VWL Lovers & Groupies Thread: Meese-ka, Mice-ka MOOSE-kateers

[Disney loving Iowan]

Don't we already have breakfast at WC scheduled for the morning of the 9th?

Yes, we do at 8:30. I am wondering who all will be there.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Don't know if anyone had seen this yet but it is one of the best surprise videos I have seen. Makes me cry everytime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOpOhlGiRTM

 

[Inkmahm]

We will be at the Lodge on the 7th and 8th. Let me know what is going on and I will try to be there.

Also who all do we have meeting for breakfast on the 9th?

*waves* Dynaguy and I are in for the breakfast on the 9th.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

*waves* Dynaguy and I are in for the breakfast on the 9th.

Can't wait to meet you!

 

[horselover]

Hey groupies question for you. Has anyone ever had a package shipped to them from Amazon? I've shipped a box from home before with no issues. I mark it hold for guest horselover arriving on xx/xx date, but I wonder how that would work if I sent something from Amazon? I'd like to purchase something as a Christmas gift & have it shipped direct vs. home then repack. I'm already planning to send a bunch of things & since this item will be heavy I don't want to add it to the mix. Any thoughts? Should I not do it?

 

[MiaSRN62]

Don't know if anyone had seen this yet but it is one of the best surprise videos I have seen. Makes me cry everytime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOpOhlGiRTM

I'm totally cryin' over here !!!

 

[jimmytammy]

DLI

Love the video! I feel the same way, T agrees. I have been having serious WDW/VWL/OKW/BWV withdrawals this week. I really wish we were going in a few days. Usually we are leaving just after Thanksgiving, staying 2 weeks. We did that back in Oct. taking advantage of getting 3 trips out of APs. Its all good, but sure gonna miss not being there in Dec.

We are setting ourselves up pts wise for a combined Aulani, GC trip in Jan or Feb 2013. Still going to WDW in March but will be staying at OKW and doing Spring Training games and over to US/IOA for 1st time. DS has especially been wanting to go tthere fro some time, hoping DD will like HP stuff enough to satisfy.

So for those with trips coming soon, I will be living vicariously through all who are there. Any that can, pleeeeze, pleeeeze share your trips with us while there. Pics help the pain too

 

[twokats]

Hey groupies question for you. Has anyone ever had a package shipped to them from Amazon? I've shipped a box from home before with no issues. I mark it hold for guest horselover arriving on xx/xx date, but I wonder how that would work if I sent something from Amazon? I'd like to purchase something as a Christmas gift & have it shipped direct vs. home then repack. I'm already planning to send a bunch of things & since this item will be heavy I don't want to add it to the mix. Any thoughts? Should I not do it?

I do Amazon all the time. I have not sent anything to WDW, but I ship to my son down in south Texas from me quite a bit. Everything has always gone very smooth with no problems. As long as you get everything needed for the address I would not think there would be an issue.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm sharing your feelings JimmyTammy! We just returned and I'm feeling sad that we aren't heading that way in December!!

So I'll just keep looking at my pictures and remembering the fun. Here are some more:

When we arrived at the studios we found that Christmas had already started:

Jumping forward to our afternoon destination (after lunch of course ):

Uh oh - is that a ghost?!

Somehow we managed to survive so headed over to try our hand at drawing a classic Disney character.

However we just missed the group starting and had TSM fast passes that were coming up so we continued on and caught part of the Jedi training.

Then we were at our shoot out. DH has a big habit of beating me at Buzz but he has yet to conquor with Woody. Today did not change that streak!

After my big win we headed over to Aerosmith to use the fastpasses we had picked up earlier:

This was our final ride at DHS and back to BWV we headed to rest a bit and get ready to head in to Epcot for F&W and the Night Ranger concert.

 

[Dizny Dad]

Yes, we do at 8:30. I am wondering who all will be there.

DiznyDi & I will be there!

 

[jimmytammy]

Kat4
Glad Im not alone...loving the pics

 

[jimmytammy]

There is a blog here on the DIS that reads about WDW either adding a 5th park or tweaking, plussing and giving TLC to the existing park.

What are your thoughts?

After really thinking it over, I lean towards keeping the parks they have in better shape and continuing to grow them in attractions. MK is currently growing, in a big way, and Im excited to see what it becomes.

