Christmas 2012 Disney World Trip Report Day 1
It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these things. I wonder if I still know how. That, of course, assumes that I knew how in the first place. And not that our trip reports were a collection of random anecdotes, rants, and thoughts–and very little reporting on our actual trip–which were all basically scrolled over as most “readers” skipped from photo to photo of the actual trip. I’ve mentioned this a few times on Facebook and Twitter, and perhaps even here on the blog, but trip reports were put on indefinite hold due to increases in traffic and strains the trip reports were causing on the server. I think I’ve found a workable solution to this problem, but since I know next to nothing about backend website stuff, there’s a good chance that I’ve solved nothing.
The solution (assuming it works) is making the website more light-weight, and focusing solely on the best photos from our trip, which means fewer photos, but also higher quality ones. (Sorry.) If you were able to load this page on the first try, call me ‘Zuck. If it took multiple tries and the images are displaying as red Xs, keep calling me Tom.
We’ve skipped a few trips between our last trip report and this one on our most recent trip from December 2012, and the biggest reason for this is because the December 2012 trip was a short 3 day trip, so a “test” trip report for it shouldn’t be too difficult. Ideally, I’d like to write trip reports for all of the trips we’ve skipped (especially Disneyland Paris), but I don’t know if that will happen. For now, here’s our December 2012 Walt Disney World trip report.
Obviously the trip started out at the airport, and each visit to the airport includes a trip to McDonald’s. It goes without saying that I had a feast of royal proportions there. This would be the first of many incredible feasts of the day. The rest of the airport experience was relatively mundane. Luckily, our flight was a nice, direct shot on AirTran, so we were to Orlando within a few hours.
Once there, our first stop was at the Disney’s Magical Express desk to make reservations for the service. This trip was sort of last minute, so we hadn’t even made our DME reservations until we got to that desk. Until last year, I didn’t even know this was possible. I always thought you had to call in advance. It was great to learn that you don’t, as we never check bags on our way to Florida anymore, so there’s no advantage (i.e. luggage tags) to calling in advance.
Our ride to BoardWalk Inn, our resort at Walt Disney World, was surprisingly short. Normally, like clockwork it seems, we are the second to last stop when using Disney’s Magical Express. It doesn’t matter where we stay, that’s the second to last stop. Better than the last, I suppose. This time, we were the second stop! We celebrated with a glorious feast of peppermint cupcakes at BoardWalk Bakery. I’ve mentioned in the past that this is the best cupcake at Walt Disney World, and it definitely lived up to that reputation.
We also met Lenise of Kingdom Camera Rentals there, who brought me some toys for me to test on the trip. I’ve already written a thorough review of Kingdom Camera Rentals, but the tl;dr of that review was that Kingdom Camera Rentals offers great service at affordable prices (but I recommend staying away from renting “cheap” lenses like the 50mm f/1.8, as the economics of doing so simply don’t make sense).
After acquiring the camera gear and our glorious feast, we were off to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It’s our favorite seasonal event at Walt Disney World, so we were pretty excited. Even though there have been no significant changes to the party (besides price increases) in years.
Although our preferred method of getting to the Magic Kingdom from Boardwalk is by walking through Epcot and taking the monorail, that meant we’d have to go to renew our Annual Passes along the way, and we didn’t really want to mess with that. Instead, we took a bus, which was surprisingly efficient.
We arrived at the Magic Kingdom about an hour and a half before the party started, and immediately made our way back to New Fantasyland. It was Sarah’s first time being back in the land and my first time seeing the completed land (besides the Mine Train), and we were both impressed with its surface beauty. It was definitely a fun land to wander, despite being packed with people. We had important business at Gaston’s Tavern, so we didn’t spend too much time wandering.
There, we ordered a Pork Shank, LeFou’s Brew, and Cinnamon Roll. The Pork Shank looked like a glorious tribute to carnivores. LeFou’s Brew also looked good, despite our opting not to get the stylish princess chalice. Too bad they didn’t get the Chappelle’s Show route and call it a pimp cup. If night clubs end up coming to Disney Springs, I really hope they capitalize on the colossal demand and sell these cups with booze and a sticker of Lil John on them.
