The Grump's Opinion: Small World Big Controversy

For nothing is fixed, forever and forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.

-- James Baldwin

Did you think that a controversy such as the changes to Disneyland's It's a Small World could pass without hearing my 2 cents?

Once I saw that Jeff Pepper dared to touch this rather sensitive subject, I felt it was ok to state my opinion.

I believe that all sides of this argument have valid points.  I don't believe anyone is wrong on either side of the fence because it's not right to say that someone is wrong when it comes to how they FEEL about a subject.  By doing so, all you are doing is telling them that their feelings are wrong.

But, when it comes to how I feel about the subject.  And since this is my blog and my post, it is all about my feelings, right?

When I'm 100 years old and getting ready to breathe my last breath and I'm thinking back to my many, many laps on that little river that carries us through It's a Small World, I'm not going to be thinking longly about the way the attraction looked when it was unveiled in the 1960's.  I'm also not going to be bemoaning any changes that I felt were not to my liking.

What I'm going to remember is the look on the children's faces that I had seen over the years. 

For those who don't know me, my wife and I don't have any children.  But, I have had the privilege of logging some serious time on this great attraction with my niece, Regan, and nephew, Collin, and Billy Devine (son of Tim Devine).

I have also observed countless children of total strangers.

To the average adult, this ride is many things:

• An attraction with a song that dig into your soul like a parasite
• A piece of moving art
• A grand socio-political statement on world unity

But, to a child it's just absolute wonder.

I do believe many of the children will notice that something is different about the attraction when it opens back up.  Many of those same children will also be able to point out those changes. 

But, the only change that I believe will really upset them is one that causes the closing the doors of this venerable attraction.

I can say with 100% assurance that right now with the attraction down for refurbishment, my nephew Collin, who suffers from pretty severe Autism (among many other things), is suffering far more with his inability to get onto his favorite attraction than if the ride was changed to include a few Disney Characters or to include a tribute to America in lieu of the Rainforest Scene.

So my opinion about this controversy can be summarized with a picture

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion, It's a Small World

The Grump's Opinion: What's in your Personal Soundtrack?

What is the first thing you think of when I mention the word soundtrack?  Is is the great music that accompanies the movies that we love to watch?  In regards to Disney, is it such great pieces of music as It's a Small World?, The Enchanted Tiki Room, SpectroMagic?

Well, what would you say if I asked you what was contained in your own personal soundtrack?

Huh?  You haven't heard of a personal soundtrack?  Well, I'm not talking about a musical score that plays whenever you are around.

I first heard of the term listening to Adam Curry's Podcast, The Daily Source Code (Yes, it's that Adam Curry from MTV during their hey-day and his podcast isn't Family Friendly).  He started referring to an Organization he wanted to start called The Organization for the Preservation of the Soundtrack of Our Lives (OPSOL).  It's purpose was to keep to the forefront those songs that shaped our lives.  Each of us has songs that when heard spark memories of the past. 

That is what I am referring to when I say personal soundtrack.  These are the musical elements that are so much a part of your life, that when hearing them they unlock deeply seated memories that seem to only get unlocked with these musical cues.

Well, by now I'm sure you are wondering why I'm talking about this on a Disney Blog.  Well, if you are a Disney-phile, you probably have quite the song list from Disney products woven into your own personal soundtrack.

For myself, there are some obvious choices:

• A Whole New World - I went and saw this movie 4 times during Thanksgiving weekend the year it was released
• It's A Small World - I recall my niece and nephew (Regan and Collin) as well as Tim's son, Billy, as they ride through this attraction with the highly addicting tune
• How do you Do? - Just one of the many great tunes from Splash Mountain
• Can you Feel the Love Tonight - Conjures up memories of my wife
• Yo Ho It's a Pirate's Life for Me - Who can resist it's catchy hook (no pun intended)
• IllumiNations! - Well, duh, I wrote a post about that one (The Grump's Opinion: My Favorite Disney Hymn)

Would The Tree of Life, The International Gateway, or your favorite pavilion at EPCOT's World Showcase be contained within your personal soundtrack?

Yes, many of these lands, objects, and places have their own soundtracks. 

I must be 100% honest with you all.  I never really noticed these very important but hidden details until recently.  I was talking to a friend about some good Disney music to sleep to.  Yes, I wanted to sleep to Disney music.  I knew there had to be elements of the theme park that was designed to be relaxing and calming.

Well, I was told to track down some specific pieces of music.  That music was for The Tree of Life, Japan Pavilion, Expedition Everest, and others.

These were turned into an iTunes playlist and we cue it up at bedtime.

The really funny thing was that when we were walking back from the Pangani Forest Trail Meet at MouseFest, my wife asked me if I was tired.  I told her that it wasn't even lunch time yet, why would I be tired.  She pointed out that we were walking by The Tree of Life.  At that very moment, I was able to pull out of the cacophony of sounds and noises the music that we sleep to at night.  For the first time, I was able to separate that music out from the rest of the park theming.

Why would Disney Imagineers go to so much trouble to add musical elements that may go unnoticed by a majority of the park guests?  The only thing I can think of is that the original Disney Theme Park, Disneyland, was built as a living representation of a movie (i.e. The Windows are the opening credits). 

Well, if you expand this philosophy to all the parks around the world, then these seemingly hidden elements are just as important to the overall Theme Park experience as is the work of the artisans who create the soundtracks, sounds, and music for the movies we love to watch.  Not every musical element in a movie is blatantly obvious to the participant, just as the elements I'm discussing here.

Why am I writing another post about music?  That is an interesting question since a room full of cats in heat can carry a better tune than I can.  But, as you are gathering from this post, music forms the soundtrack of our lives.  I couldn't imagine a person who doesn't have their own personal soundtrack.

Well, these subtle, yet important musical elements of the theme parks are starting to be edited into my own personal soundtrack.  As I walk the parks, I try to keep an open ear listening for new pieces to add to my ever growing soundtrack. 

What musical elements (blatant or not-so-obvious) do you count as a part of your personal soundtrack?

[Edited To Add:  Craig from Running to Disney makes an excellent comment that one's personal soundtrack isn't isolated to Disney music and musical elements.  I knew this, but wasn't sure of the best way to slide in all the various, yet odd non-Disney music that is my own personal playlist.  Those songs that can bring up memories of smells, sounds, and events from the really distant and not-so-distant past]

[Edited to Add (03/01/2008):  After reading some of the comments and talking to friends about this post, I came to the conclusion that the word "soundtrack" can be interpreted in the singular OR plural form.  In the case of this post, I'm referring to the overall plural form of the word.  Your personal soundtrack is the overall list of songs and music that can unlock life memories.  The confusing thing is that when you are talking about music from Disney Movies and Themeparks, the singular piece is often referred to as a soundtrack as well.  So a soundtrack can be one piece of your overall soundtrack.... haha]

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion, OPSOL

The Grump's Opinion: My Favorite Disney Hymn

We've gathered here tonight around the fire as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us... to share the light... and to share a story. An amazing story as old as time itself, but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. I hope you enjoy our story tonight: Reflections of Earth.

Have you ever found yourself standing in a Disney Theme Park and suddenly realize that the music you are enjoying is causing an emotional response?  That the music you are listening to makes you feel something bigger than childhood nostalgia?

I'm sure the most novice of Disneyphile has already guessed where my quote comes from.  For those who are still trying to place where they know those words from, they are from IllumiNations:  Reflections of Earth.  It is EPCOT's nightly pyrotechnic masterpiece.

