brenthodge

I hold to my theory that the food at KI looks better without the annoying paper and portion cups.

I’d take fireworks on Fri-Sunday only if it got us better entertainment during the day/week. I personally don’t need to watch 10 pm fireworks 36 times.

Definitely this. This spot is usually packed, but still seems like a waste of a great indoor seating area. It’s a shame it’s on the same side as Grill and Grain in that it would be great to have a full sit down Italian restaurant “featuring” LaRosas pizza but that also had pasta dishes and salads. Wonder if the “Italy” side could ever be reconfigured to add that and use the Starbucks space for the displaced retail, then site build a new “Garden Cafe featuring Starbucks” where Shooting Star standing now. Nice indoor/ outdoor seating. Busy path, yet slightly “out of the way”. Great place to have featured breakfast items.

Nope- just observing. Had a great day.

Retail on Int Street (and pretty much whole park) is so weak right now. Int street is most noticeable because they have 4 spaces (more if count them broken up) that provide no reason to go in any one over the other because they have the same junk. Why do they even have different names - just call them "crap for sale" 1,2 EAST and 3,4, WEST. There is KICollection that has NO artwork, collectible items, books (other than the ones available in every other shop) or anything "collection" oriented unless you collect plaid pajama pants. Essentials - has a great new interior design (which SHOULD have gone to the "Collection") but has some essentials and again the same books and random things that you just saw in "Collection" then there is an emporioum that has all of the stuff repeated AGAIN and whatever they are now calling the spot on the right that has more "essentials" as well as the same stuff I've already seen. What happened to the idea of MERCHANDISING related ideas together to create different shops? What happened to having a "home" shop that has product that brings the park to your house. What happened to the idea of creating ride-specific "mini shops" where cross-category items helped create a one stop shop if you loved The Beast etc. There is no reason whatsoever to go in any one shop over the other and even my kid who "wantedt o shop" today pretty much said "whats the point". They really need to step it up in the merchandising area. I'd seriously love to apply, but I dont think they are even hiring with an eye toward settng up the shops that way.

I think keeping the "cold breakfast" at FC is a good idea - like the waffle, fruit waffle and even a "breakfast sandwich" but then move the breakfast potatoes and a few "classic hot options" like baon, sausage, scrambled eggs - like an "American Breakfast" to grill and grain. The move to the bar for pick up seems like a no brainer in that the kitchen staff was having to run the food over to the register anyway (as in the order takers werent getting it in a pick up window) so they could just as easily walk out the kitchen door behind the bar for one single pick up location.

Three operating weekends. That’s how long it took for the animated Larry on the merchandise cart to stop working in case anyone is wondering. The cat still works for now, but Larry-who was squeaky this morning has now stopped as of this afternoon. I believe he ties “spinning snoopy” for the “simplest animation with a short life span” award.

I think that ship has sailed, but they could at least take the time to “refocus”, inspect and program a few “classic” patterns to rotate through through the day.

Have we just given up on the fountain? It looks like a jumbled mess. Jets going crooked all over. Everything at full blast - even with the wind- except the ones that don’t even hit the same height. No changing, just all on- all the time-all over the place.

Breakfast great idea. Not so great operations or quality. You have two order lines, then no clear area or side where food is brought to. Does it come to the side you ordered? Does it come to the side closest to the kitchen? Does it come to the side more out of the way where people are all standing? Yes. Pick one, who knows which one you will get. I can guarantee you though it will NOT be the place you move to after seeing 3 orders being given out there. It will also NOT be from the bar where there is a door right into the kitchen and a single associate staring off into space because no one is drinking at 10:30am. Then when you get your food hand delivered by the executive chef who oversees all food quality and concept, you get a breakfast sandwich with a hard, kinda burnt egg rectangle and a slice of American cheese so cold it’s laying like a piece of cardboard on top. I really would’ve said “this is what you approve as ‘fine’ coming out of your kitchen, but they were so busy and backed up I didn’t have the heart to do it to anyone behind me. Again LOVE the concept and based on the line-needed, but needs to be figured out how to execute better.

