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[Riebi]

Hi!

I´m just back again from DL(R)P! Was a wonderful time again!
A longer trip report will follow but first three short things:

The shameless ugly:

- Operating hours for attractions: I was really really really [think more reallys as stitch says very in Stitch Live] disapointed by this new attractions opening hours thing. It´s simply the most shameless thing a Disney Park could do. Some attractions opens very late (some at 3 PM!!!!!!) and close very early (some ate 6 PM!!!!). It´s horrible in the off season but it´s the hell on earth at the summer season. They simply cannot be serious! Should the visitors ask for a half price ticket if they have just some hours to visit and can´t get on the attraction they want??? It was really crazy! Even Phantom manor closed at 10 PM and that was the time it really was dark out there. Together with the closure of adventureland and fantasyland at 10 PM you really can´t do much after 10 PM.

I´m really disapointed, angry and sad about this operating times. How do you feel about this new system???

-The breakdown of rides. Some rides seems to have some problems other are closed for hours. If you take a look at the waiting times board you could really be shocked. On sunday space mountain, nautilus, Crush (as every day), and some of the small rides of fantasyland where all out of order. Together with this new operating hours system you really get a big problem!!! On the one hand rides are out of order on the other hand you can´t go on the rides because the open later or they have closed already  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  
That makes guest angry and is not very kool guys!

-New Names and expierence. Sorry to say that. But they have really destroy backlot express. The whole sign is gone. The new sign show simply BLOCKBUSTER in really ugly white letters. The accommodation is horrible. One room totally black (the pirates props are still missing) the other room HSM. If you aren´t a very very very very very (think on stitch) very very very big fan of HSM you just can get grazy and run out of this HSM-Park. It´s all new but it´s totally dated. I think the HSM-wave is now on the way down. It´s ok to throw some merchandise on the market but destroy this wonderful backlot express (one of the real themed places at WDS) and put this money-making-thing inside isn´t really nice.
The money-making-thing seems to be a big one at the moment in DLRP. You can see it at every corner and in every shop they ask you if you want to buy this ugly MMP Photobook for 7,95 instead of 19,95. Seems nobody want the MMP-stuff. Cause the merchandise is just aimed to little children or very very sappy I came back with 50 € PLUS. I was willing to let them in DLRP but I simply haven´t found anything. So I bought cookies, some cups, sweets, sweets, cookies, chocolates,... but nothing real "interesting" I simply couldn´t spent my money right cause there was no merchandise for me (I´m the bit more classy, stylish guy, intersted in cool stuff). I even found no hat! I buy normaly one hat every year. This year I found no hat for me. There were such ugly MMP-hats and the old ones .... Then I would buy a really nice Hollywood Tower Shirt. But it was for girls not for men and it was from Disneyland Resort anaheim....
A name problem is also at café de la brousse. It´s called new COOL POST like the one at Discoveryland. It doesn´t really match the african theme.
Hmm. have I said Discoveryland? Well this was once my favorit land. This year I was just sad over there and doesn´t feel very "home". The music of the stitch razzle-dazzle doesn´t match the theme in any way. And the have PRE-music and POST-music where you don´t see anything of stitch and you are asking yourself why do they play this songs in this victorian theme??? It destroy complete any ambience. The stitch floor looks horrible. The rest of Discoveryland was fenced cause they make there a new floor.
All that made me avoid discoveryland this year. Ok one thing is good: The new floor is wonderful and the clear water of Discoveryland lagoon gives some hope...
MMP is absolutly not my cup of tea. It´s just big. Nothing more. It´s not nice or fun. Just big. I ask myself why they have widening the paths around central plaza. The people who want see MMP there were just a few. And nobody want´s to see this show four times a day. No crowds. They should move it to Castle Stage and ripe out this big central plaza stage.

The magical:

Toilet ghosts. Hurray for the water cast! They had done a good job. I found no ugly toilet there. And all the time the paperthing for the toilet seat where there and not missing.

Cast Members. The cast members where all!!! all!!! really nice and friendly. The´ve even said bonjour while passing you. Seems they had a "magic your guests" teaching seminar.

Food quality. The food quality seems to be better. You have more choices for the menus and the price is ok. :mrgreen:

Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates. All three are in a very good shape! All the effects where working, except the opossums at BTM. Great job!  

Alice area. The whole area is really nice. They are on a good way there. Big parts of the labyrinth are already done and now they seem to refurb parts of the queen of the heart castle.  =D>

Main Street ambiance. It´s nice to see they realized that gas lamps should be turned on! It do soooo much to the turn-of-the-century-feeling.

