Does anyone else feel the urgency to visit WDW at this point more than ever?

[GimpYancIent]

The reason being is that Disney is in a tailspin right now. Their movies are just horrible and even when they try and piggyback on Walt's legendary success like Snow White, they make a live action "remake" and have the main actor just trash the original story and concept. Despite the fact that there isn't a Disney company without the success of Snow White in 1937. I am wondering if Disney is just too deep into things now where there isn't any turning back. This is a company that set the standard for animated movies and even had some classic live action films. I am trying hard to think of the last movie that Disney created that was any good. Or that had a lot of popularity. Would it be Frozen?

Anyway, the lack of creativity, the wading into political culture and the fact that there is just a deliberate breaking away from the roots of the company and and ignoring of the guest experience is just a couple of things that come to mind. There is an old story about how Walt first rode Jungle Cruise and was livid with how the ride only lasted 3 minutes or so. He pointed out how they paid a lot of money for the animatronics and how the guests weren't getting the whole experience that he wanted. Imagine, a CEO wanting to emphasize how much bang for your buck the guests got. It isn't something you figure Bob Iger or Bob Chapek would say. It doesn't seem like something Disney has really deliberately tried to do. If there would be a complaint nowadays from up above you figure it would be because there isn't a gift shop to gauge the customer on the way out.

It makes you miss the 1990s Disney experience that seemed to put a lot more emphasis on families enjoying their day. And there isn't a Roy Disney Jr. anymore, or a Michael Eisner to help flip things around. I am not saying it can't happen, but there has to be a major overhaul of things for them to go back to their roots.

So basically what I am saying is that with the quality of movies out my thought is the parks are the next casualties. I think the parks still have enough "old school Disney" mentality in them to make it worthwhile but I am concerned that they are next on the chopping block all in favor of profit, while sacrificing quality. So do other people feel that there is an urgency to visit them now before things crumble?

Fully agree with your analysis, HOWEVER! No, do not feel any urge much less urgency to visit.

 

[graphite1326]

Encanto, Zootopia, Coco, Black Panther, The Force Awakens, Avatar The Way of Water, to name just a few. They’ve been struggling more than usual lately but to say their movies are just horrible sounds like your own opinion doesn’t line up with most people’s.


They are actually less political than they’ve been before, there’s just more people creating a fuss about it.

I have only seen The Force Awakens. Usually if I see a good movie, I will watch it again. I have no desire to watch that movie again and no desire to watch any of the other movies. I agree with the OP opinion and believe they are right on. You are wrong about bein less political also. Time to get out of your bubble.

 

[No Name]

I have only seen The Force Awakens. Usually if I see a good movie, I will watch it again. I have no desire to watch that movie again and no desire to watch any of the other movies. I agree with the OP opinion and believe they are right on. You are wrong about bein less political also. Time to get out of your bubble.

I won’t address the rude and baseless part of your reply, but regarding The Force Awakens, totally understand if you and the OP didn’t like it. However, that doesn’t change the fact that they do indeed have many post-Frozen hits.

 

[Musical Mermaid]

After witnessing what they did for their big 50th, the lackluster newer attractions, attractions being replaced that didn't need replacing, Genie+, no park hopping until after 2 pm, and much more...no. It's more of a hassle than an enjoyable vacation these days.

 

[tanc]

I am going in October, but prior to that I last went in August 2020. At that time, I could tell Disney World was absolutely going to change into a different beast. Yes, obviously it was 2020 and covid was absolutely devastating, but I mean literally half of the resort was practically closed. I had no desire to return after the desecration of Magical Express, the upcharges, and just poor service reviews.

I went to Tokyo Disney in May and it felt so refreshing, and it's such a shame that resort is so far away and inaccessible for most people. I really wish there was a company like OLC to run the Disney parks, but perhaps that's why it works so well over there. I'm not kidding you, I paid like half the price for food that you get state side and it was better quality. I got a big bowl of ramen, dessert, and drink for like half what you would pay in WDW. The desserts were all like 400 or 500 yen, and it made me realize how bad things are at WDW. Even the merch in Tokyo Disney was shockingly cheaper compared to the US, you could get a really nice mug for like $20 instead of what would probably be $50 here.

Yes, there is the currency difference, but even in Japanese yen I think it's fairly priced. It's not like they charge $20 for a meal, it was like 1300 yen for my ramen meal which is like $9 in USD.

 

[Sandersfeld]

NOPE

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I do plan on going next year to Disney World. Not sure when yet. I just had surgery last week, so I haven't nailed down any specific dates yet. Probably late April or early May.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

“Roger Engage”

Encanto, Zootopia, Coco, Black Panther, The Force Awakens, Avatar The Way of Water, to name just a few. They’ve been struggling more than usual lately but to say their movies are just horrible sounds like your own opinion doesn’t line up with most people’s.

Encanto, coco, zootopia…yes…

Boseman…dead…it turns out. Unfortunate end to that franchise. Second movie should end that.

The farce awakens…a bland reboot that learned nothing from the prequel backlash and made bigger mistakes by trying to overcompensate…started a tailspin. They can’t get Enough people to stream Star Wars shows now…to the point each gets a near immediate “cancelled?” Pub quest from nerddom , the studio is mothballed, they can’t get a toy on the shelf of anything made after about 2005…

And that all started with that phoney box office exercise…

Avatar is a life line they DESPERATELY needed. The one gem that the Fox deal got them. Big game James

But I digress

They are having a really tough go at the box office of late. Is that financial or societal drift? Or creative void/exploitation?

They are actually less political than they’ve been before, there’s just more people creating a fuss about it.

Politics effects travel little if any….

Lack of value for the price and hassles that make it tedious does

Ya been served by the masses, Bob

 

[MAGICFLOP]

The reason being is that Disney is in a tailspin right now. Their movies are just horrible and even when they try and piggyback on Walt's legendary success like Snow White, they make a live action "remake" and have the main actor just trash the original story and concept. Despite the fact that there isn't a Disney company without the success of Snow White in 1937. I am wondering if Disney is just too deep into things now where there isn't any turning back. This is a company that set the standard for animated movies and even had some classic live action films. I am trying hard to think of the last movie that Disney created that was any good. Or that had a lot of popularity. Would it be Frozen?

Anyway, the lack of creativity, the wading into political culture and the fact that there is just a deliberate breaking away from the roots of the company and and ignoring of the guest experience is just a couple of things that come to mind. There is an old story about how Walt first rode Jungle Cruise and was livid with how the ride only lasted 3 minutes or so. He pointed out how they paid a lot of money for the animatronics and how the guests weren't getting the whole experience that he wanted. Imagine, a CEO wanting to emphasize how much bang for your buck the guests got. It isn't something you figure Bob Iger or Bob Chapek would say. It doesn't seem like something Disney has really deliberately tried to do. If there would be a complaint nowadays from up above you figure it would be because there isn't a gift shop to gauge the customer on the way out.

It makes you miss the 1990s Disney experience that seemed to put a lot more emphasis on families enjoying their day. And there isn't a Roy Disney Jr. anymore, or a Michael Eisner to help flip things around. I am not saying it can't happen, but there has to be a major overhaul of things for them to go back to their roots.

So basically what I am saying is that with the quality of movies out my thought is the parks are the next casualties. I think the parks still have enough "old school Disney" mentality in them to make it worthwhile but I am concerned that they are next on the chopping block all in favor of profit, while sacrificing quality. So do other people feel that there is an urgency to visit them now before things crumble?

You nailed it.. Disney is in danger on so many fronts right now, you seem to be feeling the worry that they may go belly up or drastically change operations.

Disney is in a huge money crunch right now and most of it is "unforced errors" on their part. Movies that they are making are losing so much money that they are not honest with how much it really is. Disney had huge cash cows that are drying up, 1st the parks are bring in their only real revenue, 2nd the media market (DVD's etc) are being destroyed by streaming (yes the same streaming that the lost a billion and 500 million a quarter respectively also torpedoed DVD sales). With streaming killing the industry, the writers are asking for revenues from that as well, thats one reason why the strike is going on and on..

Disney is lost at sea and they think they are rowing toward shore, but they are actually going further out to sea convinced the beach will be in sight with a few more strokes.

