A Spirited Dirty Dozen ...

[WDW1974]

do you mean fl resident passholders such as the seasonal ticket holders etc, or more of the 4 day type tickets?

I was told tickets, meaning the 3-4 days specials ... not seasonals, which are now called APs simply to raise price and confuse.
I guess if suddenly those blockouts are lifted as well, then you'll know that WDW is actually having massive attendance issues. (No, again, I don't care if you waited two hours for Splash Mountain today. I think if you did that makes you someone who isn't very savvy and has little respect for time! It does not mean that WDW is heaving with crowds, as the Brits like to say!)

 

[WDW1974]

It's ironic that people go to WDW, see the quality is not great, overpriced food, closed attractions, lands and restaurants, and suddenly they become "once in a lifetime" trips because they'll never go back.

Yup. And much like we are not typical visitors because we post on forums like this and are in tune with every new trash can Disney debuts, these folks ARE much more typical. And no one at Disney or in the business community has been able to ever come up with how many people visit once, think it is one of the most overrated and costly vacation options and never return. And that number is FAR higher than we are.

 

[WDW1974]

Last my bothan spies heard (before they took off to the beach to kick back and earn 30%) some peopel within the mouse were expecting a serious attendance bump at Epcot. At least double digits.

And no, they wont get WWOHP crowds.... thats an entirely different ballgame.

Oh, absolutely.

Disney execs are delusional. They truly believe that a new Soarin film, borrowed from Shanghai, mixed with this short, capacity-constrained boat ride and the Frozen meet-and-greet facility will 'fix' EPCOT. Seriously, this is their bold plan. And considering how attraction-starved EPCOT is, you'll hear how people spent an entire day there and did only 4-5 'things' like it is some gauge of popularity.

In other words, they'll completely misread the tea leaves ... as usual.

 

[WDW1974]

To be honest, I don't see what makes the Little Mermaid worse than any other dark ride. Sure, it had its fair share of flaws like the CG animation at DCA and the Under the Sea scene being way to bright in both versions, but those and other problems were addressed in refurbishments. In fact, the only real complaint that they didn't attend to was Ursala's underwhelming death scene. Overall, the Little Mermaid is a solid C-D Ticket dark ride that will probably end up being a classic in its own right. Yes, NFL felt like a Phase 1 of what should've been a much bigger and more complete redo, but it seems like a lot of fans critcize a number of recent attractions for reasons that ultimatley amount to the fact that they're not E Tickets. That mentality diminishes a lot of rides that should instead be looked at through the lens of whatever scale the Imagineers intended for them.

Without getting into a long debate (who knows that could lie ahead on page 75?) I'll simply state that Little Mermaid is an unambitious little dark ride that shows its cheapness around every corner. If it had been built right after the 1989 film came out, then no one would be ripping it. But when that ride opens in 2011 in Anaheim and 2012 in O-Town, it is rather embarrassing. You use new technologies and showmanship to build an attraction in today's world. It is incredibly underwhelming and embarrassingly bad in spots. And people were hyping this as an E-Ticket ... the thing is a C-Ticket based only on its ride system and length. Largely, it's a bad ride. I said as much last year, but thought I was going to make Larry Nikolai cry so I backed off ...

 

[ford91exploder]

I am now wading thru posts about how certain members pay their employees ... UGH!!!!
Why can't we focus on Disney, UNI and themed entertainment? This stuff may well be interesting to some ... but it doesn't belong here.

In that poster's defense we were talking about how the GR Manager positions which currently are OT exempt and are full time positions with benefits but disney was milking them so they were working 60 hour weeks but under the new rules how disney would probably turn those GR Manager positions to GR Lead and make them hourly and limit the workers to hours which do not entitle them to benefits. i.e. the old story of WDW screwing the CM at every opportunity.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Oh, absolutely.

Disney execs are delusional. They truly believe that a new Soarin film, borrowed from Shanghai, mixed with this short, capacity-constrained boat ride and the Frozen meet-and-greet facility will 'fix' EPCOT. Seriously, this is their bold plan. And considering how attraction-starved EPCOT is, you'll hear how people spent an entire day there and did only 4-5 'things' like it is some gauge of popularity.

In other words, they'll completely misread the tea leaves ... as usual.

Well Soarin didnt need a new film. They'll get some backlash on this.

 

[tirian]

Oh, absolutely.

Disney execs are delusional. They truly believe that a new Soarin film, borrowed from Shanghai, mixed with this short, capacity-constrained boat ride and the Frozen meet-and-greet facility will 'fix' EPCOT. Seriously, this is their bold plan. And considering how attraction-starved EPCOT is, you'll hear how people spent an entire day there and did only 4-5 'things' like it is some gauge of popularity.

In other words, they'll completely misread the tea leaves ... as usual.

