News Goodbye to The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra

ThatMouse

Well-Known Member
Wow Disney did a bad thing here! Going to GF for the jazz band was a must do for every trip. It was always funny when someone asked them to play a simple Disney song. I could feel the eye rolls, but they played them beautifully. I asked the guys why they had such huge books of paper arrangements, why not computerized? They told me some of the arrangement go 9 or 10 pages long and it's easier to put out the pages that way.
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
Wow Disney did a bad thing here! Going to GF for the jazz band was a must do for every trip. It was always funny when someone asked them to play a simple Disney song. I could feel the eye rolls, but they played them beautifully. I asked the guys why they had such huge books of paper arrangements, why not computerized? They told me some of the arrangement go 9 or 10 pages long and it's easier to put out the pages that way.
I believe those were custom arrangements too. The WDW band also has their own arrangements mostly written by one of the trumpet players if I remember correctly.
 

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

The solution is “Responsible consumerism”....that’s what I’ve been saying for years.

Kinda a low brow excuse for you, don’t you think?

Factually correct, yes....but Disney sells sentimentality. It’s actually why we’re all here.

If they peddled in just mediocre tangible product - they’d be GM or Delta

Hear? Yes...
Care?...only when it translates to lost revenues.
Unfortunately, and I’m scared to say this, it’s going to take their attendance, ap cancellations, and dvc inventory to get them to “wake up.”

At some point, and this always happens in a competitive recession, someone is going to say “we need to give our guests a reason to come back, etc.”

That won’t happen with the current management at the wheel. They are operating out of fear, glory, and future ambition. God forbid Covid, blm, or the election ruin either of the bobs good names. Bob I is looking at the presidency, and Bob C is going to work at Walmart or Carnival next.

It’s going to take someone with vision, energy, and passion to “reinvent” the experience. Hopefully, Josh D gets to the top sooner than later, and he can be the formative Eisner everyone, mostly, loved.
 

ELG13

Well-Known Member
My friends and I were discussing how over the years the resorts seem to have become nothing more than a place to sleep. Guests seem to feel if they don’t spend their day at the parks from EMH open to EMH close then they’re losing out, and with that came the decline of the resort experience at the resorts. People stopped taking time to come back to the room to refresh, put on their evening resort attire, and go for a nice dinner and cocktail. I think of the Polynesian second floor, and how over the last decade it’s just become a mob of over tired sweaty families all over the place waiting for their table at ohana after being in a park since 7am. Hardly anyone looking relaxed or refreshed for the evening. Same with grand Floridian, the band was great but I feel like their audience was dwindling. But who’s to blame, Disney or the guests? Who was leading this change in vacation dynamic? Also I feel a missed opportunity was to leave the band where it was and add a couple cocktail servers in the lobby, would have been an easy way to monetize the entertainment offering and add some energy to the lobby area. That was a lot of rambling thanks for reading.
Oh my gosh I feel this on a real level. The first time we went to ohana and the poly I thought "oh my goodness this is incredible!" We were among families that looked happy, albeit sun kissed, hair still wet from their showers and fresh cologne and perfume filled the space. It felt like a real Polynesian get away. We enjoyed our cocktails while we waited and enjoyed the view over the grounds. The meal was one of the best I've had anywhere, much less at Disney. Maybe because it was a total spur of the moment trip (back when you could do that at Disney) where we went in with zero expectations. Before bloggers and vloggers and pinterest. Before EVERY SECOND had to be filled with something. Whatever it was it made us so excited to go back. It was a few years (9 to be exact) but we had this place built up so much in our heads. We'd bragged on and on to my mom about it because she's a beach freak. I thought this would be the closest to a Pacific island vacay she would get (and be totally ok with!). It was so far from the opposite. Just like you said, miserable, sweaty people, kids that just needed time and space to decompress. The food was lackluster and that's being kind. My husband had been so excited to try the lapu lapu!! He gets it and takes a refreshing loooong swig only to discover it was straight alcohol. The mixer had never been added. And it was leaking from the bottom. We would have asked for assistance but we literally could not find out waiter. Our food came out in such a rush that we couldn't ask for seconds or even ask to see the waiter. We watched him serve a table of atleast 15 on top of several other tables. We didn't even see him to pay. I've never been lucky enough to stay at poly or GF since that's where we are talking about, but I have been lucky enough to visit them and I always felt like I was the heir to an oil fortune walking in those resorts. Like I must have done something right to be there. But that's because of those touches, like the band filling the hotel with music while you shop, enjoy a cocktail, or wait for your table for dinner. When you start getting rid of those things, coupled with some rooms that, at last I saw, I just can't say that having the monorail makes it worth what they charge. I could be in the minority!! But I can shop at any resort including the values. One of my most vivid memories of my last trip is walking out after dinner, doing a little dance with my kids as we said goodbye to Disney and headed to our cabins for our last night. I just feel like this was a little more personal feeling. Sure the parking fees and ticketed events out the wahoo that cut back on park hours suck. But this, this just felt personal. 😭
 

tirian

Well-Known Member
This is extremely sad news, but also supports the new realization that if you want to visit a resort which has live music (for which you indirectly paid through your hotel room), a unique atmosphere, high-end amenities, and quality for the price point — don’t waste money on a deluxe resort at WDW.
 

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
Here’s another thought: these decisions aren’t made at the executive level, but, rather, at the local or hotel level. Therefore, can we truly blame either bob?
 

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