Originally Posted By MPierce >> Sadly, I heard he fell on hard times. Married some woman named Peggy Mae who drives an ECV (I think he's husband No. 4 or 5 now) and is living in Tulsa where he is unemployed, lives in a trailer on the outskirts of town, teaches bible study on weekends to farm animals and gets excited when Peggy doesn't eat all the Cheetos. << Man it sounds like TDLFAN is living the good life. That is with the exception of the days when he doesn't get his fair share of Cheetos.
Originally Posted By Indigo I was talking with someone this weekend, I'm sorry I can't recall who, and the discussion turned to Magic Kingdom's VP Phil Holmes. Apparently Phil believes that the park has serious capacity issues to the point where only one major attraction can be down at a time for rehabilitation. I agree that with Fantasyland Construction underway and the sad fact that no brand new attractions have opened at the Magic Kingdom since the Magic Carpets of Aladdin opened in 2002. (MILF opened in 2007, but that replaced an existing attraction so it doesn't count.) And the state of parades and shows is so horrendous, those are no help in increasing capacity. Thankfully we are finally getting a partial solution to Phil's problem. A new attraction (Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid) is part of the Fantasyland expansion and the Dumbo attraction will theoretically be able to double its capacity (assuming they run both rings all day). I'm unsure if we can count the new Snow White dwarfs Mine Ride since they're killing Snow White's Scary Adventures to build it. It's going to take more than one and a half new attractions (and a C or D ticket at that) to solve the Magic Kingdom's capacity problem. Phil can immediately solve this problem by adding shows. The Diamond Horseshoe Revue is empty and StoryBook Circus is the perfect venue for a big tent themed stage where Kids of the Kingdom type shows can be produced (this also solves the problem of having shows in front of the castle where there is no shelter from the hot sun or rain). The park also needs an immediate replacement for both the daytime and night time parades. That's a big enough event they should be able to make a whole year long promotion out of it. I don't care if they just assemble assorted abandoned floats from the parks around the world. Just produce something that's not old and tired and rolls by in under 8 minutes as the current 3pm parade does. While they're at it, night time parade technology has improved a lot since 1978, but that's essentially the same technology we have with Spectromagic and MSEP. Steven Davison help us please! Finally, Phil needs to immediately put into place a rescue plan for Tomorrowland. (Although that roller coaster idea for Adventureland is pretty cool too.) Evict the cartoon based life-forms and re-ignite excitement for a future that involves space exploration, new technologies that make our future easier, and some visionary ideas too. Round up Cory Doctorow, Charlie Stross, and Bruce Sterling (although I still haven't forgiven him, he's a terrific author), a few of today's leading science fiction authors. Doctorow is a huge Disney fan and has a good track record with YA novels that also make a difference. Stross has that knack for peering into the future and building something plausible based on today's existing trends. Sterling is an established authority on the very near future, a talented author, and someone who probably has something to say about Disney's Next-Gen (NGE) experience. Get them all in a room with some Imagineers and sketch out plan for updating Tomorrowland with a theme and attractions that will draw crowds for 20+ years. Now that's a vision for the Magic Kingdom that excites me. How about you? What's your vision for the Magic Kingdom? How could Phil Holmes make an immediate impact?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>It's going to take more than one and a half new attractions (and a C or D ticket at that) to solve the Magic Kingdom's capacity problem. Phil can immediately solve this problem by adding shows. The Diamond Horseshoe Revue is empty and StoryBook Circus is the perfect venue for a big tent themed stage where Kids of the Kingdom type shows can be produced (this also solves the problem of having shows in front of the castle where there is no shelter from the hot sun or rain). The park also needs an immediate replacement for both the daytime and night time parades. That's a big enough event they should be able to make a whole year long promotion out of it. I don't care if they just assemble assorted abandoned floats from the parks around the world. Just produce something that's not old and tired and rolls by in under 8 minutes as the current 3pm parade does. While they're at it, night time parade technology has improved a lot since 1978, but that's essentially the same technology we have with Spectromagic and MSEP. Steven Davison help us please<<<< Agreed. And in opening up shuttered restaurants like Aunt Poly's or AdvL Terrace, he could help that.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<BTMR looked OK, though. Same effects are broken, of course. >> OK, so then it didn't look OK? You are trying to grade Disney on a curve and that isn't how a premium BRAND should be. That they allow effects to stay broken for years with black tarps over them just can't get a pass ...
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<AFWIW, I think it is nuts to think people will spend $10,000's and fly 3000 miles just to poke holes, far from it, I was really excited for the trip. In the end, it left me bitter and jaded about WDW. I have heard very mixed since.>> I don't travel 180 miles and spend a fraction of that to poke holes or complain. I go because I still enjoy it, have people that mean a lot to me that I want to spend time with and because I want to believe that I'll show up once again and things will look like they did 20 years ago. I can stay home, not spend a penny and complain for free!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think this is very true. Just because a guest cannot articulate what they feel upon seeing a partially operating show, doesn't mean that it does not play into their experience.>> <<To a certain degree Disney manages to diminish the negative effect this would have on the overall experience by having an audience which to a large degree wants to have the vacation of their life and which comes with the expectation that Disney is a first rate experience. They don't want to be disappointed, so they don't allow themselves to be disappointed. But how far can they go? >> Exactly. People, even first-timers, notice when things are falling apart, covered in tarps, dirty etc. They may not notice like someone who has probably spend more than a year of his life in all the WDW parks (a sick Spirit, no doubt!), but this idea that all guests turn their brains off when they pass under those arches is ridiculous. I also think some people do will themselves to have a good time no matter what. But that doesn't change the reality. If something is in bad shape (like say CoP), then it is. I think many regulars, the pixie dust addicted, try and convince themselves that things aren't as bad as their brains are telling them as some sort of affirmation that they aren't morons for spending the time and money to visit. I do see that behavior when at WDW with some folks.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Man it sounds like TDLFAN is living the good life. That is with the exception of the days when he doesn't get his fair share of Cheetos.>> Actually, Jolene (Peggy Sue's 31-year-old never-employed daughter from marriage #2) gets the remaining Cheetos. Sadly, she also physically abuses TDLFAN by slapping him with her skin flaps from the gastric bypass. It is a saaaad situation. I wish he would come back here regularly so we could support him. I know Danny misses him more than the days of $3.99 buffets!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt <<BTMR looked OK, though. Same effects are broken, of course. >> "OK, so then it didn't look OK? You are trying to grade Disney on a curve and that isn't how a premium BRAND should be." Maybe it was OK to him. You might see it differently. Either is acceptable though since all we're doing here is expressing our opinions.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>OK, so then it didn't look OK? You are trying to grade Disney on a curve and that isn't how a premium BRAND should be. That they allow effects to stay broken for years with black tarps over them just can't get a pass ..<<<< It wasn't fantastic by any means, as there were some minor effects broken, but it was passable, and high above SM and CoP. Also, I can't judge too much because, I loose the ability to be critical when zipping along and holding onto a safety bar. LOL
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<It wasn't fantastic by any means, as there were some minor effects broken, but it was passable, and high above SM and CoP. >> EE, huge CHUNKS of an entire scene are missing on Big Thunder and are covered by tarps. How is that passable? Haha
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ^^^ I saw a few black tarps, but not that many. But like I said, Kinda hard to pay attention when going around on a coaster. It wasn't obvious, to me.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<^^^ I saw a few black tarps, but not that many. But like I said, Kinda hard to pay attention when going around on a coaster. It wasn't obvious, to me. >> The scene in question is during one of the lift hills, though.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ^ It didn't stick out to me, either way. Knowing me, I was looking the wrong way. LOL
