8/22: The Party's Over

[MickeyMania]

First of all, I find it amusing that you call it the DLR project. After 51 years I think it's pretty firmly established wouldn't you say?

I'm talking about the expansion, which is still an ongoing project.

Anyway,if you are going to take that attitude then allow me to remind you that many of the guests at Disneyland are from Australia, New Zealand and Japan which last time a checked qualified as tourists. The hotels at the resort have recently been at high capacity and just regional guests wouldn't fork over the money to stay over night.

I'm not saying that nobody but locals are coming. What I am saying is that it's becoming less unique in the face of competition. Whereas some people have difficulty thinking of anything related to Florida other than Disney, DL is more and more becoming a part of a larger Southern California vacation. Plans that include Knotts, Legoland, other LA attractions, not so much Magic Mountain of course.

He doesn't understand the needs of the Disneyland property the main one is variety and freshness. Since the majority of guests are locals there needs to be new draws often so the experience doesn't get stale, this also applies to the entertainment not just attractions.

DL is due for an E-Ticket real soon now, but the fact that the park is relying so heavily on seeing the same guests over and over again, who become "tired" of attractions because their close proximity allows them to go to Disneyland so much, that is part of the problem. That is what will quickly cheapen the resort into something concerned more with bringing in the next quick-fix attraction to keep the locals entertained rather than building the elegant, elaborate rides we saw in the 70s.

Don't play poo-poo on Disneyland, besides we all know WDW isn't the shining jewel in the crown of the Parks and Resorts division (though Rasulo wishes it was). The original Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney's Disneyland will always reign supreme.

Baloney. FL has been the flagship for decades, and right now that's a bad thing because it's not in nearly the condition it ought to be to wear that title.

Personally, I don't MIND the MK as it is, but I will see where people can dream for improvements, since the other cities do each aspect bettter. Tokyo has better service, Paris is prettier, Anaheim has a stellar attractions lineup. When you consider that the MK is the center of the Disney theme park universe (no matter how much you want to talk about where Walt walked), it seems depressing that it's not a superior park in any aspect.

[Jackdack]

I'm talking about the expansion, which is still an ongoing project.

I'm not saying that nobody but locals are coming. What I am saying is that it's becoming less unique in the face of competition. Whereas some people have difficulty thinking of anything related to Florida other than Disney, DL is more and more becoming a part of a larger Southern California vacation. Plans that include Knotts, Legoland, other LA attractions, not so much Magic Mountain of course.

DL is due for an E-Ticket real soon now, but the fact that the park is relying so heavily on seeing the same guests over and over again, who become "tired" of attractions because their close proximity allows them to go to Disneyland so much, that is part of the problem. That is what will quickly cheapen the resort into something concerned more with bringing in the next quick-fix attraction to keep the locals entertained rather than building the elegant, elaborate rides we saw in the 70s.

Baloney. FL has been the flagship for decades, and right now that's a bad thing because it's not in nearly the condition it ought to be to wear that title.

Personally, I don't MIND the MK as it is, but I will see where people can dream for improvements, since the other cities do each aspect bettter. Tokyo has better service, Paris is prettier, Anaheim has a more stellar attractions lineup. When you consider that the MK is the center of the Disney theme park universe (no matter how much you want to talk about where Walt walked), it seems depressing that it's not a superior park in any aspect.

Fair enough. Good arguement. I'm sorry I snapped. I just like to defend Disneyland. I don't like the bigger kids to beat up on it ya' know?

[Rebel Justin]

Thanks for the update Al!!!

The Bipiddy Boppety Boutique is another cart of Princess souvies. So that gives guests BBB, Small World Toy Shop, Fantasy Faire Gifts all within ~30 yards of each other which are going to sell princess merch. And if you walk a wopping 100 yards towards the castle, then you have the Once Upon a Time Toy Shop, and Tinkerbells Toy Shop...selling the same thing. Not to mention the Le Petite Chalet, Strombolli's, and the Mad Hatter which sell princess hats and tiaras. Yes, I understand it's Fantasyland, but if guests have 8 shops in the same area that sell the same thing, I think it could be overkill.

When I saw the CM's costumes, I just assumed it was code 90. But the way I used to "coach" people on wearing their pants while I was there (Male and Females)...GAH!!! It was frustrating. Pull 'em up kiddies!!!

[Aladdin]

Once again, I ask, has this new President of DL even made an appearance at DL, yet?

[Chernabog]

First, I’ll assume your trying to say that over a years time they only keep 20% of their employees. So lets see, you state 200 hired per week or 10,400 annual hires a year less 80% that leave or 8,320 gives us 2,080 new retained employees annually, a 10% workforce increase. Then again that 80% figure is only certain departments like food(as you mentioned), but since the average employee turnover rate at fast food joints nation wide can be as high as 300%( turns over its whole work force 3 times within a year), what exactly does your number mean?

