Christmas Town 2018

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The train wasn't as frightful as I'd thought it would be. Got on right away around 8:20. I wasn't in the area around Twas That Night showings so no idea how bad it may have been earlier. I do think it should remain a transport ride versus a circuit. But the decorations were nice; a little sparse in some spots and some weren't working (mostly the long strands).

Hoping that training is sorted out after this weekend. A lot of long load times on the kiddie rides due to one person training another person. Also, it wasn't busy in Marco Polo's but only having one panini press and one person manning it made for a long wait. The "press" isn't even a press but a large toaster oven. Still enjoyed my pesto chicken but that could be addressed. I do have to give praise to the Photokey people for helping me each time I needed to load or find photos. They were pretty patient with me despite my many questions.

The projection on Wilkommenhaus was fun!

Also, was super excited (more than the kids were) to see Sam the Snowman available for photo op at Rudolph and Friends! There wasn't an actual photographer with him :( But was able to snag some fun photos on my cell phone! I forgot to take a pic of him alone so no pics for you all. Sorry!
 
Imaginique said:
There wasn't an actual photographer with him :( But was able to snag some fun photos on my cell phone!
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Its funny how things run from night to night person to person and year to year. Last season while in line the guy told us to have phones ready if we wanted any photos. Then we got inside to the first character and a team member took a photo with my phone. Then the second character the two team members standing there said they would not take a photo and then when I tried a selfie they yelled and ran to block my phone. Then the Busch photo person didnt even take a pic but instead walked away. I was more or less escorted out like a criminal while I was told there are to be no photos.
 
WDWRLD said:
Its funny how things run from night to night person to person and year to year. Last season while in line the guy told us to have phones ready if we wanted any photos. Then we got inside to the first character and a team member took a photo with my phone. Then the second character the two team members standing there said they would not take a photo and then when I tried a selfie they yelled and ran to block my phone. Then the Busch photo person didnt even take a pic but instead walked away. I was more or less escorted out like a criminal while I was told there are to be no photos.
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Sometimes it's not even person to person. A few year back I was at the park with friends they wanted a picture with the clydesdales and waited in line for it. I didn't really care to be in it and waited off to the side. But I noticed that all the families in front were getting to take there own and figured oh cool that nice I do it too so my friends wouldn't have to pay they really wanted a digital one to post to fb anyhow and those were not available for purchase at the time. So my friends turn comes up they step up to get their picture taken. Camera guy decides to try and block my shot but I leaned over to the side and simply took around him. He as mad and told me that it was against park rules I pointed out that I had just watched him not only allow it but move out of the way to allow several others to do exactly what I had done. He said "that is different those had little kids you guys can either delete it and buy one or he would call security" I pointed out there was no signs saying it was prohibited and that he as permitting others and pointed to the security camera and said I was standing by what I said and had done and was perfectly happy to wait why he called security but that I would tell them and the park that I was the ONLY person being stopped and suggest that they review the camera footage to see if it backed that up. Funny how he was suddenly less concerned about and willing to let it slide.

On the other side of that yesterday wanted a picture of just the horse against the carriage back dropped a first they fussed a little but where more then happy to let me get it and even paused the line for a second when they realized I was just trying to get the horse and not a photo shoot.
 
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There are a lot of training inconsistencies that I have noticed In the park. Taking your own photos is definitely one of them. Sometimes it’s ok, sometimes it’s not, sometimes it’s ok only at a certain angle. It’s a little frustrating. I did feel bad for a gentleman over this summer trying to get people to not take photos of their on ride pics at Verbolten. (That’s a big no and I respect that.) But character photos should definitely have more leeway. Last night a cast member took our photo with Sam using our cell phone and it came out awesome. So yeah, lots of inconsistencies.
 
I understand the ride photos and completely agree with those but when its allowed one second then not the next then you are treated like you were really doing something wrong is another. Funny thing is the park is only hurting themselved in my case. I could give two craps less of having a photo of me and rudolph but I was only taking it to post online. So instead of the park getting a positive post by me of the cool rudolph meet and greet they got a post of me talking about the rude employee.
 
