and the Penguins from Mary Poppins and Alice and the Mad Hatter in DL. That would NEVER happen in WDW or Paris.
Originally Posted By u k fan When I took my sister in '97 we had some great times with the characters (no autographs or posed photos) and there were no scrums - that changed pretty quickly, especially at DLP!!!
Originally Posted By EmmaJayne 'Crush inside is indeed very nice. But I think the best thing about Crush is that it is a line that moves constantly. But then the worst thing about it is that it is always so long! So, does it really look like Australia in there? I never thought about that, I just thought it was just any generic seaside location. But then I have never been to Australia. ' Sorry Bolna, I had meant to reply to this earlier.. I wouldn't say it looks exactly like Australia but the seagulls, all the yellow diamond animal signs and talk to the East Australian Current certainly made it all feel very familiar... But the one thing that strangely really got to me, was somewhere in the building was an address and phone number and whilst fake they had the right area codes for a New South Wales address.. and I somehow really got emotional over the attention to detail in that. 'EmmaJayne, how funny that you did not notice that it was sponsored! I am sure that France Telecom would not have been very pleased. You all make me feel that I really missed out on something there! It was always crowded in there when I was there, so perhaps I never bothered to really investigate it further...' It's possible I noticed it at some point but forgot about it. I mean thinking back it makes sense that it would be sponsored by a phone company but the signage obviously wasn't so excessive that it really stuck.. I was lucky to be there on an incredibly quiet day (Actually when I rode IASW the boat in front of me was empty, I was the only rider in mine and the boat behind me was empty also.. it felt like the loneliest cruise that ever sailed and it was the only time I've found the singing dolls a little creepy.) so I had ample time to roam the exit alone and spend a lot of time looking at it/taking pictures. I can see how on a busy day it would be so crowded you would just rush straight through.
