News Round Up 2016

[rteetz]

News

Looks like Sum of All Thrills CMs are being reassigned as of May 27th which would mean the attraction closes then.

 

[mollmoll4]

Getting closer to replacing "friends of" characters with robots.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/disney-replace-cuddly-theme-park-7967320

(I know the idea/base story isn't new, but this seemed like a neat update)

 

[soniam]

News

Looks like Sum of All Thrills CMs are being reassigned as of May 27th which would mean the attraction closes then.

Getting closer to replacing "friends of" characters with robots.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/disney-replace-cuddly-theme-park-7967320

(I know the idea/base story isn't new, but this seemed like a neat update)

It will probably cut their labor costs too

 

[Irish_Mike]

News

Disney is getting back in the grad nights game. In 2017 Disney will host Grad nights at Typhoon Lagoon.

I'm honestly surprised it's taken them this long - they already do Starlit Splash for CP's at Typhoon Lagoon, so I easily see them Copy+Pasting that over for Grad nights.

News

Looks like Sum of All Thrills CMs are being reassigned as of May 27th which would mean the attraction closes then.

Seriously, at this point, just bulldoze Future World and make it premium parking for World Showcase.

 

[ej119]

News

Info on the nighttime entertainment coming to AK.

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...ats-up-this-summer-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/

I was hopeful that this would include a ROL update that I missed as they promised an update this month. May is slowly ticking away...

 

[skier_pete]

Attendance slowdowns...hmmm. Disney has been pushing excessive price increases the last few years - there is eventually going to be a breaking point where they start to lose customers by pricing out a portion of their customer base. Perhaps they are getting there. I keep thinking they'll be a response to the hard ticket events. I feel I am seeing WAAAYYY more "it's not worth it" responses to MNSSHP and MVMCP this year than ever before. It used to be 98% of what you heard was "this is such a great event" and now it's probably more like 60-70% positive. As I've said, if your Disney, why NOT keep raising ticket prices as long as people keep coming...but when they STOP...oh boy.

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

I'm bummed about the treehouse. I like to eat Dole Whip while going through it. I guess I'm the only one who cares though

I'm bummed about the SFR Treehouse, too. The first time we visited WDW as a family my kids were 4 & 6- too young to sit and watch an old movie like SFR. We walked through the giant treehouse anyway and they were appropriately impressed. I made a point to watch the movie again before our next trip and it had a much greater impact. They really appreciated the treehouse AND even POTC took on new meaning because of the pirates in the movie. We are fortunate that a theater near us shows Disney Screens. I'm such a traditionalist and 100% into Disney nostalgia, but realize I am in the minority. I will be disappointed if they change the SFR treehouse into another Tarzan tree, but change is bound to happen. My first trip as a child there was a line to walk through the Treehouse. Our last three trips, only a handful of people were walking it with us. Clearly it needs updating to maximize use of that space.

Link for more info on Disney Screen: http://www.cinemark.com/cinemark-disney-screen.aspx

 

[mikepizzo]

I'm bummed about the SFR Treehouse, too. The first time we visited WDW as a family my kids were 4 & 6- too young to sit and watch an old movie like SFR. We walked through the giant treehouse anyway and they were appropriately impressed. I made a point to watch the movie again before our next trip and it had a much greater impact. They really appreciated the treehouse AND even POTC took on new meaning because of the pirates in the movie. We are fortunate that a theater near us shows Disney Screens. I'm such a traditionalist and 100% into Disney nostalgia, but realize I am in the minority. I will be disappointed if they change the SFR treehouse into another Tarzan tree, but change is bound to happen. My first trip as a child there was a line to walk through the Treehouse. Our last three trips, only a handful of people were walking it with us. Clearly it needs updating to maximize use of that space.

Link for more info on Disney Screen: http://www.cinemark.com/cinemark-disney-screen.aspx

My kingdom to be able to see Hunchback on a big screen with booming audio...

 

[skier_pete]

I will be disappointed if they change the SFR treehouse into another Tarzan tree, but change is bound to happen.

I don't think it is at all. Tarzan is well past it's shelf life and is not high on the Disney Classic list. (Note: I am not saying it isn't a good movie, it is...I'm talking about it's popularity.) The only reason they convert the treehouse in anyway is if it would fit in with a popular (now) movie, and I just don't see that. The more likely scenarios are (a) shutting it down for a little while as a cost cutting measure or (b) they are actually going to clean it up.

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

I don't think it is at all. Tarzan is well past it's shelf life and is not high on the Disney Classic list. (Note: I am not saying it isn't a good movie, it is...I'm talking about it's popularity.) The only reason they convert the treehouse in anyway is if it would fit in with a popular (now) movie, and I just don't see that. The more likely scenarios are (a) shutting it down for a little while as a cost cutting measure or (b) they are actually going to clean it up.

blah. I hadn't finished my coffee before I made that post. I'm surprised I formed complete sentences. I intended to say I would be disappointed if they made it Tarzan (implied- reasons you noted) but acknowledge that they are likely to do *something* to it. (Jungle Book Tree anyone?)

 

[j2thomason]

Link for more info on Disney Screen: http://www.cinemark.com/cinemark-disney-screen.aspx

I SO, SO wish that every theater around the country would offer this!! I would love to see some of these movies on the big screen again!!

