Originally Posted By davewasbaloo That's the beauty of Epcot - if I want aquariums - check; greenhouses - check; movies - check; live entertainment - check; Disney signature attractions - check; simulators - check; education - check; good food - check, Check, CHECK; shopping experiences as an attractions - check; cultural experiences - check; fireworks -check; laid back vibe not predicated on thrills or toons (back in the good old days). Feels cosmopolitain like a city (a real city - NY, London, Paris) without all the ickies of one Epcot and DAK are the only reasons to go to WDW IMHO. They have a great mix of edutainment, much of which is hard to find elsewhere in such abundance. Disney used to be reknowned for this before everyone became so stupid!
Originally Posted By nbodyhome Dave - I preferred the old Living Seas. I expect they could have done something to restore it without all the kiddie stuff, but they weren't. I thought LS was going to end up shuttered, but WOL did.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I am sad about both. It would have surprised me if the shuttered LS because of the huge value of the tanks and stock. then again maintenance is huge. My kids loved the new dark ride, as well as Crush, but I was so disappointed. I do wonder if we will ever see Disney invest in an all out edutainment extravaganza for the family again. LMA and EE are the closest maybe, but I really do miss the edutainment factor of what made disney unique. Now I cannot help but feel they keep lowering the bar while others raise it. I honsetly find it all rather depressing. Like finding out Santa Clause doesn't exist, or your hero has faults. Maybe I am just finally growing up?
Originally Posted By nbodyhome LMA? Disney still has a lot to offer for education (and entertainment) purposes, a lot of it is in AK. But Disney unfortunately is very big into marketing segments now. Certain attractions are aimed at certain groups, which I think just misses the boat entirely. It's the difference between Poohs Playground at the MK and the Boneyard at Dinoland. Pooh has nothing for anyone over 3 or 4. The Boneyard is great for families, and I had a fun time running around myself. You can have family-aimed attractions which appeal to little ones AND adults. I think the Living Seas is aiming too low.
Originally Posted By Mr X **Ok remind me to ignore X's recommendations on places to go.** Check. <==off to erase list of awesome stuff to see in Tokyo for Baloo family.
Originally Posted By Mr X **my kids loved the new dark ride, as well as Crush, but I was so disappointed.** Maybe that's the whole POINT, Dave. The child in my lived the dark ride and crush though, all the more-so because my kid absolutely ADORED it. And I can't say I was all that captivated with the place pre-change...if I want fish, I can go to SeaWorld.
Originally Posted By Mr X Besides, Dave, can you really say the dark ride was "better", before? I sure don't think so!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I am just a bit bitter again. I'm off sick with flu, and I am fed up of the dumbing down of the Disney product. It really eats at me as I always held Disney up as being THE best. They still are, but by a much smaller margin.
Originally Posted By nbodyhome Dave - I'm sorry about being sick, I hope you feel better. I agree with you. If they were going to do a dark ride, they could have made it so much better (and appealed to a wider audience). I was very disappointed myself in Nemo. Crush isn't bad to me, it's just really annoying after one or two "dudes". I can't take that much surfer speak.
Originally Posted By mickeyboy43 I dont like crush at all. And i thought that Nemo was just a chance to showcase another Disney Toon. The whole pavilion needs a good scrubbing, etc. Last time i went, 2 escalators were down and the fish tanks were grungy. I mean...
Originally Posted By Bob Paris "Epcot and DAK are the only reasons to go to WDW IMHO" We think the same Dave. They were our two favourite Disney parks in Florida. MK was just an oversized plastic version of DL. All the colours seemed a little bit too bright and many buildings were in the wrong places. Not having an Indy and a PotC that was about a third too short detracted majorly as well. As for MGM(whatever), the less said the better. The place is just a half assed mess. You can even see, twenty years after it was built that it was ONLY EVER designed as a stop gap park to try to lure in the USF crowd. As such it does a pathetic job and got its own mission statement muddled anyway. Pretty much the worst Disney Stateside park before DCA.
Originally Posted By DisDream I think that all of the Disney World parks are great. DHS will have its day. DW isn't the number 1 tourist destination in the world for nothing.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >> DW isn't the number 1 tourist destination in the world for nothing.<< Yep all that marketing works a treat, to the point where European visitors only know that DLP and WDW exist, and people like bloona have never been to DLP even though it is much better than the MK!
Originally Posted By bean It also helps that the MK's numbers are patted by management to make sure the park in the biggest property owned by Disney is still consider #1. I agree with many of you that DAK and Epcot is what makes WDW a place to visit. I also agree that Epcot should had been the park to try and keep character attractions out of its roster. I did not mind that Donald and jose took over the Mexico pavilions attraction but i did dislike that they became so prominent. Instead i would had considered expanding the show room and make a "Sinbad style ride" but with the history of Mexico from the Mayans and Aztecs to the present. Something that showed the many beautiful locations of the country and its very interesting History. The Imagination Pavilion has been one of the worst hit attractions. Its ride length and its interactive areas destroyed by previous management. Its a shame that this huge pavilions only use portions of its available space.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle >>European visitors only know that DLP and WDW exist<< Isn't it funny how they change their marketing styles to suit different audiences, here in Australia practically no one knows WDW exists! We get ad campaigns for Disneyland but never anything for WDW. "Win a trip" promotions are ALWAYS to DLR, never WDW. When you say to someone "I'm going to Disneyland" they know straight off that it's in California, but say "I'm going to Disney World" and the answer is "oh, where's that one?" I'd say it's because it's a further 5 hour flight away - when you've travelled 14 hours to get to LA the last thing you want is another 5 hour flight. Trust me, I know, I did it!
Originally Posted By nbodyhome >> Yep all that marketing works a treat, to the point where European visitors only know that DLP and WDW exist, and people like bloona have never been to DLP even though it is much better than the MK! << Most UK people I know do (who have been to both) prefer the WDW parks. I think the DLP main park blows ours out of the water, though. Denise
Originally Posted By jonvn "I did not mind that Donald and jose took over the Mexico pavilions " But Bean, Jose is not even Mexican. It's actually rather insulting to both Mexico and Brazil. "Instead i would had considered expanding the show room and make a "Sinbad style ride" but with the history of Mexico from the Mayans and Aztecs to the present." Yes, that would be perfect, and it can be very entertaining.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris "here in Australia practically no one knows WDW exists! We get ad campaigns for Disneyland but never anything for WDW. "Win a trip" promotions are ALWAYS to DLR, never WDW" The even funnier thing is, whenever a magazine or travel show has "Win a trip to DL", they ALWAYS show Cinderella's castle from WDW because it is so much bigger and beautiful. I would feel very much ripped off if I knew nothing about DL and was expecting to see THAT castle. I heard a story from a friend's idiot family members who recently did a world trip but went the WRONG WAY AROUND. they arrived in Florida first and went to DL second. They said they were SO disappointed with DL in comparison to WDW. Their main gripe? The castle was so much smaller in CA. Some people just don't come to the experts first for advice and then pay the price! Oh and PS, these idiots also ONLY WENT TO MGM AND THE MK WHEN IN FLORIDA!!!!! I was like, "What did you think of Epcot and DAK?" When they told me they didn't even go to those parks I just thought, "Stupid amateurs!" GRRRRRRR......Now I'm angry!!!!!!!
Originally Posted By jonvn Yes, you should be angry over this. Very angry. If I were you, I'd climb a clock tower with a sniper rifle. It seems the only reasonable thing to do. Show the world how angry you really are. Maybe then people will finally learn to go to the proper Disney theme parks.
