George's Epic WDW predictions

[George]

I predict in 8 years there will be a mine train ride dedicated to Snow White in the New Fantasyland area. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if after decades and decades of the same restaurant lineup in MK a nice, new sit down restaurant that was based on the Beast's castle opened in the aforementioned new Fantasyland area. Finally, I think that James Cameron will make an outer space movie called Avarice and a land based on that will be put in Animal Kingdom, say 10 or 11 years from now. Also, either Dora the Explorer or Jack Sparrow will be added to MGM.

Finally, in 2019 there will be a SW expansion in MGM (will be re-branded Movie Magic Kingdom) and it will consist of an X-Wing spinner and two restaurants - Jabba's Hamburger Hutt and Cinnabon's Organa Rolls.

In 2014, Germany and Argentina will meet in the WC finals. Germany 1 - Argentina 0 in quadruple OT. Some weirdo with a rat tail for Argentina will miss an easy chance.

Also, DVC will be added to Caribbean Beach resort and Coronado Springs will add a high rise and several Taco Bells.

India will be rumored for WS for years...rumor will pick up steam in 2018-2019. India will be built in 2022. It will originally slated for completion in 2021, but a young imagineer will think the plans say "Indiana" and design an area based around corn and open wheeled racing vehicles.

 

[magicstar01]

i sometimes think its not as great service wise, their so far ahead of anyone else with their care towards their guests that i always just kept it to the back of my mind, the last couple of years though its been hard for the resort industry after 9/11 and a lot of people are put off going to such a potential target (not me lol). Also their has been a lot of change in disneys management structure which might have had something to with things getting a bit diluted, i think things were steadily get back to their unreachable standards as more people return to going on holidays and the economy gets a bit better, when that happens more moeny will be spent on the resorts and in return theyhopefully will increase funds to the parks! I don't think the size of the parks makes a differnce on the hwole employee front, as far as i know and correct me if im wrong the training has not changed significantly in years so who knows? any comments are great!:king:

 

[jesserin]

Here's my .02 -

If you look for faults... you'll find them...
If you search for the magic... you'll find it...

that's my take on disney - If I'm looking for something to complain about - I'll find 100 things... but if instead, I'm looking for a magical vacation... then I'll find that just as easily...

Not the most scientific method - but at the end of the day, WDW is where I'd chose to be over most anywhere else in the world... so I find it hard to search for slippage in quality...

Just my .02...

 

[peter11435]

Here's my .02 -

If you look for faults... you'll find them...

And always could.

I think the magic is just as strong today as it has always been.

 

[Peg J]

I have heard a few people say it doesn't seem to be the same which I clearly always defended Disney. I'm a Disney lover from way back and will admit that when any incidences don't come up "perfect" I can turn my head. The company is still top-notch with me and even though some things may seem to slip it may be our own perception since we're always looking for perfection. I believe no other organization will ever come close to Disney's marketing and service, even if they seem to slip sometimes.

Little story - I was in Orlando last weekend (Doing the big Disney thing in June) but still when to Marketplace and MGM. I went to buy a book called "Be Our Guest" at the bookstore in Marketplace. Looks like a good read, about Disney's marketing and why there are above everyone else. Anyway.....the "retiree" that sold it to me said, "I'm glad we got these in, we've been out of them. Good book, if only they still did it like this!!" I uncomfortably said "Oh they don't anymore"? And he said "No and shook his head". I have to say this really burst my bubble!!!! I paid for the book and then walked away feeling like a little kid who found out something bad about Santa! I just really felt that it was not his place as a Disney Cast Member to say anything negative like that to anybody!! My only solice is that he said he was retiring soon after 13 years and I'm thinking he needs a rest!

Anyway, we all know that some great things can't always stay the same but I still love Disney and always will. I don't anticipate anything else surpassing the service and magic and maybe some new management or wake-up calls can bring them back to perfection.

Looking forward to AKL in June for 8 nights!!!!

 

[CaptainMichael]

Here's my .02 -

If you look for faults... you'll find them...
If you search for the magic... you'll find it...

that's my take on disney - If I'm looking for something to complain about - I'll find 100 things... but if instead, I'm looking for a magical vacation... then I'll find that just as easily...

Not the most scientific method - but at the end of the day, WDW is where I'd chose to be over most anywhere else in the world... so I find it hard to search for slippage in quality...

Just my .02...

