Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<We all have to make sacrifices in this economy.>> Tell me about it. I am only going to have three WDW trips this year. >> Landscaping? Florida is a subtropical paradise where anything grows (Dave Barry, do I name drop and say I know he and Michelle personally? nah, was just on Craig Ferguson's show talking about our python problem ... as an aside, too bad you can't feed obnoxious fanbois too the pythons in the Glades and see if they'll 'splode from the fatties!)... << <<I saw a program about that on the history channel. I hear they like to crawl into upscale gated communities in southern Florida, while looking for free food. I meant to ask if you've ever bumped into one.>> Nope. But one day last spring I took a drive into the 'Glades and saw a huge dead one on the side of a canal. Don't know who or what did it in. We have a huge problem with many non-native species. IGuanas are all over the place. Not the little lizards that are natives and a few inches long. I'm talking the ones that your (the general YOUR) weird friends buy and then don't know what to do with. They look like mini-dinos and have taken over in an eco-system where they don't belong. Of course, we also have these beautiful little green parrots that squawk like crazy. They are remnants of a group that were blown out of Miami's MetroZoo after Hurricane Andrew and have exploded. We even have wild monkies from research labs that let them run wild in the Keys. This is PARADISE! ;-) <<I loved to read Dave Barry.>> He is an amazing writer -- and a very kewl dude (thankfully, he has no idea I post on Disney fan sites as I shudder to think what he might use that as inspiration for!) ... he also has just co-penned a Peter Pan retelling for the evil Mouse. His wife Michelle is a very talented sports writer in Miami.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> So, you like strict maintainance do you? Funny ... that's what Mrs. Pierce told me too! << <<I thought she told you I required a lot of maintenance because I broke down a bunch.>> She told me that too, but since it was about your 'performance' I felt I shouldn't be the one to mention it here ... but you opened the door, so ... >> BTW, hear about Shanghai yet? Brooks Barnes, who has no business writing for the NY Times, has a big story on the project. << <<What's wrong with Brooks Barnes?>> I think he's the child of privilege who writes off press releases. Not that I have any inside info about that ;-) <<Do you think he's a better match with the Wall Street Journal?>> Considering they're blatant shills for Big Business, sure ... why not? At least they don't lie about what they are. Unlike CNBC, which almost made me physically ill today as two of its (expletive-deleted) talking heads grilled someone who had the nerve to talk about the evils of WalMart. Some of their talking points: If I want a $35 DVD player, I'm glad WalMart is there ... and People love to work there. Do you see the lines of people filing out applications there? ... oh yeah .. and this pearl: So what if they buy almost all their stuff from China? Look at all the jobs they are providing for poor Chinese workers. YEAH, I AM SERIOUS. That's what six figure base salaries (with perqs that push them much higher) buys you on an alleged financial news network. They should just say 'We're mindless whores for Big Business' and at least be honest. <<I like Carny people.>> Yeah. Except of course when the whole 'backstory' is fabrication intended to craft a life lie of hardship, diverse experience and the feeling the individual might have actually earned his position rather being annointed with it. Again, not that I know anything ;-) >> Where's Leemac to weigh in? << <<I don't know. Let me try something. HEY LEEMAC, WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU!!!!!>> Possibilities: 1.) He's actually too busy with work/life to check in; 2.) He's keeping his mouth shut because whoever he still has to answer to at Disney doesn't want anything released; 3.) He's not really up with what is going on these days; 4.) He's on 'holiday'. Yeah ... one of those.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<What are your thoughts on President Obama?>> This isn't the place for that kind of question. So, the most I will say is he is the President of my country and I respect and support him, even if I don't agree with everything he is doing. That's it.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<The economy is never going to be completely back...>> You mean to the phony scam that it has been for the past few decades? <<With WDW offering substantial discounts just to get guests in the gates, any further enhancements to the parks will be a losing proposition...>> So, should Disney just stop investing? And Disney's business model in FLA is fundamentally flawed and damaging the brand long term. You can't cut quality all the time, raise prices all the time, nickel and dime all the time, discount like hell all the time to make certain 'money' numbers look good (like resort load levels, attendance etc) and ... oh yeah, tell people you're still the premium brand you always were.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<While the economy will never be back to the lie that was the Bush years, I'll offer to take the kindly Spirit to lunch at the Disney's Crossroads Hooters. >> Cheap, tacky, oh and the gals too ... yeah, sounds like I can add ya to the LONG LIST! <<By the way Disney is actually claiming The Crossroads (which they never did before the monorail ax.) When the EVIL left wing MEDIA set up shop at "The Crossroads" during the "incedent" they tolerated it. But a week later we got the memo that we were no longer welcome at "Disney's Crossroads". So now we have to set up our Live Shots on the "Western Way" entrance. It's like Disney believes that by not being able to set up at the crossroads the international media will simply ignore an employee being killed on Disney's Monorail system. Yeah, good luck with that!!!!>> I thought Disney no longer had any control of Crossroads. Didn't they sell it off in the massive land cash-in that started with Celebration?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<He posts there about once every other month. It's not nearly as common as it used to be. I truly miss his photo updates and news from the parks, but I'm alright without some of the attitude that came with it.>> I'd like to think I can more than cover for him in the 'tude dept! If not, lemme know ... I'll try harder.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think 'normalcy' will be here in 10-15 years...no sooner>> Sorry, I don't want to wait. No guarantees in life.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>>> exactly. That is why when EE and some of the folks at that other site start talking about all this new stuff to be announced I get very skeptical. Anyone with any business sense can tell you that based on Disney's actions there not going to be adding anything aside from whats announced. <<<< Yet we have Shanghai, and the expansions, and DL. *shrug* I'm skeptical, too...but I'm just going off what I was told.
