Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 It's your old pal, the Spirit ... back with some observations about how my beloved MK is doing under your 'leadership.' First, let's start with the good, the very good. MNSSHP keeps getting better and is the only 'hard-ticket' event you'll weasel my hard-earned dollars for. The decorations are terrific on Main Street and love the character statues in the Hub. Let's see if you can make a few more trips to Super WalMart with the Escalade (you're one of the few CMs who can afford $3 a gallon gas) next year and get some seasonal decor for the other lands too. Putting green gels on the lights in Liberty Square are a nice start, but they're a very small item. Let's see more. Both the Boo To You Parade and Hallo-Wishes are terrific and easily blow out of the water what passes as entertainment for day guests. Just one quibble though, and likely not your fault, but to change out the word 'chop' for 'swap' in the Headless Horseman's ride is really taking political correctness to an absurd level. And how ironic it is that the best MK parade is one that most people will never see? How about a new daytime parade before the 40th (since that parade will be budgeted to go a decade if current business models are followed). As I've said before, the Mansion redo was great. Fantastic. Now, please, maintain it. Money clearly was spent, and as a shareholder, I'm really tired of watching $$$ get burned by short-sighted decisions (see, plans for no CBJ Christmas show). Cleanliness was noticeably better than in June-July-August. I couldn't believe I actually saw people with the sweeper machines in the Hub AND on the Tomorrowland Bridge this week. I thought you had put those machines up for bid at Property Control. And did my eyes deceive me or did you finally get those potholes in Caribbean Plaza's pass-thru fixed? Now, let's talk about the not-so-good. While MNSSHP is terrific, having it start while your 'Ghost Host' is telling guests to 'get out' or 'purchase tickets at Ghost Relations' is very bad show. Sure, it's a whole lot easier/cheaper than closing at 6 or 6:30 and clearing the entire park and reopening an hour later -- you know, like they used to do it. But I can't help but wonder how many children's DREAMS get crushed when Mommy and Daddy tell them they can't go to the parties or how many folks get 'guilted' into paying a few hundred more to stay and play into the night. Either way, you damn well know it's bad show ... oh, and c'mon, did you really have to shrink the size of the candy bags? You know the CMs are going to hand out as much candy as they can, so give the little (and big) kids bigger bags. Perhaps, you can advertise Disney's Best Kept Secret on them! The decorations on Main Street may be nice, but they still don't hide the fact there is nothing of substance in the land anymore. I see the Cinema is going down for major work, perhaps, you can return it to an attraction since you have so much excess retail space that shops are simply closed with black tarps over the windows. It's truly magical and a DREAM COME TRUE DURING DISNEY'S YEAR OF A MILLION DREAMS that guests can win stays at Cindy's Castle. But you need to make sure they're looking at the castle at all times. If they happen to look down while walking up the Liberty Square ramp they'll notice that you have stopped maintaining the trees, shrubs and flowers and the area is a mess. Here's a hint: if my lawn service can do a better job than what your horticulturists are doing, they ain't doing their job ... unless, of course, they're being told to leave certain areas to save money. Now, how magical would that be? While the park's cleanliness showed improvement, there was one notable exception. Sunday night, the patio at Pinocchio's was filthy with food and trash left everywhere. What's worse is that at least eight CMs were in the area as you make guests walk thru the patio to get their EMH wristbands. That just isn't acceptable. They should have called custodial, or simply cleaned up the mess themselves. One of the Disney basics. OK, so the holes in the walls of the Buzz queue have been fixed, but really, masking tape holding the floor together?! C'mon. Do you really think this is acceptable? In closing, I see some good changes ... but not nearly enough ... and while you and Inoverherheadmeg looked so gawrsh-darn cute playing Pirates in your recent photo-opp, you must know that when it comes to deciding who keeps their job, she has very little control if people in Emer... I mean, Burbank, aren't happy. And there are always those execs in far-flung parks that miss their Orlando country-club lifestyles.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^Oh, one correction, Phil ... that tape was duct tape not masking tape ... I apologize for that mistake. Like you should be apologizing for turning the whole Emporium side of Main Street into one giant World of Disney store. Just a quick question ... what is the WDI backstory for why the whole side of Main Street has become one generic Disney character store with meaningless facades on the front? Yeah, I know that's a toughie to answer .
