Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[Eddie Sotto]

The complete disrepair of the giant signs tell me everything I need to know as I drive in. Do I think the things I cannot see are well maintained when the things I'm expected to read are not? Do you perceive the rides are safe when the signs are falling down? If you saw the President giving a speech and the Eagle was peeling off the Presidential Seal would that give you confidence? Disney is a world class experience and they charge as such. At Rivera one of the letters shorted out in our sign and we had to have that fixed ASAP. Top priority. It relates to our brand perception. If we can't get our name right, do you think we'll get the food right? I don't normally go off, but those images are shocking.

Have we gone from doing touch up on chipped railings every night to this? Hope it's an anomaly and is overnight damage from a freak 100 year storm.

End of rant.

 

[Mansion Butler]

The complete disrepair of the giant signs tell me everything I need to know as I drive in. Do I think the things I cannot see are well maintained when the things I'm expected to read are not? Do you perceive the rides are safe when the signs are falling down? If you saw the President giving a speech and the Eagle was peeling off the Presidential Seal would that give you confidence? Disney is a world class experience and they charge as such. At Rivera one of the letters shorted out in our sign and we had to have that fixed ASAP. Top priority. It relates to our brand perception. If we can't get our name right, do you think we'll get the food right? I don't normally go off, but those images are shocking.

Have we gone from doing touch up on chipped railings every night to this? Hope it's an anomaly and is overnight damage from a freak 100 year storm.

End of rant.

I'm not sure (as someone who drives on property every day) how long it's been going on.

I don't think it's been for long, but then I could have just been ignorant.

 

[KevinYee]

Have we gone from doing touch up on chipped railings every night to this? Hope it's an anomaly and is overnight damage from a freak 100 year storm.

The guy who told me about said it's been this way for weeks. I can't verify that time frame independently, but it is telling that it's happening on three separate signs.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I really hope the signs are a wake up call to people who continue to insist that things are just as great as always. A highway directional sign is not a small effect that may well largely go unnoticed, it is a prominent graphic intended to be seen and read by many and should be considered unacceptable for any business and especially one that claims to be so far above and beyond the competition.

 

[thehowiet]

The complete disrepair of the giant signs tell me everything I need to know as I drive in. Do I think the things I cannot see are well maintained when the things I'm expected to read are not? Do you perceive the rides are safe when the signs are falling down? If you saw the President giving a speech and the Eagle was peeling off the Presidential Seal would that give you confidence? Disney is a world class experience and they charge as such. At Rivera one of the letters shorted out in our sign and we had to have that fixed ASAP. Top priority. It relates to our brand perception. If we can't get our name right, do you think we'll get the food right? I don't normally go off, but those images are shocking.

Have we gone from doing touch up on chipped railings every night to this? Hope it's an anomaly and is overnight damage from a freak 100 year storm.

End of rant.

I couldn't agree more, especially with your comment about Disney being a world class experience and charging as such. I have no problem paying premium prices for a premium experience, but it just seems that these days there isn't a sense of urgency to take care of things like this.

When guests see something so glaring as soon as they arrive on property, perception becomes reality.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

I could not BELIEVE the story on Miceage where the WDW signs are peeling apart. Did you read this? There must be an explanation like "the vendor put up some defective material and it will be changed right away". Kevin's article says it's been like that. Hard to swallow. This can't be due to neglect. Check it out. Kevin, is there more to this? If I saved up 10 grand to spend with my family there and this was my first impression, I'd either cry or head to Universal.

http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky090611a.htm

Wow that's really atrocious. That's like checking into a hotel and the lobby wallpaper is peeling and the carpet is torn and moldy.

Sadly, it really does reflect what's been going on in the parks in Florida. Splash Mountain's problems have been documented, and Carousel of Progress is in truly tragic condition. There are many other examples from the small (those chipped railings) to the large.

There have been some bright spots as far as maintenance goes, and from what I hear the problem isn't the folks in maintenance. The problem is in whoever is allocating resources and determining how much maintenance can do, and when, and where.

 

[HMF]

Well, this is just embarrassing.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=...qnvfooU6DRajoLgtMBw9oA&cbp=12,184.46,,0,11.29

 

[MikeAGeorge]

We just returned Sunday from a 6 day stay in the world (POR). The flaws in SM where visible to me on our 2 rides and I've not been there in 18 mos. I did not notice the trashiness of the grounds that has been brought up on threads here. There were CM always visible picking up and changing trash bins at all parks. The exception to this was in MK after the Wishes (my God....what absolute pigs guests are)....there was all forms of debris strewn about from popcorn boxes to dirty diapers. There were however numerous CM with the big vacuums cleaning up. It did seem that some of the little things like chipped paint in POC and on store facades was more prevalent than in the past but maybe I was more sensitive to it because of reading about it. Some of the grounds at parks and resorts were immaculate while others looked like mine at home with weeds winning the battles. Definately not the same jaw dropping pristine experience we had when first visiting as adults in 96.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

We just returned Sunday from a 6 day stay in the world (POR). The flaws in SM where visible to me on our 2 rides and I've not been there in 18 mos. I did not notice the trashiness of the grounds that has been brought up on threads here. There were CM always visible picking up and changing trash bins at all parks. The exception to this was in MK after the Wishes (my God....what absolute pigs guests are)....there was all forms of debris strewn about from popcorn boxes to dirty diapers. There were however numerous CM with the big vacuums cleaning up. It did seem that some of the little things like chipped paint in POC and on store facades was more prevalent than in the past but maybe I was more sensitive to it because of reading about it. Some of the grounds at parks and resorts were immaculate while others looked like mine at home with weeds winning the battles. Definately not the same jaw dropping pristine experience we had when first visiting as adults in 96.

