Originally Posted By SuperDry And still others such as me might prefer to stay at the MiraCosta even when free rooms are available for the taking at the Sheraton nearby, just because they think the experience of the MiraCosta is worth it. I guess I need to go back to freeloading school, as I don't think I have it down quite right yet
Originally Posted By TP2000 Hmm... somehow the thought of taking the monorail all the way around the Resort back to the MiraCosta after spending post-park time in Ikspiari doesn't do it. If it was set up like Anaheim's Downtown Disney, where the mall and restaurants are literally a 60 second stroll from the lobby of the Grand Californian, I could maybe get that. But Ikspiari is quite a way from the MiraCosta, and the monorail commute at night doesn't sound like an adequate solution. How late does Ikspiari stay open? Past 10:00pm? When I wandered through there last year, I got the feel it was a typical mall type place that closes at 9:00pm or so. In fact, Ikspiari was the least impressive part of my visit to Tokyo Disney Resort. The mall just seemed a little.... I don't know.... bland? And the few floors I explored seemed cramped and uninspiring. The Disney Store was neat, but that was sort of the highlight there. It seemed to me OLC could have done something nicer, more luxurious, more exotic, more pleasing to the eye than what I discovered in Ikspiari. But does it really stay open late, like Midnight, as Anaheim's Downtown Disney does? I'm a night owl, and the 10:00pm park closing time in Tokyo comes a bit too early for me and I would love to go somewhere and do some shopping or have a late bite to eat or a drink. Maybe even dance or party a bit? Anyone have any experience with shopping/eating/fun at Ikspiari after 10:00pm on weekdays?
Originally Posted By leemac It is stated as being open until 11pm. There is a decent mall just one stop away on the transit which has some decent restaurants and is generally open later.
Originally Posted By Mr X Yes, Shin-Urayasu station (as Lee mentioned) is the closest "zone" to Disney for a cool hang. Most cast members (foreign and domestic) hang there "after hours" as well. Of course, there is a lot more to see and do if you take the train into Tokyo, but just be sure not to miss that dreaded "last train" of the evening! (usually around 12:30-1:00) As for the monorail "commute", I'd buy that if you were heading to the Sheraton or another hotel "out back"...but the Mira Costa? It's a freakin 7 minute walk from the station (at a SLOW pace!). Which, by the way, is faster than taking the monorail in general. What's with the laziness here!? The resort is NOT that big (it ain't WDW, folks!). You can walk from any point "A" to any point "B" within a few short minutes. EVEN the "far away" hotels in the back are a 10-12 minute walk through the parking lots or down the road, though there are buses from the station, TDS, and TDL as well (not to mention buses to the Mira Costa as well...I don't know why ANYONE pays 2 bucks for the Monorail, except just for the sake of taking a ride on it). I'll never forget someone who wrote on here talking about taking a taxi from the station to the AMBASSADOR! lol. The guy paid 7 bucks for the sake of skipping a 4 minute stroll, for pete's sake. In fairness, he didn't really "know" how far away the hotel was, but still the cab driver should have clued him in or SOMTHING! Oh well.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I am sure others would feel differently about the Miracosta if they could add milage to their airline frequent flyer accounts by staying there.*** ***I guess I need to go back to freeloading school, as I don't think I have it down quite right yet *** Jeez, will you kids get OFF it already! We already KNOW that SD is a freeloader who likes frequent flier miles wherever he can get them, and TDLFAN is a freeloader who loves to charge into the parks "rent free" in order to harass the custodial cast members and tell everyone back home how much better TDR is... SD, next time, how 'bout you stay at the Mira Costa and give ME your freeloaded room at the Sheraton for a big party hang...(you're invited, of course)?
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi Speaking of Custodial... Now guests can PAY for their kids to have the "honor" of cleaning the Parks with the new "Custodial Kids" program. Hahahaha! -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By Mr X I SAW that!! Unbelievable! It was on T.V.!! I wanted to tape it somehow and show it to the LP folks! lol. By the way, how's it going, MN? Hope you are well! Did you have a chance to see the new (old) KB yet?