You know I was once deep within the WDW system, and I still wince when I remember how ignorant some execs sounded when they shared their MAGICAL! FABULOUS! EXTRA-MAGICAL! plans in those meetings.

WDW has been running on autopilot from the policies set in place between 1971 and 2001. Eventually, the autopilot is going to deflate, and somebody is going to have to take control of the airplane before it crashes.

 

[ford91exploder]

You know I was once deep within the WDW system, and I still wince when I remember how ignorant some execs sounded when they shared their MAGICAL! FABULOUS! EXTRA-MAGICAL! plans in those meetings.

WDW has been running on autopilot from the policies set in place between 1971 and 2001. Eventually, the autopilot is going to deflate, and somebody is going to have to take control of the airplane before it crashes.

If only the manual flight controls still existed,,,

 

[WDW1974]

Yet there was once a time when management realized that even if guests don't think they notice, on some level that guests may not even be aware of, they do see the peeling paint, burned out bulbs, grimy ride vehicles, and overflowing trash cans. And this all comes together to form the a guests total experience. The individual details may not be much but combined the "experience" is more than the sum of all parts.

Remember when ALL the little details mattered?

Today's Guests largely don't know what the Disney Details or Disney Difference were ...
They think it's people telling them to 'have a MAGICal day!!!' at every turn ... or handing their brats Mickey stickers (that they then use to deface the place) ... or having a special foamhead interaction ... or being able to buy a LE (anything) of something that once was there, but is long gone.

They do not get what made Disney, Disney. On any real level.

They are the ones perfectly fine with Spidey and Hulk and Rey and BB-8 being Disney ... because they just don't know any better.

They are the ones who feast on these lame and convoluted backstories that are forced (and foisted) on Guests ... they are the ones who really feel special for paying $69 for a cupcake party to view Star Wars pyro.

If they are really special, then they'll think a Hidden Mickey is a Disney Detail that is MAGICal ...

 

[JustInTime]

Didn't know about the Dino closure until I read it here. One would like to believe that Disney will fix what is wrong with it when it is closed, but past experience says to be cautious on that front. As for the Yeti ... I have gotten to the point where I believe Disney has no intention of ever fixing it. None whatsoever. Send a note to Joan Martin!

I guess I figured the timing would be too perfect. Building a clone in Shanghi...build two yetis. Just in time for avatar and whatnot. But Disney isn't the most logical when I comes to Disney World.

 

[ford91exploder]

Yup. Still there and ...with mashed taters and green beans for $12.99 (but only served after 5 p.m.), so it likely went up $1-2 since you were there.

The WDW green beans are always tasty and done just right Disney certainly has that food item down still you get fewer of them now than in the past.

 

[Nemo14]

You know I was once deep within the WDW system, and I still wince when I remember how ignorant some execs sounded when they shared their MAGICAL! FABULOUS! EXTRA-MAGICAL! plans in those meetings.

WDW has been running on autopilot from the policies set in place between 1971 and 2001. Eventually, the autopilot is going to deflate, and somebody is going to have to take control of the airplane before it crashes.

 

[ford91exploder]

Today's Guests largely don't know what the Disney Details or Disney Difference were ...
They think it's people telling them to 'have a MAGICal day!!!' at every turn ... or handing their brats Mickey stickers (that they then use to deface the place) ... or having a special foamhead interaction ... or being able to buy a LE (anything) of something that once was there, but is long gone.

They do not get what made Disney, Disney. On any real level.

They are the ones perfectly fine with Spidey and Hulk and Rey and BB-8 being Disney ... because they just don't know any better.

They are the ones who feast on these lame and convoluted backstories that are forced (and foisted) on Guests ... they are the ones who really feel special for paying $69 for a cupcake party to view Star Wars pyro.

If they are really special, then they'll think a Hidden Mickey is a Disney Detail that is MAGICal ...

Hidden Mickey's are getting OLD frankly, Yes they have always existed but there are a hell of a lot more of them these days and some of them are really wasteful and borderline hazardous, example the lines on some of the docks are coiled into 'hidden' mickeys.

 

[Mike S]

I am now wading thru posts about how certain members pay their employees ... UGH!!!!
Why can't we focus on Disney, UNI and themed entertainment? This stuff may well be interesting to some ... but it doesn't belong here.

Is there anything new on that major Universal announcement?

 

[WDW1974]

I get what you mean, but technically they do. At least from a customer service standpoint they still do. So the fault in this case doesn't go to Disney, but rather the me above all attitude of certain CM's. Although, I'm not overall worried about Disney from this standpoint since most of my experience with CM's up until this point has been excellent. Obviously as in any job, there are bad ones. that's the whole point of this discussion. But if Disney has maintained anything from days gone by, its customer service.

Oh no, not even close.

Talk to CMs who have been there for years or even decades. People who truly know.

