Sad Haunted Mansion

[DznyRktekt]

Let's all have a Magical Day.

 

[jpeden]

So, why doesn't Iger step in to help? Didn't he do this at Disneyland in the Post-Pressler era?

Iger is a short-timer with retirement looming. He cares about securing his legacy which is Mavel, Star Wars, and Shanghai. If it doesn't involve that, he's not interested.

On top of that, the higher the stock goes, the higher his retirement goes.

 

[WDWTank]

Iger is a short-timer with retirement looming. He cares about securing his legacy which is Mavel, Star Wars, and Shanghai. If it doesn't involve that, he's not interested.

On top of that, the higher the stock goes, the higher his retirement goes.

Has he considered selling ESPN?

 

[Daveeeeed]

People in wheelchairs/disabled guests have just as much right to ride it as you do!



Not everybody who requires a wheelchair has a disability that shows when you see them walk a few steps. My fiancee suffers from cerebral palsy but for all intensive purposes you would not notice if you looked at her however after an hour of walking round she will develop a slight limp, after another hour it will be worse without rest and keep getting worse until the day after she will barely be able to walk. If she stands for for long periods of time she starts to develop a bad back... if her back gets too bad shes in pain whether shes stood up, laid down or sat down... so we use a wheelchair because like everybody else we pay for a holiday and we want to enjoy it... if she didn't use a wheelchair we would be able to visit the theme parks every two or three days out of our fourteen.

So please don't always judge a book by its cover when it comes to guests in wheelchairs.

Of course there are many people with cases like that. The list is endless. But there are a massive amount of either lazy or entitled people at WDW (way more when compare to other resorts around the globe) that abuse the system and should have mostly been addressed by Disney years ago as people like your fiancée cannot benefit as well as they should be able too, and the general public is extremely bothered by scooters zooming down and running over people's feet on sunset boulevard.

A few years ago my grandmother's foot was run over by an obese women that literally stopped on her foot, not caring at all. She now has very bad foot problems due to it, and has had to go to the hospital twice because of it, including once at Boma's.

Again, of course you should not judge a book by its cover, but there are VERY obvious people that feel like they are high in mighty and abuse the system. It's wrong and should not be downplayed as once again, it makes the actually disabled people not be able to use the services as well, and annoys guests when way more people have scooters/wheelchairs than they should (as is the case on omnimovers).

There's nothing wrong with the disability service for those who need it, but compared to other resorts the scooter problem is an ever increasing issue at WDW. Yes WDW is more tourist centric than local, so of course there will be an increase in disability services, but so many people abuse the service and the scooter priority.

 

[Matthew]

Of course there are many people with cases like that. The list is endless. But there are a massive amount of either lazy or entitled people at WDW (way more when compare to other resorts around the globe) that abuse the system and should have mostly been addressed by Disney years ago as people like your fiancée cannot benefit as well as they should be able too, and the general public is extremely bothered by scooters zooming down and running over people's feet on sunset boulevard.

A few years ago my grandmother's foot was run over by an obese women that literally stopped on her foot, not caring at all. She now has very bad foot problems due to it, and has had to go to the hospital twice because of it, including once at Boma's.

Again, of course you should not judge a book by its cover, but there are VERY obvious people that feel like they are high in mighty and abuse the system. It's wrong and should not be downplayed as once again, it makes the actually disabled people not be able to use the services as well, and annoys guests when way more people have scooters/wheelchairs than they should (as is the case on omnimovers).

There's nothing wrong with the disability service for those who need it, but compared to other resorts the scooter problem is an ever increasing issue at WDW. Yes WDW is more tourist centric than local, so of course there will be an increase in disability services, but so many people abuse the service and the scooter priority.

I understand where you are coming from but without asking for proof of disability (which i'm pretty sure you cant under US law??? not sure on that because I am from the UK) how do you solve it?