Encouraging. Thanks for the fair and balanced reporting

 

[trs518]

Encouraging. Thanks for the fair and balanced reporting

C.S.Lewis spoke about fair and balanced reporting in a round about way in the Screwtape Letters. If the focus stays on the negative for an inordinate amount of time, eventuallly that is all you will see.

While riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at WDW, I did see the black tarp that Kevin Yee had mentioned in his articles. I thought it was ugly and out of place. Something like that should be fixed as soon as possible. After looking at it for a second, I focused on my six year old son who was yelling and smiling with a big grin, because he was on one of his favorite rides.

While talking about a quality show, here is a blip from a micechat forum post about John Lasseter.

Lasseter believes that "quality is the best business plan" and isn't afraid to take on the suits holding the purse strings to get the new-look DCA just right. "I literally said to one guy--we were talking about cutting this, cutting that. I said, 'OK, are you going to take it upon yourself to stand at the exit of the ride and explain to everybody who gets off the ride why it's successful because we stayed within the ridiculously low budget? Are you? If you are, I'm good. I'm in.' It's like at Pixar. We will work on a movie 'til it's great because you have four years to make it great. So, make it great so it lasts forever."

 

[Eddie Sotto]

C.S.Lewis spoke about fair and balanced reporting in a round about way in the Screwtape Letters. If the focus stays on the negative for an inordinate amount of time, eventuallly that is all you will see.

While riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at WDW, I did see the black tarp that Kevin Yee had mentioned in his articles. I thought it was ugly and out of place. Something like that should be fixed as soon as possible. After looking at it for a second, I focused on my six year old son who was yelling and smiling with a big grin, because he was on one of his favorite rides.

While talking about a quality show, here is a blip from a micechat forum post about John Lasseter.

Lasseter believes that "quality is the best business plan" and isn't afraid to take on the suits holding the purse strings to get the new-look DCA just right. "I literally said to one guy--we were talking about cutting this, cutting that. I said, 'OK, are you going to take it upon yourself to stand at the exit of the ride and explain to everybody who gets off the ride why it's successful because we stayed within the ridiculously low budget? Are you? If you are, I'm good. I'm in.' It's like at Pixar. We will work on a movie 'til it's great because you have four years to make it great. So, make it great so it lasts forever."

Well said.. but remember, Just because he's the creative leader, doesn't mean he's the creative leader.

 

[modegreen]

I've noticed the peeling signs for a few weeks now... and was waiting for someone else to catch on. It's neglect, whether there's a justifiable reason or not.

As far as Lasseter, that seems like he's only really doing work at Disneyland thus far. Sadly, Joe Rhode is the only Imagineer attached to a park in Florida. There needs to be more "superstar" Imagineers that can take over a park and shape it's future (though, that said, it only really seems to work for Disneyland...)

 

[HMF]

I've noticed the peeling signs for a few weeks now... and was waiting for someone else to catch on. It's neglect, whether there's a justifiable reason or not.

As far as Lasseter, that seems like he's only really doing work at Disneyland thus far. Sadly, Joe Rhode is the only Imagineer attached to a park in Florida. There needs to be more "superstar" Imagineers that can take over a park and shape it's future (though, that said, it only really seems to work for Disneyland...)

Eric Jacobson has creative control of the other 3 WDW Parks but his recent track record has been hit and miss. Not to mention we have no John Lasseter down the street like DL does.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Eric Jacobson has creative control of the other 3 WDW Parks but his recent track record has been hit and miss. Not to mention we have no John Lasseter down the street like DL does.

I remember back in there 90's when things were really bad at Disneyland and I was working with the Show quality group. Tony was my boss. They would submit paperwork to fix things and there was no budget or staff to address them. Sometimes the WDI staff would even paint the dinosaurs themselves on their own time! The work was prioritized and maintenance would do their best. The paperwork piled up over a period of years and was kept in a binder, up until the 50th remodel. I heard from an exec that they estimated the work in that binder alone and it was worth 75 million dollars. By the 50th, most of those things got done. A great effort, but these things can't pile up or the tab just gets enormous.

I cannot blame WDI in that they see and report the flaws, but the system does not always allow everything to be addressed in a given timeframe. Assuming that is truly the problem, Corporate has to address the budgets and what they can spend and the proper staffing to deal with these things.

