C'mon People .... !!

[Atlantica]

I know this isn't the most popular forum on here, but it is actually like a ghost ship at the moment. . . even the opening of the New Fantasyland couldn't really inspire anyone.

I do try valiantly on here, but since Amy (blackcouldren85) isn't around as much, viewership of this forum has gone south ... is there anything we can do to liven it up a bit ?

I am so passionate about the parks, and I know other people are too, so it would be nice to have this part of the forum become alive and kicking again !



(I don't mean to be naughty posting this, as it isn't a particular topic to the park, but I don't know where else to say it .... )

[dvdjunkie]

First of all, you need to change the title of the thread - it should read "C'mon People" or if you were saying everybody is the same "Common People", but I really think you meant to say "C'mon People"!

Secondly, with the economy as it is today, not a lot of us can afford to go to the Disney Parks because of the huge expense it entails.

I remember when Disneyland opened and it was only $10 to get in with a ticket book good for seven rides. How many remember the 'ticket' rides? The "E" ticket was of course the most popular ride ticket. Plus additional books of tickets could be bought at many places in the park for an additional $5, or you could get all the "E" tickets you wanted at every ticket booth around the park.

Today, you can't go to Disneyland for under $100, and that is just way to expensive for us. We just look at the home movies we took in the many visits we had at Disneyland in the 50's, 60's and 70's. We look at pictures we took at "Country Bear Jamboree", "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride", "The Haunted House", "Pirates of the Caribbean", and so many more. Our 8mm movie collection has been upgraded to DVD-R so we watch our favorites any time we want.

We now live in Kansas, and that requires a lot of money to get to the park, whichever one we would choose to visit. But when you are a Senior Citizen on a fixed income, it makes it pretty hard to get enough money together to even plan a trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Kudos to those who have the extra money and can afford the trips to the parks, but for us, it is all just pleasant memories as we look at all of our pictures.

[Atlantica]

Thank you for the title correction.

I'm not advocating that we all go on trips there, but we can still discuss it and chat about new things involving the parks - I can't be the only one that finds it interesting?

Just wanted to inject a bit of life into this place is all ...

Feel like I've been told off now ...

[pinkrenata]

No, don't feel like you've been told off! I'm glad you post in this forum a lot. And park admission prices have nothing to do with whether or not anyone wants to talk about Disney parks.

[dvdjunkie]

How does a person honestly talk about the parks if they haven't been in over 20 years? I would love to discuss both Disneyland and Disney World, but all of my thoughts would be from my last visits to each park, Disneyland - about 25 years ago, and Disney World - About 20 years ago.

Like I said, we have tons of movies, slides and pictures we have taken on our visits when we went. But a lot of the rides don't exist anymore, and a lot of other amenities are not available any more.

So if you want to talk about the parks, you need to also remember that not all of us can afford to go to these places much more than once in a lifetime. Others can get to the parks once a year, but usually its with family, and the total cost doesn't come out of their pocketbook.

I love reading about the Disney parks just as much, if not more, than you do. I am ready when you are.

[pinkrenata]

How does a person honestly talk about the parks if they haven't been in over 20 years? I would love to discuss both Disneyland and Disney World, but all of my thoughts would be from my last visits to each park, Disneyland - about 25 years ago, and Disney World - About 20 years ago.

Nostalgia is something Disney fans like best.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Most people who frequent this board simply don't have the experience to talk in great lengths about the parks. However, there are no shortage of other message boards out there for parks related fans.

I find that Disney fans are often concentrated on specific areas of the company and there isn't too much in the way of crossover. The parks fans don't have the movie knowledge people here do, and the reverse is generally true too. Then there's the tumblr crowd who don't think much beyond the Princesses.

The lack of enthusiasm for New Fantasyland is in part due to the fact that it's not finished yet and what has been opened has been poorly recieved (at least outside of this forum) and that opening was almost a year ago at this point.

[Atlantica]

I'm glad you feel you can judge how much I enjoy talking about theme parks dvdjunkie, and how you enjoy it more than I ...

BUT if you are 'ready and waiting' why don't you join in and start a topic ? Just bring some life here is all I'm saying.

I have never been to the American parks, but if I find a piece of info on it, I will always share it here. I just dream about going there.

I'm not trying to have a go at people on here or be rude, just wanted to make this more alive; I don't want to go to a different forum as I love it here so much.

[carolinakid]

This year I've set a record for myself.....3 visits to Disney!
In May we went to WDW, in October it's DL and in November back to WDW!


Has new Fantasyland really been poorly received? I thought I was the only one who felt there should be more attractions (at least 2 E ticket rides) and less meet and greets! It's stunningly beautiful, but there really ain't much to do there when all is said and done.

[Atlantica]

Yay for you !! Lucky thing going so many times, can only dream of doing the same !

I think the whole problem with the New Fantasyland is that it was pitched in the wrong way; it was simply an expansion on the theming and environment of Fantasyland itself. Not a 'whole NEW land' as it kept being referred to.

I love all the touches throughout, like the Tangled area, the restaurants etc... and obviously the little mermaid ride. Maybe when the rollercoaster of the Dwarfs Wild Mine ride is done it will be different ?

I have viewed a walkthough of the new fantasyland on youtube, and personally I think it looks magical We should continue this on in the Fantasyland thread carolinakid!

[Escapay]

Maybe when the rollercoaster of the Dwarfs Wild Mine ride is done it will be different ?

Funny story:

During a performance of "Wishes" a few nights ago, the large crane inside the construction area suddenly rotated from left to right. Someone saw it and said, "Hey, look, the crane is moving!" and about a dozen guests around us frantically began looking at the construction site rather than "Wishes."

I love strolling through New Fantasyland, but agree, there's simply not *enough* to it. Personally, I felt they should have kept "Snow White's Scary Adventures" open until probably a month or so before the Mine Train would, simply to keep a larger presence of the film in Fantasyland. They haven't even re-opened it up as the Princess meet-n-greet yet.

Still, at the end of the day, New Fantasyland is a nice addition to the park. Maybe not the greatest thing to happen to WDW, but a nice addition. Besides, I tried the grey stuff (it's delicious!), so I have nothing to complain about!

Albert

[Atlantica]

I agree; it literally added to the atmosphere of the park, with a big ride (TLM) and a rollercoaster.

To be honest, it feels like the village from Tangled that has popped up and come to life (kingdom of Korona I think it's called?) Which is interesting in itself, as the directors went to Disneyland to get inspiration to put that into the film.

And again, I must stress I haven't been there, just gained the 'feel' of it from youtube ... so I can't put my money where my mouth is

[carolinakid]

For me at least, Enchanted Tales with Belle doesn't have much repeat value. I've done it twice now and don't care to visit again unless I'm with a virgin. For me The Little Mermaid and The Dwarfs' Mine Train will be the only things I'll probably do every visit. Storybook Circus to me is just Mickey's Toontown with a new overlay, although I will ride Dumbo on occasion. I will continue to stalk Gaston near his tavern. The "friend of his" I saw was gorgeous and has quite a following of gay fans!

[Atlantica]

When the plans were first made public, it did seem excessive / silly to have these amazing themed houses of the Princesses ... to only fill them with mini shows or meet and greet variations. A real waste of talent. Would almost have been worth having them, and maybe connecting to them to a dark ride of all the Princesses ?

[Escapay]

For me at least, Enchanted Tales with Belle doesn't have much repeat value. I've done it twice now and don't care to visit again unless I'm with a virgin.

I've done it twice, too. The first time wasn't as fun because we were just standing/sitting in the back and just watching. I didn't really like it much, and actually was rather mad throughout the show (even though I was openly smiling and clapping), especially since a few people in my group were more interested in their iPhones than in participating.

The second time, I was by myself doing some research/observations, and ended up stomping my way into the role of one of the knights.

But I agree, there's not much repeat value unless you're with someone who's never done it before. Or if you're in the show, too.

When the plans were first made public, it did seem excessive / silly to have these amazing themed houses of the Princesses ... to only fill them with mini shows or meet and greet variations. A real waste of talent.

Yeah, the initial plans seemed to be less focused on mass appeal and more on Photopass opportunities. The only thing I was excited about was the Be Our Guest restaurant. When I ate there last January, it was easily the best part of my visit. I haven't been back since, although now that I've relocated back down here, I'll have to try their lunch menu on a day off.

