Floridians: Go see DL, Boycott WDW

[Leolioness4200]

Go ahead and boycott WDW......One less person for me to have to wait in line behind! :sohappy:

:lol: I'm with you 100%

 

[mharrington]

Me, too. I hate those crowds anyway.

 

[mharrington]

I wonder what Walt would think after reading all these posts?

He'd probably be pretty ticked off! :lol:

 

[CoffeeJedi]

This is ridiculous. Did any of you actually read the first post?
He was merely making a point about maintainence budgets and attraction upgrades. If any of you zombies actually read what he wrote instead of turning into a legion of undead apologists at the word "boycott", you'd see that the OP (PeterAlt) really loves Walt Disney World and is upset at its current state compared to Disneyland. But no, you all just started bashing him for having the audacity to find fault. He's absolutely right, WDW is in a sad state (case in point, MK's Haunted Mansion) and it would be in our best interest if we let the company know about our disatisfaction.

Its not about some stupid "rivalry" between the two coasts, despite what many of the raving zealots both here and over at Micechat have to say; its about seeing these great American landmarks getting the care, attention, maintainence, positive growth, and LOVE that they deserve.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

DL saw a tremendous amount of TLC before and during the successful 50th anniversary celebration of the park. If you had entered DL a few years pior that that, you would have seen a park in a state unbefitting of a Disney park and well below the upkeep MK has sustained, even with its rough edges. It got much needed and deserved attention during its 50th, including new effects and upgrades to their classics, noteably POTC, Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion and a nearly park-wide paint job on a majority of the buildings that literally had evidence of wood rot and decay just a few years ago. MK maintenance has its problems, but the park as a whole has never fallen to a near state of disrepair DL saw itself in during the early part of this century and I hope it never gets that bad.

While WDW received a similar but lesser POTC rehab (the audio tracks still need some work imo), I imagine that WDW could potentially begin to see some of the enhancements DL has seen over the past 3 years. There are some rumors from good sources about a pending HM rehab and a Space Mountain rehab, and both of them need and deserve a nice rehab. It would be nice if they could upgrade our Buzz to the new format with removable guns as well, but I don't know if that will happen.

Even if the MK is inferior to DL proper, the WDW resort as a whole provides an array of attractions that are superior to that at DL resort. Particularly when you include rides that WDW has that DL has nothing similar to compare to, such as Rockn' Roller Coaster, Great Movie Ride, FInding Nemo the Musical, Test Track, Mission:Space, Kilamanjaro safaris, etc., etc., and better versions of some similar rides such as TOT, and obviously Everest vs the Matterhorn.

All that aside, I wholeheartedly agree its MK's turn for some TLC.

Glad I read through before posting. I'm very happy that DL is a gem now, but it was in worse shape than WDW by far just three years ago. A tremendous amount of work and money driven by MQ was required to get it back to this state. For decades Californians watched as the park was run into the ground. Also remember that for stretches, whole sections of DL were shrouded or closed to make the necessary repairs.

Also remember that WDW is made up of four major parks, two water parks and DTD, DL has a much smaller "Downtown" area...and its rather homely sibling DCA.

Clearly there are areas for improvement, particularly in the MK, I would not give up on either park.

 

[disneyphilip]

This is ridiculous. Did any of you actually read the first post?
He was merely making a point about maintainence budgets and attraction upgrades. If any of you zombies actually read what he wrote instead of turning into a legion of undead apologists at the word "boycott", you'd see that the OP (PeterAlt) really loves Walt Disney World and is upset at its current state compared to Disneyland. But no, you all just started bashing him for having the audacity to find fault. He's absolutely right, WDW is in a sad state (case in point, MK's Haunted Mansion) and it would be in our best interest if we let the company know about our disatisfaction.

Its not about some stupid "rivalry" between the two coasts, despite what many of the raving zealots both here and over at Micechat have to say; its about seeing these great American landmarks getting the care, attention, maintainence, positive growth, and LOVE that they deserve.

CoffeeJedi, we are NOT apologists...and we are NOT zombies!