John Lassiter loved Tom Sawyer's Island and back in the 90's he noticed on a family visit that it was closed and the reason given to him was that everything was broken. It was not closed for rehab, just closed. He called Eisner and complained and Paul Pressler had to move money to get those areas addressed right away. This is before Disney owned Pixar.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

C.S.Lewis spoke about fair and balanced reporting in a round about way in the Screwtape Letters. If the focus stays on the negative for an inordinate amount of time, eventuallly that is all you will see.

This is so true and something to consider. The media of course uses negativity and drama to attract and maintain your attention, so we get that non stop and have a very cynical society.

I used to draw editorial cartoons and ads for my grandfather and when I would write or illustrate something cynical or negative, he would make me redo it and give it a funny, but positive tone. He hated negativity in that forum. He knew that people get that for real and reading for fun looking at ads could just as easily be upbuilding, not degrading.

Your quote reminding me of the power of being positive and looking for ways to build each other up, not continually tear down. I got off on a signage rant and while I still feel that it's not right, there are so many things there that are very right and well done. Good to point that out as a result of being balanced. Thanks for the post.

Walt Disney created entertainment that appeals to one's better nature.

 

[Figment571]

I've noticed the peeling signs for a few weeks now... and was waiting for someone else to catch on. It's neglect, whether there's a justifiable reason or not.

As far as Lasseter, that seems like he's only really doing work at Disneyland thus far. Sadly, Joe Rhode is the only Imagineer attached to a park in Florida. There needs to be more "superstar" Imagineers that can take over a park and shape it's future (though, that said, it only really seems to work for Disneyland...)

This is actually something I have been thinking about. I believe in the near future, give it about 10-15 years that there will be a generation of Imagineers whose experience with Disney parks has mainly been on the East coast. They will probably be folks who have been on sites like these some and will have specific attachment to Walt Disney World rather than Disneyland.

 

[trs518]

This is actually something I have been thinking about. I believe in the near future, give it about 10-15 years that there will be a generation of Imagineers whose experience with Disney parks has mainly been on the East coast. They will probably be folks who have been on sites like these some and will have specific attachment to Walt Disney World rather than Disneyland.

While it's import to have great Imagineers, sometimes I think it's important to have superstar people on the business side. Running a business requires dividing shared resources (money, time, talent) in the best way.

 

[trs518]

This is so true and something to consider. The media of course uses negativity and drama to attract and maintain your attention, so we get that non stop and have a very cynical society.

I used to draw editorial cartoons and ads for my grandfather and when I would write or illustrate something cynical or negative, he would make me redo it and give it a funny, but positive tone. He hated negativity in that forum. He knew that people get that for real and reading for fun looking at ads could just as easily be upbuilding, not degrading.

Your quote reminding me of the power of being positive and looking for ways to build each other up, not continually tear down. I got off on a signage rant and while I still feel that it's not right, there are so many things there that are very right and well done. Good to point that out as a result of being balanced. Thanks for the post.

Walt Disney created entertainment that appeals to one's better nature.

Fair and balanced is very tough, it's getting the right porportion of cheerleading and constructive critisism.

 

[KevinYee]

Fair and balanced is very tough, it's getting the right porportion of cheerleading and constructive critisism.

I find it quite difficult to know what is the "right" amount.

If you do too little praising, you are accused of becoming jaded (this happens to me all the time).

If you do too little criticizing, you get accused by the longtimers (who really notice the decline) of pandering just for the sake of balance.

There's also the problem of perceived "fairness." I could arbitrarily give 50% attention to praise and 50% attention to criticism, but that doesn't really send a clear signal. Are things bad or aren't they? A hypothetical column like that written in 1966 or 1971 could point out a 50/50 ratio, too, but the objective-me would howl that there's no comparing 1966 with 2011. It's a forced, artificial balancing of good and bad.

I also worry about "reverse-jaded" attitudes. Just as we might imagine a "jaded" visitor, I could easily posit a corporate person at Disney who reads online criticism and gets "reverse jaded" if the criticism ALWAYS contains 50% good and 50% bad. It would make the 'bad' seem less of a problem. "Oh, this guy always has 50% bad; it's what he does."

So the true, most objective way to characterize the park is to call it as you see it. I strive to point out the good when it happens. But I'm open to the idea I ought to do it more. I just don't think that I ought to do it "just because."

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

I just don't think that I ought to do it "just because."

And for that, I thank you. The truly above and beyond deserves recognition, imho, but I don't think TDO deserves "balanced" praise just for doing things the way they should be done.

I would much rather not have had to point out the terrible state of Muppetvision in my TR, but, contrary to some of the pixie dust folks, it did affect my enjoyment of that attraction (in other words, I couldn't just "ignore" the glaring issues and "go with it," the suggestions I'm seeing more and more often). If people like you, who have an audience, pander to the pixie dust folks who demand "balance," it would only contribute to the problems occurring.

A big thanks to both Eddie and Kevin for their honest views and observations, both positive and negative :sohappy: