1. If you had told me I could possibly have shin splits for an entire week, I would never have believed you.
2. Got an email from someone whose roommate was in fact a "ringer" this week in the Idol finale shows, so my suspicion was correct!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Goofy again: don't follow my example
As posted previously, I finished the half marathon in 3 hours, and the full marathon in five hours and 53 minutes. This is a disappointing and embarrassing 36 percentile for my age/sex division in both races (I was surprised it was the same percentile in both races!) but I still declare myself satisfied. Not only because I finished it, relative position be damned, but also because I did not train for this run. I have a bad history of laziness in this regard. I’ve used this space previously to chronicle my first half-marathon and first marathon, both run without training. Last year at this time, I tried my first Goofy Challenge, and also didn’t train. Well, that year I got through the half but didn’t finish the full marathon. I felt tingling in my fingertips at Mile 13 and took myself out of the race, since tempting fate isn’t the best thing to do when you don’t train for an endurance event. I chalked that one up as a failure, and resolved to learn from it rather than be beaten by it. That story is also on my personal blog: http://www.ultimateorlando.com/blog/2008_01_01_archive.html
This year there was no repeat of the tingling or any such physical hiccup. I’d dieted away 15 pounds over the past year (biking to work also helped), and I ran almost daily in Spring 2008 until I over-trained and injured myself, but I had done essentially no running from May-December. I did finally step on the treadmill the week of the race and ran one mile on Wednesday and two miles on Thursday, but that was it.
Please do not follow my poor example. The entire point of a marathon is not to run the thing, it’s to train for the thing, so I was clearly going about this all wrong. Not to mention the fact that this was dangerous. People can and do collapse at every marathon, so you simply must know your limits. It astounds me even now that I went from no training to 39 miles, but I recognize that this was a stupid thing to do.
This year there was no repeat of the tingling or any such physical hiccup. I’d dieted away 15 pounds over the past year (biking to work also helped), and I ran almost daily in Spring 2008 until I over-trained and injured myself, but I had done essentially no running from May-December. I did finally step on the treadmill the week of the race and ran one mile on Wednesday and two miles on Thursday, but that was it.
Please do not follow my poor example. The entire point of a marathon is not to run the thing, it’s to train for the thing, so I was clearly going about this all wrong. Not to mention the fact that this was dangerous. People can and do collapse at every marathon, so you simply must know your limits. It astounds me even now that I went from no training to 39 miles, but I recognize that this was a stupid thing to do.
Goofy Challenge 2009: Completed!
I finished the Goofy Challenge! This is a half-marathon on Saturday, and a full marathon the next day. My plan was to run the first half of each race (using a 12-minute pace) and then slow to a walk (20-minute pace) for the second half, resulting in a perfect 16 minute pace (which just happens to be Disney’s pacing requirements, sustained over the race). You could, for instance, jog two minutes and then walk two minutes, and continue ad infinitum until you reached the finish line (the “Galloway method” does something similar, but with fewer “walk breaks.” I’ve actually jogged alongside Jeff Galloway at one of these Disney marathons once). Or you could jog the first half of the course and then walk the second half, content in the knowledge that you’ll get there on time.
My plan was to do the latter. It made things seem more manageable, somehow. A 13.1 mile course really meant only 6.5 miles of jogging needed. And, since there’s usually a bit of running at the end of the course (“finish strong!” goes the mantra), you could probably get away with jogging just the first six miles. That’s entirely within reach. I’ve done five mile runs on my treadmill before breakfast without feeling like it was anything unusual, so six miles was nothing. I was sure the half-marathon was within my grasp. On my treadmill, I run at 5 MPH, which is exactly a 12-minute pace. Do that for six miles, slow to a walk for six more miles, and I’m home free in time for the 3 hour, 30-minute cutoff. That was the theory.
In practice on that half marathon, I was surprised to see that I was able to run at my desired pace—12 minute miles—from mile marker to mile marker. The crowds and occasional slow-downs didn’t do much to impact my pace. In fact, I gained a steady 10 seconds on my twelve minute pace at each mile. I was able to hit the six mile mark pretty easily; more easily, in fact, that I had expected or even hoped for. I could have kept running at that pace until Mile 10, I reasoned, but wanted to back off and just walk. I had to conserve energy for the next day’s longer race, and of course I was very worried about injuries.
To be sure, you do pick up and trot every so often. The stretch between Splash Mountain backstage and the TTC goes past the Grand Floridian and Polynesian resorts, and this is usually a spot where the road funnels and lots of spectators gather. For some reason, this stretch annoys me. I like the spectators at the TTC and at Epcot Center Drive, but these guys at the resorts are just closer, more in your face, and somehow judgmental. It happens to me every year that someone will urge me on in a way that implies I’m not giving it my all at the moment (never mind the fact that I may have a race strategy which calls for restraint at the time).
I finished in a leisurely three hours (give or take a minute), which is exactly where I assumed I would be. Not in any danger of getting swept by the pacing requirements, and not exerting myself so as to tempt fate for the next day. I was sore in a few places (especially the outsides of my knees, and particularly when needing to lift my legs, such as when ascending staircases) that afternoon, but took it easy. I indulged in a salt bath (Epsom salt; don’t ask me, but somehow it’s supposed to soothe muscles) and ate voraciously.
On marathon day, I was less sore than I’d expected after the night’s sleep (a good sign), but I didn’t feel as energetic as I had the day before. That’s to be expected, I reasoned, and hoped that the light trotting of Mile 1 (when it’s very crowded on the road) would loosen me up. There were some 17,000 participants at the full marathon, and despite having two start lines and parallel courses for the first three miles, it was still crowded.
I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow I made it past the merge and all the way to Mile 6 (the turning point to the Magic Kingdom) without any difficulty whatsoever. I was expecting knee problems most of all, or perhaps “Charley Horse” knotted muscles in my thighs like I’d seen at Mile 20 in the marathon one year without doing a half marathon the day before, but none of that materials. I felt pretty good, but was still girding myself. The plan, remember, was to jog 13.1 miles at my usual 12-minute pace, and then I could walk the rest. I was almost halfway there by Mile 6. I figured I could make it to Mile 10 without too much difficulty, and Mile 10 to 11 was inside the Magic Kingdom, so the spectators there would add extra incentive to just keep running. Mile 11 to 13 would be hard, but I had extra energy bars and gels with me in a runner’s pack just for those miles.
I fought an ongoing mental battle with myself until Mile 10, knowing that it was going to be hard, and I’ll be honest that it was. But having those energy bars helped, and long story short, I made it as planned to the halfway point, with my time almost to the second averaging 12-minute miles. To all intents and purposes, I had made it. I could walk now, and I would receive my Goofy medal.
In the middle of the race, of course, you worry about things. What if my walking pace was actually too slow? What I needed was a little insurance. So after a mere thirty seconds or so of walking, I started jogging again. It was a bit less rushed than before, but it was more than a trot. By Mile 14, I looked at the time and did some mental calisthenics to decide I had just “banked” six minutes from my presumed 20-minute pace.
Fully aware that I sounded like Forrest Gump even in my own head, I did a quick check of my body and muscles, decided everything felt good, and just kept going. I’d slow to a walk for 10 seconds at each water station, but otherwise, I was jogging. The pressure was off, since my pacing plan meant I could be walking instead if I so chose, and this made the experience more pleasurable and less like work. The miles, frankly, melted away. Before I knew it, we were at DAK. My plan by this point was to keep up the jogging until mile 18 and then really slow down. For some reason, I missed Mile 17’s marker and timeclock (or was it missing because the DAK walkways and backstage areas are tight?) so I didn’t get to check my progress until Mile 18. To my surprise, I was basically still keeping up with the jogging progress (though a touch slower than 12-minute miles). I had only two miles to go until Mile 20. Wouldn’t it be something if I could actually run 20 miles? I had never done that before, and just like that, a new quest was born in my head, right around Mile 18. I would make it to Mile 20, running all the way, and keep my pace. And so I did, crossing the Mile 20 marker at 4:13 (chip time), meaning I had run with a sustained average of 12.7-minutes per mile. Not quite a bucket-list moment, but close.
I walked, then, not willing to risk catastrophic injury that would force me to miss my medal. I admit that at some point in each mile, I did trot, especially if a downhill slope presented itself (you always want to make gravity work for you). As Mile 24 approached, I did quick calculations and realized I would be *this close* to a sub-six-hour marathon if I kept up my walking pace. I figured I might as well try to squeeze in yet one more quest into this day, and so I upped how often I was trotting in those last miles. I crossed the finish line at 6:02 race-time, which was 5:53 chip time for me. Another not-quite bucket list item, but satisfying nonetheless.
I failed in my attempt at the Goofy last year (read about it here: http://www.ultimateorlando.com/blog/2008_01_01_archive.html) so I’ve tried to think about what’s different this time. One big change is that I never really stopped at the food stations before, and skipped at least half the water/Powerade stations. This time around, I ate everything I could, gobbled and drank every calorie held out to me, and I brought along my own food too. Plus, I had finally decided to wake up early enough to eat a real breakfast rather than just a power bar before the start line. I was calorie-ready!
I also used the biofreeze stuff at every other medical tent. This soothed muscles, relieved pain, relaxed cramps, and just enabled me to run. I have no idea why I ever failed to use this stuff before. Some misplaced macho reason, perhaps?
I used Tylenol to blunt pain before the full marathon, and popped it twice more during the race too. Again, not something I’d done before, but I can’t help thinking it made a difference.
I brought along PLENTY of warm clothing for the pre-race sit time. It was cold on Saturday morning in particular, but I was toasty in my sweat pants and winter jacket. These were old clothes, but extremely warm, and I think that helped my muscles be ready for the run. The Sunday was less cold, and I made do with brand-new $5 sweats from Target and a $3 pancho. Money well spent, IMHO.
I’ve been injured before—twice!—by twisting my ankle on the road edge at the start of the Disney marathons. It’s crowded out there. So I was extremely careful to not step in the wrong place this weekend, and didn’t have any injuries. I was more concerned about knee problems, which plagued me in past years. I have a bad tendon on the outside of my right ankle, the result of a massive sprain in 2002 while playing tennis. I swear, the purple sphere of swelling was somewhere between the size of a golfball and a tennis ball. As a result, that foot doesn’t tread right, and the tendons on my right knee overcompensate as a result, and they get tired and sore quickly. This is how I over-trained in Spring 2008, and why I don’t much train for marathons now. But due to Providence or some other force, my ankle-knee problem never arose this weekend.
There were the hip tendon pains, and later shin splints, but I kept going. I was in THE ZONE, as athletes call it. Pain is minimized and eventually forgotten. Perhaps it was the music distracting me away, or perhaps I did my own version of self-hypnosis (there’s a trend out there now called ChiRunning, which is a mixture of Tai Chi and jogging, to spiritualize the physicality of the activity).
I’d even remembered to apply Vaseline to all the sensitive areas, save one that was irritated the afternoon following the half-marathon, but better by the next morning.
In short, all the tricks learned by running previous marathons came to bear here, and I don’t think I would have made it had I leapt into the Goofy Challenge as my first real run.
I sit here now, tired but happy, sore but contented, not even sure it’s really true. I don’t think I’ll run the Goofy again. Once was enough, thank you, and I’m just really glad to get this done before I hit 40 years old, since it would probably be harder each year I waited.
Now about that bucket list…
My plan was to do the latter. It made things seem more manageable, somehow. A 13.1 mile course really meant only 6.5 miles of jogging needed. And, since there’s usually a bit of running at the end of the course (“finish strong!” goes the mantra), you could probably get away with jogging just the first six miles. That’s entirely within reach. I’ve done five mile runs on my treadmill before breakfast without feeling like it was anything unusual, so six miles was nothing. I was sure the half-marathon was within my grasp. On my treadmill, I run at 5 MPH, which is exactly a 12-minute pace. Do that for six miles, slow to a walk for six more miles, and I’m home free in time for the 3 hour, 30-minute cutoff. That was the theory.
In practice on that half marathon, I was surprised to see that I was able to run at my desired pace—12 minute miles—from mile marker to mile marker. The crowds and occasional slow-downs didn’t do much to impact my pace. In fact, I gained a steady 10 seconds on my twelve minute pace at each mile. I was able to hit the six mile mark pretty easily; more easily, in fact, that I had expected or even hoped for. I could have kept running at that pace until Mile 10, I reasoned, but wanted to back off and just walk. I had to conserve energy for the next day’s longer race, and of course I was very worried about injuries.
To be sure, you do pick up and trot every so often. The stretch between Splash Mountain backstage and the TTC goes past the Grand Floridian and Polynesian resorts, and this is usually a spot where the road funnels and lots of spectators gather. For some reason, this stretch annoys me. I like the spectators at the TTC and at Epcot Center Drive, but these guys at the resorts are just closer, more in your face, and somehow judgmental. It happens to me every year that someone will urge me on in a way that implies I’m not giving it my all at the moment (never mind the fact that I may have a race strategy which calls for restraint at the time).
I finished in a leisurely three hours (give or take a minute), which is exactly where I assumed I would be. Not in any danger of getting swept by the pacing requirements, and not exerting myself so as to tempt fate for the next day. I was sore in a few places (especially the outsides of my knees, and particularly when needing to lift my legs, such as when ascending staircases) that afternoon, but took it easy. I indulged in a salt bath (Epsom salt; don’t ask me, but somehow it’s supposed to soothe muscles) and ate voraciously.
On marathon day, I was less sore than I’d expected after the night’s sleep (a good sign), but I didn’t feel as energetic as I had the day before. That’s to be expected, I reasoned, and hoped that the light trotting of Mile 1 (when it’s very crowded on the road) would loosen me up. There were some 17,000 participants at the full marathon, and despite having two start lines and parallel courses for the first three miles, it was still crowded.
I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow I made it past the merge and all the way to Mile 6 (the turning point to the Magic Kingdom) without any difficulty whatsoever. I was expecting knee problems most of all, or perhaps “Charley Horse” knotted muscles in my thighs like I’d seen at Mile 20 in the marathon one year without doing a half marathon the day before, but none of that materials. I felt pretty good, but was still girding myself. The plan, remember, was to jog 13.1 miles at my usual 12-minute pace, and then I could walk the rest. I was almost halfway there by Mile 6. I figured I could make it to Mile 10 without too much difficulty, and Mile 10 to 11 was inside the Magic Kingdom, so the spectators there would add extra incentive to just keep running. Mile 11 to 13 would be hard, but I had extra energy bars and gels with me in a runner’s pack just for those miles.
I fought an ongoing mental battle with myself until Mile 10, knowing that it was going to be hard, and I’ll be honest that it was. But having those energy bars helped, and long story short, I made it as planned to the halfway point, with my time almost to the second averaging 12-minute miles. To all intents and purposes, I had made it. I could walk now, and I would receive my Goofy medal.
In the middle of the race, of course, you worry about things. What if my walking pace was actually too slow? What I needed was a little insurance. So after a mere thirty seconds or so of walking, I started jogging again. It was a bit less rushed than before, but it was more than a trot. By Mile 14, I looked at the time and did some mental calisthenics to decide I had just “banked” six minutes from my presumed 20-minute pace.
Fully aware that I sounded like Forrest Gump even in my own head, I did a quick check of my body and muscles, decided everything felt good, and just kept going. I’d slow to a walk for 10 seconds at each water station, but otherwise, I was jogging. The pressure was off, since my pacing plan meant I could be walking instead if I so chose, and this made the experience more pleasurable and less like work. The miles, frankly, melted away. Before I knew it, we were at DAK. My plan by this point was to keep up the jogging until mile 18 and then really slow down. For some reason, I missed Mile 17’s marker and timeclock (or was it missing because the DAK walkways and backstage areas are tight?) so I didn’t get to check my progress until Mile 18. To my surprise, I was basically still keeping up with the jogging progress (though a touch slower than 12-minute miles). I had only two miles to go until Mile 20. Wouldn’t it be something if I could actually run 20 miles? I had never done that before, and just like that, a new quest was born in my head, right around Mile 18. I would make it to Mile 20, running all the way, and keep my pace. And so I did, crossing the Mile 20 marker at 4:13 (chip time), meaning I had run with a sustained average of 12.7-minutes per mile. Not quite a bucket-list moment, but close.
I walked, then, not willing to risk catastrophic injury that would force me to miss my medal. I admit that at some point in each mile, I did trot, especially if a downhill slope presented itself (you always want to make gravity work for you). As Mile 24 approached, I did quick calculations and realized I would be *this close* to a sub-six-hour marathon if I kept up my walking pace. I figured I might as well try to squeeze in yet one more quest into this day, and so I upped how often I was trotting in those last miles. I crossed the finish line at 6:02 race-time, which was 5:53 chip time for me. Another not-quite bucket list item, but satisfying nonetheless.
I failed in my attempt at the Goofy last year (read about it here: http://www.ultimateorlando.com/blog/2008_01_01_archive.html) so I’ve tried to think about what’s different this time. One big change is that I never really stopped at the food stations before, and skipped at least half the water/Powerade stations. This time around, I ate everything I could, gobbled and drank every calorie held out to me, and I brought along my own food too. Plus, I had finally decided to wake up early enough to eat a real breakfast rather than just a power bar before the start line. I was calorie-ready!
I also used the biofreeze stuff at every other medical tent. This soothed muscles, relieved pain, relaxed cramps, and just enabled me to run. I have no idea why I ever failed to use this stuff before. Some misplaced macho reason, perhaps?
I used Tylenol to blunt pain before the full marathon, and popped it twice more during the race too. Again, not something I’d done before, but I can’t help thinking it made a difference.
I brought along PLENTY of warm clothing for the pre-race sit time. It was cold on Saturday morning in particular, but I was toasty in my sweat pants and winter jacket. These were old clothes, but extremely warm, and I think that helped my muscles be ready for the run. The Sunday was less cold, and I made do with brand-new $5 sweats from Target and a $3 pancho. Money well spent, IMHO.
I’ve been injured before—twice!—by twisting my ankle on the road edge at the start of the Disney marathons. It’s crowded out there. So I was extremely careful to not step in the wrong place this weekend, and didn’t have any injuries. I was more concerned about knee problems, which plagued me in past years. I have a bad tendon on the outside of my right ankle, the result of a massive sprain in 2002 while playing tennis. I swear, the purple sphere of swelling was somewhere between the size of a golfball and a tennis ball. As a result, that foot doesn’t tread right, and the tendons on my right knee overcompensate as a result, and they get tired and sore quickly. This is how I over-trained in Spring 2008, and why I don’t much train for marathons now. But due to Providence or some other force, my ankle-knee problem never arose this weekend.
There were the hip tendon pains, and later shin splints, but I kept going. I was in THE ZONE, as athletes call it. Pain is minimized and eventually forgotten. Perhaps it was the music distracting me away, or perhaps I did my own version of self-hypnosis (there’s a trend out there now called ChiRunning, which is a mixture of Tai Chi and jogging, to spiritualize the physicality of the activity).
I’d even remembered to apply Vaseline to all the sensitive areas, save one that was irritated the afternoon following the half-marathon, but better by the next morning.
In short, all the tricks learned by running previous marathons came to bear here, and I don’t think I would have made it had I leapt into the Goofy Challenge as my first real run.
I sit here now, tired but happy, sore but contented, not even sure it’s really true. I don’t think I’ll run the Goofy again. Once was enough, thank you, and I’m just really glad to get this done before I hit 40 years old, since it would probably be harder each year I waited.
Now about that bucket list…
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
American Idol is soft opened
I'm hearing reports that American Idol at DHS is soft-opened today (January 7) to the regular public. I can't make it down there to confirm it for myself just yet.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
No more SeaWorld / Busch Gardens free beer!!
From a reader email:
I was at Busch Gardens today and as a former employee of the Hospitality House(the free beer area) i went by to see some friends and noticed a sign saying that as of February 1st, the beer will stop flowing! All free beer samples are to be stopped but you may still purchase beer and pizza at that area. This is going to be a MAJOR issue with a lot of people and i expect SeaWorld will follow suit. I wanted you to know and be able to pass this on. I guess the sale of the parks is going to be a factor with AB products after all. Thanks again for the hours of reading pleasure and hope to meet you at Disney sometime!
I was at Busch Gardens today and as a former employee of the Hospitality House(the free beer area) i went by to see some friends and noticed a sign saying that as of February 1st, the beer will stop flowing! All free beer samples are to be stopped but you may still purchase beer and pizza at that area. This is going to be a MAJOR issue with a lot of people and i expect SeaWorld will follow suit. I wanted you to know and be able to pass this on. I guess the sale of the parks is going to be a factor with AB products after all. Thanks again for the hours of reading pleasure and hope to meet you at Disney sometime!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Free photo contest at MK this Sunday (2pm) - no RSVP needed!
Do you remember Scott Wolf's book "Where in Disneyland?" It was a photo book that turned on a very simple premise: it showed you a super-close-up picture of a tiny detail, usually of something inside an attraction, and the reader's job was to guess exactly where this was from. You could check your skill by flipping to the next page, and seeing a wide-angle shot of the same detail.
In more recent times, and with today's Internet, many folks have played much the same game on discussion forums. It still has the same appeal as ever!
Folks such as myself have tried over the years to find a way to bring that kind of game into the parks themselves. It's a hard question to answer. What is the live-experience equivalent of guessing where the small detail is?
One early iteration of a game I tried to roll out some years ago was the EyeSpy game: I provided thumbnails of a detail somewhere in the park, and asked folks to write out longhand where exactly they found it. Some variation of that has been going on for several years now, in multiple live-action games.
But it's time to try something new in the parks. The new game, Photo Frenzy, will start the same way, with thumbnails of close-ups distributed on paper, but rather than write out in pen what the location is, participants will instead be asked to *take a duplicate picture* using their own equipment (digital camera or cell phone). At the end of the game, they just show up and reveal to me all the photos they managed to take. Whoever gets the most, wins!
I'm going to roll this out on Sunday, December 14 at the Magic Kingdom. The occasion is MouseFest. If you haven't heard of it, you should go! It's the largest collection of website owners, columnists, bloggers, podcasters, authors, and "independent" Disney personalities out there. The big event is always the Saturday MegaMouseMeet (in this case, on December 13), where all the hosting sites and authors have their own tables to meet folks, say hi, and perhaps to sell goods. You should drop by and say hi to me! It's at the Beach Club this year. It's open to the public--no registration required--from 11:00-1:00.
But the Photo Frenzy--also free and open without need of reservations--takes place the next day, on Sunday December 14. The location for that one is in the Magic Kingdom. We're not going to cover the whole theme park, since the allotted time is only sixty minutes (from 2:00-3:00). It'll be restricted to just one land. We're meeting at 2:00 in the covered verandah in Adventureland, just between Aloha Isle (the place with the pineapple drinks) and the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.
If you're in the area, please do come visit, and pick up a game packet! You need only bring something to snap digital pictures with. I'll even bring along a prize or two for the top finishers.
I hope to see you there!
In more recent times, and with today's Internet, many folks have played much the same game on discussion forums. It still has the same appeal as ever!
Folks such as myself have tried over the years to find a way to bring that kind of game into the parks themselves. It's a hard question to answer. What is the live-experience equivalent of guessing where the small detail is?
One early iteration of a game I tried to roll out some years ago was the EyeSpy game: I provided thumbnails of a detail somewhere in the park, and asked folks to write out longhand where exactly they found it. Some variation of that has been going on for several years now, in multiple live-action games.
But it's time to try something new in the parks. The new game, Photo Frenzy, will start the same way, with thumbnails of close-ups distributed on paper, but rather than write out in pen what the location is, participants will instead be asked to *take a duplicate picture* using their own equipment (digital camera or cell phone). At the end of the game, they just show up and reveal to me all the photos they managed to take. Whoever gets the most, wins!
I'm going to roll this out on Sunday, December 14 at the Magic Kingdom. The occasion is MouseFest. If you haven't heard of it, you should go! It's the largest collection of website owners, columnists, bloggers, podcasters, authors, and "independent" Disney personalities out there. The big event is always the Saturday MegaMouseMeet (in this case, on December 13), where all the hosting sites and authors have their own tables to meet folks, say hi, and perhaps to sell goods. You should drop by and say hi to me! It's at the Beach Club this year. It's open to the public--no registration required--from 11:00-1:00.
But the Photo Frenzy--also free and open without need of reservations--takes place the next day, on Sunday December 14. The location for that one is in the Magic Kingdom. We're not going to cover the whole theme park, since the allotted time is only sixty minutes (from 2:00-3:00). It'll be restricted to just one land. We're meeting at 2:00 in the covered verandah in Adventureland, just between Aloha Isle (the place with the pineapple drinks) and the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.
If you're in the area, please do come visit, and pick up a game packet! You need only bring something to snap digital pictures with. I'll even bring along a prize or two for the top finishers.
I hope to see you there!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Friday 11/14: My Book Signing in Celebration
Very last-second notice here:
I'll be at the Reading Trout bookstore in Celebration tomorrow (Friday, Nov 14) at 7pm for a slideshow, brief talk, and selling and signing books.
Please feel free to come on out and say hello!
671 front street #110
celebration, fl 34747
321-939-BOOK
I'll be at the Reading Trout bookstore in Celebration tomorrow (Friday, Nov 14) at 7pm for a slideshow, brief talk, and selling and signing books.
Please feel free to come on out and say hello!
671 front street #110
celebration, fl 34747
321-939-BOOK
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Toy Story Mania - the technical details
http://www.controleng.com/article/CA6593192.html
Automation and Ethernet Combine for 3D Disney Attraction
Toy Story Midway Mania debuts Disney's extensive use of automation and controls over Ethernet.
snippet:
“Every screen in the attraction has a Hewlett-Packard game computer that receives data from the wayside computer,” Gerstner says. “At that point, mathematics takes over. An algorithm takes all encoder values and calculates a position on the screen where the projectile should emanate from the gun that the guest is pointing and firing. It even calculates for the arc of the gun. A computer-generated image is then created and sent via fiber link to the projector and to the 3D active polarizer to produce the image and project it on the screen.”
An image for the left eye and the right eye is produced by the game computers. Screen polarization synchronizes images sent from the computers so that a 3D image is rendered and perceived by the guest in 3D thanks to the special glasses we’re all familiar with from viewing 3D movies.
Automation and Ethernet Combine for 3D Disney Attraction
Toy Story Midway Mania debuts Disney's extensive use of automation and controls over Ethernet.
snippet:
“Every screen in the attraction has a Hewlett-Packard game computer that receives data from the wayside computer,” Gerstner says. “At that point, mathematics takes over. An algorithm takes all encoder values and calculates a position on the screen where the projectile should emanate from the gun that the guest is pointing and firing. It even calculates for the arc of the gun. A computer-generated image is then created and sent via fiber link to the projector and to the 3D active polarizer to produce the image and project it on the screen.”
An image for the left eye and the right eye is produced by the game computers. Screen polarization synchronizes images sent from the computers so that a 3D image is rendered and perceived by the guest in 3D thanks to the special glasses we’re all familiar with from viewing 3D movies.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Lee Cockerell at Orlando World Center on Tuesday
Lee Cockerell is a longtime WDW exec, now retired.
On Tuesday the 14th Lee will also be keynoting at Create Chaos in front of 1,000 creative professionals at the Orlando World Center. This is the same day his new book, Creating Magic, comes out.
Info on Lee, www.leecockerell.com
Info on Create Chaos, www.createchaos.com
On Tuesday the 14th Lee will also be keynoting at Create Chaos in front of 1,000 creative professionals at the Orlando World Center. This is the same day his new book, Creating Magic, comes out.
Info on Lee, www.leecockerell.com
Info on Create Chaos, www.createchaos.com
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Meet me at NFFC and MouseFest
I'll be selling books and just saying hi at two upcoming events:
1. NFFC Convention Show and Sale this Sunday, October 5, at the Regal Sun Resort (formerly Grosvenor) at Downtown Disney's nearby hotel circle, in Orlando.
The 3rd Annual NFFC Florida Convention and Giant All Disneyana Show and Sale is open to the public; however, convention attendees and NFFC members get first crack at everything. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. for registered convention attendees, 10:00 a.m. for NFFC members and at 11:00 a.m. the Giant All Disneyana Show and Sale opens to the public. Speakers and special presentations take place throughout the day. The Giant All Disneyana Show and Sale ends at 5:00 p.m. Don't miss it. More info here: http://www.nffc.org/news/newsdetail.asp?id=132
2. MouseFest 2008 MegaMouseMeet on Saturday, December 13, from 10-1, at the Yacht and Beach Club convention center. More info here: http://www.mousefest.org/default.asp
1. NFFC Convention Show and Sale this Sunday, October 5, at the Regal Sun Resort (formerly Grosvenor) at Downtown Disney's nearby hotel circle, in Orlando.
The 3rd Annual NFFC Florida Convention and Giant All Disneyana Show and Sale is open to the public; however, convention attendees and NFFC members get first crack at everything. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. for registered convention attendees, 10:00 a.m. for NFFC members and at 11:00 a.m. the Giant All Disneyana Show and Sale opens to the public. Speakers and special presentations take place throughout the day. The Giant All Disneyana Show and Sale ends at 5:00 p.m. Don't miss it. More info here: http://www.nffc.org/news/newsdetail.asp?id=132
2. MouseFest 2008 MegaMouseMeet on Saturday, December 13, from 10-1, at the Yacht and Beach Club convention center. More info here: http://www.mousefest.org/default.asp
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sarah Palin at Epcot (not really)
This just in from the Onion:
Palin Brushing Up On Foreign Policy At Epcot
ORLANDO, FL—Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin sought to silence those who have criticized her lack of foreign affairs experience Tuesday by announcing plans for a weeklong, 10-nation tour of Walt Disney World's Epcot. More here:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/palin_brushing_up_on?utm_source=onion_rss_daily
I post this not to comment politically, but to express amazement that the Onion knows so much about Epcot. They even got the name right for Morocco's Tangierine Cafe!
Palin Brushing Up On Foreign Policy At Epcot
ORLANDO, FL—Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin sought to silence those who have criticized her lack of foreign affairs experience Tuesday by announcing plans for a weeklong, 10-nation tour of Walt Disney World's Epcot. More here:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/palin_brushing_up_on?utm_source=onion_rss_daily
I post this not to comment politically, but to express amazement that the Onion knows so much about Epcot. They even got the name right for Morocco's Tangierine Cafe!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Orlando's Biggest Yard Sale
For those who are local:
Saturday Oct. 4 sees the (reportedly) biggest yard sale of the year occurring in Avalon Park, in East Orlando. Details here: http://www.avalonyardsale.com/
Saturday Oct. 4 sees the (reportedly) biggest yard sale of the year occurring in Avalon Park, in East Orlando. Details here: http://www.avalonyardsale.com/
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Murders in Orlando
People ask me sometimes where to live in Orlando. A partial answer to that question might be found by examining the Orlando Sentinel's map of murders in the city this year: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-murdermap-link,0,6228631.storylink
Friday, August 15, 2008
Filet no more
I'm not surprised they are ripping out filet around WDW restaurants. It's yet another victim of the Disney Dining Plan!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Reader mail: shared ownership of SeaWorld/Busch?
My readers always have better speculation than I do:
[start quote]
You forgot another maybe in the Busch parks: NBC Universal. Yeah, NBC barely wants the ones they already have, but there are a whole lot of reasons NBC will be looking into an attempt. First and foremost, as you have shown on your site, Disney is really starting to hurt Universal in Orlando by keeping everyone onsite. So how can Universal reverse that trend? Copy the business model! Buying SeaWorld would give them three parks, two water parks, one boutique park, the hippest late-night hangout and the best tourist street in Orlando connecting them all. All they'd have to do is add airport shuttles, shuttles between the two resorts with stops at various hotels between them, and you've got a compact WDW. And their fourth park and third water park, while an hour away, would actually benefit them, because if you shuttle people out to Tampa one or two days a week then they REALLY can't sneak into WDW.
