News Round Up

[lockedoutlogic]

BUt - just so we still don't agree 100% ---- I happen to LIKE Star Tours just fine for what it is. (An 80s era simulator ride.) I expect much better out of the new round of rides.

I don't...

It's not a lack of determination or technical skill...it's that rides are now simply numbers due to the damn bands.

I don't think we'll ever see a "cool ride just because" in wdw again.

 

[Eoghann]

It was ridiculous from the start...

Did you ever see anybody at one of those resorts desks? Their prime marks...err...I mean..."customers"

It was like an old west ghost town.

And as the people of Rochester, New York can attest: film is dead.

Well MemoryMaker didn't just offer film as an option. It's a sort of all you can eat, digital download deal. And it worked for a specific niche. Occasional guests with large parties, basically. For our Christmas visit last year we did it. That was a cost split between six people and we made a point of getting photos everywhere. I'm not going to want to do that every visit though, there are only so many photos of me in front of the Castle that the world needs.

I did like it though because it left me free to take photos of whatever I wanted instead of having to worry about the requisite "tourist" photos.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Well there was that rumored $350 million that was to go to Epcot in 2016. But that might all just be maintenance and refurbs I guess. There have been signs of smaller improvements being made lately (outside of Frozen). I'd guess that at the least Avatar will be complete before there would be any serious consideration to put funds behind yet another major project.

If that's the approach and they rotate...I'm more than content with that.

If anything had been proven by the latest boom it's that they need some reinvention in the parks to even out the attendance. Which is how it was designed so you're not wasting overhead/operational costs.

Gas is plenty cheap...there's more than enough out there to keep the construction equipment going.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

FWIW, Star Wars reviews are embargoed until tomorrow, so anyone who is interested in spoiler-free reactions should feel relatively free to read them tonight. Personally, reading the reviews is making me even more excited for Friday!

Back to the Skipper Canteen...it would be nice to have a sit down restaurant that doesn't have to be reserved months in advance. I heard they were taking names and texting people when their table was available. What a nice, "real world" system to have!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Well MemoryMaker didn't just offer film as an option. It's a sort of all you can eat, digital download deal. And it worked for a specific niche. Occasional guests with large parties, basically. For our Christmas visit last year we did it. That was a cost split between six people and we made a point of getting photos everywhere. I'm not going to want to do that every visit though, there are only so many photos of me in front of the Castle that the world needs.

I did like it though because it left me free to take photos of whatever I wanted instead of having to worry about the requisite "tourist" photos.

I understand that...but my premise is printed photos have to be well on the decline due to digital media and smart devices.

So if people take the majority of pictures on their phones (shortly if not already) and almost never desire a hard copy of those...then photopass is like the great auk

 

[lockedoutlogic]

FWIW, Star Wars reviews are embargoed until tomorrow, so anyone who is interested in spoiler-free reactions should feel relatively free to read them tonight. Personally, reading the reviews is making me even more excited for Friday!

Back to the Skipper Canteen...it would be nice to have a sit down restaurant that doesn't have to be reserved months in advance. I heard they were taking names and texting people when their table was available. What a nice, "real world" system to have!

1. The reviews will be prepped tonight after the critic screening and hatch at exactly 12:01 am when the ban lifts.

2. What you speak of is priority seating and it was fantastic. I get sad when I think of how much more user friendly it was.

But it was eliminated when the dining plan was shoved down everyone's throat with the oversalted foods. And nobody blinked.

People get what the deserve.

 

[rteetz]

I don't...

It's not a lack of determination or technical skill...it's that rides are now simply numbers due to the damn bands.

I don't think we'll ever see a "cool ride just because" in wdw again.

I'm with Pete that I like star tours for what it is. Based on what is rumored to be coming to DHS in terms of ride systems and the falcon ride star tours could look pretty dated then.

I will agree with you tho in that we will never see a new ride in WDW just because.

 

[thepops]

Hmmm... Is this the return (although only for 1 night) of the Adventurers Club? Just saw this in one of the monthly newsletters ... The Countdown to Midnight will have three different themed party experiences. You can enjoy an interactive comedy reunion at the Adventurer’s Club, hop over to Club Live to rock out with a nine-piece dance band or take a spin at Club Vinyl where a seven-piece band will celebrate the golden age of music with a modern twist. This special event begins at 8 pm at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Convention Center and is available to guests of Walt Disney World Resort hotels only. The price is $300 per person (including tax and gratuity). Beer, wine, mixed drinks and a champagne toast are included, as well as the all-you-care-to enjoy menu. Advance reservations are required.

 

[WDWChloe]

I'm sure it's been reported elsewhere, but in addition to the new scene on Jakku, there have been slight changes elsewhere. For example in the Naboo scene, after submerging, you no longer 'almost hit that poor gungan' you actually do run in to Jar Jar and have him plastered on the viewport for a moment.