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horsesboy said:
Sometimes it's not even person to person. A few year back I was at the park with friends they wanted a picture with the clydesdales and waited in line for it. I didn't really care to be in it and waited off to the side. But I noticed that all the families in front were getting to take there own and figured oh cool that nice I do it too so my friends wouldn't have to pay they really wanted a digital one to post to fb anyhow and those were not available for purchase at the time. So my friends turn comes up they step up to get their picture taken. Camera guy decides to try and block my shot but I leaned over to the side and simply took around him. He as mad and told me that it was against park rules I pointed out that I had just watched him not only allow it but move out of the way to allow several others to do exactly what I had done. He said "that is different those had little kids you guys can either delete it and buy one or he would call security" I pointed out there was no signs saying it was prohibited and that he as permitting others and pointed to the security camera and said I was standing by what I said and had done and was perfectly happy to wait why he called security but that I would tell them and the park that I was the ONLY person being stopped and suggest that they review the camera footage to see if it backed that up. Funny how he was suddenly less concerned about and willing to let it slide.

On the other side of that yesterday wanted a picture of just the horse against the carriage back dropped a first they fussed a little but where more then happy to let me get it and even paused the line for a second when they realized I was just trying to get the horse and not a photo shoot.
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I went through the same thing a few years back, except I was using a DSLR. The park photographer tried to state that the set-up was proprietary and I must delete any photos. I rebuked and stated that if that were true then signs should be posted and the set should be behind closed doors. She insisted that I stop. I said "OK, I got the shot i wanted anyway" and then I walked away. The funny thing is I only wanted a shot of the horse with Christmas decorations. I was waiting for my chance to shoot with no guests in the way.
 
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So, I have been avoiding the Forum and this thread in particular, because the unremitting negativity is wearing me down. Since I am suffering a Thanksgiving Ford coma, I figured I’d suck it up and share my thoughts on the Member Sneak Peak.

The bottom line is that I enjoyed CT last Friday night.

I always view the pass member events as dress rehearsals for the staff, and I never expect everything to working perfectly. Honestly, if you don’t want to deal with new casts and unfinished displays, you should probably wait a week.

I always love CT lights; they are my main reason for going to the event. I thought the old standbys were as lovely as ever. Similarly, the wassail was still a great way to stay warm. I even enjoyed the Christmas dinner at DFH, which did include cranberry, incidentally. The donuts at Polar Pathway were as warm and yummy as ever. And I found two pretty ornaments, as well.

Moving on to the new attraction, I adore the concept of using the train for a drive-thru light display. I have always thought that it was a missed opportunity that they didn’t have one. And I am so glad that those awful elves aren’t narrating anymore. I thought the lights were cool. I especially liked the new LED globes; I thought they were super-neat. The light tunnels were fun and psychedelic, too. I do hope that as the attraction matures, they will add many more displays. But I enjoyed our tour. I do wish they would handle the lines differently, however. I would prefer if they would issue people reservations for specific half-hour blocks (or something similar).

I’m very much looking forward to going back, so I can get my Member ornament and try the mint donuts in Banbury.
 
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Nicole said:
I always view the pass member events as dress rehearsals for the staff, and I never expect everything to working perfectly. Honestly, if you don’t want to deal with new casts and unfinished displays, you should probably wait a week.

I always love CT lights; they are my main reason for going to the event. I thought the old standbys were as lovely as ever. Similarly, the wassail was still a great way to stay warm. I even enjoyed the Christmas dinner at DFH, which did include cranberry, incidentally. The donuts at Polar Pathway were as warm and yummy as ever. And I found two pretty ornaments, as well.