There are other reasons Universal Orlando needs the parks. They may be losing Wet 'n' Wild, unless they finally decide to lose a planned onsite hotel. SeaWorld has far more land available, making it easier to add more themed hotels, water parks, CityWalk 2, what have you. More things to do makes it easier to keep people away from the Mouse. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa or Africa or whatever they call it this week are both more stable parks than WDW or UO. After 9/11, SWO was the only park that didn't freefall, and BGToA thrives year after year with their theme park/water park Annual Passes. On that note, a new Universal/SeaWorld/Busch conglomerate would mean Annual Passes for all four parks (or for four parks and three water parks) and they've suddenly made it difficult for the four million citizens of the Tampa Bay area to buy APs for both the big players. And with BG right in! their midst, Universal could cut into Disney's local market too.
But NBC Universal certainly wouldn't buy them, and couldn't afford them either. Well, there are lots of interesting little factoids swirling about:
Universal Orlando is half-owned by Blackstone Group, who also partners with NBC Universal in other deals when NBC doesn't want to spend their own money, like the current buyout of The Weather Channel. Merlin Entertainments, the second-largest theme park company in the world, has a majority shareholder: Blackstone Group. Another large shareholder of Merlin Entertainments (20%) is Dubai International Capital.
Suddenly, there are all kinds of interested parties. Blackstone is highly interested in theme parks AND in diversification, and they've got major capital. Dubai International Capital has been buying things up left and right; they were the ones who first bought Tussauds and who then sold them to Merlin Entertainments. Merlin Entertainments, interestingly enough, then sold off some of the lesser parks, but kept the biggies, including Heide Park (Germany's second biggest park) and Gardaland (Italy's biggest park, as well as its insanely popular water park). These parks also have hotels, also owned by ME. They are clearly interested in theme park resorts, as they are also trying to buy the huge PortAventura resort in Spain. The resort Tussauds built, then sold to Universal. The bonds between Universal and Blackstone keep strengthening.
So Merlin Entertainments buying the parks isn't really such a longshot with the Blackstone connection. But there are so many options:
1) Blackstone and Universal could go halfsies yet again, keeping investment on both sides very low and expanding the Universal name to more quality parks. This would be a slam-dunk for the Orlando market, but Legoland would still be a Merlin Entertainments park and wouldn't be under the "Universal" umbrella.
2) Blackstone and Universal could go halfsies on Busch Entertainment, with Blackstone paying more since Universal owns USH outright, and then they could spin the parks off into their own IPO, which is a definite possibility considering Blackstone IPO'd themselves last year for $4B. But there's still that Legoland problem.
3) Blackstone could partner with Universal but pay more than 50%, becoming yet another majority shareholder, another action they seem to prefer to outright ownership, or they could buy Busch Entertainment alone (they could probably afford it) and pay Universal a licensing fee for the new parks, a la Tokyo Disney. This could bring Legoland into the fold, as the licensing fee could easily cover that park.
4) Merlin Entertainments could buy the parks, as Blackstone and Dubai both have deep pockets, and pay Universal the licensing fee. (The parks need to be under the Universal umbrella if they want to follow the WDW model.) But USH would be totally outside the Blackstone fold, making SoCal less of a "resort", not that it could ever be a real resort, but that Universal name is important for that feeling of "resortness".
5) Merlin Entertainments could buy the parks, and not bother with Universal at all. All they would have to do is build a new Legoland somewhere in the area (there's not much room very near, but still open land in the area), build their own hotels (both Blackstone and DIC own hotel chains), add some nightlife and they have their own mini-WDW. With the Blackstone/Universal partnership right up the road, they could still fight Disney, but true success depends on the amount of Universal support of their partner's other venture.
Normally I'd go with #3, but with Universal and Blackstone currently spending billions on The Weather Channel, #4 is probably the most likely. I think #1 and #2 would be better for Universal in their war against Disney, but if Universal doesn't come to the table, Blackstone simply has to as they're far more interested in making UO work than NBC is.
#5 is only the best outcome if they build a Legoland here. Otherwise, challenging WDW's business plan is going to be a tough road. Though, this outcome would probably ensure SeaWorld gets some hotels, which would probably scare WDW into putting some Disneyland-style quality back into their parks.
[end quote]
[start quote]
You forgot another maybe in the Busch parks: NBC Universal. Yeah, NBC barely wants the ones they already have, but there are a whole lot of reasons NBC will be looking into an attempt. First and foremost, as you have shown on your site, Disney is really starting to hurt Universal in Orlando by keeping everyone onsite. So how can Universal reverse that trend? Copy the business model! Buying SeaWorld would give them three parks, two water parks, one boutique park, the hippest late-night hangout and the best tourist street in Orlando connecting them all. All they'd have to do is add airport shuttles, shuttles between the two resorts with stops at various hotels between them, and you've got a compact WDW. And their fourth park and third water park, while an hour away, would actually benefit them, because if you shuttle people out to Tampa one or two days a week then they REALLY can't sneak into WDW.
There are other reasons Universal Orlando needs the parks. They may be losing Wet 'n' Wild, unless they finally decide to lose a planned onsite hotel. SeaWorld has far more land available, making it easier to add more themed hotels, water parks, CityWalk 2, what have you. More things to do makes it easier to keep people away from the Mouse. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa or Africa or whatever they call it this week are both more stable parks than WDW or UO. After 9/11, SWO was the only park that didn't freefall, and BGToA thrives year after year with their theme park/water park Annual Passes. On that note, a new Universal/SeaWorld/Busch conglomerate would mean Annual Passes for all four parks (or for four parks and three water parks) and they've suddenly made it difficult for the four million citizens of the Tampa Bay area to buy APs for both the big players. And with BG right in! their midst, Universal could cut into Disney's local market too.
But NBC Universal certainly wouldn't buy them, and couldn't afford them either. Well, there are lots of interesting little factoids swirling about:
Universal Orlando is half-owned by Blackstone Group, who also partners with NBC Universal in other deals when NBC doesn't want to spend their own money, like the current buyout of The Weather Channel. Merlin Entertainments, the second-largest theme park company in the world, has a majority shareholder: Blackstone Group. Another large shareholder of Merlin Entertainments (20%) is Dubai International Capital.
Suddenly, there are all kinds of interested parties. Blackstone is highly interested in theme parks AND in diversification, and they've got major capital. Dubai International Capital has been buying things up left and right; they were the ones who first bought Tussauds and who then sold them to Merlin Entertainments. Merlin Entertainments, interestingly enough, then sold off some of the lesser parks, but kept the biggies, including Heide Park (Germany's second biggest park) and Gardaland (Italy's biggest park, as well as its insanely popular water park). These parks also have hotels, also owned by ME. They are clearly interested in theme park resorts, as they are also trying to buy the huge PortAventura resort in Spain. The resort Tussauds built, then sold to Universal. The bonds between Universal and Blackstone keep strengthening.
So Merlin Entertainments buying the parks isn't really such a longshot with the Blackstone connection. But there are so many options:
1) Blackstone and Universal could go halfsies yet again, keeping investment on both sides very low and expanding the Universal name to more quality parks. This would be a slam-dunk for the Orlando market, but Legoland would still be a Merlin Entertainments park and wouldn't be under the "Universal" umbrella.
2) Blackstone and Universal could go halfsies on Busch Entertainment, with Blackstone paying more since Universal owns USH outright, and then they could spin the parks off into their own IPO, which is a definite possibility considering Blackstone IPO'd themselves last year for $4B. But there's still that Legoland problem.
3) Blackstone could partner with Universal but pay more than 50%, becoming yet another majority shareholder, another action they seem to prefer to outright ownership, or they could buy Busch Entertainment alone (they could probably afford it) and pay Universal a licensing fee for the new parks, a la Tokyo Disney. This could bring Legoland into the fold, as the licensing fee could easily cover that park.
4) Merlin Entertainments could buy the parks, as Blackstone and Dubai both have deep pockets, and pay Universal the licensing fee. (The parks need to be under the Universal umbrella if they want to follow the WDW model.) But USH would be totally outside the Blackstone fold, making SoCal less of a "resort", not that it could ever be a real resort, but that Universal name is important for that feeling of "resortness".
5) Merlin Entertainments could buy the parks, and not bother with Universal at all. All they would have to do is build a new Legoland somewhere in the area (there's not much room very near, but still open land in the area), build their own hotels (both Blackstone and DIC own hotel chains), add some nightlife and they have their own mini-WDW. With the Blackstone/Universal partnership right up the road, they could still fight Disney, but true success depends on the amount of Universal support of their partner's other venture.
Normally I'd go with #3, but with Universal and Blackstone currently spending billions on The Weather Channel, #4 is probably the most likely. I think #1 and #2 would be better for Universal in their war against Disney, but if Universal doesn't come to the table, Blackstone simply has to as they're far more interested in making UO work than NBC is.
#5 is only the best outcome if they build a Legoland here. Otherwise, challenging WDW's business plan is going to be a tough road. Though, this outcome would probably ensure SeaWorld gets some hotels, which would probably scare WDW into putting some Disneyland-style quality back into their parks.
[end quote]
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
More on SeaWorld
First, have you seen Blue Sky Disney's blog post? An all-new Fantasyland in MK, with a seven dwarves ride, Beauty and the Beast dark ride, Hook's Hollow and Tink meet? It's all just plans right now, nothing greenlit, but way cool.
Now, SeaWorld. As always, my emails are more interesting than my ramblings. Here's one:
[start quote]
There has been talk for some time now that the parks would be sold off, even before InBev's initial bid. While they are profitable, A-B did not want to continue operating them. They have been sprucing up all of their parks for the last 2 years in an attempt to sell them off at a higher price. A good friend of mine is an executive. We actually spoke 2 months ago about a scenario similar to what you described.
He said that many of the top-tier execs that run the San Diego park have actually either left or are in the process of leaving soon. No one knows for sure what will happen, but all are very aware that the parks will in fact be sold. That mentality has been around for some time now. The hope within the ranks is that Dubai will take interest and make an offer. They feel that it is the best option for the future of the parks. My friend plans on leaving the company some time next year so he can retire after being with them for the last 19 years. Everyone is feeling uneasy about what the future holds for the parks.
[end quote]
Then there's the fellow who wrote in wondering about Augustus Busch III, who loves the parks the way Walt did. Could Augustus and the Busch family possibly be interested in buying back the parks after their windfall from the beer? Maybe. He only has 100 million dollars at most from the company sale (more like 70 mil), but he could line up deep pocket investors. Like someone with oil money.
Now, SeaWorld. As always, my emails are more interesting than my ramblings. Here's one:
[start quote]
There has been talk for some time now that the parks would be sold off, even before InBev's initial bid. While they are profitable, A-B did not want to continue operating them. They have been sprucing up all of their parks for the last 2 years in an attempt to sell them off at a higher price. A good friend of mine is an executive. We actually spoke 2 months ago about a scenario similar to what you described.
He said that many of the top-tier execs that run the San Diego park have actually either left or are in the process of leaving soon. No one knows for sure what will happen, but all are very aware that the parks will in fact be sold. That mentality has been around for some time now. The hope within the ranks is that Dubai will take interest and make an offer. They feel that it is the best option for the future of the parks. My friend plans on leaving the company some time next year so he can retire after being with them for the last 19 years. Everyone is feeling uneasy about what the future holds for the parks.
[end quote]
Then there's the fellow who wrote in wondering about Augustus Busch III, who loves the parks the way Walt did. Could Augustus and the Busch family possibly be interested in buying back the parks after their windfall from the beer? Maybe. He only has 100 million dollars at most from the company sale (more like 70 mil), but he could line up deep pocket investors. Like someone with oil money.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
"The Guest" video... Finally!
When I was taking enhancement classes at Disneyland in the early 1990s (I think perhaps the We Create Happiness series for Working Leads), I saw a video simply called "The Guest." They took pride in telling us the VHS video cost $1000 each, and Disneyland bought five of them. Disney, they were saying, cared so much about this, they spent $5,000
I found a YouTube snippet of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oJSOqq4Clk&feature=related
The company that produced it is called Media Partners, and they still sell the video. For about $900 per copy now: http://www.media-partners.com/customer_service/the_guest.htm
Very cool.
I found a YouTube snippet of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oJSOqq4Clk&feature=related
The company that produced it is called Media Partners, and they still sell the video. For about $900 per copy now: http://www.media-partners.com/customer_service/the_guest.htm
Very cool.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
PI clubs - CP and internationals?
Another reader email:
As a cast member, I need to think the closure of PI might also have to do with the CP's and Internationals. It really is a recipe for problems. I know of lots of CP's getting fired because of their actions at PI. Once the managers know there is a problem, they can have the cast member's ID "flagged" and find out how often the cast member is partying at PI. If the cast member's "sick days" are coming after PI nights, they are sent home. Losing their "slave labor" CP's hurts Disney. They might have to actually pay someone to work.
With the internationals it is the "sharing" of ID's. I know of drivers licenses that have been sold from arrival group to arrival group long after the original holder has left the country.
Lots of possible PR nightmares. If the clubs aren't making money, why put up with these problems?
As a cast member, I need to think the closure of PI might also have to do with the CP's and Internationals. It really is a recipe for problems. I know of lots of CP's getting fired because of their actions at PI. Once the managers know there is a problem, they can have the cast member's ID "flagged" and find out how often the cast member is partying at PI. If the cast member's "sick days" are coming after PI nights, they are sent home. Losing their "slave labor" CP's hurts Disney. They might have to actually pay someone to work.
With the internationals it is the "sharing" of ID's. I know of drivers licenses that have been sold from arrival group to arrival group long after the original holder has left the country.
Lots of possible PR nightmares. If the clubs aren't making money, why put up with these problems?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
WDW to close one park in midweek during 2009? - commentary #2
A reader from the Netherlands chimes in with this important aspect (problem) relating to Magic Your Way tickets:
[begin quote]
Magic your way tickets - this has brought more people to the parks in Florida, or it made people stay longer and spend more. however, in the long run this seems to work against Disney - just imagine: you've been to Disneyworld , 10 days in 2006, and again 10 in 2007 - and perhaps you booked 10 days this summer because it was so cheap, there was a lot of new stuf to see, and the usual 3 to 4 days you used to "play" in the years before, were never enough. There was always something you did not see, or you would have like tot spend just another day at one of the waterparks.
But now, having spend so much time in the Parks, you have seen everything - two, three, even four times. or more. Including EE. All in- the magic your way might end up as being too much, too easy, too cheap, for there is no reason that you HAVE to go back any time soon. Yes it was fun, but you have seen it all, year in year out. perhaps now is the time, to skipp a few years (just like you used to do in the old days) before going back.
Short turn gain might end up being a long turn loss - sure, lots of people will go to Florida. But some of them will go to cheaper hotels outside of Disney, for they are eager to see "Harry" and a few new coasters in other parks. Disney can wait, or we just buy a three day hopper, so we can do our favorites. Anything new on te horizon at the World? accept for a few new parades and TSM (nice, but no EE!) I cannot see anything being build right now. Worse, we will have a closed space mountain soon - with nothing to replace it! And the MK is a place i am not able to fill an entire day already.
And if they want those people to stay 10 days again and again and again - even with higher cost, they will have to give them more, and of a higher quality - or eventually they wont be coming back. People will go to Florida, even with parks closed on certain days a week, even with higher fuell prices.
But only if you build it, they will come. Disney needs to act, right now, fast track on new parades, perhaps a big show (aladin?) in the MK to help us get through 2009, and start building new things fast...... btw- my last visit to Florida was in januari 2005 - if the crowds seem to lessen next year I will go back again - for I very much dislike crowded themeparks!