Also sorry to hear that about your grandmother... I understand how frustrating it can be... the scooters can be annoying especially when it seems like the person might not require one, i saw at MK last year a gentleman in a big crowd at closing time getting very frustrated and threatening an old chap on a scooter when he hit his legs twice in quick succession (although it the old chaps defense it was exceedingly crowded at the time and i'm sure he didn't mean to do it) I am always really careful of other people when pushing the wheelchair to the extent that we usually wait to try and let the crowds dissipate a little before making our way out of them... if i ever do catch somebody i make sure to apologise profusely instantly.

 

[Daveeeeed]

I understand where you are coming from but without asking for proof of disability (which i'm pretty sure you cant under US law??? not sure on that because I am from the UK) how do you solve it?

Also sorry to hear that about your grandmother... I understand how frustrating it can be... the scooters can be annoying especially when it seems like the person might not require one, i saw at MK last year a gentleman in a big crowd at closing time getting very frustrated and threatening an old chap on a scooter when he hit his legs twice in quick succession (although it the old chaps defense it was exceedingly crowded at the time and i'm sure he didn't mean to do it) I am always really careful of other people when pushing the wheelchair to the extent that we usually wait to try and let the crowds dissipate a little before making our way out of them... if I ever do catch, somebody, I make sure to apologise profusely instantly.

You are thankfully and obviously not a problem at all, but someone who respects other people, and pushes a person needing assistance.

In the U.S. employers may ask for documentation proving a disability (ex. medical records). My grandmother actually has used the disability service in the parks (for high blood pressure and unfortunately a ton of other problems), and they asked for medical records the first time, but for the wheelchair only entrances like The Haunted Mansion and Pirates, I don't think you need to be disabled -- just in a scooter or wheelchair. Scooters are the much bigger problem anyway. Those double strollers are quite annoying as well. It's interesting because it must be the tourist crowd that brings them in, as the more local Disneyland and Disneyland Paris both have significantly lower uses of scooters and even strollers. For any abuse that is happening it is very odd that Disney has done very little to curve it.

 

[Matthew]

You are thankfully and obviously not a problem at all, but someone who respects other people, and pushes a person needing assistance.

In the U.S. employers may ask for documentation proving a disability (ex. medical records). My grandmother actually has used the disability service in the parks (for high blood pressure and unfortunately a ton of other problems), and they asked for medical records the first time, but for the wheelchair only entrances like The Haunted Mansion and Pirates, I don't think you need to be disabled -- just in a scooter or wheelchair. Scooters are the much bigger problem anyway. Those double strollers are quite annoying as well. It's interesting because it must be the tourist crowd that brings them in, as the more local Disneyland and Disneyland Paris both have significantly lower uses of scooters and even strollers. For any abuse that is happening it is very odd that Disney has done very little to curve it.

I think its partly because of the huge number of 'off site' rental companies that provide scooters at a reasonable cost! But personally i would prefer the wheelchair... good exercise for me pushing it around all day!

 

[Daveeeeed]

I think its partly because of the huge number of 'off site' rental companies that provide scooters at a reasonable cost! But personally i would prefer the wheelchair... good exercise for me pushing it around all day!

You would think, unless medically required, Disney would not allow that. Do you know if they get a cut of the profit? Anytime any of my family or myself couldn't walk for an extended period of time, we would always get a wheelchair. For instance, in 2016 my mom and I both got pneumonia, but we were cleared by the doctor that we weren't contagious anymore so we could go to the parks, but we both still had ups and down days so for 2 or 3 days (it was like a week stay) we got a wheelchair for either her or me. It just makes more sense IMO.

 

[Matthew]

You would think, unless medically required, Disney would not allow that. Do you know if they get a cut of the profit? Anytime any of my family or myself couldn't walk for an extended period of time, we would always get a wheelchair. For instance, in 2016 my mom and I both got pneumonia, but we were cleared by the doctor that we weren't contagious anymore so we could go to the parks, but we both still had ups and down days so for 2 or 3 days (it was like a week stay) we got a wheelchair for either her or me. It just makes more sense IMO.

I reckon there's four suppliers where they get a cut because they are advertised on the website. Its funny really because some people see it as an advantage whereas my fiancee who actually needs the chair to last a full park day would love to be able to go without one... all these 'scammers' should consider that.

