This Old Park: Sentinel expose on maintenance

[prberk]

This Old Park: Sentinel exposé on maintenance

The Orlando Sentinel today has a big exposé on huge maintenance issues that are able to be seen at the Magic Kingdom, ironically just as the Easter season hits its tourist high and as ticket prices are raised for a record 5 % increase!

Go to http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...27,1,5811073.story?coll=orl-dp-weekend-2-main
and read it, then look at their photo gallery: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...17121.photogallery?coll=orl-dp-weekend-2-main

It is appalling. But at least the article says that some of it is being worked on. [And I can guess that, after the article exposes it, some of these items will get immediate attention.]

I know you will think I am being partisan, but I see it backing Roy's argument that prices continue to go up (artificially inflating quarterly earnings in the short term) while maintenance goes down...

 

[KevinPage]

**He also remarks on things that only a Disney connoisseur would notice: "The garbage cans used to be themed, with beautiful paint jobs. The new ones are just ordinary brown." (Disney's Warren says the brown trash cans are temporary; the vendor who made the themed cans has gone out of business.)**


I hope this is true

 

[ogryn]

The bit about new Small World boats is new as well isn't it?

 

[General Grizz]

Like I've said, Disney should not raise its ticket prices if the parks are in constant disrepair, decreased quality, etc.

They're so focused on money, they're ruining the cast and killing the magic.

Just one more reason to "Save Disney" and get your money's worth.

At this rate, you'll be paying $70 dollars for half of the park with complete disrepair one day.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

"bout $100 million is budgeted for park maintenance and custodial work this year, says Trevor Larsen, the newly appointed vice president for engineering services at Walt Disney World. "

- From what I hear they asked for 230 million. So about half of what should be fixed actually is.


" the seats in PhilharMagic are already ripping and the wood on the armrests is also in shabby shape."

- I noticed this too, its terrible.


"Outside a shopping bazaar in Adventureland, a decorative fountain is turned off"

- I have been noticing this for about 5 years. Fountains not working or fountains with a "we are conserving water" sign. Just no money to fix them I guess.


"At the defunct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride, abandoned metal rails and supports rise rusting from the lagoon, lending an air of dereliction to the area."

- Where are these supports? I haven't seen them.


"Paint needs a temperature of at least 70 degrees to dry properly, so painting must be done during the day."

- Not true, for at least a third of the year it remains above 70 at night.


"and shrubs with broken and torn limbs -- evidence of rough pruning or blunt tools."

- Hmmmm, perhaps it could be guests ripping and tearing at them.


"and green algae streaking the sides of Space Mountain."

- I noticed this too, it is terrible.

 

[Buford]

"No, I want it painted tonight and finished by the morning."

- Walt Disney

 

[Lee]

True, Burbank didn't approve the extra money for WDW maintenance.
Wanna guess where it went? It went somewhere that needed it even worse...Disneyland.
If you think MK looks a bit rough around the edges, you should have seen DL before the massive refurbishments for the 50th started. Looking great now, though, and going to get better by next summer.

Another thing to keep in mind at WDW is the huge amount of capital spending going on right now for new attractions. After the new construction is over, funds will flow back to upkeep. Honestly, outside of building a new park, they have never spent this much money on attractions.

 

[General Grizz]

Walt Disney World announced its biggest ticket-price increase in at least 15 years on Friday, another signal that the region's flagging tourism-based economy is on the mend.

Tourism up. . . now fix the parks! Get some of that funding from Eisner's $1 million he gets for NOT being the Chairman, right?

