10/13: Hello George & Starbucks

[ERIN92345]

i think the ShowPass idea is AWESOME!!

[Bruce Bergman]

Starbucks isn't the worst choice they could have made, though I'll have to depend on the opinions of others - I'm into coffee as an occasional jump-start, not an every day 'gotta have it'. Oh, and Starbucks already costs way too much, they don't need to go even higher inside the park just for the snob factor.

You want to do something useful, George K? Get another sponsorship setup and get the Egg House up and running again as a breakfast dining venue. There's already too much Merchandise and not enough Dining in the parks, and an ODV Turkey Leg is not Dining.

The Show Grille is still there, and the Kitchen space is the stockroom. The kitchen mechanical would have to be rebuilt and replumbed anyway, so that's not an excuse. Even the outside dining patio is still intact, though it should get expanded north a bit.

[jrh1985]

I Know how to solve WOC's Summer problem! RUN WOC LIKE FANTASMIC! with 2-3 showings a night with the park open untill 11 or 12AM! If indeed DEP/MSEP goes to DL next year, DCA will have more time to show WOC many times a night. To keep people from lineing up for WOC all day, could DCA have PPP runing later in the day or have it twice a day?

I don't know if I like the showpass idea. When my family goes to WDW, we like to take our time at our hotel in the morning and we don't get to a park untill 11:30 or noon. So, if we did that at DLR, would we not be able to view WOC from the viewing area if Showpass is already closed down? What if a local person wants to view WOC after work one night? We know how many people try to get into Magical at DL after DEP in DCA, could it be vice versa next year?


So, as of now WOC opens on SAT April 24, 2010. anyone know why not Fri the 23rd?

[SingingAngel7242]

is it a stupid question to ask if they will take starbucks cards?

[sir clinksalot]

Originally Posted by RetlawInMyBlood

Hello everyone! Long time Disney Fan and Former Cast Member, finally got around to registering.


Corporate logos were the norm in the 60's and 70's, so I see nothing wrong with Starbucks in DL. I hope the look and feel of the current MH. I like the old-time feel and the items for sale. I hope it does not become a Starbucks store with Starbucks logo items.

SP: I never seem to have an issue finding a spot, although it will be nice to have pass into the seating. As far as Fantasmic, I have always loved the show, but hated what it did to my favorite part of the Park at my favorite time of the day (evening hours with the great lighting). The set-up and huge waiting crowds ruins the show and look around ROA and NOS. I have wished that DL had a amphitheater setting for Fantasmic like DS in Florida.

Have a Magical Day!

First off, welcome to MiceChat!!! Glad you finally registered. And GREAT first post.

I'm sure the cups/logo's of Starbucks will be kept to a minimum and a "Disney'esque" Starbucks logo could actually sell pretty well. I know I'd get a Disneyfied Starbucks cup to take to the park with me.

As for the Fantasmic stuff, your not going to hear many complaints on that front around here. I agree with you 100%. I absolutely LOVE Fantasmic, but I also LOVE that area of the park when there is NO Fantasmic. Sitting by the river, or at Riverbelle, having a bowl of clam chowder, taking a night-ride on the Mark Twain, etc. Nothing else like it.

Originally Posted by Bruce Bergman

Starbucks isn't the worst choice they could have made, though I'll have to depend on the opinions of others - I'm into coffee as an occasional jump-start, not an every day 'gotta have it'. Oh, and Starbucks already costs way too much, they don't need to go even higher inside the park just for the snob factor.

Last Friday: Crappy Disneyland Coffee - $3.29
This Morning: Yummy Starbucks Coffee - $1.89 (and it was a bigger cup)

Granted, it will be more at Disneyland, but for a plain cup of coffee, I don't see it being higher than the current $3.00. It's the specialty stuff that costs you (even in Blue Ribbon Bakery).

What I wonder is if you will still get the free refills if you keep your receipt from the Market House.

