A Spirited Dirty Dozen ...

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Props to the first to correctly place this character.

Seriously. You need to rename your jpegs if you want us to play along.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

His Twitter, on the other hand, reeks of that truly cringeworthy Disney BRAND advocating that is so deeply despised on this forum. Would not surprise me if he let the Mouse take his soul and mind in exchange for this free publicity.

The college studies description on his LinkedIn page is cringeworthy enough:

Currently enrolled in an Integrated Marketing Communication major with an emphasis on social media management and public relations.​

He's, uh, auditioning for the Mouse. Seen it thousands of times.

 

[Amused to Death]

Would not surprise me if he let the Mouse take his soul and mind in exchange for this free publicity.

If I were 26, I wouldn't mind reposting a bunch of photos/videos in exchange for a free trip to SDL. I wouldn't do it for a cupcake, though. I have my standards.

 

[WDW1974]

I am going to disagree with you on that. A company culture can change in less then 6 months if right leadership is in place. The maint issues the cleanliness can be fixed in the parks if the budget is given and the leadership wants it. Even a good manager can take pride and make major changes in cleanliness immediately with no budget.

The issue is will leadership make it happen? I don't think so but new blood may have a different set of goals and make it happen. I know when I take over a business the first thing I do is change the culture of the business to what I want it to be and then go in and fix the brand. It takes time and money but it can be done. Have done it for companies with 3000 units down to 10 unit chains.

I see moments lately of them doing the right thing even if it is forced by the state of the neglect from past they are doing things. We heard rave reviews on the pirate refurb the work on Main Street building to name a few. So it can be done just not consistently yet.

Disney absolutely is incapable of making the type of change in direction that is needed in six months barring a wholesale change in management (that means everyone from Iger to Chapek to Kalogridis to all their associated top execs go bye-bye).

 

[WDW1974]

The college studies description on his LinkedIn page is cringeworthy enough:

Currently enrolled in an Integrated Marketing Communication major with an emphasis on social media management and public relations.​

He's, uh, auditioning for the Mouse. Seen it thousands of times.

I think this is possible, if not likely ... but he may well already be on the payroll ...
You live in Vegas, you have never even been to the Swamp Kingdom, let alone the international parks, and you suddenly become a leading voice for aggregating SDL content on the Tweeter? He either is working for the Mouse or, as you say, angling to do so. I'm not sure his looks will help him. Social media at Disney isn't as gay as say WDI.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

Social media at Disney isn't as gay as say WDI.

I gotta write that one down!

 

[WDW1974]

Im sure its been discussed but has the company announced any plans to prevent the Shanghai park from being trashed and literally deficated on by guests aain after they officially open? Or were they somewhat aware of the culture and prepared to continually clean up after them? The picture where someone carved graffiti (or whatever you wanna call it) into a light pole is puzzling. It must have taken at least a minute or two. Did a CM or a guest (that cares) not see them doing it?

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Have no idea what Disney is or isn't planning ... knowing how out of touch they were in Paris and Hong Kong, I'd expect it to be a poopie show for the first year. I'd love to see American Lifestylers who visit document how things are ... but it will never happen.

 

[WDW1974]

I gotta write that one down!

You know I write them as I see them ... and that is true!

 

[WDW1974]

Kinda regret passing on that lube info. Its validity is questionable, at best, and further clouded an already confusing topic.

I hear the redhead wasn't happy with you too!

 

[WDW1974]

I never said they were the same. WDW was always known for a quality, uncompromising, second-to-none experience that started a decade-long gradual decline to where it is now. UO was largely irrelevant, always measured itself to the competition down the street and very rapidly let things go after opening a somewhat revolutionary park in IOA.

If anything, UO's size relative to WDW makes their "dark days" worse to me. With an operation as large as WDW's, it's understandable things start falling through the cracks here and there, or small cuts made, all piling up over time. UO had no excuse with much newer and smaller parks.

Once again, I saw UO's "dark days" with my own eyes, experienced the turmoil behind the scenes. While the size of the operations can't be compared, the overall state of WDW is very similar to the way UO was pre-WWOHP and Comcast.

Nope. I think you are letting Disney off easy. Disney wrote the book on the business and quality. They don't get a pass because they were greedy and opened more parks and resorts (that brought in more revenue and profit!) I'd argue that UNI had an excuse because they weren't even really No. 2 until IOA opened in 1999 (and recall that within its first two full years of operation we suffered a recession and the worst attack on our nation since WWII).

Disney simply started conditioning Guests to expecting less, aided greatly by the Internet and, in the last decade, social media.
You wouldn't want to take a quality control walk with me through any, and I do mean ANY, WDW park or resort because you'd realize how bad things really are ... and wonder how many billions it would take just to fix everything that is broken and/or neglected.

