NYTimes Travel Writer on DCL

[mkh531]

So after reading his first paragraph I thought to myself, "Ah a typical self-absored liberal NYer know-it-all" and expected the worst but was surprised by how accurate the article was in terms of portraying it from the first timer experience. I think his tone was annoyingly informative. It sounds like he had a good time in spite of his interest in not wanting to get consumed by the Disney Magic. I definitely made assumptions about this guy and was pleasantly surprised by how the review unfolded and ended.

Side note - I hope the extreme political movement doesn't negatively trickle into Disney Magic to the extent that my little girls are no longer referred to as "princesses" everywhere they go in the Disney environment... that's part of our magic that we love and why we choose Disney (the part where he complained about it made me cringe but I'm sure his daughter loved it, which is the point)

No, as another liberal NYer I think this guys problems are solely his own. While I’m not in love with the girls being called Princess everywhere either, I’m okay with it since my kids absolutely love it. Seriously I have two daughters and we have been to protests and rallies for a year now but they love Bibbidi Bobbidi too. We love the fantasy and the Disney bubble of it all. Also, people are complex.

What most stuns me about this guy is that his daughter is beyond happy, having a wonderful time, going off to kids clubs so he can go to whiskey tastings and whatnot...isn’t that freaking fantastic? That’s what sold me! I wonder If he normally has a live in nanny/au pair or something. So little was mentioned about the kids clubs that it seemed not to be factor in his family’s enjoyment of the trip.

 

[hanscarlet]

No, as another liberal NYer I think this guys problems are solely his own. While I’m not in love with the girls being called Princess everywhere either, I’m okay with it since my kids absolutely love it. Seriously I have two daughters and we have been to protests and rallies for a year now but they love Bibbidi Bobbidi too. We love the fantasy and the Disney bubble of it all. Also, people are complex.

What most stuns me about this guy is that his daughter is beyond happy, having a wonderful time, going off to kids clubs so he can go to whiskey tastings and whatnot...isn’t that freaking fantastic? That’s what sold me! I wonder If he normally has a live in nanny/au pair or something. So little was mentioned about the kids clubs that it seemed not to be factor in his family’s enjoyment of the trip.

Yes that's kind of what I meant about the self-absorbed thing. Sorry for lumping liberal NYer in on a sentence with self-absorbed and know-it-all as I don't think all liberals are self-absorbed or know-it-alls. He has a self-absorbed way about him though in his article in that there isn't a lot of acknowledgement on his kid's delight. Perhaps portraying his kid's delight isn't the purpose of his article but one would think that that's a huge reason for the traveller to select Disney in the first place.

 

[mkh531]

Yes that's kind of what I meant about the self-absorbed thing. Sorry for lumping liberal NYer in on a sentence with self-absorbed and know-it-all as I don't think all liberals are self-absorbed or know-it-alls. He has a self-absorbed way about him though in his article in that there isn't a lot of acknowledgement on his kid's delight. Perhaps portraying his kid's delight isn't the purpose of his article but one would think that that's a huge reason for the traveller to select Disney in the first place.

gotcha, I totally agree

 

[Dug720]

Yes that's kind of what I meant about the self-absorbed thing. Sorry for lumping liberal NYer in on a sentence with self-absorbed and know-it-all as I don't think all liberals are self-absorbed or know-it-alls. He has a self-absorbed way about him though in his article in that there isn't a lot of acknowledgement on his kid's delight. Perhaps portraying his kid's delight isn't the purpose of his article but one would think that that's a huge reason for the traveller to select Disney in the first place.

Especially since there are cruise lines (RCCL and NCL) that cruise out of the NYC area that he could have chosen if the only goal was to get out of the NYC cold.

 

[Snowwhyt]

You can easily find him on Twitter.

Sadly I stink at tweeting(I can’t find my account and wasn’t very good at it the day I had it a couple of years ago)
Anybody have an account that could invite him to comment?

Anyone who thinks Hamilton will be at TKTS (which doesn't open until 3pm on non-matinee days) for the next few years is seriously deluded. Wicked has only started popping up occasionally in the last year or so.

I agree with you.
Say Dug720 do you have any idea on how to find what shows have been offered at TKTS? I am planning a trip in mid August and wanted to see what shows I could pick up the day of at TKTS.

