tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post6012715773941426840..comments2024-01-05T06:18:18.086-05:00Comments on CommentaramaPolitics: Thoughts From VacationAndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-9794658989887703252015-12-25T20:14:08.199-05:002015-12-25T20:14:08.199-05:00JG and Kit, I had lots of conversations at Disney ...JG and Kit, I had lots of conversations at Disney (and on the cruise) with lots of people about many things and I found everyone to be very civil and respectful, even when they disagreed. This was definitely not internet behavior!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-39355906683658180342015-12-25T20:13:03.723-05:002015-12-25T20:13:03.723-05:00JG, Some very young kids definitely did not like t...JG, Some very young kids definitely did not like the costumed characters. Others did. Our oldest tried to be too cool to care, but you could see the amazement in her eyes and she bought in very quickly. Our youngest loved it. She cried when she met Ariel.<br /><br />I found it interesting how easy it was to see these characters as the real thing, even as an adult. And they did an amazing job of playing the roles, especially the princesses.<br /><br />The Three Caballeros was fun! :)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-59527528804667464392015-12-25T20:09:13.490-05:002015-12-25T20:09:13.490-05:00Rustbelt, You worked at Disney? Cool! :)
I thoug...Rustbelt, You worked at Disney? Cool! :)<br /><br />I thought the haunted mansion was fantastic, by the way. It also had the best line because you could read all the tombstones and things as you went.<br /><br />All we got on EO was just the film and a few lights. That was about it. The whole thing felt pretty stupid and very, very dated.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-47012654933125308172015-12-24T00:10:37.181-05:002015-12-24T00:10:37.181-05:00"And every year we pick one day to wear our c..."And every year we pick one day to wear our county Republican Party t-shirts."<br /><br />Right on!Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-41845854654876988772015-12-23T20:27:27.012-05:002015-12-23T20:27:27.012-05:00Andrew + Bev:
We had some DisneyLand magic this y...Andrew + Bev:<br /><br />We had some DisneyLand magic this year on our pilgrimage west. We took our daughter on her first Disney trip, just shy of a year old. Since she was...much smaller...her favorite movie has been Lilo and Stitck. (Still is) We specifically booked a meal where Stitch is usually in attendance. She also met Mickey, Minnie, and Daisy Duck, but she wasn't impressed. Even a little scared. She wanted nothing to do with them. We were holding our breath and hoping the encounter with Stitch wouldn't ruin the only little thing her little self loved. When Stitch came by, bigger than life, her smile was too big for her face. She gave him hugs and giggles and it was absolutely perfect. Worth every bit of the hassle of going (which is a story in and of itself). <br /><br />Speaking of patriotism, traditionally we'd always hit WDW in September. And we've been there for several election seasons. And every year we pick one day to wear our county Republican Party t-shirts. It's always a great experience, because the big family-like atmosphere means there isn't that typical stranger barrier, and we always get into interesting conversations with people while waiting in line or riding the buses. Both people who agree and who don't. It's great. It makes you love America as the public square/open exchange of ideas it was created to be. <br /><br />I'm so glad you had a great trip. I like Mexico, too, but I have a deep nostalgia for The Three Caballeros :)JGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03116405895683599572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-53365551651590143482015-12-22T22:50:30.047-05:002015-12-22T22:50:30.047-05:00Andrew, so glad you liked your trip! As a former m...Andrew, so glad you liked your trip! As a former member of the team, it's always great to hear how people enjoy it!<br /><br />I can't see how you can go to MK and not like the Haunted Mansion. That would've been my dream job! "Don't worry. Your time shall also come." "Go toward the light. Get used to it."<br />Sorry that you didn't like Pirates that much. Oddly, this is a case of reverse-Imagineering. The (original) ride served as the inspiration for the movie. (the drunken pirate with the pigs, the prisoners begging the dog for the key, etc.) Since the film franchise started, they've been adding more and more movie characters to the ride. Go figure. <br />Hm...on our days off, one of my roommates and I would go to MK and we made a point of always getting the Mansion, Pirates, and Space Mountain in every time. (We also participated in the cast member test for Philharmagic before the official opening.) <br /><br />Soarin' is terrific! Reminds you of just how beautiful California really is...and why Walt and the Gipper went there to seek their fortunes.<br /><br />On Captain EO... I'm guessing you may have seen the pre-show. Well, it came out originally when Jackson was at his height and was EPCOT's top attraction from 1986 to 1992 (it moved to Disneyland). It was removed for abotu 20 years following Jackson's, uh...legal issues. After he died, it was brought due to massive public demand. (Disney fans are like that. As much as we want innovation, we want the classics as well.) The problem is, as Captain EO Tribute, most of the interactive stuff from 80's- fog, rumbling seats, lasers, etc.- weren't brought back. All that's left is the film.<br /><br />It's too bad you missed Illuminations. But did you get to see Wishes or Fantasmic? <br />Did you get to try the Tower or Rockin' Roller Coaster?Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-87361464247545942842015-12-22T22:39:44.212-05:002015-12-22T22:39:44.212-05:00Oh, finally, made it! Not easy. Unexpected pre-Chr...Oh, finally, made it! Not easy. Unexpected pre-Christmas excursions this evening. I'm lucky to make it out alive. Who would've a trip to Target would involve fighting for my life? This wasn't Walmart. Basically, I had to engage in mortal kombat to get around and escape. Needed the bicycle kick just to reach the self-serve registers. Why? WHY?! All for just a can of shaving cream and a bag of flossers... Oh, cancel Christmas! Where's the Grinch when I need him?<br /><br />Okay, back to the topic at hand...Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-85126059007933659392015-12-22T22:27:33.131-05:002015-12-22T22:27:33.131-05:00Kit, LOL! We would if we could.
