Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread

[COASTER FREAK 11]

^Well, they are totally different ride systems for starters. It would be different if they were exactly the same, but they aren't really.

[Jew]

Aside from the no 5th dimension, I imagine that the car itself and the mechanics behind the drop are exactly the same?

[COASTER FREAK 11]

^Not really. The only major thing that's shared mechanically is the fast they both use elevators and they both use seat belts. Just how Raidatior Springs Racers isn't the same as Test Track. The concept is the same, but they operate totally differently. They were built 8 years apart, and the ToT in california was designed to be cloned when it was made. So they are quite different.

 

The point was mainly though, I am surprised that with resort specific items such as ride maintenance, guest control, ect. that Florida has control over these things and not the local management.

[Jew]

^I would venture to say that you answered your own question. If both resorts just accept the status quo of "it's specific to us, it has to be done this way because..." neither resort is actually developing the best practice. Are there resort specific things? Absolutely. Are there going to be things that don't work across both resorts? Absolutely. But if both resorts are working together to find a best practice, the end result will actually be a best practice, which I imagine from my outsiders prospective is the whole point of OneDisney.

[jedimaster1227]

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-disney-new-park-president-20130109,0,3964372.story

 

The man who has overseen the development of an "Avatar"-themed attraction in Orlando, Fla., has been named to run Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim.

 

Among several other promotions Wednesday, Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, named Michael Colglazier to oversee the two Southern California parks.

 

Colglazier replaces George A. Kalogridis, who will take over Feb. 1 as president of the Walt Disney World Resort.

 

Kalogridis oversaw the development and opening of Cars Land, the 12-acre expansion of California Adventure Park that opened last summer and has significantly boosted attendance at the park.

 

Most recently, Colglazier has worked as vice president of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando, where Disney has been developing an attraction based on the James Cameron movie "Avatar." Construction is expected to begin this year.

 

Colglazier was born and raised in Indiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard.

 

He has held various positions with Disney since 1989.

 

Among other moves announced Tuesday, Staggs appointed Meg Crofton as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, U.S. and France, a position she has held on an interim basis since July 2011.

 

"This group of Disney veterans has the knowledge and expertise needed to continue delivering on our legacy of creating unforgettable experiences that our guests have come to know and expect," Staggs said.

 

Michael Colglazier has been named president of the Disneyland Resort. (Disneyland Resorts / January 9, 2013)

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-disneyland-ticket-abuse-20130108,0,7842580.story

 

Workers at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park took photos of visitors entering the parks Tuesday as part of a new effort to crack down on abuse of multi-day tickets.

 

The process of photographing guests--including children--delayed visitors getting into the park by about 45 minutes, according to park-goers.

 

"They delayed literally thousands of people in line to do this process," said Bob Shoberg, a San Jose resident who visited Disneyland with his wife, daughters, in-laws and grandchildren.

 

Disneyland officials denied that guests suffered significant delays.

 

Disney has long struggled to stop several businesses in Anaheim that buy multi-day park passes and then "lease" or "rent" the passes to visitors for individual days.

 

The scenario works like this: Ticket brokers might, for example, buy a three-day "park hopper" pass for $205 and rent the ticket to guests for $85 a day. The seller makes a profit of $50 and the guests, who would otherwise pay $125 for a one-day "park hopper" ticket, saves $40.

 

Disneyland policy prohibits visitors from sharing multi-day passes but the practice does not violate local laws.

 

To put a stop to the practice, Disneyland workers began Tuesday to photograph visitors who are using a multi-day pass for the first time, said park spokeswoman Suzi Brown.

 

When the pass is used a second time, Disneyland workers at the park turnstiles will see a photo of the guest pop up on a screen, she said. If the person at the turnstile is not the person shown on the photo, Brown said the guest won't be allowed to use the ticket.

 

The photo process involved a "very small percentage of guests" and did not cause a significant delay, she said.

 

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/imax-383070-downtown-theater.html

 

Movie fans can see 3D movies on a huge IMAX screen in Downtown Disney, the fourth IMAX theater in Orange County.

 

The latest IMAX screen opened within the AMC Theatres in the entertainment-shopping district in November with the James Bond movie "Skyfall." The theater has been doing strong business with "The Hobbit," said Ryan Noonan, an AMC spokesman.

 

"The IMAX format is very popular with guests, and the reception from guests at AMC Downtown Disney 12 has been no exception," Noonan said in a statement. "We're seeing great response both through attendance and guest feedback."

 

IMAX theaters once were limited largely to museums, mostly for the showing of documentary films.

 

But in 2008, IMAX began a major rollout of screens within regular multiplexes, converting existing theaters to the big format, with different seat configurations and 3D capabilities. IMAX studies box-office patterns and customers to figure out the best locations, said IMAX spokesman Adam Davis.

 

"We don't want to overpopulate with IMAX theaters," he said. "We want to stand out from a regular theater."

 

IMAX often puts screens in tourist destinations, such as Universal CityWalk in Hollywood. The other Orange County IMAX locations are at the Irvine Spectrum; in Aliso Viejo at an Edwards theater; and at the Outlets at Orange, the outdoor mall formerly called The Block.

 

Simon Suh, 22, of Fullerton recently sought out the IMAX screen at Downtown Disney to see "The Hobbit." "For the movies that are visual experiences, I go for IMAX," Suh said.

 

IMAX screens come in different sizes but are usually 40 percent larger than typical screens.

 

At Downtown Disney, IMAX movies cost $11 to $18.50, Noonan said. Parking is free for up to three hours and with validation for up to five hours.

 

The next IMAX movie is "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunter," which opens Jan. 25.

[Wes]

Hopefully they work out whatever kinks are slowing down the photography process for multi-day ticket holders. I'm sure they will.

[Double0Kevin]

I'm interested to see how this all works out with the management shift. My assumption is that we will hardly notice a change (I mean that in a good way) and if we do it will be a positive one. I thought Animal Kingdom was one of the most beautiful parks I've seen and the staff there was awesome. Everyone was super friendly and talkative and it never felt forced. I hope that kind of attitude makes it's way to Disneyland where I've found a lot of CMs (no not all of them) often act as though all the guests are idiots and must be spoken to as children.

 

I'll be heading to the parks next weekend, hope the ticket thing doesn't create huge issues, especially with the Tinkerbell Half-Marathon going on and a lot of out of towners there on multi-day tickets. It almost sounds like they should make dedicated lines for multi-day, one-day and AP. Then again, a Californian that waits 5-10 minutes for anything usually tells people it was 45-60 mins... so it might already be working just fine.

[buckaroo234]

^I would venture to say that you answered your own question. If both resorts just accept the status quo of "it's specific to us, it has to be done this way because..." neither resort is actually developing the best practice. Are there resort specific things? Absolutely. Are there going to be things that don't work across both resorts? Absolutely. But if both resorts are working together to find a best practice, the end result will actually be a best practice, which I imagine from my outsiders prospective is the whole point of OneDisney.

 

unfortunately it ends up with us getting MOG's specific to one attraction because the FL management ignored the fact that the DCA version is VERY different. A few choice issues we had with our inspector:

 

Seatbelts: FL is electronic lock, CA is pneumatic lock

 

HVC Docking Bracket: FL doesnt have one (vehicle is powered), CA does (the HVC needs to grab the passive vehicle)

 

Cab Lockdown Latches: FL they are in front, CA they are in rear

 

Dockside Latches: FL has 2, CA has 1

 

Air Accumulator: FL doesnt have one (electronic locks), CA does have one (for evacuation unlocks)

 

PLC Valve Control: FL doesnt have any, CA has 5

 

Wheels: FL has ruberized tires attached to a drive motor, CA has polyurethane wheels for passive operation

 

Collector Shoes: FL has 1 set of 6 shoes that keep vehicle in constant contact with RCS and power motor control systems, CA has 1 set of 4 shoes for communication at dock only

 