Every person has a favorite nighttime event at Walt Disney World and for many of us, we are very passionate about their favorite.  My wife loves Wishes! but I'm an IllumiNations man.

For me, it's not a Disney vacation until I hear the words quoted above.  But the real punctuation mark is when the narrator blows out the gigantic propane torches that surround the World Showcase Lagoon.

So, you are probably wondering what the meaning is behind the title of this post.....

Those who know me in the real world, know that I'm not a very religious person.  But, I have been around religion, specifically Christian faiths, enough to know many people who love to talk about their favorite Church Hymn.  The people will gladly tell you the emotional response they have when they hear these particular pieces of church music.  Some will even go as far as to tell you how they feel like they can take on the world after hearing their favorite hymn.  But, in an even greater case, they will tell you the hymn gives them a warm, all-encompassing feeling of being loved.

Well, it was during our trip in September 2007, while sitting around the World Showcase Lagoon watching IllumiNations that I noticed that I was having many of these feelings I have heard my more religiously inclined friends talk about.

It was at this time that I came to the conclusion that secular music could have the same impact on people as the non-secular tunes people enjoy every Sunday at their favorite religious service.

When I'm watching this particular spectacular at EPCOT, I cannot help but get into the music.  To me it's like a musical roller coaster.  There is a point near the middle of the show where I always feel like I have just climbed the big hill and it is going to be nothing but thrills to follow.  I'm not a musical person, but I think that's called building up to a crescendo.

The music tugs at my heartstrings which I find amazing since it's mostly an instrumental score.

To top everything off, you get some highly choreographic pyrotechnic displays which seem perfectly matches to the musical score.

During MouseFest 2007, I was able to get an added bonus in the form of the Holiday Tag at the end of IllumiNations.  As I think I described it in my Trip Report, it was like an explosion of glitter in the sky.

Sometimes when I'm feeling a bit down and suffering from a rather serious case of Post Disney Depression (PDD), I listen to the IllumiNations soundtrack.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to my 2008 trip to Disneyworld so I can get another dose of my favorite Disney Hymn performed by the masters who made it great.

What is your favorite Disney Hymn?

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion, EPCOT, IllumiNations

A Grumptastic Restaurant Review: Victoria and Albert's Chef's Table

  Have you ever wanted to eat at Victoria & Albert's but were a bit concerned about the quiet and library-like atmosphere of the restaurant?  Well, there is an alternative that can provide a very unique and different Victoria & Albert's dining experience but comes with a bit of a price.

Awhile back, I did a review of Victoria and Albert's.  I also mentioned that it was a piece on the Travel Channel about the Chef's Table at Victoria and Albert's that prompted us eating there in the first place.

During our stay at Walt Disney World in September 2006, my wife and I had the fortuitous opportunity to dine at Victoria and Albert's not once, but twice.  Our first meal was the one I wrote about previously.  Our second time was The Chef's Table.

There are a couple things of note in regards to dining at The Chef's Table at Victoria and Albert's:

• Nabbing a reservation at The Chef's Table is harder than getting tickets to a Hannah Montana concert.
• The same dress code applies, but you will have a totally different dining experience

Just like most restaurants at Walt Disney World, the Chef's Table starts accepting reservation requests 180 days in advance.  In order to have a chance of getting a seating, you need to be on the phone calling Victoria and Albert's (we called the restaurant directly) as soon as the open for the day that you are calling.  Make sure you do your math correctly.  If you are even 1 day off, you probably are not going to get a reservation. 

But, don't despair, there is a waiting list.  Granted, the odds of people canceling are slim, but it is still a hope.  The phone number to be put on the Victoria & Albert's wait-list is:  (407) 824-1893. 

When we called, we asked for any available openings for the entire time of our stay.  Then we planned our other meals around that. 

When our concierge at the Animal Kingdom Lodge saw that we were eating at both Victoria and Albert's and the Chef's Table, we were quickly told that we must've gotten very lucky.  Apparently, according to a few cast members in reservations that we spoke to, there are people who decide when to take their trip to Walt Disney World based on when they could get a reservation at The Chef's Table.

Our seating at the Chef's Table was the night of the first Monday of our stay (September 11, 2006).  My wife got all dressed up in the second dress she had bought for this trip.  I put on my suit again, but this time changed the shirt to coordinate with the dress.

We, once again, took a taxi over to the Grand Floridian because the idea of wearing a dress and heels on Disney Public Transportation wasn't a loveable idea for my wife.  I personally don't see what the big deal is, but I am not a woman so I cannot possibly know what it's like to walk around Disney in such attire.

When we arrived, we walked up to the host stand and informed the Cast Member on duty that we were here for our seating at the Chef's Table (there is only one seating).  They immediately knew our names and what we were celebrating (my birthday and our honeymoon).

They weren't ready for us at that time, so they walked us to a little seating area near Citricos and brought us each a glass of Champagne (or Sparkling Wine, I'm not sure if was really Champagne). 

We probably sat there for 15 or 20 minutes and someone from the restaurant constantly made sure we were alright.

Quickly, we were told it was time to go into the restaurant.  It turns out the gentleman who was ensuring our comfort while we were waiting in the lobby area, was one of the two gentlemen who were taking care of us for the entire evening.

You are brought into the restaurant just as if you were eating in the traditional sense at Victoria and Albert's.  The difference was that you pass right by the dining room and into a place that most patrons don't go.....the wait station!

At this point, you are taught the first rule of dining at the Chef's Table.......

You don't talk about The Chef's Table...... Just Kidding....haha

The wait station marks a buffer zone between the kitchen and the dining room.  There are doors to the dining room and a door into the kitchen.   Whenever entering the dining room, you make sure the kitchen door is completely shut before opening the door into the Dining Room.  This was a very important rule because it was critical to not spoil the dining experience for those in the dining room.

We didn't have to wait long to find out why this was important.  The kitchen is loud.  Not rowdy family holiday dinner loud, but organized chaos loud. 

We were now brought into the inner sanctum of Victoria and Albert's.  As some people say, "Where the magic happens". 

My wife and I have both done several tours of duty as employees of restaurants.  I worked as a waiter in a fine dining establishment and I would occasionally moonlight in the same restaurant's kitchen (the chef apparently liked me).  My wife worked in the kitchen of a family-style restaurant.

This kitchen wasn't anything out of the ordinary when it comes to a restaurant except there is a gigantic niche in the back of the restaurant containing a very large dining room table that you might see in a residential home containing a large family.

There was lots of wood everywhere in the area that we would be eating at.  Plus, the walls were decorated with various articles and awards for the Chef's Table.

At this point, we found out another bit of information they don't tell you in the literature.  You aren't guaranteed to have Chef Scott Hunnel be your Chef for the evening.  In our case, we were taken care of by Chef Amy (I think that's her name, the curse of time is making that detail a tad fuzzy).

She was fantastic and very confident and you could tell she loved being the head of that kitchen.

In addition to interacting with your Chef, you are completely free to interact with anyone in the kitchen.  You don't have to work that hard to get their attention.  Many of them would walk by and ask us if we had any questions about what they were doing.  I don't know if our obvious youth and unpolished social graces promoted this openness.

We also got to witness how the kitchen handles unexpected hiccups in the evening.  During our meal we found out  a party had shown up with several extra diners that weren't on the original reservation and one of the new bodies had very exacting dietary needs.