 

[Daveeeeed]

I reckon there's four suppliers where they get a cut because they are advertised on the website. Its funny really because some people see it as an advantage whereas my fiancee who actually needs the chair to last a full park day would love to be able to go without one... all these 'scammers' should consider that.

They really should. Only if you need it temporarily, or permanently should you use it. The people that abuse it have no knowledge that it has some consequences on the people whom actually need it.

 

[Bocabear]

OK, back to the Sad Haunted Mansion discussion...though the need/abuse of scooters is fascinating perhaps someone can start a thread about that....

 

[KBLovedDisney]

OK, back to the Sad Haunted Mansion discussion...though the need/abuse of scooters is fascinating perhaps someone can start a thread about that....

Last time we rode it, which was back in May, it didn't look bad. Maybe a few touch ups here and there, but nothing sad about it. Even Little Leota at the end tells you to hurry back with glee.

 

[Goob]

Doesn't Wall-E have a take on this issue?

 

[Sonic Sunglasses]

I think its partly because of the huge number of 'off site' rental companies that provide scooters at a reasonable cost! But personally i would prefer the wheelchair... good exercise for me pushing it around all day!

Ultimately, that's what we opted for with my wife. She tried an ECV for a day, but she has multiple sclerosis and can't react quickly enough to respond to the start/stop/wandering flow of a crowded area. A wheelchair is the best option to keep things enjoyable for her and, especially at Epcot, it helps me work off all that delicious food.

 

[The Mom]

People please focus on the topic at hand, discussion about the Haunted Mansion, not whether or not people need ECVs, and problems caused by them - along with posts explaining why they really are needed by some.. That topic has been beaten to death already. Thank you.

I also am not going to go through and delete every OT post, but will do so in the future - plus issue warnings for failure to heed moderation warning.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

The cars go faster than they did in the 1970's, that's true! They also used to only stop the ride for wheelchairs/disabled guests once every hour (or once every thirty minutes.. I forget). Now, they stop the ride every time it is needed... Has anyone even ridden Mansion in the last five years and not had the ride stopped at least twice a ride because of this? There is no show... If there was show quality, people wouldn't be in the gift shops at much. It's about how many mickey dolls they sell and hourly cattle-herding-like numbers... and that's IT.

Sorry to be going back to quotes from the first page, but this is an interesting topic and I think we gotta revisit it.

The doombuggies definitely haul through the ride a LOT faster than they used to- and stop frequently. I can't remember ever riding HM without at least three or four stops. That said- the ride is definitely quicker through the scenes. The vast majority of my photos are blurry because of this (and lighting issue which I'll touch on next)- ditto the 'new' Frozen ride at Ipcot.

As much as I loved the HM gift shop (I'm guilty of dropping $200 there last November) I wish there was better merch and better quality control on the current merch.

Back to the show: Show quality lighting is all over the place. I've seen both sides of the issue during my last trip- which I never bothered to write a trip report because it was mostly lousy) one day the lighting was excessively dark and you couldn't see half the ghosts in the cemetery, but the volume control was set to OHMYGODLOUD.

Later that week the lighting was quite bright, all of the scrims were very visible, and the volume control had been reset to a lower tone. The result was feeling like your doombuggie was rolling through a scrim filled room with visible lighting.

Both were nerve wracking and heart breaking at the same time. The group of too-many people per stretch room was herded quite literally like cattle out of the stretching room and into the quite long line for the doombuggies- this applied to BOTH days I spent at the MK.

Is there an occupancy limit for the stretch rooms? Just curious- because they really were packing people in.

I can vouch for it. A quick side note to it, I have a friend who managed to get a coveted spot at Mansion after literally 5 years. Left the company due to HM's management.

Any idea what exactly it was that pushed him/her over the edge?

 

[TheGhostWithTheMost]

Any idea what exactly it was that pushed him/her over the edge?

