Cheap Camera TR...

[Janell]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

Yes, the Mickey "I don't bite" design is being sold at WDW and DLR, but Tokyo's version of it's a bit different, and the merchandise is more unique to japanese needs. Only TDR has the Stitch "I do Bite" design. I did not see it at EPCOT this afternoon..

Makes senses that they sell items that appeal to their guest. I wish WDW and DLR would stop having the same stuff. It so fun to see what other parks have and for me it makes me want to go even more. The parks are a blast but its the memories you bring home in photos and merchandise that make the magic last long after you are home. And lets face it, vacations go by way to quickly. Its like you wake up on your first day and someone is pressing the fast forward button, because the next thing you know its time to go home.

[black cat]

TDLFAN, despite your "bad/old" camera, the trip report was great (& photos were great!).

thank you for the photos of restaurant row. in all my trips to TDR, i am ashamed to say, i have never made it in to have a look, but in 2 weeks i will definately visit!

[Malin]

What have I learned from this? Never ever to buy non-japanese brand photographic equipment. URGH! There is something so terribly wrong about bringing a cheap camera to TDR... it's just a deplorable situation. I feel like Malin. But any ways.. here are a few bad photos from my last quick evening visit to TDR.... but I warn you.. poor quality and blurry conditions ahead.

You can't beat the fun Camera's TDLFAN

Talking of my photography, pictures from my recent trip to Disney's California Adventure and trip report can be viewed here Malin’s Disneyland Trip Report 2009

Back to the original topic thank you for sharing the pictures. No one cares about the quality of your pictures, its the time and effort put into sharing them on here that we apreciate.

[Imagineer Scott]

Great report and pictures, but I don't understand why you gotta trash other parks.

[mikeland]

I enjoyed your photos despite their blurriness. Thanks TDLFAN!

[TravisMT81]

TDLfan, I think I had that same meal on my recent flight LOL!

[ghosty4]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

Reason why I hate cheap cameras.. You can't get a decent night time photo.



IASW is currently down for it's annual Xmas re-branding.

Isn't the second picture ALSO a "night time" picture? Looks "decent" to me. I'm thinking the only thing wrong with the camera was the user.

[ReggieB]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

Unlike WDW (so I can remain consistent ), the reason is to exceed your expectations. You see, all aspects of the resort join in the celebration. There are special menus and activities at the other two hotels as well, not just the Ambassador. Ikspiari is also celebrating Halloween... The idea is to immerse guests *totally*. It's too bad that other Disney resorts..(like WDW, ooops! there I go again!) do not take advantage of that to the fullest.

I go regularly to WDW, I enjoy my vacations very much. I have been lucky enough to go to TDL, "exceed your expectations" is a good description. It was all in the details. Amazing, wish some of that special Japanese fairy dust could float on over here. So don't beat TDLFAN up about his POV!!! I totally get it.

[TDLFAN]

Reggie, Ignorance is bliss which is why I don't let other people's opinions about my opinions bother me in the least. Still, these are the same people that will not take the time to vigorously post the virtues of WDW and why in their view, the place is so far out wonderful. They have no credibility when they don't offer a reason to counter my point of view, inetad taking things on a personal level.. which is always a give away about someone from inside of WDW defending it to the core.. because, maybe they are paid to be here to do so? So it's easier to offer a put down when someone else's opinion does not agree with their idea of Disney standards, which IMHO... is low from these people and also from WDW. I expect and *demand* the best from Disney. Reason why I will continue to offer a less that positive opinion on WDW as a whole.. and especially the MK. And most importantly, I will NOT apologize for it either. So there.

Originally Posted by ghosty4

Isn't the second picture ALSO a "night time" picture? Looks "decent" to me. I'm thinking the only thing wrong with the camera was the user.

Yoou may be partly right, so I take the blame for some of the shots being blurry.. but the camera still cheap, because it does not have a very high speed to capture low lighting shots quickly, and that allows for blurry shots, because the lens remains open for several second.. plus add to that TDR's stupid "NO Tripod" rules. The camera used is also not that wonderful when it comes to auto-focusing on low light conditions. That does not help me either.
However, the nice picture above of the IASW facade turned out nice because 1) I sat the camera on a trashcan and 2) used the timer to shoot it, and 3) the facade at TDL's IASW is brightly lit at night, which helped the auto focus do it's job better.

