DDC XXXIV: The Original Home Of The DISDads!!!

[Jack Kerouac]

Morning all...
It's the weekend - which means - You now get to do all the work you can't do while you're working (accepting that this don't apply to Randall of course).

For me that means yard work. Got it done before the temps got over 90, but the humidity was already up past that in percentage wise so I still succeeded in losing about six pounds in four hours. Pretty sure the doctors don't like when you go and do such, but on the up side I came near passing out only twice and never actually hit the ground so I s'pose that would count as a win (the sad part here is that I'm neither joking nor exaggerating).


I've been enjoying the pictures and reading about y'all's time down that-a-way. Glad you could spend that much time and enjoy yourselves.

Just arrived home tonight. The boys had a wonderful time. Thankfully, we have just 290 days until next time. They want to stay at AKV-Kidani for a week and then go to Poly for a couple of nights (opposite of this past trip). I guess the animals plus a bit more room beats a smaller room with nightly fireworks. But we may also look at BRV for a portion of our stay next year, just to see other resorts. Ten days is a lot (the longest vacation I have ever taken) especially being in the parks for eight of them and the feel-like temp is around 105 degrees F every single day. The kiddos were champs and night owls after long days in the parks. One night we closed the pool at 11pm after a long day. Another we did extended hours until 11:30pm. We did learn park hopping is a time suck, but with DAS you can squeeze in FoP and EE at AK in just a hour or so. We also learned transferring resorts is a breeze. We created tons of memories, we learned a ton, and we can’t wait to go back.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

Sounds like you guys are having a great time. God bless you my friend, I admire everyone who braves that heat all day in the park. I live here and just walking from one attraction to the other yesterday in Epcot, I was soaked. Lol
Make sure you drink plenty of water, the affects of a heat illness is not pretty. I actually just use to brush it off till i got the current position I’m in now. I see all day long, it terrible. We hit a real feel of 116 yesterday.
I’ll be wondering around the MK for a little tomorrow mid.morning, I won’t be there long for sure. Lol

I just had to accept the wetness that became my clothes even before I got to any park. Drank water constantly. Kiddos were waterboarded with forced sips even when they said they weren’t thirsty. Plus Disney has a lot of shows with a/c that I never did before this trip and all of them were actually great. PhilharMagic was a total hit with the boys. My oldest was really into the Hall of Presidents as well. Guess my history degree is rubbing off on him.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

At just 3! Impressive. Looks like ya got a daredevil on your hands. Prepare for the onslaught of grey hairs.

R is super sweet, but always wants to keep up with his brothers. Earliest to crawl and walk. Puts his arms up on all the wildest rides. ToT gave him his money’s worth, but even then, he decided it was still a great ride. I was his thrill ride companion each time, at his request.

My middle, M, was happy to ride Space Mountain and Expedition Everest for the first time. I can’t believe they are mine, as I didn’t ride any roller coaster until I was a teen. I always preferred Sea World and that was before it had roller coasters.

One day, probably sooner than I hope, the boys will overthrow me and decide they want to go to Universal Studios.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Morning, Gents! Been a while, but I'm still among the living. Currently enjoying a thunderstorm this morning before waking the family up for church. The Mrs. has her 2, 3(?), I forget, Catholic Masses to sing at this morning and I have 1 non-Catholic service to sing at. I should take up singing at churches more often. I just spent $3,684 on my car. Yeah, you read that right, $3,684. Should I have spent that on a car that's 10 years old with 150k miles? Probably not, but the engine is in perfect running order, which is really kind of annoying. Besides, the Mrs. and she said no. I really did bring it up. All that was done to the car was wear and tear stuff, catalytic converter $2500 by itself, ball joint, about $320, stabilizer arm $233 and a bunch of other smaller stuff. They did had to replace the front left strut and right tie-rod as those failed in under a year from being replaced, but those were warranty work, so....free. If that $3,684 was engine work I wouldn't have had a second thought.

As for what I've been doing since Hello Dolly closed? Relaxing. I did have a kind of job interview on Friday. The receptionist at Neurosurgery put in her notice because she's going to move to Billing for the hospital. Well, I found out from the practice manager, who I talked to on Friday, the kind of job interview, that all the ladies that work in the office said they wanted me to have the job. That's real flattering knowing that all the ladies that work in that office want me to work in there. Unfortunately they can't meet what I'm currently making so it'll be a no-go for me.

I did start rehearsals for my next show, Matilda the Musical, yesterday. Well, the DD did. She had a dance rehearsal for the kids. I'll have my first music rehearsal on Tuesday.

Well, time to go and wake the family. Have a good day, fellas.

TTFN

 

[Disney Commando]

I did something I never thought would happen -This is the 1st time in 13 years I am not renewing my AP. I have many reasons for this decision the main reason is the nickel and dining going on I am also canceling my Disney + subscriptions are down so instead of giving better programming they are going to raise the price 3 bucks.
I do feel that once Universial opens their third park next year that Disney will have to compete and prices will most likely get lowered.
Another thing I could see happening sooner rather then later is just selling the whole comany there are basically under 5 groups that can do so
So I’m going to wait a year or so to see how everything play out but something is eventually going to give.

 

[dvczerfs]

Glad to hear everyone survived their vacations and yard work. Going up to real feel temps around 115 again today. This coming week we are finally expecting some Florida afternoon rain, hopefully.
I will be off to work early tomorrow, Im checking in to the All Stars Sports for the night. I have a 4-12:30 am shift monday and a 9am shift Tuesday. ( Tuesday is a training shift) If I leave work Monday night, it would be about 2-2:30 am till I get to sleep and up at 5am to head back…….. I’m too old for that. Lol
At least staying there, I’ll get a good six hours sleep and no rush hour traffic.
I went to Epcot Friday morning, I lost about six pounds. Lol. Had another great lunch at Teppen. Sat with some real nice people again.
It’s brutal out there, especially in the sun but I did walk around Cresent Lake and did the Epcot death march. Lol
Talked to one of my old manager’s, real good guy, real easy to talk to. Seen a few people I use to work with, the stories are always a riot and then headed out. I was drenched. Lol
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

[pkondz]

R is super sweet, but always wants to keep up with his brothers. Earliest to crawl and walk. Puts his arms up on all the wildest rides. ToT gave him his money’s worth, but even then, he decided it was still a great ride. I was his thrill ride companion each time, at his request.

Nice. I couldn't get my youngest on a thrill ride until she was 8. Even then, she was stoked to go on TOT... and then got scared and didn't ride at the last minute.

One day, probably sooner than I hope, the boys will overthrow me and decide they want to go to Universal Studios.

That's okay. A visit to the dark side helps put things in perspective.

I just spent $3,684 on my car. Yeah, you read that right, $3,684.

Lots... but still way less than buying a new car.

I did something I never thought would happen -This is the 1st time in 13 years I am not renewing my AP. I have many reasons for this decision the main reason is the nickel and dining going on I am also canceling my Disney + subscriptions are down so instead of giving better programming they are going to raise the price 3 bucks.

I've been hearing more and more from people not renewing their APs...
I wonder if Disney has figured out that if they make APs less desirable... people will still visit 2+ times/year and they'll make more money anyways.

I do feel that once Universial opens their third park next year that Disney will have to compete and prices will most likely get lowered.

I'll believe that when I see it. Death, taxes and Disney prices going up.

Going up to real feel temps around 115 again today.

Try not to spontaneously combust!