Disney thinks they are too big to fail, but Bear Stearns taught us that it may not be. They are ramping up the covid nonsense masking etc, if they go full lock down again, Disney could burst into flames.


As for me, I am still following my own feelings from 2016 when I said "I don't see myself ever going back to WDW"

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You nailed it.. Disney is in danger on so many fronts right now, you seem to be feeling the worry that they may go belly up or drastically change operations.

Disney is in a huge money crunch right now and most of it is "unforced errors" on their part. Movies that they are making are losing so much money that they are not honest with how much it really is. Disney had huge cash cows that are drying up, 1st the parks are bring in their only real revenue, 2nd the media market (DVD's etc) are being destroyed by streaming (yes the same streaming that the lost a billion and 500 million a quarter respectively also torpedoed DVD sales). With streaming killing the industry, the writers are asking for revenues from that as well, thats one reason why the strike is going on and on..

Disney is lost at sea and they think they are rowing toward shore, but they are actually going further out to sea convinced the beach will be in sight with a few more strokes.

Disney thinks they are too big to fail, but Bear Stearns taught us that it may not be. They are ramping up the covid nonsense masking etc, if they go full lock down again, Disney could burst into flames.


As for me, I am still following my own feelings from 2016 when I said "I don't see myself ever going back to WDW"

I’d always say Kodak is the best example…a Dow 30 legacy brand that failed to pivot and went down almost immediately…

Sears and GE less so…but cautionary as well…

It’s always the fiduciary duty for the board and execs to adjust in real-time…everytime

It’s a crappy deal…I know…but they are rich so no biggie.

That’s why they have a shelf life…you replace if it’s burnt or ineffective

Disneys main problem is the entire “top shelf” in burbank is expired.

 

[LeighM]

I admit the MCU movies are not what they were in the first 4 phases (they already used the best characters debatably), but they arent horrible some are actually enjoyable (minus eternals)

I always forget that The Eternals movie exists LOL. I don't think the movie or script was all that bad considering it's a superhero movie (not like the awful Wonder Woman 1984). The thing I hated most about The Eternals was the bad casting.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

No.

 

[3WaltFans]

Yes, love visiting the parks. Will go as much as I can. I am currently visiting right now and having a blast. Just got back from Epcot tonight.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I always forget that The Eternals movie exists LOL. I don't think the movie or script was all that bad considering it's a superhero movie (not like the awful Wonder Woman 1984). The thing I hated most about The Eternals was the bad casting.

I actually don’t think WW84 was as bad as I originally thought?

It’s certainly not “good”…but popcorny enough to make it through

The MCU movies aren’t consistently getting above that low standard either of late

 

[donaldtoo]

The reason being is that Disney is in a tailspin right now. Their movies are just horrible and even when they try and piggyback on Walt's legendary success like Snow White, they make a live action "remake" and have the main actor just trash the original story and concept. Despite the fact that there isn't a Disney company without the success of Snow White in 1937. I am wondering if Disney is just too deep into things now where there isn't any turning back. This is a company that set the standard for animated movies and even had some classic live action films. I am trying hard to think of the last movie that Disney created that was any good. Or that had a lot of popularity. Would it be Frozen?

Anyway, the lack of creativity, the wading into political culture and the fact that there is just a deliberate breaking away from the roots of the company and and ignoring of the guest experience is just a couple of things that come to mind. There is an old story about how Walt first rode Jungle Cruise and was livid with how the ride only lasted 3 minutes or so. He pointed out how they paid a lot of money for the animatronics and how the guests weren't getting the whole experience that he wanted. Imagine, a CEO wanting to emphasize how much bang for your buck the guests got. It isn't something you figure Bob Iger or Bob Chapek would say. It doesn't seem like something Disney has really deliberately tried to do. If there would be a complaint nowadays from up above you figure it would be because there isn't a gift shop to gauge the customer on the way out.

It makes you miss the 1990s Disney experience that seemed to put a lot more emphasis on families enjoying their day. And there isn't a Roy Disney Jr. anymore, or a Michael Eisner to help flip things around. I am not saying it can't happen, but there has to be a major overhaul of things for them to go back to their roots.