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Spirit... when will you ever start a topic with the headline "Hey TDLFAN!" at the top? Hehehe! Anyways... I agree the MNSSHP is tops and lots of fun... and you may have read my report and seen my photos (well maybe not the photos) But as nice as it is and as popular as this hard ticket party is with guests, the fact is...it is still mediocre by standards set by the other parks.... Hmmmm... let me see... >>While MNSSHP is terrific, having it start while your 'Ghost Host' is telling guests to 'get out' or 'purchase tickets at Ghost Relations' is very bad show.<< Indeed. The day we went to the party, G-Fan and I were watching "Scream Along with Mickey" (and laughing out loud at it) when the announcement came on the pa's full blast, effectively dwarfing the show's recorded music. VERY BAD SHOW INDEED!! This would NEVER happen at TDR. >>Both the Boo To You Parade and Hallo-Wishes are terrific and easily blow out of the water what passes as entertainment for day guests.<< I agree both shows are terrific (by MK standards) however... take a look at this year's Halloween parades in HKDL and TDL... They make the "Boo To You Parade" look like Amateur Hour. But hey! The DoMs don't know any better so more power to them. >>You know the CMs are going to hand out as much candy as they can, so give the little (and big) kids bigger bags. Perhaps, you can advertise Disney's Best Kept Secret on them!<< Perhaps NOT! It was a bloody shame that this year's halloween bag was a POTC3 dvd ad. Bring back the old orange looking bags with the party logo on them. I am sick of cross promotion between WDW and the WDS in Burbank. >> how ironic it is that the best MK parade is one that most people will never see? How about a new daytime parade before the 40th<< Oh better yet... aren't we supposed to get DL's current parade sometime down the line? maybe for the MK's 40th...that is, if they remember to celebrate it. >>The decorations are terrific on Main Street and love the character statues in the Hub.<< This reminds me... I need to put up my Halloween decor photos from TDL, so you all can compare and see why, even when things are a major improvement at the MK, they still fall short of meeting that certain "minimum standard" set forth by OLC, or even in California.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo My greatest lement of my last trip to WDW in Dec 2006 was the filthy state of the Magic Kingdom. Please return to the days of powerwashing the park daily, and enough custodial to ensure the trash is picked up. The MK made DLP seem spotless in comparison, and that is not a good thing. A combination of slippages in Disney quality means I am more likely to give my money to Grier's or Holz's profit centres instead of yours. And while we are requesting improvements, please can we up the ante in the dining stakes? You lag behind all of your colleagues in this regard. I shouldn't have to go to a resort hotel, Epcot, the Studios or DAK for a decent meal. My family craves more than hamburgers and hot dogs.
Originally Posted By WolvesTwilight The Cinema is going to replace The King's Gallery. As a MSE CM we were told this a long, long time ago. It's going down for renovation to rebuild the beautiful cabinets and displays that had to be destroyed in the King's Gallery. If I'm not mistaken, the sign is going to read "The Main Sreet Cinema presents 'The King's Gallery'" or something like that. Basically the gallery is coming back to Main Street, but Package Pickup won't give up their building. It's a shame, too. I've been back behind that curtain and the light fixtures are still there, as well as the prop framed paintings, as well as the woodwork. The only thing is gone is the carpet.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^I guess that is semi-good news. But with so much empty retail space on Main Street, I have no clue why they can't reopen the Gallery in another space (like where Art of Disney was in the old Bank) and restore the Cinema, maybe with some new touches. BTW, still waiting to hear the new WDI backstory for the giant World of Disney Superstore that takes up an entire side of Main Street ... I'm sure this is going to be a very long wait.
Originally Posted By figment1986 I am guessing disney does not want to build any retail in the center street area for some strange reason, like keeping it closed off and blackened for storage?? A store like the gallery is something that could work perfectly out of the way in the center street since not everyone will go into there anyway. If only the cinema could came back, I enjoyed the original in Disneyland.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Is Hallo wishes better than the Storming the Castle portion of the fireworkds at the Pirates and Princess parties ? Asking as I really enjoyed that...
