Disney Giveth, and Disney Taketh Away

[GoofGoof]

I was going to save some money and head out to Florida for the first time to visit WDW in honor of my college graduation next year. Should I even bother at this point? Honestly, I don't want to go if the parks are in such bad shape and quality. I'm thinking I should just stick to Disneyland, for now.

There are a few major issues listed here. The rest are mostly petty gripes in my opinion. Plain napkins is really not a reason to not go to WDW. I don't think most of the people posting are suggesting they won't go back because of the issues anyway. The prevailing opinion seems to be that WDW is not as good as it once was. Since you have never been there you have nothing to compare it to so you should be fine.

 

[GoofGoof]

I've added this stuff. As to the "Stuff that's been added", count me amongst those that feel when something is cut something better should take it's place. If there's no direct correlation than I'd put it on this list. Something like The Seas going to The Seas with Nemo and Friends was intended to be a better replacement. Same with Imagination, whether you agree is one thing, but the intent was there.

I was going to suggest River Country, but since they added 2 new and bigger water parks that probably doesn't qualify. Also, if you go back far enough there were no extra magic hours at all. So If you compare now to then we actually have 2 hours of EMH now vs none back in the day so you could flip that to the additions list.

I personally think the $10 no show fee is a plus. It is hard to get some of those ADRs even with it. If there was no punishment for not showing up It would be even harder.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I was going to save some money and head out to Florida for the first time to visit WDW in honor of my college graduation next year. Should I even bother at this point? Honestly, I don't want to go if the parks are in such bad shape and quality. I'm thinking I should just stick to Disneyland, for now.

It's all relative. Many who think WDW is slowly declining (I'm one of them) still believe WDW is a great place to visit. However, IMHO WDW no longer meets the outstanding standards it once set. If I would have given WDW a grade of 100% 20 years ago, I'd only give it a grade in the low 90s today. Still an 'A' but not what it used to be. Conversely, the competition such as Universal has learned from Disney. If Universal Orlando once would have received a grade of 80, it's now approaching (some think it has passed) WDW's grade. WDW is still an excellent place to visit but is no longer the undisputed king it once was.

I don't think these issues are "minor" or "nit-picking". WDW scored so incredibly high in the past because of its careful attention to details, because of its commitment to the little things. (DW and I love the details; we actually miss the restaurant-specific napkins.) If it were simply differences, I could appreciate it. However, most changes seem to represent reduced offerings; less this and more expensive that. It's rather sad to see the once mighty WDW pinching pennies, getting cheap on us.

 

[Beholder]

I don't get to go often enough to notice some of the "minor" problems, but AA's that don't work and seemingly routine maintenance issues that should be addressed are the things that bother me. It's all about detail, show, and presentation. I just can't understand an attitude that allows these thing to continue. It's their job to keep up the park, to keep things working and operating the way they are intended. Lightbulbs, napkins, a bench with a little chipped paint, I can live with (in small doses), but when major components haven't worked for such long periods of time, that's inexcusable. It's almost like there's been a WDW management cultural "shift" in the way things are prioritized...

And I do notice some of the additions, wi-fi,
refrigerators, new "expansions", so that's great.

Just fix what you already have and keep it
operating.

But, a bad day at Disney is still better than good
day at 90% anywhere else.

 

[jlsHouston]

Excellent thread idea. Cheers! Let me begin with the obvious:

The painful decline of the Empress Lilly.

Well, it started when I stopped working out and picked up smoking and drinking and

wait...wrong thread...that's the AA...

It all went wrong went Fulton (curse the name) took over. Decline by degrees is sometimes subjective. Me, I think it an obvious decline that the unique restaurants of the Empress Lilly were replaced by a single one, an outside (small) food chain. But whereas some prefer upscale fine dining, others prefer run-of-the-mill seafood.
What is objective, however, is that a riverboat needs to look like a riverboat. As an outside vendor, Fulton has no direct incentive to add to the overall show and theme of WDW. WDW in turn, has already rented the place out to the outside company, so it in turn feels no direct incentive to invest further in the boat. The result is devastating:

The paddle wheel is gone. The Empress had a spinning one at that.
The smokestacks are gone.
Present however, is a huge non-period neon sign, 'Fulton's Crap House'.

you are making me laugh too hard before I even finish my first cup of coffee this morning

 

[jlsHouston]

The Taketh Away may be related to the Giveth. When they Commiteth themselves to major additions they probably think they have the resources and management capacity to deliver it and maintain what they already have. But then they find themselves spread too thinly. So they add AK - a huge net plus to WDW - but can't deliver a full-length Kali Rapids ride, or BK, as envisioned. They add FLE - another huge net plus - but can't keep Splash and other attractions up to par. The end result overall is they Giveth more quantity - and they Deserveth some credit for that - but they Taketh away some of the quality.

