Disney's Half-A***D Approach

[kcw]

You know, that is so true. While I was a CT, I spent 6 years in the navy. When I got out and returned to WDW, walking back into the Tunnel felt eerily like coming home.

Thank you for sharing that.:wave:

YUP! I'm seasonal now, and when I went back in july and walked into those tunnels it really got to me.... and from reading some of your posts and assuming I'm right on where you worked, you'd get this one too- even the smell of those dang basics made me feel "at home"!!!!! lame huh????!!!

That smell in the tunnels is just garbage? I thought it was sewage.

Still, wouldn't have traded the job for anything in the world. Well, except my physical health which is why I... er, traded the job. Huh.

haha well, I'm not sure really? I just always assumed it was from the garbage whizzing over our heads in the pipes.... garbage, sewer, whatever it is.... it still reeks! ha

 

[cmatt]

There is only really partial blame to pass on to disney - and that is for paying Careerbuilder to post the positions on their site.

Careerbuilder is the ones to blame as they have not developed a suitable infrastructure, they would have known about this but have still decided to go ahead with running this site. It is just a bad implementation of a project, probably their work deadlines meant that they could not finish the job off to the highest quality? i don't know. But it is the responsibility of Careerbuilder to sort their site out.

Just providing you with some granularity and distinction between the two sites.

Disney = The people paying Careerbuilder
Careerbuilder = The guys that screwed up the site. Hosting the videos i would imagine.

These things don't just work - it does take time, and the next wave of recruitment will probably be more successful.

 

[Disneyfanman]

This is an interesting thread. I am an out of work business professional who is very interested in considering Disney as one of my choices. I have stopped in personally at Disney Casting, and they absolutely refused to take a hard copy of my resume, and instead referred me to Disney Careers Website. I have been there, posted resumes for jobs several times, and never received even a reply. I have a pretty amazing set of credentials, and am very qualified for multiple positions, but my impression is that they are not mining resumes from the outside. Period. This is supported by the recent experience of a close friend who attended a professional program recently and interacted with people at all levels. He was given the strong impression that Disney almost never (with the exception of specific roles like accounting and legal) looks to the outside. He suggested that I take a role as a CM and work my way up. At 46 I can't afford to do that. That means that I will not be able to consider them as a choice. Too Bad. I am pretty good at what I do. I guess I will work for them when I retire. And as for their website.....It's really bad. LOL

 

[Nansafan]

So you might be saying to yourself, well, I don't care about either of these sites. I really love Disney for the parks. Okay, well, I ask you, where's the imagination gone in the parks? What about the rides? Toy Story Mania? I've ridden this ride before, it was called Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and then it was called Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. Where is the imagination? All this comes out to be is another corporation force feeding what they believe to be a decent product down our throats simply because it is what is convenient for them. Why bother being creative any more? Here's an idea, let's take a character very few appreciate, close an attraction lots of people like, and cram that character down the throats of those who dislike him, simply because we are too lazy to come up with some sort of creative idea that will be appealing to the masses. Everyone likes Alien Encounter, so let's close it and put in Stitch. Just be sure to ignore all those complaints from long time fans.

Having ridden both Buzz's (WDW and DL) the creativity is in the technology. the ride at DL is better than the one at WDW. I.E. the guns are not stationary, you can tell if you've hit a target on the target to name 2 differences. I'm sure Toy Story Mania will improve again on DL's Buzz.

Secondly, my mother always said once you say "all, everyone, never" you've just told a lie. "Everyone likes Alien Encounter," I can name 10 people who didn't like Alien Encounter and those same (many Stitch lovers) don't like the Stitch replacement either. WDW is about appealing to the masses. There are plenty of things to do if there is something you don't like. I personally love seeing all those people in line for Stitch, it means they're not in line ahead of me for Space, or the TTA etc.

 

[JDM]

To the "OP":
Well, you certainly are frustrated and no one understands the frustration of job seeking on a dodgy or difficult-to-navigate website better than I do! Not to mention no contact with actual humans. I can relate.

