Okay so the year 2009 is over. For some people it’s a tearful goodbye and for others it’s like “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
For me I try to take every year as a learning experience. We never stop learning and every day gives us an opportunity to add to our experience and wisdom and such was the case with me and Walt Disney World in 2009.
As we leave this decade I have learned that I have yet to find my saturation point for visiting Walt Disney World”¦if I have one. I just realized that I have increased my visits to Walt Disney World this decade an increase of 514% from the previous decade. I guess the saturation point has not been reached yet.
One of the most important lessons I learned in 2009 is that there is someone, somewhere in high places who is in love with Stitch and sees Stitch as a marketing magnet for the theme parks.
I don’t share that opinion.
When Stitch’s Great Escape first opened a few years back I remember being fortunate (or unfortunate as the case may be) to be one of the first to witness this new attraction.
During my initial visit I remember hearing children cry when this huge monster of an alien made his appearance. “Whoops” I thought, “Swing and a miss.”
I remember talking with someone in charge at the attraction and him telling me to give them a chance because they were still working on tweaking the ride.
Sorry. It doesn’t work.
Still we get Stitch thrown at us”¦like this summer’s Supersonic Celebration show in Tomorrowland. I don’t know how long it lasted but if it lasted more than a month I’d be surprised. “Swing and a miss”¦strike two.”
For this year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party again we had Stitch replacing the beloved “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and that was not well-received. Strike three.
So I figure with Stitch being thrown at us left and right I have definitely learned that someone high up in Disney Towers believes this blue fuzzy”¦.experiment.
I also learned this year that one of and still remains as the most beloved attraction in all of Walt Disney World is Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.
No matter how many times I watch that nighttime spectacular I never leave without a lump in my throat.
When I do manage to pull myself away from the pyros, water lights and lasers and observe the guests I notice that every eye is securely focused on the World Showcase Lagoon.
Illuminations remains today a gem, a rare piece”¦timeless and always fetching”¦.a very, very important part of the charm of Walt Disney World.
I learned this year that it is important to do the math regarding the Disney Dining Plan and Magic Your Way tickets and Annual Passes and Tables of Wonderland.
There were too many friends of mine who had not gone for a long time who weren’t aware of the numbers.
Having sat down with them and showed them the numbers I found them amazed as to the amount of money that can be saved if you check into every option.
So this year I was perhaps not just learning but re-learning the importance of looking at every possible discount and savings opportunity you can take before going on any visit to Walt Disney World.
I also learned this year that I will never again hesitate to call for an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) no matter how close I am to my trip. Nor for that matter will I ever not walk up to a restaurant podium and try to get a reservation for that hour of that day. I was too successful in these endeavors this year to ever refrain from trying them in the future.
I learned this year that after skipping one year that I cannot ever miss Food and Wine again”¦I missed for the first time in a long time in 2008 and when I returned this year I remembered how wonderful that celebration was. I learned what I missed this year.
I also learned this year all over again just how blessed I am to have such wonderful endearing friends and readers within the Disney internet community. Earlier this year I sat down and listed my top 12 closest friends in the world and the top 12 were all from the Disney internet community”¦not college chums”¦working colleagues”¦or neighbors”¦but Disney friends.
That says a lot.
I feel privileged to be part of the AllEars team and have learned every day what a remarkable group of wonderful people they are. I am both privileged and humbled by being part of this team.
I learned a lot in 2009″¦most of all”¦I learned I am a very lucky man to be surrounded by such wonderful people as my Disney colleagues and friends.
Happy New Year to all.
I don’t think some of us will ever reach the saturation point with Disney. I went once a year, every year, from 1972 to 1992. Then I moved to Florida in 1993 and began visiting at least once a month for a day trip, and several overnight to 5 night trips per year. I never get tired of going, and feel the need to go back as much as possible. I’m in withdrawal right now because I missed the whole month of February (too dang cold the weekend I was in Orlando!). But I am going this Saturday, cold or not! Thanks for the blog.
I can’t help but make myself counted on the “I love Stitch” side. One of my goals when I go is to get a hug from Stitch! I’ve got a Stitch bobblehead sitting on top of my computer monitor here at work, and I always scour the parks for new Stitch merch when I go. Yeah, I’m one of those… 🙂
The first time I went into Stitch’s Escape, I wasn’t crazy about it. I rode the ride again when I went to Disney last week and I enjoyed it a lot more. It grew on me, I guess. I even heard laughter from the grumpy-gus with me who complained about going to it. I think if they didn’t constrain you in such an uncomfortable fashion, people might be able to enjoy it a bit more.
Angie,
You sound like a true Stitch fan.
