DizneyFreak2002
12-24-2012, 12:30 AM
Christmas came early in the rumor mill... Some very interesting rumors for sure...
Where to begin, where to begin...
Do you all wanna know a name for the possible replacement for Meg Crofton who is expected to leave her post early in 2013? How about WDW's plan for EMH? How about the future of One Disney? How about the lifespan of Fantasmic?
Who wants a Christmas gift on Christmas Eve? :)
I'll start with one that is of important to me... Probably my favorite ride in WDW, Splash Mountain... Oh, with this one I am calling on Cast Members (whether you are a Splash Mountain CM or not) to help me out with this as I couldn't verify part of this...
Supposedly, and I stress supposedly, management told Splash Mountain CMs that the tarps that were put up over the open section of the load area of the queue were added for CM benefit... They were apparently told there has been a number of complaints from CMs that the area is way too hot and uncomfortable to work... So, to appease the CMs, the tarps were added... This came from a Splash Mountain CM...
Now, I will say management would lie to CMs because they obviously don't want the CMs to tell the general public the real reason the tarps were added... But, since I do not know any Splash Mountain CMs, I couldn't verify... My friend who has told me a lot of bizarre stories and rumors couldn't confirm since she didn't know (oh and this friend is not the source of any of these rumors I posted in my original post, I don't believe 99.9% of anything she tells me LOL)... I cannot dismiss this being said, but I may dismiss the reason...
It is true cement from the Splash Mountain facade fell into the loading area... And it just so happens the tarps went up the same night... Coincidence? And to top that off, the ride has been in operation what, 20 years or so? And now the management team is concerned about the working conditions in that area regarding the heat? I don't know if I believe that...
However, this CM has said that her co-CMs have told their managers how much they love the area being covered... That the area is actually cooler now without prolonged exposure to the sun... Plus, they are no longer exposed to the Florida weather... So, could the facade being damaged actually turn into something good for the CMs?
Which brings me to this: during the refurb next year, they will be looking into what causes the cement to break away from the building... They will look for weakness in the structure and take care of any issue that may arise... Also, since coming off EMH (which I know a lot of us didn't like) the ride has been getting much needed maintenance... So much so that, from people who have been on it recently (and yes, verifiable proof with pictures and videos) the ride is looking as good as it has in years... AAs are working, show scenes getting back up to show ready status... I love hearing this since I love Splash Mountain...
Also, since the CM have supposedly alerted management to their loving the covered area or maybe since they had a safety issue with falling cement, ideas are being tossed or were tossed around about officially covering that area... And possibly doing it during the upcoming 3 month refurb... Now since I cannot confirm any of those talks between CM and management actually took place, I'm leaving this as rumor... Hopefully a CM can come along and verify the above did or did not happen... And if such plans were discussed, as we know, plans change hour by hour in the theme park industry... Just because they may have discussed it, doesn't mean it will happen... We'll have to see...
If they did cover it, the ride would not be changed... And honestly, I don't think covering that area would take anything away from the queue... Unless of course they went cheap and only did a bare minimum ceiling with way too exposed lighting structures...
More later regarding my original post... Gotta head out to get some things for Christmas Eve tonight...
OK want another juicy rumor?
Fantasmic is rumored not to be part of any future DHS plans... They don't want to work too much on fixing the problems because the show may not last all that much longer.. No rumored timeframe to close down Fantasmic or what will replace it if and when it goes away... But, seeing that they barely even decided to try to get the lift that brings Mickey to the top of the mountain working, well, I can sort of believe this one...
***cue the World of Color rumors LOL...
OK, you all seem to want more, so, why should I deny you :)
Remember One Disney? Yea, FAILED!!!!! There is no one Disney and the park management knows it... TDA operates differently (and more efficiently, and well with more care and love of the theme parks) than TDO... While TDA adds and pluses, TDO cuts and jacks prices... One Disney has been a failure... So, One Disney may be going the way of the dodo... Which is a good thing... Not so much for the dodo though...
So, you all like to stay on Disney property, at Disney hotels, and love the perks that come with that right? One of those perks EMH is well received with guests... Well, earlier this year TDO decided to cut an hour off the evening EMH from 3 hours to 2 hours...
That was only the start... There has been talk that EMH are going to be eliminated altogether... Why? Well, cuts operational costs (hey gotta boost the bottom line some how, sure isn't being boosted by guest spending)... Gotta jack those resort prices for all those wonderful perks you get... And hey, they need to make up the money for the waste of spending that NextGen is...
No, FP+ more than likely WON'T be free... There will be massive hidden charges as well as trying to sucker unsuspecting guests into upgrading to a more pricey, and I mean soon to be MUCH more pricey deluxe resort just to be able to participate in FP+... At least to get the full FP+ experience anyway... Some rumors have even gone around that in order to use FP+ while staying in Moderate or Value resorts, you'll have to pay for it... Either way, Disney is reaching into your pockets for something that has been (or given the appearance of) being free...
Basically, if the plans goes as has been described recently the hotel prices will be going up while the perks will be going away... Then, they will not allow off site guests to participate in FP+ (no, sorry no word on if the regular FP will be staying or going, assume going) and tell them in order to participate you need to stay on property, in one of our overly expensive hotel rooms (even though you can get much nicer accommodations off property for more than half the cost).. Ah, TDO, gotta love them...
***I'm saving the Meg Crofton replacement til last.. and a little later :)
I promised you all Christmas gifts, and I'm almost done... I said I was leaving Meg Crofton's potential replacement for last, and I am...
So, let's see, what have I left out... Hmmm, how about a new waterfront restaurant in World Showcase for Morocco? Or TDO toying with the idea of TWO food and wine festivals (not sure how they will do this, maybe incorporate more food and wine into Flower and Garden? Think of this year's Flower and Garden as a test run....)
How about AP holders getting more and more of a shaft in favor of the once in a life time/every five year visitor? It is possible and actually happening as we speak...
Ok, now on to the juicy part... During the Fantasyland opening events, a certain individual was seen leading the Governor of Florida around the park and maybe even the resort... No one ever picked up on it, maybe because no one on the east coast knows the guy.. but he is much loved to the Disneyland fans... What's weird about this man leading the tours of the truly important people is he isn't a TDO member yet... Why didn't Meg lead him around? Or, you know, the VP of the park, Phhil Holmes? Maybe because they will both be moving on to "spend more time with their families" in the near future? In Meg's case, that is true, and she will be leaving but more for personal reasons than anything else... Phil, on the other hand, may be swept away in the changing of the guard in Orlando... So, why did a TDA member be given the honor of guiding the important people around?
Maybe because that person is the one taking over for Meg... His name you ask? George Kalogridis... He is the current President of the Disneyland Resort... A man who LOVES the theme parks, is always seen in them, and never passes up a moment for a meet and greet of his own with fans... He is a man, as my understanding and from what was explained, who fights for every dollar of the budget for the resort he is leading... However, he is also someone who has taken advantage of being in the right place at the right time...
I can't help but think that, if this is true, this may very well be a good thing for WDW... Hopefully he can bring TDA's vision and management style to Orlando, though I am afraid the current regime has their poor management style to imbedded into WDW that it will be nearly impossible to change things... But, we shall see...
So, there you have it... Merry Christmas everyone!
Where to begin, where to begin...
Do you all wanna know a name for the possible replacement for Meg Crofton who is expected to leave her post early in 2013? How about WDW's plan for EMH? How about the future of One Disney? How about the lifespan of Fantasmic?
Who wants a Christmas gift on Christmas Eve? :)
I'll start with one that is of important to me... Probably my favorite ride in WDW, Splash Mountain... Oh, with this one I am calling on Cast Members (whether you are a Splash Mountain CM or not) to help me out with this as I couldn't verify part of this...
Supposedly, and I stress supposedly, management told Splash Mountain CMs that the tarps that were put up over the open section of the load area of the queue were added for CM benefit... They were apparently told there has been a number of complaints from CMs that the area is way too hot and uncomfortable to work... So, to appease the CMs, the tarps were added... This came from a Splash Mountain CM...
Now, I will say management would lie to CMs because they obviously don't want the CMs to tell the general public the real reason the tarps were added... But, since I do not know any Splash Mountain CMs, I couldn't verify... My friend who has told me a lot of bizarre stories and rumors couldn't confirm since she didn't know (oh and this friend is not the source of any of these rumors I posted in my original post, I don't believe 99.9% of anything she tells me LOL)... I cannot dismiss this being said, but I may dismiss the reason...
It is true cement from the Splash Mountain facade fell into the loading area... And it just so happens the tarps went up the same night... Coincidence? And to top that off, the ride has been in operation what, 20 years or so? And now the management team is concerned about the working conditions in that area regarding the heat? I don't know if I believe that...
However, this CM has said that her co-CMs have told their managers how much they love the area being covered... That the area is actually cooler now without prolonged exposure to the sun... Plus, they are no longer exposed to the Florida weather... So, could the facade being damaged actually turn into something good for the CMs?
Which brings me to this: during the refurb next year, they will be looking into what causes the cement to break away from the building... They will look for weakness in the structure and take care of any issue that may arise... Also, since coming off EMH (which I know a lot of us didn't like) the ride has been getting much needed maintenance... So much so that, from people who have been on it recently (and yes, verifiable proof with pictures and videos) the ride is looking as good as it has in years... AAs are working, show scenes getting back up to show ready status... I love hearing this since I love Splash Mountain...