 

[NelsonRD]

Nope. I think you are letting Disney off easy. Disney wrote the book on the business and quality. They don't get a pass because they were greedy and opened more parks and resorts (that brought in more revenue and profit!) I'd argue that UNI had an excuse because they weren't even really No. 2 until IOA opened in 1999 (and recall that within its first two full years of operation we suffered a recession and the worst attack on our nation since WWII).

Disney simply started conditioning Guests to expecting less, aided greatly by the Internet and, in the last decade, social media.
You wouldn't want to take a quality control walk with me through any, and I do mean ANY, WDW park or resort because you'd realize how bad things really are ... and wonder how many billions it would take just to fix everything that is broken and/or neglected.

What is your current opinion of the Board of Directors? i.e. Sanders, Dorsey, Smith, among the first few I would like to see go.

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

Wow. George K's "message" reads to me...
Yes, I know guests are complaining about delayed openings, construction walls, price increases, reduced offerings, and nothing new but...Disney Springs is awesome and they should go spend even more money! If you don't tow the company line that "we are improving to make your experience memorable" and smile like a crazy person while saying it, you will be subject to disciplinary action. The Disney Difference has now become how happily you fulfill your expanded job duties in fewer hours with less resources. Thanks in advance for covering our collective butts.

 

[Mike S]

Robert Niles for Theme Park Insider write an article called Why Guardians of the Galaxy > Twilight Zone for Disney's Tower of Terror.
Here's a link to it: http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201605/5069/

He really needs to put down the pipe. Also,

My girls are almost y'all enough for ToT but they would freak the heck out on it. While that's fantastic fun day for me, I kinda want them to actually have good memories (and dreams) at theme parks. So if it's a licensed franchise that trey enjoy then why not.

So because of your damn special snowflakes things have to be ruined for the rest of us? It's the same kind of excuses used for Frostrom

How disconnected from reality is my old pal, George Kalogridis?

Here's a message to WDW's CMs from The Head Queen of the Kingdom:


A Message from George: Crafting Memories, Creating Dreams
May 13, 2016 in Walt Disney World
For several years now, Walt Disney World has been investing in steps to further elevate the Guest experience. We are not setting our sights on simply raising attendance; rather, we are concentrating on making certain that every Guest has an unforgettable experience—one that vastly exceeds expectations. It’s what Walt was talking about when he said, “… quality will win out.” And it remains true today.
In fact, this week, we’ve demonstrated it.
Last night, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, we hosted the Closing Ceremonies for Invictus Games Orlando 2016—the world’s premier adaptive sports competition for wounded, sick or injured armed services personnel and veterans. During the four days of competition, athletes from 14 nations competed in sports ranging from wheelchair tennis, rugby, and basketball to swimming and track and field … and in doing so engaged the hearts of an entire world. If you witnessed the competition in person or on ESPN, you undoubtedly were inspired, and perhaps shed some tears of pride. And the venue we prepared for this event was absolutely world-class—a fitting tribute to the heroism of the competitors.
Add to this that, in just two days, we at Walt Disney World will—for the first time—have all four neighborhoods open in our retail, dining and entertainment district. We will also reveal the heart and soul of that district—the springs for which it is named. When completed, Disney Springs will double the number of shops, restaurants and other venues for guests to explore, resulting in more than 150 establishments. And all will exist in an amazing location that speaks to the site’s backstory—from The Ganachery, where items suggest the shop’s “roots” as a pharmacy, to Morimoto Asia Restaurant, where conveyer lines of bottles and a rooftop sign hint that the building once bottled spring water.
Within these venues, that great Guest experience was delivered—and will be delivered—thanks to the spirit, vision and indomitable, can-do attitude of one of the most amazing groups of people on earth: the Cast of Walt Disney World Resort.
Your hard work, dedication and willingness to go above and beyond do us proud. They did so with a major event that had the attention of royalty and former heads of state. They do so as we unveil the newest neighborhood in a shopping, dining and entertainment district that will soon welcome literally millions of Guests. And they are evident in the way that our Guests love this very special place.
If you have been reading these messages for a while, you know that I usually close them with a call to action. This week, my call is this: be proud of what you have done and be proud of what you are doing. Few organizations in the world could pull off what you accomplish so seemingly effortlessly. Even fewer concentrate so intensely on the Guest experience, and that is a very big part of what makes Disney … Disney.

George A. Kalogridis
President, Walt Disney World Resort

Is he for real?

Nope. I think you are letting Disney off easy. Disney wrote the book on the business and quality. They don't get a pass because they were greedy and opened more parks and resorts (that brought in more revenue and profit!) I'd argue that UNI had an excuse because they weren't even really No. 2 until IOA opened in 1999 (and recall that within its first two full years of operation we suffered a recession and the worst attack on our nation since WWII).

Disney simply started conditioning Guests to expecting less, aided greatly by the Internet and, in the last decade, social media.
You wouldn't want to take a quality control walk with me through any, and I do mean ANY, WDW park or resort because you'd realize how bad things really are ... and wonder how many billions it would take just to fix everything that is broken and/or neglected.

