Disney and Universal: Two very different paths

[doctornick]

I don't know.... If they were to build a new ride I think we would be happy. But to take down a ride and put up something new? That's where the arguments start. We all have our pet attractions.

Yeah, I really think that if they expand on the total number of rides, I'd be happy. I just want more -- and different -- things to do. Not everything has to be an E-ticket, but I'm sick of it constantly being replacements instead of expansions.

This is especially true for DHS and DAK which simply need more attractios, especially rides.

 

[lebeau]

I think that's called "damning with faint praise."

To be fair, two year olds are usually impressed with Happy Meal toys, too. Not exactly setting a high bar are they?

My two year old looked up at me and said, "But, Daddy, this is just a retheme of Mickey's Toontown Fair which was nothing to write home about in the first place. Sure, the rockwork is pretty. But we got a clone of a mediocre C-ticket that opened on the West coast a year ago. And gosh, could they turn the lights down a bit? "Dark" is the key word in the phrase "dark ride". Everything is very pretty to look at, but there is so little substance that it makes me weep inside. So, this is what loss of childlike innocence feels like."*

*not actually a true story

 

[lebeau]

Yep, there are people here who would say that what Disney is currently doing is carefully planned and not a sign of them heading in the wrong direction.

What color is the sky in their world?

 

[danlb_2000]

What color is the sky in their world?

It's always blue, even when it's raining.

 

[WDWDad13]

It's always blue, even when it's raining.

just like it's always 5 o'clock somewhere...the sky is always blue somewhere....let's just hope it is with the people making the plans for the future WDW

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

I know. There's a long way to go, but speaking as someone who is always around the parks and pays very close attention to show quality, things have improved somewhat compared to a year or 2-3 years ago.

So 2-3 years ago there was a 6 pack of water bottles floating in Splash for days?

 

[Tom Morrow]

So 2-3 years ago there was a 6 pack of water bottles floating in Splash for days?

2-3 years ago, a lot of rides and areas of the parks looked worse than they do now. Again, I'm not saying things are perfect in regards to maintenance and upkeep... but they might be getting better.

 

[jt04]

Yep, there are people here who would say that what Disney is currently doing is carefully planned and not a sign of them heading in the wrong direction.

Thank you for the kind words.

 

[Goofyernmost]

So 2-3 years ago there was a 6 pack of water bottles floating in Splash for days?

Previous to that:

and there was a plastic water bottle floating in the pots

Previous to that:

trash floating in splash mountain for days

A 6 pack of water bottles? I am not as much puzzled about how it might be there for days as how it got there to begin with. One bottle, maybe, some highly cultured guest threw it in there after mistaking Splash Mtn. for a landfill, but, a 6 pack? If it was there then, of course, it is a very bad show and should have been caught by someone and taken care of, no argument there. No need to enhance your story to make your point.

 

[misterID]

2-3 years ago, a lot of rides and areas of the parks looked worse than they do now. Again, I'm not saying things are perfect in regards to maintenance and upkeep... but they might be getting better.

There's definitly less complaints than there were a couple years ago in regards to maintenance.... Or people have just have gotten used to it, I wouldn't know (I will next week, though ) . I just remember the burnt out lightbulbs. Every thread had pictures of blown lightbulbs. I saw them in my sleep.

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

Previous to that:

Previous to that:


A 6 pack of water bottles? I am not as much puzzled about how it might be there for days as how it got there to begin with. One bottle, maybe, some highly cultured guest threw it in there after mistaking Splash Mtn. for a landfill, but, a 6 pack? If it was there then, of course, it is a very bad show and should have been caught by someone and taken care of, no argument there. No need to enhance your story to make your point.

You're misreading what I said. the question about the 6 pack was sarcasm. For his statement that it was much worse before

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

I hope u guys are right but I want to clarify what I'm saying. When I was there in April 2013, the state of WDW was the worst I've ever seen and I've been dozens of times since 1980 the previous couple of visits in the few years preceding that we're pretty bad too but not as bad as this year.

