Epcot's Nightmare Christmas just wont go away

[gardener14]

Whatever the reasons may be for some Christmas decorations remaining in the parks (cold weather diverting labor and resources seems logical), I think it's silly for anyone to be bothered by this. Where I live there are currently illuminated Christmas trees visible in windows of homes, local town centers are still decorated and lit with Christmas lights, and many homes still have Christmas lights illuminated in their front yards. I think it's common and appropriate to celebrate Christmas in this way until mid January. I'm sure it will mostly come to an end here this weekend, but I'm happy to celebrate Christmas for some time after the holiday as well as the weeks preceeding the holiday. To "complain" about some decorations and music remaining at WDW during this time seems against the spirit of Christmas and rather silly.

 

[WDW1974]

I hate (no, I don't but I feel like I have to say it ... kinda like when a bad person dies and you're forced to say 'that's too bad' but inside you're thinking ' took so long?') to be the voice of reason and ripping of TDO ... but I will.

There was a time when WDW could remove all/most of its holiday decorations overnight. Really. It required tremendous effort, timing, teamwork and, most of all, staffing ... but it was done.

Now ... in an era where Halloween decorations are up in the MK in August!!! there is a simple reason why the Christmas decorations are still going on 1/9: MONEY!!!

They don't have the staffing levels needed, or the desire to pay others OT, to remove it all. And, no, sorry it isn't an issue of the weather either as TDO has been doing this for years now.

I recall visiting WDW for MLK weekend in 2005 and both my resort (Dixie Landings) and one resort area (EPCOT resorts ... at least YC and BC) and one park (Studios) still had most if not all the holiday stuff up ... over three weeks POST-Christmas. ... the stuff was down a few days later, but please ... that's just beyond tacky. In January of 2008, I was up around this same time (marathon weekend) and I recall decor being around, but not specifically where ... I do think the EPCOT tree and parts of the LoW were definitely still there.

Just as bad as the Halloween crap up in the middle of summer. Or the fact that two days after Christmas the local CVS and Walgreen's had all their Valentine's Day merchandise on the shelves when it wasn't even NY yet.

There's nothing wrong, and some would say a lot right, with leaving decorations up through 1/1. And since since it fell on a Friday, it would only make sense to keep it up through the weekend. But by Monday there should have been no trace of any of it ... maybe Wednesday if they really took their time.

I wonder when the final stuff is coming down ... as in all resorts, DD, parks ... I know there's often a schedule on cast portals ... anyone forwards it to me, I'll be sure to put it up? Oh, and the schedule is made waaaaay before Christmas.

 

[jt04]

Technically' most religious institutions have the Christmas Season ending tomorrow and the Epiphany (Which in Eastern Orthodox Churches is when Christmas is celebrated.

Ah, makes perfect sense.

Thanks Disney.


And just so people don't think I'm making up the iguana stuff. Read this proof.....

http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/1417659.html

 

[_Scar]

You come across as someone who likes to argue everything in life.

I think someone else in this thread can claim that title. :lookaroun

 

[TalkingHead]

Ah, makes perfect sense.

Thanks Disney.


And just so people don't think I'm making up the iguana stuff. Read this proof.....

http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/1417659.html

I thought you lived in New Mexico. What's with the South Florida iguana infatuation? Just another way to draw attention to yourself?

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I think the original poster was making the point that you cant see Christmas at WDW now. All of the events, entertainment, parades, fireworks are gone, it's just a tree and music.

The minimum, of the whole event, IMHO.

Makes me wonder if they just didn't coordinate the shut off as well as they have before, or there are other issues.

It's not really BAD show, persay, but it's odd show. :lol:

Ah, makes perfect sense.

Thanks Disney.


And just so people don't think I'm making up the iguana stuff. Read this proof.....

http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/1417659.html

We read the same paper, I see. :lol: Good taste!

 

[Nicole220]

Just got back from the world. This really bugged me. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Christmas and everything that comes with it, but I expected it to be gone our second day. It was all still there yesterday! It IS January 9th right? It felt like December....

 

[kimmychad]

LOL wow JT, is there anything you can't put a positive spin on?

I was going to ask the same thing

 

[jt04]

I thought you lived in New Mexico. What's with the South Florida iguana infatuation? Just another way to draw attention to yourself?

Like I would spend winters in New Mexico :lol:

Plus the ponies are running again in Hialeah.

And then there is Doral, going out government cut for some deep sea fishies and of course I have to get my fix of Cuban coffee from time to time.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Like I would spend winters in New Mexico :lol:

Plus the ponies are running again in Hialeah.

And then there is Doral, going out government cut for some deep sea fishies and of course I have to get my fix of Cuban coffee from time to time.