If I leave work Monday night, it would be about 2-2:30 am till I get to sleep and up at 5am to head back…….. I’m too old for that. Lol

Oh, how I get that. Luckily, I live only 30 minutes from work. So when I left work at midnight last night, I was (technically) able to get six and a half hours of sleep before my 7:30 start time. Of course I don't fall asleep the instant I walk into the bedroom, but...

did the Epcot death march.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

I think we trick ourselves into thinking competition will bring prices down. It may just slow the price increases, if that. When your product is WDW and the Disney IP and your competition is Harry Potter, Minions, and regional parks like Six Flags, you have the pricing power. Plus, everyone else is realizing they can raise their prices to WDW levels. Our local zoo has a pretzel and cheese at a higher price point than WDW, and Coca-Cola products are about the same price. They also eliminated the member discount in the gift shops. The Wisconsin Dells is about the same cost per day once you get there and is a really lousy experience on a relative basis. They now charge for parking to shop downtown. One week in a 1BR at a modest resort in Door County, WI would cost us about the same as a week in a 1BR Savanna View at AKV-Kidani (thanks to DVC). Sorry zoo, Dells, and Door County, I’ll give the Mouse my money.

 

[dvczerfs]

Nice. I couldn't get my youngest on a thrill ride until she was 8. Even then, she was stoked to go on TOT... and then got scared and didn't ride at the last minute.

That's okay. A visit to the dark side helps put things in perspective.

Lots... but still way less than buying a new car.

I've been hearing more and more from people not renewing their APs...
I wonder if Disney has figured out that if they make APs less desirable... people will still visit 2+ times/year and they'll make more money anyways.

I'll believe that when I see it. Death, taxes and Disney prices going up.

Try not to spontaneously combust!

Oh, how I get that. Luckily, I live only 30 minutes from work. So when I left work at midnight last night, I was (technically) able to get six and a half hours of sleep before my 7:30 start time. Of course I don't fall asleep the instant I walk into the bedroom, but...

I only live 17 miles down the road. But you clock out at 12:30, it’s almost a half hour till you walk out, walk to your car and drive out of the parking lot. ( that time of night, it’s pretty quiet). It usually takes 25 minutes to get home but they are repaving I4 and they take three lanes and squeeze them down to one which, clogs up the back roads. so it’s a 45 minute ride home. I’m the same way, till I take a shower and eat something, I’m still wide awake.
I usually work late afternoon into closing time so I’m use to working nights. Our training schedules are 9am so that’s the early start on Tuesday.
On the way to work, if I’m not on the road by five am, it’s a parking lot, especially now since school started. Another two months there is even more traffic. October to May is the busy time in central Florida. Snow birds and those flippin Canadians comes down and plug up our highways and byways. Lol. (I’m just kidding) Summer is the slow time, most people don’t like our heat and our daily thunder and lightning storms. I live on a golf course, basically you see golfers till about noon, after that, the place is empty. Come October, it’s a steady flow all day long.

 

[dvczerfs]

I think we trick ourselves into thinking competition will bring prices down. It may just slow the price increases, if that. When your product is WDW and the Disney IP and your competition is Harry Potter, Minions, and regional parks like Six Flags, you have the pricing power. Plus, everyone else is realizing they can raise their prices to WDW levels. Our local zoo has a pretzel and cheese at a higher price point than WDW, and Coca-Cola products are about the same price. They also eliminated the member discount in the gift shops. The Wisconsin Dells is about the same cost per day once you get there and is a really lousy experience on a relative basis. They now charge for parking to shop downtown. One week in a 1BR at a modest resort in Door County, WI would cost us about the same as a week in a 1BR Savanna View at AKV-Kidani (thanks to DVC). Sorry zoo, Dells, and Door County, I’ll give the Mouse my money.