Take a step back: If, for the sake of argument, Disneyland is understaffed, 200 people are hired per week overall, and 200 people leave per week, Disneyland is still understaffed with the same amount of employees they had to begin with. The 80% figure makes sense in explaining the incredibly rarity of seeing a CM who is not "Class of 2005/2006". (Up to 80% of the people in the department quit.) If less people quit during a year, then they wouldn't have to hire as many people since there would still be older CMs there. Does that make sense?

I looked at all three pictures and personally think all three CM's look great. Not one looks sloppy.

Compared to how they're supposed to look? The two on the right look sloppy. It was not over 90 degrees at DL on Sunday.

[pixie chick]

Could someone please tell me what Al meant by DVC property? I have no idea what that is.

Disney Vacation Club

I did a little happy dance when I saw that, but wondered where it's going to be located.

The BBB needs to be relocated to WOD or another existing store location or just plain scrapped. It really is sickening to think that theatre is going to be taken out and replaced with a shop.

Too bad Microsoft didn't sponsor a completely new attraction. Innoventions sucks plain and simple. Let Lasseter and the Imagineers at that place and it might just be a worthwhile attraction in TL.

I'm also glad to see the lower tier prizes for the "Year of a Million Dreams" changed. Not that a lanyard is going to make all my dreams come true, but it makes for a better souvenir than a Dole Whip. Frankly, I'll be surprised if the prize distribution stays the way it's planned thus far. The "Prize Patrol" is going to have plenty of AP/message board stalkers following them around. Not that any of us would do anything like that....

[gumby]

I'm sure there will be a way to identify those "prize patrol" people very easily.

I'm sure I'll be told personally, maybe not specifically, but just who to look out for in general.

It'll be the funniest thing if the stereotypical person Al described gets to win the grand prize of all.

And for the record, anybody that doesn't live in California or the Southwest probably doesn't get to see the type of person Al was describing on a constant basis even if more of that type are moving eastward each year.

I don't think Al is racist, but those that deny he was describing a Hispanic person(family) either don't REALLY know or are oblivious to our "wonderful" gang culture. *sigh*

I certainly didn't picture it another way, unfortunately. But I see more than my share every day and in my life.

As for the spirit award issue, it is symbolic of the way things are these days. Those who have been here for a year or less in general know very little about traditions such as the spirit award or canoe races.

I did the canoe races one year, I thought it was a great experience. It was not easy though since it's hard enough closing at 3am and then waiting a couple hours to do the races and leave by 7 or 8am and then go home and expect to be show ready to do work all over again that same day. It just made me feel like I was literally living at DL. *ugh* Despite that, before the 50th CM collaspe the canoe races gave those that participated something our group had briefly at work, camaraderie.

Anyway, thanks for the update Al.....and if you were a CM I would give you a spirit award for trying to stick up for us CMs and telling TDA off, I *really* would!

Bye.

[Browncoat]

Honestly, i thought Al would have heard of a Code 90 by now.

and where is that CM tram he described? cause i have yet to ever see it on all the tram rides i took over to K-Lot in my time.

and the paper plates and plastic silverware? come on Al, thats scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

the Inn Between (the CM eatery he mentioned) has china plates and actual metal silverware. Hell, most, if not all (i wont speak for Bungalow, having never eaten there myself) have the amenities of the Eat Ticket Al so lovingly described.

[MickeyMania]

I don't think Al is racist, but those that deny he was describing a Hispanic person(family) either don't REALLY know or are oblivious to our "wonderful" gang culture. *sigh*

To me, it sounded like a white skinhead trailer trash type and his Courtney Love wannabe of an SO.

Probably because I'm from N California though, and when you talk about Raiders jackets, I think of skinheads because we (being N Cal) have weirdos like that who just love the Raiders just too dang much (see also: The Black Hole at Oakland Coliseum.) On the other hand, SoCal people wearing Raiders jackets are either NorCalers going out of town, or people who still haven't accepted that they aren't coming back.

[sediment]

To me, it sounded like a white skinhead trailer trash type and his Courtney Love wannabe of an SO.

Probably because I'm from N California though, and when you talk about Raiders jackets, I think of skinheads because we (being N Cal) have weirdos like that who just love the Raiders just too dang much (see also: The Black Hole at Oakland Coliseum.) On the other hand, SoCal people wearing Raiders jackets are either NorCalers going out of town, or people who still haven't accepted that they aren't coming back.

Meh. I know SoCal Raider Fans who don't care where the Raiders are playing. That means they're on TV every week here. No blackouts. I'm sure our schools are doing relatively slightly better in the 10 years without the Raiders extorting tax dollars here.