 

[Dug720]

I agree with you.
Say Dug720 do you have any idea on how to find what shows have been offered at TKTS? I am planning a trip in mid August and wanted to see what shows I could pick up the day of at TKTS.

I think most other than Hamilton - and Dear Evan Hansen and Come From Away are rare I think. Besides TKTS, there are some that have rush and/or lottery tickets if you're willing to take a chance. Check out broadwayforbrokepeople.com for info on that.

 

[cyclenut]

The author did a follow-up because he received so many comments. There is a link to it at the end of the story. He stated he did not do any advance planning on purpose. He wanted to go in as most cruisers do. Book the trip, go on the trip. Those of us here can't fathom the idea. We're here because we seek information and like to plan. We are no more than 10% of the ship on most sailings. Maybe as much as 20% at times.

He also said he was not personally interested in returning, but that his daughter had other ideas. I'm guessing there will be another trip in his future.

I didn't find him to be self-absorbed or arrogant. He seemed genuinely clueless and somewhat amused by what he was witnessing. A lot of people who don't do Disney, just don't get Disney. A big part of the reason we all sail Disney isn't because they offer a better cruise experience. It's because we enjoy the cruise more because it's Disney. That's not this guy. He went in saying he barely knows Disney AND he's never been on a cruise before. I'm really surprised he didn't even mention the production shows. He mentioned the movie theater, but it makes me wonder if he ever made it past the stores to the Walt Disney Theater!!

 

[starvenger]

He also said he was not personally interested in returning, but that his daughter had other ideas. I'm guessing there will be another trip in his future.

My feeling is that he will try another cruise line to compare and contrast. Provides a good narrative for him, if that's what he's looking for.

 

[MomOTwins]

You don't have to do a lot of advance planning to realize that a princess makeover is not really compatible with the beach (he knew it was CC day, since he said he had bought both the BBB package and a CC snorkeling package in advance). You also don't have to plan in advance to read your ship navigator and see that there are shows each night (which he apparently missed) or that lunch is provided on board daily (so he did not have to try random restaurants near the docks at both Key West and Nassau and then complain about the food quality), or the price of the spa services you are booking. I think it was a bit of a cop out in his follow-up article to chalk up his problems to a deliberate choice not to plan in advance -- there is a difference between lack of planning and lack of good judgment.

 

[mevelandry]

Anyone who thinks Hamilton will be at TKTS (which doesn't open until 3pm on non-matinee days) for the next few years is seriously deluded. Wicked has only started popping up occasionally in the last year or so.

If you have never been to NYC you probably don't know that... Nor that good first row tickets can cost you 200$ each.

P.s.: What about The Book of Mormons?

 

[mevelandry]

You don't have to do a lot of advance planning to realize that a princess makeover is not really compatible with the beach (he knew it was CC day, since he said he had bought both the BBB package and a CC snorkeling package in advance). You also don't have to plan in advance to read your ship navigator and see that there are shows each night (which he apparently missed) or that lunch is provided on board daily (so he did not have to try random restaurants near the docks at both Key West and Nassau and then complain about the food quality), or the price of the spa services you are booking. I think it was a bit of a cop out in his follow-up article to chalk up his problems to a deliberate choice not to plan in advance -- there is a difference between lack of planning and lack of good judgment.

The article doesn't say how long in advance he booked. Maybe the BBB was a last minute appointment, and out of FOMO they decided to book it anyway? (Even though the moment wasn't ideal) Who knows...

 

[Dug720]

If you have never been to NYC you probably don't know that... Nor that good first row tickets can cost you 200$ each.

P.s.: What about The Book of Mormons?

$200?? That is maybe Mezzanine for Hamilton. Hamilton tickets are EXPENSIVE. You're lucky to get ANY orchestra tickets for ANY show for much less than $200. I'm honestly waiting for the complaints to start flooding around about the cost of Frozen BALCONY (and I'm talking high up and cramped!!!!) seats - those are almost $100 a pop and those are not great seats AT ALL.

Book of Mormon has been on there periodically. I haven't been to the booth nearly as much since prices have skyrocketed. I'm more a "OK, I'll enter the digital lottery and just not see things."

 

[Dug720]

The article doesn't say how long in advance he booked. Maybe the BBB was a last minute appointment, and out of FOMO they decided to book it anyway? (Even though the moment wasn't ideal) Who knows...

But then don't complain about spending the money on a beach day. You have to make your choices and live with them.