 

[sandicinderelli]

CoffeeJedi, we are NOT apologists...and we are NOT zombies!

Right on!!

Why is everyone using such strong words in here? CoffeeJedi, many of us in here are well aware of what the OP has said. We just do not agree with the method that the OP advocates - boycotting. Yes, he/she does bring a very serious issue to the table, but telling people to boycott the park may not be the BEST solution.

I'm sure that if you read ALL of the posts in this thread, you may have gotten the big picture.

Thanks.

 

[CoffeeJedi]

I'm sure that if you read ALL of the posts in this thread, you may have gotten the big picture.

Well, good point, I only read back to page 9 or so, after the argument had disolved into... er, well, let's not go there

I'm just in a cranky mood today, don't mind me.

I really do dislike any sense of rivalry between DL and WDW though, and truth be told, the "Disneyland only" crowd tends to be worse than their east-coast counterparts.

 

[sandicinderelli]

I'm just in a cranky mood today, don't mind me.

All's forgiven!!:wave:

I really do dislike any sense of rivalry between DL and WDW though, and truth be told, the "Disneyland only" crowd tends to be worse than their east-coast counterparts.

They do seem kind of hostile, don't they? Well, like I said before, I appreciate both DL and WDW, and I hope managment wises up at both parks

 

[1FoolishMortal]

Bottom line is that all Disney parks are the best parks on the planet. They have a unique appeal, history and atmosphere that simply cannot be duplicated. Those of us who even debate this are the superfans..the fraction of 1% of annual visitors. We are NOT the norm. Debating which park is better (or best) is not so much Coke vs. Pepsi as Coke in California vs Coke in Florida vs. Coke in Paris...you get the idea.

I wonder what Walt would think after reading all these posts?

Not trying to further the debate here, but this is where the argument doesn't make sense to me. Coke in CA, Coke in FL, and Coke in Paris are all the same. There's no difference. Disney in CA, Disney in FL, and Disney in Paris, while similar, have major differences as well; therefore, they're not the same thing. It's not a valid analogy.

 

[mitchjs]

when compairing the two parks...

since Pirates at DL was there 1st, why wasnt WDW's Pirates built with the 2 Drops? vs WDW 1 SMALL drop?
why would WED leave out the second drop?
I didnt know DL's was longer, by alot? 30 seconds? 1 min?

the HM, outside in WDW is way cooler then DL's, it does need some TLC and hopefully in august that happen
i wish it was a longer ride, like paris.. ok, lets demolish the its a small world show building (inside) and extend HMs show building

anyway...

the arguement is valid, no need to boycott, but it would be nice to see MK get improved... I love WDW, my fav is epcot... i think im dissapointed the most with MK, one might say MGM, but put me on TOT and few times and nothing matters any more...

maybe its MK's Stitch attraction that kills it for me, why they spent any $$ on that i dont know...

not to get too off topic, because of this thead, im going to DL
i gonna do a week end fling, fly out on friday, home on monday
hopefully i can do all MK and DCA in 2 days...

thanks all
-Mitch:wave:

WDW is my home!

 

[dreamscometrue]

Not trying to further the debate here, but this is where the argument doesn't make sense to me. Coke in CA, Coke in FL, and Coke in Paris are all the same. There's no difference. Disney in CA, Disney in FL, and Disney in Paris, while similar, have major differences as well; therefore, they're not the same thing. It's not a valid analogy.

Actually, I think that the analogy is valid. Coke is similar every place I've had it, but there absolutely are differences in taste from region to region or country to country. I used that analogy because I've been surprised in my travels about this fact. I expected Coke to be identical everywhere, but there are definite differences (although all part of the same parent corporation). The fact is that I do, however, enjoy Coca Cola everywhere I go. I view the Disney parks in a similar vein.

BTW, welcome to the boards.

 

[DisneyYorkian74]

First of all,

What Floridian actually visits Walt Disney World anyway?:dazzle:

I think the Walt Disney World resort is the best Disney theme park complex on earth.

It blows away anything the Disneyland resort has to offer in my opinion.

