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View Full Version : Episode 84 - This Magic Moment



John
11-15-2015, 09:40 PM
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The Cast: Carol Robert, Cindy Jachrimo, Ian Mitchell, Gary O’Brien, John Yaglenski

- New Star Wars stuff
- Kids these days and their ideas about CGI being better than practical effects
- New Star Wars attractions/events
- Has a ride ever been updated to be day and date with a movie?
- Where is Jedi Training Academy exactly?
- Star wars meet and greet for Visa members
- Star Wars Weekends are no longer or are they?
- Avatarland
- Is there ever going to be another movie - Apparently 2017
- Na’vi river ride looks good but.
- Is the other ride a Soarin’ on another planet or more?
- Jimmy Fallon 8D ride at Universal - What are those other Ds?
- Ian’s never seen any of the Harry Potter movies
- John is finally checking Candle Light Processional narrated by Gordon Jump - We’ve literally planned his arrival down to the minute.
- John has to take a selfie with the choir, Ian now has to watch It’s a Wonderful Life
- John’s never been to Primetime Café
- Thanksgiving at WDW, John’s using his visual artist kids to photograph the entire place
- New Segment - This magic moment: Carol would have a lapulapu and watch Wishes, Gary would have a beer at WL pool bar, sit and read comics on iPad while family swam, John would take family to top of Cotemporary and have a beverage, a snack, watch the nighttime spectacular, Cindy would just go to Radiator Springs and watch the neon, Ian would go to Tapestry of Nations, if he had a time machine but in reality he would just hang out at Storm Along Bay with the kids.
- Hit us up on the boards and let us know where you would be in any Disney park at 8:30 pm RIGHT NOW.
- Motley Fool story - EPCOT is set to be the lowest attended park by 2020, Future World barely exists, dated, everything we love about EPCOT seems not to be attractions.
- New Colorthingie it’s colors by Glidden*


>> Listen, Download, Love, Share... (http://www.intercot.com/interactive/insiderlive/2015/episode-84.asp)

PopPhan
11-16-2015, 11:17 AM
Listening to podcast now.....

Interesting that in the "This Magic Moment" segment, only Cindy (and Ian, if he could go back in time,) would be doing something INSIDE a park. Personally, I would be in MK just after the Electrical Parade, waiting for the Castle Show prior to Wishes. It might be more comfortable to see from a resort, but nothing has the same feeling, to me, as actually being where it is happening.

dpamac
11-16-2015, 03:41 PM
Listening to podcast now.....

Interesting that in the "This Magic Moment" segment, only Cindy (and Ian, if he could go back in time,) would be doing something INSIDE a park. Personally, I would be in MK just after the Electrical Parade, waiting for the Castle Show prior to Wishes. It might be more comfortable to see from a resort, but nothing has the same feeling, to me, as actually being where it is happening.

I didn't think of it that way. Though both John and Carol were in a place where they could observe the parks. Interestingly we all went for something that was a sort of personal reconnection rather than an active participation, if that makes sense. I know mine was based on a really good memory of coming back tired from a long day and closing out the WL pool while eating snacks, reading and splashing.

John
11-16-2015, 04:18 PM
I think to Gary's point - to me, the parks are secondary, my family is primary. The attractions, rides and hotels are conduits to bring us closer together and make memories. To that end, standing on top of the contemporary or in the top of the world lounge at bay lake tower and taking in a panoramic view of the place where since 1974, my parents and I - and then my own family have shared so many experiences is the icing on top of the Walt Disney World cake. It's about the jokes we told each other, the silliness at late hours, the food we shared, the kids opening the magic kingdom etc, etc, etc. Watching fireworks from that location brings back more than 40 years of memories in an instant - it's a great spot to reflect.

Isabella
11-16-2015, 05:01 PM
This magic moment for us is more like these magic moments! Using the 8:30 timeslot, here are some.

EPCOT: in or near Mexico Margarita in hand waiting for Illuminations with DH!

MK: FP area waiting for Wishes up against the fence with the garden fountain in front of us with our grandchildren laughing about the day we just had!

DHS: Fantasmic with family watching Mickey overcome evil with good and cheering!!!

DisneySprings: Earl of Sandwich with a Holiday sandwich and Earl Grey Arnold Palmer checking out all the fun stuff we just bought!

Mendelson
11-17-2015, 09:31 AM
I think to Gary's point - to me, the parks are secondary, my family is primary. The attractions, rides and hotels are conduits to bring us closer together and make memories. To that end, standing on top of the contemporary or in the top of the world lounge at bay lake tower and taking in a panoramic view of the place where since 1974, my parents and I - and then my own family have shared so many experiences is the icing on top of the Walt Disney World cake. It's about the jokes we told each other, the silliness at late hours, the food we shared, the kids opening the magic kingdom etc, etc, etc. Watching fireworks from that location brings back more than 40 years of memories in an instant - it's a great spot to reflect.


Aw shucks, just got some dust in my eyes.

Carol
11-17-2015, 12:54 PM
What John said.

The Polynesian holds SO many family memories for me. I will always go there. Plus, I took the 'moment' aspect to heart. I was too tired to go to a park that late and fight the crowds getting out. I'm too old for that now. ;)

Mendelson
11-18-2015, 09:18 AM
I'm surprised to hear of the skipping of some of the iconic rides, namely Spaceship Earth. I know, I've been on it 100 times also, but there are some things you just ride/see when you're there, no questions asked. And that falls into that category. If nothing else, I take the opportunity on rides like that to look for hidden mickeys, or see other things I haven't noticed before.