On the resort side, you also have to give them credit for fridges in values rooms and queen beds in mod rooms.

and don't forget the free wifi in the rooms which worked really well for me when we visited in April and stayed at CSR

 

[BrerPete]

Why is going 30-40 MPH a safety issue? Do you not go 70 or more on the highway? Or are you one of those idiots that sits in the left lane going 25 on the freeway?

The Log isn't plastic, it's a boat, that floats on water, where do you expect the boat to go? Do you expect gravity to be defied and the boat to just randomly jump out of the trough?

Peter Pan and Mansion are not EMVs, so I'm not sure what the connection there is, but let's pretend these are two different issues that you didn't put into a run-on sentence. The moving platforms move at the same speed as the vehicle, so how is this any less safe then an escalator, or elevator? And as long as one pays attention to safety warnings, (Heart, back, or neck problems, for example) why would that be a safety issue?

Are the intimately familiar with the Falling rocks, and the system behind them at all the different thunder mountain attractions worldwide? I'm not, but I imagine that if maintenance turned them off, they had a reason.

No I am not "are the intimately familiar with the Falling rocks" Grammar Master. Not sure of the run on sentence but if you read it again I was commenting on the fact that people who have been sitting and riding most of the day then get up from their EMV and getting on the conveyor. I have seen many a stumble and stoppage of the belt as a result, which to my understanding, they usually stop the belt when a disabled person wants to board.

The rest is sarcasm, but as one "idiot" to another, I guess you don't have the skills to break that down. Have a magical day.

 

[GoofGoof]

I don't think these issues are "minor" or "nit-picking". WDW scored so incredibly high in the past because of its careful attention to details, because of its commitment to the little things. (DW and I love the details; we actually miss the restaurant-specific napkins.) If it were simply differences, I could appreciate it. However, most changes seem to represent reduced offerings; less this and more expensive that. It's rather sad to see the once mighty WDW pinching pennies, getting cheap on us.

Let me clarify my point calling these things petty. When taken as a whole group this list shows a pattern of cost cutting and a general decline in attention to detail. That I am not disputing although like you said they are still above a 90 just not A+ anymore. My point was really in reference to someone saying they may not bother to go because of these issues. In my opinion other than major ride issues like Splash AAs and Yeti the other things are minor and would probably not even be noticed by someone who was never there. I picked the napkins as an example since to me that is the most obvious example of something most people would not miss. Splash is probably my favorite ride but even if it was closed completely I would still go to WDW.

 

[CrescentLake]

I was going to save some money and head out to Florida for the first time to visit WDW in honor of my college graduation next year. Should I even bother at this point? Honestly, I don't want to go if the parks are in such bad shape and quality. I'm thinking I should just stick to Disneyland, for now.

Is this what we've come to? Now we're dissuading a first timer from visiting the World? Really. No. raven24, you should go. Most of these people, they complain and moan about WDW, but they still go.

I just went, and while there is sure some things that need to be worked on, and by no means am I a pixie dust addict, I still enjoyed myself. I was still depressed when we left, I still had a wonderful time, I still enjoyed all the attractions. (Although the laughing place in SM needs a refurb pretty badly). Its all about perspective, really. I still had a great time, because, while I do love WDWmagic, the "declining by degrees" is overblown.

I'm going to get absolutely demolished for this post, but you should go. Are there problems? Absolutely. The Yeti, Imagination, half of DHS, the film on soarin was a bit grainy in the beginning, ect. But for me, I am already planning my trip back.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Country Bear Christmas (gone since 2006)
HalloWishes cuts (2008 onward)

I think the list should be from 2005 onward to show how many have happened recently.

 

[sgtmgd]

Everyone of course is entitled to their opinions

The fast pass issue...well for me if you take a fast pass and it says be back before x- time and you show up at y- time...that's a you issue not a Disney cut...if your boss tells you to be back by a certain time and you show up late..

Different levels of the dining plan and you still get apps depending on the plan..food has a huge.overhead costs. I certainly haven't seen the dramatic increase in signature restraunts..Le Cellier was going t change..again I'm a huge advocate of the dining plan so yes I'm biased..not so much from the savings of it..but more of I believe without the ability to pay for the plan for several months a lot of families would never be able to go. Food costs can be a rude awakening to a family of four that's never been to Disney.

