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DaptoFunlandGuy

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Everything posted by DaptoFunlandGuy

  1. DaptoFunlandGuy
    How imaginative of the management.
  2. DaptoFunlandGuy
    While they don't necessarily issue a staff newsletter with all the thoosie gossip talking points, staff are friendly with staff, and some staff know things, and share things. I remember way back at Wonderland - backstage near wardrobe there was only one designated smoking spot - so all the maintenance guys, ride ops, entertainment cast, custodial, F&B and retail who smoked would sit there and chat. (And back then, a lot more smoked than do now - but it still happens) There's a lot of NDA stuff in the background, but you'd be kidding yourself if you thought zero frontline staff knew what was going on. Which is because this is precisely the circumstance where SBNO applies - it's the correct listing for a ride that isn't open to guests. Technically every ride down for annual maintenance is SBNO, but since they only go down for a few weeks, Duane and his team aren't going to update every ride across the world - but when it is down for an extended or indeterminate amount of time, it's worth updating.
  3. DaptoFunlandGuy
    If they switched to a dinosaur style system, you'd wait outside, with your phone prior to the lockers and spend little time in the indoor section. Anything to speed up operations should be welcomed!
  4. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Hollywood never had a Jaws boat ride. Only the Amity Island set on the Studio Tour, which still exists. Around here we call that 'getting on in years' One of our family has an inner ear condition that makes them violently sick if triggered. They've been on coasters across Asia and America (as well as Forbidden Journey in Hollywood) and never had an issue - but we did forbidden journey twice at USJ and they were hospitalised the next day with the worst attack they've ever had. Suffice to say we don't do Forbidden journey anymore. I think we're a little spoiled given many of our popular "big park" neighbour countries like Singapore and Hong Kong are all well versed in English for most service-based roles that Japan is quite jarring. While many younger people learn English in school, there are many people in service roles that don't speak English at all. I found many of those carried translator devices and google translate was very helpful - as long as you kept the phrase or question very simple. Too many words would result in an unintended meaning when translated. Most places we went in Japan, the staff had laminated signs printed in English for the critical safety directions, but other than that we were on our own. It's quite the culture shock - but not being able to communicate with the cast is our problem, not theirs. Can confirm in June 2024 it was the paper slips. Folded inside a pants pocket, it simply cannot fall out once you are seated. Honestly, it's minimal issue to just hold the paper in your hand. Even if the operators had a problem with it, they can't see it. Great TR @TBoy - look forward to hearing about the rest of your travels!
  5. DaptoFunlandGuy
    I realise this is too late to help you but it might help someone else. We stayed on property and the universal hotels tell you when the gates will be opened for the next day. If the official park time is 8:30, it's a guarantee that gates will open at 7:30, if not even earlier - but the lines to get through security and turnstiles will already be super long. If you're busting it to try and fit everything in a single day visit (they sell a 1.5 day pass that we found very effective) then you've got to be in line at least an hour before gates - so 6:30 would be my recommendation in that instance.
  6. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Are you sure it wasn't due to guest feedback?
  7. DaptoFunlandGuy
    It's one of the rare occasions where you'll get to see it lit with all the lighting they installed
  8. DaptoFunlandGuy
    interesting. It just leaves me wondering if they can open all these attractions now, in place of others that have maintenance issues or similar, why couldn't they have opened them all in the first place?
  9. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Correct Brad - like how they immediately fixed their typo on their comment once they read it here. I wonder if it's still the same one who went Gaga over TayTay. He knows.
  10. DaptoFunlandGuy
    which just takes you into a cost vs. benefit analysis - and for something which you yourself admit would only be 'marginally better' it sounds like it wasn't worth it, and here we are.
  11. DaptoFunlandGuy
    No you're not the socials guy? No you yet again have no comeback for the detailed response i've given in response to calling me out? No you're not responding to being called out for your own biases? A riveting contribution to the discussion as always Skeet.
  12. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Amusingly, it seems they had fixed it after I pointed it out on Parkz. Yes there was a typo Yes there was a typo Yes there was a typo ...Hey guys I think I figured out who the MW socials guy is. Let's be honest, You recently challenged me on my comments and I gave you a very thorough written response which despite numerous others in the community positively reacting to, you had absolutely no comeback for. One doesn't have to scroll far back on your profile to see you've got a very negative slant towards Dreamworld and a very positive one towards Village roadshow, so if you're not employed by village then you're at the very least drinking the kool-aid. I will admit that my commentary of late has been very negative towards Village Roadshow, but I do not think that my comments are undeserved. They are of course only an opinion, but I like to think that I go into sufficient detail to support my positions. When either park fucks something up I will call them on it. And when they do great things, I will also support them. There are times when both parks do the same thing, and I will flame Village, but give Dreamworld a pass - but that, in my opinion, is less about which park I favour, and more about which company seems to be trying to be better. Dreamworld is coming from the underdog position, but their efforts in park presentation, staff attitude and similar 'experiential' metrics show me that they're working on being better, so yes - on some issues, they get a pass while village doesn't - and thats because village have shown they don't care about those things and aren't working on being better in those experiential situations. I'll own my comments, and i'll admit if I've gotten something wrong - but don't come on here accusing me of nitpicking and dragging the parks down when your own profile shows just how biased you are - and that says more about you... Why don't you tell us? Or would that breach your NDA... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That is GLORIOUSLY delicious. Nevermind - you already did. Strange the timing of that, huh?
