T
Joined: Feb 18, 2015
Posts: 20
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T
On 2015-03-23 16:23, kkocka wrote:
That definitely would have been over the top! But, I'm 95% sure the reason for an inanimate Uh Oa is that the likelihood if her breaking down and the low priority she would have for somebody to fix her.
I had the unfortunate displeasure of working the Tiki Room Under New Management, and I'd be concerned about the thing spraying hydraulic fluid, or even just dripping it, all over the guests sitting underneath! There was a time in Disney's not so distant past when a "101 figure" going down would require the rest of the venue to remain closed until the issue was resolved. That changed somewhat in the late 90s/early naughts, when we started hearing our leaders say, "Bad show is better than no show at all." I'm with Keith in believing it would not be maintained well enough to keep the show consistent. The effect as it stands is still very cool, and I especially like the wind-blowing component!
After reflecting more on what I saw yesterday, I believe Grog Grotto has taken the Sam's experience to a whole new level. Though it will be busy the first few months, once the novelty wears off, I doubt it will be as difficult to access as some may think and as I once thought. The 21+ after 8pm policy will help immensely, both in warding off families with kids and under-21 cast members most likely to frequent the place (college programmers). Disney Springs will be opening new nightlife venues, such as the Boathouse opening next month, and that will alleviate some of the locals. And parking at the monorail resorts will most likely become more difficult for non-resort guests. I am a regular at Tambu and Mizners, visiting both at least once a week, often more, and I do not see the typical resort guests waiting in long lines to get into Sam's. They want their drinks fast, and fortunately, the Poly will offer three other bars besides Sam's for meeting their needs. This was also the case in California at Enchanted Tiki Bar, where I saw many hotel guests, especially conventioneers, come in, look around, get their vodka tonics, complain about how long it took, then leave. The chatter online by the Disney fan base is likely just that, chatter. These are the same folks who complained about the Adventurers Club closing - and indeed showed up in droves for the closing - but simply were not there those last few years leading up to the closing, when it was a ghost town during the off-season. Rather than criticizing the smallness and being anxious over the opening rush, I am personally grateful WDW did not dilute the experience by expanding the footprint and losing the intimacy.
I did not get much time to talk with Brandon at the preview, one of the Imagineers behind both Enchanted Tiki Bar and Grog Grotto, but in case he comes across this thread, I want him to know that he and his team did an outstanding job. I cannot wait to meet the rest of the cast who will bring this bar to life and continue the Trader Sam's magic!
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