Apparently, the kitchen is very detail oriented and they pretty much have an idea what everyone is having for dinner that evening and when people show up that aren't accounted for, they must scramble.  The Chef doesn't really like to have too much duplication of the menus at the table and an unplanned extra participant can throw a wrench into the plan.  It would be like finding out that a member of your wedding party is bringing as their guest someone who wasn't well liked by someone else at the table you planned on seating them at.  You must scramble and rearrange.

Because of this, we had a brief period where we didn't get to interact with our Chef as she took care of the current emergency.

Here is another tip we picked up during our time at the Chef's Table.  If you have dined there before, make sure to let them know the date when make your reservation (either regular dining room or Chef's Table).  Chef Amy told us that it was very informative to know we had eaten there a couple days prior because she was able to pull up our menu and make sure we didn't get anything to eat that we had the previous trip.

The food is just like you would get in the restaurant except you get many, many more courses than in the regular dining room.

When each course comes out, Chef Amy would tell us what we were eating and any interesting details about the preparation.  We did get to experience Kobe-style beef (which is an extra cost in the regular dining room) and got to find out why it's called Kobe-style beef.

At the Chef's Table there is actually a Chocolate Course.  This precedes the dessert course and is as the name  states......just Chocolate!

Our two waiters were vigilant in their desire to make sure we weren't left wanting of anything.  It really was a small taste of what I guess it feels like to be royalty.  These two gentlemen obviously loved their job.

At the end of the meal, they brought us a little take-away bag that had two greeting cards made out of chocolate wishing me a happy birthday and both of us a happy honeymoon.  We also got our menus with our names on them.  Plus, my wife got another rose.

At one point in the evening we were asked if there was anything we wanted to see in regards to the kitchen.  My wife said she'd love to see where the desserts were made.

At the end of the meal, we were taken to the little nook where the dessert chef worked her magic.  It was at this point we learned a little bit of trivia.  There is a head dessert Chef for all of the restaurants at Walt Disney World.  He designs everything we eat for dessert at sit-down establishments. 

The chefs at each restaurant pretty much picks from a menu of what desserts they want on their menu.  There are minor variations that can be made to the desserts, but for all practical purposes they are the same.  For example, I had a gigantic pyramid of chocolate at Victoria & Albert's and later saw the same dessert at the Luau at the Polynesian Resort but it was much, much smaller.

There was one thing that the restaurants had a little say in.  That is the ice cream and sorbets.  So, this dessert chef was letting us sample some sorbets she was concocting for Victoria and Albert's.  She was combining flavors to try and come up with something tasty yet unique for the dining experience.

When it was time to leave, I think it was midnight and we were exhausted and very, very stuffed.  Who would've thought that a bunch of courses of tiny quantities of food would fill you up that much.

We have yet to get another seating at the Chef's Table and once again failed for our trip we are planning for the Summer of 2008 (we are 5th on the waiting list).  We will get there again if it kills us. 

It is an experience that I strongly suggest anyone who has the financial means to experience.  To help you decide if you have the financial means to experience it, it cost my wife and me $384.50 to dine at the Chef's Table.  This price is including Florida Sales Tax and Tip, but is does not include any alcohol.  So, if you want to do the wine paring, expect to pay more.

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion, Victoria and Albert's, Chef's Table, Review

The Grump's Opinion: Will Quality Always Win Out?

"I knew if this business was ever to get anywhere, if this business was ever to grow, it could never do it by having to answer to someone unsympathetic to its possibilities, by having to answer to someone with only one thought or interest, namely profits. For my idea of how to make profits has differed greatly from those who generally control businesses such as ours. I have blind faith in the policy that quality, tempered with good judgment and showmanship, will win against all odds." —Walt Disney

(Quote obtained from Disney Dreamer.com)

Does sub-quality work have long term returns?  If you put out not your best but what is best right now, will people stand up and applaud your accomplishments?

These are questions that I always ask myself.  This is a post I have been tumbling around in my brain for a long time.

In the real world, I sometimes feel like an Imagineer.  Unlike the Disney Imagineers, I don't design anything fun and glamorous.  I provide people with solutions to problems that requires a lot of design and building but I do it with programming code. 

Unlike Imagineers, I don't get marching orders from people within my own corporation, but from people that have contracted my employer for services.  So, it's very important that I keep these 3rd parties happy.

I like to let my clients know when I feel they are doing something that will cost them more money than some other solution.  But, one thing I don't like is when I'm asked to do something that is very clearly a cutting of corners in order to keep the cost down.

Over the years, I have observed that when you cut corners to save money now, you'll end up spending a lot more over time to compensate for decisions made in the past to protect bottom lines.

In a way, we, the Disney Guests, are the clients of the Walt Disney Corporation.  We pay them with our hard earned dollars to enter into their parks and stay at their resorts.  We expect a product commiserate with the money we paid.

Just like the people I work with, the paying customer don't want to feel like they didn't get their money's worth.  They don't want to feel like a lot of time was spent working on something and they didn't get a product that matches that effort.  They want to be wowed.  They want to have a reason to brag to others about what they had gotten.

We are the same way.  We want to be wowed when we walk into the parks and resorts.  We want to go home and brag about all the cool stuff we saw and did while at the parks.

So, here we stand and face many new things coming down the pipe from the Disney Imagineers.  We all know that the Imagineers tend to get their marching orders from other people who tend to wear suits and analyze numbers with their 10-key calculators. 

We all know that these Imagineers can often have their hands tied by executives that are more worried about the stock holders.  The day of people investing for long periods of time are gone and stockholders are now fickle and are easily spooked by bad news.  These executives view a costly project as bad news if it doesn't show an immediate promise of quick returns in the form of increased visitor numbers.  I say, these things take time.

This seems to go directly against the quote I provided above from Uncle Walt. 

What we need is a return back to the day when the company will put in the effort to turn out unbelievable attractions and parks.  Where less concern was given to how much it will cost, but how much people will line up to see it.  I want to go back to the day when attractions were built with the hopes that we'll want to bring our children and grandchildren back to experience it many years later instead of rides being quickly removed and replaced.

We have already had a few hits.  Expedition Everest in The Animal Kingdom is definitely a ride worthy of being associated with a mountain.  The Finding Nemo Submarine Ride at Disneyland was fabulous.  The freshly dusted Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom turned out better than I could've ever imagined.

But, there is already tons of concerned commentary about Space Ship Earth following the many eyes that got to sample Disney's sneak peek into the attraction.

We also have the new Toy Story attraction coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios and California Adventure.  This will be one of the major barometers of things to come.

I've heard arguments that some of what we are experiencing is a result of giving the client what they want.  We get shorter rides because people want to do more since they are spending so much money.  I have also heard that the paying public doesn't have attention spans to handle rides of the length of Pirates of the Caribbean or Splash Mountain.

My response is that there was a time when the Disney Theme Parks were educating the public on what it meant to be entertained in a Theme Park.  Before Disneyland there really wasn't anything like it.  We had to be taught how to have fun.  All these years later, we may have started to forget.  Disney needs to step up and show us how to have fun and not cave in and give us what we say we want when the talents men and women of WDI know we are wrong.

As far as the wanting to have shorter rides because the customers want to feel like they've done more because they've spent a lot of money, I say that if you give people attractions that are commiserate with the expense we outlay, it will no longer be about quantity of attractions accomplished.  People will feel like they got their money's worth off doing less.

Don't get me wrong, there is more than the rides and attractions that draws me to parks over and over again.  My trip report about MouseFest proved that I don't need rides to have fun.

Disney's wealth and longevity really comes from the nostalgia that is created.  Each generation has something about the parks and resorts that they think back fondly on when they are older.  You cannot build nostalgia with a product that is just good for now but not for tomorrow.  If you want that, go to an Amusement Park where a new thrill ride needs to be unveiled every couple years or the parks get boring.

So, if you are going to build something then pull out the stops.  Blue Sky Baby!  Trust me, if you pull out the stops, people will come. 

Walt Disney tried his best to let his crack team of Imagineers do what they wanted in order to build the perfect rides and Roy tried to make sure things didn't go too crazy in the finance department (money doesn't grow on trees).  Yes, there were failure, but they just moved on and came up with something new.

But I can say that if you cut corners and you'll end up having to fork out quantities of money that would make Scrooge McDuck faint.

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion

MouseFest 2007 (Day 03) Special Report: Space Ship Earth Sneak Peek

SPOILER WARNING:  The following post lists details about what is contained within the new re-Imagineered Space Ship Earth.  If you do not want to know anything about it then do not read this post

We were sitting at lunch when Tim Devine got the phone call from one of his forum members that Space Ship Earth had the doors open allowing people on the ride.  The powers-that-be have been doing this the entire time we have been here, but we kept on missing it. 

So, we wolfed down our food and then sped on over to Space Ship Earth.  After getting through security and getting our annual passes scanned we started walking toward Space Ship Earth at a deliberate pace.

It wasn't very long before one of our party made the statement that they thought the doors were open.  Before they could finish the sentence we were sprinting toward Space Ship Earth.  You would think that we were participating in the annual bridal gown sale by the way we were hoofing it to the door.  We figured as long as one of us got there before they tried to close the door, they'd have to let all of us in. 

Sure enough the doors were open and we were in the queue.  I just had to rub it into George and Andy Taylor (Imaginerding) who were attending the Fantasmic! Dessert Meet at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I could hear the disappointment in their voices as I gloated about our good fortune.

We got through the queue and onto the ride vehicle fairly quickly. 

The first thing I noticed was that the ride vehicle seemed a bit more roomy and if my memory serves me correctly, a bit more "boxy".  The most obvious difference is the presence of a small LCD screen in the center of the front of the ride vehicle.  It seems to be about a 22-24" display.

As soon as you start your approach up the hill, the narration starts and one quickly finds out that Dame Judy Dench is indeed the new narrator.

As you approach the first diorama, you will start to notice some differences.  It is clear that the new message of Space Ship Earth is technology and it's use for communication.  We start off in the stone age.  I'm pretty sure this diorama was in the old ride, but the Audio-Animatronics have been brought up to modern standards.  In fact, all the Audio-Animatronics have been updated.

Many of the scenes seemed to be polished up versions of the old ones.  Some seemed to be in new locations and expanded upon.  Others were flat out new.

We did get to see the much rumored inclusion of Steve Jobs in the famous garage where Apple Computers was formed.  Granted, his name was never mentioned and it was just alluded to the fact that the ability to have computers in the home originated in a garage.   Now, everyone on the Internet is saying that the figure is supposed to be Steve Jobs, but I'd like to think that it was his buddy and geek-in-arms Steve Wozniak.  The figure appeared to look like more like the uber-geek and Segway Polo Stud Woz than it did Jobs.

When you got the top of the geodesic sphere, where they introduce the term Space Ship Earth to us, we turn around for the descent.  At this point everything is black.  There is nothing outside the ride vehicle to focus your attention on.

This is when the LCD Screens kick in.  You are asked a series of questions about your preferences in life.  Then a little animated story is told based on your answers.  For example, we were asked questions like would we prefer to travel by solar power or wind power or do we most enjoy the planning a trip or the destination.  The animation seems to be computer generated as opposed to hand-drawn.  It is definitely not Pixar, photo-realistic-quality.  It's more of what you'd see lately on the Disney Channel at night. 

When you get to the bottom, you are dumped onto a moving platform and escorted to the post-show building.

In our case, Tim asked the Cast Member if we could ride again and we just got to stay in the vehicle and go again.  What a Magical Moment!

Now that I've given the description I feel I should give my opinion.....

First, I need to say that it is quite obvious that the attraction is not complete.  I wouldn't even classify this as a "soft opening".  The signs outside were saying that Space Ship Earth was scheduled to be re-opened in February 2008.  That means we are over 2 months away.  I would classify what we got to experience as a sneak peek.  More of a tease.  You could almost say the Imagineers were saying, "Oops, did we leave the door open in the construction wall?"

Part of me is wondering if this "event" was really just a nice "thank you" to all the MouseFesters.  We'll have to wait and see if they are still letting people on after MouseFest is over.

It is obvious the attraction is not complete.  I was very prepared for this fact when I got on the attraction.  I knew there was no way the ride could be even remotely close to being completed if it is scheduled to open in February and it is now December.

I was not even remotely sold by Judy Dench.  It really seemed like she "phone it in" when it came to her narration.  I don't really have a complete memory of Walter Cronkite's narration but I do have vague memories.  But, I do have a good memory of Jeremy Iron's narration.  Both seemed to have a very resonating voice with lots of intonation and sold you into what they were saying.  Just as with an audio book, the chosen voice is very important.  Judy Dench's delivery just seemed to blend into the background and didn't add anything to the show.  I found myself not even noticing that she was talking. 

I was very hopeful that it was Patrick Stewart when I had heard the rumor that he was in the running.  But the Disney Corporation may have had their mind on selecting a woman for this incarnation (you never know).  I am just lost on a good suggestion for female voice-over talent.  As much as I am not a fan of Oprah as a talk show host, she does have a great voice.  Personally, since the theme seemed to be technology, I think they should've found someone who is closely tied with the field.  Someone, when you hear their voice, you think technology and/or communication.  That is why I thought Patrick Stewart would be a good fit.  He has loyal fans in the Science Fiction genre.

Who's to say it had to be a well known person.  Pixar, for example, works with tons of voice talent every day and not all of them are household names.  Heck, some of them were the animators who stood in until it was decided that noone else could voice the character.

But, I digress.

The various diorama sets we see are awesome.  They are clean and tell a great story by themselves.  I really liked the scene where the town is being burned and you could really smell burning wood.

The Audio-Animatronics seemed much smoother and that is what caused me to conclude they were updated.  During a scene of Rome where a soldier was talking to another person, you almost could swear they were real people much like the Jack Sparrow audio-animatronic in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Is this attraction an abysmal failure?  That would be an emphatic no!

All in all, I think when another couple months go by this attraction will definitely be another home run for Disney Imagineers just like with the Haunted Mansion's Re-Haunting.  I don't know what they are going to do about the less than engrossing narration, but it's amazing what they can do to audio in post production.  Heck, there is even enough time that Disney could just decide to bring someone else in. 

Needless to say, I cannot wait until my trip next year to see it completed and until then I'll reserve final judgement.  Right now, we are seeing the equivalent of a film's rough cut.  Much can change before it's unveiled to audiences as a final product.

If you want to see all the pictures I took of Space Ship Earth you can see them in my Flickr account:

Space Ship Earth Set

But, if you want to see really good pictures, then head over to Tim Devine's The Magic In Pixels and check out his album devoted to this ride:

Space Ship Earth 2007

 

Technorati Tags: Trip Report, Space Ship Earth, Soft Opening, Review

A Grumpy Review: The Disney Vacation Club Point by Point

Over the past few months, there have been quite a bit of discussion  about the Disney  Vacation Club (DVC) in the Disney Community. 

