Jan 4 World Report: 2001 Bests and Worst

Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct

hey bwanabob -

<I visited AK Lodge for the first time and just love the place. I can't decide now if WL or AKL is my favorite..>

That is my problem now! When I first checked into AKL, I thought WL is still better. By the end of the 6 nights, AKL had really grown on my and I was giving it the edge - but WL is so NICE TOO!

AKL has the edge in food. MARA was a far superior "quick service" place than WL's ROARING FORKS. Also, thoughts of AKL's BOMA makes my mouth water - too good. The "animal: factor is hard to beat. The first time I looked out my window (at check in) I saw a Giraffe and got such a rush - now THAT is an emotional experience that is hard to beat.

 

Originally Posted By bwanabob

I think I'm leaning towards AKL, too, dennis-in-ct, but I've never stayed at either, so my opinion is solely based on the restaurants and lobby. I also loved Boma...I just got full way too fast. I couldn't try everything I wanted. It will definitely be a restaurant we'll go to multiple times.

 

Originally Posted By clamagic2

Sorry, guys, I was disappointed with AKL. I don't think the rooms rate a deluxe hotel catagory. They are more like moderate rooms. The animals are unique but not for the difference in price.

 

Originally Posted By DLMAGICDARREN

Phoenix, sea cabs closed last year, in 2001, not in 2002.

 

Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct

Hi clamgic2,

I know what you mean about the resort room prices. WDW is way out of line and they keep going up each year. I only do WDW during "value" season when the rates are at the lowest AND I only stay at a resort I can either get a Disney Club discount or AP discount.

In the case of AKL, I paid 148.00 a night (and that includes the 12% room tax Florida has) for my pool view room which also has a view of the pool savannah - so it was worth it.

WDW has got to stop raising the rates. I mean, 300 for a room?! Are they insane?! And they wonder why the crowds are not flocking. Combine that with the food prices and they are just out of wack. The downtown Disney official hotels had suites going for the price of All Stars. I think WDW would get more business if the rates were not so high. This makes me want to start a new thread called: How much higher can they raise the room rates?

 

Originally Posted By pheneix

>>>sea cabs closed last year, in 2001, not in 2002.<<<

But they are being ripped out this year.

>>>How much higher can they raise the room rates?<<<

As high as the market will bear. That happened quite some time ago.

Add me to the AKL Dissappointment Camp. Not only did I just not like the theme of the place (the animals were not a selling point for me), but there was this weird smell like some kid had an accident in his shorts coming from one of the restuarants (and there wasn't a kid in there).

 

Originally Posted By Doobie

I love the new AKL, but can't put it in my top 3 because the feel of the place wasn't quite that of a premium resort. It was well above moderate level, but not quite GF/Yacht and Beach/Boardwalk. I'm not sure why - maybe the rooms themselves (I miss not having a minibar) - I don't know. But it is a great hotel with great decor and I love the animals and I'd stay there again in a minute.

Doobie.

 

Originally Posted By TammyMullins

As a former cast member, I can tell you from the people I know that still work for WD. They are begging their cast members to visit on cast member discounts. They can go on the seven day cruise for $400. I wish I was still a cm.

 

Originally Posted By JBuzzlightyear

Love the list...but would switch one of your "worst" with one of your "best".

The Share a dream parade is about as exciting as watching paint dry on a background animation cell. Characters that used to reach out and touch children are now served under glass...a disney version of a "pope-mobile".

After the millenium was over "Tapestry of Nations" story line made very little sense. I think they did a fantastic job taking an incredibly moving show, and updating it with an equally moving, yet timeless theme. Sit at the Germany gates and you'll see the whole story presented by all three units of the new "Dreamseekers" characters. (and a small correction...music was added to this show...not cut) The old version spliced repeats into the show to allow time for the puppets to get off route. The new show cut out the repeated sections and added the new dream music to replace it.

 

Originally Posted By BradleyJ

Acttually music was both added and cut, there were whole segements which featured the "Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand" song, scattered through-out Tapestry of Nations, it has been cut completly from Tapestry of Dreams.

 

Originally Posted By SJHYM

And it was the cut of the Celebrate the Future song that I thnk damaged the score. Everrytime I see Tapestry of Dreams ther just seems to be something missing. They took a good parade and made changes that did not make it better but in my opinion hurt the piece

 

Originally Posted By BradleyJ

I also noticed that the cut some from the Share a Dream Come True Parade.

I know people though the show stops were to long, but the cut it out of the Characters digalog, and the "Pixie Dust" part, now that whole seciton sees to rushed.

I wish they would put that part back, and cut and shorten the audience participatory part.

