News Disney's own survey is a list of Walt Disney World's 50-anniversary shortcomings

[Jrb1979]

Depends on the kid. My 14yo likes Disney. Meaning the classics, the fab 5 and all that. Marvel is fine but looked at separately to them. Star Wars same. Just because it is at Disney and now owned by Disney, doesn't make it feel like it's "real Disney" to them as weird as that sounds.

Then you have my neices who are 12 and 13 can aren't into any IP for anything. For them what matters at a park is how good the rides are.

 

[correcaminos]

Then you have my neices who are 12 and 13 can aren't into any IP for anything. For them what matters at a park is how good the rides are.

Yep! You'll have all types! Really doubt you could get a super strong consensus with all kids.

 

[Jrb1979]

Yep! You'll have all types! Really doubt you could get a super strong consensus with all kids.

I think a lot of the Disney attachment comes from the parents. If your kids grew up going to parks a lot then most likely as they get older they will have that love for Disney.

 

[Bocabear]

Until they find out that they are not going to college because Mom and Dad chose Disney and lightning lane for the last few vacations...lol

 

[HauntedPirate]

I think a lot of the Disney attachment comes from the parents. If your kids grew up going to parks a lot then most likely as they get older they will have that love for Disney.

Not the case at all. You have to build emotional attachments and nostalgia, not milk it for all its worth and bleed it dry. When Mom and Dad refuse to go to the place anymore, and take the kids other places with different kinds of fun things to do, what does that build or foster in the kids? Certainly not a love of Disney parks.

 

[Jrb1979]

Not the case at all. You have to build emotional attachments and nostalgia, not milk it for all its worth and bleed it dry. When Mom and Dad refuse to go to the place anymore, and take the kids other places with different kinds of fun things to do, what does that build or foster in the kids? Certainly not a love of Disney parks.

I wasn't talking about the park side of it.

 

[correcaminos]

I think a lot of the Disney attachment comes from the parents. If your kids grew up going to parks a lot then most likely as they get older they will have that love for Disney.

Again I think it can vary. My kid grew up on it but I gave choices on what to do and where to go. My mom took us all as kids a few times. I think my one sibling was the biggest fan late teens but it shifted. I go often. The one just mentioned goes infrequently and is meh on Disney movies and such. The third kid goes even less and even less care for other aspects. The former biggest fan sibling knocks it often but yet their offspring secretly reads up on it all and only says they don't want to go or watch because I think they feel pressured into not liking it. The same offspring knew way more about Space 220 than my own kid did or my spouse.

For some there are connections emotionally (me for sure) but others may not develop the same. And some develop a love in spite of parents.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I think TWDC brass hate the state of Florida and do the bare minimum at WDW as a result.

 

[bjlc57]

they are missing a couple of voting spots.. like.. I hate the transportation to and From WDW.. and I hate the Genie....and I hate bob cheapskate..

 

[Figments Friend]

The SSE lights, water pageant, and monorail lights should have been 3rd tier additions for the 50th. The fact that several posters keep mentioning them as the best part of the celebration is just sad.

Indeed.

The only three nice things to surface from this muddy mess of a 'anniversary celebration'.

-

 

[mgf]

Seems like the New Disney is lacking capacity and any sort of spontaneity...which to me equals a lack of magic and a real loss of having a relaxed enjoyable vacation.

We've given our vacation dollars to Legoland the last two summers. The ability to walk in with essentially zero planning and for the kids to be able to point to what they want to ride and get to ride it have been huge selling points.

We stayed on property at LL this time and it struck me that they are leaning into all those little extras that used to make Disney stand out. Every restaurant has custom napkins, toiletries are all branded (and you can take them!), kids get a little surprise in the room every night, characters visit in the lobby, there is a resort newspaper outside your door the day after you check in, etc, etc.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I just came back from my first visit to WDW, specifically MK. If I didn’t follow this type of news and if it weren’t for the 50th medallion on the castle, I don’t think I would have known that the resort was celebrating 50 years of operation. This is the quietest Disney park milestone celebration I’ve ever experienced.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

I just came back from my first visit to WDW, specifically MK. If I didn’t follow this type of news and if it weren’t for the 50th medallion on the castle, I don’t think I would have known that the resort was celebrating 50 years of operation. This is the quietest Disney park milestone celebration I’ve ever experienced.

Maybe there wasn't much celebration because they didn't want one.
Maybe they want the nostalgia gone and replaced by new IP and new ideas and new ways to gouge the guests?
I don't know, but why would they Not celebrate something that has been so important in the past of WDW? Makes you wonder?

 

[trainplane3]

At least some parks know how to lean into their history to end a day!

Knotts did a great job.
Cedar Point did a great job.
Kings Island did a great job.

It's almost like their management knows nostalgia should be the center of an anniversary. Remember the past but also celebrate where the park is at now. I do love the idea of "small Ohio parks show Disney what an anniversary is meant to be".


The commercials even showed them up.

For anniversary specific things, Disney got one single thing right and that's the Electrical Water Pageant tag. That's it. It's amazing what good things can happen when management stays out of it (or...uh...forgot it exists) and creatives have full control.

 

[correcaminos]

Knotts did a great job.
Cedar Point did a great job.
Kings Island did a great job.

It's almost like their management knows nostalgia should be the center of an anniversary. Remember the past but also celebrate where the park is at now. I do love the idea of "small Ohio parks show Disney what an anniversary is meant to be".


The commercials even showed them up.

For anniversary specific things, Disney got one single thing right and that's the Electrical Water Pageant tag. That's it. It's amazing what good things can happen when management stays out of it (or...uh...forgot it exists) and creatives have full control.

I personally wouldn't call Cedar Point a small Ohio park!

I do think the EWP end is great. I also like SSE's upgrades for the 50th. Better than the fireworks at least.

 

[trainplane3]

I personally wouldn't call Cedar Point a small Ohio park!

I do think the EWP end is great. I also like SSE's upgrades for the 50th. Better than the fireworks at least.

"Small" when compared to the monster that is WDW. Actually heading there this weekend too.

SSE was going to happen regardless of the 50th so I kinda count it as a 50th thing but it's not truly a thing that happened because of the 50th.

 

[LSLS]

Knotts did a great job.
Cedar Point did a great job.
Kings Island did a great job.

It's almost like their management knows nostalgia should be the center of an anniversary. Remember the past but also celebrate where the park is at now. I do love the idea of "small Ohio parks show Disney what an anniversary is meant to be".


The commercials even showed them up.

For anniversary specific things, Disney got one single thing right and that's the Electrical Water Pageant tag. That's it. It's amazing what good things can happen when management stays out of it (or...uh...forgot it exists) and creatives have full control.

Cedar Point really did do great. The ONLY complaint I know of is that people really thought there would be a new ride for it. BUT, they had committed to KI for the big bad new ride (which was very needed). But the shows, the workers, everything was just incredible. Excited to get back there.

 

[trainplane3]

Cedar Point really did do great. The ONLY complaint I know of is that people really thought there would be a new ride for it. BUT, they had committed to KI for the big bad new ride (which was very needed). But the shows, the workers, everything was just incredible. Excited to get back there.

Snake River Expedition was the new ride. I know people wanted their 500ft RMC aquatrax but SRE is a solid family ride. And considering they're doubling down on family experiences, people probably won't be happy for a bit.

Anyways, I'll drop the Cedar Fair stuff and let the thread go back to how crap the WDW 50th is.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I have to wonder if the suits at "Disney" want everyone to forget that Old Dead Guy and his vision and values, and that's why there was little to no nostalgia attached to the 50th celebration...

 

[drizgirl]

I have to wonder if the suits at "Disney" want everyone to forget that Old Dead Guy and his vision and values, and that's why there was little to no nostalgia attached to the 50th celebration...

I don’t know what their reason was, but it’s very obvious they didn’t want him to be part of the celebration. There is no excuse for him being left out of Enchantment.