Just returned after spending six days at WDW and spoke to a tour guide about specific Disney World issues; she was very forthcoming, especially when we were "offstage" or underground in the infamous WDW corridors.
The guide told me that WDW employees were notified one day prior to Carousel of Progress' closing with a memo basically stating: Enjoy it for the next day because it's closing tomorrow. The cast members were shocked. I was then told that the reason for its demise was likely due to the fact that the attraction didn't have a sponsor (sad that everything needs corp. dollars to exist) and it also required an enormous amount of electricity to operate. And when you combine the lack of sponsorship, poor attendance and power drain, it adds up to its demise according to the decision makers. I think it's sad that they would kill off one of Walt's original creations -- it's like closing the Hall of Presidents or It's A Small World.
In addition, when I asked why WDW doesn't upgrade the sound systems in attractions such as the HauntedMansion or Country Bear Jamboree, she paused, seemed to be angered, and said, "When Eisner decides to start spending some money on the actual parks and stops buying 'stuff'....all he does is spend money on stuff we don't need (i.e. Fox Family, etc.) and doesn't reinvest into its cash centers." I have to agree. It's evidenced in additions to crap like Wide World Of Sports complex and that horrendous race track over near the Exxon station/Magic Kingdom parking lots. Now all of Disney/ABC's holdings are being forced upon the public and further diluting the dream that was created in WDW. Why is Casey's Corner on Main Street essentially an ESPN outlet? There's also an ESPN Zone restaurant. It's bulls%*(. The entire left side of Main St. has become an interconnected mall of the same stuff you can find at the other 500 retail outlets on the grounds. It's overkill.
The only good news I heard was that Roy (Walt's nephew) is rumored to be planning a takeover and will try to force a split between Disney theme parks and the Disney corporate (i.e. the rest of the junk accumulated over the years). It could help build more confidence among shareholders because the theme parks make Disney money, unlike floundering TV stations and cable networks. I would invest in Disney theme parks if it were to split -- Disney stock has never really been a good stock to own in the past. If Roy could wrestle control over it, we could see true Disney innovation reinvested back into its parks, and a member of the Disney family once again controlling Walt's original vision.
While there have been many fine new additions made to WDW in recent years (i.e. Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian), it has also seemed to be unable to consistently come up with attractions that meet the standards set by Walt: something that can be enjoyed by both children and their parents -- with a heaping dose of Disney imagineering. We have seen additions such as Aladdin's Magic carpets which are certainly fun for small kids, but looks more like a carnival ride and totally lacks any creativity or Disney magic. Parents can only ride it because the carpets/cars are large enough to fit their fat . A staffer on the Jungle Cruise even bashed it during the cruise by saying, "You go in a circle for 90 seconds. Big deal." And then you have attractions such as Tower Of Terror, Aerosmith and a souped up Test Track and you essentially have thrill rides that cater to the Universal/Six Flags/Bush Gardens fans only looking for adrenaline-pumping excitement. While something like Tower... is well done aesthetically, it's essentially a free fall ride in a nice package. The point here is that the bigger E-ticket attractions like these are thrilling to younger people and tend to leave out older parents and small children. Disney magic is not manifested in free falls, corkscrews in the dark or 65 mph straightaways, it's something completely unique that combines innovation, imagination, vision and all of the things that Walt was famous for. I remember the same enjoyment I felt on my first trip to WDW in 1976 as an 8 year old kid, and then a trip in 1989 when I was much older. It wasn't the speed of Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or the way the Haunted Mansion spooked me, it was the fact that whether I was 8 or 21, I was always amazed and thrilled by the cumulation of experiences and the way a trip to WDW tickeled my imagination and sense of wonder -- it literally does bring out the kid in everyone. The thrill was simply being there and being awed by the sights and smells and the smallest attention to detail, and the way you feel like you've stepped into another world. It doesn't take 360 degree loops to do that. It was done in much more visceral and innovative ways. The feeling you get when experiencing the queue on Pirates of the Carribean, or the sensory overload of Main St., or the fantastic sparkle in your eye when sailing on Peter Pans Flight, or even standing in Tomorrowland at night and gazing up at Space Mountain. The substance is all around you -- it's in the way the cast members smile and say hello -- and not necessarily in the big drops or hairpin turns. That is what Disney's decision makers need to be reminded of once again and stop taking the road most traveled. The new additions to Animal Kingdom also look to be lackluster attempts to simply offer more stuff to do during the day rather than truly give people such a singular experience that they will want to return over and over to feel it. That's why even at 33 I may still have the most fun at the Magic Kingdom. Not only does it remind me of the experiences I had when I was a kid, but it's still the only place on earth where you can truly feel like you are in another world. It's also the only place that truly exemplifies what Walt's original vision was all about. You can't feel it at Disney-MGM, Animal Kingdom or even EPCOT. That park should only be overseen by someone like Roy who will hopefully keep Walt's dream alive.