 

[Kirkules]

Link for more info on Disney Screen: http://www.cinemark.com/cinemark-disney-screen.aspx

Wow! What a great idea! I would mix up the show times and maybe not do it 7 days a week, but very good idea! Going to have to talk to the guy who owns the local theater in Farmington, ME...

 

[rteetz]

Attendance slowdowns...hmmm. Disney has been pushing excessive price increases the last few years - there is eventually going to be a breaking point where they start to lose customers by pricing out a portion of their customer base. Perhaps they are getting there. I keep thinking they'll be a response to the hard ticket events. I feel I am seeing WAAAYYY more "it's not worth it" responses to MNSSHP and MVMCP this year than ever before. It used to be 98% of what you heard was "this is such a great event" and now it's probably more like 60-70% positive. As I've said, if your Disney, why NOT keep raising ticket prices as long as people keep coming...but when they STOP...oh boy.

Well said. I agree that I'm seeing a lot more it's not worth it type responses these days.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Attendance slowdowns...hmmm. Disney has been pushing excessive price increases the last few years - there is eventually going to be a breaking point where they start to lose customers by pricing out a portion of their customer base. Perhaps they are getting there. I keep thinking they'll be a response to the hard ticket events. I feel I am seeing WAAAYYY more "it's not worth it" responses to MNSSHP and MVMCP this year than ever before. It used to be 98% of what you heard was "this is such a great event" and now it's probably more like 60-70% positive. As I've said, if your Disney, why NOT keep raising ticket prices as long as people keep coming...but when they STOP...oh boy.

Lots of reasons why you don't keep raising prices to the tipping point...the biggest ones being you eventually lose large amounts of your customers as you fall over the cliff (unless you get it perfectly right - and no one ever does) and you destroy the image of your brand long term...Disney and money-grubbing should never be in the same image - it's so destructive to the brand of joy, being a kid, escapism, imagination they covet to keep...

 

[jlundeen]

Well said. I agree that I'm seeing a lot more it's not worth it type responses these days.

Well, I for one can echo that...currently planning a trip right after Thanksgiving - we love seeing the Christmas decorations, and usually l end our trips with our last night in MK, for fireworks and all the other magic that we try to carry home with us the next day.

This year, however, MK will only be open 2 of the 6 nights we are there - the other 4 are Party nights. In the past, we've done the Party...but not this year. $100 for mediocre hot chocolate and cookies, surrounded by mobs of humanity, just isn't going to happen. We'll have to try to save our special MK Magic from the other two nights we can be there earlier in the week, for our return trip home.

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

$100 for mediocre hot chocolate and cookies, surrounded by mobs of humanity, just isn't going to happen.

We attended MVMCP in 2014 and I was terribly disappointed in the much hyped all-you-care-to-enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. Watered down Swiss Miss cocoa? I can do that at home! Pre-packed snickerdoodles loaded with preservatives? Not only were they gross, but you can get those at the Dollar Store. Did not feel special at all. Felt like a cheap racket. and the Mobs of humanity were not feeling the Christmas Spirit! Ruthless, rude, and flat out mean to each other. My youngest ended up with a black eye from fighting our way through the Hub. Her poor little eye is all swollen in our pictures of that night. I agree, we won't waste our money on that again.

 

[rteetz]

News

Grad nights coming to Typhoon Lagoon.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/disn...es-returning-to-walt-disney-world-in-2017.htm

 

[EdmondD]

Ok then I did understand it correctly. I guess I never considered waiting for the clock to tick over to reserve my FPs. While I do reserve them at the 60 day mark, I just do it at some point that day. I figure the benefit of doing them that second is minimal as most people are waiting for the 30 day mark, and people with rooms have already been reserving FPs for days ahead of when I am able to (aka if my reservation window opens June 10th, there will already be reservations in place on many of my vacation days by folks who have multiday passes that begin up to 10 days before my trip - potentially starting June 1st).

Maybe it is because I don't go at peak times, but I haven't ever had an issue reserving any time within the day I am allowed to start booking. Has anyone here ran into a problem at the 60day mark before?

I've often wondered how many people I'm competing against on that given day and what the percentages are. How many people are starting their vacation on the same day as me (a lot, granted) vs how many people are in day 2 + 3... of their vacation. I've never had trouble, but I've always tried at midnight and we haven't ever tried for Elsa and Anna.

 

[nkosiek]

I've often wondered how many people I'm competing against on that given day and what the percentages are. How many people are starting their vacation on the same day as me (a lot, granted) vs how many people are in day 2 + 3... of their vacation. I've never had trouble, but I've always tried at midnight and we haven't ever tried for Elsa and Anna.

I'll be curious what the website will be like when they open FP+ for the new A/E stuff in EPCOT. My wife and in-laws want to check it out if it's open when we go in July but I can't be bothered. Unfortunately, I'm the planner, which means I'm the lucky guy who is going to have to go make those reservations.

 

[Travis B]

Link for more info on Disney Screen: http://www.cinemark.com/cinemark-disney-screen.aspx

I SO, SO wish that every theater around the country would offer this!! I would love to see some of these movies on the big screen again!!

I didn't even know this was a thing! I would definitely do this. I shouldn't really complain about proximity as one of the theaters is about 60 minutes away from me, but I would love if this was in a local theater. I could see myself going several times a week to see all the old movies on the big screen. Unless it's something very special, it's just too much of a PITA to drive out of Chicago into the burbs to see a movie. Maybe success will bring expansion. Thanks for sharing this!