 

Originally Posted By andeeor2

On many accounts, I agree with the author. I have visited Dinorama at DAK, and thought it was cute, and "kitchy". Somewhere that a kid would like. I hope they have the forethought to turn it into a "Fantasyland" for DAK, where kids can call it their own. It doesn't bother me in the least that there are carnival games, and the flying Triceratops...kids like it, and that is really what counts!

As for EE mornings, am I the only one who understands why these were cut? EE mornings do not generate any immediate revenue, and at a time when WDW is looking for immediate revenue, this is dispensible. It may not make many happy, but it was a wise business choice. Let's hope that they continue to offer E ticket nights, which do generate immediate revenue. Personally, I wouldn't mind if they added a couple of extra dollars onto the admission, and keep some of the Fantasyland rides open, so more people will be inclined to attend with their little ones. Especially on the days when the parks close at 6. A 6 to 9 EE night would be great for the little ones, and then the parents wouldn't feel so cheated out of EE mornings. We felt that planning our park days was much easier without having to worry about which parks are going to be overcrowded due to them. Now the crowds are much more evenly dispersed.

As for the Pop Century. We saw that oversized "thing", for lack of a better word, when arriving to WDW. Not the best looking adventure that Disney has ever come up with. While I am glad that eventually people will have more choices in their value resorts, couldn't Pop Century have appeared to have more class?

The renaming of Dixie Landings debacle! For whatever reason, it was a dumb idea. I will also continue to call it Dixie Landings. I thought that it was so cool that it was tied into the "Song of the South" theming. Perhaps, like the movie, it was that theming that did it in!

The closing of PO-FQ, again, another business decision that was necessary, but not overly popular. I can sit here and defend Disney for wanting to consolidate their resorts during the ressession, but they could have handled the rebookings a little better.

One thing that I thought was missed, was the doing away with the water transportation from Marketplace, to West End. I can understand, with PO-FQ closed, and DXL only running at half capacity, why perhaps that water transportation was eliminated, there are some people who just can't handle that walk from one end of DTD to the other, and really benefitted from the boat transport. Hopefully, once attendence is up, both the DTD transportation will reopen, as well as the boats from DXL, and PO-FQ.

That just about does it I guess. I too, loved the new Jammin Jungle parade!

 

Originally Posted By Doobie

I'm sure Steve understands WHY EE was done away with. That doesn't mean it's not a sad thing and doesn't belong on whte worst list. I don't think it's supposed to be "Disney's worst moves" I think it's just the worst things to happen at WDW.

Doobie.

 

Originally Posted By SJHYM

I fully understand why Disney did what they have done. You may want to reread those in the article. My complaint is not that they did it but that they handled how they did it poorly.

 

Originally Posted By TammyMullins

andeeor2 - I totally agree with you on keeping more of FL open on EE nights. I have two toddlers and they seem to be alittle tiffed when we don't go to FL. They love the carrosel (did I spell that right) PPF and SW. They will however ride Buss Light Year over and over again.

 

Originally Posted By three_a_production

I hafta agree that doing away with EE was okay how they handled was not- We as CM's didnt even have much or any proir warning. It was EE's are gone we have Character Caravan. Epcot even switched to a later opening that day to- so if you were planning on doing epcot EE the next day not only could you not get in at 730 you had to wait till 10. They could have announced it and then cut the EE- -em

 

Originally Posted By Dlmusic

Great article. A fair and balanced look at the past year.

 

Originally Posted By rannxerox

The thing about EE issues for me are as follows...

1. They did not tell anyone, including their employees, about this until it hit. Hell, they had people showing up for EE. They should have expected this and had something waiting there for them such as charactors, free fastpasses, food voucers, etc. But NOOOOO, we all know what happened to those people.

2. They are not telling us that EE will be back when attendance is back up. As far as we know, there will never be EE again. Again, they tell the customers nothing, they tell the CMs nothing, etc.

I truly believe that cutting EE has been on the back burner for a while and 9-11 was the best time to cut this expensive perk.

3. Why should I spend the extra money to stay on site when the perks just keep slipping away? I'm a Hilton honors member and when I go to WDW, I could be building up points for the Hilton but in the past I stay on site. Now there is little reason to do so.

4. When they started the program years ago, they did not have the volume of resort rooms that they have now. I am making a guess but I would have to say that there are the same amount of people staying at the resorts now, even with the limited numbers, as there were when the program started. Think about how many rooms they have added since then. How many rooms are empty now? It might be the same number. (this is just a guest, I do not know the numbers).

All and all, I think that Dinsey could have had a lot of understanding from the guests if they would have been forth coming with information, trained and informed their employees, and told us that when attendance picks up to certain numbers that they will reinstate it. We are all understanding that times are tough at Disney and everywhere. But we are not fools so do not treat us as such.