[end quote]
[begin quote]
Magic your way tickets - this has brought more people to the parks in Florida, or it made people stay longer and spend more. however, in the long run this seems to work against Disney - just imagine: you've been to Disneyworld , 10 days in 2006, and again 10 in 2007 - and perhaps you booked 10 days this summer because it was so cheap, there was a lot of new stuf to see, and the usual 3 to 4 days you used to "play" in the years before, were never enough. There was always something you did not see, or you would have like tot spend just another day at one of the waterparks.
But now, having spend so much time in the Parks, you have seen everything - two, three, even four times. or more. Including EE. All in- the magic your way might end up as being too much, too easy, too cheap, for there is no reason that you HAVE to go back any time soon. Yes it was fun, but you have seen it all, year in year out. perhaps now is the time, to skipp a few years (just like you used to do in the old days) before going back.
Short turn gain might end up being a long turn loss - sure, lots of people will go to Florida. But some of them will go to cheaper hotels outside of Disney, for they are eager to see "Harry" and a few new coasters in other parks. Disney can wait, or we just buy a three day hopper, so we can do our favorites. Anything new on te horizon at the World? accept for a few new parades and TSM (nice, but no EE!) I cannot see anything being build right now. Worse, we will have a closed space mountain soon - with nothing to replace it! And the MK is a place i am not able to fill an entire day already.
And if they want those people to stay 10 days again and again and again - even with higher cost, they will have to give them more, and of a higher quality - or eventually they wont be coming back. People will go to Florida, even with parks closed on certain days a week, even with higher fuell prices.
But only if you build it, they will come. Disney needs to act, right now, fast track on new parades, perhaps a big show (aladin?) in the MK to help us get through 2009, and start building new things fast...... btw- my last visit to Florida was in januari 2005 - if the crowds seem to lessen next year I will go back again - for I very much dislike crowded themeparks!
[end quote]
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
No more Lindsay at LMA
I don't visit Lights Motors Action often, so maybe this is old. They no longer say "So what's it like working with Lindsay Lohan" to Herbie; now they say only "leading ladies". I guess Disney wants to keep Lindsay at a distance!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Toy Story Midway Mania Tips and Tricks (Spoilers)
Here are my top tricks so far:
1. Barn Room (we shoot eggs): I shoot the goat in the top corner (2,000 pts?) and the fox on the henhouse (500). The fox, once shot, triggers a series of 1,000 point chickens. The rat near the house at the top is worth a lot of points, but he doesn't come around very often.
2. Balloon Room (we shoot darts): Aim for the corners. If you knock out the balloons on the cloud, you get a shower of 500-point balloons covering the screen. This is key: if your partner does the same thing on HIS cloud at the same time (more or less), then what you trigger is a shower of 2,000 point balloons, rainbow colored.
3. Green Army Men Plate Breaking Room (we shoot baseballs): There has got to be a trigger here somewhere for secondary targets that offer higher points. But I can't find it! So I'm stuck so far just shooting the 500 and 1000 point plates.
4. Alien Room (we shoot rings): This is key: put a ring around all the 100-point aliens in the rocketship in the middle. Do it before any of them pops back up, and you trigger the "hungry monster" who opens his mouth and lets you rapid fire in your rings for 500 pts, then 1,000 pts a shot. Get the monster to appear early to maximize your time with him; we find it effective to have me and my partner "split up" the spaceship to blanket it with rings very fast. Every so often, the monster keeps his mouth shut. Aim at 1,000 or 2,000 or the 5,000 point rocketships on the side during this quiet time, but come back to the monster when he's ready.
5. Western Room (we shoot suction-cup arrows): All the targets here splay open additional 500 and 1,000-point targets. Just keep shooting fast. Is there a hidden trick here?
6. Transition to next screen: keep shooting as your vehicle moves to the next screen. Some 2,000 point targets appear near the middle.7. Mine Cart Finale (we still shoot suction cup arrows): Kill the bat at the top as soon as you see it. It flips around to reveal a 5,000 point target. Then, the mine cars start saying 1,000 or 2,000 points. This is key: the very instant a giant target fills your screen, start rapid firing and don't stop until it's all over. As you hit the target, lights around the outside of the target illuminate in order. After you make it all the way around, the target starts being worth 1,000 points and your lights start over. I can make it almost to halfway around the 2,000 points. But you have to be very quick.
To REALLY get the high scores for the day or for the month, what you need is a partner who is willing to work with you to open up all the bonus targets, but then let you gather all those points.
1. Barn Room (we shoot eggs): I shoot the goat in the top corner (2,000 pts?) and the fox on the henhouse (500). The fox, once shot, triggers a series of 1,000 point chickens. The rat near the house at the top is worth a lot of points, but he doesn't come around very often.
2. Balloon Room (we shoot darts): Aim for the corners. If you knock out the balloons on the cloud, you get a shower of 500-point balloons covering the screen. This is key: if your partner does the same thing on HIS cloud at the same time (more or less), then what you trigger is a shower of 2,000 point balloons, rainbow colored.
3. Green Army Men Plate Breaking Room (we shoot baseballs): There has got to be a trigger here somewhere for secondary targets that offer higher points. But I can't find it! So I'm stuck so far just shooting the 500 and 1000 point plates.
4. Alien Room (we shoot rings): This is key: put a ring around all the 100-point aliens in the rocketship in the middle. Do it before any of them pops back up, and you trigger the "hungry monster" who opens his mouth and lets you rapid fire in your rings for 500 pts, then 1,000 pts a shot. Get the monster to appear early to maximize your time with him; we find it effective to have me and my partner "split up" the spaceship to blanket it with rings very fast. Every so often, the monster keeps his mouth shut. Aim at 1,000 or 2,000 or the 5,000 point rocketships on the side during this quiet time, but come back to the monster when he's ready.
5. Western Room (we shoot suction-cup arrows): All the targets here splay open additional 500 and 1,000-point targets. Just keep shooting fast. Is there a hidden trick here?
6. Transition to next screen: keep shooting as your vehicle moves to the next screen. Some 2,000 point targets appear near the middle.7. Mine Cart Finale (we still shoot suction cup arrows): Kill the bat at the top as soon as you see it. It flips around to reveal a 5,000 point target. Then, the mine cars start saying 1,000 or 2,000 points. This is key: the very instant a giant target fills your screen, start rapid firing and don't stop until it's all over. As you hit the target, lights around the outside of the target illuminate in order. After you make it all the way around, the target starts being worth 1,000 points and your lights start over. I can make it almost to halfway around the 2,000 points. But you have to be very quick.
To REALLY get the high scores for the day or for the month, what you need is a partner who is willing to work with you to open up all the bonus targets, but then let you gather all those points.
Friday, May 09, 2008
More car rental perspectives
My recent article on rental car prices at OIA spurred this email:
[begin quote]
Great column again this week. We have not used the Magic Express bus yet and hope we never have to. Our last two trips to WDW in Sept. 2005 and Sept. 2006 (we could not make it in 2007) as well as all our previous trips we always rent a car. In fact a couple of times we have rented a car in DC and driven it down to Orlando (13 hour drive or so, not too bad).
Generally in Sept. we get great rental deals: $100-120 for something "nice" like National's Emerald Aisle. We make use of every discount we have to get those rates. I always tell anyone staying at WDW to rent a car. Even if it costs $150 it is worth it. Here are the benefits of using the rental car:
1. Faster trip into and out of the airport. With the Emerald Aisle or Alamo Quicksilver there is no line, just grab baggage, go to National's section of the parking garage, take car, checkout at gate, and drive to WDW. Same thing going back: I can drop the wife and child at the departure level with the bags, then drop the car off (it's fast) and meet them 10 minutes later. With the bus service you may waste as much as 1-2 hours getting to WDW and 3 hours leaving WDW and returning to the airport.
2. With the car you can not only leave WDW to visit SuperTarget to buy groceries, beer, soda, bottled water, sunglasses, etc. you can also visit one of the three Character Warehouse outlets to buy souvenirs. There are also a few off-site restaurants that are worthwhile. God help me but I like that Boston Lobster Feast place, and I really want to try the "catfish camp" style restaurant in St. Cloud.
3. I live in the Washington DC area and in comparison Orlando is a dream to drive in (except Int'l Drive). It is enjoyable to be on vacation somewhere where the traffic is light, and the drivers polite.
4. With the car you can bookend your stay at cheaper hotels. I did this on one trip: flew down Monday evening, stayed at Fairfield Marriott Village and that night bought all our groceries, etc. Next morning at 7:30am I drove to Coronado Springs, checked in, went back to my hotel, checked out, met my wife and 2-year-old son at the airport (they flew down on Tuesday) then we went to WDW and got our room and enjoyed the rest of the day (I think we had not bought admission for the first day so we did the Downtown Disney and AK Lodge instead of seeing a park). At the end of the trip we did the same thing: these park in the morning, checked out of Coronado Springs at noon, more theme parks in the afternoon, then checked into the Fairfield Inn ($55 night including free breakfast) that night.
5. At one time I calculated that each waking hour at WDW cost $20 for each family member (it might be $25 today!). So saving even 5 hours of our time is worth the $100 rental. We save a lot of time driving: from Coronado Springs it is almost always faster to drive to the theme parks. With the Magic Kingdom driving might be a wash but we tend to book meals at the Grand Floridian and park there instead of the big lot. We have the AAA parking pass each time which also helps to park near each park entrance.
6. Valet parking is also a huge time saver, especially at places with faraway lots like Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, etc.
7. Rental car makes it much easier to have meals in places harder to get to like the Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge or even the Beach Club. For the most part we only like sit-down meals in the theme parks at EPCOT only, although we always have breakfast at the Crystal Palace.
8. I really do like the Magical Express buses for other people, because they leave a lot more space for me to park at my hotel (Coronado Springs) and they also mean lots like the Beach Club are pretty empty so I can park there too (with permission).
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[begin quote]
Great column again this week. We have not used the Magic Express bus yet and hope we never have to. Our last two trips to WDW in Sept. 2005 and Sept. 2006 (we could not make it in 2007
Generally in Sept. we get great rental deals: $100-120 for something "nice" like National's Emerald Aisle. We make use of every discount we have to get those rates. I always tell anyone staying at WDW to rent a car. Even if it costs $150 it is worth it. Here are the benefits of using the rental car:
1. Faster trip into and out of the airport. With the Emerald Aisle or Alamo Quicksilver there is no line, just grab baggage, go to National's section of the parking garage, take car, checkout at gate, and drive to WDW. Same thing going back: I can drop the wife and child at the departure level with the bags, then drop the car off (it's fast) and meet them 10 minutes later. With the bus service you may waste as much as 1-2 hours getting to WDW and 3 hours leaving WDW and returning to the airport.
2. With the car you can not only leave WDW to visit SuperTarget to buy groceries, beer, soda, bottled water, sunglasses, etc. you can also visit one of the three Character Warehouse outlets to buy souvenirs. There are also a few off-site restaurants that are worthwhile. God help me but I like that Boston Lobster Feast place, and I really want to try the "catfish camp" style restaurant in St. Cloud.
3. I live in the Washington DC area and in comparison Orlando is a dream to drive in (except Int'l Drive). It is enjoyable to be on vacation somewhere where the traffic is light, and the drivers polite.
4. With the car you can bookend your stay at cheaper hotels. I did this on one trip: flew down Monday evening, stayed at Fairfield Marriott Village and that night bought all our groceries, etc. Next morning at 7:30am I drove to Coronado Springs, checked in, went back to my hotel, checked out, met my wife and 2-year-old son at the airport (they flew down on Tuesday) then we went to WDW and got our room and enjoyed the rest of the day (I think we had not bought admission for the first day so we did the Downtown Disney and AK Lodge instead of seeing a park). At the end of the trip we did the same thing: these park in the morning, checked out of Coronado Springs at noon, more theme parks in the afternoon, then checked into the Fairfield Inn ($55 night including free breakfast) that night.
5. At one time I calculated that each waking hour at WDW cost $20 for each family member (it might be $25 today!). So saving even 5 hours of our time is worth the $100 rental. We save a lot of time driving: from Coronado Springs it is almost always faster to drive to the theme parks. With the Magic Kingdom driving might be a wash but we tend to book meals at the Grand Floridian and park there instead of the big lot. We have the AAA parking pass each time which also helps to park near each park entrance.
6. Valet parking is also a huge time saver, especially at places with faraway lots like Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, etc.
7. Rental car makes it much easier to have meals in places harder to get to like the Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge or even the Beach Club. For the most part we only like sit-down meals in the theme parks at EPCOT only, although we always have breakfast at the Crystal Palace.
8. I really do like the Magical Express buses for other people, because they leave a lot more space for me to park at my hotel (Coronado Springs) and they also mean lots like the Beach Club are pretty empty so I can park there too (with permission).
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Strollers, take 4 - DME?
One smart reader thinks the stroller price hikes are the first "squeeze" from DME, which makes WDW patrons captive. Now might as well raise prices!!
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Prices are set at WDW by price/value perception research. In a fairly homogenous closed population like WDW guests with a large population from which to sample, you can pretty accurately measure cost/sales behavior and find the revenue-maximization price point. They can even claim now to factor in goodwill--they sample guests 5, 7, 10 years out to see what they remember and how it shapes buying behavior, and you know what, people don't complain!
One of my theories is that because prices continuously rise, perception of expense in the past is overwhelmed by perception of how things have *gotten* so expensive in the present. One big driver of prices right now is DME. Because DME eliminates guest purchase choices, what a guest perceives as being willing to pay is way more now than a few years ago; in the past it was a that they didn't want to drive to Wal Mart; now they simply can't, so it doesn't enter into their thinking.
Another big driver is the US exchange rate. Perceptions have adjusted around the strong GBP/EUR. In the inverse, remember for over a decade there was essentially a different price for Canadians whose CAD was strongly devalued vs. the USD. You could buy tickets and vacation packages for WDW in Canada for 15% less than in the States.
[start quote]
Prices are set at WDW by price/value perception research. In a fairly homogenous closed population like WDW guests with a large population from which to sample, you can pretty accurately measure cost/sales behavior and find the revenue-maximization price point. They can even claim now to factor in goodwill--they sample guests 5, 7, 10 years out to see what they remember and how it shapes buying behavior, and you know what, people don't complain!
One of my theories is that because prices continuously rise, perception of expense in the past is overwhelmed by perception of how things have *gotten* so expensive in the present. One big driver of prices right now is DME. Because DME eliminates guest purchase choices, what a guest perceives as being willing to pay is way more now than a few years ago; in the past it was a that they didn't want to drive to Wal Mart; now they simply can't, so it doesn't enter into their thinking.
Another big driver is the US exchange rate. Perceptions have adjusted around the strong GBP/EUR. In the inverse, remember for over a decade there was essentially a different price for Canadians whose CAD was strongly devalued vs. the USD. You could buy tickets and vacation packages for WDW in Canada for 15% less than in the States.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Strollers, take 3
An email I got, in its entirety (no name or salutation or anything):
You're a Dad that is sweating this trip already. Airfare, hotels, restaurant meals and the $200 a day for the family's tickets to the park.... now you realize this trip will cost $3,000+ and the credit cards will take months to heal. The card is red-hot already from being run through the register so much.... damn, breakfast at the character restaurant you promised the kids was "brunch"! No one was even that hungry and it ran $150 and the kids had a little cereal and juice. You overate just trying to get some value out of it and now your stomach is killing you.
Now you hit the stroller rental counter for a double wide for the twins. It's gotta be $10 a day for a stroller cost Disney $60, the way they charge around here.
What does that sign say? $31? Must be for a week, that's great! At least they cut you some slack on something. Say what? $31 A DAY?! For a STROLLER? You have got to be freakin' KIDDIN' ME HERE! Listen, my RENT A CAR only costs $15 a day more than that! This stroller got 200 horsepower, auto trans and A/C? No? THEN WHERE DOES $31 A DAY COME FROM?!! My 8 year old wants to see Mickey, has a bowl of Cheerios and it's $25! OK! BUT $31 FOR ONE DAY OF STROLLER!?
