Originally Posted By markedward disneywatcher, I think it's generally accepted that the full bookings at Disney World restaurants is NOT because of the quality of the food or the experience, but because Disney World resort guests get a good deal of dining plans as part of their total package. Apparently this is a bit of a sore spot with people who want to go to the restaurants because they like the place, rather than because they had to choose something to use up the meals on their plan. Comparing the situation with Disneyland's restaurants to Disney World's isn't a comment on the quality of the food or the experience, but rather on the smarts of Disney World vacation package creators.
Originally Posted By jonvn I had a plan like that when we went. We got sick of eating in the fancy places, and just wanted to get a hot dog off a cart. But, we had already basically paid for he restaurants, so that's where we ate.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <used to be trixie coming through the trap door and singing 'rainy days and mondays'.> This sentence made me laugh. And know that I'm totally just poking your eyes out gadzuux... It was actually Teddi Berra who was swinging on the swing in the 'Country Bear Jamboree.' Trixie was the larger bear who appeared on the right side of stage. Teddi Berra [swinging from the swing] sang 'Heart we did all that we could' in the original show, she sang 'Singin' in the Rain' in the Vacation Hoedown, and 'The Christmas Song [Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire]' in the Christmas special. Trixie sang 'Heart we did all that we could' in the original, 'Life's no picnic without you' for the Vacation Hoedown, and 'Hibernating Blues' [perhaps an original 'Christmas' song] in the Christmas show.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Rainy days and mondays / singin' in the rain - close enough. Trixie / Teddi - cagney /lacey - kate / allie - who can keep `em straight?
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I think it's funny that you guys actually know the names of the bears AND the songs they sang.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA That's funny too! In fact your post suggesting that it's funny is also funny! Can anyone else think of something funny?
Originally Posted By Westsider I think its funny that the Country Bear Christmas Special used to easily pull in hourly guest numbers of around 1,800, while Winnie The Pooh only gets about 900 guests per hour during the busiest times of day. That's hilarious.
Originally Posted By jonvn The xmas special was actually a good show. The rest of the year, the shows sat empty. Does anyone know who did all the voices of the bears?
Originally Posted By SuperDry ^^^ So funny it makes one want to cry. Another nail in the coffin of the school of thought of "we can do things on the cheap (even to an extreme extent) and the general public won't notice."
Originally Posted By jonvn The question is how many people per hour did the CBJ get when it was NOT running the xmas show...
Originally Posted By Westsider On hot days in July, around 1,500 per hour. On slow weekdays, 400 or 500 per hour. The thing people often don't realize is that the CBJ in its two-theater Disneyland set up was a monster people eater E Ticket. It had a operational capacity of around 2,500 an hour, which is more than Mansion. Even with the popular Christmas show we weren't maxing out the theaters to get 1,800 or 1,850 per hour. When both theaters were running and a 250 seat show was starting every 10 minutes, we would run out of people even when it was a busy day at Christmas. But the Christmas Special was the most popular version in the late 20th century, only because the Vacation Hoedown had grown tired and we never did bring back the original Jamboree show at Disneyland. Winnie The Pooh has an operational capacity of 1,100 an hour. On the busiest days we get a maximum of about 950 or 1,000 an hour. But that's only for two or three hours in the peak of the afternoon. At most Pooh will get a 15 minute wait on the busiest days. Once the sun goes down, or on anything moderately busy or less, Pooh is basically a walk on. We send out a lot of empty Beehicles at Pooh, and average about 600 or 700 per hour throughout the operating day. The Country Bears, even in their last few waning years when the show hadn't been refreshed since Reagan was in office, we were getting hundreds more per hour than Pooh gets three years after it opened.
Originally Posted By jonvn You know, they could have VERY EASILY fixed up the CBJ and made it a modern and up to date show that would have allowed for it to be a different show every single time it was played. You just randomize a few show itineraries, and randomize the songs within those itineraries. The show would be created on the fly, and you could have literally thousands of show combos. People would continue to go to that, as they would get a different show each time. It would have been a lot cheaper to do that than gut the stupid building, and put in a ride that is COMPLETELY out of place. But they don't seem to understand the idea of "smarter, not harder." So they spent tens of millions of dollars on a mistake.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I think the out of place isn't the biggest problem with Pooh. It's that it's so bland and sparce. Had it been on par with its cousin in Japan, it would have been a fitting companion with the cartoony Splash Mountain in Critter Country. When I rode Pooh again last week, it seemed even more sparce than I remembered.
Originally Posted By jonvn "I think the out of place isn't the biggest problem with Pooh. It's that it's so bland and sparce." You got your chocolate in my peanut butter. I think if they had put this exact same ride someplace in Fantasyland, it would have been considered a great addition. If they had put in a ride in the former Indian Village that had something to do with the area surrounding it, even if it were sparse, it would have been a good addition. It wouldn't need to be all that spectacular, as it would be enhanced by the things surrounding it and leading to it. It would be part of the story of the area it is in. If they had put in the Japanese version in Fantasyland (if it is as good as they say), it would have been an absolute knock out that would have driven attendance for a good two year period. If they had put something that well done in the former Bear Country area that was properly themed, it too would have been a great addition that would have driven attendance for a couple of years. Instead, they took the worst of all options. This is not the failing of one person or one manager. This is a failing of the corporation as a whole. I generally do not buy into the naming of names and pointing of fingers at individuals because I don't know who did what specifcally, nor why. So they screwed this up, in so many many ways. What they did is put something into an area that was out of place, and because it was out of place, it had to be able to stand up on its own as a fantastic experience that needed no other surrounding support to make the experience special. It's not. The ride comes across as pointless and weak not just because it does not have sufficient content, but also because it's simply disasociated from its surroundings. It simply is not in context, and the ride itself is not strong enough to overcome that.
Originally Posted By mstaft I never understood why they didnt just remove one theater- and make Pooh a two story dark ride like Alice.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "But they don't seem to understand the idea of "smarter, not harder." So they spent tens of millions of dollars on a mistake." How much you wanna bet they sell more merchandise now in the adjacent stores than they did when the Bear show was there? It's the Pooh merchandise tie-in that they were going for.
Originally Posted By jonvn "How much you wanna bet they sell more merchandise now in the adjacent stores than they did when the Bear show was there?" I bet they do sell more. But, let's ask this question: How much more merchandise COULD they have sold if they had either put this ride in Fantasyland, OR put something really good in where the bears were? They COULD have created an entirely new franchise by doing something great in that location. More lost potential for revenue. Throwing away dollars so you can get pennies.
Originally Posted By Park Hopper The line for the Pooh meet and greet is always far longer than the line for the ride. Personllay, I don't understand how people could wait a half hour for some guy in a costume to sign an autograph and pose for a photo, but it happens. I think the meet and greet inspires those merchandise sales just as effectivly as the ride does -- if not more so.