[sir clinksalot]

Originally Posted by SingingAngel7242

is it a stupid question to ask if they will take starbucks cards?

I don't think it's a stupid question, but the answer will probably be no since it's on Disney property, will most likely be using Disney's system, which will most likely not recognize a Starbucks card. But I'm sure they will take Disney cards.

[KevinYee]

Originally Posted by jrh1985

I Know how to solve WOC's Summer problem! RUN WOC LIKE FANTASMIC! with 2-3 showings a night with the park open untill 11 or 12AM!

This, I feel, is the heart of the matter. TDA is desperately hoping for a guest-control solution to what is fundamentally a supply-and-demand issue.

The demand is enormous. The supply is limited because they only want to run one show. If they run 3 shows per night, that would mean having to extend park hours (or at least keep key parts of the park open).... and that means spending money.

It will be very interesting to see what happens. In general, the trend at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World has been to "optimize" operations - close down capacity but then run at 100% of what's left. This saves costs and only marginally raises wait times, etc.

FastPass is case in point. Before FastPass, Disneyland had a lot more operating capacity, but many rides have been closed since the early 90s (skyway, motorboat cruise, PeopleMover) at the same time that people are out in the walkways rather than in queues.

ShowPass is another attempt to optimize rather than actually meet demand. Like I said, it will be interesting to see if they correctly gauge this and schedule multiple shows, or if they will get some bloody noses first before they recognize the need to increase supply.

And yes, for goodness' sake, raise the AP price by a few hundred dollars. Or just craft some middle-ware ticket that is something between AP and one-day. Imagine a year-long twicket: you pay full one-day price and are eligible for discounts using that ticket for the next 365 days. Each new visit, you'd buy a one-day pass, but at a discount. Maybe the next visit costs 50% of the first visit, then 40%? You can't keep lowering the percentage, as that would encourage "too much" visitation, but surely there's a golden mean in there somewhere.

[gurgi]

The thing about Starbucks, and from what I can gather from Al's update, is that it's a sponsorship, not a retail location inside Disneyland. Starbucks will become what Nestle was, providing the coffee resort-wide. So, I doubt Disney would let them open an exact copy of a Starbucks store inside the Market House. I'm sure they would sell the drinks, but everything else will probably stay Disney, including the CM's. That's a positive sign right there, that Disney is keeping the staff in-house.

As for the lottery system in Tokyo allowing family to win, I think they do allow up to 4 people per "win", so they don't separate the families. I also know that they will allow all of your family members to enter (I mean how will they know you're related by just your ticket). So, potentially, everyone in your family could enter, and your chances of winning would be greater. I know of examples in Tokyo where people have won multiple times and given the tickets to friends so they could see the show.

[DisneyIPresume]

As far as Starbucks using their own cups I don't see a problem with that. Sunkist used their own cups so I don't see it as a huge deal if Starbucks used their own as well.

I guess the difference would be if it is going to be a Dianey run facility serving Starbucks coffee and products or if this is going to be owned and operated by Starbucks who would be leasing the space from Disney. If it is run by Disney I would expect to see Disney cups with perhaps a small Starbucks logo on it somewhere. This is pretty much how the Barnes and Noble Cafes operate. If on the other hand it is fully owned by Starbucks I don't have problem with them using their own cups.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by JerrodDRagon

Yeah, I guess they're is no far way to do this (unless you do a non AP night)...

I'm working this angle, in which every night is a non-AP night.

[Esdeebee]

Originally Posted by flynnibus

Think Fastpass... but instead of 'first come first serve', it's random if when you insert your ticket if you actually 'win' a pass. This is done until the passes run out. In Tokyo you can 'enter' once a day for a shot at winning a seat at one of the various showtimes.

Maybe someone's asked it already (I'm only on the second page of posts) but what if you're a family of 4 or 5? The first ticket wins, the second and third don't, the 4th does, the 5th doesn't? What do you do then? Or do they do something to prevent this sort of thing from happening?