So basically what I am saying is that with the quality of movies out my thought is the parks are the next casualties. I think the parks still have enough "old school Disney" mentality in them to make it worthwhile but I am concerned that they are next on the chopping block all in favor of profit, while sacrificing quality. So do other people feel that there is an urgency to visit them now before things crumble?

Your post reminded me of the below from the legendary Imagineer John Hench book “Designing Disney: Imagineering and the art of the Show”…

 

[Walt Disney1955]

You nailed it.. Disney is in danger on so many fronts right now, you seem to be feeling the worry that they may go belly up or drastically change operations.

Disney is in a huge money crunch right now and most of it is "unforced errors" on their part. Movies that they are making are losing so much money that they are not honest with how much it really is. Disney had huge cash cows that are drying up, 1st the parks are bring in their only real revenue, 2nd the media market (DVD's etc) are being destroyed by streaming (yes the same streaming that the lost a billion and 500 million a quarter respectively also torpedoed DVD sales). With streaming killing the industry, the writers are asking for revenues from that as well, thats one reason why the strike is going on and on..

Disney is lost at sea and they think they are rowing toward shore, but they are actually going further out to sea convinced the beach will be in sight with a few more strokes.

Disney thinks they are too big to fail, but Bear Stearns taught us that it may not be. They are ramping up the covid nonsense masking etc, if they go full lock down again, Disney could burst into flames.


As for me, I am still following my own feelings from 2016 when I said "I don't see myself ever going back to WDW"

Belly up, yes, that is always a possibility. Or just sold to someone and when they buy it they change the feel of things to suit how they view it. I went to Dollywood last year, and it is lovely, and there is no sign of it ever being anything but a charming theme park that immerses you in what appears to be the eyes of Dolly Parton. That being said, Dolly is no spring chicken, and she may have a lot of say in things now but she won't be around forever. I would suspect that when she passes there will be a feeling that things ought to stay the way she would have liked it. People who worked with her closely will still be employed there for another 20-25 years. But then what? A new generation will come in and say "Ah, I don't like this southern-style hospitality feel to the park, it isn't inclusive enough". And by then these people will never even have met Dolly and will start steering things towards their own vision, perhaps. It could happen, you never know.

It happened with Disney. Sure it took a long time, Walt died in 1966 and there were tons of people that were working there even into the 1990s that knew Walt. Roy Disney Jr. died in 2009 for example, and it seemed even in the Eisner era there was this "let's stick to what Walt did because it worked" type of feeling. But there is a whole new era not thinking this way anymore, and it shows.

All good things have to come to an end someday. It may not be in our lifetime but strange things have happened. In 1957 the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants both left town and went out west never to return to their original baseball cities. The Roman Empire comes to mind too. Great institutions can die and fade away and be a shell of their former self. There is still a lot of the old school Disney at the parks and that feel I would say can still be there, but my thought is that it is dwindling gradually.

As for the Covid stuff, there are these rumors of things starting up again, but they said that last fall/autumn as well. I think they will always dangle a carrot over people come the start of flu season as a "What if" sort of distraction. Personally as good of a job as they did selling that agenda in 2020 (I saw it for what it was from the beginning much to people's anger towards me) I don't think they can pull it off again, so I wouldn't worry about it. But yeah, Disneyland especially was closed for an entire year, and it is foolish if people don't think this had a horrific impact on everything from price increases to losing the magic and whatever.

 

[ohioguy]

Their movies are just horrible and even when they try and piggyback on Walt's legendary success like Snow White, they make a live action "remake" and have the main actor just trash the original story and concept.

The original story is problematic. It is inconceivable that it wouldn't be regarded as such in the modern era.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

So do other people feel that there is an urgency to visit them now before things crumble?

Of course not. I don’t go for hysterics.

 

[Marionnette]

The original story is problematic. It is inconceivable that it wouldn't be regarded as such in the modern era.

Could you expand on that statement, please?

 

[Prince-1]

I always have an urgency to visit and it's not because I'm worried the parks are going to disappear forever. It's because I genuinely still love them. Spring break 2024 can't get here fast enough for me.

Sorry but that positivity is not allowed on here.