Albert

[Atlantica]

I am really glad you enjoyed the restaurant ... but that is essentially all it is. A restaurant. Or does it go beyond that and actually become an 'experience' like they say ?

Do you think all the theming etc was done in the same vein as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? As that only has a few rides, but the rest is essentially theming.

I know people were all 'BOOOOO' when it was announced, but I really really REALLY want Pixie Hollow to go ahead. I love the movies and the characters and the world ....

[Walter]

I find that Disney fans are often concentrated on specific areas of the company and there isn't too much in the way of crossover. The parks fans don't have the movie knowledge people here do, and the reverse is generally true too. Then there's the tumblr crowd who don't think much beyond the Princesses.

It is strange that way. I remember trying to talk about some of the movies on the DIS message boards, but got no responses at all. And I do wonder about one person that I knew of, who has been to all the Disney parks around the world (and eagerly waiting for the Shanghai one), has seen all 52 of the films. Never got to ask though.

I remember after my 2006 trip to Disney World, I wanted to check out the animated films, as I have not seen most of them at the time. So strangely enough, my visits to the parks often fueled my interest in the films. Nowadays, before each trip to the parks, I have a Disney movie marathon.

For me at least, Enchanted Tales with Belle doesn't have much repeat value. I've done it twice now and don't care to visit again unless I'm with a virgin.

I thought it was okay, with the special effects with Madame Wardrobe being the highlight. The worst part was waiting in line outside in the sun, and it moves so freaking slow.

[Escapay]

I am really glad you enjoyed the restaurant ... but that is essentially all it is. A restaurant. Or does it go beyond that and actually become an 'experience' like they say ?

I would definitely say it goes beyond being just a restaurant and becoming an experience. The place truly immerses you into the world of Beauty and the Beast, from the theming to the dining to the service. When I wrote my letter to Guest Services about some outstanding cast members I encountered during my January visit, I devoted a lengthy section to my "Be Our Guest" experience and our server, Malia:

Our next park day was January 4, where we managed to get a 4:00pm dinner reservation at "Be Our Guest" Restaurant. Hands down, that was the best meal I had during my entire visit. The servers and chefs should be proud of themselves. And our server, Malia (from Hawaii), was the best cast member I encountered during my entire visit. We got to know her really well during our dinner, she was always very attentive and friendly, making sure we had everything we needed and were happy with our meals. But she was also just a fun conversationalist. When she was giving us our menus and making recommendations, she turned what could be a regular spiel into a story, by adding details like, "The Beast really loves the steak, he prefers it very rare, though." And she made her own personal recommendations based on her experience with the food, which helped my mother pick a dessert (those desserts are amazing, kudos to all your chefs for making them day in and day out).

Malia also made sure that we enjoyed our time in the restaurant even when we were not eating. We had ordered mussels as an appetizer, and she knew they would take awhile to prepare. So she offered to take us to each room in the restaurant, where she knew the best spots to take pictures. She not only took us to each room for the pictures, but she took the pictures for us (on all 3 of our cameras). We ended up with some really great pictures in each room, and were so grateful that we insisted we take a picture with her in the West Wing, right by the Enchanted Rose. The picture is one of my favorites from my trip, as it shows guest and cast member, but as friends. We got to know Malia really well, and would have likely stayed the rest of the day in Be Our Guest if only to talk to her. At some point during her serving, she asked if we had any more questions. Rather than ask about something on the menu, we asked her about herself, what she likes in Disney. Thus, we learned that her favorite Disney movie is "The Little Mermaid," her favorite Disney character is Pocahontas, and her favorite Disney song is "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?". Throughout our dinner, I kept taking pictures of the restaurant, our meals, us eating our meals, and Malia serving us. I managed to get a really great picture of her and Beast together, as he was walking towards his Meet and Greet. The picture ended up looking like Malia and him were talking even though he was just walking by. Overall, that was probably the best dining experience I've had in all my visits, and it was made all the greater by a server like Malia.

Truly, this restaurant offers far more than just food and theming. It's the closest I've ever felt to becoming part of one of my favorite films of all time. I had to describe it to Disney Duster once in a private message (as my initial description of "It's a really great place" wasn't enough!), and finally came up with this:

Mere words simply cannot convey my wonderment, awe, and sheer delight at being within an environment that so accurately depicted lush and beautiful settings from one of my favorite Disney Animated Classics.

