Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom The economy is definateily coming into play. I was reading an article yesterday about how Americans gave up $67 Billion dollars US in vacation time in 2010. <a href="http://ruralcarriernews.blogspot.com/2011/05/americans-give-up-67-billion-worth-of.html" target="_blank">http://ruralcarriernews.blogsp...-of.html</a> More Americans are not going on vacation now.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I should probably add, that I'm actually on vacation this week. Normally I'm up in Chicago at this time each year. But, since finances are kinda tight, I'm spending the week up at my mountain house in western NC instead. I'm just working on getting my mountain house in shape for this summer.
Originally Posted By standor Americans don't have the security on their jobs as they used too. Before computers, a person worked on a job most of their life and then got a retirement and social security. Now most companies don't give a retirement and thanks to the republicans, social security might not be around. Salaries have been cut. Comanies frown on people taking off because of illness and they don't want them to take vacations. When they do take vacations, it is a working vacation. With electonics people are always on call. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO GO BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
Originally Posted By Fe Maiden <<I wonder if the economy is taking it's toll on this too KT-- I just started planning an unplanned WDW 4-5 days next month - less than 30 days out and I was able to get times at Boma and even Cali Grill. Couldn't get fireworks tie at Cali and Le Cellier was booked each day for lunch..but Prime Time/ Liberty tree / Crystal Palace / Via Napoli / Biergarten & Yak&Yeti were all available and booked.>> 4 days before I left for WDW my wife and mom, who was coming with us, decided they wanted to go to EPCOT to see the F&G festival on its last weekend. Of course being the planner I am, I thought for sure it was going to wreck all my careful planning. But I was able to get Tuto Italia at 6:30 that Saturday and move my orignal ADR for Whispering Canyon to 7:30 on Tuesday. And we were not on the dining plan. Three other times that week while we were waiting to be seated at LTT, the Wave, and Tokyo Dining someone came up to the desk to get a seat later in the day and all were accomodated. They weren't necessarily at the exact times they wanted but the seats were taken.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 yep- not on dining plan either and all this was available. A lot of people aren't going on vacation because they can't afford it. ( I really can't either but I'm tying it to an already booked volleyball national tournament one of us had to take my daughter to anyway) - and swapping driving for flying and using DVC poiint instead of paying for hotel- so it's a wash financially) - And those going are cutting way back on items I will be absolutely electronically linked to my job while there- I don't like it but it beats unemployment at my age. so thanks to DVC and my willing ness to spend 36 hours driving to and from- we get a mini vacation
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>""the idea that Mary Poppins or Goofy could casually stroll through the MK today is a fantasy."" It happens at the 4 other MKs, so please.....<< The point of the entire post is that the MK is a different situation. Crowds there are more aggressive where characters are concerned, and I believe that the proliferation of Meet 'n Greets is an appropriate response. In Disneyland guests interact with roaming characters without mobbing them. In Tokyo guests are good about forming "instant queues." I cannot comment on Paris or Hong Kong, as I haven't been seen enough anecdotal information.
Originally Posted By LadyandtheTramp Living in Florida an hour away from the World, we typically make our dining reservations in the morning as we're getting ready to leave for the parks. On Saturdays and Sundays. Granted these are for lunch, but without fail we've been able to get same-day dining reservations (for 2 people) usually at the time we want and at the park we want. Most times Le Cellier is booked, but last month we went 3 times in successive weekend just because we could. About the only other problem is at AK, where there is only one true sitdown restaurant - Yak & Yeti, which doesn't take the Tables card and thus is at the bottom of our list. But last Friday, even with the opening of Star Tours and the beginning of Star Tours weekends, we got a 11:50 dining reservation at Brown Derby by booking online at 9:00 am. that morning.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> yep- not on dining plan either and all this was available. A lot of people aren't going on vacation because they can't afford it. ( I really can't either but I'm tying it to an already booked volleyball national tournament one of us had to take my daughter to anyway) - and swapping driving for flying and using DVC poiint instead of paying for hotel- so it's a wash financially) - And those going are cutting way back on items I will be absolutely electronically linked to my job while there- I don't like it but it beats unemployment at my age. so thanks to DVC and my willing ness to spend 36 hours driving to and from- we get a mini vacation << Good luck to your daughters team, and good luck to you on your Star Tours quest!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 thanks Pierce- We are meeting with several schools at the tourney to try and lock down offers to play also- so there is some business involved...and Star Tours wise-- I figure 4-5 rides across the 4 days should cover it - LOL ! I am hoping it shortens the FP run at Toy Story Mania
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I am hoping it shortens the FP run at Toy Story Mania << I really have my doubts that it will. I think it definitely will shorten them at ToT, and RNRC. Only 4 or 5 times? I would be out to break Doobie's record at least.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> TSM was over 100 today. Blech << When you compare loading capacity per hour I wonder how that stacks up against all the other top rides at WDW? I wonder if LeeMac has a formula for length of queue relative to ridership per hour, cost of hourly operation, and maintenance for all of the existing attractions?
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost God him/herself, couldn't make a theme park attraction that I would intentionally spend 100 minutes in line to see. Luckily, he/she probably wouldn't even try.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>God him/herself, couldn't make a theme park attraction that I would intentionally spend 100 minutes in line to see. Luckily, he/she probably wouldn't even try.<<<< Same here.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<When you compare loading capacity per hour I wonder how that stacks up against all the other top rides at WDW?>> TSM's capacity is DREADFUL. I don't remember the actual number, but it isn't a pretty one. <<God him/herself, couldn't make a theme park attraction that I would intentionally spend 100 minutes in line to see. Luckily, he/she probably wouldn't even try.>> I would never do it, but there are queues that I could see myself dealing with that kind of wait. Forbidden Journey, Spider-man, Mummy, Everest, Indiana Jones Adventure, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, etc. <<And what was the wait for Star Tours?>> 60 was the longest posted I saw.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>I agree that it is a shame that there are times a person is unable to get a reservation at a restaurant in the hotel where they are staying. On the other hand, I don't know that reservations are as difficult to obtain as some people claim. If I wanted to eat at the World Showcase tonight I could have had reservations at: Akershus Biergarten Bistro de Paris Chefs de France Nine Dragons Marrakesh Teppan Eddo Tokyo<< That is fantastic for now, but I can tell you first hand, when we were on the dining plan, one day my kids were not very well and my MIL was a pain in the rear. She insisted we try feeding the kids and ended up eating at Columbia Harbour House at the "wrong time" to accomodate our Ohana reservations. She would not eat any of the other smaller snacks on offer around the park because she is so fussy. So I went to city hall to see if we could reschedule. I got an apology that ALL the table service restaurants of the MK and the MK resorts - Grand, Poly, Contemp and Wilderness Lodge were fully booked until at least 9:30pm (it was about 3:30 at this point) and that for the next 7 days of our vacation, Ohana had no tables. We were gutted.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>Absolutely hit Mara! It has an abreviated menu of what is found in Boma.<<< Agreed, one of the very best counter services in the Disney global kingdom. Good cast members, good food (including the african stews, spiced meats etc.), topping bars for your food. And a lovely location. I will admit, as much as we were disappointed with AKL, the restaurants were excellent.
