First the napkins, now the cups?

[Minthorne]

Agreed...anybody remember these?:

These went the way of the dodo a long time ago. But things like THIS were what made Disney so magical. All of the little pieces fit together into an entire magical vacation that you just can't get anymore.

Oh yes I remember that! They also had the pat of butter with the old WDW logo on it!

I miss the fancy butter!

 

[WDWBryan]

Yeah probably letting supply run out until they introduce the Halloween cups, which I love. The one time of year the cups change lol

 

[wdisney9000]

I bet our next complaint will be about the toliet paper being not Charmin soft..Surely Mickey wants you to feel aggitated.

I have very high expectations for the toilet paper at the Tangled poop house. TDO better come through on this one!

 

[Captain Hank]

I've seen this happen before a few times to fill the gap between running out of an old design and introducing a new one. I wouldn't worry/get up in arms.

 

[ParentsOf4]

No. Rest assured that there are others out here who think that the primary purpose of a cup is to hold liquid and not patterns on the outside.

And no doubt others who think the primary purpose of a ride is to shake you around a bit so let's get rid of all the silly theming in the queues and on the attractions since they serve no utilitarian purpose. (Dripping sarcasm in case anyone fails to notice.)

 

[tomman710]

The problem most people have with the cups, napkins, attraction cut backs, maintenance cut backs, etc ... is that these cost savings devices ARE NOT used to subsidize future investments.

I think very few would complain if we were told, "hey we are cutting X because we want to divert funds to Y."

The reality is, "hey we are cutting X to make the bottom line better thus making our bonuses better."

Yes, Disney is a business, yes they want profits, but they are far from hurting and make no mistake any cost cutting devices are all motivated by TDO management padding their bonuses.

 

[DisneyWall-E]

I hope this is just a short supply issue untill they get the halloween cups in.

 

[Lee]

Ok, pop question.

How can Disney or TDO be considered "cheap" when they are going to be brining us Avatar and Carsland which both combined could cost in excess around 2 BILLION dollars?

False.
Avatar and a potential Carsland will be less than $1billion, combined.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Yes, Disney is a business, yes they want profits, but they are far from hurting and make no mistake any cost cutting devices are all motivated by TDO management padding their bonuses.

Really? What actual evidence do you have of this? Emails? Sworn statements? Please show us your proof to support a very direct and accusatory statement.

 

[ddbowdoin]

man, I missed the good ol' days at WDW.

About a month ago I was back at my local camera shop and the guy noticed my ring, I told him I had just got married and just got back from my honeymoon from Disney (I refrained from calling it a Disneymoon to a mere mugal, agh I mean normal person)... much to my dismay he went ON AND ON. He went twice a year for like 25 years because he would get great corporate deals through his salesmen at both Kodak and Sony.

It was kind of awesome just to listen to someones old stories about the good old days.

 

[ellie-badge]

And no doubt others who think the primary purpose of a ride is to shake you around a bit so let's get rid of all the silly theming in the queues and on the attractions since they serve no utilitarian purpose. (Dripping sarcasm in case anyone fails to notice.)

I think it's silly to compare the design on a paper cup that will likely be thrown away within the hour your beverage was purchased to an actual attraction.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Really? What actual evidence do you have of this? Emails? Sworn statements? Please show us your proof to support a very direct and accusatory statement.

How corporate Disney operates is no different than any other Fortune 500 company. Senior executives are paid unseemly amounts of money to maximize immediate short-term profits for the current fiscal year. Bonuses are directly tied in to the current year’s profits, not long-term plans. The business world is full of examples in the last few decades of business executives driving their companies into bankruptcy because they were more concerned with their current year’s annual bonus than with the long-term health of the company they were managing. This is not an issue that's specific to Disney, this is an issue with how compensation plans are structured at most corporations.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I think it's silly to compare the design on a paper cup that will likely be thrown away within the hour your beverage was purchased to an actual attraction.

