News Round Up

[rteetz]

It looks like it's concrete tiers, which I guess you sit on. I doubt they will have chairs or seats. At best, they might have metal bleachers/benches, which is what I thought Fantasmic at DHS has.

yeah if they add seating it would be the bench seating attached to those concrete tiers. Those tiers just look too high to be seating themselves.

 

[Eoghann]

yeah if they add seating it would be the bench seating attached to those concrete tiers. Those tiers just look too high to be seating themselves.

I could be wrong but I think they likely still have to fill in the "floor" for those seats.

Think stadium style seating with (currently unbuilt) steps going down the middle.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

I could be wrong but I think they likely still have to fill in the "floor" for those seats.

Think stadium style seating with (currently unbuilt) steps going down the middle.

Yep that's what I suspect as well.

 

[skier_pete]

I could be wrong but I think they likely still have to fill in the "floor" for those seats.

Think stadium style seating with (currently unbuilt) steps going down the middle.

Percisely - I shouldn't really call them "seats". More like benches. But we're looking at a WDW "Fantasmic" design, not a DLR "Fantasmic" design.

 

[summerw]

1) Well - I haven't heard MORE rumors about BTMRR - but agree that is the rumor.

2) It looks like RoL has seats - not standing. World of Color is a great show but agree the weakest part of it is that its standing. Really brutal for short people/kids.

3) Disney has never said anything but "spring" for RoL. Regardless of what the rumors say, there's no firm date. These types of shows take lots of testing and often have delays before opening. Expect later over sooner.

4) They aren't just trying to reduce passes as much as drive people to less crowded days/times. I don't know the details of that pass, but I'm pretty sure it's one of the restricted ones, right?

1. Yes

2. Still unknown at this point. If it's for sure seating that may really limit the amount of people able to see this show. There could be some serious capacity issues.

3. Well Disney has been safe in saying spring 2016 so may still falls within that. Things might've been delayed so that would be my only guess at this time.

4. This definitely isn't the last of price increases Disney is going to keep increasing those prices until they find that level they want to be at.

Thanks for the feedback. Is it just me or Disney being really tight-lipped about all these projects? We're also staying at the Poly with the pool that will open in "early 2016" as well. Hopefully Soarin and BTMRR are just rumors, or at least one of them! Since it seems like I'll just miss RoL for my trip, I guess it won't affect me until next trip, but I really hope they do benches. F! seating isn't comfy but it's soooo much better than the roller-derby version that is World of Color.

And yes, that DLR pass is the one that's blocked Saturdays, Christmas, Summer and other major holidays, which totally works for me since I live 20 minutes away and don't go when it's hot or crowded anyway.

Although I've grown up with DLR and have been hundreds of times, I'm not someone opposed to construction. Losing Big Thunder Ranch is sad because we love the Halloween and Christmas fairs, but I can totally appreciate getting Star Wars Land out of it. I also don't like the AP increases but can understand as I've seen the crowds grow dramatically over the last few years and agree something is needed. I do think how vague and secretive Disney is being about a lot of these projects is kind of annoying. Making people plan WDW ADRs 6 months in advance but not giving project details for within that time period just seems hypocritical. Also, the year-long closures we've seen seemed reasonable until you watch Disney Springs construction. Oh, so you can build fast if it will generate revenue directly? Makes me feel less warm and fuzzy.

Thanks for the thread. I always know I can catch anything I've missed here.

 

[skier_pete]

Thanks for the feedback. Is it just me or Disney being really tight-lipped about all these projects?

Disney is usually very tight-lipped on timelines except in vague terms. I'm actually pretty shocked they've already said that Frozen/Norway will be open in May 2016. It's basically a "cover your butt" technique. If they say "sometime 2016", people can't complain when they are late opening. I am sure there is an internal target on all the items you listed, but early in construction they don't want to risk it. Especially a show like RoL, where there are a lot of different effects that have to work together, and work for all the seating angles, its very hard to know for 100% how things will work until they actually start running the show.

What I like less is their recent habit of announcing closures mere days or weeks before they close.