Everything has gone up, everything. Entertainment is not excluded. We have been DVC members for 24 plus years now and AP holders for 27 plus years. It has always been a big value to us and still is. I have visited all but one major theme park in the area, non of them are cheap. ( one even makes you put your belongings in a locker to ride rides and charges for each locker) The local bowling alley isn’t cheap. Have you been to a concert lately? Everyone sees value in different things. The only thing going down is the value of the dollar.
What the mouse has is he owns most, if not just about all his IP. He’s not paying rent. Lol

 

[Jack Kerouac]

Everything has gone up, everything. Entertainment is not excluded. We have been DVC members for 24 plus years now and AP holders for 27 plus years. It has always been a big value to us and still is. I have visited all but one major theme park in the area, non of them are cheap. ( one even makes you put your belongings in a locker to ride rides and charges for each locker) The local bowling alley isn’t cheap. Have you been to a concert lately? Everyone sees value in different things. The only thing going down is the value of the dollar.
What the mouse has is he owns most, if not just about all his IP. He’s not paying rent. Lol

My wife and I did a lot of concerts when we were dating and early married. My wife bought me tickets to see Jason Isbell for my birthday. It was awesome: no opening act and we got to sit the entire time. Other than that, we haven’t been to one in years.

I recently heard ESPN radio that a Patriots season ticket holder was willing to trade his tickets to Tom Brady’s jersey retirement game for Taylor Swift tickets at Gillette Stadium. The tickets he was giving up were worth about $800 each. The cheapest Taylor Swift tickets were 4x that. $3,000+ just to get into a stadium that can hold $65,000+ people. Either he was hoping to get Taylor Swift tickets on the “cheap,” or he hasn’t been to a concert in a while and doesn’t know what he doesn’t have.

 

[dvczerfs]

My wife and I did a lot of concerts when we were dating and early married. My wife bought me tickets to see Jason Isbell for my birthday. It was awesome: no opening act and we got to sit the entire time. Other than that, we haven’t been to one in years.

I recently heard ESPN radio that a Patriots season ticket holder was willing to trade his tickets to Tom Brady’s jersey retirement game for Taylor Swift tickets at Gillette Stadium. The tickets he was giving up were worth about $800 each. The cheapest Taylor Swift tickets were 4x that. $3,000+ just to get into a stadium that can hold $65,000+ people. Either he was hoping to get Taylor Swift tickets on the “cheap,” or he hasn’t been to a concert in a while and doesn’t know what he doesn’t have.

Did I hear correctly on the radio last week that her tour is going to be the biggest grossing tour of all time?

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

For me that means yard work. Got it done before the temps got over 90, but the humidity was already up past that in percentage wise so I still succeeded in losing about six pounds in four hours. Pretty sure the doctors don't like when you go and do such, but on the up side I came near passing out only twice and never actually hit the ground so I s'pose that would count as a win (the sad part here is that I'm neither joking nor exaggerating).

I keep looking out at the yard and thinking, man, I really need to get some yard work done. Then I look at the temperature and I think--well, it'll still be there tomorrow.

Just arrived home tonight. The boys had a wonderful time. Thankfully, we have just 290 days until next time. They want to stay at AKV-Kidani for a week and then go to Poly for a couple of nights (opposite of this past trip). I guess the animals plus a bit more room beats a smaller room with nightly fireworks. But we may also look at BRV for a portion of our stay next year, just to see other resorts. Ten days is a lot (the longest vacation I have ever taken) especially being in the parks for eight of them and the feel-like temp is around 105 degrees F every single day. The kiddos were champs and night owls after long days in the parks. One night we closed the pool at 11pm after a long day. Another we did extended hours until 11:30pm. We did learn park hopping is a time suck, but with DAS you can squeeze in FoP and EE at AK in just a hour or so. We also learned transferring resorts is a breeze. We created tons of memories, we learned a ton, and we can’t wait to go back.

Sounds like a blast. We always burn the candle at both ends when we're there, too. Gotta get the value for the dollar!

One day, probably sooner than I hope, the boys will overthrow me and decide they want to go to Universal Studios.

Yeah, it'll happen especially if they are into the thrill rides. We did it when our kids were older and had a lot of fun...but I still like Disney better.

I went to Epcot Friday morning, I lost about six pounds. Lol.

This sounds like a more fun weight loss plan than the one I was on.

I've been hearing more and more from people not renewing their APs...
I wonder if Disney has figured out that if they make APs less desirable... people will still visit 2+ times/year and they'll make more money anyways.