Many of these discussions have been on various Podcasts.  I know it's been a recurring topic on the Mouse Guest Weekly podcast and more specifically discussed between Jennifer and Lisa in their Those Darn Cats segments on the podcast.

I also know that a segment has recently been tested on Ricky Brigante's Inside the Magic podcast about the DVC.

What is the Disney Vacation Club

I know that Disney and many other people refer to the Disney Vacation Club as a timeshare.  But, I like to tell people that it's more like purchasing tomorrow's Disney Accommodations at today's prices.

In other words, you are pre-purchasing your resort stays for the next 48+ years (length depends on what resort you buy into).

In my mind, it's kind of like a Roth IRA. 

In a Roth IRA, you are depositing money that has already been taxed at current rates so when you take it out, at retirement, you don't owe any taxes because you paid them before depositing.  So, in that case, you are paying your taxes at today's rate instead of the rates when you retire.

As we all know, Disney isn't known for  reducing the room rates for their Deluxe Accommodations.  They typically go up from one year to the next.  So in a few years you should see a benefit in pre-paying for your accommodations

What is a DVC Guide

Every member has a DVC Guide. 

When you walk into the DVC office at Saratoga Springs Resort (or wherever it is in Anaheim), you'll be asked who referred you to the Disney Vacation Club.  If you have a friend or family member who is already a member of the Disney Vacation Club, then you can give the person who greets you their Guide's name.  This way, you'll end up with the same guide as your friend or family member.  If you don't have a guide, one will be assigned to you.

Your DVC Guide is the person who will give you the tour of the rooms and give you the sales pitch from a numbers and functionality standpoint.  I didn't experience any arm twisting or coercive type salesmanship going on.  It was pretty much, "Here is what the DVC is, here is how it works, here is what it would cost you, what do you think?"

Once you are a member, your Guide is also your go-to person with any questions that you may have that cannot be resolved by calling the Customer Support Number.  They are also the person you will communicate with for the buying process. 

Your guide will also be the one who notifies you of new DVC opportunities in the future.  For example, my guide was the one who notified me, officially, of the sale of points for the units at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas.

My DVC Guide is Brad Smith.  I must say that he was a very friendly and outgoing person [Ed. Note:  Yes, I know he's a sales person].  Trust me, I asked a ton of questions, pointed him to negative commentary that I found on the web and he answered them all with a smile and had a believable response for every thing I threw his way.  Plus, when we used our points to stay at Saratoga Springs Resort in September he made sure to call and make sure we didn't need anything.

It should be noted that if you decide to purchase into the Disney Vacation Club and you had named a friend or family member that person may be eligible for a "reward".  It just depends on what state they live in.  Many states don't let the awarding of the rewards.  If I remember correctly, the person gets a few Disney Dollars.

How much does it cost?

Well, I cannot speak from the Resale market because I purchased directly from Disney.  So, all my discussion will revolve around that.

The first thing you need to know is that the Disney Vacation Club works in points.  You purchase a set number of points that are deposited into your account on your anniversary date.  My anniversary date is December 1.  So, on December 1 of every year I get my next allotment of points.

I believe if you are making your first purchase into the Disney Vacation Club, the minimum purchase is 150 points.  The price per point, is something that your DVC Guide, will provide you and they have a great app to help you easily see the price of everything once you start playing around with point levels

Disney seems to always be offering some sort of incentive to get you to think seriously about purchasing.  In the case of my purchase, I had the option of get a few dollars per point removed (to lower my down payment) or getting double points for my first year.  We chose the double points.

Since the incentives are always changing, you need to check them out and decide accordingly.

For this blog post, I'm going to assume there are no incentives.  When I purchased into Saratoga Springs Resort, the price per point was $101 and I bought 210 points.  This came to a price of $21,210.  But, in addition to that, you also had various costs that are normal when dealing with real estate transactions (fees, fees, fees).

There is also this another little cost known as annual dues.  This is a per point dollar figure that every member pays.  The more points you own, the more annual dues you pay.  This dollar figure is typically broken out for you so you know where the money is allocated.  My annual dues for 2007 are $810 and according to my statement that I can view on the member's only web site, they went slightly down from last year (ever so slightly).   Annual dues are monies collected for the upkeep of the resort.

How many points should I get

So, I bet you are asking, "Why 210 points". 

Well, our decision was somewhat influenced by our guide who told us that he personally owned 200 points.  But we also started looking at the point chart to see how many points it would take to stay at the resorts at the times we'd like to go.

Each DVC resort has a point chart.  These point charts tell you how many points it "costs" to stay on a particular day or the week.  Weekends cost more points than weekdays.  Points also fluctuate based on the tourist season.  High season is more costly than low season.  Your point value is also dependent on the size of the room you want and in some locations (i.e. Animal Kingdom Villas), what view you want.

So, your number of points is really dictated by what style of room you like to stay in (studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, grand villa) and when you like to travel.

So, if you are interested in the Disney Vacation Club you might want to start looking at the point chart and figuring out how many points it would cost you to take a vacation during the period you typically like to go.  That way, when you are sitting in the office, you already know how many points you think you need.

I found a great point chart applet on Tagrel:  DVC Point Charts

What if I cannot use all my points?

One thing you need to realize is that your points aren't a use-it-or-lose it plan.

There is a process called banking and borrowing in place.  This process can be very confusing to people, so it is highly recommended to leverage the people behind the phone number they give you to help make sure you do it right.

Every member has a cutoff date to bank 100% of their points that haven't already been used to book trips for your current year. 

You pretty much need to figure out how many points you want to use during the year by that date and bank your remaining points to the next year.  If you don't do this, then any points left unused go away at the end of your year. 

Points that are banked must be used before any of your new points.  So, if you banked 100% of your points to the next year, then you need to use those points before you can tap into that year's points.

You can also borrow points from the next year.  So, in theory, you could have triple points.  You would combine this year's points, next year's points, and the previous year's points.  This is how some people get enough points to take a cruise or book one of the Grand Villa rooms (holds up to 14 people at Saratoga Springs)

So, you can see, getting the right number of points is kind of crucial.

What if I didn't Buy Enough Points?

But, if you don't buy enough points, there is the ability to buy more points and the DVC does seem to run periodic incentive periods for current members to try and get them to buy more.  This is often referred to, in the community, as addonitis. 

We almost succumbed to addonitis when the Animal Kingdom Villa DVC units were announced at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  If we hadn't been building a house, we most assuredly have added on.

Why would I want to own points in more than one resort

When you buy your points, that resort becomes your "Home Resort".  You have the ability to book vacations at your home resort up to 11 months in advance.  You have to wait until 7 months out to book at non-Home Resorts.  You can only use points from your Home Resort when booking greater than 7 months out.

So, if I had purchased those points at the Animal Kingdom Villas, I could've only used up to the number of points I used when booking early.  But, if I needed more, I would've had to borrowed from the next year. 

Now if you book within the 7 month window, you can tap into your entire pool of points. 

Since Disney Cruise Lines aren't a DVC resort, you aren't governed by the 7 or 11 month rule so you can tap into all your points to book a cruise, or book at non-DVC Disney resort.  We actually used our points to book at Disneyland's Paradise Pier Resort.  We almost booked at the Grand Californian and wished we had afterwards [Ed. Note:  The Grand Californian will be getting DVC units during it's latest remodel].

How do I know when I have broken even

It's often heard that people say that you will break even around 5-7 trips.  The break even point is when you've stayed enough vacation nights in a DVC resort where the "rack rate" value of those nights would've met or exceeded your initial investment.