You think it's silly. I think it's degrees of the same concept. The point of my earlier post (hence the emphasis on sarcasm) is that at some point, WDW eventually will take away something that you like. People should respect other people's opinions when WDW takes away something that they like.

 

[tomman710]

Really? What actual evidence do you have of this? Emails? Sworn statements? Please show us your proof to support a very direct and accusatory statement.

How corporate Disney operates is no different than any other Fortune 500 company. Senior executives are paid unseemly amounts of money to maximize immediate short-term profits for the current fiscal year. Bonuses are directly tied in to the current year’s profits, not long-term plans. The business world is full of examples in the last few decades of business executives driving their companies into bankruptcy because they were more concerned with their current year’s annual bonus than with the long-term health of the company they were managing. This is not an issue that's specific to Disney, this is an issue with how compensation plans are structured at most corporations.

Yes.

I apologize you took such offense to it, it wasn't meant to be overtly accusatory but the facts are the facts and it remains that Disney is a major corporation, every major corporation operates in much the same way ... just as @ParentsOf4 outlined.

Do I have pay stubs to show you? Of course not, but this isn't some ground breaking news I'm busting out here, this is pretty standard corporate procedure. Management bonuses are tied with financial success i.e. the bottom line, the more profitable the company is the higher the bonuses ... business 101.

 

[Kuhio]

But things like THIS were what made Disney so magical. All of the little pieces fit together into an entire magical vacation that you just can't get anymore.

I remember this from when I was a kid. Cutting these details may look good on paper, but there are long-term ramifications. You never know what's going to stick in someone's memory as a "special" part of their experience that helps drive them to return later in life. All of the little things add up.

This is exactly right. I still have an EPCOT Center napkin that features a design for the original IllumiNations, and every time I see it (usually when I'm re-organizing mementos) it reminds me of how unique the parks were back then and, not incidentally, of the good times I had on that particular trip.

Not that I routinely collect WDW napkins to bring home -- but I kept this one because I remember thinking how it was special and unique of WDW to do this kind of thing... and how different WDW really was from my local amusement parks.

It's the little things like this that make a big difference in the experiences of a guest -- especially that of an impressionable, younger guest -- and can inspire a dedication to the parks that doesn't go away just because the vacation is over.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Yes.

I apologize you took such offense to it, it wasn't meant to be overtly accusatory but the facts are the facts and it remains that Disney is a major corporation, every major corporation operates in much the same way ... just as @ParentsOf4 outlined.

Do I have pay stubs to show you? Of course not, but this isn't some ground breaking news I'm busting out here, this is pretty standard corporate procedure. Management bonuses are tied with financial success i.e. the bottom line, the more profitable the company is the higher the bonuses ... business 101.

Business 101?

LOLZ!!!

Jimmy Thick- Um, I think someone forgot to appease shareholder value...

 

[Mukta]

No kidding.

The level of cheapness TDO has sunk to is unfathomable. My guess is, this isn't happening at Disneyland. Can anyone confirm this?

I can confirm that Disneyland still has cups with Disney designs.

 

[captainkidd]

No. Rest assured that there are others out here who think that the primary purpose of a cup is to hold liquid and not patterns on the outside.

Perhaps they should remove the outside of Space Mountain so then it's just a regular Wild Mouse coaster.

What's not important to one, is important to another.

 

[Avenger117]

Do people really believe that senior executives at Disney are focusing on short term profits and not long term profits and plans? Company wide they have a strong focus on the future. Look at the long term investments in the parks, those aren't for the short term. Marvel gave the Disney company a long term licensing and creative gold mine. Then there is ESPN and the long term contracts with various sports leagues. They are not just focused on right now.

 

[captainkidd]

I think it's silly to compare the design on a paper cup that will likely be thrown away within the hour your beverage was purchased to an actual attraction.

I don't think it's silly at all. Disney is, and as has always been for many, about the small details.