Thanks...

[sir clinksalot]

I can't even imagine them not keeping DCA open later once WOC opens. What's the point then? IMO, they have created the overcrowding problem in Disneyland all on their own and they have nobody to blame but themselves.

Closing DCA (where all the alcohol is) at 8pm on a Saturday night during Gay Days is poor business planning. If anybody has seen DCA, you'd know that the park looks MUCH better at night than it does during the day.

Closing DCA at 6pm on a Friday night, during a MAJOR promotion when all AP's are open to come to the park and FORCING them all to come into Disneyland is ridiculous.

How about this,

1) If you want to keep DCA open for the same 10 hours once WOC opens, then open the park at noon instead of 10am. Keep the park open until 10pm instead of 8pm and you can have 2 shows per night (in the winter and spring). During the summer, keep the park open until midnight and you can have 3 shows per night. One at 9:00, one at 10:30 and one at 11:30. It works for Fantasmic, you can't tell me the turn-around for WOC wouldn't be just as quick.

This is the ONLY way you are going to meet the demand and keep Disneyland from being overcrowded at night.

2) STOP with the hub-centric fireworks shows. ENOUGH already. It was great for the 50th, but it's been too long now. Not only have you not lessened them, but the current Hallowishes show is the MOST hub-centric show the park has ever seen.

3) Pipe the soundtrack for the fireworks into the Esplanade AND DCA. I know of MANY people who would be happy to watch the fireworks from a less crowded DCA or Esplanade than have to deal with the Main Street crowds. (myself included)

4) STOP the payment plans, at least for the SoCal passes. Better yet, get rid of the SoCal passes entirely. When Disneyland only had Deluxe and Premium passes, you didn't have this problem. And this is when the Premium pass was only $250 and Deluxe was $199. Disneyland is a PRIVILEDGE, not a RIGHT.

[Bob Weaver]

It seems like corporate sponsorships in the past were simply relating the company to the theme of attraction, not the company providing its actual product or service right there.

United Airlines sponsored the Enchanted Tiki Room, but did not fly guests from there to Hawaii.

Monsanto sponsored House of the Future and Adventure thru Inner Space but you could not actually buy a jug of Round-Up there.

Bank of America sponsored "it's a small world" but did not actually change foreign currency into U.S. dollars during the ride.

Goodyear sponsored the PeopleMover but there was not a shop where you could pick up a tire or two.

Starbucks selling coffee in Disneyland seems to me to be not a sponsorship but merely a concession agreement.

[BassBone]

Originally Posted by Bob Weaver

It seems like corporate sponsorships in the past were simply relating the company to the theme of attraction, not the company providing its actual product or service right there.

United Airlines sponsored the Enchanted Tiki Room, but did not fly guests from there to Hawaii.

Monsanto sponsored House of the Future and Adventure thru Inner Space but you could not actually buy a jug of Round-Up there.

Bank of America sponsored "it's a small world" but did not actually change foreign currency into U.S. dollars during the ride.

Goodyear sponsored the PeopleMover but there was not a shop where you could pick up a tire or two.

Starbucks selling coffee in Disneyland seems to me to be not a sponsorship but merely a concession agreement.

But Carnation sponsored the ice cream shop and you could buy Carnation ice cream, the egg board sponsored the omelet shop, Sunkist sponsored a juice stand, the Wizard of Bras, etc...

[flynnibus]

Originally Posted by JerrodDRagon

Yeah, I guess they're is no far way to do this (unless you do a non AP night) because APers will always do what ever it takes to see the show. I wish Disney was smarter and made a 12,000 sat viewing area instead. Go big or dont go at all, Disney.

I think my lottery twist makes it fair and defuses the 'brute force' methods that AP die hards would use. It opens the field up for people who visit at all times of day, and with a sliding scale you can ensure you aren't necessarily denying people access. Basically the closer you get to the show time, the more likely you are to get a ticket if there is capacity left. There would spread out load.