Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt >>"Sounds like they've given up on the whole "Disneyland Resort" concept." How so?<< "Because it's WDW that gets all the promotion." No, it doesn't. Note that I said many of the ads I see are for the Disney Park brand, not one resort or the other. I also said that I see ads (both TV and billboard print) here for seasonal events and new attraction openings at DLR. WDW's attendance has been somewhat stagnant during the recession, so I assumed that was part of the explanation for the hyped up marketing push out here in California. "Don't get me wrong, I really like DLR more than WDW, but lately it really feels like its focusing more on the locals" It may feel that way, but the massive expansion and new attractions at DCA, the addition of DVC, and the top to bottom renovation of the Disneyland Hotel don't strike me as investments that are specifically designed to attract more locals, but rather they are an attempt to further define Disneyland as a multi-day destination.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<It may feel that way, but the massive expansion and new attractions at DCA, the addition of DVC, and the top to bottom renovation of the Disneyland Hotel don't strike me as investments that are specifically designed to attract more locals, but rather they are an attempt to further define Disneyland as a multi-day destination. >> I would hope once that is done you would see more national DL adds. But for the life of me I don't think I've ever seen a DL add.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt With all the rooms to fill at WDW why would Disney continuously run national ads for DLR?
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<With all the rooms to fill at WDW why would Disney continuously run national ads for DLR?>>> Why make DLR a more appealing vacation destination if you're not going to advertise that fact?
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>It may feel that way, but the massive expansion and new attractions at DCA, the addition of DVC, and the top to bottom renovation of the Disneyland Hotel don't strike me as investments that are specifically designed to attract more locals, but rather they are an attempt to further define Disneyland as a multi-day destination. << Here's hoping they get it right this time. Then again, selling APs to locals with monhly payments does sound like DLR remains a local "Resort"
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt <<With all the rooms to fill at WDW why would Disney continuously run national ads for DLR?>>> "Why make DLR a more appealing vacation destination if you're not going to advertise that fact?" "More appealing" is a subjective evaluation. Clearly WDW has the bigger investment and its marketing dollars are being spent accordingly.
Originally Posted By The Goofy One I can't really compare DL to WDW since I've only been to the latter(but going to the former in August). But it seems like you would need only a couple of days to go DL whereas WDW you could do plenty of other activities besides the four parks. You could go to a water park. Visit all the hotels. Golf one day. Take up some other physical activity.
Originally Posted By HMButler79 ""Jasmine in Morocco"" Actually, the One Thousand and One Arabian Nights is Persian, so Aladdin and Co are Persian/Iranian.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Actually, the One Thousand and One Arabian Nights is Persian, so Aladdin and Co are Persian/Iranian. >> Just looked it up ( since I thought it took place in Baghdad). Actually the story about "Aladdin" was added to One Thousand and One Arabian Nights in 1709 by a Frenchman, Antoine Galland. Aladdin was chinese and the story took place in China, if you want to be factually correct.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<My goodness, there are some uber-defensive people here. Methinks the truth really does hurt!>> It always does ... <<First of all, bear in mind, this is a writer for the WEEKLY. The newspaper distributed free at skateboard shops, tattoo parlors, and off-brand gas stations. (At least, that's where we get the OC Weekly out here, a tabloid that regularly assails the Disneyland Resort as a soulless corporate entity.)>> True ... but such tabloids often write some of the best stuff out there (not this piece obviously just because it isn't meant to be) since journalism has basically died in this country and people with agendas decide what and how they are going to cover. <<The writing is more than competent, and it is not just a WDW bashing piece. In fact, the thesis makes that clear: "Nothing better represents the subtle superiority of Los Angeles over Orlando, though, than Disneyland..." Subtle superiority. Yep. Four parks versus two? That's adequately addressed: "With four parks to Disneyland's two, on paper WDW has the edge in attractions..." And then goes on to say, "...but Disneyland packs more punch. " And then goes on to support the argument. (Which is one I wholeheartedly agree with.) Compact? More than just a code word for "smaller," it also addresses one of my major gripes with the Florida property. It's as poorly planned as any strip development in the country. And that's a shame, as Disney has had complete control over every aspect for over 40 years. There's just no excuse for spending about a quarter of one's free time during a vacation waiting for a bus or riding in a bus. Climate? More than agree. Orlando is... a torture chamber. I've vacationed there and worked there, and can't wait to get away every time. For a few hours every day it is quite, quite lovely. Then it's either oppressively hot, freezing cold (the whole family got sick over a five day trip last December), or time for the daily monsoon. Is it fair to compare something as subjective as the weather? Certainly.>> When I was standing in the sun in EPCOT today with temp likely close to 100 and humidity to boot, with no breeze, I would certainly say it's a very fair comparison. ... Now, Sunday is supposed to be high of 85, low of 61, which sounds California-like perfect. But been in O-Town for a few days (today was only park time) and the weather feels like July. Just not enjoyable at all. Maybe at Typhoon Lagoon it would be! <<Don't get me wrong. I love me a trip to WDW, or the DCL. (Oh! And IOA!) Aside from that, there's no real compelling reason to go to Central Florida. And this is especially true if one is from SoCal. I've said it before: travel 30 minutes in any direction from the Disneyland Resort, and you're somewhere worth the trip. The beach... the mountains... the cultural offerings of Los Angeles or San Diego... and so on. Travel 30 minutes in any direction from Walt Disney World and you're in a swamp. (Unless it's north, in which case you're in Orlando. Cheers!)>> Most swamps are gone ... you get hotels, fast food outlets, strip centers with lots of holes, etc.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<But Princess Tiana is from New Orleans, so starting from that premise, they did somehow manage to shoehorn in a connection.>> <<Right...but have you seen the rooms? They look like something out of Cinderella, not PATF.>> Who cares? (although you are right) My point is when did Disney's themed resorts that were supposed to transport you to other times and places instead become all about shilling the DISNEY BRAND and toons all the time? I want rooms that represent the old South and New Orleans and the bayou country etc ... I don't want a tooned up room. But I do realize I am the kind of guest that Disney wishes to be rid of as quickly as possible. Yet, I fully intend to be the last original charter APer still standing ... I can see them giving me a LE pin and a cake for my loyalty and $$$.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<My biggest disappointment with those room overlays isn't so much the fact that there is a character connection, but that it is a departure from offering a really themed environment at the resort instead of one which is only decorated to a theme. To me this really immersive theming which makes you believe that you are somewhere else is what makes the Disney resorts so special. And that means that the room should fit with the story of the resort. Anyone can make a pretty room with just placing all kind of princess stuff in it. It does not have to be in a Southern Mansion on a river where you check in at the riverboat company's ticket desk.>> THIS!!!