Moving on to the new attraction, I adore the concept of using the train for a drive-thru light display. I have always thought that it was a missed opportunity that they didn’t have one.
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This is where im my opinion I dissagree. The member preview was a perk offered by the park to those that upgraded to the new Memberships where you as a member had a chance to be the first to experience Cheistmas Town before the general public. I feel like they should be rolling out the best product they can to show us members why we pay such a premium for our "membership" to the park. And to say that if someone as a paying customer who dosent want to deal with unfinished display should come next week. The park was sure happy to take the full cost of a park ticket for those coming on opening weekend (not talking about preview night here). To me its like going to a movie opening weekend but the movie skips scenes because they hadnt finished editing it yet but you still payed full price. I try not to think about it as a member but as someone who came from out of town to visit the park for the one night this season of CT. How would you feel paying full price but hearing that half of the stuff was niy up yetor hasnt been plugged in yet and that they should have came later in the season. I have absoluetly zero complaints of any show, like I said I think they all ran great even Twas the night that had a set malfunction. Santa did a great job covering up what happened, again I am complimenting the cast on that. As far as the overall event, the "old standbys" were there as always, my complaint is that there was nothing but old standbys, nothing changed except for the train and that is a whole diffrent story. The Christmas dinner at the Festhaus was good, I still feel like my portion size was smaller than previous years and we were the very first guests through the foor line and I was told they didnt have the sauce, they didnt say they werent serving it this season but that they didnt have any right then. Now for the train, I have for years wished for a great train event and this was the year, but I was so dissapointed. It started out great with the first display but after that the rest was crap.
 
Thomas said:
The train is an attraction which can be easily expanded upon each year as well... this is the first year for the train and I'm sure they didn't want to go all in and have nowhere to expand to in the future.
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I feel like for the 10th season and now competing with Winterfest they needed to go all in on the train to make people talk about it.
 
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PrincessArlenasDad said:
I think last year it went up to $1.25
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Apparently (this is how much cocoa we drank last year) refills were $1.79 last year. IoMGeek is my source, as I happen to be watching his Christmas Town 2017 video. Looking back, we stopped drinking the cocoa a couple of years ago because the prices started creeping up.

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Dosent even say Busch Gardens or Christmas Town on it other than the ribbon does it?
 
As for the talk with the member pass nights, the quality, and dealing with mishaps:

I personally have no problem with it. This is a soft opening for them, using test people they know will come back. I would hate to see what opening night to the non-pass holders/members would be like and the complaints would look like. I have no problem being used in a soft opening capacity as a member. In fact, I'll happily deal with small snafu's and training issues if it means smaller crowds and shorter lines.

I rather they have these issues with us members who are more likely to understand than with people there on a daily ticket who might be in their first trip to BGW and think that it's a common thing to have happen.
 
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Finally good weather this weekend. Anyone in the park today? How were things?

We can't make it down until Christmas week, so I need to live vicariously through these reports!
 
WDWRLD said:
... The member preview was a perk offered by the park to those that upgraded to the new Memberships where you as a member had a chance to be the first to experience Christmas Town before the general public. I feel like they should be rolling out the best product they can to show us members why we pay such a premium for our "membership" to the park. .
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To me the emphasis is on the word, "preview."
Webster's first two definitions of the noun, "Preview."
...
preview
noun
1 : an advance statement, sample, or survey
2 : an advance showing or performance (as of a motion picture or play)...
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The word carries a connotation of, incomplete or a sampling.

In the theater there is a common to offer a invite only dress rehearsal. These are free or often the result of being a season ticket holder. Regardless they are considered a privilege not a right. It is understood that during this dress the stage manager, director, or lighting designer can, will, and in my expereince usully does stop the action for a correction. Often this is the last opportunity to get things right. Very often there may things missing. No one like to have a prop or paint during opening but it is a reality.

To me, as Nicole has said, Pass Member Preview is the amusement equivalent of an invite dress.
 
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Zimmy said:
In the theater there is a common to offer a invite only dress rehearsal. These are free or often the result of being a season ticket holder. Regardless they are considered a privilege not a right. It is understood that during this dress the stage manager, director, or lighting designer can, will, and in my expereince usully does stop the action for a correction. Often this is the last opportunity to get things right. Very often there may things missing. No one like to have a prop or paint during opening but it is a reality.
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I used to go to quite a few of these and I always had fun. Why? The groan from the pit when the actor(ress) made a mistake was about the funniest thing you could experience.

I love too when someone stopped action to correct something, they often addressed the audience as to why they are stopping and what the choice should be. The insight as to why was great and when you saw the actual show it was great.

Alas in my experience that doesn't stop one of the leads in "The Sound of Music" tell Baron Von Trapp that his "Cell phone is ringing".
 
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