Stupid Guest Tricks

The Washington Post's travel section has historically been an embarassment to the paper, and the latest article on WDW and Orlando (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...010201240.html) is no exception.

The Post sent so-called "savvy staffer" Scott Vogel on a last-minute trip on a budget. Despite being a travel reporter, how many ways can he find to be a SG?

• The "savvy staffer" claims to have seen a "little girl lost and crying, wandering helplessly around Cinderella's castle." For starters, that's "Cinderella Castle" - apparently the "savvy staffer" didn't check the Disney website or a park map to verify the name. And he gets bonus points for, by his own account, staring at the girl instead of finding a CM. (This isn't a "real" story that requires a reporter to be impartial. Do something to help the frightened child, you twit!)
• The "savvy staffer" claims that "turkey legs ... at $6.15 are the cheapest fortifictaion Tomorrowland offers." Apparently this "savvy staffer" couldn't turn his head around to find Cosmic Ray's, which has some lower-priced options for adults, and a children's meal for $4.49.
• The "savvy staffer" claims that "[t]oday was the day to spend an hour looking for the end of the line for the Haunted Mansion, only to discover, another hour later, that we were actually in line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad." I call bull. No matter how long the lines were during Christmas week, the "savvy staffer" didn't notice for an hour that he was heading in the wrong direction?
• The "savvy staffer" claims that he only discovered on his third day in Orlando that his hotel "charges a $15-a-day resort fee ($50.85 total with tax)." Once again, I call bull. The "savvy staffer" didn't bother to read his hotel confirmation before leaving - or upon check-in?

A Bob Woodward this Scott Vogel guy isn't. It would be appropriate if his middle initial was "G", though.

jsilvers wrote:

• The "savvy staffer" claims that "[t]oday was the day to spend an hour looking for the end of the line for the Haunted Mansion, only to discover, another hour later, that we were actually in line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad." I call bull. No matter how long the lines were during Christmas week, the "savvy staffer" didn't notice for an hour that he was heading in the wrong direction?

Or the fact that no matter how long the wait for either attraction is I don't see the line stretching all the way from one to the other as they are on either side of the Rivers of America. I'd be scared and getting the heck out of there if BTMRR ever has a line stretching from the entrance all the way to Pecos Bill's, let alone all the way through Frontierland and into Liberty Square.

Guy sounds like a big idiot, hopefully nobody believes the tripe he wrote.

Shorty82 wrote:Or the fact that no matter how long the wait for either attraction is I don't see the line stretching all the way from one to the other as they are on either side of the Rivers of America. I'd be scared and getting the heck out of there if BTMRR ever has a line stretching from the entrance all the way to Pecos Bill's, let alone all the way through Frontierland and into Liberty Square.

Guy sounds like a big idiot, hopefully nobody believes the tripe he wrote.

Heck, I would run if the BTMRR queue was past the normal entrance. I wonder if this guy has even been there?

Geez, where did they get this loser? He broke every rule of reporting! Especially fact-checking, accuracy (really important in these sue-happy days), and completeness. Why does the Washington Post keep a travel section if it's so absurdly off-beam?
Of course, some writers out here are no better--they insist that both Disneyland and Nazi Fairy Farm(aka Knott's Berry Farm) :twisted: , are both in Los Angeles! Gee, I keep an eye on the USGS earthquake page, but I have yet to find that a 10.0 quake has moved Orange County over 50 miles north into L.A.! People like that give us real writers a bad name....

Shorty82 wrote:...Guy sounds like a big idiot, hopefully nobody believes the tripe he wrote.

Or maybe just fellow idiots will believe him, and the SG percentage will decrease? We can dream...

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Never mind, lol.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01240.html

Our intrepid budget traveler snagged a room at the Omni Orlando Resort for $79 a night via Priceline.com. (Omni Hotels)

He could have stayed at the All-Star Resorts for that price or cheaper.

We exulted in the sight of buck-naked children getting their diapers changed on park benches; we toasted our good fortune with a pair of strawberry shortcake Good Humor bars dispensed by a robotic vacuum-powered vending machine.

Exult is that a word? Why is he exulting at the sight of kids getting their diapers changed? PERVERT ALERT

If he was staying off sit then why that hotel when there are other motels for under $60? I am going to right to the Post and tell them that the dude is an idiot and does not knwo what he is talking about.

http://www.stupidguesttricks.com/showth ... #post80284
Cosmic Ray's
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/d ... ant.ID=153
Lunching Pad

Shorty pointed out the mistake about the price of food at Tomorrowland in MK. The above is the latest Cosmic Ray's menu and the prices probably have not changed. He was wrong as the price is $6.19 for one turkey leg with no chips or side dishes which would make it not the cheapest meal in that land.

For ten cents less you can get a cheeseburger and fries. For the same price you can get fries and a chili cheese dog with free topping to fill up on.

At Casey's Corner he could have gotten a hot dog and fries for twenty cents less. El Pirata Y el Perico Restaurante offers for $5.99 a pair of beef tacos with yellow rice. Space Dog Hot Dog Cart offers for $7 hot dog, chips and soda pop.

I am wondering why he started with $666.66 Yahoo travel shows a Motel 6 for $34 a night. Right now the All-Star Resorts have a rack rate of $82 so why not save gasoline and stay onsite. I think that his article was a set up and that it is strange that he mentions priceline.com which surely could have gotten him a room onsite for the same price or offsite for a lot less.

mechurchlady wrote:Exult is that a word? Why is he exulting at the sight of kids getting their diapers changed? PERVERT ALERT

I agree that the writer is an idiot but that line about the kids/diapers etc. was obviously and clearly sarcasm. Let's not label people indiscriminately. There are enough things to attack him about within the article without jumping to that particular conclusion.

felinefan wrote:Of course, some writers out here are no better--they insist that both Disneyland and Nazi Fairy Farm(aka Knott's Berry Farm) :twisted: , are both in Los Angeles! Gee, I keep an eye on the USGS earthquake page, but I have yet to find that a 10.0 quake has moved Orange County over 50 miles north into L.A.! People like that give us real writers a bad name....

Wait a minute. I thought everything south of Bakersfield was LA!

Goofyernmost wrote:I agree that the writer is an idiot but that line about the kids/diapers etc. was obviously and clearly sarcasm. Let's not label people indiscriminately. There are enough things to attack him about within the article without jumping to that particular conclusion.

I think it is weird that a man would exult about the view of buck naked kids. People on this board have complained about naked kids at the parks and they do not exult but do grumble, gripe and complain but do not exult over naked kids.