I don't know how others have determined this, but I tend to get a rough cost by using Disney's online reservation system to get a quote for staying at a resort I normally would've booked if I wasn't staying at the DVC (Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Swan and Dolphin, etc.).  Then I plug that number into a spreadsheet which is tracking all those fictitious numbers for all my trips.

When the sum on the spreadsheet surpasses my $21,210 dollar figure, then I have broken even.

Some people want to know how the annual dues factor it.  I have been adding the annual dues to the original buy-in total.  So every year the total we are trying to exceed increases by a few hundred dollars. 

But, the way I see it, you can still exceed it over time.  When we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2006 (on the concierge floor), it cost us several thousand dollars for a 9 night stay.  If I remember correctly it was around $5-6K.

How Do I know that the DVC rooms are cheaper than paying rack rate

The most important question is how to determine if you are actually saving money by pre-purchasing your resort accommodations.

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that you cannot compare your "cost" to stay at a DVC resort to that of a Value Resort.  If you do that, the value resort will most likely always be cheaper.  This is more of a deluxe resort vs. DVC comparison

There is a simple calculation to determine the "value" of a point based on your what you spent.  This calculation was given to me by my guide who had received it from one of his clients who happened to be a CPA.  The math makes real good sense to me and several other people I have given it to.

First you take the initial cost per point you bought your points with.  In my case it's $101.  Then you divide it by the number of years in your contract.  In my case 48 years.

$101/point ÷ 48 Years = $2.10 per point per year

This is your base price per point.  This dollar amount will never change.

Then you need to figure out the per point cost for your annual dues. In my case, the annual dues for this year was $810. So I have to divide that $810 by 210 points.

$810 Annual Dues ÷ 210 Points = $3.86 per point

Now you take these two numbers and add them together:

$2.10 + $3.86 = $5.96 per point

This number will fluctuate based on your annual dues.  Each year you'd calculate your new cost per point for your annual dues and add it to the cost per point per year for your investment.

We will then take this figure that we've calculated and multiply it by the number of points that we used for our stay.

We used 202 points to stay at Saratoga Springs Resort in September.  Using my real-life point cost as an example, my 8 night stay in a one bedroom unit during the slow season has a cost basis of $1,203.92.

$5.96 per point * 202 points = $1,203.92

Which came out to $150.49 per night.

$1,203.92 ÷ 8 nights = $150.49/night

To me, that is a pretty low rate for staying at a deluxe resort.  The special rate for MouseFest guest at the Swan & the Dolphin was $159/night and the rate for Registered Nurses at the Swan & Dolphin is $169/night in December [Ed Note:  Yes you can get special rates at the Swan & Dolphin for select professions such as Police Officer, Nurse, Teacher...It's a Starwood Resorts thing].  There is a good chance the per night rate would've been cheaper in September since it is "hurricane season". 

But, you cannot do a true apples-to-apples comparison because I also got a full kitchen, a washer and dryer and a one bedroom unit.  Plus, the bathroom was significantly larger and we got a jetted garden tub. 

If we had stayed in a studio unit, which is the closest approximation to a regular resort room (in size, not amenities), the total number of points would've been 106.  This would've given me a total point value of $631.76 which translated to a $78.97/night point value.  That is definitely between Value and Moderate resort prices.

$5.96 per point * 106 points = $631.76

$631.76 point value ÷ 8 nights = $78.97/night

Now, as Disney keeps increasing the cost of staying at the resorts, it could very well be possible that the cost per night of a value resort will eventually become more expensive than the cost per night of your stay at a DVC resort.

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion, Disney Vacation Club

The Grump's Opinion: Proposed Dining Changes for 2008 Part III

I didn't think I'd be writing another post about the 2008 Dining Plan at Walt Disney World until I got to partake of it in 2008. But, I was doing my daily reading of the posts on Lou Mongello's Disney World Trivia forums and found the post entitled provided by a poster who goes by the screen name of ultramm:

Upgraded Disney Dining Experience Process & New Tip Policy at WDW

The poster provided the contents of an e-mail sent to them from The Disney Dining Experience Team.

For those who are not familiar, locals and Annual Passholders can apply for the Disney Dining Experience (DDE) card which will allow you to get a 20% discount at an extensive list of restaurants for parties up to 6. The discount applies to alcohol as well. Which is nice for those people who like to sample the various alcoholic libations that are scattered all over EPCOT's World Pavilion (Can I get a here-here for the fabulous Guinness Stout as the Rose & Crown)

I'm not sure how affiliated the Disney Dining Experience team is with the people who control the Disney Dining Plan but the e-mail provided two interesting bits of information.

The first is related to applying for the Disney Dining Experience Card:

You asked and we listened! Effective November 11, 2007, you will no longer have to wait 3 - 6 weeks to receive your permanent membership card(s).

Guest Relations locations at Epcot., MAGIC KINGDOM. Park, DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM. Theme Park, Disney-MGM Studios, DOWNTOWN DISNEY. West Side, and DOWNTOWN DISNEY. Marketplace will now be able to print permanent Disney Dining Experience membership cards for immediate use. This service is designed for existing and new members. Cards produced at the Guest Relations locations will be printed on paper stock similar to the annual pass tickets.
The Disney Dining Experience office will still be available to take applications for current and new members, via the phone, fax or mail for those who do not want to take advantage of the in-park service. Membership cards ordered through the Disney Dining Experience office will be received within 2 - 3 weeks of purchase.
All Guests who have ordered their Disney Dining Experience membership cards prior to November 11, 2007 date will have to pickup their temporary cards at the main entrance Epcot. Guest Relations. Your permanent card will be sent through the mail and arrive in 3-4 weeks from the date of purchase.

For people, like me, that want a Disney Dining Experience (DDE) card but keep forgetting to apply, this is great news. I like the idea of being able to get a Disney Dining Experience (DDE) Card as easily as I can get an Annual Pass.

Since my wife and I are going to MouseFest sans Dining Plan, the extra 20% will come in handy with all those counter-service meals we'll be reviewing...er...enjoying.  [Ed Note:  A commenter (we love them) pointed out to me that the Disney Dining Experience card is good only at Table Service establishments unless the park has no Table Service establishments]

I did notice quite a bit of weird typos in the information that was copied and pasted. I hope it's related to quirks that come from copying and pasting from an HTML e-mail (Disney likes to send HTML formatted e-mails and I'd assume this one came the same way). If that's not the case, then Disney Geek George needs to go to their office with his big red pen and do some editing.

I'm not questioning the validity of the e-mail at this point, because I've seen others post parts of this e-mail on other forums and it's also posted here on AllEarsNet.

Now the second bit of the e-mail is the part that prompted this post.

We would also like to inform you that the Walt Disney World. Resort will be implementing an across property policy change regarding gratuity at all food and beverage locations. Effective January 1, 2008, 18% gratuity will be added to all transactions, regardless of party size. Thank you for your continued support.

The way I read this (and the forum poster), is that in 2008, even though they have removed the gratuity as part of the pre-paid portion of your meal, you are still going to be locked into paying a 18% gratuity.

I know that many, many, many people have argued that the major problem with the current Disney Dining Plan is that the gratuity is included AND guaranteed at 18%. I have also been on record in my previous posts about the Disney Dining Plan in saying that I don't agree.

But, if there were any truth to that belief (and I could be persuaded with the write proof), this is not going to help that. The difference, this time, will be that instead of Disney forking over that 18% to the various waiters and waitresses, it will be the park guests.

