Originally Posted By Mr X **You seem to think that Disney means pictures of Mickey everywhere.** Not at all. You have a very low opinion of me though (fair enough).
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, as a hotel snob and all that...I will offer this warning... (warning after comment) My comment is, I have already stated that if you want to compare "luxury vs. luxury", you could make a vaild point that Japan might not stack up that well. Reason being Japan has an extremely consistant "level of care" which might fall short on the high side, but works great overall. And, that's just if you don't appreciate the Japanese way of doing things (when I checked into the New Otani, I sure felt overwhelmed by all the door opening, the politeness, and the overall "bow effect"...so, I like it (fair enough that you do not). Now for the warning. I don't know you and I don't know what your finances are...but if you are in any way, shape or form invested in real estate, real estate stock investments, real estate derivatives or any other countless options...you might find yourself in a bit of a jam soon. Like, 72 hours soon. Maybe three weeks at most. Worldwide. And, if you have any sense at all, you'll look into this. Or else your "hotel snob" days will be over, and motel-6 will start looking like a very viable option. Watch out for the crash, bro.
Originally Posted By Mr X >>My point is where can you stay in an original Art Deco hotel?<< Miami, maybe? Anyway, Lee, it was a fun chat tonight...I didn't get a chance to reply to everything you wrote, but in many ways I think you get me wrong. Having said that, I don't imagine my replies would make all that much difference...obviously we just see things different ways. BUT, if was fun talking to you. If you survive the next week financially and they don't reposess your computer, I'm sure we'll have more interesting chats.
Originally Posted By Mr X OMG...I THINK Lee left the building without reading my warning. Too bad, so sad.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>>><<Mmmmmm love the Grand Californian!>> Don't blame you at all Dave. It really has the best of all worlds. The finest Disney restaurant bar none in Napa, the finest family restaurant in Storytellers, the finest fast snack place in Whitewater, the most relaxed and comfortable lobby of the lot, great pool, some wonderful views, private entrance to DCA and some of the best hospitality CMs in the Disney universe. You talk about flawless and I'll always point to the Grand. I've never had any issue at that place and I have probably spend 90+ days there over the past 7 years. Incredible. <<<<<< I have to say this is indeed my favorite hotel anywhere. As you know, we've had our share of hotel time (ok maybe not as international as often as Lee), but we have stayed in Del Coronado, Ritz Carlton, 4 Seasons, Waldorf, Burj al Arab, the Venician, the Bellagio etc. and the GCH is my favorite hotel anywhere for all those reasons. The restaurant choices, the views of the park or having banana French Toast on the Balcony as the monorail glides through the Brisa Courtyard. Swimming as the sun rises reflecting on Paradie Pier. Wonderful!!!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>Maybe the U.S. "style" makes sense, but have you ever BEEN anyplace in America besides Disney? The service in America, in general, totally SUCKS dude! At least, that has been my recent experience.<<< Stay away from Europe, I repeat STAY AWAY FROM EUROPE - service hear sucks more than an industrial vaccuum cleaner compared to the US (Disney and non). I have to say though, although I have not yet been to TDL, I found eastern service very "going through the motions" almost mechanistically whereas US service is personified. Different strokes.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>><<But go stay at a motel-6 sometime (I dare you!).>> I shudder at the thought. I'm happy to be a hotel snob. <<< Me too! I can cope in a functional hotel on business, but on vacation I want first class experiences.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan All I can say is that the service I've had at the MiraCosta was far beyond the service at any other Disney hotel. And I can't believe you would bring up the Grand Californian as a hotel with good service; the CMs there were rather snobby and unenthusiastic, especially regarding my requests.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan The MiraCosta is still by far my favorite Disney hotel, regardless of what leemac says. It may not be suited to some people's tastes, but it is to mine.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Wow, Lee. No, I didn't skip or miss any words at all... The MiraCosta TOTALLY feels "Disney" to me. I mean, ASIDE from the views (that's enough right there!), you've got the lobby with the whole DisneySea representation on the ceiling, the murals in the guest hallways depicting Pinnochio and the whole story and all that (AWESOME detail)...what more do you expect?>> Thank you
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan << The poster continues to hammer home his/her own opinions in an attempt to shout down others.>> Okay. I have never said that my opinion was the only one that matters and have always respected other peoples' opinions. Yes, I do try to argue my point- rather strongly sometimes. But I have never resorted to blatantly calling someone's opinion wrong. Everyone has their own point of view. Whether you like it or not, my opinion is just as important as your's or anybody else on this board. So please, don't think that your opinion is always the truth. It's not.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan And I would also like to kindly request you, leemac, to stop bringing up the past to support your statements. I know I have acted rather brass at times. I also admit that I have lost my temper at times. Doesn't everybody? I really am biting my tongue here in this thread. Please understand that I have nothing against your opinion; I simply have to argue for what I believe in. And while I'm at it, I would like to apologize for calling you out in the past as well. It would be nice if you did the same for me. I may be a bit stubborn, but I'm really quite a nice person.