  13. DaptoFunlandGuy
    The train direction wasn't changed to suit JR. it was changed for other operational reasons relating to the shortening of the circuit. My understanding is the grade was the issue but I could be wrong about that. The point is they aren't going to reverse a change that was operationally necessary to fix an aesthetics problem - so it's not a miss - because it wasn't an option to miss in the first place. For numerous reasons which i've gone into ad nauseum and therefore won't repeat here - it's the best option for the park. I would definitely prefer a more traditional steam driven loco, but I understand all the reasons why it simply isn't possible for them to keep running long term - and i'm happy to have something to take me from A to B regardless of what makes it move. In the future with EVs and such i'd love to see what these manufacturers could do with battery electrification over diesel power - especially since DW produces so much of their own electricity.
  14. DaptoFunlandGuy
  15. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Before Jungle rush, and in both directions, the train used to drive down a cavern of Madagascar walls, tower of terror machinery buildings, Tiger Island walls, Big Red Car shack. It's not like Jungle Rush is all of a sudden an eyesore compared to what was there previously. And it was running in that direction in a full circuit well before Jungle Rush was announced. There are large sections at Disney where the train goes behind buildings and facades. Some sections have things to look at (dioramas, tiana) and other sections dont (pirates) It would be nice if they dressed this area up, but let's remember a few things: the BOH area of JR is a maintenance area and anything put here needs to be easily moved in case of maintenance access This area isn't really much different to what was there before they built Jungle Rush - except the JR building doesn't look rusted out and derelict like much of the former rivertown construction.
  16. DaptoFunlandGuy
    I wish the people at Village that are responsible for the socials would proof read before posting. "two of screens" It happens a lot, and it's cringe.
  17. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Are you missing a few sandwiches for your picnic?
  18. DaptoFunlandGuy
    See I disagree here - Journey's queue rails fit precisely into the theme. the whole queue area is a mass of pipes and fittings. And the queue rails you show here match that aesthetic perfectly - the joints in the pipe are also treated so they present in a different colour, akin to how copper piping used to be brazed with zinc for plumbing. Disney customises their queue rails for each and every attraction. It's not about it being metal, it's about how it suits the location. Here's a few other examples from DisneySea Toy story with it's bright primary colours Indiana Jones queue with bamboo scaffolding poles Tower of Terror with it's regal chains to suit the air of a premium Hotel Hightower Tinkerbell's buggies with their giant sewing needles, clothes pegs and safety pins, and "cotton thread" The suggestion for rope was derived from the queueline further down that already utilises this technique, thereby tying the two (no pun intended) together. Don't get me wrong I would have preferred they got PICO back in to add further 'bamboo look' rails like the ones they already have, but if this is what they're going with - the rope would tie it all together.
  19. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Agree Brad - after all the care taken to craft 'bamboo' poles this just feels out of place. Perhaps they could wrap the corners in a hemp rope to soften the look, or paint the poles a mottled pattern to blend into the temple more?
  20. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Oh, sorry - i'll speak slower for you. Too many people in the park, not enough rides operating, not enough rides operating at full capacity, not enough staff to operate the rides effectively, poor operations practices that negatively impact throughput, lack of care and attention to non critical maintenance such as theming, continued removal of guest accessible areas and attractions only to take that space over by more and more back of house areas. And all this despite jacking up their prices and removing perks from loyal long-time premium passholders. The company has shown utter contempt for guests. At one point their online reviews tanked so hard they disabled the ones they had control over. They responded to guest complaints about their poor experience by telling them they should have checked the website before visiting on a day where the park was offering half their usual experience while still charging full price. They have ridden for a long time on the coat tails of their former reputation - and despite tanking it, people are still clamouring to hand over their money. I've been saying this for literally years - if people want them to change, they need to vote with their wallets. My point is - the Malibu Stacey effect is too strong. I am interested to see the reviews of the new Scoob - but I won't be rushing out to buy a pass or visit. As Skeet mentioned, if the stunt show proves to be more akin to the MW of old, it might tip the scales to encourage me to return and see what else they've improved. I think the park can be worth the price they're asking (and probably more) but they have to run it putting the guest experience first.
  21. DaptoFunlandGuy
    I don't care about overlays, or law changes - I care about the fact that people will scream about the loss of koala habitat while living in a home that only exists because their builder demolished koala habitat. A development proposal like this preserves a lot more trees than Metricon, or Westfield.
  22. DaptoFunlandGuy
    "Hey guys! Come over here! I found the Wedgie!"
  23. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Sounds like a storm in a teacup. Koala habitats are developed all the time. I've no doubt half the land making up Coomera today including both the westfield \ costco \ hospital development as well as the myriad of housing estates had koala risk also. By the sounds of the article they have considered the habitat risk and provided remediation \ controls for it. Whether that's enough is up to the powers that be to decide. It sounds to me like some councillors \ NIMBYs didn't like that the application was taken out of council hands and into state gov hands, and someone has pointed out to GCB the size of the koala habitat being taken by the development. I'm confident that the NIMBYs opposed to the application probably live in a local area that was itself a koala habitat until they built their home on it. #hypocrite
  24. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Yes, I hate paywalls too.
  25. DaptoFunlandGuy
    Follows the typical village approach of 'it's already open so why spend more money on it'
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