If they aren't happy with the service and are feeling like they are having a gun put to their head to pay an extra 18% on service they felt they could get better at their local Applebee's, they will stop partaking in the Disney Dining Plan.

The one thing that isn't clear is who this policy change applies to. Is it just for Disney Dining Experience (DDE) Cardholders? Is it for participants of the Disney Dining Plan? Is it for everyone regardless of payment method?

Since the Disney Dining Experience (DDE) Card is usually beloved by those who pay for their meals out-of-pocket, I'm starting to wonder if the new policy is to charge ALL in-park diners the 18% regardless of their participation in the Disney Dining Plan.

According to AllEarsNet, they are getting conflicting information about those questions. Some are saying that it's for Disney Dining Experience card users only, others are saying it's across the board.

I'm going to have to sit back and wait to see if we get any additional information from more "reliable" and/or "official" Disney Sources.

Maybe Lou Mongello, Mike Scopa, Mike Newell, Matt Hochberg, or Len Testa can shed some light on this subject. In the case of the WDW Today boys, you answer these kind of questions almost every day on your podcast and various blogs and forums, and Lou does it weekly on his very informative WDW Radio Show podcast.

Now, if this is an across-the-board change, it could be part of a much grander plan on part of The Mouse.

I have talked to a few people about the crowded situations at the various restaurants and how that most likely plans a major role in the declining quality of service. It has been said that if you could get less people to go to the restaurants, then you would probably see an increase in service quality and maybe a return to the more diverse menus.

Forcing people to pay 18% gratuity for what they feel is sub-par service, might, just might thin out the hordes in the restaurants a bit and, in turn, increase quality of service. It could spell a return to counter-service meal for dinner crowd.

If this is just for Disney Dining Experience (DDE) cardholders, then the impact will most likely be smaller than the other scenario. It just means that your 20% discount is going to be negated by the mandatory 18% gratuity.

Only time will tell. I just found this very, very interesting.

If it is a global change, I don't want to even get into the financial implications on this. My brain hurts and I don't want to do the math....haha

ADDED:  11/10/2007

John Frost at The Disney Blog has posted that this automatic 18% is for users of the Disney Dining Experience (DDE) card only.  I would like to hear it from one more reliable source to be absolutely assured, but hearing it on John's blog makes me feel a little better.  Even with a mandatory 18% you'll still be saving about 2%.  So, it would be like not tipping and paying face value.

Technorati Tags: Disney Dining, Grump's Opinion

A Grumptastic Restaurant Review: Victoria and Albert's

Victoria and Albert's was a restaurant we got to enjoy in our September 2006 trip to Disney World.  We were first turned onto Victoria & Albert's when  it was showcased on Undiscovered Walt Disney on the Travel Channel.  Well, actually, it was the Chef's Table at Victoria and Albert's that was showcased, but the restaurant caught our attention none-the-less [ed. note:  We plan on doing a review of the Chef's Table in a future post].

My wife really salivated (no pun intended) at the idea of dining at this establishment.  Because Victoria and Albert's has a strict dress code that meant that I had to be wearing a suit (in actuality I was only required to be in a coat but the wife's wishes prevailed), and my wife needed to sport a dress.

What this translates to is a very long shopping expedition to look for the perfect dress, shoes and purse.  Plus, she needed to get me suited up.

We chose to dine at Victoria and Albert's on our first night at Walt Disney World.  This date also corresponded with my 35th birthday. 

Since my wife and I weren't allowed to take a Honeymoon after getting married and my job kept us from having a decent vacation afterwards, we decided that this trip would also count as our Honeymoon.

When my wife made the reservation she let the people know that we were celebrating my birthday and our Honeymoon. 

As rumored, we were contacted prior to our trip to Disney World by someone at Victoria and Albert's to determine our food allergies or any other foods that we just don't like to eat.  My wife told them that we would prefer to not have caviar, sweetbreads, nor corn. 

At this time the representative from the restaurant verified that we are indeed celebrating my birthday and honeymoon.

For all you men out there that are reading my blog, let me give you one bit of advice......

If you are lucky enough to be going to Victoria and Albert's and you aren't going it alone, please build in enough time for getting ready. 

I have found that it takes a lot more time to get ready to eat at a fancy restaurant than it does to get ready for any of the more "casual"  restaurants gracing "The World".

Another bit of advice I can pass on is that no matter how much you try to convince your wife, she isn't going to get on the Disney Bus System in a nice cocktail dress and heels.  That means that we needed to plan to take a taxi to the Grand Floridian.

If you think stepping in the Magic Kingdom is like stepping into another world of Fantasy, then be prepared to slip even further into the "rabbit hole" when you cross through the threshold of Victoria and Albert's.

It will become immediately apparent that you "aren't in Kansas anymore" as soon as you get in there.

My mother once told me that there is a difference between eating and dining.  A meal at Victoria and Albert's is definitely one that falls under the "dining" category.  Be prepared for a very long dining experience.  We had a 9PM seating and we weren't out of there until almost midnight.

A meal at Victoria and Albert's definitely substitutes for any parade and firework shows for the evening.

The first thing my wife and I observed was the quiet in the dining room.  I remember leaning over to my wife and whispering to her that it felt like we were having our dinner in the resource section of a  library.  You know that section of the library that all the uber research geeks like to hang out.  Where you most likely would find Disney Geek George if he wasn't tied to his duties as a Librarian.

The other thing you'll notice is that the restaurant isn't setup to hold a lot of people.  The room we were in was really only designed to hold about 12 people and there were only a couple other rooms of tables.

Dining at Victoria and Albert's is not an appetizer, entree, and dessert type of establishment.  You are going to have many, many courses.  I went into this dining experience knowing that, but the portion size is still very deceptive.

As you can see from the photos, the portions are deceptively small by American super-sized standards. 

When the wait staff sets down the first course you are sure you are going to breeze through this meal and leave needing to stop off somewhere and eat another meal.

The other thing you'll notice is that the china changes with each course.  Both the style and patterns changed. 

Now, I'm sure you are wondering what I thought of the food.

Well, I'm known to be pretty honest with you all, so I'm not going to start lying now.  There were things that I thought were awesome (anything categorized as red meat) and there were other things that weren't so awesome.  So I ended up taking a "no thank you" taste and left it relatively untouched.  My mother always told me to try everything and eat enough to show that you cared even if you didn't like it.

The thing that I thought I would absolutely love, but found that I really didn't was the cheese course.  I am a big lover of cheese (one of my few vices) but these weren't your usual cheeses.  They were exotic cheeses and they didn't taste anything like what I've ever had before.  I did try them all, but they were very pungent cheeses and now I know I don't like them.

The thing that I thought I would love and actually did was the  dessert.  Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate was the  final course and I have two words to describe it....Grump-Tastic!

There were a lot of lovely touches in this restaurant.  We all dined to tunes provided by a very talented harpist.  I must say that I've never heard Elvis on a harp until that night.

Albert (our waiter), provided my wife with a nifty device that hangs off the table that holds her purse.  The walls had what seemed like cloth-based wall paper.

Victoria and Albert went out of there way to keep us happy.  Our glasses never got empty.  When each course was provided we were given plenty of information about what we were eating.  Plus, when the entree was presented we got the whole metal dome treatment.  From my time as a fine dining waiter, I knew this was a French style service.  It is always fun to see.  Also, in the french style of service, the bread was served one roll at a time from a basket the wait staff carries.  This help prevent you from filling up on bread which is a big problem of mine. 