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Hey, nothing like getting paid labor, right? Why hire anbody when you could get child labor for a profit, LOL!! That's incredible! I'd LOVE to see them try that in the States!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>Now guests can PAY for their kids to have the "honor" of cleaning the Parks with the new "Custodial Kids" program. Hahahaha!<< God, WDW could benefit from such an innovative program. Or maybe not. I can't believe one frumpy american brat would lower him/herself to do this during vacation time, much less at their own house. >>TDLFAN is a freeloader who loves to charge into the parks "rent free" in order to harass the custodial cast members and tell everyone back home how much better TDR is...<< Which it is better... and SuperDry should know since he *also* has free rent at TDR with his AP. I guess that makes him twice a freeloader.
Originally Posted By TP2000 I'm not opposed to walking at all. Although, I wouldn't really walk from the Hilton to Disneyland just because it's kind of a drab, boring walk past parking lots. I guess I remembered Ikspiari being further removed from DisneySea/MiraCosta, and I don't recall seeing any sort of walkways between the two properties. My other problem, now that I've looked at my Ikspiari brochures and pictures again, is that there isn't a whole lot there that intrigues me. Plus, it's not very pretty to look at. I'll probably poke around through it one morning again, but I doubt we'll plan to spend an evening there. I really think the Downtown Disney section was the most successful part of the Anaheim expansion of 1998-2001. It's stylish, but not overly trendy or gaudy, and it has a really nice collection of restaurants and stores to suit tourists and locals alike. Plus, it's a manageable size and is easily accessed from both the GCH and the Disneyland Hotel. The WDW version of Downtown Disney seems too garish and tacky and low class, and it's always filled with these giant tourists from No Neck, Ohio who stare in amazement at the exotic "We Don't Have That In Columbus!" offerings like the sushi bar or the themed light fixtures. That's not my idea of a vacation environment. I can get that slightly trashy and tacky environment at The Block at Orange right here at home. Downtown Disney in Anaheim struck a perfect balance with some really good, unique restaurants, a nice collection of fun stores, and a harmonious design that ties in to the surroundings but doesn't overpower it. I guesss I'm spoiled, but I was expecting the same thing of Ikspiari, but didn't really find it. I think I'll stay at the Tokyo Bay Hilton again and be very happy there. A couple of good restaurants, a stylish nightclub to have late drinks in, and now a full-fledged Starbucks off the lobby to start my day.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>The WDW version of Downtown Disney seems too garish and tacky and low class, and it's always filled with these giant tourists from No Neck, Ohio who stare in amazement at the exotic "We Don't Have That In Columbus!" offerings like the sushi bar or the themed light fixtures. That's not my idea of a vacation environment. I can get that slightly trashy and tacky environment at The Block at Orange right here at home.<< Hahahaha!! I *dare* you to post this paragraph in *any* of the WDW topic here on LP, because everytime I have made the very same comments you just made, I get attacked from all angles. Up to that challenged? Also, NO, there is no walkway attached from TDS/Miracosta to Ikspiari, but you can walk it in 10 mintues or less on a lovely sidewalk. Besides, I would not care to spend the evening in Ikspiari either... just not much else but shopping to do there. Many employees have got to be out of there by no later than 10pm so they can get home on time before the trains shut down for the evening. And YES, DL's DTD district is the best of them all... veyr classy for a theme park joint.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Which it is better... and SuperDry should know since he *also* has free rent at TDR with his AP. I guess that makes him twice a freeloader. >>> So, if I got "free" airfare, hotel, and park entrance, would that be the triple play of freeloading?