Oh man, if I could be anywhere....as has been noted, while there is excitement and fun in the attractions and the "doing," some of my best memories come from downtime, when we're sitting in a lobby or waiting for our ADR, I suppose because your focus is on the now and not what is coming up after you get through the turnstile and into an attraction. I remember a very peaceful and quiet early morning family walk around POR one year as particularly enchanting.

Ultimately, I think I'm with Ian and choose sitting out by Stormalong Bay at the end of a park day with my feet dangling in the water while the kids splashed. It's a fun place with a cool vibe, not overly crowded and with just the right hum of activity. Oh, and also, it's like the second day of a seven-day trip, so most of the vacation is still in front of us!

NotaGeek
11-20-2015, 08:53 PM
I will be listening this week ... gotta see who won the grumpy award! (Ian) :)

cer
11-30-2015, 12:15 PM
Whelp, based on recent postings (facebook, instagram, etc.), it looks like Ian will likely be spending an evening in the near future with George Bailey and Clarence.

I so enjoy the podcasts, y'all. Thanks for making the time and sharing with us all.

AND while I know the podcasters are glad to have the outgoing background music playing live, I will miss John's "chooka-chooka" rendition/imitation. So funny.

Lacy
12-01-2015, 09:59 PM
Thanks for the podcasts - and two so close together was a special treat!

I liked the Magic Moment segment. Mine would be watching Fantasmic! I haven't seen it east coast in many years but I have a lot of great memories having fun with family and friends waiting for the show to start. And I will never grow tired of watching the show!!!

The whole Epcot discussion was interesting and sad at the same time. It is very disappointing to see that it is essentially just a spot for people to go drink and eat food from kiosks. But I think Cindy has a good point that on a cost basis it probably makes sense and Epcot may actually be doing very well in regards to how much money comes in compared to how little they spend on it.

John
12-01-2015, 10:17 PM
But I think Cindy has a good point that on a cost basis it probably makes sense and Epcot may actually be doing very well in regards to how much money comes in compared to how little they spend on it.

I can tell you with almost certainty, that is what is going on here - which is so far removed from Walt's vision for the parks it's not even funny. They are not focused on how to improve this park, more a cost to profit analysis on what they can do at minimum cost to keep people engaged an coming. It's short term thinking at best that will bite them in the end - and it really makes me sad to have to even type this. EPCOT has always been my favorite park.

cer
12-02-2015, 12:13 PM
Saddest truth from this podcast:

"It's like walking through an abandoned mall to get to where you are really going...You know, Spencer's is still open, but other than that..." -Gary O'Brien

Spot on description of what Future World has become.

I completely agree.

dpamac
12-02-2015, 03:37 PM
Saddest truth from this podcast:

"It's like walking through an abandoned mall to get to where you are really going...You know, Spencer's is still open, but other than that..." -Gary O'Brien

Spot on description of what Future World has become.

I completely agree.

I only wish it weren't so. I LOVE Future World. Even now, as the stand-in setting for Dawn of the Dead 2. Still love the atmosphere, the music, even the architecture. I do suppose my love of the style of the attractions, and even the buildings, may stem out of being part of the 3-2-1 Contact generation. We only had one type of educational entertainment and we were glad to have it! (Read that last sentence in an old man voice.)

The very problem with Future World in the 21st century is, well, the future. In 1982, technology was progressing at a reasonable rate. Cutting-edge computers were the Apple II and Comodore 64. The Mac's GUI and Windows 3.1 would creep in over the next decade. You could cast an eye into the near future and come up with a whimsical, but grounded, idea of what communication, medicine, life would be in two decades. Something that is just within reach, but still fantastic.

Now? In 10 years we went from Blackberries to powerful pocket computers. That's not evolution, that's leapfrogging. We can print objects. 3-D objects. We can even do it with biological material. So, if we advanced that much in 10 years, try to come up with a perpetual "just around the corner" future motif that will appeal to current children as adults.

On the flip side, in 1982 we had just started the shuttle program and were ten years past the last astronaut on the moon. In 2015, even though Kennedy Space Center is 45 minutes away, the closest place you'd find a human launched into space is either China or Russia (for now).

The idea of educational entertainment since 1982 is been mainstreamed too. Everything that you would find in the pavilions that we'd spend hours playing with (even as adults) can be found in science centers, museums, Wonder Works, aquariums, zoos, etc. across the country. Or, for that matter, in your pocket, just an app store away.

In a way, our world has become EPCOT. Which leads my favorite park into a very uncomfortable identity crisis. What is the future when we live in the future? How does the future connect with the global past (not exactly modern-era) displayed in the World Showcase? World Showcase has blossomed because it's become a wonderland for the senses. It's beautiful to look at. Tastes and smells are abundant and delicious. Music fills your ears (or chainsaws in Canada). It's even magnificent to the touch, as you feel the textures of the facades, the fabrics in the stores.

EPCOT's future not being clear is both the problem and the reason for its current state.

Fangorn
12-02-2015, 05:57 PM
The very problem with Future World in the 21st century is, well, the future.


Gary, you are, alas, correct in your assessment. In 1982, technology was still progressing in a fairly linear fashion, and it really was reasonably easy to look around, see what was happening and extrapolate out 20 years without being too far off. In 1982, virtually all serious technological research was being conducted by very large corporations (AT&T, GM, United Technologies, Kodak). That linear track (and corporate only funding) hasn't been true, though, for at least the past couple of decades. Technology in all its aspects, now starts at one point, and in the truest definition of the term, makes a quantum leap, and pops out in an unexpected place, fully transformed and highly energized. Very hard to predict and plan in reality, even harder to transform into edutainment - particularly with a company that tends to want to think in 20 year contracts.

They can do better though, and I still believe my favorite park can be brought back to glory. But it will take a great deal of vision and a willingness to get past only looking at this quarter's profits. That'll be the harder thing to overcome.

Steve