Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Embarrassingly enough I think I can trump that. Paris has been a diversion just once in the 16 years I've been visiting DLRP - and that is north of 75 visits. I'm just not a fan of the city at all.>> Lee, old chum, everytime I start to think we agree on more than we disagree comes a comment like this. Oh well, we all have different tastes. After all, how many folks think the MK is the best Disney park (or theme park in general) on the planet? I love DLP. It really hurt to not renew the annual pass this year (something that will be rectified either late this year or early in 09), but I can't imagine being near such an amazing city and not visiting the historical sites, taking a twlight cruise on the Seine, having bread and wine under the Eiffel Tower etc ... It's not like O-Town where when you leave Disney you're in the strip center capital, outlet mall capital and Waffle House capital of the world ;-)
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I think perspectie is required here. If you live in Europe, it is not as big a deal. I had been to Paris many times before DLP opened (including a french exchange for 2 weeks). There are far nicer cities in Europe, and London and Paris are so similar that it is not a big deal to us. Familiarity breeds contempt...
Originally Posted By u k fan I agree with Dave. As I said before having lived in London Paris just isn't different enough for me to get excited about. Would you believe I've visited the Super Walmart on the 192 more times whilst staying at WDW (same for Celebration actually) than I've taken a side trip to Paris from DLP?!!!
Originally Posted By leemac <<Lee, old chum, everytime I start to think we agree on more than we disagree comes a comment like this.>> No comment! To be honest a big part of it is my perceived rudeness of the French - I just can't stand their style of hospitality. I've seen most of the major sites in Paris and don't really have much desire to go back. I guess I'm probably just a bit jaded being as Paris feels like so many other European capitals. On all scales I'd put Paris at the bottom of the heap of those I've visited - I'd much prefer to revisit Madrid, Copenhagen, Stockholm etc. That said I'm not that well-traveled in Europe. Work doesn't take me to Europe very often these days - now UAE, Japan and China I know intimately now. Either way you cut it Paris isn't as bad as Dubai. That much is for sure.
Originally Posted By leemac <<It's not like O-Town where when you leave Disney you're in the strip center capital, outlet mall capital and Waffle House capital of the world ;-)>> You know I've not been downtown since the World Cup in '94. I've barely made it north of the area where the Mall at Millenia is located. I'm still at a loss as to how anyone would choose to live in Central Florida - different strokes I guess.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Familiarity breeds contempt...>> Be careful, bud, that's the excuse people toss out on me when I complain about slipping standards at WDW. That said, I love London as well ... and pretty much every major European city I've ever been in. Lisbon and Vigo were both wonderful (and new locations for me). But Paris feels magical to me ... what can I say?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Would you believe I've visited the Super Walmart on the 192 more times whilst staying at WDW (same for Celebration actually) than I've taken a side trip to Paris from DLP?!!!>> Must resist the urge to take a shot at UK fan for shopping at the Bentonville Devil ... must resist ... so hard ...grrrrr
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<To be honest a big part of it is my perceived rudeness of the French - I just can't stand their style of hospitality. >> You know, I was so afraid of the 'French 'tudes' I heard about for years before I visited. And maybe it's just been my luck ... like never being at DLP when its dirty or seemingly always being at the MK when it is ... but I have never had a bad experience with the French. The people I have met have all been ... nice. The closest I've come to anything negative is a few anti-Bush comments to which I just say 'you can't loathe the man anymore than I do' which tends to immediately move the discussion away from anything negative. But I also know that for the Brits and the French it might as well still be the 14th century the natural dislike seems so strong! ;-) <<I've seen most of the major sites in Paris and don't really have much desire to go back. I guess I'm probably just a bit jaded being as Paris feels like so many other European capitals. On all scales I'd put Paris at the bottom of the heap of those I've visited - I'd much prefer to revisit Madrid, Copenhagen, Stockholm etc.>> Those three are on my 'must-see' list, but like I said to Dave, I just love Europe. Every country I've ever been. Every city. There is an openess and a quality of life that just isn't typical of what has happened in the USA. <<That said I'm not that well-traveled in Europe. Work doesn't take me to Europe very often these days - now UAE, Japan and China I know intimately now. >> I'm very interested in the UAE if it's Disney-related work ... but I know you damn well ain't gonna spill until you're good and ready! <<Either way you cut it Paris isn't as bad as Dubai. That much is for sure.>> Never been to Dubai. Never intend to. For all the folks that look to it as some magical mecca of western-like values in the desert ... well, I just don't see that as more than a mirage. And look at today's news from Beirut, which had become a major destination of its own in the past few decades after being war-torn. Now, you have tanks and mortars going off all over again. All those companies that are so quick to invest in Dubai should realize that there is a strong fundamentalist stripe that doesn't want the west moving into Islam, even if its owned by the gazillionaires in the Emirates. And as far as I can see pretty much any nation in that region is parched tinder waiting for someone to toss a match.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<You know I've not been downtown since the World Cup in '94. I've barely made it north of the area where the Mall at Millenia is located. I'm still at a loss as to how anyone would choose to live in Central Florida - different strokes I guess.>> Well, downtown will be getting more reviatlized soon. A new arena for the NBA's Magic ... and a new performing arts center. And there are some lovely suburbs, particularly to the northeast of the city ... like Lake Mary. But Central Florida, which believe it or not, was a very Southern community right into the 1980s is kind of a victim of being at the theme park/vacation capital of the world. It's very transient. Development has come in a haphazard way, meaning key infrastructure doesn't get built in advance. It's also very spread out too ... and a lot of poverty has moved into the area. Kissimmee, which was a wonderful, friendly little cowtown even 20 years ago, has become very seedy. There are many areas close to the theme parks that are nice to live in ... places like Windermere (where many a Disney exec and pro athlete reside) and Winter Park and Bay Hill ... but by and large they're surrounded by ugly sprawl that just gets worse by the year. So I can understand where you're coming from.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I'm very interested in the UAE if it's Disney-related work ... but I know you damn well ain't gonna spill until you're good and ready! >> I wouldn't expect anything from TWDC in the region. But it doesn't hurt to look. I really do detest Dubai and Abu Dhabi - at TDR last month I had a long conversation with SuperDry about it (he went there on his way to Tokyo) and he loved Dubai. To me it is just soulless. Completely and utter devoid of anything except for sand, traffic and pollution.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 << I wouldn't expect anything from TWDC in the region. But it doesn't hurt to look.>> I suppose not. I'll just lose any/all faith in Bob Iger if he were to build anything in Dubai. ... I guess a DVC would be OK, but that doesn't seem to be a big timeshare market.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I think DVC could be a good business move except DVC's core market are US centred and have a bigoted view of UAE. Dubai has not been a big timeshare market because their government has only just legislated for it. There are 3 in Dubai now and MArriott hopefully will be making their official announcement soon. It's one we plan on visiting, before ski resort Hilton Head, Branson, Florida beaches and all thye other uninspired timeshare meccas.
Originally Posted By mstaft In my opinion, after visiting many European cities, Paris is still tops. Its an intangible thing, I guess. Totally magical!