And ghostly4, next time you feel like passing judgement, do us a favor and show US your photos from any Disney park of your choosing and see how wonderful a photographer you are. Again, it's easy to pass judgement, but also easy to loose credibility when you don't try as hard as some of us do .. to entertain you and the millions of other who participate/lurk on Micechat.

[TDLFAN]

Originally Posted by Imagineer Scott

Great report and pictures, but I don't understand why you gotta trash other parks.

Maybe you have not read my primary reason as to why. Well pay attention as here it goes again..
I consider myself a "Disney Consumer". I spend enough money on the Disney theme park experience to buy me two planets in this galaxy. As a Disney guest, and avid fan of the parks, I measure the price paid versus the escapism and magic I am supposed to be buying from Disney. Now here it goes and you may slow down so you do not miss it... I will trash ANY of the Disney parks (including any aspect of the TDR parks) if I feel they do not give back a considerable amount of magic and entertainment to match the price they charge at the door to get in. With that in mind, when I take in consideration things like.. how many attractions are opened, how many shows and parade come down main street in a single day, how much of a shopping and dining experience can be had and how well maintained and delivered my (escapism) magic is.. Most times Tokyo delivers that, and WDW does not. Sorry but I will take extreme pleasure at pointing things out like .. example, how much special halloween entertainment there is at regular prices of about $64 per day at TDL, when people are paying just about the same to only spend 5 hours in the MK with entertainment that I feel is subtandard and worst.. old, because we have all seen the same old parade and hallowishes for the past 5 years it seems, while TDL continues to deliver new halloween experiences from one year to the next at regular park prices. To me..the situation at WDW is armed robbery in the part of DisneyCo. Now, if many people here feel its OK to pay more money and get less than what some of the other parks offer their guests for less money.. then more power to you!!

As for WDW.. it's hypocricy. "We are the brightest and the best jada jada!" Yeah right, the average joe from the midwest or the UK may believe that but, I would like to think that I know better and can call them on their crap. (And will continue to do so). It has nothing to do with those who enjoy Disney because I do not give a hoot how you spend your money, but mine? yes I do. It's not about attacking WDW "lovers", but attacking the management for their money hungry agendas at the expense of one of the most respected names in the entertainment business. Anyone who is a WDW fan have the same right to defent it and sing their virtues.. and there are some. I am not blind to that.

Disney knows their audience, and that is particularly true with both WDW and TDR. At TDR, like DLR, they have to entice the locals. At WDW, all they have to do is offer a free dining plan, and they will decend like birds over a landfill. It's a reaction of "need" and not one of "wants". I do not "need" to go to WDW, but do so because I love Disney parks. However, I "want" to go to TDR because after 20 years of continued visits, it exceeds my expectation again and again, which is something WDW does not do because they simply do not try, and considering how much a day pass to WDW costs as opposed to TDR's.. well, *hello* you do not have to be a genius to see how much you are being ripped off at WDW.
So, to anyone out there who feels differently, please go ahead and tell me why you feel differently, and who knows, I may or may not agree because I am the most open minded person here..

[jedimaster7313]

Yes, the Ambassador usually does the special promotions as Fukai mentioned. I've also noticed this for Christmas as well.

The Miracosta does have it's own seasonal promotions too- but it doesn't do as much as the Ambassador does.

This year was a special glass for Halloween from TDS if you purchased a drink. There was also the pin that Ichigopara posted in the Halloween thread at Miracosta, but I forgot if that came with the meal, or was a part of the Birthday gift.

Although I've always wanted to try them, I've never gotten the chance to do any of the special meals or offerings at either of the resort hotels. I always seem to run out of time while I'm there & the parks have so many great offerings- I never have the chance to visit the hotels for more than an hour or so.

Don't worry about the pictures TDLFAN, the photos of the parks are always great- blurry or not. I take tons of photos as well, but many of mine will be duplicates of what has been posted here & i'm not that great at doing either trip reports or posting photos- so I'm greatful for everyone else that does here.

4:45p Ok, I'm editing this now since I have more time to fully read the thread after my work tour ended- I somehow missed the entire 2nd page of this thread and was replying to Fukai's post back on 9/28. This is what happens when you try to sneak in internet use during work hours.