 

[summerw]

Disney is usually very tight-lipped on timelines except in vague terms. I'm actually pretty shocked they've already said that Frozen/Norway will be open in May 2016. It's basically a "cover your butt" technique. If they say "sometime 2016", people can't complain when they are late opening. I am sure there is an internal target on all the items you listed, but early in construction they don't want to risk it. Especially a show like RoL, where there are a lot of different effects that have to work together, and work for all the seating angles, its very hard to know for 100% how things will work until they actually start running the show.

What I like less is their recent habit of announcing closures mere days or weeks before they close.

They announced Frozen for sure? I missed that. On the Parks Blog? And I definitely agree about the last-minute closures. I totally understand why they don't announce with the construction, but then they need to shorten the ADR time. Seems out of synch.

 

[rteetz]

They announced Frozen for sure? I missed that. On the Parks Blog? And I definitely agree about the last-minute closures. I totally understand why they don't announce with the construction, but then they need to shorten the ADR time. Seems out of synch.

According to the Disney website it says maelstrom is done until The end of April. Disney hasn't officially said its opening date but it's heavily rumored to be May 1st.

I'd also like to add that soarin is very likely to go down as the CMs have been cross trained for other jobs already The duration of the refurb is still in question but everything I've seen says 6 months.

 

[rteetz]

Monorail Yellow has stalled near the Contemporary. RCFD is on seen with emergency evacuation equipment.

https://twitter.com/hintofspy/status/652974637467439109

When is Disney going to admit it's time to get new monorails or at least refurbish them so they don't have these problems frequently.

 

[Irish_Mike]

I doubt we'll see any transportation improvements (Or upgrades) for at least another three years. All of Disney's focus seems to be on improving the park interiors.

They'll have to address the monorails eventually, especially with more and more people coming in to visit

 

[circus4u]

Disney revisits 'Aladdin' with new outtakes of Robin Williams as Genie

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/10/entertainment/robin-williams-aladdin-feat/index.html

 

[rteetz]

I doubt we'll see any transportation improvements (Or upgrades) for at least another three years. All of Disney's focus seems to be on improving the park interiors.

They'll have to address the monorails eventually, especially with more and more people coming in to visit

Well when they keep breaking down someone's got to take notice and say something has to be done but his is Disney so nothing will be done.

 

[soniam]

Monorail Yellow has stalled near the Contemporary. RCFD is on seen with emergency evacuation equipment.

https://twitter.com/hintofspy/status/652974637467439109

When is Disney going to admit it's time to get new monorails or at least refurbish them so they don't have these problems frequently.

They keep doing refurbs and maintenance, because they are shutting them down half the time now for this junk. Or, they are just saying they are doing work, but they are really just shutting them down to save them. Who knows? If they are really doing work, then it's not the right kind, just band aid stuff.

 

[rteetz]

They keep doing refurbs and maintenance, because they are shutting them down half the time now for this junk. Or, they are just saying they are doing work, but they are really just shutting them down to save them. Who knows? If they are really doing work, then it's not the right kind, just band aid stuff.

Exactly just band aids that don't fix the issues.

 

[Micca]

Well when they keep breaking down someone's got to take notice and say something has to be done but his is Disney so nothing will be done.

Sad, but likely true. At some point the trains will no longer be maintainable. At that point, they either have to eliminate them completely, or build the cost of the replacements into tickets. It could even be a situation of "free bus" or "Pass that includes monorail transportation for only an additional X dollars per day."

 

[rteetz]

The floating mountains have started to get concrete work so things are progressing in AK.

 

[Eoghann]

The floating mountains have started to get concrete work so things are progressing in AK.

If nothing else (and I have high hopes for the Avatar expansion) those mountains are going to look incredible and they're going to be very visible in the park.

 

[rteetz]

October MK entertainment adjustments

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2015/10/magic-kingdom-entertainment-adjustments.html?m=1

 

[rteetz]

Dining with an Imagineers at Citricos

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2015/10/dining-with-imagineer-at-chefs-domain.html?m=1

 

[rteetz]

Electric vehicle charging at AK

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2015/10/new-electric-vehicle-charging-station.html?m=1