The Cinnamon Roll, on the other hand, looked like it had been sitting around all day. As did the second one we were given after Sarah told the Cast Member the first one was cold and seemed old. Our experience with Cinnamon Rolls at Walt Disney World continues to be poor, and I’m convinced that even if we were to have a good Cinnamon Roll, it wouldn’t live up to the hype. LeFou’s Brew and the Pork Shank both exceeded the hype, fortunately. (You can read more about Gaston’s in our review.)
We decided to stop at Pinocchio Village Haus for another glorious feast when we saw that the upstairs balcony was not only open, but had open seats! We had never eaten up there, and this seemed like just as good of a reason as any for another meal. We ordered the relatively new flatbreads while here, and thought they were an excellent improvement upon the previous menu. (You can read our full Pinocchio Village Haus review here.)
There was still a bit of time before the party started, so we decided to start the night out with a relaxing nighttime ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover. Although we don’t keep official stats on this sort of thing, I can say without a doubt that this was the attraction we experienced most in 2012. Not only do we enjoy the ride, but it’s relaxing and never has a line, which is pretty much our perfect combination.
After this, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party had started, so we headed off to enjoy the festivities. First stop was Woody’s Round-up dance party at the Diamond Horseshoe. I wouldn’t necessarily describe the scene there are hoppin’, but there were a lot of kids bustin’ moves on the dance floor to some trendy music. To demonstrate my street cred to these kids, I pulled out my Santa Goofy hat from Disneyland Paris, and started doing some serious dancing. I wasn’t paying attention to the reactions of everyone else in the Diamond Horseshoe, but I can only assume that everyone turned their attention to me and was looking on with great envy. Or, they were wondering, “who is this idiot in the Goofy hat that looks like he is having a seizure on the dance floor?”
From there, we wandered back toward Cinderella Castle, picking up some cookies and hot chocolate along the way, then watching the first Celebrate the Season. After that, it was time to secure our spot for the parade. For the past 4 years, we’ve always watched the parade from the same spot. It’s an excellent spot that used to not require too much waiting to secure since it “appeared” at the last minute. It still is easier to snag than other spots, but it doesn’t “appear” the same way. We got here about 30 minutes before the parade (which was a decent amount of time compared to how long we normally wait), but this was fine since it meant getting to hear 30 minutes of the excellent Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Loop. As I shared in our Disney music article, this is my favorite Christmas BGM loop.
Much like sitting on the TTA while listening to the BGM and seeing the neon at night, sitting on Main Street while watching the festivities of Christmas and listening to that excellent loop is one of the ultimate laid back Walt Disney World experiences. As I sat there listening to the music and gazing off at the Castle, I was overcome with great joy. That is, until total chaos broke out. What I can only describe as a “stomp off” began occurring all around me. I problem sound like a surly curmudgeon, but this noise that interrupted the excellent ambiance of Main Street during the Christmas Party really got under my skin.
To quote one of my favorite movies, Network, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” (Fair warning, as this is going to be a bit of a rant that rambles all over the place and is largely unrelated to this trip report. If uninterested, resume reading below the next photo.) This is just one of several “cheap tricks” Disney has pulled recently that I find questionable. In this case, the cheap trick isn’t quite as irritating as others. Here, it seems that this “stomp the yard” style entertainment was thoughtlessly added to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to appeal to a teen demographic that is eluding Disney. A similar stomp group was added to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year for seemingly the same purpose.
The other, more irritating, moves to which I alluded involve merchandising. These products were going to receive some attention in this trip report, and that attention might as well occur now. There are two categories of this merchandise: pop culture slogans (characters sharing their relationship statuses on shirts, Mickey saying “sup bro,” etc.) and merchandise emblazoned with Walt Disney and featuring throw-away quotes of his. In the former case, the merchandise is a cheap cash grab that will undoubtedly appeal to a younger audience. Many people probably see no issue with this, as Disney is, after all “a business.” However, this assumes that any business endeavor that will be profitable should be undertaken. I won’t bother listing the countless morally reprehensible business endeavors that most people have too much integrity for.