We did try to get plenty of pictures of our food, but I had a poor camera for the job and felt like I was committing some kind of federal crime by doing so.  A crime like taking flash pictures in a dark ride or heckling the Jungle Cruise Skipper. 

Our wait staff tried to reassure us that it was alright to take the pictures and that other people did it, but it still felt odd.  Granted, this meal was way before I even thought to start blogging about my experiences with Disney.  So, at the time, my memories were only worthy of our Disney scrapbook and photo albums. 

Next time, the Nikon D80 is coming out and I'm taking better notes about my thoughts and impressions.  Hopefully, I'll have a good flash with a diffuser on it to help prevent the blowing out of the whites that compose most of the dinnerware.

On our way out, Victoria took our picture in front of the large floral arrangement in the center of the restaurant.  Plus, we were given our copy of the menu that was customized to each of us.

Plus, to top off the evening, every lady leaves with a fresh cut long-stem red rose.

You definitely saw a different sub-set of tourist at this restaurant.  You just don't expect to see a bunch of finely dressed people when you are at Disney World.

I have heard many people state that they think Victoria and Albert's is the most romantic restaurant on property.  I can say that up to this point, I haven't found a restaurant to refute that claim.

My wife and I are definitely including this restaurant on our list of places we'll be going to again in the future.  Unfortunately, with a price tag of $253 (not including alcohol), I doubt it will be anytime soon that we'll be going back (unless they add it as a Premium dining establishment on the Deluxe Dining Plan in 2008).

Below, you'll see copies of the menus that we were given to take home.  You'll need to click on them to see a much larger copy which will be more legible.

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion, Victoria and Albert's, Review

Why I return to the Disney Theme Parks

Jeff Pepper wrote a great post about his views on the success of Ratatouille and the Disney/Pixar merger.  The comments on the blog had varying views about the movie, its success, and opinions about the perceived long-term relevance of this particular movie.

I made the following comment on this post:

To me whether or not a film can stand up to the test of time is moot. I very rarely ever watch a movie more than once or read a book more than once. Once I know the ending, I don't have a desire to go through the process again.

Jeff, responded to my comment with the following:

Just curious Ray--
How do you reconcile that dynamic with what seems to be your clear love of theme park entertainment, which is clearly overwhelming in its repetitive nature?
As with any form of entertainment, there always seems to be an enormous amount I miss on the first swing. I just discovered that most especially when I revisited Meet the Robinsons on DVD.

I have been racking my brain trying to think of a reason why this obvious error in logic exists.

When discussing this personal paradox with those people I talk to "in real life", I could only come up with one very sound, yet emotional, reason.

That reason is that I have developed a personal relationship with the Disney Theme Parks.  A kind of relationship that I have been unable to develop with movies and books.

This relationship drives me to want to keep going back and revisit the parks.  The only way I can describe it is that when I go to the parks it's like an awesome day with a beloved family member or a best friend.  After days like that, you just cannot wait to do it again.

In the name of full disclosure, I should state that there have been very rare movies that I have watched multiple times.  One of those movies was The Emperor's New Groove.  Now, I don't have an emotional tie to this movie, but there is something about Patrick Warburton's portrayal of Kronk that just made that movie for me........Riiiggghhhhttt.  I just couldn't stop laughing when he's in the movie.  The problem is that Kronk is so ingrained into the story, you must watch the entire movie to see his parts.  Kronk, is probably why I really enjoy The Emperor's New School on the Disney Channel.

The other movies were the original Star Wars Trilogy and an action flick or two.  But with those few exceptions, I mainly watch a movie once.

But, despite that, I have never really had that kind of relationship with a movie. 

But, if I was to offer a more analytical explanation as to why I will continuously go back to a Disney Theme Park....

When it comes to the Theme Parks, the only explanation I can give is that going to a Theme Park is like watching a movie in parts.  You have to keep watching to fill in the gaps of the story that were missed because you didn't watch in it's entirety. 

Now, I know that people might argue that you need to watch a movie multiple times to get the entire picture because there is new stuff to be seen with successive viewing.  Just read Jeff's DVD review of Meet the Robinsons as an example.  He does, indeed, highlight all the new things he observed when watching it again.

For that argument, I would respond that I guess I don't view movies the same way as a lot of my peers.  I am it in purely for entertainment.  If you are trying to educate me, change my way of thinking, or just plain make me think, I'm most likely not going to give the movie a second thought. 

I think one of the biggest reasons I failed to succeed in the Radio, TV, Motion Picture curriculum at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was because I could never see the movie for more than the surface story. 

I wasn't adept at picking up the subtle nuances of lighting choices, character development and choice of dialogue.  Imagery, metaphors, and other thematic devices always seemed to go over my head.  This could also be said for my weakness with books.

To me, when I watch a movie, I'm just in it for the story (and it doesn't even have to be well spun) and whether or not I'm entertained (most important).  I cannot really perceive all the other stuff unless someone points it out to me. 

An example was when a friend did a college term paper on the movie Terminator 2 for a film appreciation class (Senior fluff class).  He had noted in his paper that the bad Terminator always had red lights of some kind around him in confrontational scenes, while Arnold's Terminator character had blue.  In the climatic final battle, there were the blending of reds and blues throughout.  I never in a million years would've picked up on that unless someone told me.  In fact, I had to watch the movie again to believe it.

Now, with the Theme Parks, even when I feel like I've gotten the entire "story", the "story" is always changing.  New attractions and rides are added.  Old ones are sometimes removed (Horizons, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Country Bears, etc).  Some are just re-themed (Journey in Imagination, Mexico Pavilion, Space Ship Earth, Haunted Mansion, etc).  There is also the well designed architecture and landscaping between the rides and attractions.

This creates an environment where the story isn't the same when you start viewing it again.  I think only one movie franchise could come close to matching this scenario.  That was the original Star Wars Trilogy. 

George Lucas, on a couple of instances, added or enhanced the movie with new digital effects, scenes, etc.  This made for a new reason to watch the movies.  I'm sure this was as much of a marketing ploy as it was to allow Mr. Lucas to tell the story the way he originally intended but technology didn't allow.

But even with all that said, I was starting to wonder how I was going to maintain going to the parks every year after I got through everything multiple times.  After all, Disney loves to change things but not every year. 

I have managed to conjure up a renewed vigor in which I attack the parks mainly due to a few things:

• My new photography hobby (thanks to Tim Devine and the fine members of The Magic in Pixels Forums!)
• Podcast segments such as Disney Scene Investigations
• The Crate Appreciation Society
• Blogs like Jessica's If we can Dream It, Jeff's 2719 Hyperion, FoxxFur's Passport to Dreams Old & New, George and Andy's The Disney Geeks, and other blogs

My photography has given my eyes a new medium through which to look at the parks.  Now, I'm looking at it in a  more artistic sense.  I view it through my viewfinder and try to capture images that would look good hanging on my wall.

The podcast segments, the various blogs I have mentioned, and the Crate Appreciation Society give me things to look for.  Sometimes those things translate into new views to capture through my camera.

I'm trying to apply this newly found vigor for the parks to the huge Disney DVD Collection my wife and I have amassed.

My dad, the other day, suggested that maybe I view them again, not to be entertained, but to try and learn from them.  These successive viewings would allow me to see what is in the movie that I may have not noticed because I was too busy being entertained. That is going to be hard for me because it seems like work….haha.

I think I'm going to try it though.  But, I'm still perplexed about arguments about movies standing the test of time.

To me, if the movie was entertaining once, it will always be entertaining.....

Technorati Tags: Grump's Opinion