Originally Posted By TP2000 If you live east of the Rockies and want to see Disneyland TV commercials, YouTube is your friend. I do a lot of business travel up and down the West Coast and can confirm that Disneyland commercials can be seen on local stations throughout the year in the Bay Area, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver BC. They are even seen in Boise or Salt Lake or Phoenix! GASP, even Boise?! Yes, even Boise. From the past year or so... Disneyland's HalloweenTime TV commercial: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpbqSCJ8Hig" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...qSCJ8Hig</a> Disneyland's Christmas TV commercial: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SUI_ahHQGw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...I_ahHQGw</a> Disneyland's World of Color TV commercial: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fGOWbVDxD8&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...=related</a> Disneyland's Summer Nightastic TV Commercial: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Li1iz0vb08" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...1iz0vb08</a> In addition, Disneyland likes to do traveling marketing exhibits in all those western cities where they take big trucks and set up Disneyland displays in malls or downtown shopping plazas to tout the latest new ride or spectacular. Last summer they took it a step further by setting up a "road show" where they projected digital shows on famous West Coast cultural monuments, like San Francisco's Palace Of The Legion Of Honor, or San Diego's USS Midway aircraft carrier. Stunning! Judging from all the TV taping of the new Soundsational parade last week, there will be another big barrage of TV commercials for Disneyland in the same western markets this summer. As for weather, I spent a lot of my adult life moving around through over a dozen states in all regions of the country. And while there were some seasonal charms like the 4 or 5 weeks of autumn leaf season in New England or perhaps the month of April in South Carolina's Lowcountry, I generally couldn't wait to get back to SoCal. I'm here now, and I have no intention of ever moving again. Ever. I'll let the weekend weather forecast for Anaheim speak for itself; Thursday: Sunny, Precip. chance 0%, High 78 - Low 55 Friday: Sunny, Precip. chance 0%, High 73 - Low 54 Saturday: Sunny, Precip. chance 0%, High 78 - Low 55 Sunday: Sunny, Precip. chance 0%, High 80 - Low 57 And absolutely no humidity there, just soft coastal breezes in the evening. Yeah, I'm not moving again. You couldn't pay me. ;-)
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>True ... but such tabloids often write some of the best stuff out there (not this piece obviously just because it isn't meant to be) since journalism has basically died in this country and people with agendas decide what and how they are going to cover.<< Agreed. The University of Colorado has shut down its school of journalism and transfered some of the surviving journalism classes to another department. Of course the MSM doesn't need journalists anymore.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "But I do realize I am the kind of guest that Disney wishes to be rid of as quickly as possible" Just buy a Duffy and it will be all good again, covered in pixie dust.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "I generally couldn't wait to get back to SoCal. I'm here now, and I have no intention of ever moving again. Ever." YMMV. I suppose that if you are wealthy enough to live in the right neighborhood and don't have to drive far to work that SoCal living could be pleasant. I used to live in SoCal (north San Diego County) and to be honest I don't miss it. I don't miss the super high cost of living, especially for housing. I don't miss the horrible freeway traffic jams. I don't miss the 3rd world like neighborhoods, where people have bars on their windows. I don't miss the crime. I don't miss the smog. I don't miss the beaches (highly overrated with their frigid cold water and seaweed everwhere) And for the most part, I don't miss my former fellow Californians. The only thing I do miss is Disneyland. And that can be handled with an ocassional vacation.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Ehhhhh...I don't necessarily agree. Now, it definitely doesn't have as much around it as DL, there are things relatively close by I'd definitely recommend checking out, namely Clearwater Beach.<<< Space Center, St. Aug, Keys. That and Disney are the worthwhile things here. And the Everglades, too.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Aren't some of those things really far from WDW? It's around a 7 hour drive to the Keys from Orlando.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper The Space Center, St Augustine, St Pete/Clearwater are all within an hour and a half or so. The Keys would be quite the longer trip...and unless you are really an outdoor adventurer it isn't the best place for kids.
