50 MAGICal Enhancements for the 50th ...

[WDW1974]

I'm somewhere between you and @WDW1974. Don't know if you'd consider me a young whipper-snapper too!

Part of what made WDW so special, especially in the 1970s, was the time. Between urban decay, Watergate, CIA revelations, the gas crisis, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Stagflation, and an endless stream of depressing news, it felt like the world was falling apart.

Unlike today, other amusement parks were skeevy places to visit. For someone from the Northeast, Disneyland was practically on the other side of the World.

When Walt Disney World opened, we finally had our own haven from the woes that so troubled us.

The old Disney was deeply committed to quality. When Epcot was in the works, executives were genuinely concerned about the quality of Cast Members, thinking they had already hired the best Florida had to offer.

In keeping with Walt's vision, shops were intended to be part of the entertainment, not sell the same generic merchandise found at local stores.

The commitment to quality was uncompromising. I've told the story of the chipped park bench my brother and friends found during one of our early trips. When we came back the next day, that chip had been repaired and the bench looked brand new.

I remember food being pretty bad though. I don't think that picked up until the 1990s.

Prices truly were much more affordable. After the opening of Epcot, a three-day theme park ticket cost today's equivalent of about $85. A tower room at the Contemporary could be booked for today's equivalent of around $200-250 per night depending on the season.

These were not cheap prices in the 1970s and 1980s; WDW was still the most expensive theme park in the United States. But these prices pale in comparison to today's WDW.

Although I am pleased to see WDW once again trending upward, it's got a long way to go before it will come close to its former glory.

Very, very well put. And without charts and graphs. You are impressive, my friend!

I can go on and on and on about the things I loved about WDW in the 70s and 80s. Simply put, it was a better run, higher caliber product with truly world class Guest Service in the middle of no where (that was O-Town until the 90s building binge). Yes, the prices back then were high compared to the rest, but not compared to what people earned versus today.

WDW is trending upward in some areas (although what do you say to visitors to EPCOT and DHS now?), but overall it still has issues. I won't criticize the good as FINALLY there is some. And I won't get lathered up that Bob Iger really cares when he did nothing for the place from 2005 until very recently.

I still miss the original Top of the World brunches, running around EPCOT until after midnight on Spring Break, the quiet WDW Village at LBV, the steaks at Tangaroa Terrace, TREES everywhere, swimming in the lake at River Country while fireworks burst high over the Contemporary and Space Mountain, live music everywhere, the Diamond Horseshoe, the hours long studio tour at Disney-MGM, shops with cool stuff that wasn't all Disney, shops that you couldn't bring a double-wide stroller into, the original WDW Italian salad dressing (which is about 96% back at The Boathouse now), TREES everywhere, Jack Wagner on the radio and all over the resort, Mr. Toad and the submarines, walking up to EPCOT restaurants and getting a table, the amazing original music of EPCOT Center, no gates on attractions or monorails, TREES everywhere, real menus at restaurants (something back at signature locales now), Swan Boats peacefully gliding around the Hub waterways, TREES everywhere, quick serve at the Soundstage Restaurant, bad pizza at Lancer's Inn, Mickey with a Musket at FW, fountains with water (not plants and garbage) in Adventureland, no FPs, sleeping on the beach at the Poly or Contemporary, great buffets at the Terrace restaurant at Contemporary, the Empress Lilly (no, not the poster!), TREES everywhere, characters on waterskis, frozen grape juice bars, thin attractive CMs who understood English (yeah, I guess saying that means I'm as racist as some of the folks on the political forum ), the Festival of the Masters, TREES everywhere, the hope of monorail expansion and WS expansion, always something new to see or do ... yeah, I could go on and on and on ... Did I mention TREES everywhere?

 

[WDW1974]

I had those experiences and they were great.

I'll add one more...when the LBV Shopping Village (what is it called now?) only had one (smallish) Disney branded shop!

Yup. The Character shop was located right where WoD is now. That was the largest WDW shop until 1995, but the rest of the Village was largely Disney free for years.