I might get backlash for this, but Epcot IMO needs more attractions on FW side esp. Building unused near MS(where Body Wars is housed) is wasted space to me. Great area for a added ride or show. Ellens deal is OK but needs revamp, or better yet, new something else. Innoventions can be so-so to me. DS likes going through, but I really feel it is lacking. WS, add another country, and add an attraction or 2.

HS is small, but here I feel 2 or 3 things could be added and it would make it more desirable for repeat visitors(like all of us)

AK just needs more...period. I think the amount of ground you cover walking really kills time. I like the concept of it all, but even with KS, EE, and Dino, those E tickets arent quite enough to carry it all. Somethings not right when your family goes for a week and automatically we are discluding AK as a destination.

These are just my opinions on it all. Would like to engage on news and rumours but it can get nasty there. So I know you folks will be nice even we disagree. Curious how others feel. So please share.

 

[stopher1]

Yes, we do at 8:30. I am wondering who all will be there.

Breakfast on the 9th sounds great! I'll be there, I just have to leave by 10.

 

[horselover]

There is a blog here on the DIS that reads about WDW either adding a 5th park or tweaking, plussing and giving TLC to the existing park.

What are your thoughts?

After really thinking it over, I lean towards keeping the parks they have in better shape and continuing to grow them in attractions. MK is currently growing, in a big way, and Im excited to see what it becomes.

I might get backlash for this, but Epcot IMO needs more attractions on FW side esp. Building unused near MS(where Body Wars is housed) is wasted space to me. Great area for a added ride or show. Ellens deal is OK but needs revamp, or better yet, new something else. Innoventions can be so-so to me. DS likes going through, but I really feel it is lacking. WS, add another country, and add an attraction or 2.

HS is small, but here I feel 2 or 3 things could be added and it would make it more desirable for repeat visitors(like all of us)

AK just needs more...period. I think the amount of ground you cover walking really kills time. I like the concept of it all, but even with KS, EE, and Dino, those E tickets arent quite enough to carry it all. Somethings not right when your family goes for a week and automatically we are discluding AK as a destination.

These are just my opinions on it all. Would like to engage on news and rumours but it can get nasty there. So I know you folks will be nice even we disagree. Curious how others feel. So please share.

I would love to see a 5th park. Maybe something geared more towards teens & adults.

I agree with pretty much everything you said above. Ecpot needs some new attractions, not to mention Soarin' is in desperate need of a rehab. On our last visit we decided as much as we love that ride we're boycotting it until they fix it. It's just not enjoyable to watch anymore with all the black lines & marks either on the screen on in the movie itself. Tons of wasted space in the Innoventions buildings that could be put to better use. How about the empty Odyssey building too. I wish they would move the F&W festival center there & turn that building into some kind of attraction.

DHS could use some new rides as well. Love the new Star Tours, but it could definitely use more.

AK we never go to anymore because we find it boring. We enjoy the safari but that's about it. It is getting the new Avatar land though so I'm hopefully that will give the park a little more draw (at least for us).

So obviously you're not getting any flames from me!

 

[stopher1]

There is a blog here on the DIS that reads about WDW either adding a 5th park or tweaking, plussing and giving TLC to the existing park.

What are your thoughts?

After really thinking it over, I lean towards keeping the parks they have in better shape and continuing to grow them in attractions. MK is currently growing, in a big way, and Im excited to see what it becomes.

I might get backlash for this, but Epcot IMO needs more attractions on FW side esp. Building unused near MS(where Body Wars is housed) is wasted space to me. Great area for a added ride or show. Ellens deal is OK but needs revamp, or better yet, new something else. Innoventions can be so-so to me. DS likes going through, but I really feel it is lacking. WS, add another country, and add an attraction or 2.

HS is small, but here I feel 2 or 3 things could be added and it would make it more desirable for repeat visitors(like all of us)

AK just needs more...period. I think the amount of ground you cover walking really kills time. I like the concept of it all, but even with KS, EE, and Dino, those E tickets arent quite enough to carry it all. Somethings not right when your family goes for a week and automatically we are discluding AK as a destination.