 

[lamarvenoy]

"First you build the Team, then the Team builds the buisness" You can't do this with temps and people not wanting to make a career out of this. If you pay low labor rates....it's safe to say you get what you pay for. WELCOME TO CORPORATE AMERICA! The only thing "Disney like" about Disney now is the name. Negative or not its the truth, the reason this is the most they have ever put into the parks is because the parks are getting old and more stuff needs repair more often. This is gonna happen more and more because the older stuff needs more attention(take your car for example) Most houses are built to last 10-20 years without repair, most of the Magic Kingdom is now 30+ years old and Epcot is 20+,even the studios is 15! So it is gonna continue to take more money to keep the level of asthetics up. 100 million is not enough because clearly they are way behind. CUT CORPORATE SALARY, Eisner already has a billion dollars, does he really need more?He operates the company with reckless abondon, its time to restore the quality the Disney name once represented, not the super high profit Chinese import wholesaler it has become. To me Disney is more than a company it is a big part of the life of my family as well as myself, and I feel a little contempt.

 

[DarkMeasures]

I say they should hold a loved on of Bill Gates for ransom and use the ransom money to clean the parks.

 

[GaryT977]

It's obvious that Eisner just doesn't get it anymore. Part of the Disney magic is the feeling that you're somwhere different, special and timeless. Mildew, peeling paint and trash everywhere shatters that illusion.

What I don't understand is why he doesn't get it anymore. Animal Kingdom is a beautiful, amazingly detailed park, and that was his baby. It kills me watching One Man's Dream when Walt says "quality wins out" and Einser comes on immediately afterwards and says "we will never forget". That's right up there with "we know exactly where the weapons are", "I did not have ______ with that woman" and "wardrobe malfunction".

 

[Michael72688]

Originally posted by General Grizz
Like I've said, Disney should not raise its ticket prices if the parks are in constant disrepair, decreased quality, etc.

They're so focused on money, they're ruining the cast and killing the magic.

Just one more reason to "Save Disney" and get your money's worth.

At this rate, you'll be paying $70 dollars for half of the park with complete disrepair one day.

Well I just went to Islands of Adventure yesterday and I'm going to Universal today, and I know yesterday IoA looked like it was in great shape as did Universal a few weeks ago. Is it just me or does it seem like Universal is taking this opportuinity to get ahead of Disneys maintence and other problems

 

[NemoRocks78]

Bravo 'Lil Buford! That was excellent! :sohappy:

Read this story on the Sentinel's website this morning, and agreed with every word that was there. That brought everything that's wrong together. Hopefully someone in Management can read that article (although they probably won't care :lol: ).

By the way, I too agree with Michael72688. It seems to me that Universal maintenence is doing a great job. I don't see problems at all at Universal Orlando like we see at WDW now.

I want the old park back.......

 

[HennieBogan1966]

Well, while I agree with what's being said on this thread with regard to the lack of leadership on the part of Mr. Eisner, I would tell you all to prepare for the "it's all Roys' fault" attack to begin. How Roy has been blocking funds targeted for park maintenance, in an effort to make it look like it's Michaels' fault.

The Eisner apologists seem determined to brainwash us all into believing that it's someone else's fault. That Mr. Eisner couldn't possibly know everything that goes on in "his" parks. That if he "did" know about these issues, that they would be handled promptly.

And yes how much money is too much for Mr. Eisner? If I made his kind of money, and if I truly loved my company, and had the power/ability to help it by taking a Million or 2 less this year, I'd do it. That's what the apologists don't get about us. They wouldn't do something like that, because it's "THEIR" money.
While we true lovers of WDW would, watch out, "SACRIFICE", for the good of the company.

Having worked for the TDS, my wife and I know all too well about the sad state of affairs regarding company mgmt, payroll, castmember dedication, product presentation, etc. etc. etc.

We'd both love to work for the company in Fla, but can't afford to.
I don't disagree with bringing newer attractions in, but shouldn't the team be strengthened first and then worry about maintenance next, then attractions? Do I have this backwards?

First things first, go to a full time staff for the "basic" crew that's needed to run the parks, from top to bottom. Then add in part-timers to spell your full time staff. And pay your cms a decent wage. And NO Mr. Eisner, $5.35 is NOT a decent wage.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Originally posted by OnWithTheShow
"bout $100 million is budgeted for park maintenance and custodial work this year, says Trevor Larsen, the newly appointed vice president for engineering services at Walt Disney World. "

- From what I hear they asked for 230 million. So about half of what should be fixed actually is.