The monorail only effects a minuscule portion of folks at 3 resorts...less again when not a fraction of those will be out that late and the Contemporary is quicker to walk to quite frankly

Again everyone has different viewpoints

 

[IlikeDW]

There have been multiple posts on here discussing declining by degrees, cuts, etc. There has also been some efforts by myself and others to chronicle some of these things. While I expect this thread to be a discussion of sorts, I will also attempt to update the front page with offerings that have been cut while prices have increased.

To start us off:

General Cuts/Policy Changes/Permanent Ride Changes:

• Late returns for Fastpass no longer honored

Should NEVER have been allowed in the first place. (15 min grace period and that's it)
Note: This is an Opinion

 

[jlsHouston]

I love WDW, and so does everyone on this forum, admit it we are even all a little freaky about how much we love the Magic! Not having as many visits to compare to and only going back a year since I first visited I have only noticed gains. I am probably not as observant as 90% of the writers here because I didn't know about alot of details until I found it on this board in various threads, which the negative, the positive and the informative I am prepared on my upcoming trip to experience more of WDW than before! Yes there were places in the MK park where I felt attention to the area by disney was a little lacking, specifically over by Tom Sawyer Island was one area, but not a thing during any of my previous visits dispelled any of the Magic, the happiness and the regrets when it was time to leave!

 

[jlsHouston]

I was going to save some money and head out to Florida for the first time to visit WDW in honor of my college graduation next year. Should I even bother at this point? Honestly, I don't want to go if the parks are in such bad shape and quality. I'm thinking I should just stick to Disneyland, for now.

My opinion GO, I lived in California years ago and we did Disneyland several times, kids totally loved the place and I just liked the idea of vacation, never got any of that pixie dust washing over me though from the visits in the 90's to Disneyland..who knows why, but I can tell you that first trip to WDW by car with DD30(at the time) DGD6 and DGS4 was PURE MAGIC, it was a great road trip even though I stopped at the casino en route and had to call home for a cash infusion when we finally resumed I10 Eastbound. When we entered the WDW area OMIGOSH the excitement in our car you could cut with a knife! We stayed at POP on the ddp and it was the most awesome 3 days! I am on my fourth trip back to this magic in 12 months . So go, maybe it won't be for you what Disneyland is, maybe it will be differences you will enjoy, maybe you will choose to stick to the California parks in the future, maybe it will be a whole new experience of Disney Magic! If you love disney, GO!

 

[Captain Chaos]

What about the Tom Sawyer paint brush hunt being removed???

 

[GoofGoof]

What about the Tom Sawyer paint brush hunt being removed???

Good one. That cost nothing to run so they can't claim cost cutting. No excuse for cutting it.

 

[jlsHouston]

Good one. That cost nothing to run so they can't claim cost cutting. No excuse for cutting it.

True and I am sad I missed this one, it pre dates my arrival to the world... maybe I should bring some paint brushes with me and drop them around the island and see if that big hint will cause disney to bring this little secret back. Why did they do away with it? Does anyone know? Does anyone have a pic of what the paintbrush looked like?

 

[GoofGoof]

True and I am sad I missed this one, it pre dates my arrival to the world... maybe I should bring some paint brushes with me and drop them around the island and see if that big hint will cause disney to bring this little secret back. Why did they do away with it? Does anyone know? Does anyone have a pic of what the paintbrush looked like?

There was a thread on this a few months back. Try this link.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/tsi-paintbrush-hunt-officially-done.839403/

This was fairly recent that they stopped it.

 

[Daddymouse]

When I was ten, I experienced the Magic Kingdom thru the eyes of a 10yo. When I was 18, marveled at EPCOT thru the eyes of an 18yo. When I was 31 I participated in the joy of the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and DHS (FKA MGM) with my children. Now more than 20 years later, DW and I get to be more introspective in our visits. I no longer look at Disney thru the eyes of the 10 yo. I wonder how I would view WDW thru the eyes of a 10yo now? Many things have changed over the years and I know WDW is a much better place 10, 20, 30 and even 40 years ago.

 

[Avenger117]

I was going to save some money and head out to Florida for the first time to visit WDW in honor of my college graduation next year. Should I even bother at this point? Honestly, I don't want to go if the parks are in such bad shape and quality. I'm thinking I should just stick to Disneyland, for now.

Yes you should go! Its great, I think some people expect way too much. there are some things that could be better, but its a great experience.

As for the resort specific merchandise, there was some 2 weeks ago.