Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks

[PixarfortheWin]

That's the cooling of the planets/rising of nations part of the show...it's supposed to be subdued...because it's not only supposed to show dynamic contrast between the initial Chaos opening because the growth of our planet and humanity was no where near as chaotic as the birth of our planet (though I cannot actually confirm this myself), but it's also supposed to divert all of your attention to the globe and make you go what is that....oh it's a globe....well what's those picture on the globe....oh it's people and different animals/countries...

You can insert your own dialogue for that part...but I definitely disagree with your opinion of the musical score...that part is just as amazing as the rest of it.

I've said it a million times, but it always upsets me when people don't actually realize what IllumiNations is about, or what is happening during the show. You get a whole new level of satisfaction out of the presenation when you understand the entire story rather than just thinking: Big Balls of Fire...Globe thing moving out....waterworks....pretty images....lights around the World Showcase....Big Finale...

I understand the meaning of the show but it does not make it any less boring to me after one viewing....

The Music is hit or miss because there are times where it is really good then you have the annoying times where it just repeats the same tired and bad sound.....NANANANANANANANANANANANANANANA, how can anyone find that part enjoyable at all?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I understand the meaning of the show but it does not make it any less boring to me after one viewing....

You can't please everyone. To some the show will always be boring. That's fine, there are other shows they may prefer. I know grown men who cry at the end of Illuminations. One man's mud is another's uranium.

 

[Alektronic]

Columunist Al Lutz in his answer to a reader about the recent movie based POTC upgrades at both parks, makes some interesting statements about how the Studio favors DL over WDW when it comes to investment and upkeep, a subject we've been discussing at length this last week. I pasted a snippet of the article below but you can read the whole thing.


The more thorough maintenance and TLC that Disneyland gives its attractions compared to the Magic Kingdom has kept this ride in top shape over the past few years, and the difference between the two Pirates rides is only getting more noticeable as the years pass. When you add into this mix the rabid Walt Disney World fan boys who attack anything online they perceive as negative about the resort (to the sheer delight of the management there, whose use these posts to justify further cutbacks) along with the many WDW-focused sites that delete critiques of any kind, it practically insures that the East Coast complex will only continue to fall further behind quality-wise. They get the parks they deserve out there I guess...

http://miceage.micechat.com/mc/mc091510a.htm

I found it equally interesting that the assumption is made that the maintenance cutbacks are in part determined by the fan posts. Is this true? Back in my day maintenance budgets were decided and scheduled based on fiscal year historicals 12 months in advance. Are ALL negative critiques on WDW really deleted? Wow. Is this thread next?

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=625616

The first and foremost is about money. But also the maintenance depts at DLR and WDW are structured different. DLR maintenance workers are all unionized and it is a closed shop. So everyone is an union member and maintenance is all done in house. At WDW, it is a right to work state, so not everyone is in the union and don't want to pay dues. So WDW management tries to contract out everything they can to save money and don't use qualified or licensed contractors. I can't begin to tell you how many times a contractor worked on or installed something, then the maintenance dept has to come back and fix it right. No one oversees contractor work and management doesn't have the balls to call an contractor back and fix things right. And contractors don't care about the quality of the job, they don't work there, install it, get paid, move on to the next job.

And then they don't even keep parts on hand, a lot times they just order the part when it breaks and sometimes it takes 6 weeks to 6 months lead time and that is if they even make that part anymore.

 

[ChrisFL]

Agreed. I think Illuminations simply needs some effects upgrades. Maybe some WoC style fountains during the rather slow middle section.

Illuminations just had effects upgrades done

 

[HMF]

You can't please everyone. To some the show will always be boring. That's fine, there are other shows they may prefer. I know grown men who cry at the end of Illuminations. One man's mud is another's uranium.

Guilty as charged. I was in tears when I first saw it and I was 9 then.

 

[HMF]

Jean Lafitte strikes again.
http://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2010/09/jean-lafitte-and-mega-theme-temptation.html

 

[Mansion Butler]

Jean Lafitte strikes again.
http://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2010/09/jean-lafitte-and-mega-theme-temptation.html

Meh, I think there's room for mega themes AND vauge details left to the imagination. That's what Frontierland in DLP seems like to me. And Asia in DAK.

I like the vagueness of the Haunted Mansion's backstory, but I'm not specifically opposed to tying it together to the rest of the land, as long as everything doesn't become too rigid and obvious in the process.

 

[lazyboy97o]

MiceAge is the most read site and is very vocal about their critiques of just about everything, so I wonder why that in itself would not suffice to call due attention to misgivings in the WDW parks? "Declining by Degrees" is a very well written, but critical assessment of WDW and is surely read and discussed internally at WDW. Unless they dismiss it for some reason. It would be hard to write it better.

While "Declining by Degrees" is well written, the ease of justifying its dismissal is right there at MiceChat. That message board is very Disneyland centric, with a very small group of people who discuss Walt Disney World, often discussing news that has been discussed here for at least a week. Chases are, that a thread containing a well written, serious criticism will very quickly delve into the same tired trite: people talking about how they do not care while using words such as "magic" and those who want to continually remind people that they have the financially resources to visit Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland and prefer those three parks over the Walt Disney World parks. It is like the Disney fans who slam Universal Orlando Resort, but have never been. It is hard to seriously consider the criticism of one who is more likely not going to a Walt Disney World guest.