Do you think all the theming etc was done in the same vein as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? As that only has a few rides, but the rest is essentially theming.

I think it partly has to do with that, but also with Disney's own need to actually update the area. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea took up a lot of space, and had gone unused for far too long, so the timing was finally right to develop the land and actually bring to fruition a project that's been in the cards for years (hint: it moves fast ).

I know people were all 'BOOOOO' when it was announced, but I really really REALLY want Pixie Hollow to go ahead. I love the movies and the characters and the world ....

Yeah, I was initially against the idea as well, but I finally got around to seeing one of the movies (and - guilty pleasure alert - I loved "Pixie Hollow Games"), and I wouldn't mind seeing a themed area. To be honest, it would be fun to see it as a smaller land in Animal Kingdom, and one I'd prefer over Avatarland.

I remember after my 2006 trip to Disney World, I wanted to check out the animated films, as I have not seen most of them at the time. So strangely enough, my visits to the parks often fueled my interest in the films. Nowadays, before each trip to the parks, I have a Disney movie marathon.

Yeah, I know that feeling. I hadn't seen The Little Mermaid since 2010 or so, but I've ridden the attraction probably thrice now (it's always a short line, and it's just a lot of fun), each time wanting to go straight home and watch the film. I finally did last week, and... well, I've mellowed towards the film over the years (the "tiny fishgirl" days of UD's past are behind me), so I feel like I've - dare I say it - fallen in love with Ariel once again. Not enough to propel it all the way to a top ten or anything, but enough to let it comfortably rest a a healthy amount of slots above its old ranking.

Albert

[Flanger-Hanger]

This year I've set a record for myself.....3 visits to Disney!

Same for me, but instead of California it was Paris. And my 3rd "trip" is really just a day or two, but I'm counting it.

Nowadays, before each trip to the parks, I have a Disney movie marathon.

Same, in fact most of the year I don't watch Disney movies very often. I like saving them for pre-trip purposes.

And now for my thoughts on New Fantasyland:

Overall pretty, but not too much substance as of my February trip. It looks like more will be done in September, though. Best thing about it is it brings the theming of the land more to the level of Islands of Adventure. Unfortunately, the parts they ignored look terribly dated in comparison, or at least lacking in texture. And WDW's Fantasyland still pales in comparison to Paris and California for overall look and quality/quantity of offerings.

Enchanted Tales with Belle: Great for a meet and greet-type experience, not too much replay value. The exterior house is probably the best recreation of any BatB place in the area. I got lucky with a soft opening and didn't have to wait long to get in.

Belle's Village: Nice, some good unique merch for a change.

Mermaid Ride: I had already seen it in California, so I knew what to expect. Much better queue and exterior here without question. Ride still suffers from the same problems of obvious cut corners and the lack of a climax.

Storybook Circus: Better than Toontown Fair for sure. The new RR station is probably the biggest upgrade in my book. Dumbo looks better too, as does the street lamps, pavement and "placemaking". Kind of a waste to have the northern half be just tents. Especially when you know that was originally planned as Pixie Hallow with another new flat ride.

Be Our Guest: My opinion is no where near as glowing as Scaps. Is it a nice place to eat? Yes. Is the food better than say, Cosmic Rays? No question. Does it ultimately succeed at creating a realistic immersive enviroment? No.

It's a great looking BatB restaurant. It is not, however, the kind of place that makes you feel like you're in the movie. Comparing it with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter makes that really obvious. I was more impressed with Three Broomsticks in that sense to be honest.

Ignoring how the rooms are connected to each other, the spaces have been obviously compromised to serve their function as dining rooms. The Ballroom's ceiling looks too low, the West Wing doesn't look anything like the movie (which I get why, but then, why bother?). The Rose Gallery is fine because it's an original space. The castle exterior only works from one specific location. Even from the queue for Enchanted Tales, it looks like a mini golf course prop.

There are nice details like the whispering suits of armour, or the rose with falling petals, the bridge with gargoyles, but I can think of better designed places in other theme parks. It falls a few feet short, and I think that's what irks my now upon reflection, that and having seen the interior of Le Chateau and Walt's in DLP.

[Escapay]

Be Our Guest: My opinion is no where near as glowing as Scaps.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for anything BATB.

Albert