Mike
Re: Stitch…you nailed it. I have a small child who loves the Lilo & Stitch cartoon and she doesn’t even like Stitch at the parks (but loves Lilo). Attention: Disney Brass…he’s not that great.
Nick,
If the adults don’t prefer Stitch and the kids aren’t too crazy about him then….
..well you know.
Mike
Mike,
Seriously, I loved reading this post and your featured article in this week’s (1/12) newsletter. I think the Terrace Noodle Station should be open all year round, because I love the food!! The extra space for diners is nice when it’s not open, but my husband is always disappointed when it’s not open. Thank again for a great blog and a great article.
Thank you for the kind words Amy.
Regards,
Mike
I’ve had that question about Stitch. Doesn’t even really talk in the films, so why the connection? I think there are 2 factors. One-kids love someone who can be naughty and do what they are thinking about doing, and then watching THEM get the consequences. At Ohana, Stitch threw food and signed autograph books on the heads of daddies. He even playfully stole my son’s bottle. (Wish he’d kept it).
Also, the character based in Hawaii makes for a lot of “research trips” when they add stuff.
Good points Shannon. Stitch is quite naughty.
Mike
I have to agree with you on Stitch. What is it with this character. I hate the attraction. But I am bias. AE was one of my favorites. But I went in the new attraction with an open mind. I was very disappointed and so were my kids. Sorry Disney, I agree it doesn’t work.
Hi Bill,
Tell me what you really feel.
LOL.
Regards,
Mike
I couldn’t agree more with your observations about Stitch. I endured Stitch’s Great Escape when it first opened and have never been back. We started watching the SuperSonic celebration and only lasted about 5 minutes. Unfortunately, we don’t get there at Christmas so we never saw Twas the Night Before Christmas, but I can’t imagine replacing it with Stitch. We make it to Disney every August, which is more than many people, but it just isn’t enough. We are never saturated!
Thanks for the note Christine.
Regards,
Mike
Hi Mike
I heard the Stitch’s Great Escape attraction was a failure.
Despite that, I love the blue alien rascal (possibly because he shares some characteristics of my husband). I love that he’s a reformed bad dude, and that he learns to care, and I love Disney opening up to heroes who aren’t impossibly pristine and heroines who are less than princess-like(you go, Lilo, my girlfriend)
So his Blueness has friends amongst the masses as well as in high places…
Isn’t it great that it takes all kinds of people?
Good points Cathy…it DOES take all kinds.
Regards,
Mike
I am so glad to finally hear someone else say they don’t care for Stitch! Even my children can’t see the attraction. Maybe he’s somebody’s nephew! But he is one of the few things about Disney that I have found to dislike. I always enjoy your articles – you’ve made me both laugh and cry. Happy 2010!
Hi Roye Ann,
I hope you laugh more than you cry.
Regards,
Mike
Hi Mike! I’ve been following All Ears for a few years now and I always love your articles. I’m from Dominican Republic and when I was a kid our grandparents would take us to Disney every couple of years. I haven’t been back for a while, somehow my vacations have taken me to other parts of the world, but when I read the All Ears newsletter I feel like I was just there. I hope to visit this year.
On another note, nowadays I am an editor for a design magazine and I would like to send you a proposal for an article. If you could shoot me an email at: [email protected], I could write you back with all the particulars. Thank you!
Thank you for the look back on what you learned in 2009. I had a good laugh with your reference to Stitch and I agree with you completely! Don’t forget that Stitch is also on the resort wakeup calls and I believe at one point he interrupted the monorail recording and defaced Cinderella’s Castle. He was also on a MVMCP Pin and was part of one of the Boardwalk’s gingerbread gazebo holiday decorations. So someone sure does love him. Thanks again for all your blogs and I look forward to reading more in 2010 and beyond!
Thanks Tricia.
– Mike
And we all learned that it is great to have you on the Allears Team. Thank you for all of your stories this past year.
Thank you for the kind words Kathy.
– Mike
You write a lot about reaching a saturation point with Disney and I have to agree, I don’t think that it is possible. Although, I am not as fortunate enough to visit as often as you, everytime we leave, I(we) find ourselves longing for another trip. Even with a lot of planning there is always something we have to postpone for next time. With so much to do and see, it is usually not possible to fit it all in. Even with some frustrating moments like trying to enter the Magic Kingdom having forgotten what time a parade was and finding pure gridlock. Those moments are quickly forgotten with so many other wonderful experiences we shared, many that we wouldn’t have known existed if it weren’t for the Allears team. I don’t know when we will return next having lost my job in 2009. Thanks to my husband who put in a lot of overtime so that we could continue with our planned visit in 2009, I also feel very blessed having been able to visit for the first time at Christmas and having Allears help us to plan a magical trip.
Thank you for the kind words Debbie.
Regards,
Mike