It's newer, but not as new as the Jakku scene. I chuckled at this when I first noticed it, probably 6 months ago. If that's right, it's nice to know they make small changes or updates unannounced once in a while

 

[rteetz]

Hmmm... Is this the return (although only for 1 night) of the Adventurers Club? Just saw this in one of the monthly newsletters ... The Countdown to Midnight will have three different themed party experiences. You can enjoy an interactive comedy reunion at the Adventurer’s Club, hop over to Club Live to rock out with a nine-piece dance band or take a spin at Club Vinyl where a seven-piece band will celebrate the golden age of music with a modern twist. This special event begins at 8 pm at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Convention Center and is available to guests of Walt Disney World Resort hotels only. The price is $300 per person (including tax and gratuity). Beer, wine, mixed drinks and a champagne toast are included, as well as the all-you-care-to enjoy menu. Advance reservations are required.

The opening ceremony of the skipper canteen includes a song from the adventurers club as well.

However I don't think this is the return of the club rather just appealing to the fans out there.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The "O" word is being dropped by a few critics already...

Which seems ridiculous but there is a precedent.

Oh right...no movies are "news" here so Pete doesn't have to look at the screen covering his eyes

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Hmmm... Is this the return (although only for 1 night) of the Adventurers Club? Just saw this in one of the monthly newsletters ... The Countdown to Midnight will have three different themed party experiences. You can enjoy an interactive comedy reunion at the Adventurer’s Club, hop over to Club Live to rock out with a nine-piece dance band or take a spin at Club Vinyl where a seven-piece band will celebrate the golden age of music with a modern twist. This special event begins at 8 pm at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Convention Center and is available to guests of Walt Disney World Resort hotels only. The price is $300 per person (including tax and gratuity). Beer, wine, mixed drinks and a champagne toast are included, as well as the all-you-care-to enjoy menu. Advance reservations are required.

Sure looks like a low cost high upcharge to me...

Don't know that needs "replacing" in those parts

 

[skier_pete]

You can enjoy an interactive comedy reunion at the Adventurer’s Club, hop over to Club Live to rock out with a nine-piece dance band or take a spin at Club Vinyl where a seven-piece band will celebrate the golden age of music with a modern twist.

I had heard of this already...I am not sure how many adventurers Club fans this would suck in, but at $300 I wouldn't be one of them even if I was there.

The opening ceremony of the skipper canteen includes a song from the adventurers club as well.

However I don't think this is the return of the club rather just appealing to the fans out there.

I find it interesting though that this AC stuff keeps popping up, and they also sell some limited merchandise as well. Is it just selling people on nostalgia, or is it a testing of the water. Just saying, while I won't pay $300 for a vague one off, I would pay $75 a head for an Adventurer's Club dinner theater. Something like this would be a perfect double-screw that they could have occur at Skipper's Canteen during MNSSHP and charge people for the hard ticket event and then again for an AC performance. (Are you listening Disney?)

 

[MommaBerd]

$59 for one day is kind of pricey!! I would bite at $39 or maybe even $49, but not $59!

I hate to say it but when we went to the 24-hour event in May, I would have given some serious consideration to paying $59. Oh let's face it, I would have paid it! I had *really* hoped they would have just this - a one day PP+/MM. We were only there for that specific event, so no way to justify $150.

I am a total sucker for pictures. It isn't so much as "another picture in front of the castle" but more about "look at how the kids have changed" and "remember that trip..." and even noticing how the park has changed.

 

[rteetz]

Disney made a silent change recently with D-Street at Disney Springs. It is now a Star Wars store.

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/12/d-str...ey-springs-west-side-for-new-star-wars-store/

 

[skier_pete]

As far as memory maker / photopass goes...we ran a memory maker share with 3 other families on our last trip. While the DIS discourages this big time (you can't search out people to do this on the DIS - a big no-no) the system still allows it and actually makes it fairly easy to do. By splitting it 4 ways we only paid $42 for memory maker. In the past I did the old photopass the same way.

So not suggesting how to do it...but just saying it CAN be done.

 

[wareagle57]

The "O" word is being dropped by a few critics already...

Which seems ridiculous but there is a precedent.

Oh right...no movies are "news" here so Pete doesn't have to look at the screen covering his eyes

What is the O word?

 

[Tigger's ally]

What is the O word?

Overstock

Oprah!

It is a family place so can't put the other one down.

Orlando

 

[rteetz]

Roaming pirates are now in adventureland

https://t.co/3u7hY6llNY

 

[Ursula's Apprentice]

Roaming pirates are now in adventureland

https://t.co/3u7hY6llNY

I'm so happy to see this!!! Hopefully it does well and will still be there in March when I go back. I love interacting with characters like that! There used to be some in NFL (not a clue who they were supposed to be) that DH and I ran into one day and they complimented my ears (Ursula) and got onto the topic of my hubby's name (Rip VanWinkle. Seriously.) and we have some awesome pics of them falling asleep on him! Was truly a magical moment.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNsLnCfoEVDX9ksAgaXR9O1IhgIzfFR3UZHEE2f