 /

Cause of my little time I must stop now! But I´ll start soon my real trip report!

[Mrs. Jennes]

- Operating hours for attractions: I was really really really [think more reallys as stitch says very in Stitch Live] disapointed by this new attractions opening hours thing. It´s simply the most shameless thing a Disney Park could do. Some attractions opens very late (some at 3 PM!!!!!!) and close very early (some ate 6 PM!!!!). It´s horrible in the off season but it´s the hell on earth at the summer season. They simply cannot be serious! Should the visitors ask for a half price ticket if they have just some hours to visit and can´t get on the attraction they want??? It was really crazy! Even Phantom manor closed at 10 PM and that was the time it really was dark out there. Together with the closure of adventureland and fantasyland at 10 PM you really can´t do much after 10 PM.

oh no  :shock:
do you know or asked somebody why there were those stupid openingtimes? and which attractions were involved?

And by the way, did you took pictures of this HSM area? i can't imagine how it looks like, i only saw the inside of the wildcats restaurant.
hope you had a great time, though, anyways!
thanks, i'm looking forward for the (even) more detailed report   /

[never2old]

Welcome back Riebi!!

I'm really shocked at the opening times  :shock:  It's July, I'm sure the parks were packed, and they don't have all rides opened all day, nor even most of the day??? I mean, people pay a lot of money to go in July, this is very shocking, and I hope it's not the beginning of a new trend  

Glad to hear that at least overall you had a wonderful time, I'm really looking forward to your full report  

[Aveen2008]

Welcome back Riebi!

Sorry to hear you where disappointed in a lot of things when you where there and the ride opening thing is awful and especially shocking since it is high season! I hope they have a good reason for it other than money saving!

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip!

[Riebi]

Hm I think this operating hours were on nearly every attraction.
Pinoccio, Snow white opened after 3 PM, Phantom Manor, Indiana Jones, Star Tours closed at 10 PM, HISTA, Alice and some others closed at 6 PM...as I remember. But that´s just the ones that I was directly affected. The other attraction had also this signs but I haven´t read them all cause they where open at the time I want visit them.

- Operating hours for attractions: I was really really really [think more reallys as stitch says very in Stitch Live] disapointed by this new attractions opening hours thing. It´s simply the most shameless thing a Disney Park could do. Some attractions opens very late (some at 3 PM!!!!!!) and close very early (some ate 6 PM!!!!). It´s horrible in the off season but it´s the hell on earth at the summer season. They simply cannot be serious! Should the visitors ask for a half price ticket if they have just some hours to visit and can´t get on the attraction they want??? It was really crazy! Even Phantom manor closed at 10 PM and that was the time it really was dark out there. Together with the closure of adventureland and fantasyland at 10 PM you really can´t do much after 10 PM.

oh no :shock:
do you know or asked somebody why there were those stupid openingtimes? and which attractions were involved?

And by the way, did you took pictures of this HSM area? i can't imagine how it looks like, i only saw the inside of the wildcats restaurant.
hope you had a great time, though, anyways!
thanks, i'm looking forward for the (even) more detailed report /

The HSM area is inside "BLOCKBUSTER café". Outsite you have a ugly HSM car and every time you´re waiting for Tower of Terror (and while you are trying to get into the theme) the HSM-Show will pass and stop in front of the queue and destroy the twighlight show. But ok! I liked HSM once and I´m now nerved by HSM so often at WDS. it´s just a personal view and a hardcore HSM fan will be happy with it.

[Mrs. Jennes]

The HSM area is inside "BLOCKBUSTER café". Outsite you have a ugly HSM car and every time you´re waiting for Tower of Terror (and while you are trying to get into the theme) the HSM-Show will pass and stop in front of the queue and destroy the twighlight show. But ok! I liked HSM once and I´m now nerved by HSM so often at WDS. it´s just a personal view and a hardcore HSM fan will be happy with it.

ah okay i wasn't there since TOT is open, hope you upload some pics soon or maybe i find some at photsmagiques.com    thanks though  /

[davewasbaloo]

Thanks for sharing Riebi. It sounds like your trip was like ours, some great stuff (the shape of BTM, PotC and PM; the Labrynth; as well as the cast), but the opening hours of attractions and MMP really let the place down (as well as the merchandise). When will they learn?

[smurfy74]

we had loads of ride breakdowns at the end of June - STT, POTC, SMM2 each after we had queued for 45 mins which was really annoying, we didnt experience any real problems with attraction opening hours although it was odd to find casey jr closed even though the parks were packed ( BTM was up to 120 mins wait everyday ). I can understand delaying by an hour or closing an hour earlier for operational reasons as guest flow is likely to be at its lowest at these times, but to open 2 of the most popular dark rides at 3pm seems odd, there must have been a good reason for this, one would hope.

[The Butlin Boy]

I'm glad to hear about the good bits Riebi, but not so much about the bad bits :? It sounds like DLP needs to sort itself about about this mixed opening times situation :|

I hope you had a great time overall though Riebi

[ed-uk]

We also have just come back from Disneyland Paris, on the 13th. I must admit we did have some reservations. Snow White open in the morning and closing at 6pm. Pinocchio not opening until 3pm. We couldn't go on the Mark Twain after 9.30pm which would have been nice. We even had to wait for the Tree House to open at 11am. All the rides were available, but not all of them all day. We just had to plan around that. Clearly it's cost cutting. When your EuroDisney and not making any money at the moment and your in the middle of a terrible economic slowdown, how do you maintain high standards and avoid slippage, I'm not a businessman? The rides we went on all looked good, including the rides in the Studios. I did have some reservations about Stars n Cars. The parade of cars did look beautiful, but you can't see the parade and watch the show at the end.  People stood around waiting for the cars but couldn't get close enough to see the show. I think I must get away from the idea it's a parade. The studios isn't really designed for a parade it seems, not enough room. A CM would pass and ask me to move out of the way of the on coming Cars. I would move back, then another CM would ask me to move back more which I would do, then another would ask me to move back again. It did get a bit wearing. The Cinema parade worked better for me.

[ed-uk]

Oh, and just to add I wouldn't want anyone to think we had a bad time because we had a good time.

It was magical, but maybe not as magical as in the past. I even liked MMP, but only for this year.

On the plus side we did get 40% of the price of the holiday, and they do have lots of sales in the shops. So if you're going you might find some bargains. Even if I had had a terrible time, Fantilusion and the Enchanted fireworks would make it all worthwhile for me.

[ed-uk]

And the CMs were good on the whole. Very nice and polite some of them. Not so much in  the restaurants we went into though, I don't know why, I can't always put my finger on it. But there was one CM on the Tram tour I thought was a bit rude. Not to us, but  I thought he was rude to other  people. I noticed him pulling funny faces at them, waving his arms around and bossing guests about. Maybe he meant to be funny? Maybe it was just a cultural thing?  But it didn't look very Disney or magical to me. I think I might of complained about it.

[Epcot_Boy]

Thanks for the insight Riebi  I must admit some of your info has intrigued (Perhaps worried would be a better word :? ) me and I will be looking at these with interest when my vacation comes in two weeks time :|

As N2O said earlier this is the summer and there should really be no time restrictions on rides and shows.......I was wondering if this indicates staff shortages or some silly H&S restrictions imposed by the government or regional government :x  I really can't think of another reason, unless someone can enlighten me :wink:

Epcot_Boy

[Riebi]

I think it´s a hard thing at the off season to make diffrent attraction opening hours but it´s shameless and simply the most unmagical thing they could do at the summer season...

but now I start the trip report:

Riebi´s Trip Report

=1. Day ==================

We started at 06:30 H cause the early bird catch the worm and cause we wanted to be early at DLRP. Nice car drive, nothing special then we saw the first signs of Disneyland.
At 10:00 H we arrived at Hotel New York and had a really quick check in. After the hotel CMs realized that we are packing our suitcases and bags out of the car the were really nice to take all this bags directly with them.
At the reception the guy at the desk seemed to know that we want to go into the parks. He hurtled trough his "welcome at disneyland resort" text, explaining where to go to the parks etc etc. He was so fast that we hadn´t the possibility to explain that we know the resort very well and that 2 of 4 in our group haven´t any glue what he was talking about cause he talk a very fast french. (Maybe they should first ask which language a guest speaks but ok, me an my brother were understanding and we told it the others later)

After this very french expirience we could unglue ourself from the reception desk and took the way to the parks. Me, my friend, my brother and his fiancée was on the road through disney village (for my brothers fiancée it was a first time trip), made a short stop inside the starbucks to buy a coffee and then on with the show direction: Disneyland Park


*Disneyland Park ***
Disneyland Park was in a really good shape. The cast members were extremly nice and you really could see what a bit paint at main street can do.

We took a realy early lunch (maybe a brunch.!) at casey´s corner, watch le petit train de personnnnage disney know called minnies party train and were trying to see the train through this big central plaza stage.

First, we visited the dragon under the castle.

----(the castle´s dragon review
Lot´s lot´s of smoke over there. The dragon looked greepy as ever. I think they made a bit refurb but without refurbing the whole dragon. The right eye has still a little problem but nothing you would realise if you wouldn´t know it.
-------------------------------)


After the dragon we take a short stop in the castle shops and the castle itself. Then over to fantasyland. There we got our first problem. I was thinking that it could be a good idea to to some of the dark rides there cause my brothers financée has some fear of thrill rides. But...the dark rides were closed. I nuzzled at a big "THIS ATTRACTION IS OPERATING from 15:00 H". I was thinking that this must be the other side of the power....just a joke...a nightmare...everything but not Disneyland.
After being shoked like that I only could find my way to alice labyrinth. Thanks god the had refurb big parts of it.

----[Alice RevieWWonderland *
Nice to see that they seem to refurb this attraction time after time. The fountains are all refurbed and repainted, the props also, at the moment they seem to have the queen of the heart castle under refurb cause some parts of it were out of order with one of the famous refurb-signs on walls.
*----

The state of the art at alice put my anger about the diffrent opening hours of disneyland parks attractions a bit down. And so I was happy enough for a happy cruise around the world. It´s a small world was also in a good shape. No big problems inside.

Having a allknown song in my ear my anger was again a bit smaller and so we went over to Adventureland. Pirates was standing on our list.

% A Pirates Review }----------------
POTC are a wonderful expierence at the moment. all effects moving. The swinging pirate, duelling pirates, storm effect in the caves....all very nice to see and I can´t remember when I see this ride the last time in this great shape.
-----------

Our way was then through the caves of adventure isle to get the direction to frontierland. But first we had to go on the isle. That was a little hard cause the bridge near pirates is under refurb (during the summer season with not really nice fences but ok, the person who decided that attraction neads diffrent opening hours seems to make the fences too)
After we find the way to adventure isle and after I heard enough about why there are refurb fences in summer time from my brother we were searching for the tresure inside the caves (we found it) and we could then take then finally the way to frontierland.

Over at frontierland we decided to take a tour at phantom manor. I was a bit frustrated that they have this ugly opening system for Phantom Manor too but the attraction seems to had a well done refurb

~~~~~~Phantom Manor Review~~~~~~~~~~
It´s nice to see that they made so much inside phantom manor. There are some new effects and it looked so lovely doomed. I just can say: Well done! Now the outside and the gardens/graves need a bit refurb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After this spooky expierence we went over to frontierland station and took the train to discoveryland. There the post tunes of stitchs little dancing hmmm thing?show?razzle dazzle? was taking all magic out of the land. It was simply not fitting in any way. If you hear the high school musical soundtrack behind space mountain (inspired by jules verne) you know that something can´t be right. So we walked fast through this area, long waiting times at space mountain so fast fast rescue trip to buzz lightyear...we fight against high school musical in discoveryland and won cause after we saw again the light the music had changed again to normal discoveryland music. but about discoveryland later more. We took a fast coffee at videopolis and went then to the Parade.

Nice as ever. Cause we were a bit hungry we jumped over to disney village and get a great meal at rainforest café. Then again back to the park right to Disneys Fantillusion Parade.


~-~-**~-~**~Fantillusion Parade Review---

Ok...I know! Cast cost money. But please!!! More showstops! Please please please! It´s very disapointing for first timers if they just see one show stop or no show stop. They even don´t get that there could be transformation or something like this.
++++++++++++++++++++++

Then finally: The enchanted Fireworks

*+*---__*-The Enchanted FIreworks Review *
Hm...that wasn´t the show that I knew. The have cut it. They have cut sometimes much parts and change others. It´s not the magical wonderful great enchanted fireworks we know. It was pall. I was thinking that they maybe took again the old fireworks company and let them try to do the same effects then the new one do for less money or something like this. Please make the enchanted fireworks again to the show it was. Don´t cut that much in summer season!
*++++

So enough for today!
Pics are following!

[The Butlin Boy]

Great report Riebi, you've pointed out some very big things here which need addressing asap (the late openings/early closings, less show stops in the Fantillusion parade, etc). I still can't get my head around how they can open the rides later and close them earlier, especially the ones in Fantastyland (imagine if the dark rides opened in the afternoon, and then the land has to close earlier for the fireworks too :| ), and in the Summer/Busy season!? :?  :shock:

Thanks for that Riebi, I'm looking forward to the rest :wink: