Emailed Disney and Got a Call Back

[tigger1968]

It's time to give up the old "if Walt could come back, he would......" "What would Walt do?" routines. We have no idea what Walt would do today. He was conducting business in a very different time and under very different circumstances. Under today's pressure his decision making process might only not be completely different, he might have lost control of his own company decades ago. Shareholder value and bottom line profitability are the two drivers of the current Disney Corporate Management. The stock price is driven by whether or not the company met the estimated quarterly earnings set by some Wall St. analyst, not long term profitability or customer satisfaction.

My family and I are Disney fans. We've been to WDW, Disneyland and been on DCL more than two dozen times since 1996 and have seen the declines the OP listed. Unfortunately, I don't see things getting better any time soon. What I do see is the beginning of a "new normal". One nowhere near the quality of the "old normal".

I couldn't disagree with you more on the idea of giving up on speculating as to what Walt would have thought of the current state of the parks (and company). Certainly I agree that he would be operating under very different circumstances at this point ( as well as being well over 100 years old lol). But I still think that one should hold not only the parks, but the rest of the company, up to that scrutiny. This entire company came from his vision....and I see nothing wrong with looking at the company with that in mind. I think it's still important to have that debate on what should and should not be happening with the state of the parks, and the company as a whole.

You speak of this as "the new normal". I totally agree with you. And I think the new normal is really starting to suck. So now that you have made this many trips and seen the decline of things...my question is: What are you going to do about it? Are you going to just accept things as they are...or will you speak up, and tell the powers that be that you aren't happy, and want to see some real effort put into the parks?

I suspect that many of us feel like our voices won't be heard...and it's quite possible...but...if we ALL spoke up...really made an effort to make some noise...wouldn't that be just cool as hell if it made an impact? Look what Roy did with SaveDisney.com back in the day. He was able to effect the ouster of Eisner. And this was before Facebook and Twitter had taken over...we have nothing to lose by saying what we feel. The OP spoke up, and look at the response he got.

 

[Matt_Black]

It would go viral and all the average Disney guest would be aware and Disney would be hit right where it hurts, their stocks.

Erm... That's a VERY optimistic outcome.

 

[Dukeblue1227]

There's nothing I'd want more than for there to be a blackfish level documentary on the downfall of Disney quality and standards over the years... The problem is no company would ever produce it as an actual documentary that would wind up on demand and in movie stores. Your best case scenario is a well produced YouTube video. YouTube videos basically created things going viral on the Internet... But they're generally things less than a minute long that are either extremely funny or extremely heart warming in a very instant way. Just can't imagine an hour long YouTube video about how Walt Disney world isn't what it was 20 years ago would go viral.

 

[Matt_Black]

There's nothing I'd want more than for there to be a blackfish level documentary on the downfall of Disney quality and standards over the years... The problem is no company would ever produce it as an actual documentary that would wind up on demand and in movie stores. Your best case scenario is a well produced YouTube video. YouTube videos basically created things going viral on the Internet... But they're generally things less than a minute long that are either extremely funny or extremely heart warming in a very instant way. Just can't imagine an hour long YouTube video about how Walt Disney world isn't what it was 20 years ago would go viral.

UNLESS we filled it with facts AND kittens! The internet LOVES kittens.

 

[wdwgreek]

I feel like more people should write in like you do, while the social media buzz doesn't shock them anymore, waves of angry letters may!

 

[Disneydreamer16]

I couldn't disagree with you more on the idea of giving up on speculating as to what Walt would have thought of the current state of the parks (and company). Certainly I agree that he would be operating under very different circumstances at this point ( as well as being well over 100 years old lol). But I still think that one should hold not only the parks, but the rest of the company, up to that scrutiny. This entire company came from his vision....and I see nothing wrong with looking at the company with that in mind. I think it's still important to have that debate on what should and should not be happening with the state of the parks, and the company as a whole.

You speak of this as "the new normal". I totally agree with you. And I think the new normal is really starting to suck. So now that you have made this many trips and seen the decline of things...my question is: What are you going to do about it? Are you going to just accept things as they are...or will you speak up, and tell the powers that be that you aren't happy, and want to see some real effort put into the parks?

I suspect that many of us feel like our voices won't be heard...and it's quite possible...but...if we ALL spoke up...really made an effort to make some noise...wouldn't that be just cool as hell if it made an impact? Look what Roy did with SaveDisney.com back in the day. He was able to effect the ouster of Eisner. And this was before Facebook and Twitter had taken over...we have nothing to lose by saying what we feel. The OP spoke up, and look at the response he got.

What was the email that you used to contact disney?

 

[Gullywhumper]

They called you? I'm sure that was unexpected, lol.