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<It is a literal and faithful recreation of a particular hotel in Italy. It works for many people. For me it doesn't. At least the Grand Floridian did employ some wonderful plussing that makes is fel Disney rather than just a Hotel del Coronado clone. All about opinion but there just isn't the wonder and whimsy in the MiraCosta for me. It feels overly stuffy and adult>> It's interesting that you describe the MiraCosta as being stuffy and adult; that's exactly how many people feel about the Grand Floridian and the Disneyland Hotels (California's exluded, of course). I think the MiraCosta feels more magical and "Disney" to me more than any other Disney hotel. I'm not the only one who feels this way either, as I know several people who share my opinion. <<The view just isn't critical. The private entrance to TDS is far more important to the average guests IMO.>> That's not true. If the view wasn't important, the cheapest rooms in the MiraCosta would sell out the fastest since all guests of the hotel are allowed to use the private entrance. On the contrary, it's the harbor view rooms that are booked the fastest, sometimes all booked 6 months in advance. So, the view is a major selling point for the MiraCosta. <<My main issue with the MC is that the orientation of the rooms is poor. VERY few rooms have panoramic views of the entire lagoon and volcano.>> There was a website with pictures taken of the views of all Porto Paradiso side rooms. The majority of the Porto Paradiso side rooms are classified as harbor view, and all of these rooms have panoramic views of the entire lagoon and Mount Prometheus. All the rooms I stayed in at the MiraCosta were harbor views. Like I've mentioned before, it's the piazza view rooms that offer slanted or incomplete views of the harbor or Mount Prometheus. The official wesbite clearly labels the different views, with harbor view being described as offering panoramic views of the harbor.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan To offer some proof, here are pictures taken from my harbor view rooms. Note that these are pictures taken at a straight angle, and not from a slant. This one was from a room on the right wing: <a href="http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/2162/s7000385ir5.jpg" target="_blank">http://img465.imageshack.us/im g465/2162/s7000385ir5.jpg</a> This one was taken from a room on the center wing: <a href="http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/7205/s7000610jm9.jpg" target="_blank">http://img357.imageshack.us/im g357/7205/s7000610jm9.jpg</a> And my third room offered the same view as the second picture. ALL the harbor view rooms offer views like this, so there's certainly a large number of them. I counted close to 100 rooms that offer harbor views (from superior rooms to suites), so about 20% of the MiraCosta's rooms offer panoramic views of the lagoon and Mount Prometheus.
Originally Posted By leemac Dude I'm not about to post ad naseum a description of every room I've stayed in at the MC. Suffice to say I guarantee it is significantly more than you. And a large majority of rooms I have stayed in do not have a comprehensive panoramic view for either Mythica or BraviSEAmo. Some do and some don't. I'm not about to engage in an analysis of every room. You point to "fact" about the rooms selling out. Of course they will. All of them do. It is a hugely popular resort with only one park hotel and another Disney-branded hotel. Heck the Ambassador sells out quicker on some dates than the MC. And the Ambassador has no decent views. Not one. It is about price point and amenities. When you have access to those rooms with harbor views of course you will select them (especially considering the non-harbor views are also so expensive it isn't a big step up to the views). For every person you can point to that say the MC is the best I can find another to say the GC is the best. Again another example of you trying to shout down someone else's opinion or twist opinion into fact.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan I didn't say my opinion was fact. I can understand if some people prefer Grand Californian, just as you probably understand some people prefer the MiraCosta. If the rooms you stayed in did not offer panoramic views, then they were not harbor view rooms.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan And again, I have offered proof backing up my statements. You, on other other hand, have not. I'm really not trying to say you're wrong, but surely you cannot dismiss what I've deduced? Both of the pictures I've shared show that the harbor view rooms do indeed offer panoramic views. I may not have stayed in as many rooms as you have, but I have seen pictures of all the Porto Paradiso side rooms. And having seen all the rooms, I can say that (of the harbor view rooms at least) they all offer similar views to the ones in the pictures; a panoramic view of the harbor. If they did not, they would be classified as a piazza view or partial view.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan By the way leemac, did you know Marc Borrelli? He was just as highly regarded as you on LaughingPlace for obvious reasons and was an even bigger admirer of the MiraCosta than me. I'm sure you must have seen his extensive review and pictorial of the MiraCosta several years back?
Originally Posted By leemac <<He was just as highly regarded as you on LaughingPlace for obvious reasons>> LOL. Not sure I would regard myself as "highly regarded" but thanks anyway! We don't actually know what happened to Marc. He did most of the TDS pre-opening coverage for the site but we lost contact and I know some people never received merchandise they ordered through his website. I don't believe any of us at LP know what happened to him. He certainly loved his photographic pictorials!
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<LOL. Not sure I would regard myself as "highly regarded" but thanks anyway! We don't actually know what happened to Marc. He did most of the TDS pre-opening coverage for the site but we lost contact and I know some people never received merchandise they ordered through his website. I don't believe any of us at LP know what happened to him. He certainly loved his photographic pictorials! >> Even though I disagree with you sometimes (or most of the time ), I still consider you a great source for information. And I do find it weird that he just suddenly disappeared; like you, he was also a great source for information regarding Disney. And we even shared many of the same opinions too, regarding DisneySea and the MiraCosta that is .