 

[CTXRover]

when compairing the two parks...

since Pirates at DL was there 1st, why wasnt WDW's Pirates built with the 2 Drops? vs WDW 1 SMALL drop?
why would WED leave out the second drop?
I didnt know DL's was longer, by alot? 30 seconds? 1 min?

Dl's pirates is considerably longer. I think it is near 15 minutes long while MK's is 8 minutes. There are several reasons for this.

After you enter the ship vs the fort battle, the attractions are very similar with an additional scene at the end of DL's.

The beginnings are drastically different though. DL's starts out very peacefully in a New Orleans Bayou since the attraction is found in New Orleans Square. It then drops down its first drop into a large cave and then down a second drop. The sequence of two drops is functional more than experience driven. The boats needed to get underneath the exisiting train tracks at DL to reach the showbuilding, something not needed at MK. Once it gets past its two drops, the DL ride travels through a beautifully detailed treasure room and captain's quarters, complete with skeleton props followed by a long dark cave where Davy Jones is now before entering the ship vs fort battle scene.

Originally, when the MK was built, WED did not believe the Florida audience would be interested in a ride themed to Pirates of the caribbean given the proximity of Florida to the "real" Caribbean (something the Imagineers of today did not think would be a problem when they built an entire California themed park IN California...as much as I enjoy DCA) In its place was to be a western themed boat ride through animatronic scenes for Frontierland. The guest complaints at the time though often included "where is Pirates", as they had seen a lot about it on Walt DIsney's TV specials. Soon after the park opened, the decision was made that a Pirates ride needed to be added the the MK. CM's soon began wearing "The Pirates are coming" buttons and the ride was built. Because they didn't need to go below and beyond the train tracks, most of DL's first half of the ride was nixed. It was a creative decision, as much as it would be considered a budget cut by today's standards (but that didn't happen back then right? ). In its place, the MK received a more highly detailed exterior and a highly detailed indoor queue. DL has a very small indoor queue basically to the load boats with minimal themeing. The MK queue is quite extravagant, especially considering there are two sides with different visuals.

 

[TP2000]

when compairing the two parks...

since Pirates at DL was there 1st, why wasnt WDW's Pirates built with the 2 Drops? vs WDW 1 SMALL drop?
why would WED leave out the second drop?
I didnt know DL's was longer, by alot? 30 seconds? 1 min?

Try 7 and a half minutes longer at Disneyland.

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean takes just a few ticks over 15 minutes to experience from boat departure to boat arrival back at the dock. I clocked WDW's Pirates at just under 8 minutes on my wristwatch when I was there last, but perhaps a WDW expert would know the exact trip time of WDW's Pirates.

But the cold hard facts are that there are just over 7 minutes missing from the WDW Pirates compared to Disneyland. The following Disneyland show scenes are missing from WDW's Pirates ride; Blue Bayou, Drop Two, Crews Quarters, Captains Quarters, Treasure Scene, Transition Tunnel (where Davy Jones now appears), Arsenal Scene, Up Ramp with Jack Sparrow, Return Horseshoe with Parrot Island.

All of those missing scenes basically add up to the missing seven minutes, although a few other Disneyland scenes like the Hurricane Scene and the Battle Scene are scaled slightly larger than WDW and the boat takes some additional time to float through them which also adds to the trip time.

The differences between Disneyland's Pirates and WDW's Pirates is one of the most noticeably altered E Tickets between the two coasts. Haunted Mansion, Small World and Jungle Cruise are also noticeably different between the coasts, but not quite as alarmingly so as Pirates of the Caribbean is.

 

[TP2000]

I think the Walt Disney World resort is the best Disney theme park complex on earth.

It blows away anything the Disneyland resort has to offer in my opinion.

That statement makes me think you have never been to either Disneyland, or Tokyo Disney Resort. Refer to the last few posts here about the differences between Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland vs. WDW for just one example where WDW pales in comparison to Disneyland.