Anyway, I agree as well with much of what TDLFAN states about WDW due to pricing and entertainment offerings available there & what is offered at TDR. I've been to several Mickeys Not so Scary parties & believe me they are pretty scary when prices continually go up each year & things are taken away each year. I know they stopped having some of the good storytellers a few years ago and do they even have those fortune tellers any more? I've seen a great decline in the Mickeys Very Merry Christmas parties as well- just how many kiddie dance parties do they really need. I'm surprised they haven't taken away the cookies and cocoa yet.

You only have to pay regular admission charges in Tokyo Disney & are sure to see new, fun, exciting and different entertainment offerings each year. Yes, TDR is more like Disneyland due to the fact that they need to cater more to the locals and passholders. So they see what it takes to bring it's guests back to visit the parks, whereas Florida has the blessing of size & has 4 theme parks, water parks, resorts and other offerings-So Disney has the attitiude that people will always come to WDW- which they continue to do, from all around the world. And since many of it's guests are first time visitors- everything is new to them which is basically why they don't feel the need to change or add to the parks on a regular basis. But this sucks for the frequent visitor- where things do tend to become stale over the course of time.

I do still love WDW, but it really upsets me to see things declining there. I'm thrilled at all they have done to Disneyland to improve the park & DCA. Disneyland Paris is beautiful too, but I still see that it needs much better upkeep and improvement. But Tokyo Disney and Tokyo Disney Sea, never ceases to amaze me & I wish I could get there more often. I'll reserve any opinions to Hong Kong when I get there at some point in the future.

And ghosty4, let us see how good your photos came out from Tokyo Disney?

[Mr. Bungle]

I stayed at the Disney Ambassador Hotel when I stayed at TDR, and it turned into Halloween overnight from my first night to the next day! The bellhop Stitch statue (I think it was that) in front changed to a Trick Or Treating Stitch and all the decorations and colors were up. It was quite magical. Also I really loved their breakfast offerings, I ate in both the lobby buffet-style breakfast and the Tick Tock Cafe.

Having been to every Disney Park except HKDL and Disney Studios in Paris, I can understand where TDLFAN's views come from. I guess people can take issues with the wording, but they're definitely from the heart. However due to being located on the East Coast of the US my default "home park" is WDW, which is still great, but not as magical after seeing the other possibilities. It does make up for it in some ways with 4 parks, but I wouldn't call them all full-day parks. Park hopping is the way to go there vs. TDR.

[MickeyMania]

I didn't like the food at TDR with one or maybe two exceptions, but I didn't rant and rave about it when I got home. In fact, my trip report was kind of short because I spent time in Shinjuku and Chiyoda as well.

WDW has a ways to improve. They need to become more digital over time, because the amount of manual labour that could be done with computers there is almost frightening. I think of things like the MK bus stop station where the signs hanging from the ceiling are put there by hand by someone who gets up a ladder I presume, and change throughout the day. Why isn't there simply an LED board for that kind of thing? You could have people hired to be doing more useful things for guests instead, like keeping the park clean.

Beyond that, though, they have a huge property to maintain and just keeping the land tidy must cost them a fortune. It was cheaper in the days of MK/Lagoon Only or MK and EPCOT Center, because lots of the land was not visited and thus could be left to look like the the jungle the Central FL landscape naturally is. Now that there's more developed areas, there's more space to be manicured. You can actually walk around Port Orleans Riverside and practically see the line where they're trying to keep the kudzu-like vines of the plants at bay from taking over the parking lot.

[gurgi]

MickeyMania, you do have a point. WDW has such a huge horticultural and landscaping cost on their hands. Tokyo Disneyland doesn't have to worry about that much at all. They've got minimal green compared to WDW. Disneyland is in the same situation. I wonder what WDW's "greenery maintenance" budget is for the entire resort?

[MickeyMania]

WDW horticulture is probably huge. They have the greater area around the resorts (the fields and fields of grass around the road network), the parks, the leafier hotels. Epcot has a lot of sprawling lawns and DAK has all kinds of fauna selected to "make animals feel at home" (I believe this is more to please tourists than animals, many animals would get a load of that humidity and know they're not at home anymore.)

Actually, in DAK the plant life is almost an attraction of it's own. And obviously Epcot alone has such a large department that they have their own playground in the Living With The Land greenhouses.

Throw in any maintenance the golf courses and sports parks may need, and that's a lot of green thumbs! And if they didn't take care of all that stuff, it'd look a lot like the other side of Pop Century!