Birnbaum 2009: Space Mountain closed in 2009

[captainkidd]

There was a comparison done recently between the number of attractions at Disneyland/DCA vs all of Walt Disney World. It's a lot closer than you think. The California parks may be smaller in size, but they pack a lot more into them. All of Walt Disney World has less than 10 more attractions than all of Disneyland/DCA

True, but then again, some of the attractions at WDW are MUCH grander in size and in show length, ie:

American Adventure
Test Track
Kiliminjaro Safari

WDW has upteen time the recreational diversions of DL as well.

 

[tirian]

True, but then again, some of the attractions at WDW are MUCH grander in size and in show length, ie:

American Adventure
Test Track
Kiliminjaro Safari

WDW has upteen time the recreational diversions of DL as well.

Not to mention the elaborate architecture of Epcot and DAK!

 

[RSoxNo1]

True, but then again, some of the attractions at WDW are MUCH grander in size and in show length, ie:

American Adventure
Test Track
Kiliminjaro Safari

WDW has upteen time the recreational diversions of DL as well.

Yes, matched up against Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Indiana Jones Temple of the Forbidden Eye, The Matterhorn, California Screamin' and the Aladdin Stage Show.

 

[DisneyExplorer]

I think the fact of the matter is that "tourists" and "locals" deserve the same amount of quality. Why should locals have to experience the same old attractions and watch them slowly rot away when tourists get excitment thinking all of the attractions are in top-notch condition. It shouldn't matter whether guests visit every few weeks or once-in-a-lifetime. Every guest deserves to experience the parks in tip-top-shape. Hell, you're all paying the same prices so you should get the same quality as everyone else.

 

[Enigma]

NEWS FLASH FOR FLORIDA:

With the current state of the economy, they're going to need the locals to boost attendance numbers.

The DL/WDW Locals/Tourists argument doesn't tread water anymore.

Locals aint got time to visit Walt STALE World. Besides, thers awhole lot more to see and do in Orlando than go to WDW.

 

[djkidkaz]

Locals aint got time to visit Walt STALE World. Besides, thers awhole lot more to see and do in Orlando than go to WDW.

Why do you come to this message board when all you do is about the quality of WDW? If you dont like the product, why spend hours a day on a message board about it?

 

[Hrudey3032]

Locals aint got time to visit Walt STALE World. Besides, thers awhole lot more to see and do in Orlando than go to WDW.

It may be STALE to you but the whole experience to me is still magical from the moment I first pass World Dr. on 192 to my dads or when I see the same billboards that have been up for years. I agree there is more to Orlando than just Disney but when I am planning my trip I am most psyched about return to the World new rides or not.

BTW my dad who lives in Davenport takes my little sister all the time to go see the World and they have a good time at the resteraunts and watching the Fireworks as well as enjoy their favorite rides.

 

[tirian]

Locals aint got time to visit Walt STALE World. Besides, thers awhole lot more to see and do in Orlando than go to WDW.

WDW hosts too many special events to be considered stale.

Locals don't go to WDW because the AP is a couple hundred $$$ more than the Universal AP.

 

[Goofnut1980]

I'm going friday.. I will ride it for all of you that can not be there :sohappy:

 

[Enigma]

Why do you come to this message board when all you do is about the quality of WDW? If you dont like the product, why spend hours a day on a message board about it?

because I know people from the company reads these boards and I want them and potential guests to be aware of the problems that have been nagging the parks since about 1998 when Paul Pressler totally changed the way WDW operates for the worse.

 

[TP2000]

because I know people from the company reads these boards and I want them and potential guests to be aware of the problems that have been nagging the parks since about 1998 when Paul Pressler totally changed the way WDW operates for the worse.

Good for you! :sohappy:

About 8 or 10 years ago Disneyland was in the same condition and headed in the same direction that WDW is now. But after Pressler bailed to go to The Gap in '02, and Cynthia Harriss was booted suddenly in October, '03 to "spend more time with my family" as a single woman with no children, Disneyland made a complete 180 degree turn under new management. (And Cynthia Harriss only seemed to need a couple of months to devote to her mythical family, since she signed on with the gap in early '04. I trust her "family" is in good condition now that she hasn't had a job in over a year after being fired from The Gap in early '07.)