Voice of experience time, trust me at every budget prep time if your a manager with an ounce of sense you will work out your budget paying close attention to the essentials. However when you submit the budget you do so in the certain knowledge that it will always be pruned so (as numbers are like stats they can say whatever you want them to) a bit of creative accounting later your budgetary needs have magically increased so when they receive their normal pruning you getr enough wonga to cover your needs.

 

[cloudboy]

It's obvious that Eisner just doesn't get it anymore.

I think what is even more disturbing in that piece is the the attitude of the Disney company. It's not "oh, we will look into that" or anything, it is completely excuse based and unapologetic. This is not just bad maintenance, this is bad customer service! The very foundations of the company! It's like Eisner's lofty attitude and unwillingness to take responsibility has filtered down and now the whole place is starting to become one big corporate beauraucracy.

How do they think they win a Comcast takeover battle, if their service gets to the point where Comcast will provide the better service?

 

[EpcoTim]

When I was there recently, I noticed the big things, ie, the Imagination crane, and all that. And yes, that was a bit odd and not fitting with the image. But I wasnt hanging over guardrails to find chipped paint and what not. I do see the need for a change, but some people take this way to far. I bet the same people who scrutinize Disney with a fine tooth comb have houses that are in dire need of some work. Its easy to say how someone else should be doing something, but not that easy to do it for ones self.

 

[imagineersrock]

im sure all these problems and bad attitudes are starting at the top and working their way down to the bottom; from the big CEO's down to the park CM's..

I remember a time where one of the high points of a family's trip to disneyworld was that amazing customer service -every last one of those CM's was one of the nicest, happiest people you would ever come across.. the CM's were phenominal.

now, very different story. I feel for those wonderful CM's who are still the same way they were 10 years ago.. but now, there are very few of them left.

just last week, i went on a trip to disney with a group of friends [many of them first-timers] and i was EMBARRASSED -to say the least.

I'd say 6 out of 10 CM's were either rude, showed a lack of caring, some even down-right mean.

2 examples I must share with you:

a.) we wanted a group picture [and have the entire group in it ofcourse] so rather than have one of us take it, we assumed it wouldn't be a crazy question to ask someone else to. We saw two CM's who were just standing there, socializing and so we politely asked if one of them wouldn't mind taking a picture of us. well.... they looked at eachother for a moment, then one walks back inside the store while the other left outside rolls her eyes, lets out a sigh, and says sure as she proceeds to take the picture as if it was the biggest hassle ever...

I was shocked to say the least. I know for a fact that the CM of 10 years ago would jump for the opportunity to help out, and would most likely have been over there asking us if we wanted a photo before we could even ask her to take one.

b.) we went to see HISTA, in the pre-show area, the CM was down-right vicious, simply shouting out commands and herding us as if we were cattle, you could tell he had absolutely no interest in what he was doing came time for his intro-spiel and so on...

the part that really got to me was the fact that he was so bad, that my first-timer friends were referring to him as "the disney nazi" .....REFERRING TO HIM AS "THE DISNEY NAZI!!!"..... when cm's are being referred to as NAZIS you know this problem is out of control.:brick:

we need some one new in charge.. we need help -and fast- or disney as we know it is doomed.

 

[mkt]

hey... don't blame the cutbacks for Goofy... lol.

Blame quotas on that one

 

[HMFan]

Originally posted by NemoRocks78
By the way, I too agree with Michael72688. It seems to me that Universal maintenence is doing a great job. I don't see problems at all at Universal Orlando like we see at WDW now.

I want the old park back.......

Well how hard is it to repaint a few buildings, dust off the cardboard cut-outs, and water some plants? :animwink: Silly Universal.....