 

[mousehockey37]

I couldn't disagree with you more on the idea of giving up on speculating as to what Walt would have thought of the current state of the parks (and company). Certainly I agree that he would be operating under very different circumstances at this point ( as well as being well over 100 years old lol). But I still think that one should hold not only the parks, but the rest of the company, up to that scrutiny. This entire company came from his vision....and I see nothing wrong with looking at the company with that in mind. I think it's still important to have that debate on what should and should not be happening with the state of the parks, and the company as a whole.

You speak of this as "the new normal". I totally agree with you. And I think the new normal is really starting to suck. So now that you have made this many trips and seen the decline of things...my question is: What are you going to do about it? Are you going to just accept things as they are...or will you speak up, and tell the powers that be that you aren't happy, and want to see some real effort put into the parks?

I suspect that many of us feel like our voices won't be heard...and it's quite possible...but...if we ALL spoke up...really made an effort to make some noise...wouldn't that be just cool as hell if it made an impact? Look what Roy did with SaveDisney.com back in the day. He was able to effect the ouster of Eisner. And this was before Facebook and Twitter had taken over...we have nothing to lose by saying what we feel. The OP spoke up, and look at the response he got.

Well, if people want WDW to look and operate a certain way, it can be done. You have to speak with your mouth and your money. The shareholders need to speak with their stocks. If the shareholders were to actually speak on Wall St. about the decline of the parks quality, and the numbers were to go down, then you would see something being done. That's how to do it.

As long as the stock price keeps going up, they'll push how far the quality can go down.

 

[copcarguyp71]

better to call and write to Disney then b-ing about it on here

I prefer the trifecta!

 

[wdw47]

They called you? I'm sure that was unexpected, lol.

It was very unexpected. Especially considering what I've read on here about others writing Disney and never hearing it back.

I agree with everyone who has said contacting Disney directly with what we are unhappy with is a worthwhile cause.

 

[FigmentsFangirl]

I emailed disney asking a few questions; they got in touch with me within three or four hours of my email, they wanted my adress to send me further information; totally shocked my parents when the letter arrived. Man were the copyright fooks nice people

It is a really good thing when Disney actually gets in touch with people trying to get in touch with them, way to go @wdw47 I'm tempted to do the same thing again but ask why certain things were closed {Figment Meet & Greet for example} and never replaced in some way.

I think you did a very good job with contacting Disney like you have. Smart move there.

 

[jlsHouston]

She got front of the line passes because she was pregnant...?

Oops, I think I articulated that wrong...she got the kids into the FP line when it was her FP for SPLASH and SPACE because she couldn't ride it and the kids didn't have a FP for it...

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

Imagine a documentary like Blackfish was made about Disney but instead of the whole Orca thing It could be about the decline of quality. It would go viral and all the average Disney guest would be aware and Disney would be hit right where it hurts, their stocks. That would be the Ideal situation, forcing them to live up to their old standards . one can dream right.

Seriously? This is utterly absurd. You cannot place a "value" on "decline of quality".

Each person's version of quality is different than the next and doesn't make them worse than any other person if their "standard" isn't what others think it should be.

 

[rob0519]

I couldn't disagree with you more on the idea of giving up on speculating as to what Walt would have thought of the current state of the parks (and company). Certainly I agree that he would be operating under very different circumstances at this point ( as well as being well over 100 years old lol). But I still think that one should hold not only the parks, but the rest of the company, up to that scrutiny. This entire company came from his vision....and I see nothing wrong with looking at the company with that in mind. I think it's still important to have that debate on what should and should not be happening with the state of the parks, and the company as a whole.

You speak of this as "the new normal". I totally agree with you. And I think the new normal is really starting to suck. So now that you have made this many trips and seen the decline of things...my question is: What are you going to do about it? Are you going to just accept things as they are...or will you speak up, and tell the powers that be that you aren't happy, and want to see some real effort put into the parks?

I suspect that many of us feel like our voices won't be heard...and it's quite possible...but...if we ALL spoke up...really made an effort to make some noise...wouldn't that be just cool as hell if it made an impact? Look what Roy did with SaveDisney.com back in the day. He was able to effect the ouster of Eisner. And this was before Facebook and Twitter had taken over...we have nothing to lose by saying what we feel. The OP spoke up, and look at the response he got.

The new normal isn't starting to suck. The new normal has been sucking for several years. I fill out the surveys with my complaints as well as compliments. Once home, I send an email and attach any photos that may back up my complaints. So please don't question me about what I'm going to do. I will not book our two rooms at the CR every year for 5 to 7 days any more. Maybe every other year or longer. I will spend my money on the DCL before I give more money to WDW. Speaking by not opening your wallet is the only message that will be received loud and clear.

 

[TestTrack Dummy]

Seriously? This is utterly absurd. You cannot place a "value" on "decline of quality".

Each person's version of quality is different than the next and doesn't make them worse than any other person if their "standard" isn't what others think it should be.

calm down buddy. I was just thinking out loud, it wasn't suppose to be taken seriously.