This merchandise is hardly morally reprehensible, but it does lack integrity. These characters were created with care; their likenesses are the result of the sweat and passion of artists who toiled to create something that would resonate with the public. These characters have continued to resonate with the public because others at Disney over the course of decades have safeguarded those characters. People in the company understood this, and it’s one of reasons the ill-advised direct-to-video machine was shut down a few years ago. Slapping a popular character onto or into anything profitable is an easy way to make a quick buck, but doing so compromises the character’s integrity and has long term ramifications, even if it temporarily makes them “relevant to a younger generation.” Simply put, it’s not the right thing to do. Same goes for the stuff featuring Walt Disney’s likeness and quotes. Walt Disney was a real person–the man who built the Walt Disney Company. Yet this merchandise reduces him to caricature of a man or a character with some simple catchphrases. To me, that’s not right. But, as my Facebook feed suggests, there’s nothing more inspirational than a Walt quote, so why not make some money off of the popularity of the quotes, right?!
This is the unfortunate result of a short term profiteering mentality that is endemic in American culture and business. People don’t care about the ramifications of their actions so long as there’s a buck to be made in the immediate future. Those in charge care about short term profits above all else, and often have little interest in the product that is being pushed to make that money. Their legacy in a certain place doesn’t matter to them, and they won’t be embarrassed in twenty years to say things “thrived” under them as a result of tacky merchandise or half-baked products. Heck, they probably won’t even remember why it thrived under them beyond the business theory and “acumen” they demonstrated during their “leadership.”
This is not to say that Disney should have someone like Eisner at the top who was passionate about and micro-managed just about everything. It’s unreasonable to have those high in power have a personal interest in (or even full grasp over the minutiae of) every aspect of their companies. But they should have the courage to delegate responsibility to individuals who are not only savvy business people, but also passionate advocates of the heart of their division. A cold, calculating executive is just as bad for a company’s long term prosperity as a directionless creative is for its fiscal health.
I mentioned above that this mentality has permeated American culture. Perhaps the best illustration would be made by taking a step back from theme parks and looking at how it has affected a different area of the entertainment industry. I recently read an interview with Allison Janney, who played C.J. on “The West Wing.” She commented that it was disheartening and the beginning of the end for “The West Wing” once “The Bachelor” started beating it in ratings. I’ve never seen “The Bachelor,” but I’m comfortable with the statement that, like all reality TV, it’s garbage. Even if “The Bachelor” is a guilty pleasure of yours, I suspect most of you will concede that it doesn’t come close to measuring up to “The West Wing.” Yet reality TV has proliferated because it’s much cheaper to produce than scripted dramas (I suppose most reality TV also falls into the category of “scripted drama,” but you know what I mean) and audiences eat it up. Network taught us of the dangers of this mentality in TV programming way back in the 1970s, but we haven’t heeded its warnings. It’s easier, a safer bet, and more profitable to make reality TV than quality, scripted dramas. Decision-makers in network programming are more concerned with short term profitability and ratings than integrity and their legacies, and thus we end up with the “safe” pick, in the form of another season of “Honey Boo Boo” or “Big Brother.” I’d hazard a guess that twenty years from now, the executive who made the decision to green light those shows won’t be proudly boasting of that move, but the folks at AMC who fought for their ‘little network’ to bet big on “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” and “The Walking Dead” will all still proudly talk about their involvement with those programs. I’d hazard another guess that the long term profitability of each one of those shows (thanks to merchandising, syndication, downloads, etc.) will be far greater than “Honey Boo Boo.”
I wonder, how will those currently running Walt Disney World reflect upon their decisions in a couple of decades? Will they be at D23 round-tables speaking with zeal and passion (like many of the 1970s and 1980s-era executives now do) about the Resort complex they ran, or will they be four jobs down the road, with Disney being but a distant memory to them? I ask because it seems as if a lot of the decisions made in the management of Walt Disney World are being made by consulting spreadsheets and without much of an idea of what the “heart” of the Resort is.