Good Lord, I might live near you! The horror!:ROFLOL:

 

[mastif]

Now ... in an era where Halloween decorations are up in the MK in August!!! there is a simple reason why the Christmas decorations are still going on 1/9: MONEY!!!

Halloween decorations don't go up until about mid/late september..

Also, I don't think that information is on the hub. If it is, it's not easy to find.

 

[BalooChicago]

Is the timing really that unusual? We usually make our trips over the MLK holiday weekend, and I remember in years past the decorations being up on our first day, and disappearing seemingly overnight.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Is the timing really that unusual? We usually make our trips over the MLK holiday weekend, and I remember in years past the decorations being up on our first day, and disappearing seemingly overnight.

They usually go up at the same rate...That's why there's so much confusion about this sloooowww take down period.

 

[WDWFigment]

I just enjoy challanging conventional "wisdom". It's my forte.

You realize the term forte denotes being good at the subject of the supposed forte, right?

The sad thing about the ignore feature is that it's ineffective if no one else or few others use it. If not, you still have to sift through others' responses to some half-baked reasoning.

You guys can engage in discussions of the "true" religious date ranges for Christmas all you want, but mainstream culture either doesn't care or is unaware of these dates. As much as some may like to argue the opposite, WDW's Christmas has little to do with the religious institution of Christmas (save for a few things). It's reaching (more than) a bit to say WDW is doing this due to some obscure end date to Christmas.

Even if you don't accept that, explain the removal of the key Christmas elements to which other posters have pointed? If Disney really sought to appeal to these dates, why not keep it all up?

 

[wdweric2.0]

This is why i never post on this site anymore. Everybody on here complains about everything that Disney does. you complain from the rides, the shows, all the way down to what kind of toilet paper they use. If everything Disney does is so wrong, why do you still go? Seriously people!

Why would they take out all the decorations, planted flowers and such, to put in new flowers and plants that would die from this cold?

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

This is why i never post on this site anymore.

Is this a post by proxy then?

 

[wdwmagic]

This is why i never post on this site anymore. Everybody on here complains about everything that Disney does. you complain from the rides, the shows, all the way down to what kind of toilet paper they use. If everything Disney does is so wrong, why do you still go? Seriously people!

Why would they take out all the decorations, planted flowers and such, to put in new flowers and plants that would die from this cold?

They have actually already done that. Epcot has pulled all the Christmas flowers beds out, and replaced them with the regular beds. The only decor that is left at Epcot is the tree (which is plastic), and the Christmas music.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Was in Epcot yesterday afternoon freezing our tushies off and then there's the stinkin' Christmas music playing. The music in itself felt really out of place with the waaaay overdue timing but then with the cold misery I coulda smacked somebody. I wasn't amused. Then the tree lit up. ***forehead smack*** It was a big moment. It just felt soooo odd. Killed the little bit of Disney feelin we had going.

I haven't read thru this thread because I'm on vacation & don't have time.

I don't buy the thought that Disney hasn't had time to do it all yet. When we arrived at AKL late Friday night the crews were here taking stuff down. There was still a ton to do with stuff everywhere and a big crew working on the central tree. Maybe a little over an hour later one of my boys walked back out to the lobby with me and it was totally deserted. There was nobody & no trace of Christmas or crates or anything anywhere. If Disney wanted the decor down it'd be long gone by now.

The stuff left out all over this late is just poor show. If people want to see Disney's Christmas they'd have come at Christmastime. Leaving stuff out gives an awkward feeling at this point. It comes off as laziness like when I
at home & just don't feel like bothering with the work of packing up before February.

I know it's not the end of the world or that big a deal, really. It's just another thing to add to the list of "Wow. Disney's slacking on...."

 

[unkadug]

This is why i never post on this site anymore. Everybody on here complains about everything that Disney does. you complain from the rides, the shows, all the way down to what kind of toilet paper they use. If everything Disney does is so wrong, why do you still go? Seriously people!

Why would they take out all the decorations, planted flowers and such, to put in new flowers and plants that would die from this cold?

Because that's part of what people are paying for.

 

[CRO-Magnum]

You make such a good point...

This is why i never post on this site anymore. Everybody on here complains about everything that Disney does. you complain from the rides, the shows, all the way down to what kind of toilet paper they use. If everything Disney does is so wrong, why do you still go? Seriously people!

Why would they take out all the decorations, planted flowers and such, to put in new flowers and plants that would die from this cold?

...that I'm following through on it! We're heading to Orlando in February for a long weekend and we won't step foot on Disney property for the first time EVER! Instead we'll be going to Universal as it offers a much more economical option with their $99 ticket for both parks for seven days. So we're off to try something new and couldn't be more excited.

I couldn't agree more - don't complain, vote with your dollars and find somewhere else to go!