Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Wow, that was a lot of effort to just attempt to prove me wrong. I am kind of perplexed as to how to exactly respond so let's start with the following.
If I cannot decide what I think is important to the overall experience, who can. Of course, I'm the one that makes that decision. On the same course of discussion... Are you the person that decides what is important? You seem to be and you are correct but only for yourself. You can be as bent out of shape as your heart desires, it still only matters to you and whomever else has the same fixation.
Now that we have cleared that hurdle let's address it a little deeper. There isn't a single thing that you listed that I don't consider important to the atmosphere and feeling that one gets at places like WDW. They are important and I would notice them if they disappear. But, we are talking about a 4"X4" plastic decal. We are not talking about anything that is important to the story or to the enjoyment of the situation. It is a "detail" that is everywhere in the park. Not being on that tiny spot on the front of a Monorail train does not stop it from being a Walt Disney World Monorail nor does it prevent it from being a Monorail Train if it's missing. It is so short on the importance scale that it is almost completely immeasurable. There is no history other then being a decoration for the outside. It's location is not contributing to the operation, it cannot be seen from the inside and doesn't convey any information other then you are in WDW and, I would hope that you already know that. It has no back story like "Well, Walt sketched that design as a child and we copied it to the Monorail as a tribute to him. No, it's a decal put there because they wanted to put it there. No other reason. Now it appears that they don't want it there anymore and no one is ever going to care except the few that saw it and put some sort of significance on it.
In relation to the 2 sides argument... OK, let's list the two sides. The first is, I saw them years ago and I really like them so I wish they were still there. The second, never noticed them and feel any particular connection so I don't care if they are there or not. There is no other valid argument either way.
They are a design idea, not an experience. By the way, with the exception of the citrus smell everything else you listed are utility needs. WDW would still be WDW without the signs, it just wouldn't be found as easily. The logo, although cute, does nothing. It doesn't tell us that it's in Disney World, I think we already know that. They do also add to the atmosphere, but they aren't in and of themselves, the atmosphere. The decals don't even identify them as Monorail Trains. If we can see the decal, we probably can see what they are attached too.
Now another angle, would it hurt them to still have them on the trains, probably not, but, until they disappeared no one ever said... Oh, look at that decal, now I know I'm in WDW. That is not the detail that we need to focus our upset on. Want a real issue? Empty show buildings, closed dining places, half empty theme parks with no apparent forward movement. Kinda makes that silly little decal seem like a pretty small insignificant problem doesn't it. It can't even be blamed on cost. When you are looking at budgets in the billions, that $5.60 per decal has probably already fallen out of the cash bag and discarded as being to small to even bend over and pick up. If you are going to fight over something, let's be realistic about how important it is to the experience. Let's direct this concern toward stuff that really will make a difference. Did changing the soap in the restrooms alter the experience of going to WDW? All this fake concern and especially forcing an idea that it signifies the eventual downfall of WDW, is just misplaced nostalgia and in many ways harms the fight to stop them from doing real damage to the show. Crying wolf at every turn will eventually mean that it is ignored completely.