Originally Posted By SuperDry I don't think I've ever done all three at once. But of course, I put "free" in quotes on purpose: I don't think entering the park for "free" on a $600 AP that I paid for is freeloading any more than someone using the benefits of a loyalty program that promises certain benefits for brining income-producing business to a travel provider. But just for you, I might just have to attempt a triple-play sometime soon.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Changing your tune now Mr. Dry? I don't concider using my $600 AP at TDR "freeloading" as much as I am freeloading WDW on their $300 AP since they offer a lower quality when compared to TDR. But then again, we both paid for the benefit of unlimited park visits for a year. In the airline business... I totally disagree with "free travel" based on milage earned. Giving away the product for free is not good business practice and hurts the bottom line. I oppose that aspect of "freeloading" in my business. Your earned mileage earned on air travel should only give you free upgrades to the next higher class of service or at least a dollar per mile discount on the highest fares available. But getting/requesting free upgrades and getting them when you are already traveling on a free ticket, it's not only freeloading at it's best, it's robbery. And every day I happen to be at work I see many of you who do just that and have this diluted sense of entitlement, just because you think you deserve it by sticking to doing business with just one company. But again... I do not concider using my pass at TDR "freeloading" because other than being able to use my AP for what it is intended for (unlimited and NOT guarrantied) entrance into both parks for a year, we get NO OTHER PERKS of any kind. And you know that. However it was YOU who called me a freeloader for using my pass, so I guess that makes two of us then... Let me refresh your mind.. Post #67 here, <a href="http://mb.laughingplace.com/default.asp?WCI=MsgBoard&WCE=T-77259-P-7&Refresh=0718173213" target="_blank">http://mb.laughingplace.com/de fault.asp?WCI=MsgBoard&WCE=T-77259-P-7&Refresh=0718173213</a> ..so as you can see, you are now contradicting yourself on your post above this one.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Oh, one more thing... >>I don't think entering the park for "free" on a $600 AP that I paid for is freeloading any more than someone using the benefits of a loyalty program that promises certain benefits for brining income-producing business to a travel provider.<< If you were paying fares comparable to those necesary to pay for the cost of providing you the service, then I'd believe you, but you and everyone else will search and pay for the lowest fare available and still get the freeloading miles and other underserving perks. Income-producing my A....!!! Lucky for you airline management is willing to roll over and play clueless so you can go on believing such myths, while sticking it to US, the ones who have to provide you service with a smile, which I do quite well, thank you very much.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< But again... I do not concider using my pass at TDR "freeloading" because other than being able to use my AP for what it is intended for (unlimited and NOT guarrantied) entrance into both parks for a year, we get NO OTHER PERKS of any kind. And you know that. However it was YOU who called me a freeloader for using my pass, so I guess that makes two of us then... Let me refresh your mind.. Post #67 here, <a href="http://mb.laughingplace.com/de" target="_blank">http://mb.laughingplace.com/de</a> fault.asp?WCI=MsgBoard&WCE=T-77259-P-7&Refresh=0718173213 ..so as you can see, you are now contradicting yourself on your post above this one. >>> I'm surprised that you misinterpreted my post that you quote above. I'm starting to take after one of the Wise Ones on LP and don't always put a smiley in when I'm not being serious. The point of my post that you quote was to apply your logic that you were using on my situation to your own. By pointing out the disconnect, I hoped to show that I don't think you were freeloading on your AP any more than I think that an airline passenger or hotel guest that takes advantage of the published benefits of a loyalty program is freeloading. BTW, you have mail.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Actually, I don't. I have many of you on my "blocked" list to avoid hate mail.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Actually, I don't. I have many of you on my "blocked" list to avoid hate mail. >>> When have *I* ever sent you hate mail? I'm curious as to what you must get from others to cause you to want to block any mail at all. Anyway, I guess this explains why you never responded to a message I sent you last month. Now I'm really starting to worry about you. You call people names and then act surprised when there's pushback. I had much more to say in the original thread but decided to drop it, even letting you have the last word. Yet you've brought it up in at least two other unrelated threads. I've resisted the temptation to post snippy responses. Now we find out that you've walled yourself off from receiving email from some undefined list of people.