That was just beautiful!:sohappy:

 

[jesserin]

That was just beautiful!:sohappy:

awww... I've never been part of anyone's sig before not sure if you're teasing me or you really like it - but either way - I'm honored!

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I agree that if you look for problems you will find them. However, I think the parks have been changing, and the size has a lot to do with that. Disney has become a HUGE company, and individual training often takes a hit when you do that. Add in the fact that the resort has gotten very large means you need more people, more equipment, etc. That means greater numbers of "bad apples" or problems even if the proportion is the same. It also means taking people that may not have been taken before simply because it takes that many people to run WDW daily.

However, I think a much bigger difference has come from society. Disney has changed some of its offerings only because people respond to them. Unfortunately, the level of respect people seem to show on vacation has declined (again, not by a lot, but in a noticeable fashion). Add in numbers again, and this can create a different atmosphere.

 

[Neverwhere]

jesserin, I totally agree with you. I have always thought that, esp. when it comes to things like people who complain about noise, bus service, wait times etc. also. It's not that the service is bad, it's that some people just expect it to be bad.

That said, I think there have been some changes for the worse. But that's my opinion. WDW is changing with the times. Society at large has changed. People are not as respectful as they once were. Even down to the dress codes are not enforced anymore. When WDW first opened, do you think men would have walked into the Magic Kingdom wearing shirts with half nude biker babes on them? I once saw a guy with the word "F..." on his shirt and the Epcot turnstile people just let him waltz right in. That would not have happened when the parks opened. I know it wouldn't have.

As a society, we have lost our sense of childlike wonder, and that's sad. That's why those of us who still have that wonder long for the days of Horizons and 20,000 Leauges. Or we wish we could bring them back and make them better with today's technology. We don't want to replace them with thrill rides. That's what a Universal vacation is for.

But WDW has to compete. And society wants thrills. I think. Even the little kids. Which is, IMO, kind of sad. I personally want more Mr. Toad's Wild Ride's or Peter Pan's Flights, but I know that doesn't sell theme park tickets. Expedition Everest sells tickets.

Don't get me wrong, I loved EE. Thought it was fun and worked a story into the thrills. But how long can those thrills last for? I remember when TOT drew in long lines. Last time I was there, I walked onto ToT 5 times in a row. I remember when Star Tours drew long lines. I haven't waited in a line for that ride in years.

It's a loaded question. Where do they find a balance between the thrills society seeks and the magic and childhood fantasy Walt dreamed of?

As a rule, regarding service, I have not noticed most of the CMs being any different. Less likely to enfore rules, like dress code and smoking in non designated areas, but who knows what sort of pressure they have these days. Say the wrong thing to someone and you have a big scene. I think that Epcot82Guy hit the nail on the head when he said the level of respect people show on vacation has changed.

On my last few trips, I have not only seen the innapropriate shirts, I have also seen parents literally beating their children (saw a guy kick his daughter in line for Soarin last week) and having shouting matches with their spouses using a lot of non WDW language. I encountered someone having a booze party at 10 pm in their room in the concierge level of my resort, I have seen people cuss out fellow guests for accidently stepping in front of a photo shoot.

For me the biggest thing that has changed at WDW since my first trips is the guests. And with changes in guests, come changes in everything else.

But I try to ignore it when I'm there. It's still WDW. I look for the magic when I'm there. I usually manage to find it.

 

[George]

Wow! Thanks for the posts! Jesserin does make a good point! WDW is still the vacation I look forward to most. However, /nerdy types like me are a large part of WDW's base audience. We're picky. I don't want to brag to my friends about the cool Yeti AA, have them travel to Orlando and find out they weren't impressed at all because it was running in "plan B" mode the whole time. If things like this happen too much, we'll quit going. Its good to complain before it gets to this point. I've actually seen my complaints affect changes for the better.
Neverwhere - Great point about the changing of types of rides. One thing I used to think was sweet about Disney was the amount of time in line to the amount of time on cool attraction ratio was small. Now its not as high. Prime example - TT and MS replacing WoM and Horizons. I like TT and MS, but I also like the other two attractions and there does seem to be a dearth of traditional longer dark rides in the works (I hope there are some being planned I don't know about).
Everyone makes a good point about society changing.
One more random thought - I know a lot of people think Lasseter is going to be better for the theme parks than Eisner. What is Lasseter's history with theme parks? I only know of his time with Pixar.
STR8Fan and Epcot82Guy - Thanks for posting. You're both in my pantheon of wdwmagic super posters.