Also, since the CM have supposedly alerted management to their loving the covered area or maybe since they had a safety issue with falling cement, ideas are being tossed or were tossed around about officially covering that area... And possibly doing it during the upcoming 3 month refurb... Now since I cannot confirm any of those talks between CM and management actually took place, I'm leaving this as rumor... Hopefully a CM can come along and verify the above did or did not happen... And if such plans were discussed, as we know, plans change hour by hour in the theme park industry... Just because they may have discussed it, doesn't mean it will happen... We'll have to see...
If they did cover it, the ride would not be changed... And honestly, I don't think covering that area would take anything away from the queue... Unless of course they went cheap and only did a bare minimum ceiling with way too exposed lighting structures...
More later regarding my original post... Gotta head out to get some things for Christmas Eve tonight...
OK want another juicy rumor?
Fantasmic is rumored not to be part of any future DHS plans... They don't want to work too much on fixing the problems because the show may not last all that much longer.. No rumored timeframe to close down Fantasmic or what will replace it if and when it goes away... But, seeing that they barely even decided to try to get the lift that brings Mickey to the top of the mountain working, well, I can sort of believe this one...
***cue the World of Color rumors LOL...
OK, you all seem to want more, so, why should I deny you :)
Remember One Disney? Yea, FAILED!!!!! There is no one Disney and the park management knows it... TDA operates differently (and more efficiently, and well with more care and love of the theme parks) than TDO... While TDA adds and pluses, TDO cuts and jacks prices... One Disney has been a failure... So, One Disney may be going the way of the dodo... Which is a good thing... Not so much for the dodo though...
So, you all like to stay on Disney property, at Disney hotels, and love the perks that come with that right? One of those perks EMH is well received with guests... Well, earlier this year TDO decided to cut an hour off the evening EMH from 3 hours to 2 hours...
That was only the start... There has been talk that EMH are going to be eliminated altogether... Why? Well, cuts operational costs (hey gotta boost the bottom line some how, sure isn't being boosted by guest spending)... Gotta jack those resort prices for all those wonderful perks you get... And hey, they need to make up the money for the waste of spending that NextGen is...
No, FP+ more than likely WON'T be free... There will be massive hidden charges as well as trying to sucker unsuspecting guests into upgrading to a more pricey, and I mean soon to be MUCH more pricey deluxe resort just to be able to participate in FP+... At least to get the full FP+ experience anyway... Some rumors have even gone around that in order to use FP+ while staying in Moderate or Value resorts, you'll have to pay for it... Either way, Disney is reaching into your pockets for something that has been (or given the appearance of) being free...
Basically, if the plans goes as has been described recently the hotel prices will be going up while the perks will be going away... Then, they will not allow off site guests to participate in FP+ (no, sorry no word on if the regular FP will be staying or going, assume going) and tell them in order to participate you need to stay on property, in one of our overly expensive hotel rooms (even though you can get much nicer accommodations off property for more than half the cost).. Ah, TDO, gotta love them...
***I'm saving the Meg Crofton replacement til last.. and a little later :)
I promised you all Christmas gifts, and I'm almost done... I said I was leaving Meg Crofton's potential replacement for last, and I am...
So, let's see, what have I left out... Hmmm, how about a new waterfront restaurant in World Showcase for Morocco? Or TDO toying with the idea of TWO food and wine festivals (not sure how they will do this, maybe incorporate more food and wine into Flower and Garden? Think of this year's Flower and Garden as a test run....)
How about AP holders getting more and more of a shaft in favor of the once in a life time/every five year visitor? It is possible and actually happening as we speak...
Ok, now on to the juicy part... During the Fantasyland opening events, a certain individual was seen leading the Governor of Florida around the park and maybe even the resort... No one ever picked up on it, maybe because no one on the east coast knows the guy.. but he is much loved to the Disneyland fans... What's weird about this man leading the tours of the truly important people is he isn't a TDO member yet... Why didn't Meg lead him around? Or, you know, the VP of the park, Phhil Holmes? Maybe because they will both be moving on to "spend more time with their families" in the near future? In Meg's case, that is true, and she will be leaving but more for personal reasons than anything else... Phil, on the other hand, may be swept away in the changing of the guard in Orlando... So, why did a TDA member be given the honor of guiding the important people around?
Maybe because that person is the one taking over for Meg... His name you ask? George Kalogridis... He is the current President of the Disneyland Resort... A man who LOVES the theme parks, is always seen in them, and never passes up a moment for a meet and greet of his own with fans... He is a man, as my understanding and from what was explained, who fights for every dollar of the budget for the resort he is leading... However, he is also someone who has taken advantage of being in the right place at the right time...
I can't help but think that, if this is true, this may very well be a good thing for WDW... Hopefully he can bring TDA's vision and management style to Orlando, though I am afraid the current regime has their poor management style to imbedded into WDW that it will be nearly impossible to change things... But, we shall see...
So, there you have it... Merry Christmas everyone!