I can answer what pushed me and many other over the edge: Disney gets what they pay for, first off. At $8.25-9.25 an hour (which was the pay rate when I was there) and when Orlando has one of the biggest gaps between average income and average apartment price (this problem is due almost entirely to WDW, btw), it's not easy to see why many leave. Because that doesn't buy or keep quality. But the problems in Adventureland/Liberty Square attractions are a special kind of vile tacked on top of that. A lot of us got hired thinking that we were going to be able to truly make magical experiences for guests and be able to work while putting on a "show." At least, that was the kind of Disney Cast Member we grew up on. But now, your job is a glorified cattle herder. You're not permitted to adlib (a pun) in the stretch rooms or say anything aside from a banal spiel because apparently the "drag your wretched bodies" line that was used for 40 years was making the Mommy Bloggers feel "unwelcomed." We were told, as Mansion Butlers/Maids, not to "play the part" as was done in the past. We were told to smile and act as if we were working at Fantasyland or anywhere else in the park. Disney doesn't want show because it slows the cogs down. And if we're not herding cattle through the ride quickly, how will they spend money in the gift shop. The culture has changed so much that the reasons to work there no longer exist. It's one thing if you're getting crap pay but having fun at work. It's another thing to get crap pay, managers who are either a 21 year old college intern or are nasty/vile to their cast, hours cut so Disney can keep exploiting the college program, reprimands for using too much "show" while at work, watching your fellow cast members have to sleep in their cars, ect... Why would anyone stay aside from the same blind brand loyalty that keeps the people of this board going to the crumbling swamp six flags?

 

[ford91exploder]

Has he considered selling ESPN?

The problem is would anyone BUY ESPN as a going concern. In 2019-2020 if the current trend of subscriber loss continues ESPN's expenses will exceed their revenues. Right now ESPN is in sharply negative territory WRT subscribers ESPN is not 'churning' they are flat out losing millions of subscribers every year and that's plain for all to see. Yes ESPN still makes lots of money for now but that will soon end.

 

[ford91exploder]

I can answer what pushed me and many other over the edge: Disney gets what they pay for, first off. At $8.25-9.25 an hour (which was the pay rate when I was there) and when Orlando has one of the biggest gaps between average income and average apartment price (this problem is due almost entirely to WDW, btw), it's not easy to see why many leave. Because that doesn't buy or keep quality. But the problems in Adventureland/Liberty Square attractions are a special kind of vile tacked on top of that. A lot of us got hired thinking that we were going to be able to truly make magical experiences for guests and be able to work while putting on a "show." At least, that was the kind of Disney Cast Member we grew up on. But now, your job is a glorified cattle herder. You're not permitted to adlib (a pun) in the stretch rooms or say anything aside from a banal spiel because apparently the "drag your wretched bodies" line that was used for 40 years was making the Mommy Bloggers feel "unwelcomed." We were told, as Mansion Butlers/Maids, not to "play the part" as was done in the past. We were told to smile and act as if we were working at Fantasyland or anywhere else in the park. Disney doesn't want show because it slows the cogs down. And if we're not herding cattle through the ride quickly, how will they spend money in the gift shop. The culture has changed so much that the reasons to work there no longer exist. It's one thing if you're getting crap pay but having fun at work. It's another thing to get crap pay, managers who are either a 21 year old college intern or are nasty/vile to their cast, hours cut so Disney can keep exploiting the college program, reprimands for using too much "show" while at work, watching your fellow cast members have to sleep in their cars, ect... Why would anyone stay aside from the same blind brand loyalty that keeps the people of this board going to the crumbling swamp six flags?

It's why many of the 'Doom and Gloom' brigade decided to vote with their wallets and close them to Disney, Not that we don't love WDW and cherish the experiences we had there it's just by continuing to give Disney money we are validating all the things you mention. And too much at Disney these days is just plain WRONG

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

It's why many of the 'Doom and Gloom' brigade decided to vote with their wallets and close them to Disney, Not that we don't love WDW and cherish the experiences we had there it's just by continuing to give Disney money we are validating all the things you mention. And too much at Disney these days is just plain WRONG

So much went "wrong" during my last trip that I won't be visiting the swamps until well after SWL is done and the initial crazy crowds die off.

I'm only going to Disneyland because circumstances allowed and the stars lined up- I'm staying at friends house, and got a free plane ticket.

I wish more people would vote with their wallets versus whining and still dropping $5-10K a vacation at WDW.