And while Disney as a company is far from perfect, I think you are forgetting something: Disney is, indeed, a corporation who employs marketing to get your money. That's what they do and that's what they were designed for. And frankly, despite the warts, no one is better at marketing than Disney, for better or worse.
Even Walt himself didn't create the company as a philanthropic effort. It was designed to make as much money as possible for its shareholders, just like every company. That's called capitalism and it's a system that works pretty well when we let it.

And while that may not help you in your efforts and while you certainly don't have to love Disney for it--they are what they are and it's never been a big secret.

 

[Champion]

Use the jobs search on disney.com, not careerbuilder

 

[ImaYoyo]

OP, please remember that WDW has a built-in talent pool of currently around 63,000 Cast Members. The company, as a policy, attempts to hire from the inside first. Not to mention, it is one of the most desired companies in the South East, as well as in the United States. That being said, there are hundreds of thousands of resumes swirling around. You have to be honest with yourself. Coming from the outside (of Disney), are you really the absolute best candidtate out of all of those hundreds of thousands?

I am in no way trying to bash you, say you're not great at your job, or anything of the like. You seem very passionate and are probably wonderful at what you do. But you have to remember there are hundreds of others that are wonderful at that same thing too. And many of them already have Disney training, experience and ideals, which in the end = less training with for the company = more money in their pockets.

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

CLiff notes please... And if that's your biggest gripe keep searching. I'm sure you can find something else to complain about besides a confusing, and aesthetically unpleasing jobsite.

 

[bjlc57]

you know, we all can't be Kool aid drinkers...

Hey, wait a minute. This poster have more then valid points. WDW has dropped a notch or two in the past few years. They removed an e-ticket ride for basically a parking lot,( meet and greet).

They came up with AE and having toned it down, wiped it out, only to be replaced with one of their worst movies. Gees Why didn't they replace it with BlackBeard's Ghost instead. or Charlie the lonesome Cougar. if you wanted a movie that no one talks about or went to.

They have raised prices regardless of the economy. Meaning that if you live in the Midwest or New England, the two major areas that WDW tries to make their winter draw from, Disney doesn't care about the price of gas. or your home or financial situation.

and they seem uncaring. and unbending. After my last visit, WDW sent me both a card and an email with an offer to come back at a discounted rate.

But I could not due to the death of my Father. I have called Guest Services, with many a runaround, and inquired, that since I could not travel at that time, can I use this code at this time. For one, you get put through about 14 different people, on hold for about 30 minutes, and then told, No, we won't honor the deal that we asked you to have.

So guess what. We aren't coming. and who knows when we will return. When WDW decides that hey we are actually interested in you instead of just my money, or really decides to improve the parks, Yes we may reconsider.

and of course some of you say, great, Don't come, more room for me. Well, their are a lot of us who are starting to think this way. and when we don't come, then how does WDW have the money or the desire, to improve the parks or their people skills. meaning that they actually care about more then just my money.


So go ahead, let the ripping begin. but the original poster made very valid points. and its time for us to think before we all drink the Kool aid.

 

[Shere_Khan]

I myself have not dealt with those websites but from your explanations of them I can understand the frustrations you might feel. Hopefully Disney and Careerbuilder can work together to find an easier way to navigate the sites and hopefully they realize these are problem areas for people.

So when you drive under that Walt Disney World archway, you can say, "they can't handle a website, I can't get hired there, and this park has completely changed from when I was a kid...." or you can say "you know what, this park is still here and many people work very hard in order for me and my family and friends to enjoy ourselves together, and this is an experience that many people aren't lucky enough to enjoy- so I'm going to get over Disney's mistakes, and make this a fantastic vacation"

I agree 100% with this and when I get frustrated with something at Disney and want to complain, I try to remember this. There are several people who are not lucky enough to even get to go to Disney at all. I am one of those who can only make it once every few years. I realize that those of you who can go frequently may get very frustrated with some decisions Disney makes and it is totally your right to feel that way. Just try to remember that along with the faults Disney has, that you are still also very lucky! I know I sure am jealous! :lol:

Secondly, my mother always said once you say "all, everyone, never" you've just told a lie. "Everyone likes Alien Encounter," I can name 10 people who didn't like Alien Encounter and those same (many Stitch lovers) don't like the Stitch replacement either. WDW is about appealing to the masses. There are plenty of things to do if there is something you don't like. I personally love seeing all those people in line for Stitch, it means they're not in line ahead of me for Space, or the TTA etc.