Most CMs are beyond clueless. They make up answers when questioned. They have no power to correct anything that is wrong. They don't even know anything about the park or area they work in. I know people who deal with this daily. People who work on Main Street and don't know there is a barber shop on it. People who work at a resort and don't know what the names are of the restaurants, bars and shops at it.

There are endless stories ... I've had friends pick up extra shifts at locations and no one had a clue what they were doing and had nowhere to look for help. I've had to tell Guests that the information they just were given by a CM was wrong and would kill hours of a day to follow (most times, they choose to follow the CMs bad advice).

Disney's customer service in O-Town is largely abysmal ... sure, you may get smiling happy people (although long ago they gave up on forcing CMs to make eye contact with every Guest and smile and say hello) ... and if you are really lucky, then that CM may actually know their job and how to help you. Mostly, though, they won't.

 

[WDW1974]

That is true...the problem is now Disney has made the Meet & Greets as important as having attractions...and the Sheeple eat it up for some reason... We lost an actual Snow White ride so that we could put in a Princess Hug zone that looks like a hotel function space......You have to hand it to Disney for making people believe they really need to meet a college kid in a costume rather than go on an actual attraction....Next they are going to convince everyone that a cot in a cinder block room is a deluxe hotel suite....

This is on Disney and simpler Guests.

On this trip, we rode the Mexico boat ride with a single mother and her 5-year-old daughter from Jacksonville. She was so proud that her daughter had EVERY an autograph from every Disney Princess and that on their prior visit had waited over three hours to meet Anna and Elsa. You know what I was thinking, but I was too polite to say it.

If I had asked to wait 15 minutes to meet Mickey on my first trip, my parents would have firmly told me 'No, we're here to see the shows and ride the rides and Mickey will always be here.' Of course, back then ... you wouldn't have to wait that long to ever get a pic with The Mouse.

Disney controls the message, which is how it has lowered standards so much across the board, yet so many fans, visitors, CMs act like the place has never been better.

 

[WDW1974]

You've heard it all before. Tokyo Disney Sea is the most impressive theme park I've ever visited. Every area takes the best components of theming you'd find in the stateside parks. It is virtually flawless.

The attraction lineup is very good, but I don't think Journey to the Center of the Earth or Pooh's Hunny Hunt (at Disneyland) are worth the trip alone, it really is the entire experience that's plused, and that's especially true at Disney Sea.

I don't know a single attraction in any theme park in any place that -- alone -- is worth traveling for.

TDS, and indeed the entire TDR, is worth visiting for the entire package. From unique attractions and seasonal entertainment to amazing show quality to great CMs to well ... just about everything except merchandise (which is now all Duffy and cutesy crap) all of that is why you go to Tokyo. You go not just for Hunny Hunt, but because every attraction surrounding it (even 1983-era dark rides) look like they just opened yesterday.

I can't imagine visiting any park for one thing. Nothing is THAT good. ... But I'd like to live in TDS!

 

[WDW1974]

You can find the infamous Disappearing Disney article about Disney botching China here.

It's OK. Opening a park over a year behind schedule, vastly overbudget, with $800 million for non-existent added capacity and additional attractions gone wherever ... with still no media penetration in the country ... yup, that columnist sure had it all wrong. Sure ...

 

[WDW1974]

Interesting; that article seems to chalk up Hong Kong Disneyland's underperformance to people's unfamiliarity with the concept of a Disney park there, while mostly overlooking the fact that Hong Kong Disneyland was simply not a good park when it opened, and the negative word of mouth spread quickly (quelling initial excitement, in my understanding). Even with the (apparently stellar) improvements, it will continue to take the park a long time to get a "second chance" with pubic opinion.

As someone who lived there (and loved every minute!), that negative word of mouth deal isn't the factor you'd think. People were disappointed with the park when it opened, as they should have been after Disney pulled a bait and switch, but that went away quite quickly due more to the stellar seasonal entertainment (especially Halloween and Chinese New Year's ... but also Christmas) then the large stable of additions, which included three E-Tickets (with another on the way this year!)

Realize this: SDL will now open with roughly the same amount of attractions and entertainment as HKDL, just in a much larger package. And both parks need much more ...

 

[betty rose]

Perfect to the letter. I had to wait until 15 to get a phone and it was a very basic flip phone in an age where they had passed that. Then one year later the phone, if you were trusted, became a phone that could slide with a keyboard. The IPhone was not a thing until adulthood and I had to get a very old model and pay for my plan.

I never had a personal phone as a child, we had a family phone. I was allowed to use it 15 minutes a day. As we all shared it. It was also a party line. If you picked up the phone, and you heard someone talking on it. You politely hung it up and waited for your turn to use it. That's just the way things were in the "dark" ages. Unless you were affluent, then you had a private line.