Originally Posted By leobloom >>Dave Barry, do I name drop and say I know he and Michelle personally?>> Hey Spirit, do you know Carl Hiaasen, too?
Originally Posted By Bob Paris "Anybody who wants to ban children from WDW is top shelf in my opinion!" Where can I sign up for this petition?!?
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I wonder what/who else is buried on the ranch ... and I thought his ranch was in Midland? << Nope, it's in Crawford outside of Waco. <<We'll start the bidding at 25 Mickey Dollars.>> >> How about some old DCA postcards and a 1996 EPCOT guidemap? << I've already got the '96. Make it a '95, and you've got a deal. >> I do too. And he knows it. He just had enough and opted to leave. I feel that way about another site I post on often, but I hear some dude has my back there. He's da bomb! << Man it's tough over there. I've got some little 13 year old boy calling me names, and trying to strut his stuff. I've got some little GI Joe that thinks I'm going to be impressed because he saids he's a Marine, calling me a pansy. I noticed today some moron was speculating on your masculinity. All of this is your fault too! What a controversial topic you started. How dare you ask what's coming to WDW in 2010. It's also really kind of funny how Erika moderates your post, but allows all those little children over there to name call at will. I didn't start it back up again today with the children because it's turned into an interesting thread. I want to see where it leads.
Originally Posted By mousermerf I'm confused.. didn't someone just yell at me here for talking about the kids over there? Saying it was childish and low brow or something.. Were's that person? I demand equal berating for all.
Originally Posted By oc_dean <<74, you already started this same pointless, idiotic argument at WDWMagic. Button your lip and get a life, you ever-lasting pessimist!>> Hey Phil, do you ever post here when you aren't taking a shot at me? << After a few really hard swings from this guy ... I thought .. maybe he's Australian! Australians have one very wicked sense of humor. As I'm learning with life experience ........ Or Maybe DisPhillips is "dis"sing ... for not-so-good reasons?? One of the two! Anyway .......... >>Let's start a new week and a new month with a fun game. It's called 'is anything new coming to WDW in 2010?' Anything at all? (is that the sound of pins dropping?) << Oh, oh, ohhh .. can take a guess???? New Pin Trading Location!! Oh, geez, oh geez ... maybe new paint??? :O) ... oh, oh, oh ... maybe a 1 day rehab on Space Mountain that makes the wheels underneath squeak less????? :O) IS IT TRUE??? IS IT TRUE!????? OH .. AND STAR TOURS 2.0 IS JUST SO WONDERFUL .. IT'S BETTER THAN A NEW ATTRACTION FROM SCRATCH .... EVEN JUST AS EXCITING AS WESTERN RIVER EXPEDITION!!!! Give me a frikin' break! The Disney Co. is becoming "shrewder" with each passing year. If they can get away without putting attention into the parks, they will. I'm seeing it with my own eyes. And I just laugh at every single post .. on any subject .. when any poster tries to second guess Disney's finances. Playing Accounteneers .. like poor little Disney (the "mom and pop" operation can't afford to offer new attractions). Yet .. in a tough economic climate this country is facing ....... they buy Marvel for how much??? I don't even need to post the amount, you all know! OH ... what about ABC? Fox Family Network? go.com? You know .. this company AINT poor. If it's not priority .. forget it. That's all it comes down to! Priority!
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I'm confused.. didn't someone just yell at me here for talking about the kids over there? Saying it was childish and low brow or something.. << For one thing I never yelled at you. I chastised you after you condemned a whole web site. You questioned the character of it's owner, and the crediaility of some of the insiders at wdwmagic. Really good people even if you disagree with them. I'm talking about a couple of immature little children running wild over there. The only distressing thing is when a moron, and yes I do mean moron, injects homophobic tactics into the equation. That really has no business anywhere, much less on a disney site. All the name calling over there has come from them, not me. Wdwmagic is still a great site, with mostly great people. That's the same thing I've been saying all along. Now mousermerf can you honestly say you don't see any difference in what I posted, compared to what you posted. >> Were's that person? I demand equal berating for all. << I'm right here as always. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Berate all you want. I'm a big boy, I can take it.