I’m aware that this might sound snobby or taking something as “simple” as Disney too seriously. I’m not suggesting the only forms of entertainment be high art, and I don’t begrudge those who like the above-mentioned merchandise, watch reality TV, or partake in any number of things I don’t like. There are things I reluctantly enjoy that I know aren’t of the highest quality. My issue isn’t so much with the occasional consumption of these things so much as it is with the constant production of them at the expense of better alternatives. (I’m aware that the former does lead to the latter, although I think it’s a bit of a chicken/egg scenario; Walt Disney famously didn’t give consumers what they wanted, but instead produced things so spectacular that he changed peoples ways of thinking about what they wanted. I’d argue that to a certain degree, AMC has done the same thing with scripted dramas.) As for taking Disney too seriously, well, I do regularly write a Disney blog and I do consider theme parks to be an art form, so I don’t think impassioned critique of them is taking them any more seriously than I normally do. I realize some (most) people don’t take them as seriously as I do, and that’s fine. We each have our own level of interest.
To tie this back into the topic at hand, at a time when the Walt Disney Company has a greater financial health than it ever has in its history, I’d like to see the Company place a similar emphasis on long term creative health and integrity. Thanks to passionate folks within many areas of the Company, there is a great amount of creative health and integrity in some divisions, but it would be great to see that same health in theme parks, especially at Walt Disney World, where it has appeared for the past few years that many decisions are made without real regard for the integrity of the cohesive product, and more about milking the Resort for short term financial gains or to squeeze out more and more profit.
In the specific context of these hard ticket parties, that means improving and updating the parties each year, and adding new entertainment that fits the overall tone and experience of the parties, not just something that will inch the party toward being more appealing to an underperforming target demographic, without regard for how that addition fits the party.
Since you had to put up with that lengthy rant, here is a series of uninterrupted parade photos from both parades:
After this first parade, we went about our business at the party, next watching the new Celebrate the Magic castle projection show. This show was absolutely awesome, and such a substantial improvement upon the Magic, the Memories, and You. It was almost like a scaled back version of Disney Dreams, the nighttime show at Disneyland Paris. It had the same montage-style storyline, it just lacked the special effects of Disney Dreams and I don’t think it was quite as long. I’m a bit surprised that there hasn’t been more praise for this show, as it is easily one of the best additions to Walt Disney World for 2012. We were both very, very impressed with it. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if this show became a bit longer, had some special effects added (water jets, fire, and more fireworks) and replaced Wishes entirely. Fireworks are nice, but a unique show with all sorts of elements seems to be more up Disney’s alley as far as entertainment goes. Unfortunately, the sky was a nasty, orange color during most of the show, so most of my photos of the show are lousy. Oh well, I’m really looking forward to seeing and photographing it next time we visit!
We then watched Holiday Wishes!, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, and Celebrate the Season before heading back to our spot for the parade again. We really enjoy each of these things (Holiday Wishes! is my favorite Magic Kingdom fireworks show), but they are all unchanged since last year, so there’s no point in reviewing them anew. After all, I don’t offer in depth reviews of PeterPan’s Flight each time we ride it. Next year, we might have to try a different spot for one running of the parade, but I like this spot so much that I don’t even know if it’s worth bothering.
We were done with everything party-related we wanted to accomplish after the parade, so we decided to wander around a little. We were again drawn to the dance party in Diamond Horseshoe for some reason, and we again stood around and watched people (very few at this point) dance. I did bust a couple of moves this time, and I think Jessie was quite taken with my performance. Sarah is lucky that we got out of there quickly!
From here, we slowly made our way back to New Fantasyland. By the time we got there, it was around 11:30, so we slowly made our way through the Little Mermaid dark ride queue as I took a few photos before boarding the attraction. At this point we still hadn’t experienced Be Our Guest Restaurant, so I’ll save my longer review of New Fantasyland until Day 2 of this report. For now, I’ll just say that we were very impressed by the exterior of Mermaid dark ride and its queue. The ride was the same as in California Adventure, which is to say enjoyable, but nothing special.
As we left the park, heavy fog was just starting to roll in, which was very reminiscent of our time in Disneyland Paris. After dealing with thick fog for several days in Paris, I was really looking forward to having clear nighttime skies in Florida. The fog actually didn’t bother me too much in Florida; it’s not as common there and gave everything a peaceful and serene look that seems fitting for Christmas photos. You know, with that whole “not a creature was stirring” thing going on.