And now Disneyland is being shepherded through continuing TLC and devotion and capital improvement by John Lasseter and Tony Baxter, plus some old-school operations executives from the pre-Eisner era, not to mention the Billion Dollar Extreme Makeover that DCA is getting next door.

If WDW can get out from under the soulless Marketing Department and come under the control of operational and creative people that truly care about the WDW legacy since 1971, then the next decade can be bright for WDW. Right now things are a little bleak, but the 2010's may hold promise.

Disneyland did it over five years ago, and the rewards it has reaped are huge, with great promise for the next few years as the bulldozers move in this fall. Just look at the gorgeous little gem in Pixie Hollow at Disneyland, compared to the version at WDW. And the new Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough opens next month, which should be even more charming and infused with love and heritage and a decent pile of cash. Disneyland is batting a thousand.

WDW, while seemingly on the wrong path now, could be on the same path as Disneyland within a year or so if it plays its cards right. :wave:

 

[Jaytrod]

Awesome

After hearing from my parents that the SM in Paris went upside down, and after riding the RRC in the Studios and the coasters at IOA, my view towards WDW SM has not been the same. It will always be a classic favorite, but it just doesn't hold the thrill factor that it used to when I was little. I live about 3 hours from WDW and I've been on it a ton of times, maybe thats adds to why I am getting bored of it, but I think this refurb has been needed for a long time. I can't wait to see what they do with it. Im going in 17 days for a long weekend, I will be sure to take extra pictures of it as this may be my last ride on the classic version of Space Mountain. :-D

 

[tirian]

Good for you! :sohappy:

About 8 or 10 years ago Disneyland was in the same condition and headed in the same direction that WDW is now. But after Pressler bailed to go to The Gap in '02, and Cynthia Harriss was booted suddenly in October, '03 to "spend more time with my family" as a single woman with no children, Disneyland made a complete 180 degree turn under new management. (And Cynthia Harriss only seemed to need a couple of months to devote to her mythical family, since she signed on with the gap in early '04. I trust her "family" is in good condition now that she hasn't had a job in over a year after being fired from The Gap in early '07.)

And now Disneyland is being shepherded through continuing TLC and devotion and capital improvement by John Lasseter and Tony Baxter, plus some old-school operations executives from the pre-Eisner era, not to mention the Billion Dollar Extreme Makeover that DCA is getting next door.

If WDW can get out from under the soulless Marketing Department and come under the control of operational and creative people that truly care about the WDW legacy since 1971, then the next decade can be bright for WDW. Right now things are a little bleak, but the 2010's may hold promise.

Disneyland did it over five years ago, and the rewards it has reaped are huge, with great promise for the next few years as the bulldozers move in this fall. Just look at the gorgeous little gem in Pixie Hollow at Disneyland, compared to the version at WDW. And the new Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough opens next month, which should be even more charming and infused with love and heritage and a decent pile of cash. Disneyland is batting a thousand.

WDW, while seemingly on the wrong path now, could be on the same path as Disneyland within a year or so if it plays its cards right. :wave:

Everybody knows this. Business journalists have written stories on it. The Pressler/Harris/Eisner regime is used as a textbook example of bad business practices and what happens when a company forgets its roots. The front-line CMs in the MK know the park's current attraction lineup doesn't absorb or spread Guest flow well, and they hear Guests complain about the sub-par attractions (Tiki and Stitch). The condition is obvious to anybody with an objective point of view.

But a few fools in key positions of authority continue to turn a blind eye to this, and they can't seem to look past last week's spreadsheets. Any sane leader should have given Holmes a final warning for allowing the MK to fall into its current condition. Attractions wouldn't have needed total gutting and replacement at this time if he would have refurbished them properly throughout the last decade; and now that he has allowed his park to lose TWO E-tickets without suitable replacements, the existing attractions need refurbishment, and there's no place for Guests to go.

