A Spirited Dirty Dozen ...

[ford91exploder]

More a comparison on how things have changed.

And how things grab your attention. Maybe some people are just more observant.

Some of us are trained observers in college majored in Engineering and minored in Photography paid for school by being a photographer when you are a photographer you are trained to SEE everything and how it will affect the image you are trying to create. So I 'see' things that others skip over.

 

[alphac2005]

I agree that things have changed however it's not as bad as the doom and gloom picture that is painted here. I'm in the parks at least once every other month and don't agree with half the crap that is posted on this board.

I think that many of us so-called old timers around here would like to know when you first started visiting? The reality of today and the past standards of WDW are stark and vivid.

 

[wdwfan22]

I think that many of us so-called old timers around here would like to know when you first started visiting? The reality of today and the past standards of WDW are stark and vivid.

1980 was my first visit.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I think that many of us so-called old timers around here would like to know when you first started visiting? The reality of today and the past standards of WDW are stark and vivid.

Remember the early 90s?

 

[alphac2005]

1980 was my first visit.

Sounds like me. You haven't seen a massive change in the property from how things operated up until the late 90's? Then subsequently in different chunks over the past decade and a half? As I mentioned in my post, there were some things that actually looked a lot BETTER than our last visit, certain attractions, the monorail we were on, etc., but overall, the standards have fallen off the proverbial cliff. Paint peeling, missing, shrubs not well groomed, major show elements not working while in operation, all those little things, that simply didn't happen in a prior era there. Sections of lights burnt out on signs, banners faded beyond being able to read easily.

 

[Quinnmac000]

As the saying goes every great empire must fall. Adieu Adieu to the Disney we once knew.

And Bob is full of crap oh yea we priced people out because we wanted to moderate crowds is the biggest load of bull I ever heard. They were being greedy and realized their greed had a limit and people stopped coming to the parks in Florida. Disneyland isn't a surprise though, would expect crowds to go up based on AP holders using their passes to justify price increases.

Lastly, don't discount your safety at Disneyworld. Yea you may not be attacked and they may have security but be vigilant and aware of ALL your surroundings. That's howmany people get stopped before stuff goes off

 

[alphac2005]

These type of things are so hard NOT to notice, even if you're not actively walking through the park with a notepad jotting down all the decline

Ha! I would have run out of a notepad if I even tried....

 

[IanDLBZF]

Lastly, don't discount your safety at Disneyworld. Yea you may not be attacked and they may have security but be vigilant and aware of ALL your surroundings. That's howmany people get stopped before stuff goes off

Great point! That is a must, not just at WDW, not just at UNI either, but anywhere for that matter. Thank you @Quinnmac000!

 

[ford91exploder]

Remember the early 90s?

I do - and they were AMAZING!

 

[wdwfan22]

Sounds like me. You haven't seen a massive change in the property from how things operated up until the late 90's? Then subsequently in different chunks over the past decade and a half? As I mentioned in my post, there were some things that actually looked a lot BETTER than our last visit, certain attractions, the monorail we were on, etc., but overall, the standards have fallen off the proverbial cliff. Paint peeling, missing, shrubs not well groomed, major show elements not working while in operation, all those little things, that simply didn't happen in a prior era there. Sections of lights burnt out on signs, banners faded beyond being able to read easily.

Yes I have seen changes in the way things have been maintained over the last decade, but not to the extremes painted here. I also remember problems in the 90s as well with paint peeling and effects in attractions not working.

 

[alphac2005]

Yes I have seen changes in the way things have been maintained over the last decade, but not to the extremes painted here. I also remember problems in the 90s as well with paint peeling and effects in attractions not working.

True, but that was the latter part of the decade when the slide was starting. As you know @WDW1974 has been pretty spot on with the time frame of when the slide began.

 

[ford91exploder]

True, but that was the latter part of the decade when the slide was starting. As you know @WDW1974 has been pretty spot on with the time frame of when the slide began.

That was the beginning of the Paul Pressler era, Of whom Chappie is the reincarnation of.

 

[wdwfan22]

True, but that was the latter part of the decade when the slide was starting. As you know @WDW1974 has been pretty spot on with the time frame of when the slide began.

Yes he is the same guy that said Shanghai Disneyland wouldn't be ready for opening and from the pictures and video I've seen that isn't true. He is now telling you to blame the Nextgen for the budget cuts. He goes from one extreme to the next.

 

[DanaG]

Worrying does no good, though. I almost got into a shouting match with a security guard at EPCOT over him telling me going through a metal detector to enter a stale, sad theme park with no attractions anymore was for my own safety and me telling him that it was for many things, but most definitely not my security. Just like the TSA, it largely is security theater ... and it doesn't entertain me at all.