Heck maybe there has been a slight uptick recently but from my perspective the overall wdw quality slope since 1980 is definitely down

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

There's definitly less complaints than there were a couple years ago in regards to maintenance.... Or people have just have gotten used to it, I wouldn't know (I will next week, though ) . I just remember the burnt out lightbulbs. Every thread had pictures of blown lightbulbs. I saw them in my sleep.

Well the complaints on this board aren't going down. I'm pretty sure the folks on here are more likely to notice

 

[Goofyernmost]

Well the complaints on this board aren't going down. I'm pretty sure the folks on here are more likely to notice

We do notice, but like everything else we tend to take a few things into account the realities of life and how they affect what we get. For example, 1980 was 33 years ago. Things will naturally deteriorate over that length of time and therefore require more care then before. New things are new things...they don't require much in the line of constant maintenance. We also recognize that they have added three theme parks since 1980 spreading resources thinner. Contrary to popular belief just throwing more people into the picture does not necessarily alter wear and tear or the organized ability to stay ahead of the problems. Another considerations is something that I surely have noticed over the last 33 years and that is a massive decrease in the behavior and respect for property that the Guests display. Over the years I have heard about many instances of trash on the ground and how that didn't used to be that way. Probably true, but, I maintain that people are the ones dropping that stuff to the ground, something that just didn't happen to that degree in 1980. I think the population was more considerate and less inclined to be slobs in public places then they are now.

If situations get to critical mass then I fully expect mass reaction to the problems. I know that I look around and I don't see the degree of neglect that some of you do. I first looked at WDW in 1983 and I was 36 years old. I was not looking at it through the eyes of a youngster that tends to only see the bright and shiny and not notice that it might be broken. I did see it and I did mentally note problems from peeling paint to AA's not working to food problems to wafting garbage smells on Main Street and that was when MK was only about 12 years old. So even though I do see change in quality of shows offered, CM spirit, Customer Service, empty death projecting buildings and many things that I am vocal about quite often, I just see the mechanical things as being in pretty good shape considering the age and usage of these attractions. I know that nothing on my body works like it did 33 years ago and I have done my best to maintain it through the years. Things just wear out and in the case of me, I cannot be replace because of uniqueness. In the case of attractions, cost will be a very strong reason for continued wear to the point where it becomes something that we used to visit. It's just part of the program as aging is a part of human life.

 

[flyerjab]

I have been to WDW in June and September this summer and I have noticed a lot of refurb work going on simultaneously in Liberty Square and Main Street. Those print facades are up everywhere. I am assuming from the knowledge base displayed on a daily basis on these threads that someone knows how they make them? The side of my house could use one of them right now.

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

We do notice, but like everything else we tend to take a few things into account the realities of life and how they affect what we get. For example, 1980 was 33 years ago. Things will naturally deteriorate over that length of time and therefore require more care then before. New things are new things...they don't require much in the line of constant maintenance. We also recognize that they have added three theme parks since 1980 spreading resources thinner. Contrary to popular belief just throwing more people into the picture does not necessarily alter wear and tear or the organized ability to stay ahead of the problems. Another considerations is something that I surely have noticed over the last 33 years and that is a massive decrease in the behavior and respect for property that the Guests display. Over the years I have heard about many instances of trash on the ground and how that didn't used to be that way. Probably true, but, I maintain that people are the ones dropping that stuff to the ground, something that just didn't happen to that degree in 1980. I think the population was more considerate and less inclined to be slobs in public places then they.

^You see what you just did right there? You made excuse after excuse for the reason of the decline which is PROOF to me that you DO see the decline but then you seem to refuse to admit the decline is real.

Also... Your EXCUSE about how it's the guests fault doesn't hold water either. See, back in the old days like when i first visited in 1980, popcorn was the most popular snack in the parks and I (and I'm sure any REAL WDW OLD-TIMER) can remember getting up off the curb near the Walt and Mickey statue after the fireworks show and seeing an OCEAN of popcorn and red and white popcorn boxes completely covering the curb and area. I also remember a SEA OF DISNEY employees immediately coming out of the woodwork and instantly cleaning it up. I was in my late 20s and with my mother and we both could not believe the amazing efficiency of the workers and how within minutes the mass of trash and the disney employees were gone. DISNEY DOES NOT DO THIS TYPE OF STUFF ANYMORE. Wanna know why? ......it's not because of money. It's because they don't care like they did back then. Their focus is no longer on THAT kind of magic THE REAL DISNEY MAGIC. Not Starbucks! Wake up from your pixie dust coma bro. Walt Disney world is still the best there is, but it is pale in comparison to its former glory.