[Saddlesore Swanson]

It'll be the funniest thing if the stereotypical person Al described gets to win the grand prize of all.

And for the record, anybody that doesn't live in California or the Southwest probably doesn't get to see the type of person Al was describing on a constant basis even if more of that type are moving eastward each year.

I don't think Al is racist, but those that deny he was describing a Hispanic person(family) either don't REALLY know or are oblivious to our "wonderful" gang culture. *sigh*

Thank you!

But, yeah, I wasn't making claims of a racist Lutz either; I just get weary of all the lazy descriptions of ne'er-do-wells that only to single out a certain group.

Then again, I realized that I missed the point in my earlier post. Echoing what gumby said at the beginning of the quote above, the real point is: how awesome is it that they won't be able to handpick the winner? It's great that they won't be able to filter out the undesirables for once. I hope it goes to a family just like Al described in the email, and I hope I'm at the park when it happens just to see how they handle that.

I remember reading about how DL mgmt has handled certain giveaways in the past, and how they may have rigged it so that a certain type of family would be the "100 millionth" guest (or whatever number it was): they needed to have a certain look, they needed to NOT be locals, etc....

[Mac Daddy]

From page one of the update: "the marketing folks are terrified that the winning family for the few lavish prizes they'd like to tout to the media will be a gangster with a shaved head, his common law bride with tattooed-on eyebrows, and their gaggle of thuggish brats in Raiders jerseys."

How typical of you to paint the portrait of a stereotypical Mexican-American "cholo" family. (And now of course you don't mention ethnicity/nationality/race/etc, but, come on, the meaning is clear.)

What about a "punk rocker with a shaved head and Swastika tattoos, his common law bride with tattoos on her lower back and bleached-to-death brittle blonde hair, and their gaggle of dirty brats in Nascar shirts?"

Come on. Just once.

You're saying that the only Raider fans out there are hispanic?

Here's some of what I'm getting out of Al's article:

1) I'm finding an interesting connection between the Princess Extreme Makeover thing and the fact that the PR folks are worried that a family not ready for prime time might win one of the big ones. While the princess thing might be fun for the kids, how far are these make up people going to go in order to "make" these kids "look" like Belle? Or Cinderella? Hair isn't quite right? Nose too big? Freckles? And what happens when said little girl goes home, takes all this stuff off and looks in the mirror? Are we teaching these kids that the IDEAL look is Belle?

2) And so what if a Raider fan family with tattoos wins one of the big ones. Or...(for America Stings),... a Razorback fan family from Little Rock? IMO, these marketing people are FOOLS if they don't put these families in the spotlight along with the "squeeky clean" families. Why? Because people will look at that commerical and think..."HEY! Those people are just like ME! If Raider Fan family can win, that means I could win." People will IDENTIFY with these people, as long as you have VARIETY in your list of winners. If they all are blond, blue eyed Vikings fans, it may go over well in St. Paul, but the rest of the country will yawn and go on about their business.

3) BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! for the "Let's bring Microsoft in to fix the biggest loser attraction at the DLR" idea. Who are they kidding? By the time they get this stuff set up in Innoventions, it will be part of Yesterdayland.

GET RID OF THIS STUPID WASTE OF SPACE NNNNNNOOOOOOOWWWWW!




Oh, and uh...thanks for the update Al!

[Saddlesore Swanson]

You're saying that the only Raider fans out there are hispanic?
2) And so what if a Raider fan family with tattoos wins one of the big ones. Or...(for America Stings),... a Razorback fan family from Little Rock? IMO, these marketing people are FOOLS if they don't put these families in the spotlight along with the "squeeky clean" families. Why? Because people will look at that commerical and think..."HEY! Those people are just like ME! If Raider Fan family can win, that means I could win." People will IDENTIFY with these people, as long as you have VARIETY in your list of winners. If they all are blond, blue eyed Vikings fans, it may go over well in St. Paul, but the rest of the country will yawn and go on about their business.

No, of course I'm not saying that Raiders fans are only Hispanic -- that's ridiculous! (Maybe that wasn't a serious question.)

I absolutely agree with your point #2.

[Mac Daddy]

New idea for Year of a Million Dreams slogan:

"We want to see you smile even if you don't have any teeth."

"How the %@## am I supposed to eat this #@@%* churro if I only have one #@@%* tooth??"

[Ferris]

With regards to the "Year of a Million Dreams" campaign, does anyone know if they ever thought to ask guests what their Disney dreams might be? I'm sure there was the requisite focus group, but why couldn't they have people write in with suggestions so that they get more input. From what I've read here, it seems like they are strapped for ideas. Maybe if they pick your idea, you get a "no purchase necessary" type entry toward making your dream come true so that there is incentive for people to participate? Just a thought.