Family is almost in tears, but Dad has snapped like a dry branch in a stiff wind. He was ready to pay high on this trip. He knew everything would be expensive. But this is so outrageous, so over the top, and he's so vulnerable, what does he do? Tell the twins to wait outside?
He takes a deep breath, remembers the poor kid behind the counter just works here, and pays. He wants this to be a good time for the family, and he forces a stiff smile. But he and the wife will have a little talk tonight after the kids are down. They will never go to a Disney park again. Ever.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
eagle
We saw this eagle less than a mile from WDW - eating a rabbit, five feet from us on the side of the road.
Long live Flamingo Crossings!
Long live Flamingo Crossings!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Crazy River toned down
I should have known it, and even predicted it. Deep down, I suspected it. Well, it's happened: they have toned down the 'crazy river' (the fast lazy river) at Aquatica since preview weekend.
In retrospect, I'm not surprised. The rapids sections of the circuit were so good, they sent your head underwater almost every time. And that's with the life vest on. It's what made it so much fun!
This happens to all rides. At Disneyland, I saw it happen to Roger Rabbit (fix: tighten up the wheel so you can't spin it so much), Splash Mountain (fix: cut the wave after the drop by 90%), Indiana Jones (fix: tone is down dramatically so it doesn't shake you like a rag doll).
To those of us healthy in body, the tone down process is always just a touch disappointing. We could have handled the more rough version!
Though I can see operationally why Aquatica would do this. They must have had lots of rescues at first. The crazy river was insane and intense at first. It's still fun now, but nowhere near as good as it was. Man, that sentence makes me sound old and crotchety.
In retrospect, I'm not surprised. The rapids sections of the circuit were so good, they sent your head underwater almost every time. And that's with the life vest on. It's what made it so much fun!
This happens to all rides. At Disneyland, I saw it happen to Roger Rabbit (fix: tighten up the wheel so you can't spin it so much), Splash Mountain (fix: cut the wave after the drop by 90%), Indiana Jones (fix: tone is down dramatically so it doesn't shake you like a rag doll).
To those of us healthy in body, the tone down process is always just a touch disappointing. We could have handled the more rough version!
Though I can see operationally why Aquatica would do this. They must have had lots of rescues at first. The crazy river was insane and intense at first. It's still fun now, but nowhere near as good as it was. Man, that sentence makes me sound old and crotchety.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Green Meadows petting zoo
Visiting this “tourist farm” near Disney World, you can’t just stroll around the various corrals. You have to be led, in an annoying tour format that last 2.5 hours and doesn’t start nearly as often as you’d like. What would be better is an option to self-guide, perhaps via a handout or guide book. On our visit, our tour was told to catch up with an ongoing tour, which meant we had little time catching chickens and no pony ride at all. Not a good way to impress your visitors!
It only gets busy around here during holiday periods, though, so if you’re coming away from that point, you should do much better. That said, if it’s a hot part of the year (aka, most of the calendar in
And there’s always that flight restriction. Airlines and customs always wants to know if you’ve been on a farm in the last 90 days. With this visit, you’ll have to answer YES, so think carefully.
But if you can get past all that, and the somewhat expensive cost, this farm is reasonably cute for kids the right age. The train is poky and slow, but fun. The playgrounds are not elaborate, but let kids burn off energy. The animals are not prize-winning, but they are pretty darn varied. Where else can you personally milk a cow? Catch a chicken? Pet a duckling and a soft chick?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Goofy Challenge-2008
Last year at this time, as the Disney half marathon ended, I noticed essentially no soreness in my muscles, despite not doing any training whatsoever. Of course, I didn’t push myself particularly hard, either. The usual post-race euphoria makes people do strange things, like promise to themselves they will do a MUCH better job in the coming year training for the marathon, so therefore it will be okay not only to sign up once again, but to go ahead and sign up for the granddaddy event, the race-and-a-half Goofy’s Challenge. You do a half-marathon on Saturday, and then the full marathon the very next day on Sunday. That’s 39.3 miles in a single weekend (technically, in 10.5 hours or less, if you’re keeping up like you’re supposed to).
I dug in and started my training right away, building up to four, five, and six mile daily runs by March, and doing it five days a week. Things were going so well, and happening so early, that I had visions of grandeur at the January 2008 races. I set new goals. Not only would I finish, I’d do the whole thing running, with no walking allowed! I’d finish the half marathon in under two hours!
I guess I got greedy, because I over-trained, as it’s called, and suffered an injury that had me avoiding the treadmill for two months. Not good. With the spell broken, I didn’t feel the urgency to climb back into the saddle once my knee was good again, and laziness set in during the whole summer. After summer I tried again, but had serious problems finding time, and let it go after only two weeks.
Long story short: I was back to where I’d been before (twice now): about to race at the Disney Marathon with essentially no training. Only this time, I was set to run 1.5 marathons. And I was twenty pounds heavier, due to a year-long restaurant project you’ll hear about soon. My blood pressure had recently been assessed as high, though that may have been a fluke. I’d recently smacked my knee hard, resulting in surface bruising and swelling. All the stars were aligned in exactly the wrong way. I’d be lucky to finish the races without permanent or serious damage. In fact, I was worried about death or a heart attack. It does happen at marathons! I knew I’d have to dial my expectations way, way down, and take things easy.
My only remaining target was to finish both races in the allotted time. You get 3.5 hours for the half marathon, and 7 hours for the full. That’s a pace for 16-minute miles, sustained over the entire stretch. When I do jog, I usually don’t try for a more energetic 6 MPH (which is a 10-minute pace), but stay at 5 MPH (which is a 12-minute pace). Walking at 3 MPH is a cross between a brisk purposeful stride and an unhurried stroll, and it yields 20-minute miles. My strategy was to run (well, to jog) the first half of each race at my normal 12-minute pace, and then walk the second half at the 20-minute pace. The combination of those would yield exactly a 16-minute pace.
Put that way, it’s not so bad. The half-marathon would be reduced to just a six-mile run, with some normally-paced walking after that. The full marathon would be harder, at twice the length, and especially since it took place the day later, when muscles are sore. But by digging deeply, it could be done. Even without much in the way of preparation.
Now is as good a time as any to point out that, well, YOU SHOULD NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. People bite off more than they can chew with marathons all the time, and literal deaths are sometimes the result. I may be horribly overweight, but I walk twenty miles each weekend (we spend two full days in the parks, you see), and I used to be a prime athlete in high school. Granted, that was twenty years ago, but I really was on the cutting edge for fitness, and moreover, my sports of choice revolved around running: track, cross-country, and soccer. I could do the half mile in 2:20, the mile in 5:04, and the three-mile run in 17:10. So please be careful in emulating my stupid attempts to run these things without proper conditioning.
Saturday morning came quickly, but I had done all the right things: trimmed my sleep patterns so I’d be used to waking early, eaten properly the night before, had good gear and actual running shorts, running shoes, running socks, etc. I’d learned in previous runs that chafing is a problem, so I had Vaseline strategically placed, and band-aids over the nipples (sounds weird, but it works to prevent problems). The only thing I didn’t have this time around was a digital camera. Since this set of races was going to be hard on me, I didn’t want to carry unnecessary weight. I was carrying enough of that around my midsection, thank you very much.
Disney continues to tweak the event, and I’m pleased with the current iteration. There are still not enough bathrooms in the front, but they had a ton of port-a-potties just before the start line. That said, they still need more of them after the race has started. Best of all, they didn’t repeat the annoying mistake of holding back “waves” of runners (those slotted to start 10 or 25 minutes after the “real” beginning). Previously, that had created a bottleneck not too different from what you see at FastPass Return lines, with some people off the to side and waiting their turn, and others trying to fight through. Only here, it was worse, because the bottleneck was orders of magnitude larger, and the people on the side never were granted entrance after just a few minutes. Now, they just let everyone head toward the start line and the corrals, where people had been pre-sorted based on their expected finishing time. It went smoothly.
What wasn’t smooth was the singing of the national anthem. I became aware that the blaring, too-loud rock music had died away, replaced with silence for us back in corral E (and presumably all corrals out of normal vocal range of the start line). The singer was there on stage, the video was visible to us on nearby screens, but no audio was being transmitted. And then one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen happened. The chattering fell away all around me, almost as if on cue, and I was treated to a sight of thousands of people making no noise whatsoever. Absolute silence. Ever so faintly, the song became audible. We were hearing the speakers from the very front of corral A, some quarter mile away from us. That’s how quiet it was. For some reason, this really resonated with me. The sentiment of the moment was powerful; more powerful, I think, than any other Star Spangled Banner moment I can think of, and I’m usually a sucker for this kind of thing. It was almost as if everyone put everything aside for a moment and paid homage to the flag with silence. It lent a solemnity and respectfulness to the occasion I’ve seldom seen. People hooted and cheered at the last verse of the song, of course (are we the only country that does this?) and the mood returned to celebratory. It was a rare moment, and I cherished it.
The half marathon started normally, which is to say, with a countdown accomplished by a series of fireworks. I was hyper-aware of the ground below me. On two occasions in the past, I’ve twisted an ankle in the first mile of the marathon, so now I’m always careful. The woman in front of me wasn’t as cautious, and tripped on the mat right at the start line that electronically records our presence (we’d all tied chips to our shoelaces). She went right down to the ground, though I think she was unhurt. Hopefully she was able to continue.
My plan for only running half the race worked beautifully. For some reason, I was barely tired by the time I hit six miles, and had been running at a pace of exactly 12-minute miles. I did experimentally slow to my walking speed for a mile, to verify that the pace I thought was a 20-minute mile really was the right pace, but I started occasionally jogging again after that. I didn’t need to jog. My plan was to take “the longest time possible” on the half marathon, but still finish within the 3.5 hour limit. To do that, I’d now need to simply walk the rest of the way. But spectators line the course, and they cheer you on. Worse, they unwittingly instill guilt if you’re not running (who wants to look like they’re out of energy already?), so I’m afraid I did some running after all. This was probably not a good idea. I’d need all my energy the next day. And getting injured was a serious consideration. I forced myself to walk a couple of miles, but by then, most folks around me were also walking. At that point I noticed others around me, wearing the same orange bracelet I was wearing, signifying they were also running the Goofy Challenge and would be doing the full marathon the next day. Like me, they were walking. I suspect many of us employ this strategy.
All told, I crossed the finish line after about 3 hours and 12 minutes. Since I’d not made it to the start line until sixteen minutes into the race, that meant I was just under three hours. Not bad. This was clearly my slowest half marathon yet, but that was intentional so I would save some energy for Sunday. In fact, it wasn’t as slow as it was supposed to be. I would have preferred something closer to 3.5 hours, but it’s too late to change that now.
Everything written until this point was composed on Saturday afternoon, after the half marathon. You can sense the interplay of optimism and worry in the tone above, since I had no idea how Sunday would play out. On Sunday morning, I rose at the usual 3:00 a.m. and did as I had done for the half-marathon: just drive out to the Epcot parking lot ASAP, skipping breakfast. It hadn’t been a problem the day before, so why should it be this time? This is an old trick of mine from playing soccer. I always played better on an empty stomach. It should have occurred to my addled brain that there is a difference between a two-hour game and a seven-hour running event.
I had some aches. My thighs were a little sore, and there was some significant pain in the tendons around the outside of the knees. That one worried me. Would the soreness evaporate when I started moving? Going up and down any stairs or inclines was already painful. At least the shin splints I had had at the end of the race on Saturday was gone.
The race lead-up and start were uneventful, and more or less the same as the day before. This time there were no “waves” at the start, but there were two courses for the first few miles, so things were a lot less crowded. That’s not to say they were uncrowded. These WDW roads are simply not wide enough for the volume of runners present. There were 18,000 marathoners on Sunday. Can’t they invent a new course layout that uses wider roads at the start?
Things were going to be warm on this run. The temperature in the waiting areas was around 63, and it was going to get up to the 70s on this run, with partly cloudy conditions and the threat of rain later. Humidity was 80-90% the whole time, an unpleasant combination.
My pains did disappear very early in the run, just as I’d hoped. I was able to make decent time, which surprised me. For the first several miles, I kept my usual 12-minute pace. This was going exactly according to plan. I’d go 12 miles at that speed, which would enable me to just walk the remainder at a 20-minute pace. That’s not quite halfway, but it was close enough that I’d still make it to the finish line in time, because even during the “walk” phase, you do trot from time to time. Usually when the crowd urges you on, or shames you into it.
It turned out that it was a stretch to think I could run at my pace for 12 miles. I’d only gone six miles the day before, so it couldn’t be used as a comparison. Indeed, I failed to get all the way to mile 12 before slowing to a walk. I made it to mile 10, though, still at a 12-minute pace, and I was very proud of that. But I was pushing myself hard to make that happen, and just after mile 10, I got dizzy and simultaneously felt some of my fingertips go numb. Uh-oh. That’s a very bad sign, especially considering my weight, my recent high blood pressure reading (which may or may not have been an anomaly), and the fact that my dad suffered a major heart attack when only a few years older than I am now. I slowed to a walk for the next few miles.
By mile 13, I tried running again and discovered I was having a glycogen problem in my legs. There was no more energy! This was ridiculous. Usually that happens at mile 20 (the famous “wall”), though I suppose the fact that I ran 13 miles the day before could have helped. Most of the problem was doubtless that I had not trained in the months before the marathon.
But also problematic was my stupid oversight in not eating breakfast. I had scarfed down an energy bar at the start line, but that was 3 hours ago. I had been counting on Disney offering food on the course, but by mile 13, there was still no sign of food. Usually they had something at mile 10, but it was either absent this year or “sold out” by the time I got there, which was inexcusable considering my relatively fast pace to that point. By mile 13, we had only seen Powerade and water. I was not pleased.
So I was out of energy, my thighs were burning prematurely, and I had slowed to a walk a few miles too soon. Running through the calculations in my head, I realized that I could continue to walk at a 20-minute pace and get very close. But not close enough. I’d be at mile 16 by 4 hours, mile 19 by 5 hours, mile 22 by 6 hours, and mile 25 by 7 hours. That’s 1.2 miles short when the clock ran out. Thus, I’d have to go faster than 20-minute miles to make up the time. Even worse, the calculations here assume I could even maintain a 20-minute mile, which was not presently the case and would doubtless get worse as time went on and the marathon became harder. A 20-minute pace isn’t a stroll exactly; there’s some pep to your step. Under normal circumstances, I’d be able to do kick things up and go faster than a 20-minute pace, no problem. But the lack of food and training had taken a big toll on me. Also, I was worried about trying to push myself if that meant I risked passing out, or even something worse. That dizzy spell weighed on me, even though it hadn’t come back.
Because of the dizzy spell, I stopped by a medical tent just after mile 13, and learned my blood pressure was 139/98. That’s a very high, and very worrisome, number. In a word, it sealed the deal for me. I wasn’t going to push myself with my system untrained, unfed, and running such a high BP. I’d already had one dizzy spell, which was tantamount to my body issuing me a warning. Had I been injured in the foot or leg, I would definitely have stuck it out and fought through the pain. But you don’t fight your circulatory system. You’ll lose, and losing means something very bad, like a heart attack or death. With a very heavy and very reluctant heart, I told the nurses I needed to drop out. The time was about three hours into the race. I’d run a virtually identical race as the day before. The same 13.1 miles, and at about the same pace.
I briefly considered avoiding the medical van, and just walking in the course until the bus came along to “sweep” me for going under the 16 minute pace. It would be neat to witness that once. Since I wanted to be swept (I no longer thought I could make it to the finish line in time), I found myself thinking about Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black, leaping in the air at the big bug and yelling “Eat me!”, except I was mentally leaping and exclaiming “Sweep me!” But that would take a full two hours for the sweep bus to catch up to me, and my legs were killing me. And I was ravenous.
I used instead the “sag” wagon, a van which carried folks back to the Epcot staging area when they were injured or quit. I was joined by several others with injuries. Someone clipped out my timing chip, gave us drinks, and drove us back. One of the other runners asked if we would get medals anyway, but this practice was abandoned a few years ago. Now, only the finishers get the finisher’s medal.
I was disappointed in the turn of events, but not discouraged about Disney’s decision regarding no medals for drop outs. In fact, I applaud them for it. If they had given me one, I would have found it hollow and devoid of meaning. I’d rather have it mean something, even if it results in me not earning one this year. That will make it much sweeter when I do earn one. Maybe next year.
As I walked by the post-race area, I saw many elite runners who were done already. The Mickey medal for the marathon this year was redesigned and gorgeous, presumably in honor of the 15th year of the marathon. The mouse ear shape used to be a solid gold color, but now has black ears, and there’s a full-color Mickey Mouse caught in a sprint pose in the middle. I also walked by the tent which had the Goofy Challenge medals gathered on a railing, glinting in the sunlight. I looked forlornly over the fence, feeling for all the world like a child standing outside a candy store.
I went home, showered, got some food, cleaned up around the house a bit, and then took the family to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS). By this time, it was 12:00, which would have been roughly the exact moment I would have been here in the marathon, if I were still running. Check that. Given my injuries, I’d be an hour behind. But this is where I was supposed to be.
It made me sad to see the runners making their way through DHS. Having gotten some food in me and a chance to recuperate (not to mention a shower), I was feeling quite good physically, and wondering why I’d dropped out at all. There were very few pains in my legs by now. It crossed my mind that if I had my race number here, I could have pinned it back on me, jumped back into the racing crowd, and finished the race to receive my medals. I wouldn’t have a chip in my shoelaces, since that was cut out, but that wouldn’t stop the medal-awarding, since chips are removed right away after the finish line and no one would know it if I just zoomed past them and went to the medals instead. I wouldn’t really do this, since I’m fundamentally a rule-following person, and act ethically whenever I can. But it did seem to me something a cheater might be able to get away with. Easily, even. I wonder if it’s happened before?
I don’t feel remorse very often, but I felt it that afternoon, watching the athletes pass me by, and thinking it could have been me. I consoled myself with the thought that while I might have been able to make it after all, I might just as easily have given myself a heart attack, and that wouldn’t be fair to my wife or young kids. As sappy as it is to say this, my family needs me. It would have been selfish of me to continue, and endanger myself just to prove something to myself. While watching the athletes, I gave my youngest son a tight hug and did my best to forget about the medals I wouldn’t be hanging around my neck.
I’ll sign up for something next year. Clearly, the half-marathon is the right size for me if this trend of not-training is going to continue. I do want the Goofy medal, though, so I may yet try again.
In prior years, I was able to finish the half marathon without training, and one year the same was true of the full marathon. But in the Goofy Challenge, I’d finally found a race that I could not conquer with zero training. Having failed in the quest once, I’ll know not to be blase about the training the next time around. Losing has a way of sharpening your resolve.
Monday, December 10, 2007
FastPass, PhotoPass, Photo Locations, and Recycling
A real potpourri today:
1. Stitch FastPasses may not be networked to the whole system. I got a Jungle Cruise FP just for the souvenir, and was told I could get another one at 3:40. But at 3:20 I thought to myself I'd get a Stitch souvenir, the kind saying 'you aren't eligible for a FP yet!' but to my surprise, I got a FastPass. Either Stitch or JC is not on the network. I asked the Stitch CM and he said something completely unhelpful (wow, I guess you got really lucky!), so I'm stymied.
2. PhotoPass CMs are taking over the streets. As you walk down Main St, there is not one, not two, but more like six PhotoPass CMs that you pass on the way to Fantasyland. At first I wanted to complain about this nonsense. But there were actual lines for the PhotoPass folks at a couple points, so maybe the market really wants this. I do agree with the notion of a Photopass, but somehow it just feels like overkill already.
3. You know those Kodak Photo Locations? I always joked that the signs almost imply you should stand next to the sign and pose WITH the sign rather than with the object in the background (ie, the castle). Well, just yesterday I saw a family doing this very thing. It was a photo location, they must have reasoned to themselves, so they took a picture with the sign. The castle was not in the photo, as the photographer was standing at totally the wrong angle.
4. Since we're talking about those kinds of visitors, I'll share this one. When I came under the train station, I was behind a father, mother, and 14 year old girl. The father said, "should we go to the Magic Kingdom?" I would have bet my whole bank account he was being deadpan. Without skipping a beat, the mother said "yes, sure, where is it?" and the father replied "behind the castle, I think".
I edged away from them before they could infect me with whatever they had.
5. I saw an unusual sight in Adventureland: near the eggroll cart (oops, it only sells turkey legs now!) there is a new thing, a trashcan that is fused together with a recycling can. On first glance, it looks like two cans shoved together, but nope, it's really a double-wide thing. I approve of recycling cans being in the parks. I hope this takes off more. Someday, every trashcan could have recycling right next to it. Fine by me.
1. Stitch FastPasses may not be networked to the whole system. I got a Jungle Cruise FP just for the souvenir, and was told I could get another one at 3:40. But at 3:20 I thought to myself I'd get a Stitch souvenir, the kind saying 'you aren't eligible for a FP yet!' but to my surprise, I got a FastPass. Either Stitch or JC is not on the network. I asked the Stitch CM and he said something completely unhelpful (wow, I guess you got really lucky!), so I'm stymied.
2. PhotoPass CMs are taking over the streets. As you walk down Main St, there is not one, not two, but more like six PhotoPass CMs that you pass on the way to Fantasyland. At first I wanted to complain about this nonsense. But there were actual lines for the PhotoPass folks at a couple points, so maybe the market really wants this. I do agree with the notion of a Photopass, but somehow it just feels like overkill already.
3. You know those Kodak Photo Locations? I always joked that the signs almost imply you should stand next to the sign and pose WITH the sign rather than with the object in the background (ie, the castle). Well, just yesterday I saw a family doing this very thing. It was a photo location, they must have reasoned to themselves, so they took a picture with the sign. The castle was not in the photo, as the photographer was standing at totally the wrong angle.
4. Since we're talking about those kinds of visitors, I'll share this one. When I came under the train station, I was behind a father, mother, and 14 year old girl. The father said, "should we go to the Magic Kingdom?" I would have bet my whole bank account he was being deadpan. Without skipping a beat, the mother said "yes, sure, where is it?" and the father replied "behind the castle, I think".
I edged away from them before they could infect me with whatever they had.
5. I saw an unusual sight in Adventureland: near the eggroll cart (oops, it only sells turkey legs now!) there is a new thing, a trashcan that is fused together with a recycling can. On first glance, it looks like two cans shoved together, but nope, it's really a double-wide thing. I approve of recycling cans being in the parks. I hope this takes off more. Someday, every trashcan could have recycling right next to it. Fine by me.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Give Kids the World... for Christmas!
The Disney online community came together several months ago to raise money for a charity, Give Kids the World Village (a resort that hosts many children and families visiting the Orlando area from Wish-Granting organizations, including the big ones whose names you know).
Since it's the holiday season, it's time to see if there's a bit more money around for the children. Please help! Every little bit helps.
http://www.firstgiving.com/disneyfans
(You webmasters out there can also help by either linking to this page, or creating your own 'widget' that lets you run your own fundraising page for this very worthy cause).
Thanks all in advance. Happy holidays!
Since it's the holiday season, it's time to see if there's a bit more money around for the children. Please help! Every little bit helps.
http://www.firstgiving.com/disneyfans
(You webmasters out there can also help by either linking to this page, or creating your own 'widget' that lets you run your own fundraising page for this very worthy cause).
Thanks all in advance. Happy holidays!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Benches in Germany (and Epcot in Winter)
Fairly new to World showcase are regular, plain vanilla picnic tables (unpainted pine, even, by the looks of them) that sit waterside in Germany. This is a great idea, since Germany always sells food from vendors and has no place to sit. And there was a pretty large walkway along the water that holds plenty of room, which was just un-utilized before.
It's my favorite season at Epcot. Crowds are way, way down. Temps are down. The Wand is down! (yay!)
The Lights of Winter are up. The holiday fireworks finale is up. My blood-alcohol and thus my mood is up.
Benches? Sure, why not. Epcot is such an amazing park to have in my backyard, I can barely notice it when small things are added or taken away. Well, strike that. I notice it when they disappear. But this kind of small 'plussing' of the place keeps me going, and going, and going.
I suppose the occasional drink helps. Not that they make this easier. The beer stand at the UK, usually left open after Food and Wine, still stands but I haven't seen it open yet. In the UK pub itself, they've stopped selling those half-yards of beer or cider.
Doesn't matter. Epcot is still phenomenal. Especially at this time of year.
It's my favorite season at Epcot. Crowds are way, way down. Temps are down. The Wand is down! (yay!)
The Lights of Winter are up. The holiday fireworks finale is up. My blood-alcohol and thus my mood is up.
Benches? Sure, why not. Epcot is such an amazing park to have in my backyard, I can barely notice it when small things are added or taken away. Well, strike that. I notice it when they disappear. But this kind of small 'plussing' of the place keeps me going, and going, and going.
I suppose the occasional drink helps. Not that they make this easier. The beer stand at the UK, usually left open after Food and Wine, still stands but I haven't seen it open yet. In the UK pub itself, they've stopped selling those half-yards of beer or cider.
Doesn't matter. Epcot is still phenomenal. Especially at this time of year.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Hong Kong DL: The reason Disney parks jumped the shark
Have you heard the term 'jump the shark'? It refers to Happy Days, when Fonzie jumped a literal shark on water skis, and the show started to go downhill from there.
When did Disney parks lose their luster and start to go downhill? A lot of people blame it on Eisner (and especially on the loss of partner Frank Wells).
That's mostly true. But another truth could be pointed to: the quitting of upper park management, the bi-coastal team of Dick Nunis and Norm Doerges. It wasn't until this week I learned why Dick had left the company - turns out for the same reason as Norm. Both of them were angry at Eisner for insisting on a park at Hong Kong.
Dick had wanted Australia - badly - and felt a communist country was the wrong place to be, just for political reasons. And that Chinese people didn't know the Disney characters. (He's right about that!)
When Eisner insisted, Dick had had enough. He'd been annoyed and burned once before (he wanted Spain for the Euro park, not Paris) and this was the icing on the cake. So he left.
When he left, the parks stopped focusing on the very things which had kept the cast happy and family-like for so many decades:
1. history
2. tradition
3. training
They went right out the window. I was there in those years and saw it happen. Hearing Dick reminisce about those times this week really struck a nerve with me.
Odd to think that a big, thus-far-unacknowledged part of the reason for such a huge change in the parks is Eisner's insistence that the company build in Hong Kong. I guess we all suffer for that little park that's still struggling.
When did Disney parks lose their luster and start to go downhill? A lot of people blame it on Eisner (and especially on the loss of partner Frank Wells).
That's mostly true. But another truth could be pointed to: the quitting of upper park management, the bi-coastal team of Dick Nunis and Norm Doerges. It wasn't until this week I learned why Dick had left the company - turns out for the same reason as Norm. Both of them were angry at Eisner for insisting on a park at Hong Kong.
Dick had wanted Australia - badly - and felt a communist country was the wrong place to be, just for political reasons. And that Chinese people didn't know the Disney characters. (He's right about that!)
When Eisner insisted, Dick had had enough. He'd been annoyed and burned once before (he wanted Spain for the Euro park, not Paris) and this was the icing on the cake. So he left.
When he left, the parks stopped focusing on the very things which had kept the cast happy and family-like for so many decades:
1. history
2. tradition
3. training
They went right out the window. I was there in those years and saw it happen. Hearing Dick reminisce about those times this week really struck a nerve with me.
Odd to think that a big, thus-far-unacknowledged part of the reason for such a huge change in the parks is Eisner's insistence that the company build in Hong Kong. I guess we all suffer for that little park that's still struggling.
Next big announcement: Hong Kong Disneyland
A little birdie whispered in my ear today that the next big announcement out of Disney, due any day now, will be about Hong Kong Disneyland. Something to rival the size and scope of the DCA makeover. Stay tooned.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
AT-ATs and Osborn
The Jedi training stage is there next to the AT-AT and it looks great. It's themed to the bunker entrance in Return of the Jedi. My wife joked we should jump on stage, hide in the sides of the bunker, and say the lines from the movie. We're geeks.
The AT-AT shoots water now (did it do that before? or just have the noise? or the noise plus lights?) and this soaks some people at night. Very amusing.
Osborn started up Monday night. Some thoughts:
1. there is more purple than ever before. pretty.
2. the dancing starts every 7 minutes, not every 15 minutes. this is much better customer service
3. the snow runs nonstop in the time when dancing is 'off', rather than saving money by only running some times. good customer service.
4. there is better choreography to the music this year. good show.
5. the new song is a lightning-fast version of jingle bells. I don't know if I liked it. At least it's more peppy than Feliz Navidad (which is just out place, it's so slow).
6. the 'side street' behind the Muppets exit is the barest I've ever seen. Where did the train go?
The AT-AT shoots water now (did it do that before? or just have the noise? or the noise plus lights?) and this soaks some people at night. Very amusing.
Osborn started up Monday night. Some thoughts:
1. there is more purple than ever before. pretty.
2. the dancing starts every 7 minutes, not every 15 minutes. this is much better customer service
3. the snow runs nonstop in the time when dancing is 'off', rather than saving money by only running some times. good customer service.
4. there is better choreography to the music this year. good show.
5. the new song is a lightning-fast version of jingle bells. I don't know if I liked it. At least it's more peppy than Feliz Navidad (which is just out place, it's so slow).
6. the 'side street' behind the Muppets exit is the barest I've ever seen. Where did the train go?
Friday, November 09, 2007
WDW After a Month's Absence
When you visit every weekend, you hit all four parks with some regularity (Epcot I see at least every seven days, for instance). So when you're gone for a month to Tokyo, you come back to seeing some changes!
Magic Kingdom
- Haven't been yet. But I've seen what the Xmas lights look like on the castle's facade during daytime, and it looks bad. Did they think we wouldn't notice? It's a bit like the Big City facade at MGM, how it looks during the day. The difference is that the castle is a major icon and photography target. I'll know more when I see it F2F, and not just via pictures online.
Christmas has come to all the parks early, actually. By the first of November, there were traces. Seems a bit like a long season to me, but what do I know.
Epcot
- The highly embarassing line breaks and typos in the text for Lincoln (at the new exhibit in the American Adventure) has been fixed, I'm sure at great cost. Good for them.
- I saw traces of fresh paint on lots of things. In France, the Litfasssaeulen (a German word for those round columns with ads on them) are brand new, with presumably newly printed ads on them. They pop with color now.
- Half an hour before park closing, the 25th celebration room in West Innoventions-South was empty and awesome. The piped in nostalgia music really took me back in time. What a great reflective experience.
- I think I saw wine booths open from one week to the next. They are still adding wine capacity this late in the game? Lines have been long enough, during this F&W Festival, so maybe they are just maximizing profit.
- To Jim McPhee: thank you for NOT opening Spaceship Earth. It was either you, or an Imagineer in charge, who must have decided the show was not ready and thus would not open on time. I applaud this. Quality will out. I'd rather have it late and right, than on-time and poor.
DAK
- Catherine Jobson is still in the queue video for Safari, though not on the ride. Ironically, we had a ride where none of the onboard audio was working, so there was no Warden Wilson, just our guide speaking to us. I kind of liked it, actually.
- We got into line for safari 40 minutes before stated close time for the safari (due to sunset). The Standby wait time said 40 minutes. Coincidence? The real wait time was about 12. Am I cynical to think they do that on purpose to make sure the ride 'closes' on time for sunset? I guess they have to, to make sure the animals get back safely to their cages.
- Speaking of wait times, they inflate it badly for Everest Single Rider. It's not 25 minutes with ten people there. More like 5 or 10 minutes. In general, one person per minute moves from Single Rider into the ride.
- On our visit at least, Everest was totally dark in the backwards helix - they fixed the 'light pollution' problem! Hooray!
- Of course, the yeti was operating in 'b-mode' (not moving, and thus not lit up normally, but only lit with a strobe to imply movement). I'm one who thinks having a B-mode is a good thing. otherwise, the ride would be 101 (broken down) all the time, and that's a worse scenario.
- As someone pointed out in email to me, DAK has paper straws now, and has for some weeks. Hooray! Long overdue. And the animals will still be protected.
- At the Dino Dig kid's play area, there are some rope tunnels that are supposed to be 'one person at a time' but usually isn't guarded. On this visit, we saw a CM at each such tunnel enforcing the rule (it's on and off enforced anyway). It struck me as a waste of manpower, not to mention a horrible job to have to actually work. Do they endure lawsuits here, is that why they have to station a CM there?
MGM
- We saw ODF carts being rolled backstage at the end of the night, but not pushed by workers with bad backs. The carts were electrically controlled - there was a motor and the CM was merely 'driving'. Have they had this out here forever and I'm only now noticing?
- MGM closed at 8pm on our weekend visit. Sad, sad, sad. Bring on Pixar, bring on Lucas, and keep this sucker open til midnight.
Universal
- Saw a guest riding a segway around CitiWalk. I guess Uni lets them in. Disney certainly doesn't; they don't consider it an 'assistive device'.
- From the top of the Dueling Dragons lift hill, look ahead and to the left. You'll see a very large rectangle of ground cleared, with bulldozers pushing dirt around - that's for Hogwarts castle. Potter really is coming! Seeing the castle located there, you get a sense for how really big this sub-park is going to be, since it starts back by Poseidon.
Magic Kingdom
- Haven't been yet. But I've seen what the Xmas lights look like on the castle's facade during daytime, and it looks bad. Did they think we wouldn't notice? It's a bit like the Big City facade at MGM, how it looks during the day. The difference is that the castle is a major icon and photography target. I'll know more when I see it F2F, and not just via pictures online.
Christmas has come to all the parks early, actually. By the first of November, there were traces. Seems a bit like a long season to me, but what do I know.
Epcot
- The highly embarassing line breaks and typos in the text for Lincoln (at the new exhibit in the American Adventure) has been fixed, I'm sure at great cost. Good for them.
- I saw traces of fresh paint on lots of things. In France, the Litfasssaeulen (a German word for those round columns with ads on them) are brand new, with presumably newly printed ads on them. They pop with color now.
- Half an hour before park closing, the 25th celebration room in West Innoventions-South was empty and awesome. The piped in nostalgia music really took me back in time. What a great reflective experience.
- I think I saw wine booths open from one week to the next. They are still adding wine capacity this late in the game? Lines have been long enough, during this F&W Festival, so maybe they are just maximizing profit.
- To Jim McPhee: thank you for NOT opening Spaceship Earth. It was either you, or an Imagineer in charge, who must have decided the show was not ready and thus would not open on time. I applaud this. Quality will out. I'd rather have it late and right, than on-time and poor.
DAK
- Catherine Jobson is still in the queue video for Safari, though not on the ride. Ironically, we had a ride where none of the onboard audio was working, so there was no Warden Wilson, just our guide speaking to us. I kind of liked it, actually.
- We got into line for safari 40 minutes before stated close time for the safari (due to sunset). The Standby wait time said 40 minutes. Coincidence? The real wait time was about 12. Am I cynical to think they do that on purpose to make sure the ride 'closes' on time for sunset? I guess they have to, to make sure the animals get back safely to their cages.
- Speaking of wait times, they inflate it badly for Everest Single Rider. It's not 25 minutes with ten people there. More like 5 or 10 minutes. In general, one person per minute moves from Single Rider into the ride.
- On our visit at least, Everest was totally dark in the backwards helix - they fixed the 'light pollution' problem! Hooray!
- Of course, the yeti was operating in 'b-mode' (not moving, and thus not lit up normally, but only lit with a strobe to imply movement). I'm one who thinks having a B-mode is a good thing. otherwise, the ride would be 101 (broken down) all the time, and that's a worse scenario.
- As someone pointed out in email to me, DAK has paper straws now, and has for some weeks. Hooray! Long overdue. And the animals will still be protected.
- At the Dino Dig kid's play area, there are some rope tunnels that are supposed to be 'one person at a time' but usually isn't guarded. On this visit, we saw a CM at each such tunnel enforcing the rule (it's on and off enforced anyway). It struck me as a waste of manpower, not to mention a horrible job to have to actually work. Do they endure lawsuits here, is that why they have to station a CM there?
MGM
- We saw ODF carts being rolled backstage at the end of the night, but not pushed by workers with bad backs. The carts were electrically controlled - there was a motor and the CM was merely 'driving'. Have they had this out here forever and I'm only now noticing?
- MGM closed at 8pm on our weekend visit. Sad, sad, sad. Bring on Pixar, bring on Lucas, and keep this sucker open til midnight.
Universal
- Saw a guest riding a segway around CitiWalk. I guess Uni lets them in. Disney certainly doesn't; they don't consider it an 'assistive device'.
- From the top of the Dueling Dragons lift hill, look ahead and to the left. You'll see a very large rectangle of ground cleared, with bulldozers pushing dirt around - that's for Hogwarts castle. Potter really is coming! Seeing the castle located there, you get a sense for how really big this sub-park is going to be, since it starts back by Poseidon.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Farewells
I meant to comment on the news that Uni-Orlando is closing 'Earthquake' to replace it with something else, in just a few short weeks (which implies a makeover, not a new ride), but reality intrudes and I have to say farewell to something else: Bruce Gordon.
Disney fan sites are all saying goodbye to Bruce, and I echo their sense of loss. It's even deeper for me, though, since Bruce was a guiding light to Jason and I when writing our first Disneyland books and a mentor about publishing in general. I'm more than mourning - I'm pissed at the unfairness of the world. Bruce was a great guy, at least to us, and his passing is bad news for just about the whole world. His touch wasn't always golden (witness DL's Pooh ride), but that could very likely be the cause of budget considerations beyond his control, and not his fault. None of that matters. We are all a little more impoverished with this news.
Disney fan sites are all saying goodbye to Bruce, and I echo their sense of loss. It's even deeper for me, though, since Bruce was a guiding light to Jason and I when writing our first Disneyland books and a mentor about publishing in general. I'm more than mourning - I'm pissed at the unfairness of the world. Bruce was a great guy, at least to us, and his passing is bad news for just about the whole world. His touch wasn't always golden (witness DL's Pooh ride), but that could very likely be the cause of budget considerations beyond his control, and not his fault. None of that matters. We are all a little more impoverished with this news.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Epcot without Spaceship Earth
With Spaceship Earth out of commission until 2008 (probably February), Epcot is almost a different park. We find ourselves just a touch less excited about going there than had been the case before - is SSE really that central to the experience of Epcot?? I never realized it entirely. It's making me miss the older Epcot Center even more, when there were lots of AA extravaganzas.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Too much going on - dozens of updates to do
Sorry for the very long radio silence. Let's take a quiz. Do you think I was:
a) visiting Tokyo Disney Resort for the first time ever
b) writing a 'how to visit TDR' book (over 100 pages) based on copious notes, previous research, mistakes made in person, and additional research once home
c) finishing the preview edition of Mouse Trap, my Disneyland CM memoir
d) visiting Disneyland for the first time in 2 years
e) updating 101-DL, 101-WDW, Magic Quizdom
f) updating WDW Dining Guide and menu prices
g) all of the above
Obviously, the answer is all of the above. The Disney hobby absolutely takes over if you let it.
In the meantime, I have literally dozens of things, little notes I made to myself, to post in this blog. Things from little maintenance issues to large, big-forest type observations.
Here's an important one: the costuming building backstage at Disney's Hollywood Studios is moving; a new one is being built behind Indy. What does this matter? It matters because it means space is being cleared from behind the existing buildings of Pixar Place. Meaning the expansion there is sure to heat up soon. (Thanks to themelaw for the heads up there).
I'll just have to get to the other, much smaller tidbits when I get to them. Consider yourselves privy to two new bits of info from this post: my Cast Member book and my upcoming Tokyo trip report. And of course that Tokyo book. Which isn't daring to pretend it's comprehensive... the very title ("Tokyo Disney Made Easy") points out this is a book to make things easier, not to tell you every last in and out.
Sigh. I need 38 hours in a day.
a) visiting Tokyo Disney Resort for the first time ever
b) writing a 'how to visit TDR' book (over 100 pages) based on copious notes, previous research, mistakes made in person, and additional research once home
c) finishing the preview edition of Mouse Trap, my Disneyland CM memoir
d) visiting Disneyland for the first time in 2 years
e) updating 101-DL, 101-WDW, Magic Quizdom
f) updating WDW Dining Guide and menu prices
g) all of the above
Obviously, the answer is all of the above. The Disney hobby absolutely takes over if you let it.
In the meantime, I have literally dozens of things, little notes I made to myself, to post in this blog. Things from little maintenance issues to large, big-forest type observations.
Here's an important one: the costuming building backstage at Disney's Hollywood Studios is moving; a new one is being built behind Indy. What does this matter? It matters because it means space is being cleared from behind the existing buildings of Pixar Place. Meaning the expansion there is sure to heat up soon. (Thanks to themelaw for the heads up there).
I'll just have to get to the other, much smaller tidbits when I get to them. Consider yourselves privy to two new bits of info from this post: my Cast Member book and my upcoming Tokyo trip report. And of course that Tokyo book. Which isn't daring to pretend it's comprehensive... the very title ("Tokyo Disney Made Easy") points out this is a book to make things easier, not to tell you every last in and out.
Sigh. I need 38 hours in a day.
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Monorail "MAPO" test
Have you ever ridden the express monorail to MK when they had to stop between Contemporary and the park, and try a few maneuvers? When they bring a new train online, they are required to test the automated 'kill engine if get too close to another monorail' system.
While I've long known about the test and its requirement, I only recently learned the name: the MAPO test. My guess is this would refer to the 'manufacture and production' facility of WDI also called MAPO (the name also seems to refer to Mary Poppins the movie, whose profits enabled this facility to be built). If true, do the modern day CMs call it the MAPO test because the WDI guys insist this test be done?
While I've long known about the test and its requirement, I only recently learned the name: the MAPO test. My guess is this would refer to the 'manufacture and production' facility of WDI also called MAPO (the name also seems to refer to Mary Poppins the movie, whose profits enabled this facility to be built). If true, do the modern day CMs call it the MAPO test because the WDI guys insist this test be done?
Restaurant and park hours
I got a LOT of emails like this one from Sarah:
At the end of all this we had a huge hotel bill and from staying on site, with the only real perk being the free transport to and from the parks (we had rented a car and ended up driving in to some of the parks and paying for parking, because the bus system was unreliable, crowded, and hot). The Dining we felt was a disaster, we ate off site in Kissimmee more times than I can count because we wanted sit down, reservations were not available in the parks, and stand-by waits were never less than 90 min. anywhere we went (not to mention they were always mobbed by agitated guests). I guess we saved some money doing it that way, but had Disney not been so ridiculously packed with reservations we probably would have eaten at the park sit downs a lot more (I certainly wanted to). It felt like that if we wanted to eat at the parks we had to plan our whole vacation around food, which is silly! We were there for the Disney magic and attractions, Disney food is just a bonus - it shouldn’t feel like a huge hassle. We’re on vacation, we’re trying to have fun and relax!
Will we go back again? Of course, it’s Disney! We’ve even started planning a trip for the indeterminate future. But, we won’t be staying on site next time and we won’t be visiting the Disney parks for a full week. I enjoyed my first trip to WDW, but if Disney wants me as a repeat tourist every year they need to fix the dining program and do something about the hours.
At the end of all this we had a huge hotel bill and from staying on site, with the only real perk being the free transport to and from the parks (we had rented a car and ended up driving in to some of the parks and paying for parking, because the bus system was unreliable, crowded, and hot). The Dining we felt was a disaster, we ate off site in Kissimmee more times than I can count because we wanted sit down, reservations were not available in the parks, and stand-by waits were never less than 90 min. anywhere we went (not to mention they were always mobbed by agitated guests). I guess we saved some money doing it that way, but had Disney not been so ridiculously packed with reservations we probably would have eaten at the park sit downs a lot more (I certainly wanted to). It felt like that if we wanted to eat at the parks we had to plan our whole vacation around food, which is silly! We were there for the Disney magic and attractions, Disney food is just a bonus - it shouldn’t feel like a huge hassle. We’re on vacation, we’re trying to have fun and relax!
Will we go back again? Of course, it’s Disney! We’ve even started planning a trip for the indeterminate future. But, we won’t be staying on site next time and we won’t be visiting the Disney parks for a full week. I enjoyed my first trip to WDW, but if Disney wants me as a repeat tourist every year they need to fix the dining program and do something about the hours.
PhotoPass pretty expensive
I'm not shy in my column to point out the virtues of PhotoPass. But John writes in:
I loved the idea when we were at the parks on our honeymoon. But when we got home, we discovered that each individual print was $12.95! We wanted seven prints of the same darn photo and that cost us $90! That's crazy and terrible -- there's no way printing 7 copies of the same photo should cost so much. Next time we go to WDW, we will skip the PhotoPass entirely. It's a great idea and also a complete ripoff, plain and simple.
I loved the idea when we were at the parks on our honeymoon. But when we got home, we discovered that each individual print was $12.95! We wanted seven prints of the same darn photo and that cost us $90! That's crazy and terrible -- there's no way printing 7 copies of the same photo should cost so much. Next time we go to WDW, we will skip the PhotoPass entirely. It's a great idea and also a complete ripoff, plain and simple.
Make park hopping automatic?
In response to a recent column when I noted any one park at WDW couldn't stand up to DL, Robert M. wrote:
But of course, as your careful "vs. one park" wording belies, WDW is more than one park, it's a full ecosystem and should be treated that way. This, however, reminds me of something I have been mulling for a while: Is it really in WDW's interest to make park hopper tickets a surplus charge? Of all the surplus ticket charges, it seems the easiest to avoid - it does not give access to a new park or protect your investment in case of a change of plans. In other words, it seems the most like a "luxury".
Yet, it seems so very much in Disney's interest to have people park-hop. When they park hop they take themselves out of the ride queues for at least an hour, but likely longer. And they are using facilities which are off the shelf and easier to maintain. They expose themselves to more of the advertising and merchandizing that exists at the entry/exits. They are more likely to try a restaurant they are interested in at another park (compared to finding an interesting restaurant without an admission ticket acting as a cover charge). It load-balances the parks; if one is busy that day, some people can opt to hop to a different park. And then there is also the intangible stuff you like to focus on: feelings of being respected, of being in control, not feeling like they have to pre-plan, etc. And in a world of full-park hopping a per park comparison as you did would seem as odd as a per-land comparison.
I really feel that, if not free, park hopping should be an easy to attain add-on. Free with resort stay; free with online/advance ticket purchase; free as a dreams come true thing; free with EPCOT restaurant reservation; etc.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Transportation Cards at WDW
We rode in the nosecone (operating cab 6) of the monorail last weekend and in addition to the usual Monorail card, we got a new one. This one gave some factoids about the ride and claimed it was part of a series of WDW Transportation Cards - there are 18 in all.
I'm intrigued. So we have to figure out what the 18 forms of transport are? And then we have to figure out how to get the cards? We wouldn't have known about this if we hadn't stepped into the nosecone of the monorail. Do we have to do other tricks like this to get the other cards?
Certainly, the bus is one of them. Maybe the Liberty Belle wheelhouse? Personal water craft? Ferries to Fort Wilderness? Boat to the Swan? How could there be 18 varieties??
I'm intrigued. So we have to figure out what the 18 forms of transport are? And then we have to figure out how to get the cards? We wouldn't have known about this if we hadn't stepped into the nosecone of the monorail. Do we have to do other tricks like this to get the other cards?
Certainly, the bus is one of them. Maybe the Liberty Belle wheelhouse? Personal water craft? Ferries to Fort Wilderness? Boat to the Swan? How could there be 18 varieties??
Broken seagull
One of the three seagulls outside the Nemo pavilion (sigh, the Seas pavilion) is slightly broken. His lower jaw is permanently open, though it flaps around when he's supposed to be squawking. This is just a note to see how long it takes them to fix it.
Censored Monorail!
As you exit the monorail, the voiceover says: "please take small children by the hand as you disembark".
But twice yesterday, the 'hand' was bleeped out by the 'door-opening-chime' and the result sounded a bit like Jimmy Kimmel's Unnecessary Censorship, if you've seen that late night spoof.
I wouldn't have bothered posting this if it hadn't happend twice in one day! Back to seriousness: Disney should find a way to avoid bleeping out its safety spiel. Even though the result is unintentionally funny.
But twice yesterday, the 'hand' was bleeped out by the 'door-opening-chime' and the result sounded a bit like Jimmy Kimmel's Unnecessary Censorship, if you've seen that late night spoof.
I wouldn't have bothered posting this if it hadn't happend twice in one day! Back to seriousness: Disney should find a way to avoid bleeping out its safety spiel. Even though the result is unintentionally funny.
Monorail Gold joins Lime
Monorail Lime was the first to do away with the rail in the middle of the standing section of each monorail cab; they put four small poles instead to hold on to. This helps a lot when it comes to space for strollers. Monorail Gold now has it too! I hope they hurry with converting the rest. It is so much easier.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
'Rain or Shine' doesn't mean that, always
Alan reports:
My sister’s family was at MK for a Pirates & Princesses Party on one of the rainy nights. I know that it rained until 10:00 PM and that there was a severe thunder shower over the park, but can not tell you what day it was.
They were told to keep there ticket stubs and that they could use them for one free day at the MK. They had one year to do so.
And they still had a great time at the party. They got to ride almost everything they wanted to, the lines were short (or nonexistent), and the kids got enough candy and beeds to entertain them on the drive back to Massachusetts
My sister’s family was at MK for a Pirates & Princesses Party on one of the rainy nights. I know that it rained until 10:00 PM and that there was a severe thunder shower over the park, but can not tell you what day it was.
They were told to keep there ticket stubs and that they could use them for one free day at the MK. They had one year to do so.
And they still had a great time at the party. They got to ride almost everything they wanted to, the lines were short (or nonexistent), and the kids got enough candy and beeds to entertain them on the drive back to Massachusetts
Monday, September 10, 2007
Wagons, Loops, and EMH
Three unrelated topics today:
1. At the MK on Sunday, I saw a mother pulling a store-bought heavy-plastic wagon, in which was sitting a girl. I had to blink at that one. I thought Disney prohibited pull-from-behind anything. Strollers are "push in front of you". Did the policy change? Did the mother get away with something?
2. Fantasyland last night had area music, as it always does, only this time, it was the Pinocchio Village Haus loop! The land needs a Matterhorn if they're going to play that all the time. I stopped a wandering manager, who agreed with me that it was new, and weird. Maybe it was a mistake?
3. Saw EMH wristband distribution multiple times, and something occurred to me: no one, and I mean no one, looks carefully at those keycards. Could someone cheat the system by using last year's cards? Could a local visitor like me just get ahold of 3 cards for my family and enjoy EMH illicitly forever? I happen to not like EMH (man, is it ever crowded - the MK got more crowded as the EMH hour approached) so I would never do this, but I did wonder about the cheating.
1. At the MK on Sunday, I saw a mother pulling a store-bought heavy-plastic wagon, in which was sitting a girl. I had to blink at that one. I thought Disney prohibited pull-from-behind anything. Strollers are "push in front of you". Did the policy change? Did the mother get away with something?
2. Fantasyland last night had area music, as it always does, only this time, it was the Pinocchio Village Haus loop! The land needs a Matterhorn if they're going to play that all the time. I stopped a wandering manager, who agreed with me that it was new, and weird. Maybe it was a mistake?
3. Saw EMH wristband distribution multiple times, and something occurred to me: no one, and I mean no one, looks carefully at those keycards. Could someone cheat the system by using last year's cards? Could a local visitor like me just get ahold of 3 cards for my family and enjoy EMH illicitly forever? I happen to not like EMH (man, is it ever crowded - the MK got more crowded as the EMH hour approached) so I would never do this, but I did wonder about the cheating.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Back from radio silence!
Sorry about the extended radio silence. I've been putting the final touches on Draft 1 of the next book (which will be out for Holidays 2007, and will be Disneyland CM themed).
To make up for it, let me pack into a single post several things I've been meaning to say lately:
1. Free dining is back. You can tell because all reservations are full, and most tellingly, the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station is now again a temporary looking all you can eat dinner buffet. Sigh. I'd say it's time for the rumored restaurant to be built on the site of the old TL skyway building!
2. Recently discovered little devices atop one shop in World Showcase, right near the rose garden. Turns out they are bug clickers, designed to scare away bugs from the rose bushes at the shop. Weird. They are quite audible to human ears.
3. No more milk refills to kid's meals at sit-down restaurants. That's quite sad. Are we pushing soda onto the next generation? I refuse to give in.
4. There's a lot of 'tiny atmosphere' now: they draw hopscotch at the UK pavilion, or a giant 'snakes and ladders' (think chutes and ladders). Many country pavilions are now doing more interactions and games like these. I see games in heavy use at the MK before parades: hula hoop, four square, even jumping rope. The latter makes me cringe each time. What if a Guest face-plants and sues?
5. When walking past the Lego store at DtD, I heard a ringing public telephone, so naturally I looked for it. Joke's on me! The sound emanated from a speaker above their window displays. I surmise they installed this because they know that heads turn, naturally, to the sound of a ringing phone. Those heads will now see the Lego displays. Cute.
6. I'm dismayed by the merchandise decision to make some stores at the parks look like discount stores. Watch for endcaps and counter displays that have a giant, garish '$10' in yellow letters. We don't want Wal-Mart, do we?
7. But one great thing about merch: Epcot is stocking retro designs from the 1980s on a few t-shirts. Alas, they don't seem to carry XL. don't they realize that many of us old enough for those t-shirts now wear larger sizes??
8. Have you ever hung around in the HISTA playground at MGM? (I guess I should start saying DHS). Parents by the dozen perch at the exit and await their kids, who run amok. Fine so far. But the parents are on the ground and in the sun. Is it so hard to build chairs and benches and shade here???
9. There's a ride in almost every park I've never done. At DHS, it's the Animation Academy. At DAK, it's Pocahontas. At MK, it's the Astro Orbiter. At Epcot, ... nothing.
To make up for it, let me pack into a single post several things I've been meaning to say lately:
1. Free dining is back. You can tell because all reservations are full, and most tellingly, the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station is now again a temporary looking all you can eat dinner buffet. Sigh. I'd say it's time for the rumored restaurant to be built on the site of the old TL skyway building!
2. Recently discovered little devices atop one shop in World Showcase, right near the rose garden. Turns out they are bug clickers, designed to scare away bugs from the rose bushes at the shop. Weird. They are quite audible to human ears.
3. No more milk refills to kid's meals at sit-down restaurants. That's quite sad. Are we pushing soda onto the next generation? I refuse to give in.
4. There's a lot of 'tiny atmosphere' now: they draw hopscotch at the UK pavilion, or a giant 'snakes and ladders' (think chutes and ladders). Many country pavilions are now doing more interactions and games like these. I see games in heavy use at the MK before parades: hula hoop, four square, even jumping rope. The latter makes me cringe each time. What if a Guest face-plants and sues?
5. When walking past the Lego store at DtD, I heard a ringing public telephone, so naturally I looked for it. Joke's on me! The sound emanated from a speaker above their window displays. I surmise they installed this because they know that heads turn, naturally, to the sound of a ringing phone. Those heads will now see the Lego displays. Cute.
6. I'm dismayed by the merchandise decision to make some stores at the parks look like discount stores. Watch for endcaps and counter displays that have a giant, garish '$10' in yellow letters. We don't want Wal-Mart, do we?
7. But one great thing about merch: Epcot is stocking retro designs from the 1980s on a few t-shirts. Alas, they don't seem to carry XL. don't they realize that many of us old enough for those t-shirts now wear larger sizes??
8. Have you ever hung around in the HISTA playground at MGM? (I guess I should start saying DHS). Parents by the dozen perch at the exit and await their kids, who run amok. Fine so far. But the parents are on the ground and in the sun. Is it so hard to build chairs and benches and shade here???
9. There's a ride in almost every park I've never done. At DHS, it's the Animation Academy. At DAK, it's Pocahontas. At MK, it's the Astro Orbiter. At Epcot, ... nothing.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Signs that you photograph Disney parks too much
Here's a sign I spend too much time at Disney World, chronicling its changes for the masses: whenever I pass by the replacement flyovers and loops at the 408/I-4 interchange, I keep having to fight the urge to whip out the camera and record this week's progress. Is it just me?
Thank you, Jim MacPhee
New Epcot honcho Jim MacPhee spoke to the Orlando Sentinel last week about plans to change the show inside Spaceship Earth and to remove the wand.
This is Jim's first public move, and I think he is to be congratulated for doing something that is fan-friendly: he gave a heads-up. It wouldn't have been unusual for Disney to just close it down one day without warning.
But with this warning, fans poured out to SSE this weekend (you could see them taking lots of pictures). I for one want to say thank you for that.
This is Jim's first public move, and I think he is to be congratulated for doing something that is fan-friendly: he gave a heads-up. It wouldn't have been unusual for Disney to just close it down one day without warning.
But with this warning, fans poured out to SSE this weekend (you could see them taking lots of pictures). I for one want to say thank you for that.
Self-order kiosks at Pecos Bill
Two weekends ago, I got to try the new kiosks at Pecos Bill that let you order your own food, and bypass the lines for a human. It worked fast and well, with one exception: I'm no stranger to this kind of system, and I got stuck anyway.
After you click PAY NOW, the screen didn't seem to change. I kept punching PAY NOW and didn't notice anything change. Only by cancelling my order and starting over could I figure out what happened. When you first click that Pay now button, a new panel pops up on the left side of the screen, and it wants you to click the method (ie, credit card). Once that panel is there, clicking the Pay Now button over and over again does nothing.
To reduce this confusion, they need to program that PAY NOW button to disappear after you click it once.
But otherwise: two big thumbs up.
After you click PAY NOW, the screen didn't seem to change. I kept punching PAY NOW and didn't notice anything change. Only by cancelling my order and starting over could I figure out what happened. When you first click that Pay now button, a new panel pops up on the left side of the screen, and it wants you to click the method (ie, credit card). Once that panel is there, clicking the Pay Now button over and over again does nothing.
To reduce this confusion, they need to program that PAY NOW button to disappear after you click it once.
But otherwise: two big thumbs up.
Stitch leftover
Remember when Stitch was new at the MK and they had a big promotion to pretend he's taking over the park? It included his voiceover on the monorail ("welcome to Stitch kingdom..."
Well, over in the bathrooms between Adventureland and Liberty Square (quick aside here: the CMs who work in those two lands call the department "Ad-Lib," which I find hilarious) there is a remnant of Stitch Kingdom. The background music is infused w/ Stitch muttering every so often, which is really confusing if you don't know about the by-now-old campaign for the attraction.
Well, over in the bathrooms between Adventureland and Liberty Square (quick aside here: the CMs who work in those two lands call the department "Ad-Lib," which I find hilarious) there is a remnant of Stitch Kingdom. The background music is infused w/ Stitch muttering every so often, which is really confusing if you don't know about the by-now-old campaign for the attraction.
Treehouse: real moss?
Here's something that doesn't happen often: I'm confused if a particular item is fake Disney magic, or a real something! On the (fake) treehouse in Adventureland, there are fake leaves. But then there is a lot of Spanish moss around, and here's the thing: Spanish moss looks fake even on real trees; it's waxy and plastic looking. And the more I think about it, the more I think real moss could grow on a fake tree.
And then there are other parasite looking vines up here with bright red flowers. They are way too vibrant to be fake, even though they are intertwined with the fake leaves. Right? Right???
And then there are other parasite looking vines up here with bright red flowers. They are way too vibrant to be fake, even though they are intertwined with the fake leaves. Right? Right???
Cinderella Royal Table price increase
Effective November 11, the prices will increase. Breakfast now costs $32.99 (adult) or $22.99 (child). Lunch costs $35.99 (adult) or $23.99 (child), and Dinner costs $40.99 (adult) or $25.99 (child).
Well, that's certainly expensive. My first thought was that this is increasingly a rip-off. Disney has a history of maximizing profits, after all (a point on dramatic display if they take away the "inclusion of tips" in the 2008 Disney Dining Plan).
But pause. These character meals do include a printed photo (rather than a hard sell for an extra $15 for one, like at Norway). That's not bad. And let's not forget the role of supply and demand. This place sells out a full 179 (if not 180) days in advance. People are willing to pay that much, apparently.
I'll say this for sure: it's not locals-friendly. But little is, these days.
Well, that's certainly expensive. My first thought was that this is increasingly a rip-off. Disney has a history of maximizing profits, after all (a point on dramatic display if they take away the "inclusion of tips" in the 2008 Disney Dining Plan).
But pause. These character meals do include a printed photo (rather than a hard sell for an extra $15 for one, like at Norway). That's not bad. And let's not forget the role of supply and demand. This place sells out a full 179 (if not 180) days in advance. People are willing to pay that much, apparently.
I'll say this for sure: it's not locals-friendly. But little is, these days.
FastPass problem number 4,532
For those keeping count, here's another reason FastPass creates problems: it requires a heavier staff than an attraction that doesn't run FastPass. Results include things like not having a greeter at the very front of the attraction, or the greeter having to pay more attention to return times than greeting.
Or, heaven forfend, the stuff they are supposed to control. Such as, oh I don't know, the hand-cranked sign saying how long the standby wait is? We walked past Pan two weeks ago and saw the line completely filling the outside queues and wrapping around in Fantasyland and generally making a mess. The standby sign said "20 minutes", when in fact it must have been 90, given that length. I conclude a guest must have moved that sign, and no one in the Cast noticed. Guests, thinking the line was short or fast moving, jumped in and the line got out of control. I wonder if there was a lot of rage as that supposedly short line stretched past the first hour?
Or, heaven forfend, the stuff they are supposed to control. Such as, oh I don't know, the hand-cranked sign saying how long the standby wait is? We walked past Pan two weeks ago and saw the line completely filling the outside queues and wrapping around in Fantasyland and generally making a mess. The standby sign said "20 minutes", when in fact it must have been 90, given that length. I conclude a guest must have moved that sign, and no one in the Cast noticed. Guests, thinking the line was short or fast moving, jumped in and the line got out of control. I wonder if there was a lot of rage as that supposedly short line stretched past the first hour?
DVC hard sell on Main Street
I've long known that DVC has kiosks in the theme parks. Their very presence is a problem in some ways; it's not the pure Disney park with those things in there. But at least they don't intrude and turn into carnival barkers - that would be worse.
I've also long known that the Main St. exhibition hall in Orlando (where Lincoln is at Disneyland) is used an hour per day for a DVC presentation. This week I learned that they give out water, small snacks, and DVDs when you attend. I'm slightly more uncomfortable with that. It's not the hard sell you see about timeshares out there on 192, but it's still more than I think Disney should be doing. Do the gifts and water increase guest 'guilt' and make them more likely to buy? If that's even very slightly true, then the whole thing stinks.
If the product is strong enough to sell on its own without any external force (ie, the free bottled water), then fine. But Disney is on slippery ground here.
I've also long known that the Main St. exhibition hall in Orlando (where Lincoln is at Disneyland) is used an hour per day for a DVC presentation. This week I learned that they give out water, small snacks, and DVDs when you attend. I'm slightly more uncomfortable with that. It's not the hard sell you see about timeshares out there on 192, but it's still more than I think Disney should be doing. Do the gifts and water increase guest 'guilt' and make them more likely to buy? If that's even very slightly true, then the whole thing stinks.
If the product is strong enough to sell on its own without any external force (ie, the free bottled water), then fine. But Disney is on slippery ground here.
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