But you can't help but notice when there are 25 security guards at the entrance to EPCOT plus OC Sheriff's Deputies and SUVs that are unmarked and clearly some governmental agency.

We were there from Thanksgiving into early December and it was the first time we saw armed security at the end of the monorail ramps prior to entering Ecpot. Just outside the gates, along with dogs. It was very noticeable and disconcerting. I was traveling with my parents who also noticed it immediately and commented. Whatever the threat is/was the heightened security is definitely visible.

 

[mickEblu]

Live action. Just like the existing maze.

And while we are on the subject of major kewl developments coming to other resorts, Toontown at DL will indeed be getting taken over by Frozen and other properties. Not sure the entire land will go, but what stays isn't likely to look the same ...

Interesting. Do you think Roger Rabbit would survive?

Other propertie(s)? Plural? So I'm guessing In addition to BATB maybe something Tangled related?

 

[lazyboy97o]

I've read Europa is about to get their own Soarin' style ride. Mack is churning out new ride concepts left and right this days. Their ride system for Arthur would be Ideal for Peter Pan style rides.

I'd be really surprised to see Mack Rides develop a flying theater. It's hardly unique and nobody has really pushed the format beyond the Soarin'-type ride.

and didn't the metal detectors show up at Sea World and Uni all around the same time as well? I heard it had to do with some pressure from the government....

Yes, the all showed up on the same day and the President gave a speech that day saying there were no credible threats.

Don't worry guys you're all in good hands. My friend is a Global Intelligence Intern at WDW. We slayed quite a few bars together back in college he's got you all covered.

Seriously though, I'm a little disappointed in the few people here that used this thread as an opportunity to fear-monger. Disney has moved in the right direction in terms of security. The trend in terror plots/attacks recently indicate low profile, population dense areas are now sadly the apparent targets. You're just at risk (or maybe less at risk?) at Disney World as you would be in a crowded NYC restaurant lacking even the charade of security.

And as recent events have shown the area outside of the check point is a great target.

 

[BrianLo]

More a comparison on how things have changed.

And how things grab your attention. Maybe some people are just more observant.

You'd probably be the best one to answer this since I haven't been to WDW in a few years.

Is WDW now DLP circa 2010-2013 bad? Or not yet that dire but heading there?

That's personally the worst state I've ever seen a Disney Park... still had fun though. Fortunately, it's already MUCH better.

 

[TalkingHead]

(Again, someone might want to wake up Soup & Salad Sandra and remind her that her job isn't rehashing press releases while 'interviewing' people she meets on the Tweeter, but actually covering what is going on.)

As if on cue, another Sentinel theme park reporter (sic) turned to Twitter today to get reactions to the on-ride videos from Shanghai. Is this what passes for journalism today?

Of course, after he asked, the usual blogging suspects and Twitter personalities started replying with laughable predictability. One guy said the quality of Shanghai's Pirates and Tron are exciting for WDW fans, because it shows us the quality of attraction that will be coming to Florida.

I'm sorry, but I've been burned by WDW's new attractions for so long that I'll believe it when I see it. Not to mention Tron looks like a sexier neon version of RNRC (read: short with underwhelming show scenes).

After reading this thread (and seeing how DAK's nighttime show is still in limbo), I'm so glad I didn't purchase that AP earlier this year. In fact, the only reason I could justify going to WDW is because I'm in Florida; in no reality would I drop several (or many) thousand dollars to visit WDW. In fact, we let our UO passes expire and we might renew if Kong gets good reviews. If (as rumor has it) Kong repeats the Everest mistake of botching its AA finale, I'll probably wait about going back there until next year.

I don't understand how Orlando, the theme park capital of the world, isn't home to more world-class E-tickets. And the ones it does have, for the most part, all opened 15-20+ years ago. Chew on that.

 

[marni1971]

You'd probably be the best one to answer this since I haven't been to WDW in a few years.

Is WDW now DLP circa 2010-2013 bad? Or not yet that dire but heading there?

That's personally the worst state I've ever seen a Disney Park... still had fun though. Fortunately, it's already MUCH better.

DLP circa mid 2000s was worse than 2012. WDW is heading towards Anaheim circa late 90s. And we know how that ended.

 

[aladdin2007]

That was the beginning of the Paul Pressler era, Of whom Chappie is the reincarnation of.

Chapek is going to send the place right down the drain and fast, Im very afraid of him rising in the ranks even more.