This dosent even break down part number discrepancies, incorrect paint colors, the wrong kind of callouts on sensor positions. Our inspectors started to laugh at the whole thing after a bit, and its since been fixed. But its part of the laziness of "one disney' when the MOG writers in FL cant even look at the WDI drawings (which btw are freaking public record!) to come up with our safety policies that make our cast in CA sound like the petulant children we sometimes sound like at this. Why should we follow safety procedures when they call out anchor points that DONT EXIST. Or a change out procedure calling out the florida version of construction not the CA version (which happens all the time at soarin). Its one of these things that sounds great in theory but doesnt work in practice unless you have individuals who are willing to go the extra mile. Unfortunately the cubicle farms dont have those people. Especially when its too much to ask that once a month they help serve 3rd shift by coming in at 4am instead of making us wait till 8am, 50 mins after we are supposed to leave (another One Disney decision).

[Jew]

^I would say that was clearly someones poor oversight as part of the growing pains of "OneDisney." I'm sure it is not the only example. But I still contend that the overall goal of program is a great idea that will hopefully yield meaningful results down the line.

[buckaroo234]

im fully on board with the goal of the program... not so much the current execution. But i hope you are right and this is just growing pains, and not a sign of whats to come.

[dylanreich]

I was at the park yesterday. I was surprised to see all of the lines in Disneyland being very short for most of the day (until about 3 PM everything was a walk-on or 10-15 minutes or less). California Adventure had longer wait times.

The new picture-taking/ticket-checking thing was a little annoying, but they just ignore you if your already have your annual pass out when you walk up to the line/turnstile.

Things across both parks were great however, and I really enjoyed the refurbished Indy.

[SoCalCoasters]

^^ I love Tower of Terror (yes he DCA version), despite all it's hatred, so I'm glad to see there's some love for it .

 

^^^Concerning the One Disney managements however, that seems like a pretty major oversight. If DCA was sent the wrong papers, than that probably means TDS and DLP also got the wrong items as well. 1/4 on something like that concerns me for what else could happen. I do hope that the kinks are worked out sooner rather than later, and that the system will work as intended.

[Wes]

There are definitely odd things about the current set-up from an operations standpoint. Things that should be really simple end up being overly complicated due to the system. I've experienced a few first hand and it's kinda non-sensical.

[Jew]

Yeah, it sounds like they have a ways to go before it is running smooth. But I totally get what they are trying to do, and can only hope it works out.

[buckaroo234]

And I definitely hope it works out as well. I just don't see a full 180 happening with current management and the facts the parks are still making money

[WFChris]

OBITUARY: Roger Broggie Jr. dies at 73; audio-animatronics whiz for Disney

Roger Broggie Jr., began work for Walt Disney by tending his backyard railway. He helped give life to Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln and other theme park marvels.

 

The son of Disney's original Imagineer, Roger Broggie Jr. began working for the man he called "Uncle Walt" as a boy in 1950 when he tended the backyard railway at the studio mogul's Holmby Hills home.

 

Broggie was 11 when he and his younger brother, Michael, started serving as the crew for Walt Disney's miniature steam-engine railroad. The siblings pulled cars out of storage, dusted them off and rolled them down the track to a "Valley" called Yensid – "Disney" spelled backwards.

 

"We had chores," said Michael Broggie, whose father helped Disney build and install the train. "As Dad and Walt got the engine ready, we would fill up the tenders with coal and water."

 

The rarefied pastime lasted until 1953, when Disney shut down the train that neighbors had lined up to ride. The small-scale attraction had served a historic purpose, helping to inspire the creation of Disneyland.

 

At 18, Roger Broggie Jr. joined Disney's company as an apprentice in the machine shop managed by his father, Roger Broggie Sr. The junior Broggie became an audio-animatronics pioneer, making key contributions to such attractions as Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, the Enchanted Tiki Room and Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

He died Dec. 11 at a medical center in Bend, Ore., from complications of a head injury sustained when he fell while working on a float for a parade near his home in LaPine, Ore. Broggie was 73.

 

His family announced his death last week.

 

"Roger was one of the finest mechanical craftsmen who ever worked for the company, an absolute master," Marty Sklar, a retired longtime Disney executive, told The Times last week.

 

While helping to build several Disney attractions for the 1964 New York's World Fair, Broggie became known for his hands-on technical wizardry while helping to create the now-familiar form of Disney robotics known as audio-animatronics.