But Tokyo Disney Resort is an entirely different issue altogether. When I visited Tokyo last year I was so blown away by the superior care and service and showmanship displayed at that Resort that I cancelled plans to visit WDW in late 2006. Instead of going back to WDW and settling for the lowered standards Americans on both coasts now accept from a Disney experience, I'm going to return to Tokyo Disney Resort where standards are much, much higher than they are at either Disneyland or WDW.

Your bold, blanket statement makes me very suspicious that your only Disney theme park experience has been in Orlando. :wave:

 

[mitchjs]

well that explains it, WDW's Pirates is a AFTER THOUGHT!
for shame, how did walt allow that!
oddly enough with the larger size of MK, they could have maybe built a larger show building...

i think the indoor queue in FL are reall based on the freaking SUN in FL, i know its hot in SoCal but, try just in cental FL

I know when i say ride everest, im soooo happy when i hit the inside queue!

HM they added the awning so we wouldnt melt!

HM is still better looking in WDW

i will refrain from trying to defend my beloved WDW, for now....
and will try to keep an open mind, and will admit if any attraction is better in DL, ill report when i get back...

now i know we WDW lovers can say, for WDW Hotels, CA isnt even worth mentioning

im trying to book now for DL, and i cant stay in the DL hotels (too much $ and not enough)
i know its not really DL's fault, just the smart moves Walt did with nabbing the land in FL still impresses me today

mitch

 

[TP2000]

the HM, outside in WDW is way cooler then DL's, it does need some TLC and hopefully in august that happen
i wish it was a longer ride, like paris.. ok, lets demolish the its a small world show building (inside) and extend HMs show building

If you saw the show inside Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, you would be furious that WDW has allowed their Mansion to decay into the sorry state it is in. The last time I was at WDW it was painful to ride the Haunted Mansion and see how bad it had gotten.

And the CM's operating that ride weren't even running the stretching rooms! They just had the doors to both sides of the room open with the ceiling extended up at the top, and they let the queue slowly snake through that important first show scene and straight on to the Doom Buggy loading area! And it was like that on two separate days of my WDW visit, so it wasn't just a temporary thing one day. ACK! How on earth does a manager allow that to happen without getting fired?! DOUBLE ACK!

 

[DisneyYorkian74]

That statement makes me think you have never been to either Disneyland, or Tokyo Disney Resort. Refer to the last few posts here about the differences between Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland vs. WDW for just one example where WDW pales in comparison to Disneyland.

But Tokyo Disney Resort is an entirely different issue altogether. When I visited Tokyo last year I was so blown away by the superior care and service and showmanship displayed at that Resort that I cancelled plans to visit WDW in late 2006. Instead of going back to WDW and settling for the lowered standards Americans on both coasts now accept from a Disney experience, I'm going to return to Tokyo Disney Resort where standards are much, much higher than they are at either Disneyland or WDW.

Your bold, blanket statement makes me very suspicious that your only Disney theme park experience has been in Orlando. :wave:

Um, Yea.

Not all of us who visit a Disney park actually care about how well the parks are themed and attention to detail.

I don't even like dark rides in general so "Pirates" or "Haunted Mansion" being more "detailed" and "longer" somewhere else doesn't really phase someone like me.

The attractions that I do care about are either much better in Walt Disney World or can only be found at Walt Disney World.

So Disneyland is a :snore: to me.

 

[TP2000]

well that explains it, WDW's Pirates is a AFTER THOUGHT!
for shame, how did walt allow that!

He allowed it because he had been dead for five years by the time Walt Disney World opened in 1971. When Pirates at WDW opened in '73 he had been dead for seven years. A dead man can't make artistic decisions about a pirates boat ride at an amusement park.

When Walt passed away in 1966 they hadn't even begun bulldozing the land for Walt Disney World, and the theme park plans were just a duplicate of Disneyland right down to Casey Jr. Circus Train, StorybookLand and the Matterhorn. Take a look at the Epcot '66 film Walt produced two months before his death. The "theme park" at the northern end of the property was an exact copy of Disneyland circa 1966.

Walt Disney had no direct design influence on the Magic Kingdom Park or any current facility at Walt Disney World.