Have you noticed the lack on maintenance ?

Naplesgolfer

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Coming back from our recent trip staying at the Beach DVC villas I was once again struck by pitifully poor visual / decorative maintenance in the elevators and lobby doors. A number of rides, (Tower of Terror, Roarin, Grand fiesta etc. )seemed to have many issues with dents in decorative mental work, Paint, many ride features and figures malfunctioning etc etc. Given the cash cost of beach club rooms on the hotel or DVC side and the ticket cost to the parks, why the lack of maintenance? The rides were getting like this pre Covid . Looking at the Beach Club area's I suspect they were like this in 2019 as well. I would be for $ 5 added to tickets to be put toward park maintenance ( 200 Million). Are Disney Executives in the parks getting bonused by cutting maintenance ? Disney has always been expensive, I just don't understand why they can't make lots of money and deliver a quality product. Starting to become more and more disenchanted with the direction of the parks given my large financial commitments with DVC/ other memberships with Disney.
 

Naplesgolfer

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
You only said that you suspect this
That was for the beach club not the rides. Ride maintenance has been getting steadily worse. Have you not noticed things like the doors at the top of Tower of Terror not fully closing thus letting in light and greatly diminishing the ride experience ? Probably 5-6 other maintenance issues just on that ride alone.
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
That was for the beach club not the rides. Ride maintenance has been getting steadily worse. Have you not noticed things like the doors at the top of Tower of Terror not fully closing thus letting in light and greatly diminishing the ride experience ? Probably 5-6 other maintenance issues just on that ride alone.
It's crazy that they did that extensive maintenance on ToT 18 months ago but couldn't even get the ride up to acceptable show standards. I understand it was ride system work, but they should have taken the unique opportunity of having each shaft closed for months to fix audio, lighting, and other visual issues--especially as they were gearing up for the park's "rebirth". Why can't such an iconic ride get any love?
 

King Racoon 77

Thank you sir. You were an inspiration.
Premium Member
That is not an excuse any more, they are open for business and charging a premium for it.
At the very least maintenance should be held up.

The sad answer is that people are still going no matter what WDW does.
One part of the company is now open . You think wdw is helping the Disney corporation make a profit or even break even ?
firefly GIF
 

Naplesgolfer

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
One part of the company is now open . You think wdw is helping the Disney corporation make a profit or even break even ?
firefly GIF
Again the maintenance issue's have been around for year's. Someone on this forum recently shared that Iger is on the record in earnings calls with analysts bragging about reducing the maintenance budget for the parks 40%. This is pre-covid. This is the problem. Raise the prices and cheapen the product. I have no great quarrel with the prices if I am getting quality.
 
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ppete1975

Well-Known Member
You have maint people on the pay roll. Paint is cheap, many parts they have in stock rooms or make themselves. And some fixes wouldn’t even take materials. People arent asking for a rides or reimagining they are asking for things to look clean and not abused. I will also say some of this is on the consumer. People have no respect for others or others property any more. And lots of the damage and loss of cleanliness is on guests.
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
You have maint people on the pay roll. Paint is cheap, many parts they have in stock rooms or make themselves. And some fixes wouldn’t even take materials. People arent asking for a rides or reimagining they are asking for things to look clean and not abused. I will also say some of this is on the consumer. People have no respect for others or others property any more. And lots of the damage and loss of cleanliness is on guests.
It’s one thing to push off new attractions, but if they are going to be open, existing attractions should be show-ready. If they can’t afford to do that, they should close.

Somehow, horticulture is managing.
 

Naplesgolfer

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
You have maint people on the pay roll. Paint is cheap, many parts they have in stock rooms or make themselves. And some fixes wouldn’t even take materials. People arent asking for a rides or reimagining they are asking for things to look clean and not abused. I will also say some of this is on the consumer. People have no respect for others or others property any more. And lots of the damage and loss of cleanliness is on guests.
But why don't the Non-Disney hotels in the $500-1000 a night category within 5-15 minute radius not have the problem maintaining their properties ? Disney's Yacht club, Beach club, Grand Floridian and others are all in this price point.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
It's crazy that they did that extensive maintenance on ToT 18 months ago but couldn't even get the ride up to acceptable show standards. I understand it was ride system work, but they should have taken the unique opportunity of having each shaft closed for months to fix audio, lighting, and other visual issues--especially as they were gearing up for the park's "rebirth". Why can't such an iconic ride get any love?
Because management.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Again the maintenance issue's have been around for year's. Someone on this forum recently share that Iger is on the record in earnings calls with analysts bragging about reducing the maintenance budget for the parks 40%. This is pre-covid. This is the problem. Raise the prices and cheapen the product. I have no great quarrel with the prices if I am getting quality.
You have pretty much summed it up. In Orlando anyway. I was lucky to visit Orlando, Anaheim and Paris within a year. Noticeable maintenance in Disneyland and DLP was streets ahead than WDW attractions. Paris was almost a shock it is so good.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
A lot of maintenance is on management, but guests shoulder a fair amount of blame as well. Many guests simply don’t care what they do anymore. “I paid thousands of dollars to be here, I’ll do what I want!” is their mantra. Treat the place with some respect, like people used to do, and let’s see what happens.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
As others have said, this issue has been a concern for many years. Cuts to personnel and changes to how the CM's are allowed to perform their day to day duties has brought a cascading affect of neglect. And guests being dirtier, caring less about how they treat the parks, resorts and their surroundings has made upkeep more challenging. Sadly most guests dont see the changes that have occurred, or care. So it hasnt become enough of a priority. People arent avoiding a Disney vacation because the parks are being viewed as dirty or not maintained enough.
Adding a $5 fee to the ticket prices would only infuriate everybody. Again being viewed as another money grabbing asttempt by the already overly costly park fee. Nobody would accept it and Disney wouldnt consider it.
In most cases the bonuses executives get are tied in contractually when they are put into those higher positions. They arent lowered or raised depending on the cuts to maintenance portions of the parks budget. They can be contingent upon how they perform and how the area they are responsible for ends up over a period of time. In some companies, over the past year, executives bonuses have been delayed or withdrawn during these hard times because they are contingent on how overall profits have been affected by covid and how healthy the company is looking. But that savings doesnt trickle down because its not given out.
Keeping things up is highly dependent upon how much pride you have in yourself and your connection to your surroundings. I drive through my area and see many homes and yards in disrepair and think.. why dont these owners just paint, mow, clean up their properties? They work, they have nice cars, boats etc. but they lack the respect to care enough to put their attention into that part of what they own and are responsible for. I wonder if the bigger issue is how much do the parks execs respect whats under them. Do they care as Walt once did? Apparently not.
 