WDW is on the right path again. The MK is currently being refurbished and will eventually get new attractions, but it has taken FAR too long. I'm not complaining about current plans; I'm amazed that it has taken almost 20 years for the MK to receive a substantial upgrade.*

*2014 marks 20 years of the new Tomorrowland, and Splash Mountain—the park's last E-ticket—opened in 1992. AE was considered an "E" but closed without a popular replacement, and 20K closed with no replacement.

 

[hauntdmansion79]

Good for you! :sohappy:

About 8 or 10 years ago Disneyland was in the same condition and headed in the same direction that WDW is now. But after Pressler bailed to go to The Gap in '02, and Cynthia Harriss was booted suddenly in October, '03 to "spend more time with my family" as a single woman with no children, Disneyland made a complete 180 degree turn under new management. (And Cynthia Harriss only seemed to need a couple of months to devote to her mythical family, since she signed on with the gap in early '04. I trust her "family" is in good condition now that she hasn't had a job in over a year after being fired from The Gap in early '07.)

And now Disneyland is being shepherded through continuing TLC and devotion and capital improvement by John Lasseter and Tony Baxter, plus some old-school operations executives from the pre-Eisner era, not to mention the Billion Dollar Extreme Makeover that DCA is getting next door.

If WDW can get out from under the soulless Marketing Department and come under the control of operational and creative people that truly care about the WDW legacy since 1971, then the next decade can be bright for WDW. Right now things are a little bleak, but the 2010's may hold promise.

Disneyland did it over five years ago, and the rewards it has reaped are huge, with great promise for the next few years as the bulldozers move in this fall. Just look at the gorgeous little gem in Pixie Hollow at Disneyland, compared to the version at WDW. And the new Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough opens next month, which should be even more charming and infused with love and heritage and a decent pile of cash. Disneyland is batting a thousand.

WDW, while seemingly on the wrong path now, could be on the same path as Disneyland within a year or so if it plays its cards right. :wave:

He shoots.....swish.....He scores!!! :sohappy:

 

[CarlHS]

And the real issue is that there are fewer attractions on offer at the MK now than during our first trip in 94, seems the only thing not stagnating is the price

No kidding, just when you think they can't remove anything else without replacement, they want to remove the TL theater to add a more parking spaces for managment. With all the deleted attractions, you wouldn't think they needed more managers.... LOL.

 

[CarlHS]

Everybody knows this. Business journalists have written stories on it. The Pressler/Harris/Eisner regime is used as a textbook example of bad business practices and what happens when a company forgets its roots. The front-line CMs in the MK know the park's current attraction lineup doesn't absorb or spread Guest flow well, and they hear Guests complain about the sub-par attractions (Tiki and Stitch). The condition is obvious to anybody with an objective point of view.

But a few fools in key positions of authority continue to turn a blind eye to this, and they can't seem to look past last week's spreadsheets. Any sane leader should have given Holmes a final warning for allowing the MK to fall into its current condition. Attractions wouldn't have needed total gutting and replacement at this time if he would have refurbished them properly throughout the last decade; and now that he has allowed his park to lose TWO E-tickets without suitable replacements, the existing attractions need refurbishment, and there's no place for Guests to go.

WDW is on the right path again. The MK is currently being refurbished and will eventually get new attractions, but it has taken FAR too long. I'm not complaining about current plans; I'm amazed that it has taken almost 20 years for the MK to receive a substantial upgrade.*

*2014 marks 20 years of the new Tomorrowland, and Splash Mountain—the park's last E-ticket—opened in 1992. AE was considered an "E" but closed without a popular replacement, and 20K closed with no replacement.

I think you could downgrade SM as well since it does not measure up the it's E-Ticket worthy counterparts in the other parks who are all upgraded to the new standard, and take the 6 to 10 other delete attractions and you could say the park is 2/3s to 1/2 of it's former glory, and 1/4 of the DL Park at best.