I'm considering adding this quote to my signature.
As I sat at home this quiet Saturday morning listening to my family stir, this quote had me thinking about positive events at WDW in recent years. It's tough to find them because for everything on the plus side, there's always a "however" attached to it.
I didn't feel that way decades ago. I didn't feel that way after Epcot or Disney-MGM Studios first opened, or all the years surrounding those momentous events. There were no "howevers". (I didn't make my first visit to Disney-MGM Studios until after Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and Star Tours both opened, so I missed the early months when it seemed like everyone was complaining that Disney-MGM Studios felt like a rip-off.)
Today's Disney corporate leadership can and should do a better job but even the worst performer needs words of encouragement. Of course, those running Disney are not wallflowers. They are highly compensated power brokers playing in the Major League of the business world. Nothing but their best should be expected from them every day. They need to recognize that running a successful business is not only about stock price; it's also about keeping the customer happy. At Disney, it's more. It's about always striving to exceed customer expectations.
I guess part of
my problem is that I remember a WDW that could do no wrong, at least it felt that way. I never went to WDW as a child. I was well into my teens before my first visit, paying my own way each time. It's not as if I'm looking at WDW through the romanticized eyes of a child. The WDW of the 1970s and 1980s really was an amazing place. In hindsight, we know that WDW began its slide in the 1990s with cost-cutting measures but I didn't notice them at the time, so even the WDW of the 1990s seemed amazing to me.
I still get a thrill each time I drive under the Western Way arch at the start of a WDW vacation. One of my top-10 moments each year still is pulling up to my hotel, shutting off the engine, walking around to my car's trunk, and handing over my luggage to a Cast Member, knowing the drive is behind me and the entire vacation lies before me.
With all these thoughts in my mind, it might be time to step back
for just a moment (
) and look at the pluses at WDW in recent years.
Below is my list of positive developments at WDW in the 21st Century, with all the "howevers" excluded:
- The New Fantasyland - The expansion truly helps with one of WDW's target demographics; families with very young children. The area flows better than the days of Mickey's Toontown Fair, which I'll admit that I skipped the first few years after it opened because it seemed out of the way and not particularly interesting.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - A nice first rollercoaster for youngsters that also can be enjoyed by all ages.
- Expedition Everest - One of Disney's best, most detailed roller coasters.
- Mission Space - A creative and ambitious attraction.
- Soarin' - An attraction with an intriguing ride system and concept that can be enjoyed by both young and old.
- Toy Story Mania - Simply a lot of fun.
- Crush 'N' Gusher - A great water coaster addition. I have to add that Typhoon Lagoon & Blizzard Beach are as enjoyable as I always remember them. They really are two of the best executed waterparks in the United States.
- Magic Kingdom's Central Hub & Bus Stop Expansions - I like the idea that Disney recognized the Magic Kingdom has capacity problems and is taking steps to correct them. For a similar reason, I like the cloning of Dumbo in the New Fantasyland.
- Disney Springs & New Parking Facility - Downtown Disney's Marketplace seems so crowded all the time now. People clearly want to shop when they visit WDW and Disney is responding to this demand.
- Art of Animation - Nicely done. Disney took the lessons learned from the previous Value Resorts and applied them to AOA, making AOA WDW's best Value Resort.
- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House & Kidani Village - Arguably WDW's best DVC resort. A beautiful facility in the best traditions of WDW hotels & resorts.
It's been an interesting exercise. You might want to try it too.