Stay tuned for Day 2…
For full size versions of most of the photos in this trip report, check out the last few pages of our Magic Kingdom Photo Gallery.
Your Thoughts…
What are your thoughts on the “integrity/long term strategy” rant, or anything else in this trip report? We love to hear from readers of these trip reports, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
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Great blog as always Tom! Would love to see you post sometime about how you pack for Disney with just carry-on luggage!
I save greats amount of space by not wearing underwear, never changing my socks, and using toothpaste as deodorant and hair gel.
Just kidding…OR AM I?!?!?!? 😉
YIKES! haha, but I would love to know how Sarah packs in just a carry on 🙂
Keep in mind this was just a Friday-Sunday trip, so it wasn’t too difficult. Longer trips aren’t quite so easy.
Loving the new trip report and of course the always “AWESOME” photos! You wouldn’t be willing to elaborate on the exact location of the afore mentioned parade viewing spot would you?
Keep up the most excellent work!
End of Main Street, left of the Christmas Tree.
You look a little different than I imagined, Kevin Yee.
I’m just here to call you ‘Zuck. The site, pages and photos all loaded well, and fairly quickly. Good job!
LOVE the trip reports. Probably my favorite thing you write!
Given my new internet website expertise, I can only assume that in 2 weeks or less, this website will overtake Facebook in terms of popularity. 😉
I do have to agree with you on your rant (which are some of my favorite bits in your blogs). The Di$ney-fication of merchandise is something that has rubbed him the wrong way for many years. I haven’t been to the parks for a while, so I’m not sure how bad it has gotten there, but it’s all around. Instead of quality it’s quantity. Sacrificing Donald on the spit of commercialism if you want to get graphic so to speak.
And I’m not necessarily against the quantity of merchandise being sold. It is more to the extent the merchandise is taken out of its context so to speak.
What’s going to be next? Ariel as Overly Attached Girlfriend on a t-shirt? It would probably be a hit with that elusive 13-19 crowd. However..is it in the nature of the character? In 10 years (or even 5) will these pieces of merchandise be relevant at all? Will it even make sense? So why waste the money to design, produce and market these pieces when they’re “shelf life” so to speak is so short? When if they spend just a little bit longer thinking it out, they can market merchandise that can be longer term?
These characters are pieces of artwork. Their likeness, their story are all works of dozens of artists and to slap them on merchandise without any real concern cheapens and tarnishes the image so to speak.
Now…
This “Spot” you speak of.. care to share? I will take a treasure map to it if that’s how you roll!
Well said in your second to last paragraph. That’s exactly my point.
The spot is at the end of Main Street, to the left of the Christmas tree.
Thanks!!
As one of my co-workers says, “a coupla things.”
Good God, I think I cracked a rib laughing so hard at that one. It’s hard not to sound derogatory, but I think, in the words of your beloved “West Wing,” you evince a little too much “credulous simplicity.” The leaked site plans for Disney Springs appear to have about $250 million just in site work, revenue buildings aside. Add that to the fact that Disney seems hard-wired to “F” up any form of nightlife complex, and I rather think Disney Springs will slip into the ether along with Hyperion Warf.
That pork shank seems kind of fatty and gross. Then again, I’m spoiled by a local place which always has veal, pork, and lamb shanks on their menu, any of which are mind-bending.
As for the rant, well. I know this sounds rather get-off-my-lawn-you-kids, but, by today’s reckoning, I blow past socialist and am over in the Bolshevik section. Yet, I am in no way skeeved out by the current mechandising. I think the t-shirts are dumb, but that’s just because I find hipster-lite ironic t-shirts dumb. Disney has always merchandised the @ss off of their characters and films. Hell, that’s what Disneyland was! A branch of my family was greatly enriched by having the exclusive Disney stuffed toy franchise from 1940-1950; it built my great uncle Cesare an Italianite palazzo that everyone in town talked about. I’m guessing that kind of pile didn’t come from selling a few toys, lovingly crafted. In that frame, I find it hard to get spun up over crap merchandise selling well. I’ll save my bile for the fact that the College Program is basically indentured servitude, and that a multibillion-dollar company, with full participation of the local elected grifters, vacuums up large chunks of my state’s public treasury, when I see that state bleeding rather urgently.