 

Making President Lincoln lifelike for Great Moments, which debuted at the fair, "was particularly challenging because no one had made a figure move like that before," said his brother Michael, a Disney historian.

 

All of the electronic gizmos had to be contained within the framework of the sculpted head, a task that fell to Roger Broggie. An "interesting cheat" solved the problem, according to Jim Hill, who has tracked Disney history for more than 30 years. The wig was stretched out on the Lincoln head to make room for the bulky first-generation parts.

 

For the Enchanted Tiki Room, Broggie did an exceptional job building a flock of mechanical exotic birds, Sklar said, and his technical wizardry helped persuade Disney to open the Tiki Room in 1963 as a full-fledged attraction instead of a restaurant.

 

Broggie also played a lead role in the development and installation of audio-animatronic figures in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, which both opened in the late 1960s.

 

Disneyland pays homage to Broggie on Main Street, where his name appears in the window of the Little Gremlins Mechanical Toys shop.

 

He was born April 12, 1939, in Los Angeles. His father and mother divorced when he was 12, and he spent his teen years watching Disneyland evolve, playing at the park as a construction site and test-driving cars for the Autopia.

 

"They gave the first two prototypes to the Broggie brothers to drive around the lot," according to Hill. "They said, 'If they can't break them, the kids at Disneyland can't break them.'"

 

Of the eight Broggies who eventually worked for Disney, six have been Imagineers. Roger Broggie Jr.'s son, Garry, runs the machine shop once operated by his grandfather, who was instrumental to the development of Disneyland's railroad.

 

When Disney made the 1969 film "The Love Bug," the junior Broggie's mechanical fascination with cars helped him build "something like 17 Volkswagens" to play the Beetle of the movie's title, his brother said. Each car was made to do a different trick, such as flying or floating.

 

In the late 1970s, Broggie founded the Only Animated Display and Design Company with two other former Imagineers. Their projects included developing attractions for Disney and other theme parks and creating mechanisms for Rose Parade floats.

 

His technological sleight-of-hand also helped bring a memorable end to the 1984 Summer Olympics when the "spaceship" Broggie helped fabricate appeared to hover over the Los Angeles Coliseum and "converse" in light and sound. The contraption was actually suspended from a helicopter.

 

The low-key Broggie "was a really selfless guy," Hill said. "How he died was so in character – doing volunteer work on a Christmas float."

 

Broggie is survived by his wife, Marilyn; five children from his first marriage, Scott, Garry, Richard, Robert and Deborah; his brothers, Michael and Brian; 15 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

 

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 2 at Grace Baptist Church, 22833 Copper Hill Drive, Santa Clarita.

 

www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-roger-broggie-20130116,0,3201032.story

[OISU8P]

I do not mean to switch topics but had a question about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I know it is undergoing a extensive rebuild \ rehab and appeared to me to need it from my last trip there in 2012. However, I am not sure if what I saw was really meant for the theme or was just broken and neglected. When in the queue the water around the area was stagnant and rusty looking. The water troughs and what appears to be water falls where not functioning. Was this actually supposed to be like that as part of the theme to an old broken down ghost town or was it simple neglect?

[COASTER FREAK 11]

The water is dyed a copper orange. As for the waterfalls, those are supposed to work.

[OISU8P]

Thanks and good to know. Hopefully if they fix the waterfalls and the coloring of the water will not just looked stagnate and actually blend better.

[Nyteowl]

Decided to head to the park as a last minute decision. It was a good day overall not too crowded and rode everything I wanted too. It seems like the Blue Sky preview center was open with the Fantasy Faire preview but I didn't check it out yet. At the end of the night I wanted to get a quick single rider line ride in on Indiana Jones however when I approached the cast member to get a single rider pass I was told "Sorry we're too busy and not running the single rider system right now." The wait time was posted at 45 minutes. Does this normally happen/ happened to anybody else? When it first reopened in December I went in the single rider line with a wait of 50 minutes.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

It could have been because they were close to closing and they already had lots of single riders. But I have never been turned away from there.