After reading the OP's post I was just about to quote it and say exactly that. Not everyone loved Alien Encounter. I actually hated it and would not care if I ever went on it again. That being said, I also do not really enjoy the replacement, but I do see several young children who really enjoy it so obviously I am not going to be angry with Disney for not pleasing me and only me. We have to realize that no matter what they do, not everyone will be pleased by it.

 

[MIDisneyFamily]

Me, along with 16.6+ million of my friends will visit the Magic Kingdom this year....we love Walt Disney World for what it is, and will always love going there to escape reality for a while. Id rather worry about the real world when Im home, rather then worry about a theme park when Im on vacation. I once heard a wise saying.....I think it was....Oh, yeah ....Hakuna Matata
I never liked the 20,000 leagues ride much anyway, I just liked the "boat" design.

 

[TestTrack]

Hey, wait a minute. This poster have more then valid points. WDW has dropped a notch or two in the past few years. They removed an e-ticket ride for basically a parking lot,( meet and greet).

They came up with AE and having toned it down, wiped it out, only to be replaced with one of their worst movies. Gees Why didn't they replace it with BlackBeard's Ghost instead. or Charlie the lonesome Cougar. if you wanted a movie that no one talks about or went to.

They have raised prices regardless of the economy. Meaning that if you live in the Midwest or New England, the two major areas that WDW tries to make their winter draw from, Disney doesn't care about the price of gas. or your home or financial situation.

and they seem uncaring. and unbending. After my last visit, WDW sent me both a card and an email with an offer to come back at a discounted rate.

But I could not due to the death of my Father. I have called Guest Services, with many a runaround, and inquired, that since I could not travel at that time, can I use this code at this time. For one, you get put through about 14 different people, on hold for about 30 minutes, and then told, No, we won't honor the deal that we asked you to have.

So guess what. We aren't coming. and who knows when we will return. When WDW decides that hey we are actually interested in you instead of just my money, or really decides to improve the parks, Yes we may reconsider.

and of course some of you say, great, Don't come, more room for me. Well, their are a lot of us who are starting to think this way. and when we don't come, then how does WDW have the money or the desire, to improve the parks or their people skills. meaning that they actually care about more then just my money.


So go ahead, let the ripping begin. but the original poster made very valid points. and its time for us to think before we all drink the Kool aid.

I love this argument. Disney offers a discount...but because they won't change the terms of the discount...they are going downhill. I saw the same argument on the resort reviews at allearsnet. Someone rated a resort down because they upgraded them to a magic kingdom view(for free) but they were mad because they forgot to tell them that a palm tree blocked their view.

Go to a store and ask if you can use a coupon past its expiration date. I bet you most won't take it.

It's the same thing here. Deals are given specifically to fill the parks during periods where they may otherwise have trouble. You are changing the date of the deal and perhaps they don't NEED more people at that time. They can fill up the park at full price during that time. That's called smart buisness. You can't always bend to the will of every customer.

As for the OP, I see a whole lot of complaining about career builder. And then some opinions about attractions he doesn't like. What about mission: Space? What about Soarin? Those are both imaginative attractions that many people like that for some reason you ignore.

So then you throw out some generalities...like Buzz is unimaginative. Maybe it isn't the most creative thing in the world...but I think its fun. It always has a line so it can't be horrible. Then we have TSM...which you haven't eve ridden. So you can't possibly know how good it will be. Is it similar to Buzz? Yes, it probably will be. But maybe it might be more immersive and fun? Definitely could be. One could say that Mexico's boat ride is exactly like IASM. You could say that Body wars was exactly like ST. You could say that Muppets 3D is exactly like HISTA is exactly like ITTBAB. However, you don't. Does this mean that even though these attractions are similar that perhaps they are each different enough to warrant their own attraction? Perhaps merely having the same ride mechanics doesn't make a ride identical?

