News Round Up 2018

[thepops]

You mean the ones that are like 20 feet high and go straight down? I think they deprived the kids of that experience!

Did you ever use wax paper on them? I remember using that - or some kind of kitchen paper - and we would FLY down those slides! Such fun!!!

Now the hipsters would use EVOO

 

[MissGina5]

that's true - this past trip we spent a little there on some snacks to bring home to people watching our pets and an ornament and magnet but not a ton. And the kids weren't really super excited about the stuff there - much more into stuff at Mouse Gear

I always find stuff at mouse gear too somehow!

 

[MissGina5]

I hope they put something new out there as well. What's the area people talk about wishing they added to Animal Kingdom every few months here? A South America area maybe? I feel like it has been discussed as a replacement for the dinoland disaster, but maybe out where planet watch is currently would be a good area. We went out there the first time we visited AK, but have only gone out one other time since when with a family that had a toddler. It won't be something I miss a whole lot, but I do hope they re-purpose all of that space.

But aren’t we looking at India (someone else brought this up, and I know I’ve heard India to AK before) and Brazil to EPCOT

Australia maybe??

 

[MissGina5]

I'm one of the few that loves RoL...I know why other people don't like it, but I'm a sucker for a good soundtrack and a good message and overall it really brings everything together thematically at AK to me. Having said that, it could use improved quality on the projections - especially the ones that are farther away at the opposite end of the lake.

I second this!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Report - another cut!!

All 4 Shaman roles being cut from Rivers of Light .... that really sucks as I thought it added quite a bit to the show!

https://wdwnt.com/2018/09/all-live-...imal-kingdoms-rivers-of-light-nighttime-show/

As someone who actually liked this show for two reasons...

1) The music soundtrack.
2) The live actors on the boats.

I don't think the music soundtrack will be enough to draw me in and watch the show now. It is just going to be water projection with things floating on the water.

It is going to be very difficult to watch this show. So, I might just stick to the soundtrack CD and enjoy the music that way.

I also want to stress that I have actually seen this show without the live actors and it was very underwhelming. The live actors really added a lot to this show. This news really makes me sad.

 

[writerguyfl]

I get it that it's convenient to just use a room key but it sounds like a digital option is available (linking reservation) and a paper voucher doesn't seem like the end of the world either though I get the concern of it getting wet.

With regards to the paper one is it a day by day paper voucher where you have to stop at the front desk to get it each day? If so I get the issues there for why people would prefer just to use the digital option or the key card.

The voucher is a "valid through" date, with that date being the check-out. The only reason a guest would need to get a new one is if they extend their stay or lose the voucher. I believe it's basically the same way the seven Disney Springs Hotels operate.

Honestly, the number of guests affected by this change would be small. It's only going to be people who arrive without tickets purchased. Everyone else will have already added their hotel confirmation number to their tickets in order to access Fast Passes for their trip. That process automatically validates the Extra Magic Hours access to those tickets.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think the music soundtrack will be enough to draw me in and watch the show now.

Then they can cancel it entirely for "lack of demand". Win/win (not for fans, but for the bottom line).

 

[skier_pete]

So just realized yesterday we are traveling down the last two days of operation for Rafikis Planet Watch. Still deciding how we will get over there. (Wasnt planning on DAK those two days, but we have APs.) Our nostalgia is kicking in, thinking back to go over there to watch the vets care for animals. The rest of RPW didn't have much attraction. Sure our daughter liked petting the goats when she was little, but it also never felt like anything special - but pretty much anything that you've ever donned closes permanently is a bit sad. (Except Stitches Great Escape.)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Then they can cancel it entirely for "lack of demand". Win/win (not for fans, but for the bottom line).

Ah, the ol’ “Due to guest demand!” Angle!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

As someone who actually liked this show for two reasons...

1) The music soundtrack.
2) The live actors on the boats.

I don't think the music soundtrack will be enough to draw me in and watch the show now. It is just going to be water projection with things floating on the water.

It is going to be very difficult to watch this show. So, I might just stick to the soundtrack CD and enjoy the music that way.

I also want to stress that I have actually seen this show without the live actors and it was very underwhelming. The live actors really added a lot to this show. This news really makes me sad.

Thanks for sharing that last point - I haven’t seen it without the actors but my feels are that it would be similar to you describe

This one just seems odd to me as how much is that really going to save? And this was to be a big part of the enabling AK to be an evening park as well.

Like I get closing down Rafiki’s planet watch - lot of area to maintain, the train to maintain, quite a few CMs, and, to be honest, while I know some people that really liked it, it wasn’t a draw to the park. So while I might not like that it is closing, I get it.

This one is more puzzling as the scale of cost savings vs impact of making a signature component a lesser experience doesn’t seem to be there to me

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The voucher is a "valid through" date, with that date being the check-out. The only reason a guest would need to get a new one is if they extend their stay or lose the voucher. I believe it's basically the same way the seven Disney Springs Hotels operate.

Honestly, the number of guests affected by this change would be small. It's only going to be people who arrive without tickets purchased. Everyone else will have already added their hotel confirmation number to their tickets in order to access Fast Passes for their trip. That process automatically validates the Extra Magic Hours access to those tickets.

That makes sense. Thanks for the information!

 

[splash327]

The voucher is a "valid through" date, with that date being the check-out. The only reason a guest would need to get a new one is if they extend their stay or lose the voucher. I believe it's basically the same way the seven Disney Springs Hotels operate.

Honestly, the number of guests affected by this change would be small. It's only going to be people who arrive without tickets purchased. Everyone else will have already added their hotel confirmation number to their tickets in order to access Fast Passes for their trip. That process automatically validates the Extra Magic Hours access to those tickets.

Yes, this is how the Disney Springs hotels work. Actually when they saw that i had a band they pushed me to do it through the app and wouldn't give me a voucher.

 

[danikoski]

This one is more puzzling as the scale of cost savings vs impact of making a signature component a lesser experience doesn’t seem to be there to me

I'm wondering if they are slowly killing it off to revamp it. But they don't want to say that because of the fiasco it was to get it up and going in the first place.

 

[BigRed98]

News

Mickey's of Glendale at the Destination D event in WDW will be selling Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway pins.

 

[soniam]

News

Mickey's of Glendale at the Destination D event in WDW will be selling Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway pins.

I got the email but didn't even look at the pins. I don't collect them. I am really excited about attending my first D23 conference. Are you going too?

 

[The Pho]

I'm wondering if they are slowly killing it off to revamp it. But they don't want to say that because of the fiasco it was to get it up and going in the first place.

They were rumors a few months ago about it being short lived already.

 

[BigRed98]

I got the email but didn't even look at the pins. I don't collect them. I am really excited about attending my first D23 conference. Are you going too?

Unfortunately no, I'm currently not a D23 member and even if I was I couldn't attend because I'm currently away at college. I saw this on twitter. Please report back and let us know how the Destination D event went.

 

[soniam]

Unfortunately no, I'm currently not a D23 member and even if I was I couldn't attend because I'm currently away at college. I saw this on twitter. Please report back and let us know how the Destination D event went.

Definitely!

 

[hertamaniac]

As someone who actually liked this show for two reasons...

1) The music soundtrack.
2) The live actors on the boats.

I don't think the music soundtrack will be enough to draw me in and watch the show now. It is just going to be water projection with things floating on the water.

It is going to be very difficult to watch this show. So, I might just stick to the soundtrack CD and enjoy the music that way.

I also want to stress that I have actually seen this show without the live actors and it was very underwhelming. The live actors really added a lot to this show. This news really makes me sad.

I like the live actors (especially when they pose for a photo during the show).

 

[rteetz]

News

Looks like Comcast wins the Sky battle

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/22/sky-comcast-fox-36-billion-takeover-auction.html