[TPDave]

^^ That's odd but I always considered the single rider line a privilege rather than a right so I don't get pissed off if it doesn't work out.

 

Bizarre though, I've never been turned away from one.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

It does happen at Radiator Springs Racers when the single rider line gets too full. They cut off entrance to it when the line reaches the marquee of the ride.

[Nyteowl]

Ok, thanks for the responses! But yeah it didn't piss me off at all just kinda caught me off guard haha .

[jedimaster1227]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/01/happy-lunar-new-year-celebration-moves-across-the-esplanade-to-disney-california-adventure-park/

 

Come celebrate the Year of the Snake when Happy Lunar New Year Celebration returns as part of “Limited Time Magic,” February 8-11 – this year at Disney California Adventure park! Lunar New Year is a time when Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures celebrate the sun and moon beginning their journeys for another year.

From 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day in the Pacific Wharf area of the park, guests will enjoy unique cultural experiences, flavorful food offerings, unique merchandise, and colorful performances from dancers, musicians, and martial artists. Some of your favorite Disney characters will be there as well, such as Mulan, Mushu, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

 

Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more information about Happy Lunar New Year Celebration and “Limited Time Magic.”

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/01/get-a-taste-of-the-big-easy-during-new-orleans-bayou-bash-at-disneyland-park/

 

Let the good times roll! On select dates from January 18-February 12, the tastes of New Orleans are kicked up for the high-energy New Orleans Bayou Bash! at Disneyland park. Celebrate with Princess Tiana, jazz music and street performers – but feast on delicious “Limited Time Magic” offering seven days a week.

 

We’ll make a day of noshing on all the “Limited Time Magic” little bites, like the shrimp cocktail with jicama-mango slaw or the Louisiana-style lobster roll on buttered brioche at Harbour Galley, or the shrimp corn fritters and gooey cupcakes (red velvet or chocolate) at the French Market Restaurant. Maybe hot apple fritters at the Royal Street Veranda or Bananas Foster beignets with caramel dipping sauce at the Mint Julep Bar. We might sip our calories at the Mint Julep Bar with a Cajun and firefly-inspired Mint Julep or lemonade.

 

Churros, anyone? We have ’em, rolled in cinnamon sugar with a side of chocolate dipping sauce for a little extra.

 

But if you want to dig in and enjoy a hearty meal, make a reservation at Blue Bayou and order the wonderful specials available just for “Limited Time Magic.” Start with the Bayou Bouillabaisse with lobster, shrimp, red snapper, mussels and littleneck clams in a saffron-seafood broth, and end with apple fritters a la mode with vanilla bean ice cream. Or make your reservation at Café Orleans for “Fat City” Bass featuring pan-seared bass, cauliflower-potato cake, mango-pineapple relish and a dash of Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce.

 

For reservations, call 714-781-DINE or email dining reservation requests to dine@disneyland.com.

 

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/01/a-visit-to-the-royal-hall-at-fantasy-faire-in-disneyland-park/

 

We’re rapidly approaching the opening of the all-new Fantasy Faire at Disneyland park, and if you’ve taken a walk by Sleeping Beauty Castle lately, you know that work is progressing nicely on this beautiful expansion of the park’s Fantasyland.

 

One of the main attractions in this quaint, storybook village will be the Royal Hall, where beloved Disney royalty eagerly await your visit. The Royal Hall promises to be a truly special place, filled with rich layers of detail.

 

“After walking into our main entrance, you will first go through a garden-like setting before entering the reception hall,” said Michel Den Dulk, Creative Director of Fantasy Faire for Walt Disney Imagineering. “Once inside the Royal Hall, guests will discover a beautiful gothic interior with nice wallpaper, wall cresting, wood finishes and chandeliers.”

 

Passing through a series of spaces, including the Grand Hall, you’ll have the opportunity to meet as many as three Disney princesses, from classic stories such as “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty.”

 

“The favorite aspect of the project for me personally would be that it’s right in the heart of Disneyland,” added Michel. “It’s going to be very charming, with a lot of detail and great new experiences for the park.”

 

We’ll all be able to see for ourselves when Fantasy Faire opens this spring.