Originally Posted By tonyanton I feel like this is a key difference between DL and WDW in recent years. There is a much greater likelihood of upgrades at DL (like something eventually "plussing" GRR) than anything similar happening in Florida (beyond the new wave of unnecessary interactive queues).
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I would have preferred the Princess meet and greet over the kiddie carwash Storybook Circus. Why anyone would want to spend $100 per person, per day for the opportunity to let their kids get sprayed down is beyond me. Stich spitting in Downtown Disney is more or an obstruction rather than a cute addition. Everyone seems to be avoiding the area where he spits. I was in Downtown Disney four weeks ago and getting around that whole area was difficult. Of course you had the ocassional guest who doesn't know what is going on walk where no one else is standing and subsequently get spit on.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I would have preferred the Princess meet and greet over the kiddie carwash Storybook Circus." Can someone please tell me why Disney loves to build these wet kid play areas? I don't get it.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I figure they were trying to compete with Gatorland. Since Gatorland has one. I really don't see the relevance of a kiddie carwash in the world's most popular theme park. Seems to me, that is very expensive real estate to waste on such a thing that would have been better suited for an addition to one of the resort pools. Why not have placed it at the Art of Animation Resort pool?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Can someone please tell me why Disney loves to build these wet kid play areas?<< Because kids love to get wet. Parents can park it for a little while and the kids cool off and play in the water. My kids LOVED these sorts of things when they were little. At Bugs land, Sea World, Great America -- it was pretty much their favorite thing in every park.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Because kids love to get wet.>> No offense, but I thought that is what pools were for. <<Parents can park it for a little while and the kids cool off and play in the water.>> Except, there is a huge circus tent nearby with an indoor play area. So that parents and tikes can cool off, and the little tikes can play also.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan When you were a kid, didn't you like to play with water outside of swimming pools? Water ballon fights, squirt guns, etc. Didn't you like water rides where you'd get splashed? C'mon guys. 'Ts the season. Don't be Grinches about little kids enjoying splashing around in water.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "When you were a kid, didn't you like to play with water outside of swimming pools?" Never with my clothes on. To this day I hate the squishy feeling of damp clothes stuck to my body. Eww.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Most kids do enjoy getting soaked whenever possible. And some of us never truly grow up!
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan The more cynical reason is that eventually, soaked kids start to shiver and mom and dad need to buy them some dry clothes for the rest of the day. That's when the parents get soaked! ; )
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Kar2oonMan, you know what's even worse for me than walking around in dripping wet clothes? Walking around in dripping wet shoes. No thank you, ma'am.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I think the whole consept of getting wet in southern California is totally different from getting wet in say New England, let alone Central Florida. I never got wet fully dressed. The adult equivalent is a wet tee shirt contest. I have no offense to kiddie splash areas. I just question the reasoning behind putting on in the world's most popular Theme Park. Again I say, I think it would be better suited at one of the resort pools or possibly one of WDW's water parks. Totally doesn't appeal to me at the MK. Why dedicate valuable real estate to kiddie play areas THERE, right in front of a train stop when A) there is a circus tent with an indoor kiddie play area just feet away; B) It could have been placed anywhere in the MK, if you absolutely wanted to place one there. Why not place it over between the kiddie car thing and Space Mountain where there is nothing except cardboard cutouts of playing cards? Here we are argueing over Princess meet and greets when Disney goes and plants a kiddie car wash where most everyone is going to be. Not to mention the fact that it's basically useless during the winter months.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Why dedicate valuable real estate to kiddie play areas THERE<< Because it's fun. No, really, that's the answer. It's fun and clearly a lot of people agree with me or else they wouldn't have built it. People enjoy the raft rides and Splash Mountain and other rides where you get wet. I do understand that you and Hans don't enjoy that, and that's why there are an assortment of things to choose that don't involve getting wet. But for parents with little kids (or people who are kids at heart), it's just fun.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Full disclosure: I've happily sat with my kids in the "splash zone" of the Shamu show at Sea World, too. Because it's fun.
Originally Posted By dshyates Hans, I think you have a bit too much California in you to "get" the FL attitude. Californians, because of their temperate climate, drees differently when attending theme parks. It is not uncommon to see people touring the parks in Sketchers, Jeans, and a Polo. Not what I would want to get wet in. FL park goers dress to get wet. Tevas, microfiber cargo shorts and a light shirt. Dry in 15 mins. Sweaty in 20.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>"When you were a kid, didn't you like to play with water outside of swimming pools?" Never with my clothes on. To this day I hate the squishy feeling of damp clothes stuck to my body. Eww.<< I also never liked getting wet while dressed as a kid. One of those classic childhood moments that I often bring up is when my parentd literally dragged me, crying and screaming, onto the rapids ride at Worlds of Fun. I wasn't afraid of it, I just really didn't want to get wet! Even now, I'm a little hesitant to ride things like Splash Mountain, where there's a chance I can get really wet, despite it being my favorite ride in MK. If I'm in just the right mood, I'll go on something that gets me soaked (Kali or GRR), but those times are few and far between. And it's not just since I got older and wiser.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Hans, I think you have a bit too much California in you to "get" the FL attitude. Californians, because of their temperate climate, drees differently when attending theme parks. It is not uncommon to see people touring the parks in Sketchers, Jeans, and a Polo. Not what I would want to get wet in.<< I think you meant me, not Hans, but I've never minded getting wet on rides and such, wearing jeans or whatever. It's not like I show up in a swimsuit. But now I know that some people really hate the idea of getting wet. I never saw it as a big deal, but it is apparently a real point of contention for some. I was merely trying to explain that for some of us, however, it's silly fun, and that's why water play areas are added to Disney parks. Just for fun.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Even now, I'm a little hesitant to ride things like Splash Mountain, where there's a chance I can get really wet, despite it being my favorite ride in MK." Ferret, I'm so adverse to walking around the parks dripping wet that I literally plan my rides on GRR so that I can head back to the hotel and change afterward and have lunch.