I still want some blogger to write about the hair salon and pet shop that existed at WDW Village for a brief time in the 70s because I never saw them and they are most definitely a piece of the tapestry that no one ever talks about.

 

[Kman101]

No, but you'll never have the life experiences or the perspective. I have many 20-something friends (even a few that I don't even pick up here for Spirited Quickees on what used to be the FW beach!) and they are so intelligent and have great minds, but there is something for actually having lived something and experienced an era.

Folks that love those tacky colorful arches that welcome you to WDW (and often result in accidents as idiots think they should be able to take photos under them) will never get the experience of coming to WDW when it was hidden away amidst miles and miles of forest and listening to Jack Wagner (the long dead voice of WDW who you might own a tee shirt of his Spanish line about the doors on the monorails) on WDW Radio (no, not Lou Mongello's tax shelter). Swimming in Bay Lake. MK closing regularly at 6 p.m. in offseasons and EPCOT closing at midnight regularly in peak seasons. There's a whole generation now that has no clue what getting into WDW pre-9/11 was like (no security theater). A generation that doesn't get when Disney wasn't what WDW was selling constantly. A generation that has no idea WDW once was a place with NO character dining. No pin trading. No timeshares. Almost no buses. No 400-pounders on stage (I know I'm going to take heat for this, but morbid obesity didn't fit the Disney ideal so those people, if hired, were backstage). CMs who took pride in their jobs... I could go on and on.

But experience and perspective come with age. I don't dismiss anyone with an intelligent thought just because they're younger (I need to drink their blood to stay young, after all!) But the reality of life is nobody wants to have a 25-year-old surgeon or pilot etc for a reason.

I see your point but I still disagree to each their own though! We all started somewhere a 25 year old could have a lifetime of other life experiences compared to you. But I'm probably just arguing at this point. Some say nostalgia can be a bit like hiding behind rose colored glasses. I don't quite consider myself either a millenial or a gen-xer. Stuck in-between and golly gee I can still remember riding Toad and the Subs. But I guess I don't know what the resort was like

 

[Mike S]

Well, Alaska is amazing (until the government decides to destroy it) so no sympathy there. I have been trying to get back there since I was there last in 2003! ... But I will give you a short lecture that @WDWFigment is much better at. And that is a trip to Tokyo is not nearly as pricey as you may think and 'can' (doesn't mean will) be less expensive than a similar visit to WDW.

We are in the midst of finalizing plans for our trip and everything from hotels (4-star caliber) to admission media to food (again, depending on where we eat) is less than what people pay in O-Town. And the flights are quite reasonable now as well ... not the old days where a fare under $1,800 would be considered great. Now, flights from the west coast can often be had for not much more than $500 round trip.

People make a lot of excuses, and some have valid reasons, but the bottom line is a visit to Tokyo may well be less expensive than a visit to the swamps.

What about for someone like me who only lives about 3 hours from WDW? Tokyo would be a heck of a step up in price. Probably even over a trip to Disneyland.

 

[asianway]

Yup. The Character shop was located right where WoD is now. That was the largest WDW shop until 1995, but the rest of the Village was largely Disney free for years.

I still want some blogger to write about the hair salon and pet shop that existed at WDW Village for a brief time in the 70s because I never saw them and they are most definitely a piece of the tapestry that no one ever talks about.

Sounds like a job for Foxxy

 

[Kman101]

I have to agree with 1974 on this one. To read about, see pictures, and watch video is still not the same as actually being somewhere and experiencing something. And I was a full grown adult when @WDW1974 was born, so he's still a bit of a young whipper-snapper in my eyes.

It's not the same, no, but you can still understand it. I just don't think you should dismiss someone simply because of age. Again, probably arguing to argue at this point ...

 

[Kman101]

What about for someone like me who only lives about 3 hours from WDW? Tokyo would be a heck of a step up in price. Probably even over a trip to Disneyland.

