Enchanted Plot Holes with Belle

[All Disney All The Time]

Entertaining six year old girls for a few minutes is not a very high bar.

No it's not. I would say then that your complaint is best addressed with Disney management. This may surprise you but I didn't plan, design and bring the thing to fruition. I merely point out the reality of what it is; an enhanced Meet and Greet planned, designed and built to attract 6 year old girls who are then funneled into a gift shop where they can demand Belle "stuff". As that was the intent, it does exactly what it was meant to do. Do you think that Bobbidity boutique was planned, designed and built for "childless couples" spending time at MK? Why would a "childless couple" want to stand in line for an hour to watch other peoples' children hold up drawings of "Beauty and the Beast" characters and "act out" the story? Why would they want to watch other peoples' children "meet" Belle? Are they taking photos of other peoples' children doing these things? Are they sighing and tearing up because they are "childless" and wishing that could be them?

When Disney adds an attraction to MK that isn't planned, designed and built virtually exclusively for families with small children let me know. The last one by my reckoning was Splash Mountain, and that was how long ago?

Disney has obviously decided that the MK needs to "grow" toward a certain demographic.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

I was not referring to some story that only I know about. Anybody can peruse this or other Disney discussion boards and verify what I said. Like it or not, that's more credible than a premise that starts with "a coworker I know..." in a discussion between anonymous posters on a website. But even if you want to discount my remark about how Disney fans like WWOHP merchandise, it does not change these facts: WWOHP merchandise sales are strong and the items sold there are not exclusively targeted toward young children.

When a poster says, "Man those Harry Potter souvies are fantastic", it's an anecdote. It doesn't matter how many say it, they're still anecdotes.

And at any rate, now you are trying to discuss "value". Something that I addressed last week. Value is a totally subjective term. Some people value a guided fishing trip coupon, some a coupon for water craft rental. Others find those things useless. Some people value being able to make ADRs months in advance, some could care less. Others value a Mickey Mouse watch, some posters here have made it clear that they can't stand wearing a watch (see the MagicBand threads). Many people find value in hauling their own food and drinks into the parks, others find value in being unburdened with such.

At the risk of yet another personal "anecdote", neither the wife or I have ever read a Potter book or seen a Potter movie. How "nice" Potter souvies might be has no value or meaning to us. To others they might be the treasure of a lifetime and hold great meaning and value. Non-Disney fans would find our home decorations absurd. That doesn't translate to them not having value to us.

The fact remains that Disney has made an obvious, concerted effort towards gearing MK to a certain demographic and that demographic is: Families with young children.

When Disney builds a new attraction there that isn't targeted towards that demographic, let me know.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

It obviously makes total sense to the people employed by Disney to make such decisions. I disagree with fast food chains offering massive amounts of cholesterol and grease and sugar, but there it is. I disagree with tobacco being over the counter and birth controls pills being prescription only, but there it is. I disagree with the USA being the Policeman to the World, but there it is. I disagree with the closing of public mental health hospitals and the turning of their patients into the streets, but there it is. I disagree that the richest (allegedly) Nation in the world should have a single person living on the street, a single child go to bed hungry, a single senior citizen having to decide between food or medicine, but there it is.

And no matter how many WDWMagic posters crow about Harry Potter souvies, each one is merely an anecdote relating that that souvie has "value" to them. An opinion is just that nothing more, it may be based on various things, but the relating of it is merely an anecdote. Lots of people have the opinion that the NY Yankees are the absolute best team in MLB, and they can relate many anecdotes to bolster their opinion. Red Sox fans discount the opinions and the anecdotes.

Disney will continue to perform superbly long after both you and I gone. It is obvious that they have decided to gear the MK to a certain demographic. Any "downturn" in sales and attendance is much more due to the economy than their decision to target families with small children at the MK.

When Uni is as old as the MK we will see how they have performed, who they are targeting, where they stand next to Disney and any other competitors that have cropped up.

Disney didn't make the decision to build "Belle" by tossing a dart. That it holds no interest to me is meaningless to them. That is obvious, and yet the wife and I will be spending thousands of dollars in a week and a half for another WDW vacation.

Criticize all you want, but as long as WDW is the Number One vacation destination in the world it will fall on deaf ears. There is a lot more to WDW than the new FantasyLand.