The guide told me that WDW employees were notified one day prior to Carousel of Progress' closing with a memo basically stating: Enjoy it for the next day because it's closing tomorrow. The cast members were shocked. I was then told that the reason for its demise was likely due to the fact that the attraction didn't have a sponsor (sad that everything needs corp. dollars to exist) and it also required an enormous amount of electricity to operate. And when you combine the lack of sponsorship, poor attendance and power drain, it adds up to its demise according to the decision makers. I think it's sad that they would kill off one of Walt's original creations -- it's like closing the Hall of Presidents or It's A Small World.
In addition, when I asked why WDW doesn't upgrade the sound systems in attractions such as the HauntedMansion or Country Bear Jamboree, she paused, seemed to be angered, and said, "When Eisner decides to start spending some money on the actual parks and stops buying 'stuff'....all he does is spend money on stuff we don't need (i.e. Fox Family, etc.) and doesn't reinvest into its cash centers." I have to agree. It's evidenced in additions to crap like Wide World Of Sports complex and that horrendous race track over near the Exxon station/Magic Kingdom parking lots. Now all of Disney/ABC's holdings are being forced upon the public and further diluting the dream that was created in WDW. Why is Casey's Corner on Main Street essentially an ESPN outlet? There's also an ESPN Zone restaurant. It's bulls%*(. The entire left side of Main St. has become an interconnected mall of the same stuff you can find at the other 500 retail outlets on the grounds. It's overkill.
The only good news I heard was that Roy (Walt's nephew) is rumored to be planning a takeover and will try to force a split between Disney theme parks and the Disney corporate (i.e. the rest of the junk accumulated over the years). It could help build more confidence among shareholders because the theme parks make Disney money, unlike floundering TV stations and cable networks. I would invest in Disney theme parks if it were to split -- Disney stock has never really been a good stock to own in the past. If Roy could wrestle control over it, we could see true Disney innovation reinvested back into its parks, and a member of the Disney family once again controlling Walt's original vision.
While there have been many fine new additions made to WDW in recent years (i.e. Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian), it has also seemed to be unable to consistently come up with attractions that meet the standards set by Walt: something that can be enjoyed by both children and their parents -- with a heaping dose of Disney imagineering. We have seen additions such as Aladdin's Magic carpets which are certainly fun for small kids, but looks more like a carnival ride and totally lacks any creativity or Disney magic. Parents can only ride it because the carpets/cars are large enough to fit their fat . A staffer on the Jungle Cruise even bashed it during the cruise by saying, "You go in a circle for 90 seconds. Big deal." And then you have attractions such as Tower Of Terror, Aerosmith and a souped up Test Track and you essentially have thrill rides that cater to the Universal/Six Flags/Bush Gardens fans only looking for adrenaline-pumping excitement. While something like Tower... is well done aesthetically, it's essentially a free fall ride in a nice package. The point here is that the bigger E-ticket attractions like these are thrilling to younger people and tend to leave out older parents and small children. Disney magic is not manifested in free falls, corkscrews in the dark or 65 mph straightaways, it's something completely unique that combines innovation, imagination, vision and all of the things that Walt was famous for. I remember the same enjoyment I felt on my first trip to WDW in 1976 as an 8 year old kid, and then a trip in 1989 when I was much older. It wasn't the speed of Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or the way the Haunted Mansion spooked me, it was the fact that whether I was 8 or 21, I was always amazed and thrilled by the cumulation of experiences and the way a trip to WDW tickeled my imagination and sense of wonder -- it literally does bring out the kid in everyone. The thrill was simply being there and being awed by the sights and smells and the smallest attention to detail, and the way you feel like you've stepped into another world. It doesn't take 360 degree loops to do that. It was done in much more visceral and innovative ways. The feeling you get when experiencing the queue on Pirates of the Carribean, or the sensory overload of Main St., or the fantastic sparkle in your eye when sailing on Peter Pans Flight, or even standing in Tomorrowland at night and gazing up at Space Mountain. The substance is all around you -- it's in the way the cast members smile and say hello -- and not necessarily in the big drops or hairpin turns. That is what Disney's decision makers need to be reminded of once again and stop taking the road most traveled. The new additions to Animal Kingdom also look to be lackluster attempts to simply offer more stuff to do during the day rather than truly give people such a singular experience that they will want to return over and over to feel it. That's why even at 33 I may still have the most fun at the Magic Kingdom. Not only does it remind me of the experiences I had when I was a kid, but it's still the only place on earth where you can truly feel like you are in another world. It's also the only place that truly exemplifies what Walt's original vision was all about. You can't feel it at Disney-MGM, Animal Kingdom or even EPCOT. That park should only be overseen by someone like Roy who will hopefully keep Walt's dream alive.