I've heard costs aren't awful ... I can't wait to go to Tokyo personally. Paris is also high up on the list with Hong Kong in between

 

[Kman101]

Wanted to say I know we're all talking about two different types of "experience" (I mean life experience as in actual life, but I know we're talking about living in the 70s, clearly a lot of us couldn't have but I still say you can understand the way it used to be without having been there) ... sorry for the thread derail! Long day ... don't mind me. Delete posts if need be ...

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I'm not sure an appeal to popularity proves the quality of the parks... I mean, is McDonald's the best fast food chain?

And how do we know what the guests think? A lot of very frequent guests on these boards would disagree that Disney has improved WDW over the last 20 years.

Well said. Especially on the popularity not equaling quality. The two are absolutely not necessarily correlated. Hence also the popularity of the Twilight book and movie series, the Transformers movies, most mobile phone games and countless other things I could list.

A major reason WDW is still popular is nostalgia. WDW grew its popularity organically by providing a quality experience in the 70s, 80s and even parts of the 90s. As such, even with declining standards, WDW is able to coast on a degree of nostalgia (bolstered by marketing of course) to still enjoy success today.

Nostalgia doesn't last forever though if people catch on to being scammed, and seeing leadership not putting the proper effort in anymore.

 

[Mike S]

I've heard costs aren't awful ... I can't wait to go to Tokyo personally. Paris is also high up on the list with Hong Kong in between

Japan in general is on my bucket list, both Tokyo and Kyoto. I need a pic at Nintendo HQ.

Yes I'm a nerd

 

[Kman101]

Japan in general is on my bucket list, both Tokyo and Kyoto. I need a pic at Nintendo HQ.

Yes I'm a nerd

We're all a little nerdy here

I'm dying to get to Japan. Cannot wait. The fact that it has two of the best Disney parks is just the icing on the sundae.

 

[Scuttle]

Very, very well put. And without charts and graphs. You are impressive, my friend!

I can go on and on and on about the things I loved about WDW in the 70s and 80s. Simply put, it was a better run, higher caliber product with truly world class Guest Service in the middle of no where (that was O-Town until the 90s building binge). Yes, the prices back then were high compared to the rest, but not compared to what people earned versus today.

WDW is trending upward in some areas (although what do you say to visitors to EPCOT and DHS now?), but overall it still has issues. I won't criticize the good as FINALLY there is some. And I won't get lathered up that Bob Iger really cares when he did nothing for the place from 2005 until very recently.

I still miss the original Top of the World brunches, running around EPCOT until after midnight on Spring Break, the quiet WDW Village at LBV, the steaks at Tangaroa Terrace, TREES everywhere, swimming in the lake at River Country while fireworks burst high over the Contemporary and Space Mountain, live music everywhere, the Diamond Horseshoe, the hours long studio tour at Disney-MGM, shops with cool stuff that wasn't all Disney, shops that you couldn't bring a double-wide stroller into, the original WDW Italian salad dressing (which is about 96% back at The Boathouse now), TREES everywhere, Jack Wagner on the radio and all over the resort, Mr. Toad and the submarines, walking up to EPCOT restaurants and getting a table, the amazing original music of EPCOT Center, no gates on attractions or monorails, TREES everywhere, real menus at restaurants (something back at signature locales now), Swan Boats peacefully gliding around the Hub waterways, TREES everywhere, quick serve at the Soundstage Restaurant, bad pizza at Lancer's Inn, Mickey with a Musket at FW, fountains with water (not plants and garbage) in Adventureland, no FPs, sleeping on the beach at the Poly or Contemporary, great buffets at the Terrace restaurant at Contemporary, the Empress Lilly (no, not the poster!), TREES everywhere, characters on waterskis, frozen grape juice bars, thin attractive CMs who understood English (yeah, I guess saying that means I'm as racist as some of the folks on the political forum ), the Festival of the Masters, TREES everywhere, the hope of monorail expansion and WS expansion, always something new to see or do ... yeah, I could go on and on and on ... Did I mention TREES everywhere?

Did you go to school to be a botanist?

 

[The Duck]

To be fair, Body Wars was kinda cheesy from the day it opened. Cranium Command was awesome, though.

Body Wars always made me nauseous while Star Tours gave me no problems whatsoever. Go figure.

 

[Kman101]

Body Wars always made me nauseous while Star Tours gave me no problems whatsoever. Go figure.

Gee, I can remember Body Wars too. Subs, Toad and Body Wars left a lasting impression. I was always terrified of Body Wars.

 

[Mike S]

Gee, I can remember Body Wars too. Subs, Toad and Body Wars left a lasting impression. I was always terrified of Body Wars.

The one memory I have of Body Wars is also me not liking it much. Subs I have no memory of as I was only a year old by the time it closed.

 

[Casper Gutman]

The one memory I have of Body Wars is also me not liking it much. Subs I have no memory of as I was only a year old by the time it closed.

BW was an odd duck - it was a strangely unlikeable ride, with the tone and aesthetic of a low-budget late-70s sci-fi film. It's one of only a few non-IP-based WDW properties that didn't produce a character that nostalgia (and marketing) can latch on to.

This opinion may be more personal, but I also never loved the subs. If it weren't for the decades long wait, the trade-off for NFL would be a good one.

Toad was a genuine loss, even if it was a simple little ride. FL should be packed with dark rides (see DL) and Toad was probably my favorite. A new Toad done with modern tech (mystic manor style trackless, with several reckless drivers veering around each other?) would be great.

 

[Kman101]

And Toad and Subs (yes even with Nemo overlay) were the first two rides I hit when I went to Disneyland back in 2008 The very first two. For obvious reasons.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Well said. Especially on the popularity not equaling quality. The two are absolutely not necessarily correlated. Hence also the popularity of the Twilight book and movie series, the Transformers movies, most mobile phone games and countless other things I could list.

A major reason WDW is still popular is nostalgia. WDW grew its popularity organically by providing a quality experience in the 70s, 80s and even parts of the 90s. As such, even with declining standards, WDW is able to coast on a degree of nostalgia (bolstered by marketing of course) to still enjoy success today.

Nostalgia doesn't last forever though if people catch on to being scammed, and seeing leadership not putting the proper effort in anymore.

One thing Disney management doesn't seem to grasp is how unique and tenuous Disney's place in world culture is. Walt was a unique genius, of course, and he made a lot of wise and risky decisions at just the right moment. But Disney's fortunes were also tightly bound to a series of cultural shifts that can never be replicated - the Depression's elevation of the everyman figure, WWII, the decline of the city and rise of the suburbs, the advent of TV, changing notions of childhood and proper child-raising, baby-boomer nostalgia, etc. For sixty or seventy years, Disney as a brand was at the right place at the right moment to benefit from all sorts of cultural shifts.

The upshot is that Disney's role in American and world culture is priceless. Once its squandered, even the wisest management team will never, ever be able to rebuild it. Right now, Disney is doing a great job preserving that legacy in film - and a great job destroying it at the parks.

 

[Mike S]

And Toad and Subs (yes even with Nemo overlay) were the first two rides I hit when I went to Disneyland back in 2008 The very first two. For obvious reasons.

My first was Indiana Jones, for obvious reasons

 

[BrianLo]

What about for someone like me who only lives about 3 hours from WDW? Tokyo would be a heck of a step up in price. Probably even over a trip to Disneyland.

When I brought it up I didn't mean to direct it per-say to the locals. Obviously there is a major cost differential between someone (like you) who can do a day trip and someone who has to fly there to stay for a week.

It's more for the people who are staying on property. I also didn't mean to imply Tokyo is the only answer. Even Disneyland is well worth it to see the other side of things. For the North Easterners who fly down annually and drop thousands and thousands of dollars to stay on property, yes you can easily do any Disney park worldwide for a more reasonable budget.

But I also just don't get the allure of staying with Disney, at any resort worldwide frankly. So that probably makes things more affordable. I also have never actually understood how people are getting value at DVC, Disney has done a number on people.

The other thing to do is to start saving up points (not the DVC kind), that how I initially started the crazy traveling.