Model3 McQueen

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I’m sure laying 28k+ employees off doesn’t help with the maintenance issues🤦‍♀️

Or the fact we are in the middle of a global pandemic that has been costing the business billions.

I know several members who have been saying Disney World maintenance has been terrible for years, myself included. Well before we knew the virus existed.

I am seriously shocked at how people are so quick to defend Disney on these matters.
 

Naplesgolfer

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As others have said, this issue has been a concern for many years. Cuts to personnel and changes to how the CM's are allowed to perform their day to day duties has brought a cascading affect of neglect. And guests being dirtier, caring less about how they treat the parks, resorts and their surroundings has made upkeep more challenging. Sadly most guests dont see the changes that have occurred, or care. So it hasnt become enough of a priority. People arent avoiding a Disney vacation because the parks are being viewed as dirty or not maintained enough.
Adding a $5 fee to the ticket prices would only infuriate everybody. Again being viewed as another money grabbing asttempt by the already overly costly park fee. Nobody would accept it and Disney wouldnt consider it.
In most cases the bonuses executives get are tied in contractually when they are put into those higher positions. They arent lowered or raised depending on the cuts to maintenance portions of the parks budget. They can be contingent upon how they perform and how the area they are responsible for ends up over a period of time. In some companies, over the past year, executives bonuses have been delayed or withdrawn during these hard times because they are contingent on how overall profits have been affected by covid and how healthy the company is looking. But that savings doesnt trickle down because its not given out.
Keeping things up is highly dependent upon how much pride you have in yourself and your connection to your surroundings. I drive through my area and see many homes and yards in disrepair and think.. why dont these owners just paint, mow, clean up their properties? They work, they have nice cars, boats etc. but they lack the respect to care enough to put their attention into that part of what they own and are responsible for. I wonder if the bigger issue is how much do the parks execs respect whats under them. Do they care as Walt once did? Apparently not.
I agree with many of your points. I wasn't clear in stating I think they should raise ticket prices and maintain the parks if they don't have the money. Not a extra fee. But they have the money already. It is clear they have just cut the maintenance budget. I suspect the person who proposed that they could cut maintenance and not upset guests was compensated for their ideas.

Where we differ is I think they are reaching a tipping point. The lack of maintenance ,bad food, lower amounts of entertainment ,and a hole host of other items and service issues are going to cost them dearly in the medium to long run. They are losing the institutional knowledge of how to run a resort at the level that made them who they are and won them the generational fans they have, but no longer value or respect. Very ,very sad.
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
As others have said, this issue has been a concern for many years. Cuts to personnel and changes to how the CM's are allowed to perform their day to day duties has brought a cascading affect of neglect. And guests being dirtier, caring less about how they treat the parks, resorts and their surroundings has made upkeep more challenging. Sadly most guests dont see the changes that have occurred, or care. So it hasnt become enough of a priority. People arent avoiding a Disney vacation because the parks are being viewed as dirty or not maintained enough.
Adding a $5 fee to the ticket prices would only infuriate everybody. Again being viewed as another money grabbing asttempt by the already overly costly park fee. Nobody would accept it and Disney wouldnt consider it.
In most cases the bonuses executives get are tied in contractually when they are put into those higher positions. They arent lowered or raised depending on the cuts to maintenance portions of the parks budget. They can be contingent upon how they perform and how the area they are responsible for ends up over a period of time. In some companies, over the past year, executives bonuses have been delayed or withdrawn during these hard times because they are contingent on how overall profits have been affected by covid and how healthy the company is looking. But that savings doesnt trickle down because its not given out.
Keeping things up is highly dependent upon how much pride you have in yourself and your connection to your surroundings. I drive through my area and see many homes and yards in disrepair and think.. why dont these owners just paint, mow, clean up their properties? They work, they have nice cars, boats etc. but they lack the respect to care enough to put their attention into that part of what they own and are responsible for. I wonder if the bigger issue is how much do the parks execs respect whats under them. Do they care as Walt once did? Apparently not.

People might be getting dirtier or more disrespectful, but I find that goes along with the state of repair in the parks.
If a place is pristine, like WDW used to be, then most people will keep it that way. Of course, there are those who won't anyway.
I went to WDW in l978 and was amazed at how clean it was. People notice and most will take care to keep it that way.
If a place is worn down and dirty, they feel why should we keep it clean if disney doesn't. Just MO.
 

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