I have a friend who actually loads and shoots the shows at the park sometimes, and no, they are not going away. They are posting the hiring for one specific aspect of the show (which incidentally is the more expensive aspect to run) drones. This does not affect the fireworks component.

aIt was a winterfest tree (the one in Coney) only for the first return year. It moved to coney the following year. They need to put a large red/white tripe tree there for Winterfest now since the base is there and it should be able to go over the topiary base

It should be the first thing you see before they become "real" but as you said, I think the goal was just to have the effect - not actually tell a logical story sequence as they do at the disney versions. In this version- it could actually be having a scene not using the current characters, but maybe the "ghosts of theatre greats past" who could share the stage with the current cast, but I think you'd have to show them throughout the ride as photos, posters etc to establish thesre are "dearly departed theatre greats" so when they reappear as pepper'sn ghosts it makes sense. I think thats way more thought than they were giving this refresh

When you look from overhead, you see how illogical the paver design was. Why they used the dark gray/black the way they did baffles me. Those should have been the "road" with the lighter used on BOTH sides for the "sidewalk" then an even lighter narrow row between the "road" and "Sidewalk" to delineate the "curb" that way the crappy spray painted line for the parade wouldnt need to be there. Then as someone above said - bump out in another 2-4 places. Even three evenly spaced bump outs would've been nice for additional seating and might giver room against the building to do a second row of trees or have brought back the streetlamps. With 3 bump outs, the light towers could have been integrated into pillars at the two corners of each bump out.

I love your idea for the theatre stage. Its too close and the figures too large. If feels more like a store display window with a bunch of anaimated fugures in it. Even if they HAD to use the turntable (did they really?) It could have been incorporated into the whole stage set - like having "extras" or chorus girls running onto the stage to make it in time. I even like the idea of seeing some human (and ghost) audience members infront of the stage - like we are tru "opera boxes" a bit further back. Thats one of my only nitpicks and mainly a counter to those wanting reflected images back

So many bemoaning the loss of the peppers ghost scene in the new Phantom Theatre. It wouldn’t make sense in the narrative and it actually never made sense the first time. We’ve seen these ghosts fully manifested, but then they become wispy image, only to go back to being fully formed again? The reason the peppers ghost works at Disney is the it’s really the first time we’ve seen the ghosts “manifested”. We see the "effect" of the ghosts on physical obect like books and candlesticks, Then they are transparent, then become more “physical” once you are in the graveyard. Thats one of the reasons the hat box ghost location has been controversial- it ruined the build up of the ghost logic. The first Phantom Theatre version just had the goal to copy Disney whether it made story sense or not.

Agree on it being more of a Fall thing and would love a lemony - herb chicken there. The food needs to match the season.

I feel you may be a bit disappointed considering the bar you’ve set for this tider. Pirates it ain’t.

Burgundy beef. BAD replacement for soy glazed. Weird taste. Weird texture. Like a pasty stew with sad carrots. Definitely a step down.

The whole pad where Franklins Flyers and Space Buggies are should've BOTH been incorporated into CAMP. Space buggies could've easily been rethemed to PigPen's MudBuggies with a waterfall and sign right at the entrance area - Make KiteEatingTree also part of CAMP maybe slightly rework the queue to incorporate the sign/waterfall. Then the concession stand right there get a light retheme into CampCanteen. Suddenly the whole CAMP area has a really strong and clear entrance and you dont have two rides - one of which is actually nature themed - in, but NOT in the CAMP area.

Is that one someone someone we know well?

Agree - its WAY too much going on and introduces a conflict into the narrative based on what we've seen so far. The interior looks "new" - just spooky but not abandoned and rediscovered. I seemed like the story was more "this is a phantom theatre that brings the spirit world's best entertainment to the living - enjoy the newest production" not "we have discovered a long-abandoned theatre and have 'disturbed the spirits' with our need to 'see the theatre" Now it's a comically distressed looking exterior that doesn't really look authentically distressed and a new looking interior - maybe the show scene will tie it all togther, but as of now REALLY not liking the exterior. Should've not done the crumbling plater and boarded up windows. WAY too literal and not in a good way

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GdSh6btvQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr The bathtub scene is the totally new add I was saying by itself won’t sell a shirt, and isn’t really even marketable, yet somehow this plussing got approved??!!

Another feature of the staff and all the love they are putting into this one of a kind attraction https://www.facebook.com/share/v/169oWJBX2s/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Story about bringing back original characters! https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1KKonG5Aex/?mibextid=wwXIfr