Having said all that, your site is an oasis of adults talking to other adults. The fact that we’re having this exchange, rather than squealing over Dole Whips, gives me some hope for the world.
I hard a hard time writing that Disney Springs line, but I needed a set-up for the oh-so important Lil John joke, and I thought a reference to this recently-leaked project would be the way to go. I don’t expect it to be built, and I don’t expect nightclubs to be part of any plans for DtD anytime in the near future.
My issue isn’t with over-saturation in merchandising, which is something that Disney has always done. It’s the type of merchandising with which I’m taking issue. It doesn’t just feel like a quick cash grab, it feels like it’s an insult to the integrity of those characters. Perhaps I’m over-blowing it, though. Wouldn’t be the first time.
As for the type of discourse here, don’t be so quick to praise. While I think informed conversation is important and great to have, I also don’t take issue with more superficial conversations that revolve around favorite foods or that type of thing. Sometimes it’s nice to just kick back and pine for that next Dole Whip!
Ah. Given the hyperventilating over Disney Springs in the various fora, and my ever-deepening disappointment that my only option for nightlife is extra magic hours sans-(licit)-alcohol, I have a hair-trigger response.
Everyone has his or her own ox to gore, so you’re not overthinking. I feel roughly the same way towards dining-dumbing-down, though I tend to express myself in semi-coherent gin-fueled private rages rather than on the internets. I shovel my own pile of cash into the thankless Disney maw, just not on merchandise.
As for the level of discourse, well. I’ve seen near-sexual epistlatory expressions of desire in other fora for Disney food items, parades, and merchandise where the funk just about outgasses from the screen; so, by comparison, this is the Algonquin ****ing Round Table.
I have gone to Walt Disney World every year for at least a week and over the lost 5 years or so the dining plan has ruined not only unique menu’s but the pricing is way out of whack for people not on the dining plan. We have Table in Wonderland (which just went up to $100) and even with the 20% off and valet parking the bills for 2 people at signature resort are ridiculous. We went to a few this past vacation and for my girlfriend and I the bills were between $150-$250. I work too hard for my money to keep paying these prices. I miss the days of unique cocktail menu’s and restaurant specific dishes. Citrico’s charging $50 dollars for lamb shank is ridiculous as well as paying $40-50 for a filet mignon that doesn’t hold a candle to Morton’s, Capitol Grille, etc.
In the last few years, I actually think the menus have started to improve, but I agree COMPLETELY about pricing. I think pricing has increased in part to give the impression of greater value on the DDP. I don’t know what percentage of guests dining at Table Service restaurants use the DDP, but my guess is that it’s high. Let’s say it’s 75% (for the sake of discussion). It almost makes sense to jack up prices so that the DDP “becomes” a better value for those guests. They see that they saved $200 on the meal on their receipt, think they can’t live without the DDP, and buy it again on their next trip. Sure, you’re screwing over the guests paying out of pocket, but if the DDP business is lucrative enough (both in terms of revenue and keeping people on property), perhaps you don’t care?
That’s another example of short term thinking.
A wonderful report and great pictures, however, your comment on merchandise is off, Disney today is not the Disney we grew up with, such as Jiminy Cricket saying “Hey there, Hi there, Ho there, your as welcome as can be, MICKEY MOUSE”, but without this merchandise your daily ticket would be $350 and your annual pass about $900, while it certainly does seem that it cheapens the work and words of Disney Icons this is what Disney is, an entertainment, marketing and sales company looking to build profits for its investors, yes, I don’t care for all this “crap” either, but I just don’t purchase.
I think there are ways to modernize, market, and sell merchandise (quite successfully) without cheapening the characters and founder of the Company. The examples above (Disney Jr., Epic Mickey, etc.) are some examples of how this can be done.
I realize merchandise, food & beverage, etc., all help keep ticket costs down. Still, I highly doubt the average guest is spending $250+/day on merchandise, which is what the offset would need to be for a $350 ticket. 😉
tom, that rant was almost as long as sen. paul’s filibuster! do you feel the same way about the dole whip tee shirts? great photos and trip report, by the way
Actually, I think the Dole Whip tees are great. They don’t cheapen anything and they focus on a very specific element of the Disney vacation that is important to many people. To me, they should that Disney merchandising has a clue as to what guests enjoy, and the team took a risk on a product that could have bombed hard.
To me, Dole Whips aren’t really the same as Walt Disney or the Fab Five in terms of legacy and integrity.
that’s exactly how i feel! i bought a dole tee and a turkey leg one as well. now, if they only had a fixins bar tee……..
As always a great trip report. I first discovered your blog by coming across one of your trip reports. I love reading all of them. The pictures as always are amazing (I never get tired of seeing your pictures) but I love most about the reports is reading about your experience. I learn from your reports, I relate to your reports and they always bring me back to the happiest place on earth. Thank you for starting a new trip report!!! I hope you continue to share you and your wife’s Disney adventures!
Thanks, glad you like them! I look forward to keeping this going!
Beautiful report as always- you manage to see and do so much and are able to take unbelievable photos whilst still actually enjoying the festivities.
As for your rant about Disney’s short term profit motives vs long term strategy I mostly agree. It’s funny reading these opinions- I remember playing the PC game theme park where you ran a park and if you didn’t balance the number of restrooms, janitors, attractions, and costs just right then guests would be unhappy and you would start to lose money. Disney strikes a careful balance but in my opinion is becoming outrageously expensive. The dining plan is the worst of it because it causes Disney to crank up menu prices so dining plan guests feel they are getting a good value while everyone else is stuck paying $70 for lobster tail and there are fewer reasonably priced menu items left.
Don’t even get me started on avatar land. That is wrong on SO many levels I wouldn’t even know where to start. When will Disney resurrect their classic characters and put them in mainstream media again? Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Goofy… Do Kids even know these characters and their personalities anymore?
Anywho- the T-Shirts don’t bother me too much- Disney is just marketing using memes which are popular right now and I think most people get that a you can’t reduce Walt to a Meme. Mickey and friends need to be modernized- not changed- but at least featured in something that is current.
If Disney is serious about preserving its heritage then it needs to help current and future generations understand what Disney Parks are about. God forbid someday it’s a small world is replaced by an avengers themed roller coaster featuring Hulk Mickey. Then we will know the end is near!
Mitch, my six year old daughter loves Donald Duck – we are constantly celebrating his birthday, their marriage (!), etc. You’re right, though – I think it’s a pretty safe bet that she’s in the minority for kids her age.
Tom, as always thanks for the excellent trip report (and the Lil Jon pimp cup reference!). 🙂
Aren’t the characters modernized with classy things like Disney Junior, Playhouse Disney, and even Epic Mickey? Those three things all exude quality and integrity, and introduce these characters to new generations (from toddlers to teens) in a way that doesn’t “cheapen” the characters themselves.
Keeping things fresh and relevant is important to the longevity of Disney’s IP, but corners shouldn’t be cut in the process. There are ways to ensure staying power without pandering.
My almost-5-year-old has more or less grown out of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but she liked it for the past 2-3 years. It is a good example of making Mickey & Co. more modern while staying Mickey, IMO. (Though I’m sure there are those that hate it.)
That said, she loves the original Mickey cartoons far more. There is a station at the WDW hotels that plays old Disney shorts and they show them in several other places around the parks and she is glued to those.
I’m sure there are some who hate Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, too. It’s not something I’d watch regularly (as I’m not the target audience), but I still see it as a GOOD modernization, as opposed to a bad one.
Nothing beats the originals, in my opinion.
As a Disney newbie, I do not know what you are talking about when you say, “ill advised direct to video machine was shut down a few years ago.” As I take off my rose tinted glasses, I enjoyed the rant b/c it is the truth.
During Eisner’s time as CEO, Disney put out a lot of direct to video sequels of classic animated movies. Once Lasseter took over animation (during Iger’s reign) that was halted.
Further reading: http://www.slashfilm.com/john-lasseter-saves-disney-from-direct-to-dvd-sequels/
I learn something new about Disney everyday! Are they talking about movies such as Cinderella II & III, Pocahantas 2, and Lady & Tramp 2?
I agree I would rather my daughter & I watch quality movies, instead of just movies that are expanding on the classics in order to make a buck.
At our house, and as far as my daughter knows, any Disney sequel that isn’t Toy Story (which was Pixar before it was Disney) doesn’t exist. 🙂
The reason I am asking this question is I have been buying my daughter Disney movies. I only allow her to watch the movie if we have the book & we have read it. As a child, I was in a Disney book club & read all of the stories. However, I did not watch any of the movies until last year! Yeah, I am almost 40 years old. I did not know about the straight to video. We have watched Lion King 2 & it was OK, but not like the first. Since I never watched the movies, I did not know that Lion King 2 was not an original. I guess I will not be buying her Cinderella II or III because I can not find the book for it.
The picture of Beast’s castle with the pink sky is possibly one of my favorites that I’ve seen of New Fantasyland – lovely shot.
As far as your rant goes, I don’t have much to say other than I completely agree with you on all counts. Especially reality television and not only what it means for us as a society that these types of shows have so many viewers, but the fact that the people idolize and aspire to be like some of the personalities who appear on them.
I like that photo, too, and I wish I put more effort into it when I shot it. Instead, I used the lens I had mounted to the camera and ended up having to crop way too much in post processing to make it look how it looks now. Due to that, the full size photo isn’t the best quality.
It was refreshing to read your “rant” as you call it – I call it an informed and well-thought out analysis of the current state of the Disney Company. According to wikipedia, the Bachelor is on its SEVENTEENTH season…which is disheartening, but it is my hope that these things go in cycles, and eventually the cheap reality TV shows of the world, and generic, unimaginative Disney products will cycle out. I especially liked this line from your thesis – “To tie this back into the topic at hand, at a time when the Walt Disney Company has a greater financial health than it ever has in its history, I’d like to see the Company place a similar emphasis on long term creative health and integrity.” Let’s hope!!
17 seasons for this dude to find a wife? Must be a real loser! 😉
Rave on!
During our trip in January I mused to my wife that many little things this time felt like someone was playing strictly to a number on a quarterly report.
I also won’t lie, I’m delighted to see that we made some similar composition choices, it makes me feel like I’m improving.
Glad to hear you’re enjoying photography and improving at it. Sounds like you’re also spending more money. I’m sure your wife loves that! 😉
Great to see a new trip report. It loaded fast. Also great having it be one (long) page, instead of 6 or 7 (short) pages. It made for good reading. Cannot wait to see the remaining parts of the report. Excellent reading.
The short pages were done out of necessity before, as loading everything at once proved to be straining on the site. Overall, everything should load faster (but still not fast) now!
Love the trip report and pics! I’ve been following your trip reports for a long time now and always enjoy them!
I was so happy to see that you posted a new trip report! Pictures were awesome, especially the ones with the snow coming down on Main Street, and all loaded quickly. I went in November for my first Christmastime Disney experience. The Celebrate the Magic projections on the Castle and fireworks were definitely voted the favorite parts of MVMCP in my family. We enjoy the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover as well, but we had an interesting ride when it broke down during our January trip and we were evacuated. No matter how many times you visit Disney, there are always new experiences!
I agree with you 100% with the integrity/long term strategy rant you gave and I thank you for it. We have visited Disney yearly or more since 1998 and we have seen so many things have changed.I really wish Disney would stop mass producing and just go back to more resort or park specific items.Our last trip seemed like everything was the same in every shop. We use to collect popcorn buckets and post cards. This trip I found 2 (holiday and Nightmare Before Christmas, could not even find a post card for the resort we stayed at,and we really miss the resort specific mugs we use to get.
I have waited all evening refreshing my facebook page waiting on your trip report. Thank you for such great work and I can’t wait to read the rest. Your photo’s are the best!!
Superb report and photos. All of them are so clean and perfect! It sure looks like WDW’s Christmas parade blows away the one at Disneyland.
It absolutely does.