It does feel like people are starting to vote with their wallets a little more. Or maybe that's just my perception.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

Did I hear correctly on the radio last week that her tour is going to be the biggest grossing tour of all time?

I would not be surprised, as many A-lister bands aren't even close to the ticket prices she is commanding. Thankfully, I have boys and they don't listen to her music. Sorry, but I'm not going to drop $3,000 per ticket, Taylor.

But I guess she's the real winner if she can command those prices and people will happily pay them.

 

[pkondz]

Did I hear correctly on the radio last week that her tour is going to be the biggest grossing tour of all time?

Wouldn't be surprised.

I keep looking out at the yard and thinking, man, I really need to get some yard work done. Then I look at the temperature and I think--well, it'll still be there tomorrow.

Yup. The temperature will be there tomorrow.

It does feel like people are starting to vote with their wallets a little more. Or maybe that's just my perception.

I dunno... I mean, if the parks are at capacity all the time, there's certainly no incentive for Disney to reduce prices.

I would not be surprised, as many A-lister bands aren't even close to the ticket prices she is commanding. Thankfully, I have boys and they don't listen to her music. Sorry, but I'm not going to drop $3,000 per ticket, Taylor.

But I guess she's the real winner if she can command those prices and people will happily pay them.

My eldest DD went to one of her first concerts in Phoenix. I'm pretty sure she didn't pay anything like that. I could be wrong, though

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I keep looking out at the yard and thinking, man, I really need to get some yard work done. Then I look at the temperature and I think--well, it'll still be there tomorrow.

I take it that y'all don't have an HOA to answer to, then.

It does feel like people are starting to vote with their wallets a little more. Or maybe that's just my perception.

My perception as well.
Not that they're hurtin' all that much just yet, but we'll see how the trend plays out.
Cold still take a while.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Yup. The temperature will be there tomorrow.

Guess I'd better put the yard work off again.

I dunno... I mean, if the parks are at capacity all the time, there's certainly no incentive for Disney to reduce prices.

From what I've read, they haven't been at capacity lately. I think even Iger admitted the numbers were down this year.

My perception as well.
Not that they're hurtin' all that much just yet, but we'll see how the trend plays out.
Cold still take a while.

I'm sure it will. But it's a necessary correction.

 

[pkondz]

From what I've read, they haven't been at capacity lately. I think even Iger admitted the numbers were down this year.

I have a feeling that's a Covid holdover. Then again, what do I know?

 

[dvczerfs]

Wouldn't be surprised.

Yup. The temperature will be there tomorrow.

I dunno... I mean, if the parks are at capacity all the time, there's certainly no incentive for Disney to reduce prices.

My eldest DD went to one of her first concerts in Phoenix. I'm pretty sure she didn't pay anything like that. I could be wrong,

Guess I'd better put the yard work off again.


From what I've read, they haven't been at capacity lately. I think even Iger admitted the numbers were down this year.


I'm sure it will. But it's a necessary correction.

The parks rarely hit capacity. Maybe a few days around Christmas and maybe a day or two around Easter. Florida tourism is down in Florida across the board. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for prices to come down. If there was a huge concern, you will see deep discounts on select things way before you will see prices come down. It’s not the amount of people, it’s the amount that people spend. The parks are doing well. It’s a huuuuuge corporation with many balls in the air and the parks are keeping all the balls in the air.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The parks rarely hit capacity. Maybe a few days around Christmas and maybe a day or two around Easter. Florida tourism is down in Florida across the board. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for prices to come down. If there was a huge concern, you will see deep discounts on select things way before you will see prices come down. It’s not the amount of people, it’s the amount that people spend. The parks are doing well. It’s a huuuuuge corporation with many balls in the air and the parks are keeping all the balls in the air.

Yeah, that all makes sense, and does track with what we've seen in the past. I remember the parks being ghost towns in September after a wave of hurricanes over a couple of years, and that's when "free" dining suddenly appeared as a promotion.