I notice plenty myself already but that quality control walk sounds like nightmare fuel.....

 

[Figments Friend]

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Walking the Parks with 'trained eyes', or with someone with extremely well 'educated-from-direct-experience eyes' brings the visit up to another level entirely.

Highly recommend it if you know people with those 'eyes'.


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[Amused to Death]

So because of your damn special snowflakes things have to be ruined for the rest of us?

Snow White's Scary Adventure, anyone?

Pirates of the Caribbean? Twice, no less, with the PC nonsense. Pirates can't be seen chasing women! Of course, it's still perfectly okay to tie them up and sell them on eBay. And fat women can't be seen chasing after food (excepting Dole Whips and Mickey Waffles, of course).

 

[PhotoDave219]

He could be using an undercover identity though

Errr.... you may want to edit that and not make reference to that.

Never give them an excuse to fire you.

 

[flynnibus]

The park has always anticipated far larger attendance. It is only the right size because it retains the "Chinese don't like rides" concept that was also pushed with Hong Kong Disneyland and that Disney keeps trying to drive down attractions per guest per hour.

Disney doesn't have a great track record of projecting attendance for new properties... so I'm curious to see how it plays out after the first 6mon and hopefully the full park is open.

 

[Mike S]

Snow White's Scary Adventure, anyone?

Pirates of the Caribbean? Twice, no less, with the PC nonsense. Pirates can't be seen chasing women! Of course, it's still perfectly okay to tie them up and sell them on eBay. And fat women can't be seen chasing after food (excepting Dole Whips and Mickey Waffles, of course).

Don't forget Alien Encounter, even though I never tried it when I had the chance because I was scared

 

[Donaldfan1934]

The Walt-era E-Ticket disappeared in 1977, wasn't an original attraction and was changed multiple times by Walt himself. The RoA wasn't as impacted by Fantasmic as you are pushing here. You could stop the show tomorrow and the place looks largely as it did before. When Fantasmic isn't being performed, it doesn't impact the area at all.

The Star Wars Experience is like a giant tumor on the back of DL. Again, whether you like SW or not, the point is destroying so much of the park for an IP that doesn't belong there (unless you are a SW geek who doesn't care and just wants to pilot the 77 Pinto that Hans Solberger drives in the original film: The Wrath of George Lucas!)



No, what also is going away beyond all of those trees that have been cut down and hacked away is possibility: as in the possibility of putting something there that actually belongs or fits more naturally. As to the backstage areas, moving the horses off-site is going to lead to PETA pulling a Blackfish on Disney down the road about transporting them daily and within a decade you won't have horse-drawn streetcars. Take that to the bank. You also had the Pope House, a pre-DL structure get moved off-site.


Not really. You have no idea what trees were destroyed -- the vast, vast majority were removed ... and replanting isn't the same. I've been told since 2004-05 that the trees in Town Square and the Hub just need time to grow in. No, they don't. They are shrubs that are not able to grow much more because Disney wants the castle to tower over the park. Big trees and shade go against that edict.



I think your opinion is obnoxious here. Frankly, I think all the SW and Marvel lovers who want their beloved IP thrown into Disney parks with no regard for the fact it is out of place to be obnoxious. If Bob truly had faith in how much people wanted to step into environments based on that IP, he could have built the 3rd park that Disney has land for, which also would have acted like a pressure valve on overcrowded DL ... again, if that IP is truly as beloved as people say.

I know I've already established this, but no one preaches the hard truth about SWE better than you. You need to write an editorial on it somewhere because that's something I'd LOVE to read. I also love how you compare the trees being removed behind RoA to the trees being removed in the MK central hub back in the mid-2000's. Up until SWE, that was the core example of Disney executives not understanding the fundamental design of an area in an MK park. The central hub was specifically designed to give depth and forced perspective to Cinderella Castle as you aproach it from Main Street. Nowadays, its a flattened concrete wasteland that doesn't even have shrubs anymore. It actually ends up taking away from castle build up since its barrenness creates bad sightlines that were never meant to be seen from Main Street. But unlike the travesty at DL's RoA, there's still a possibility that a future management team may end up allowing the central hub to be restored to its proper glory. Just to be clear, that's definitely not something I'm willing to bet on (although, the seemingly eternal BAH actually ended up getting removed, so you never know.), but there's still better odds of that and just about every possible refurb, restoration, or new attraction happening in my lifetime than SWE ever being removed. That alone should speak volumes about the cancerous effects that this will bring upon what was once Walt's Park.

 

[Figments Friend]

.....given the earlier discussion of SWE being shoehorned into and at the expense of DL.
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via Figment Jedi on tweeter

Egad....

I find this photo to be extremely depressing.
Looks like a full quarter of the Park being converted over.

Photos really cannot accurately capture the full scope and scale of this project.
Seeing the decimation in person two weeks ago was a experience that made quite a emotional impact on me.
Seeing the scale of it all, and so easily from within Guest areas had a real shock factor.




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