In Mexico, I lik...Kit, LOL! We would if we could.<br /><br />In Mexico, I liked the art work they had.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-18949252628538359282015-12-22T22:23:47.162-05:002015-12-22T22:23:47.162-05:00"Japan was cool. Germany was cool. I liked Me..."Japan was cool. Germany was cool. I liked Mexico a lot too."<br /><br />When I go to Japan I like to eat Japanese. And buy a Miyazaki movie, maybe.<br /><br />Germany has a cool little village. <br /><br />Mexico? Not a big fan of that one, largely because it reminds me of a restaurant we have nearby. Decent lunch food, though. Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-6765431078126728402015-12-22T22:13:32.566-05:002015-12-22T22:13:32.566-05:00Bev,
As someone who does not drink alcohol, I agr...Bev,<br /><br />As someone who does not drink alcohol, I agree, Germany without beer and Italy without wine would be immoral. Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-2206443441128907442015-12-22T22:09:55.341-05:002015-12-22T22:09:55.341-05:00"We're already planning to return as soon..."We're already planning to return as soon as practical. LOL!"<br /><br />No, Andrew, you missed Illuminations. You don't return as soon as practical. You go back <b>NOW</b>.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-64693443008041565252015-12-22T22:09:20.756-05:002015-12-22T22:09:20.756-05:00Bev, I thought it was all great, but I liked Disne...Bev, I thought it was all great, but I liked Disney Springs (Downtown Disney) better than Epcot. It felt like it had more variety and more to do.<br /><br />Mission: Space was a lot of fun. Soarin' was really cool -- it reminded me of the old "Eastern Airlines" ride they had in the 1970s. I also liked the Coca-Cola thing where you could taste drinks from all over the world.<br /><br />Agreed about Germany without beer or France/Italy without wine. Speaking of booze, I found my new favorite drink at the Disney Island -- a Mango mojito. That was fantastic!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-68442850308010225032015-12-22T22:05:20.222-05:002015-12-22T22:05:20.222-05:00Wouldn't miss Lego for the world! I love Lego...Wouldn't miss Lego for the world! I love Lego.<br /><br />Japan was cool. Germany was cool. I liked Mexico a lot too.<br /><br />The Magic Kingdom was just amazing at every turn. There wasn't anything I didn't like.<br /><br />The Africa stuff in particular felt like it came right out of the colonial era. We even bought some of the carving they had done -- beautiful work.<br /><br />We're already planning to return as soon as practical. LOL!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-91663952382123874832015-12-22T22:04:07.436-05:002015-12-22T22:04:07.436-05:00Epcot was great! I know that Walt wouldn't hav...Epcot was great! I know that Walt wouldn't have approved of beer and wine, but you can't experience Germany without beer or Canada with ketchup chips without beer either. And France and Italy without wine just goes against nature.<br /><br />The best ride was the simulated space flight. I think it's called Mission: Space. If younger thought about being an astronaut this ride can make or break you. The g-force simulator was sooooo cool. And yes, I decided that my dreams of being an astronaut were dashed. I was queasy for about an hour after. But boy was it fun! Soaring was real cool too.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-81334249866681959752015-12-22T21:59:41.088-05:002015-12-22T21:59:41.088-05:00Andrew,
You missed an awesome fireworks show.
Yo...Andrew,<br /><br />You missed an awesome fireworks show.<br /><br />You have to go back now and see Illuminations.<br /><br />I'm not kidding. You have to go back with the family immediately and see it. I don't care if you can't afford it.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-47075573428728031822015-12-22T21:57:30.287-05:002015-12-22T21:57:30.287-05:00"First night was Downtown Disney, which is no..."First night was Downtown Disney, which is now Disney Springs. Beautiful. Fun."<br />They changed the name. That is, cool, I guess… <br /><br />Go by the Lego place?<br /><br />"Second day, Epcot. I honestly felt this was inferior to Disney Springs, but it was still great."<br /><br />BLASPHEMER!!!!<br />Seriously, Epcot is awesome. Glad you enjoyed Soarin'. Any favorite countries? For me, it's a hard pick. Norway is cool, UK, and Japan are probably my favorites. Followed by France and Italy. <br /><br />"Third day, the Magic Kingdom. This WAS Disney. It was all magical but this park was the most magical of all."<br />Agreed. Magic Kingdom is magical. I just love how you start with this ideal, small-town American town and the rest of place is like a(n American) kid's imaginary playground; exotic jungles in Adventureland, Cowboys and the Wild West in Frontierland, Knights and Princesses in Fantasyland, and spacemen fighting with aliens in Tomorrowland. <br /><br />They even throw in 19th century literary America with its Tom Swayer and old ghost stories in Liberty Square.<br /><br />"Fourth day, Animal Kingdom."<br />"The Safari was fantastic. The whole place was built so amazingly it felt like we really had visited Africa and then Southeast Asia."<br /><br />Yep. That is what makes it cool. That and the chocolate popsicles. :-)Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-89268131063478632472015-12-22T21:45:20.920-05:002015-12-22T21:45:20.920-05:00We did not. It was pouring rain and we were very ...We did not. It was pouring rain and we were very tired, so we headed home instead to regroup. We ended up swimming in the awesome pool of all things.<br /><br />At Epcot, we ate at the French restaurant, but that was honestly a little disappointing. I can't think of the name of it.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-70909396391062458712015-12-22T21:38:53.017-05:002015-12-22T21:38:53.017-05:00Where did you eat at EPCOT?Where did you eat at EPCOT?Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-83618629926833535382015-12-22T21:31:17.304-05:002015-12-22T21:31:17.304-05:00Did you see Illuminations at EPCOT?
Where did you ...Did you see Illuminations at EPCOT?<br />Where did you eat?Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-33265992743959807542015-12-22T21:08:22.614-05:002015-12-22T21:08:22.614-05:00Kit,
Yes. The Safari was fantastic. The whole p...Kit,<br /><br />Yes. The Safari was fantastic. The whole place was built so amazingly it felt like we really had visited Africa and then Southeast Asia.<br /><br />We did them all except the water parks. First night was Downtown Disney, which is now Disney Springs. Beautiful. Fun. Second day, Epcot. I honestly felt this was inferior to Disney Springs, but it was still great. Third day, the Magic Kingdom. This <i>WAS</i> Disney. It was all magical but this park was the most magical of all. Fourth day, Animal Kingdom. Nights at different restaurant hotels, with the best being Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the second best being the California Grill at the Contemporary (where we watched the fireworks).<br /><br />Then we took the Disney bus to Cape Canaveral and we did seven days at see on the Disney Fantasy in the Caribbean.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-57919652695997954612015-12-22T20:58:31.710-05:002015-12-22T20:58:31.710-05:00Which of the theme parks did you hit:
Magic Kingd...Which of the theme parks did you hit:<br /><br />Magic Kingdom<br />EPCOT<br />Hollywood Studios<br />Animal Kingdom<br /><br />Downton Disney?Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-48024753477898381422015-12-22T20:57:44.723-05:002015-12-22T20:57:44.723-05:00Did you visit the Animal Kingdom itself?Did you visit the Animal Kingdom itself?Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-65558919230139812015-12-22T20:09:53.226-05:002015-12-22T20:09:53.226-05:00Bev, By all means, share away. I'm happy to s...Bev, By all means, share away. I'm happy to share this experience with anyone. In fact, I told several managers about employees who really left an impression as we went.<br /><br />I haven't been to Universal, but it does look like a very different kind of park... different concept.<br /><br />Sadly, I suspect that any job can get you jaded, but they sure did a great job in the parks finding people who weren't jaded.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-21128399984832946752015-12-22T19:52:08.843-05:002015-12-22T19:52:08.843-05:00It's all about the kids and the Magic. I am s...It's all about the kids and the Magic. I am sure I said this before, but I have friend who works for Disney Imagineering who designs and builds the parks and the rides. She's a painter. Frankly she is kind of jaded because she sees the corporate back end of it all. I regaled her with my experience. She told my story to "corporate" and they were very pleased to hear it. And it made her feel a lot better about her job. I am going to let her know your experience too. <br /><br />Btw, Universal was a totally different experience. Better rides, but no customer service. If they ever figure out the Disney formula, Disney may be in trouble...but that is unlikely to happen.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-69161333864887634282015-12-22T19:40:20.948-05:002015-12-22T19:40:20.948-05:00Kit, In the Animator's Pallet restaurant on th...Kit, In the Animator's Pallet restaurant on the ship, the first night you dine with Crush the Turtle from Nemo. He talks to the kids and can interact with them. The second night in that restaurant, they have you draw a character on your place mat and then later in the evening, it appears on the screens, inserted into classic Disney scenes. It was really cool.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com