News Round Up 2016

[lockedoutlogic]

This sounds amazing.

Sounds a lot like "yes...I like the pain...more please"

 

[adam.adbe]

That's probably because that's all they can afford. They aren't doing incredible these days you know.

Not to be snide, but if they're getting the staff who can't find work at a gas station, things are hardly likely to start going better for them.

 

[adam.adbe]

News

Operating hours for Epcot attractions reduced

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...and-shops-to-be-reduced-from-this-weekend.htm

The more I think about this, the more irritated it gets me. I'm put in mind of the pithy slam that people used to make against Word for Windows being too complicated: "you know people only use about 40% of the features in Word, right?"

The problem (aside from the bagged-from-thin-air statistic of course) is that the particular 40% differs from user to user. This is the same. Sure, closing this stuff early will only affect 5% of park-goers, just like losing the meet-and-greets will only impact 5%, and closing the ..., and so on, and on, and on. Except it's not the same 5% each time, so eventually everyone is dealing with a generic package theme-park experience with nothing to differentiate it from anywhere else: pay your money, do the same eight things as 30,000 other guests, eat the same crappy hamburger from one of ten magically themed but oddly identical 'restaurants', then go home.

Disney should heed the lesson of the airline industry: a new player with no legacy baggage can do what you're doing far cheaper if not better, and if you have no differentiator, people will go there instead.

 

[TwoMisfits]

The more I think about this, the more irritated it gets me. I'm put in mind of the pithy slam that people used to make against Word for Windows being too complicated: "you know people only use about 40% of the features in Word, right?"

The problem (aside from the bagged-from-thin-air statistic of course) is that the particular 40% differs from user to user. This is the same. Sure, closing this stuff early will only affect 5% of park-goers, just like losing the meet-and-greets will only impact 5%, and closing the ..., and so on, and on, and on. Except it's not the same 5% each time, so eventually everyone is dealing with a generic package theme-park experience with nothing to differentiate it from anywhere else: pay your money, do the same eight things as 30,000 other guests, eat the same crappy hamburger from one of ten magically themed but oddly identical 'restaurants', then go home.

Disney should heed the lesson of the airline industry: a new player with no legacy baggage can do what you're doing far cheaper if not better, and if you have no differentiator, people will go there instead.

I'd be irritated, too...it's like Disney is putting out the sign "please don't hop here, unless you're heading to WS for shopping and and an expensive dinner before Illuminations. We've literally got nothing else for you to do except spend money at night..."

 

[rteetz]

News

Star Wars fireworks have been extended until the end of April. No word about anything after that yet.

 

[crazy4wdw]

I didn't see this article posted from Variety. It was posted several days so I may have missed it.

Despite Earnings Records, Disney CEO Bob Iger Forced to Defend ESPN

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/disney-earnings-records-espn-1201701510/

 

[circus4u]

Frozen on Broadway, frozen show at DCA, frozen sing a long at DHS, and now Frozen on DCL. I don't know I think we need more frozen

Don't forget Frozen on Ice.

 

[summerw]

Frozen on Broadway, frozen show at DCA, frozen sing a long at DHS, and now Frozen on DCL. I don't know I think we need more frozen

Don't forget Frozen on Ice.

There's also a Frozen show at the little theater next to the castle in DL and is/was Frozen Family Fun at DCA.

 

[rteetz]

There's also a Frozen show at the little theater next to the castle in DL and is/was Frozen Family Fun at DCA.

That show is ending thankfully.

 

[luisov]

Speaking of animated films, the first reviews for Disney's Zootopia have arrived, with 5 out of 5 reviewers rating it as ''Fresh'' on Rotten Tomatoes, accumulating a 100% so far. The highlights are that the film is beautifully animated, that the script is more complex than it seems, that it has a great anti-prejudice message and that the comedy is pretty solid.

Can't wait for this one.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zootopia/

 

[DoingDisney]

This is fairly in line with how they handled New Fantasyland. Lots of promotion well in advance of the big addition, 7DMT. Mind you, the other additions to NFL were more substantial than what's opening initially at DAK, but they'll get a good few years out of the DAK "New" campaign. By then they'll be ready to launch the ?DHS? "new" campaign.

I hadn't thought of it like this, but you are dang right. Heck for a long while even Ariel's grotto was an absolute dead end. There was nothing else there, no where to walk to.

 

[Travis B]

$10 per hour...

I could get more than that locally working in a gas station.

Do Disney CMs get significantly more?

 

[Eoghann]

Do Disney CMs get significantly more?

I believe Disney started increasing their minimum a year or so back and it hits $10 this year. So SeaWorld are basically staying in line. Neither company is impressing me with this and I can't see any reason for giving them credit for paying people what is still below a living wage.

When I say I could get more locally at a gas station... I live in West Virginia, it's not exactly the high wage capital of the US!

Yes, I know we're treading close to political waters there.

 

[Fantasia79]

I believe Disney started increasing their minimum a year or so back and it hits $10 this year. So SeaWorld are basically staying in line. Neither company is impressing me with this and I can't see any reason for giving them credit for paying people what is still below a living wage.

When I say I could get more locally at a gas station... I live in West Virginia, it's not exactly the high wage capital of the US!

Yes, I know we're treading close to political waters there.

You mean like when people boo and cheer during the hall of presidents. Gotta admit I kinda love that.

 

[Flyerjab]

The Mickey Monitor has a new rendering of the RoL show at DAK. It shows many new things!



There now appears to be floating barges with artistic takes on animal shapes and some animal projections as well as various fountains. Each time I see a new picture of this I get more excited.

 

[Eoghann]

You mean like when people boo and cheer during the hall of presidents. Gotta admit I kinda love that.

What... people boo some of the Presidents?

That's just.... I'd better not say what I think on here. I'll get points again.

 

[adam.adbe]

What... people boo some of the Presidents?

That's just.... I'd better not say what I think on here. I'll get points again.

It certainly paints a great image of America for the foreigners

The Mickey Monitor has a new rendering of the RoL show at DAK. It shows many new things!

View attachment 151173

There now appears to be floating barges with artistic takes on animal shapes and some animal projections as well as various fountains. Each time I see a new picture of this I get more excited.

I saw this posted by DoctorNick over on wdwmagic:

To expand on this (because not everyone would have access to Disney Files), this are the full excerpts from the article...

* "Scheduled to perform multiple times nightly, 'Rivers of Light' will combine live performances, grand theatrical imagery (including exclusive footage captured by Disneynature filmmakers), a soaring musical score and innovative special effects in a stirring showcase of the beauty, fragility and wild unpredictability of animals and nature."
* "The iconic Tree of Life, meanwhile, will come to 'life' like never before, with spontaneous stories unfolding as 'natural occurrences' throughout the night. These unscheduled moments will harness the metamorphic magic of animal animation to tell visual tales of giving love, adventure, humor and culture on the surface of the towering tree."
* "Other new experiences scheduled to debut this spring include evening hours for Kilmanjaro Safaris, allowing adventurers to travel beneath the setting sun through the African savanna (where African wild dogs and hyenas are among the newest animal additions); festive nighttime street parties throughout Discovery Island and Harambe Village; and Tiffins, a new signature dining destination inspired by the research expeditions of Walt Disney Imagineers."

DAK Vice President Djuan Rivers is interviewed for the piece.

The 'unscheduled moments' thing wont last IMHO. People will grumble that they missed out.

I'm excited by the talk of extra streetmosphere in the evenings though.

 

[Fantasia79]

What... people boo some of the Presidents?

That's just.... I'd better not say what I think on here. I'll get points again.

got me thinking, at Disneyland Paris, is there a Hall of Louis?

 

[rteetz]

Speaking of animated films, the first reviews for Disney's Zootopia have arrived, with 5 out of 5 reviewers rating it as ''Fresh'' on Rotten Tomatoes, accumulating a 100% so far. The highlights are that the film is beautifully animated, that the scrip is more complex than it seems, that it has a great anti-prejudice message and that the comedy is pretty solid.

Can't wait for this one.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zootopia/

That's great, I can't wait for this film too!

 

[soniam]

You mean like when people boo and cheer during the hall of presidents. Gotta admit I kinda love that.

It's only ok if they boo and cheer the same as me

I do think it's a little disrespectful, even though I don't like some of the presidents either. However, I view it more as a first amendment right, which makes me proud and thankful that we live in a country where an ex-leader can be booed in public without the booer being beheaded.