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

Also lets talk about all this refurb and another undiscussed ways that disney has massively slacked off in quality. Back in the old days disney would make Herculean efforts to make sure thier guest wouldn't see any of the work. There was no Internet and the reason disney was able to keep things like FLE a secret was because the built walls as high as they could to keep construction from the public. Now instead of a sea of workers cleaning up popcorn, the parks are FLOODED with a sea of construction and refurbs

 

[Bairstow]

Also lets talk about all this refurb and another undiscussed ways that disney has massively slacked off in quality. Back in the old days disney would make Herculean efforts to make sure thier guest wouldn't see any of the work. There was no Internet and the reason disney was able to keep things like FLE a secret was because the built walls as high as they could to keep construction from the public. Now instead of a sea of workers cleaning up popcorn, the parks are FLOODED with a sea of construction and refurbs

Well this is just flat out untrue.

 

[doctornick]

Also lets talk about all this refurb and another undiscussed ways that disney has massively slacked off in quality. Back in the old days disney would make Herculean efforts to make sure thier guest wouldn't see any of the work. There was no Internet and the reason disney was able to keep things like FLE a secret was because the built walls as high as they could to keep construction from the public. Now instead of a sea of workers cleaning up popcorn, the parks are FLOODED with a sea of construction and refurbs

I don't even understand what you are trying to say here? Are you suggesting that Disney should be building massive walls to block off any view to construction? (Good luck blocking off the aerial views from people flying overhead.) To what purpose?

Anyhow, I think the majority of people on this board would be thrilled if WDW was "flooded with a sea of construction and refurbs". Much of the complaining is because there is not enough of that going on.

 

[Goofyernmost]

^You see what you just did right there? You made excuse after excuse for the reason of the decline which is PROOF to me that you DO see the decline but then you seem to refuse to admit the decline is real.

Also... Your EXCUSE about how it's the guests fault doesn't hold water either. See, back in the old days like when i first visited in 1980, popcorn was the most popular snack in the parks and I (and I'm sure any REAL WDW OLD-TIMER) can remember getting up off the curb near the Walt and Mickey statue after the fireworks show and seeing an OCEAN of popcorn and red and white popcorn boxes completely covering the curb and area. I also remember a SEA OF DISNEY employees immediately coming out of the woodwork and instantly cleaning it up. I was in my late 20s and with my mother and we both could not believe the amazing efficiency of the workers and how within minutes the mass of trash and the disney employees were gone. DISNEY DOES NOT DO THIS TYPE OF STUFF ANYMORE. Wanna know why? ......it's not because of money. It's because they don't care like they did back then. Their focus is no longer on THAT kind of magic THE REAL DISNEY MAGIC. Not Starbucks! Wake up from your pixie dust coma bro. Walt Disney world is still the best there is, but it is pale in comparison to its former glory.

Just a couple of comments and then I'm done with this endless discussion. First I don't make excuses for anything that Disney does...I do have ideas about what the reasons are. Disney doesn't have to justify to any of us why they do or don't do something. We just approve of it by continuing to go and giving them money. That is the only say we have in policy. Two, the touching 1980's popcorn story is wonderful, the problem is that the statues were not even there before 1995 and the reason that they had a sea of cleanup people had to do with the fact that people were allowed to smoke all over the place back then. If you dropped a cigarette on the ground people would crawl out of the walls and pick it up. They did away with that massive cleaning force when they used designated smoking locations. Construction was always behind walls from the beginning and that hasn't changed much since then. You, just don't have a grasp of reality. The difference in the numbers of people, the difference in the respect that they have for the areas they are in and many other factors. It is easy to blame Disney for everything including afternoon and evening thunder showers. No need to make others accountable for being slobs...it's all Disney's fault. And part of the reason why they don't care anymore. So if I'm a "pixie duster" then you are a person of unreasonable expectations. One is not much more realistic then the other.