As for 20K, yes they replaced it with a meet and greet. However, from what I hear it was falling into disrepair and costing a lot of money. So, while they wait for funds to become available to redevelop the land, they turned it into a functional area for kids to meet characters. Really, doesn't seem that bad to me.

Look outside of your own opinion and realize there are millions of people who love the things you hate. Then you might realize while Disney is still Disney.

 

[Shere_Khan]

They came up with AE and having toned it down, wiped it out, only to be replaced with one of their worst movies. Gees Why didn't they replace it with BlackBeard's Ghost instead. or Charlie the lonesome Cougar. if you wanted a movie that no one talks about or went to.

Wait a minute...no one talks about or went to Stitch? Most children I know still rave about Stitch now. In fact my best friend's 6 year old wanted his entire bedroom decorated in Stitch and can quote the movie word for word.

 

[Fievel]

I think the logic train has derailed here.

You seem to have a lot of anger stemming from your careerbuilder.com experience, and are projecting that on all the other things that you think are wrong.

First off, timekeeper's attendance was WAY down....to the point where it was only open seasonaly. To replace it with characters and a show both adults and kids have been getting laughs off of is a good thing, IMO.

I kinda-sorta agree with you on Stitch. I did like AE, but didn't feel that it fit into the whole "park that adults and kids can enjoy together" mantra, but any rollercoaster goes into this category as well. However, if they would have made this show a "Good" stitch show....I think you would hear a lot less complaints. You have to take into account that these internet discussion forums are a small part of the overall consumer base at disney, so if Disney were just trying to please us, they may alienate the larger community in the process. I'm not sure keeping a ride based off a sci-fi movie from the 80's is a good idea. Only the 25+ ageset even remembers that movie. Teenagers probably think that movie is lame compared to todays standards. I would have rather seem that space as a return to "trip to mars", but with better effects.

I do NOT think the Disney magic is ruined, and if you think so then complain to Disney. If you choose not to take steps to communicate to the people who actually run WDW, then you are not part of the solution. They may not think your opinion is correct, but at least it will be heard. Complaining to a bunch of fans who have debated these points ad nauseum does nothing but allow you to get it off your chest. The end product remains the same - nothing will be done.

 

[dandaman]

I would have rather seem that space as a return to "trip to mars", but with better effects.

Why, what's that hiding in the flowerbed?

:lookaroun

Many valid points, and some not so much, in this thread. I like it.

 

[Gig 'Em Mickey]

mmm.... Kool-Aid....

 

[bjlc57]

that's what those people at Jonestown said. and now they are all pushing up daisy's .

 

[dandaman]

^And the Jonestown incident happened on Mickey's birthday, thus finding the Disney connection. :lookaroun

 

[echoscot]

I'm not sure keeping a ride based off a sci-fi movie from the 80's is a good idea. Only the 25+ ageset even remembers that movie. Teenagers probably think that movie is lame compared to todays standards.

This point confused me. AE wasn't based on a film, it was an original concept. Unless maybe you are referring to another ride that I am not remembering.

EDIT: I meant to also include that I thought your points were all valid...except the confusing point....which I pointed out...to make a uhmmm point.

 

[slappy magoo]

Gspiff, I'm not going to assume anything, and I know you're here to rant, and you're talking in a moment of passion, so take what I say with a grain of salt...

If the complaints you made in trying to navigate the web site were written in any way shape or form like the rant you made here, that might be the reason why nobody's responding to you. It doesn't read like someone who wants to be a part of the Disney magic, it reads like a misanthrope who thinks things have gone to hell in a handbasket. Kinda reminds me of the letters obssessed exes write you after you've gone from "we should just be friends" to "you're kinda crowding me and I need some time away" to "OK, now you're just scaring me." Less hopeful idealist, more obsessive pessimist, which is not the sort of thing any employers seek out, least of all one like Disney where the appreciation for all facets of its domain borders on Stepford Wives-esque.

And, of course, it's just plain hard to read.

Again, if your attempts to contact carrerbuilder OR WDW is better-written than this, then I retract my comments. But if any level of that hostility made it into your official missives, intentional or not, then I wouldn't blame anyone for keeping a distance.