50 MAGICal Enhancements for the 50th ...

[Kman101]

So you thank them for calling out the playground taunt and add one of your own.

Really? You're going to focus on that? Come on now. I admit I shouldn't have put it that way but you're going to be that guy? EDIT: It also wasn't meant the way you want to make it out to be, but that's OK. Guess you don't like my posts. But it's the truth. That was in no way a taunt. Don't turn this into something it isn't before the posts are deleted. You could have simply sent me a private message if you have an issue.

 

[Kman101]

General cleanliness has dropped considerably even in the past 6 years, let alone what it used to be in the 90s and before. From 2010 until well into the second half of 2016 there had been a steady and clear decline in the speed with which bathrooms, trash and dirty surfaces were addressed.

The silver lining is that the last 6 months or so have improved noticeably. Not nearly to the standard it was in the 90s and before (the mid to late 90 was the slow beginning of this decline and you could see the signs even back then), but considerably better than it has in quite a while. This is probably due them gearing up for the 50th, not unlike how Disneyland was cleaned up for its 50th (though i doubt WDW will reach that high standard). But also probably due to TDO management being reprimanded last year by Chapek for their poor job (assuming they learned anything from this). It remains to be seen whether they will expand and maintain this higher standard once the 50th is over.

There was absolutely a drop in quality. And I do wish the castmembers were held to higher standards as well. You were at least given the allusion that it was spotless and perfect. It was even poked fun at over the years.

 

[truecoat]

Really? You're going to focus on that? Come on now. I admit I shouldn't have put it that way but you're going to be that guy? EDIT: It also wasn't meant the way you want to make it out to be, but that's OK. Guess you don't like my posts. But it's the truth. That was in no way a taunt. Don't turn this into something it isn't before the posts are deleted. You could have simply sent me a private message if you have an issue.

Interesting response.

Po·dunk
ˈpōˌdəNGk/
noun
USinformal

1. a hypothetical small town regarded as typically dull or insignificant.

I suppose you could have used Hicksville, USA?

 

[Kman101]

Interesting response.

Po·dunk
ˈpōˌdəNGk/
noun
USinformal

1. a hypothetical small town regarded as typically dull or insignificant.

I suppose you could have used Hicksville, USA?

Stop.

I know how I used it and why. Don't turn this into something. I live in a small "podunk town" FYI and no that doesn't mean I should have said it but just stop. I know the definition, thanks Don't forget to quote Spirit when he calls people hicks, etc.

You're baiting at this point (and further derailing the thread)

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

My argument is based on personal experience, yes. However I am in a position to more closely witness recent declines and improvements to the parks than many others given that for the last 6+ years now i have lived close to WDW (extremely close for the past year) and frequent the parks moreso than many others. Though i also visited dozens of times during the 90s as well when i still lived out of state, so I have a pretty good grasp on how it was maintained then as well.

The past 6 months I have noticed a clear reduction in uncollected trash and unattended bathroom filth, which had reached an obscene level in the last couple years prior. It is better. Clearly someone in Burbank seemed to agree with my views on upkeep too (who are far from perfect themselves so that should tell you something), given that the Orlando team was reprimanded last year for this. This definitely seems to have helped thing somewhat...

Not related specifically to WDW, but my mom visited Disneyland in the 60s and joked that Disneyland's pathways looked clean enough to eat off at the time.

 

[Mike S]

The term fanbois is nothing more than a playground taunt that lowers the level of discourse by pigeonholing people you disagree with.

If conversation can't be maintained without stereotyping disguised as convoluted name calling then perhaps the conversation is best not had (words that I myself could do better at following at times).

I agree. The type of people I described are not worth having a conversation with since they're completely incapable of critical analysis and any critique they see is answered with "if you hate it so much why do you go!!!"

Silly Fanbois. If we hated it we wouldn't waste our time with critiques aimed at what should be improved.

Of course as consumers, that's what we want, but Disney's desires in this category obviously differs from ours.

As for the validity of opinion, that's a subjective judgement. I agree with you, but there are many opinions that aren't glowing around here that have just as little credence.

That would be the "Haters." The polar opposite of Fanbois that can't be impressed by anything. I'd like to think most of us here are somewhere in the middle with some leaning a bit closer to one side or the other.

 

[TiggerDad]

I'm needing to plan a trip to DLP this September, as I have two Delta One tickets that I need to use or lose (won them last September during an employee event with my current employer, lucky me!). I also need to plan a trip to Tokyo in 2018, as the flight benefits I have with my former employer run out in January 2019. Never ventured outside of the US, except for the Bahamas, so any tips that anyone who has been to these parks before may have, for either trip (flights, hotels, dining, tickets, etc.), would be very welcome, indeed!!!

This is likely to get lost on this thread but there are other forums on this site for those parks that may be more helpful for you. Although I was checking out the DLP one for my upcoming trip and it was relatively quiet.

I do strongly recommend trips to foreign countries and other Disney parks specifically. There is a great big world out there and it's awesome.

 

[Kman101]

Cruises are a great way to get out of the bubble and see a few new places if anyone hesitates flying ...

 

[Kman101]

This is likely to get lost on this thread but there are other forums on this site for those parks that may be more helpful for you. Although I was checking out the DLP one for my upcoming trip and it was relatively quiet.

I do strongly recommend trips to foreign countries and other Disney parks specifically. There is a great big world out there and it's awesome.

I've started pricing out Paris. Not necessarily flights, not nearly at that point (probably next year), but rooms/tickets. @WDWFigment's site is a wonderful resource. Disney Tourist Blog. I often check for new posts on his site. I think he and I are similar in quite a few viewpoints. I really enjoy the blog.

It's been hard at times to find information about the other parks around the globe but his site (and a few others) are really expanding that. It's been much easier the last few years to find info, especially now that the bloggers have gotten out of the safety of WDW and ventured to the other places.

TDR Explorer also is a fantastic resource for Tokyo Disney.

 

[nor'easter]

It's OK to be wrong.

Good for you for acknowledging that. You shouldn't feel bad.

 

[RunnerEd]

I have a strong idea they are never going to fix the yeti and decided this many moons ago when things started falling on Guests. They don't want anything moving above Guests' heads and that includes a giant AA. Hope I am wrong.

Is there any indication that they will do something with the final scene? A screen based Yeti or some type of hologram would be an improvement over disco.

 

[ParentsOf4]

While I don't necessarily disagree. Your argument is purely anecdotal. I'm not making excuses or by any means sticking up for TDO, but given the expansion that has taken place from the 70's through today and the amount of and type of people who travel through WDW, I don't know if an army of cleaning and maintenance staff could ever bring things up to the way in which we perceive they were.

It's really simple to understand why cleanliness and maintenance were so much better.

The CM-to-Guest ratio is lower than what it once was in the 1970s and 1980s before (under Michael Eisner) Disney leadership began to look for ways to reduce operating costs in order to increase margin.

Lighting problems such as this at the Grand Floridian:

Simply would have been unacceptable under the old Disney standard.

I'll be staying at the Polynesian in 3 months and intend to see if it's improved. It's a bit like a well-known rock band who asked for M&M's with all brown ones removed. It's a quick visual check to see if management is paying attention to the details.

 

[Thanks phoenicians]

Is it bad that I'm more excited for all these refurbs at MK than TSL? If all of the classic dark rides and maybe the ugly new facade in fantasyland get work that would be awesome. It would be really great to get an actual expansion/big new e ticket for the 50th though. Also at mk yesterday and noticed the fog/mist on POTC wasn't working and the blue bird in the last scene of SM was talking without moving its beak.

 

[Goob]

Which new facade in Fantasyland are you talking about?

 

[Thanks phoenicians]

Which new facade in Fantasyland are you talking about?

Not sure if it's new but the IASW one. Imo the fantasyland in DL has a much better feel to it due to their architecture.

 

[HMF]

Also at mk yesterday and noticed the fog/mist on POTC wasn't working

To me that's actually a good thing. That effect does not belong there anyway.

 

[Goob]

Not sure if it's new but the IASW one. Imo the fantasyland in DL has a much better feel to it due to their architecture.

I agree. It being outside and it's own structure at DL makes it way better and seem more "important."

EDIT: referring to IASW.

 

[Kman101]

The mist effect was working on 3/29 for Pirates. But the ride was down just about all day.

 

[Kman101]

Since this ends up a catch all, while at the World this week, I had to have a good chuckle over the poor castmembers who are forced to work the theater shows and have to repeat ad nauseum to move down. I noticed so many guests just simply sit there and ignore them. I have mixed feelings on this. I get why they say what they do and that they have to, but at the same time, it's mass chaos when a theater is loaded. Just let the guests park their butts where they want. No one is going to be denied a seat if someone parks themselves in the middle. So what if you have to move around someone? Why not just let the guest be happy and sit where they want. It would save a lot of stress on everyone involved.

I noticed pretty good cast members this visit, but one blonde was pretty rude to me at Festival of the Lion King. She was bringing in a few guests to where I was seated, and it wasn't full (several benches were empty-ish, but slowly being filled by stragglers). I was nice and said I was simply sitting on the end because how was I to know there were more guests coming, the show started and the doors were closed. I didn't move quite yet and said I would when I saw them, it wasn't a big deal, but man, she sure thought it was. I just had to laugh. My Animal Kingdom day was just such an off day ... but I promise you I wasn't refusing to move, I'm not at all like that, but I did see guests at Rivers of Light flat out refuse to move down. I mean, you don't have to be rude to the cast member, it's their job. But at the same time, why can't guests just go around each other and sit where they want to? (I know "safety" and all that, but what about when a guest exits a theater and steps all over you; that's just fine)

 

[ford91exploder]

It's really simple to understand why cleanliness and maintenance were so much better.

The CM-to-Guest ratio is lower than what it once was in the 1970s and 1980s before (under Michael Eisner) Disney leadership began to look for ways to reduce operating costs in order to increase margin.

Lighting problems such as this at the Grand Floridian:

View attachment 197434

Simply would have been unacceptable under the old Disney standard.

I'll be staying at the Polynesian in 3 months and intend to see if it's improved. It's a bit like a well-known rock band who asked for M&M's with all brown ones removed. It's a quick visual check to see if management is paying attention to the details.

The details you mention which built Disneys reputation as the premier theme park operator. Now are considered expensive non-essentials by the current management. Most of the popcorn lighting on the poly has been 'fixed' by turning it off...