Originally Posted By mousermerf I don't even know what argument you're having over there, but it does reek of pot/kettle/black. Just because have issues with different people doesn't suddenly make talking disparagingly about them any different. Steve banned me for calling him spineless. Has anyone ever wondered why I called him spineless? Or put two and two together? Maybe it's because at the same time his website started going to photo updates on the main page, his changing the vb code to hide images from unregistered users, and numerous other things to guarantee the advertising and paid aspects of his site - which was in direct competition with what I was providing for free and for all to see, despite the fact that I was bringing in hits to the forums. So much so that the UG offered me a position doing the same thing for their site to increase traffic numbers and which I previously did for Mouseplanet which is now a gohsttown since I left. So there's a lot more to all of those arguments then you've seen on the surface. And I'm pretty sure I can guess who's saying they're a marine - I got the same crap flung at me when was there. Mods did nothing about it then, they'll likely do nothing about it now. There may be good people on that site, but they're mislead about the sources of information, who's getting paid to provide what (and with what slant), and there is absolutely not "full disclosure" of who is working for whom.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 <<Agreed. When did WDW become all about brats? Hell, when I was a kid it sure wasn't.>>> IMHO, WDW is for the kid in all of us, I always revert to being 12 when I'm there.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 <<I'd like to think I can more than cover for him in the 'tude dept! If not, lemme know ... I'll try harder.>>> Please don't!!! TDLfan had some great pictures, and his reviews of anything new at the park was fair and very informative. But when his feathers got ruffled, he lost me. And I like and respect the current Spirit much better than the one of a couple years ago. But maybe I'm the one who's changed and not Spirit.
Originally Posted By Spyderman >>>>> exactly. That is why when EE and some of the folks at that other site start talking about all this new stuff to be announced I get very skeptical. Anyone with any business sense can tell you that based on Disney's actions there not going to be adding anything aside from whats announced. <<<< Yet we have Shanghai, and the expansions, and DL. *shrug* I'm skeptical, too...but I'm just going off what I was told. << Shang and Cali are totally different stories. The reason there so interested in building the shanghaig park (more focused on that then anything else at WDI infact) is because tehy want to quickly get in there and cash in on that up and coming middle class in China. At California there spending boatloads of money mainly because they have to otherwise DCA keeps underperforming and continues to hurt the bottomline. Plus it helps when you got pixar folks and imagineers constantly visiting Anahiem to check up on the place. I was mainly talking about WDW
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I don't even know what argument you're having over there, but it does reek of pot/kettle/black. Just because have issues with different people doesn't suddenly make talking disparagingly about them any different. << It's not an argument per say. It's just some people trying to disrail Spirits thread as always. I really don't get the pot calling the kettle black argument, but I do notice people use that phrase for lack of anything else to say. I used the word immature about a person. You use the word spineless. You really don't see a difference? >> Maybe it's because at the same time his website started going to photo updates on the main page, his changing the vb code to hide images from unregistered users, and numerous other things to guarantee the advertising and paid aspects of his site - which was in direct competition with what I was providing for free and for all to see, despite the fact that I was bringing in hits to the forums. So much so that the UG offered me a position doing the same thing for their site to increase traffic numbers and which I previously did for Mouseplanet which is now a gohsttown since I left. << I'm confused now. I still see pictorial updates from other people over there all the time. Also I wouldn't call Mouseplanet a ghost town without you presence. Like LP it is more about Disneyland, with a smaller following for WDW. The only thing that really matters is the quality of the people posting. That's why I think LP is a great site. If someone you a position to do what you had been doing for free, why are you so bitter. I just don't understand that. >> And I'm pretty sure I can guess who's saying they're a marine - I got the same crap flung at me when was there. Mods did nothing about it then, they'll likely do nothing about it now. << No, it's a new young boy posting on the site. I always love it when some kid likes to say something he thinks will impress people. They don't even realize how pathtic their efforts come across to others. I'm not concerned about the mods taking care of anything. I'm all grown up (well for the most part anyway), and can manage to take care of myself. I just don't want them closing discussions just because some people feel the need to silence what Spirit might have to say. >> Steve banned me for calling him spineless. Has anyone ever wondered why I called him spineless? Or put two and two together? << I don't really wonder why. I just know it was inappropriate. You could have sent a PM with the same message. However, you chose to grandstand it. You really did come off in a bad light to most people in that forum. It was really a shame, because as I said before, I always looked forward to your updates, and pictures.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> IMHO, WDW is for the kid in all of us, I always revert to being 12 when I'm there. << My wife saids I act like I'm 12 everyday