These are just my opinions on it all. Would like to engage on news and rumours but it can get nasty there. So I know you folks will be nice even we disagree. Curious how others feel. So please share.

I agree with you Jimmy!

Adding a 5th park might be "good" for marketing purposes... or it could be complete bomb too. Disney went down that road of trying to turn DL into the DLR over a decade ago, spending a billion dollars to do it by adding in the Downtown Disney District and California Adventure. Tons of marketing $ and buzz over the "second gate" - only for it to fall flat way back in 2001 when it opened. Why? Because the lure of a getting visitors to extend their stay by an extra night or two or three brought about too much greed. And management decided they could outsource design concepts vs. letting the Imagineers do what they do best so they went and built the park on the cheap, putting in too many "off the shelf" attractions, not enough attractions, and way too many shops & restaurants. More $ was spent on building shops & restaurants than attractions. The only great thing that came from DCA initially was Soarin' Over California - so good, of course, that it was exported to Epcot in 2005. And ever since then they've been plussing it and plussing it - adding in all sorts of new things. Adding in the Tower of Terror to the tune of $150M, Flik's Fun Fair another $100M, Monsters Inc: Mike & Sully to the Rescue another $50M. Then realizing their mistakes, they designed Toy Story Midway Mania for DCA (subsequently green-lighted for DHS after they figured out it would be a good attraction) for another $100M, World of Color - another $150M, and then entire redo of Paradise Pier, Mickey's Silly Symphony Swings, the entry area retheme to Buena Vista Street, building of The Little Mermaid attraction, and the addition of CarsLand for a nice $1.2B... and to think how much they might have saved if they had just done it right from the get-go by not having to go in and tear out the crap that went in first.

Now if they were able to lock up a deal with Lucas and get a 5th park designed around the Star Wars mythology - I would be all for that.

I believe, as you do, that Epcot needs a big refresher. The Wonders of Life Pavilion is just plain sad. I personally avoid Innoventions, as it really is just one big commercial - such a waste of valuable real estate that could be transformed into something better. The upstairs of the Imagination Pavilion should be reopened - another waste. World Showcase definitely needs another country or two - they have enough space for 7 more.

DHS does need more to it, IMO. While it has come a long way from the 1/2 day park that it was when it opened, it still has too many show based attractions for my liking. The Indy stunt show is good, but I would love it if they could find a way to perhaps have 2 different shows based on the Indy lore - and run mix-up how they are performed. That could help freshen up this 22 year old show. I would also love it if with all of the attention that they are giving the Muppets franchise (I'm excited about the new film, are you?) if they would finally build the Muppet-based attraction (ride) that was supposed to be part of the "Muppet expansion area" way back when they opened up MuppetVision 3D... the concept included 3 things for that area - but only 1 was built.

AK definitely needs more IMO. Personally I think that Camp Minnie Mickey is a waste of good real estate. The Lion King show is cool, but the meet & greets take up way too much space that could better be used by an attraction. They really Discovery River need to figure out a way to use the Discovery River once again for an actual attraction. And it would be great if they could put in some sort of transportation system to move guests from one side to the other - like, I don't know... something that used to soar above the MK (and DL) for years and years and years (1971-1999 and 1956-1994 respectively) - something like say, the Skyway, which could add interest and move guests from say the front to the back of the park. There are ways to make them ADA compliant, so using that excuse as Disney likes to do doesn't cut it in my book. If they do indeed bring an Avatar-based land to AK, that could help in the interest/attractions arena, but it would have to be done "right", like what looks to be happening with CarsLand at DCA.

For too many years, Disney's "official" mentality on expansion was addition by subtraction - OR - expansion by contraction... anytime something NEW was added, at least one OLD thing had to be removed. That's just plain WRONG in my book, and has a net zero effect on capacity. Both domestic resorts have done it, and it just stinks. However, MK's expansion of Fantasyland is a big step in the right direction by at least adding in some additional capacity with the doubling of the size of Dumbo with the the additional spinner. However the net is not as great as they are making it sound. Yes they are adding The Little Mermaid, a nice new "people eater" that can cycle through up to 2,000 guests per hour, and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride, but really they're just adding in 2 new attractions, 1 expanded attraction, 1 rethemed attraction and new restaurants and shops. The WOW factor will come from the return to Imagineering's best skills - the themactic elements and atmosphere that they are creating. But they have several things from the past that could be fairly easily brought back to help with capacity issues - and bring back some of the charm that has been lacking for quite some time. Things like the Mike Fink Keelboats - or the Davey Crockett Explorer Canoes. Removed years ago, yet both of their docks remain intact. Slow loaders, yes, but definitely part of the charm of Frontierland. DL still uses the canoes, and they DEFINITELY add something special to the Rivers of America... plus they're just plain FUN. What I would love to see is something new added to Tomorrowland - without having something taken away, and not just another stage show - there is room to grow, if they did it right.

 

[wildernessDad]

I think you'll love this YouTube video by Susan Egan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKdLJo2_6hQ

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

There is a blog here on the DIS that reads about WDW either adding a 5th park or tweaking, plussing and giving TLC to the existing park.

What are your thoughts?

DD and I are always talking about how we would love to see more countries in Epcot! That would be my number one vote.

Breakfast on the 9th sounds great! I'll be there, I just have to leave by 10.

How many of you will there be? Dizny Dad can we add Stopher to the reservation?

Kat - Love the pictures!!!!! They are really getting me excited to go!!!!

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Love the video WD!

 

[eliza61]

There is a blog here on the DIS that reads about WDW either adding a 5th park or tweaking, plussing and giving TLC to the existing park.

What are your thoughts?

After really thinking it over, I lean towards keeping the parks they have in better shape and continuing to grow them in attractions. MK is currently growing, in a big way, and Im excited to see what it becomes.

I might get backlash for this, but Epcot IMO needs more attractions on FW side esp. Building unused near MS(where Body Wars is housed) is wasted space to me. Great area for a added ride or show. Ellens deal is OK but needs revamp, or better yet, new something else. Innoventions can be so-so to me. DS likes going through, but I really feel it is lacking. WS, add another country, and add an attraction or 2.

HS is small, but here I feel 2 or 3 things could be added and it would make it more desirable for repeat visitors(like all of us)

AK just needs more...period. I think the amount of ground you cover walking really kills time. I like the concept of it all, but even with KS, EE, and Dino, those E tickets arent quite enough to carry it all. Somethings not right when your family goes for a week and automatically we are discluding AK as a destination.

These are just my opinions on it all. Would like to engage on news and rumours but it can get nasty there. So I know you folks will be nice even we disagree. Curious how others feel. So please share.

Humm this is a tricky one. So my major reservations is this, lately disneys offerings have been really unimaginative (just my opinion). I'm anxiously awaiting the new fantasy land but I've got to say that the stuff they've got going on at DTD is a major disappointment. I've been watching the blurbs about Hyperion wharf but from the drawings that I've seen, it looks like a mall with spot lights. I'm reserving criticism until it actually opens but all I can think off is "big whoo".

As much as I would love a new park, I think so much of the old stuff is in need of some major upgrading. The new star tours is great but would really love an upgrade to Indiana Jones and the great film ride. I see so much potential in HS but its just wasted.

Same goes for Epcot. Went to France and saw the mini movie show. That thing is 2 days older than christ. Really, it can't cost that much to shoot a new one. Ditto Soarin, Ellen and I'm not even going to touch that god-awful Captian EO. that thing is just plain scary!! Come on Disney, if we have to have a pop star, at least give us Justin Bieber.

My concern with a 5th park is that disney concentrate on quantity not quality. Will the restaurants have better food? will the gift shops have quality, different offerings or will it be another excuse to stuff "Hannah Montanna and Nightmare before Xmas' down our throats? So my vote is to concentrate on what we have and make it fantastic.

 

[twokats]

Don't we already have breakfast at WC scheduled for the morning of the 9th?

Yes, we do at 8:30. I am wondering who all will be there.

*waves* Dynaguy and I are in for the breakfast on the 9th.

Can't wait to meet you!

DiznyDi & I will be there!

Breakfast on the 9th sounds great! I'll be there, I just have to leave by 10.

How many of you will there be? Dizny Dad can we add Stopher to the reservation?

The kids and I don't have any plans for that morning and would join you gladly if the reservation can be changed to accomodate 3 additional people. But we will understand if it cannot.