 

[DigitalDisney]

In my opinion, WDW's quality has slipped a little bit. However, just about everything in life is cyclical

Not too long ago, Disneyland itself was in worse shape than WDW currently is. After mgmt threw some time and money at it, the park is looking better than ever. Everything got painted and cleaned, and things that were broken got fixed.

I'm thinking WDW will see the same love very soon. I think we're on the way back up now, seeing as how Epcot's icon got a sponsor, and we somewhat recently got Mission Space, Soarin, Everest, and LMAX, which aren't exactly cheap or off the shelf. Epcot could very well be going through another Renaissance very soon, with fresh life being brought into a park that used to be extremely busy all the time.

 

[CaptainMichael]

awww... I've never been part of anyone's sig before not sure if you're teasing me or you really like it - but either way - I'm honored!

I'm being serious. You said it, and it rocked my socks off. I feel that it is signature worthy.

Some people seem to forget that it isn't about finding something wrong, it is about finding something right. I don't have the luxury of going every weekend, so when I'm in WDW, I'm there to have fun. If I witness bad show, it is probably blatant and not something I had to search for.

 

[Merlin]

And always could.

I think the magic is just as strong today as it has always been.

I'm waiting for the punchline.

 

[CaptainMichael]

I'm waiting for the punchline.

I think you'll be waiting awhile for it.

Maybe I could get Joe Rhode to come tell you a story in the meantime:drevil:

 

[ClemsonTigger]

There are some things that are different, and generally, I think we are at the start of a significant upswing. The two major changes that I see are

1) staffing has changed. a)Disney no longer offers a premium wage, b) the union offers different challenges and c) due to the good economy, selectivity in staffing has not been what it should be d) staffing may not be at the levels it needs to be for higher volume times e) there seems to have been a reduction in long time CM's, and their keeping of the history, history in general has seemed to have been overlooked recently.

2) guests are so much worse! a) too many think because they paid money that they are entitled to everything when they want it b) people are pigs....with probably more garbage cans per square foot than anywhere else, so many still drop their trash or throw it on a ride or whatever. c) a surprising number of people show no respect for the property or others. Some go out of their way with vandalism, d) rudeness tends to color the overall experience to the negative, so park and CM's are already working at a disadvantage.

JMHO

 

[Merlin]

Maybe I could get Joe Rhode to come tell you a story in the meantime:drevil:

Please no!!! I can't take any of his over-emoting!! I swear, that guy's gestures remind me of Celine Dion when she's performing onstage.

 

[Lefty]

I haven't been to Disney World in 5 years, so I'll be thrilled with a 50 foot square room and rickshaw transportation to the parks.

But I can honestly answer this question after my trip.

 

[Merlin]

I haven't been to Disney World in 5 years, so I'll be thrilled with a 50 foot square room and rickshaw transportation to the parks.

I'm sure there are many on these boards who, if they experienced just that, would say, "It's so magical!! What great storytelling!!" :hammer:

 

[speck76]

]Here is my main question – Is the quality of WDW slowing declining?

no....it is not

certain things where cut back after 2001, as the economy (and attendance (i.e. revenue)) tanked, but all is being fixed now

 

[Epcot82Guy]

On a side note, I will be interested to see how/if my viewpoint changes after my trip this summer. It will be just over 3.5 years (which is devastating to me), and I think I hit it as a CPer at a fairly low point (2002). I do think, as Speck76 has said, that things are being addressed. I still have my issues with some lack of creative original attractions, especially at MK and a character invasion at Epcot, BUT I will be the first to admit those are incredibly personal opinions. If Disney is replacing and adding quality attractions, and the CM training is high and preserved, I will not call that fault. It's a difference of opinion. However, I had noticed bad show, bad training, and bad guest behavior. Even worse, it seemed things were being addressed by saying "It's all wonderful" and "Look at our pretty cardboard cut outs" that added a level of superficiality. Those are the things that make me feel like WDW was slipping. However, again, I do believe they are being addressed and can't wait to see it first hand.

On a side note, I am surprised the CP issue has not been raised yet. I personally like it and think it merely is not being utilized to its fullest extent. It does foster 6 months of partying, but you have some very dedicated folks, and I think upping the requirements a bit more for successful completion could make this a extremely strong workforce. Sorry for the drift, but just always wished they would do a bit more with this so that it became a HUGE benefit to the magic instead of just a cheaper workforce.