 

[PixarfortheWin]

While "Declining by Degrees" is well written, the ease of justifying its dismissal is right there at MiceChat. That message board is very Disneyland centric, with a very small group of people who discuss Walt Disney World, often discussing news that has been discussed here for at least a week. Chases are, that a thread containing a well written, serious criticism will very quickly delve into the same tired trite: people talking about how they do not care while using words such as "magic" and those who want to continually remind people that they have the financially resources to visit Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland and prefer those three parks over the Walt Disney World parks. It is like the Disney fans who slam Universal Orlando Resort, but have never been. It is hard to seriously consider the criticism of one who is more likely not going to a Walt Disney World guest.

You are so correct, there is a guy there who thinks that TDL is mecca and that WDW is the worst park in the world and some other guy said that the food at Universal is much better than WDW and a better value.

 

[StageFrenzy]

You are so correct, there is a guy there who thinks that TDL is mecca and that WDW is the worst park in the world and some other guy said that the food at Universal is much better than WDW and a better value.

I don't know about uni but last time i was at sea world the food was great

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Jean Lafitte strikes again.
http://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/2010/09/jean-lafitte-and-mega-theme-temptation.html

Woah. I responded with a few more details. I think it could have been subtle enough to work.

 

[Mansion Butler]

I don't know about uni but last time i was at sea world the food was great

Sea World's food is awesome. Which is funny, because every ounce of the food at Busch Gardens is terrible.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

You are so correct, there is a guy there who thinks that TDL is mecca and that WDW is the worst park in the world and some other guy said that the food at Universal is much better than WDW and a better value.

Well, the point is that WDW's faults are made known and it's up to those who read the posts to sense any bias.

 

[David S.]

Sea World's food is awesome. Which is funny, because every ounce of the food at Busch Gardens is terrible.

I get cheese pizzas at both parks and they taste exactly the same to me! I enjoy both. The popcorn is the same, as well - really good!

 

[COProgressFan]

You are so correct, there is a guy there who thinks that TDL is mecca and that WDW is the worst park in the world and some other guy said that the food at Universal is much better than WDW and a better value.

Well, I agree that some of the folks on that site (or this site, or any site, for that matter) can be annoying, but do they have valid points?

I've never been to TDL, but from everything I've ever read (not just from that one site) the place is amazing, and apparently is run the way the parks in the US used to be run. And it's not even owned by Disney! So it's a shame that Oriental Land Company gets Disney more than Disney does nowadays. And I think he critiques WDW because he loves it and wishes it could live up to its potential and the greatness it once had. I think that's worth discussing/arguing/critiquing on a fan site.

And the Universal food thing -- different strokes for different folks. My quick serve dining experiences there have been pathetic, but there are some good sit down options, and it's not exactly like Disney food hasn't been declining recently, but its ok to have different opinions.

 

[ChrisFL]

Sea World's food is awesome. Which is funny, because every ounce of the food at Busch Gardens is terrible.

Never been to the Crown Colony House or the nice BBQ place near Sheikra, huh? Both have excellent food.

 

[devoy1701]

Never been to the Crown Colony House or the nice BBQ place near Sheikra, huh? Both have excellent food.

I agree. I have always been happy with both locations. The Crown Colony especially...both quick service and the sitdown portion.

 

[PixarfortheWin]

Well, I agree that some of the folks on that site (or this site, or any site, for that matter) can be annoying, but do they have valid points?

I've never been to TDL, but from everything I've ever read (not just from that one site) the place is amazing, and apparently is run the way the parks in the US used to be run. And it's not even owned by Disney! So it's a shame that Oriental Land Company gets Disney more than Disney does nowadays. And I think he critiques WDW because he loves it and wishes it could live up to its potential and the greatness it once had. I think that's worth discussing/arguing/critiquing on a fan site.

And the Universal food thing -- different strokes for different folks. My quick serve dining experiences there have been pathetic, but there are some good sit down options, and it's not exactly like Disney food hasn't been declining recently, but its ok to have different opinions.

Well they make up lies about how everything is bad in WDW, it is all dirty, rude CMs, etc. etc.

Plus they go on and on about how if you dont agree with them you are a Disney Apologists and you are causing the collapse of WDW.

 

[devoy1701]

Well they make up lies about how everything is bad in WDW, it is all dirty, rude CMs, etc. etc.

Plus they go on and on about how if you dont agree with them you are a Disney Apologists and you are causing the collapse of WDW.

There you go again with saying that people are lying when they have experienced something sub-par at Disney World.

Cast Members are human...they can be rude at times. I have experienced it on more than one occasion. I WISH they could higher ONLY people who cared about the company and Walt Disney's Dream...but unfortunately when you need a workforce of 35,000+ that isn't possible. So yes, it is possible to not only encounter a rude CM from time to time, but also a CM who just doesn't care about the Disney Dream.

And again with the dirty thing...yes that happens too...Mold in the bathroom, had that last month at the Wilderness Lodge. Spiderwebs not being taken down in guest areas...check. RATS walking across the walkways in Hollywood Studios...sure thing!

If people have experienced these things, they are not lies...Disney World is NOT a Utopia. Doesn't mean it isn't a great place. But things like that also doesn't reflect the fact that management needs to re-evalute the way operations are conducted...which they seem to be doing lately.

 

[COProgressFan]

Well they make up lies about how everything is bad in WDW, it is all dirty, rude CMs, etc. etc.

Plus they go on and on about how if you dont agree with them you are a Disney Apologists and you are causing the collapse of WDW.

How do you know they are lies? Why would they lie? Why is it so unreasonable to think that a visitor to WDW might actually encounter dirty areas or rude CMs?

Both of those situations are inevitable in an operation as large as WDW. The issue is how common they are, and if they are becoming more and more prevalent during most guests vacations. I think many long time visitors would agree that they are much more common than they were in the past.