Originally Posted By leemac << know that it's been a concern regarding bringing a nighttime parade back to DL>> The concern was always about capex for DL - no-one wanted to spend the money. Now they are leveraging off of the development budget for Paint the Night at HKDL to have a nighttime parade for DL's 60th. It is crazy that they can't find the budget for quality live entertainment at DLR.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Have they said which areas they're expanding?>> It isn't really about expanding per se - it is about terracing properly so that everyone can have a better view and can exit the viewing areas in an orderly fashion once the show finishes. F! can be very problematic for ops as it doesn't close the park so you need two way traffic for every egress.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***F! can be very problematic for ops as it doesn't close the park so you need two way traffic for every egress*** Why don't they just close the park with it? Everyone leaves anyway, pretty much...
Originally Posted By leemac <<Why don't they just close the park with it? Everyone leaves anyway, pretty much...>> It is all about shift patterns. Tech dismount is a nightmare for F! and requires a lot of work. Funnily enough the show isn't late enough for the majority of guests to head to the exit after the show. The park still has over a 100 minutes' of operating time left once F! finishes which is why you end up with guests everywhere once the show finishes. It isn't one way traffic to the exit.
Originally Posted By Malin That's interesting you say that because I have never experienced any gridlock situations when leaving the Park after Fantasmic like I would at Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom for its fireworks. Unless it's more an issue with the large numbers of people who camp out early for the shows.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Tech dismount is a nightmare for F! and requires a lot of work*** Interesting. Thanks. ***Funnily enough the show isn't late enough for the majority of guests to head to the exit after the show*** Yeah, it is rather odd. Going out to the Harbor to watch the thing late at night, it's hard to get motivated to slog back into the park (unlike say, TDL where you can stick to the middle and then pick one land to finish up in), so we always end up leaving lol. But it does seem early.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros We stayed in the park after the show, but it definitely seemed to be less busy (though not quite to the same degree as MK or DL after the fireworks). I agree that having the harbor at the front of the park makes it difficult to find motivation to get back into the farthest reaches for the attractions; it was also kind of annoying when we were trying to watch 2-3 harbor shows daily, since we were constantly backtracking to get there, and never quite made a full lap around the park (though we did see each area in its entirety). This is especially true since the best views are all on the park entrance/exit side of the harbor, meaning that you have to walk all the way around it to get a good view for each show
Originally Posted By leemac <<Unless it's more an issue with the large numbers of people who camp out early for the shows.>> The issue (whether real or perceived) is that the low light issues and heavy crowds make accidents more likely. It is definitely true as you exit Lido Isle as that can be challenging. The multi-level aspect of Med Harbor is definitely exacerbated by the low light levels around showtime. I've seen a number of guests take a tumble which is why the landscaping work has been shifted up the priority list. The difficulty will be in maintaining the overall look of the Harbor once the terracing is complete. I'd hate for it to become more like NOS at DL where I think the terracing takes you out of the time and place.
Originally Posted By Mr X I think they did a decent enough job with the terracing near the Fortress. Is the planned landscaping going to be similar? I agree with your concern Lee — I hope they can keep the view largely the same, it's one of the most breathtaking Disney spots to enjoy imo.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I just posted my photos. Form our 3 days in the parks, I had over 1,000 pictures that I've pared down to about 250. Here's a link that should work for you, regardless of whether you have a Facebook account or not: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102515655812415.1073741850.3432828&type=1&l=129a11f733">http://www.facebook.com/media/...9a11f733</a>
Originally Posted By dagobert Thanks for the pictures! They are great. I'm a bit jealuous that you met Scrooge McDuck.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros He seems to be pretty common in TDS, since he "owns" the big department store in the New York section of the American Waterfront. I think I've met him once or twice during runDisney events in the US, but I've never seen him during normal park hours I was a little disappointed that we didn't see Bernard and Bianca. They were greeting guests during my 2006 trip (presumably because their film is set in NYC), but I've never seen them anywhere else (other than old photos from decades ago)
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>He seems to be pretty common in TDS, since he "owns" the big department store in the New York section of the American Waterfront. I think I've met him once or twice during runDisney events in the US, but I've never seen him during normal park hours<<< He is my favourite Disney character and I've seen him once at WDSP, but I didn't manage to get a picture with him. Are Carl Barks or Don Rosa Scrooge McDuck comics popular in Japan? I know they aren't in the US, but they are in Europe and I wish Disney would use Duckburgh in the parks.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Ferret said: >>>It’s no secret, but TDS’s Fantasmic! is kind of a mess<<< Having seen DHS' Fantasmic last night again, I will take TDS' anytime over the absurdly monotonous and cheap beyond belief version we have in Florida. >>>. I’m just disappointed that due to the Summer Matsuri entertainment schedule pushing it later in the day (4:30 performance) we were unable to watch it a second time on our 3rd day; had we known that, we probably would have done TDL in the morning and TDS in the evening, but it was difficult to get information about the ‘other’ park to plan for the next day<<< Difficult? How so? All you had to do was stop by Guest Relations and ask for the other park's show schedule and they would gladly give you one. I do this all the time and know how to plan my time at each park. So no, it's not difficult at all. >>>Overall, it was an awesome experience. Having been to TDR before (though this was my first time doing both parks in the same trip and staying on the monorail line), I knew what to expect so I’m not really a huge convert after this trip. It’s just really refreshing to see that there’s still somewhere that they set your expectations high, and truly deliver every time. In large part, it’s due to the well-behaved guests and outstanding cast, but it’s also due to direction from above. It would be great to see them be able to do stuff like that in the US too<<< How long have I been saying this about TDR versus the US parks, especially over rated WDW? AS for the Japanese, they are a unique breed of park goers. They don't feel to the need to applaud like Americans do. They reserve that for the end of the show. And yes, Americans don't know how to let go and enjoy the shows because they are easily embarrassed. Japanese, just like Brazilians, do get loose with abandon and know how to enjoy a show without being concerned about how other perceive them as bizarre. Maybe Americans are bizarre for going to a theme park and sitting there like the fat blobs they are and not enjoying a show the way it's meant to be enjoyed, so more kudos to the Japanese.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>I do this all the time and know how to plan my time at each park.<< See, you do it all the time and know to do it. As a very-infrequent visitor, I just had enough difficulty finding a times guide in English. But I suppose it was partly our fault for assuming the show would be at the same time as it was 2 days prior, when they were running the Tanabata entertainment instead of Natsu Matsuri stuff >>AS for the Japanese, they are a unique breed of park goers. They don't feel to the need to applaud like Americans do. They reserve that for the end of the show.<< I can understand not wanting to applaud mid-show (thus potentially interrupting it), but there were plenty of times that we noticed that very few people were even applauding at the end. It seemed like there was more applause when the audience was peppered with westerners, but it was still fairly tepid, given the audience's enthusiasm and engagement during the show itself. But in general I agree that the Japanese are a very unique (and fun!) breed of people >>And yes, Americans don't know how to let go and enjoy the shows because they are easily embarrassed.<< Funny, since in general life it seems like Japanese are far more likely to get embarrassed than Americans. How often do Japanese people politely and shyly step back after possibly inconveniencing someone else, when an American would just keep plowing through?
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Not when acting along side in a group. On an individual situation yes they are reserved and politely shy, but in a group style celebration.. like karaoke or getting drenched at TDR, they go all out and hang loose with abandon. >> But I suppose it was partly our fault for assuming the show would be at the same time as it was 2 days prior..<<< I hate to call you out but yes, it WAS your fault. At TDR, you can get english language showtimes at any guest relations counter, informational boards, and even custodial CMs have showtimes and maps on their belt purses. This is TDR. Close to perfection. Remember?
