Four Parks: One Stale World?

[Kelsybelle]

Why call out a fellow board member like this? WDW1974 has brought a very interesting discussion to the table and is completely entitled to his opinions.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Man, this is getting better than an episode of Jerry Springer
frankly, the only reason places like Bush Gardens, Universal, Six Flags, exc. try so damn hard is because Disney already has so much to compete with.

 

[CBOMB]

British or US terminology?

Im wearing my kilt and doing hand stands

You know I always wondered do they or don't they.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Am I the only one though who actually feels the least bit content with what's at Disney now? Sure, Laugh Floor and Everest may not exactly be the next POTC but they're FUN! Can't things just be FUN anymore?

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Am I the only one though who actually feels the least bit content with what's at Disney now? Sure, Laugh Floor and Everest may not exactly be the next POTC but they're FUN! Can't things just be FUN anymore?

Laugh floor may meet your definition of fun, but not mine, and isnt it just another Turtle Talk?



Nothings worn under the kilt, it all works fine.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Everest is definitely fun, but Laugh Floor? Not only is that not fun, the floor doesn't even live up to it's name. One look at the carpet and not even a chuckle. POTC and HM are fun to everyone and that's what makes them great. WDW needs less attractions targeted to small but money making demographics (tweens and their stupid American Idol an HSM) and stuff that can appeal to everyone capable of spending a buck on something they know will be good.

 

[The Mom]

I've done a little housekeeping. It IS possible to express a difference of opinion without resorting to shouting and insults.

 

[Rosso11]

Am I the only one though who actually feels the least bit content with what's at Disney now? Sure, Laugh Floor and Everest may not exactly be the next POTC but they're FUN! Can't things just be FUN anymore?

Sure they can be fun, a lot of things are fun but thats not what makes Disney....well Disney.

 

[SirGoofy]

Everest is definitely fun, but Laugh Floor? Not only is that not fun, the floor doesn't even live up to it's name. One look at the carpet and not even a chuckle. POTC and HM are fun to everyone and that's what makes them great. WDW needs less attractions targeted to small but money making demographics (tweens and their stupid American Idol an HSM) and stuff that can appeal to everyone capable of spending a buck on something they know will be good.

Again, opinion. I've been on Laugh Floor quite a few times, and not only did the crowd and I find it funny, every seat was full.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Everest is definitely fun, but Laugh Floor? Not only is that not fun, the floor doesn't even live up to it's name. One look at the carpet and not even a chuckle. POTC and HM are fun to everyone and that's what makes them great. WDW needs less attractions targeted to small but money making demographics (tweens and their stupid American Idol an HSM) and stuff that can appeal to everyone capable of spending a buck on something they know will be good.

Not funny? Only appealing to kids? Are you sure we're going to the same show? I thought it was hilarious. Both times I went to it. Maybe I'm just too easily entertained.

 

[DisneyNut2007]

Sure they can be fun, a lot of things are fun but thats not what makes Disney....well Disney.

So, in other words, Disney should not be allowed to do ANYTHING fun.

 

[Kelsybelle]

Am I the only one though who actually feels the least bit content with what's at Disney now? Sure, Laugh Floor and Everest may not exactly be the next POTC but they're FUN! Can't things just be FUN anymore?

Your definatley not the only one. I enjoy WDW and am content with mostly everything about it. I'm still excited to share it with my 2 yr old daughter and I'm sure she will love it just as much as I do...

 

[Rosso11]

You may have mistyped this, because I can't exactly understand what you're trying to say.

Are you putting down these groups of employees? Because if you are I take offense to this. These three groups are the best cast members I have ever encountered. Yes, there's the college program CMs who hate working for Disney, but they are the extreme minority. And the retirees are the sweetest group of people there.

No I think he is actually complimenting these groups which I was surprised about because he has criticized the CPs in the past. However, If he is complimenting them, then I completely agree.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

You may have mistyped this, because I can't exactly understand what you're trying to say.

Are you putting down these groups of employees? Because if you are I take offense to this. These three groups are the best cast members I have ever encountered. Yes, there's the college program CMs who hate working for Disney, but they are the extreme minority. And the retirees are the sweetest group of people there.

I think what he was getting at was that these are the groups of Cast Members that keep the quality UP.

And DisneyNut2007, your now removed post was more vicious than either of the two posters you mentioned have ever been.

 

[Missing20K]

What people today don't get is that Disney was about things like cleanliness and service and overall immersion and NOT about character dining, Jon Benet Boutiques, people standing in the middle of Main Street trying to sell pictures, 10 cent pins being sold for $12.95 and paying an extra $55 to experience Halloween or Christmas.

I think this sums it up well. Personally, it's not really about new attractions, resorts, 5th gate, etc. It's more about maintenance, immersion, and experience. And no the parks are not very clean. There was old gum on sidewalks, burnt out light bulbs, overflowing garbage cans, small bits of trash in landscaping beds, and nearly everything could use a fresh coat of paint. At least, that was my impressions from last January compared to what it was like when I went nearly every year growing up in the 80's and 90's.

A question though. In your opinion, is the problem with WDI, Corporate, or something external? Or some combination of the three? You site a lack of accountability at WDI as one reason, and also state they have large, "bloated" budgets. So, are you saying that the managers and executives at WDI just don't hold Imagineers accountable for poorly conceived and designed rides? That they are not using the bloated budgets smartly (for lack of a better word). Has the quality of the stereotypical Imagineer gone down that badly? Or are they hamstrung by managers and executives? Sorry for all the questions, they just kept pouring out of my brain. :wave:

 

[Rosso11]

So, in other words, Disney should not be allowed to do ANYTHING fun.

What who said that? Of course Disney is fun but so is Six Flags. There is a huge difference between simply being fun and being Disney.

The problem is Disney always had the highest standards and they were proud of it and rightfully so. They deserved it, they were the best out there by far. The problem started in the mid 90's when the let the MBAs take over. This is when the mentality at Disney went from being the best out there to being just slightly better than the competition. Trust me when i got my MBA this is what they actually teach you. "You only have to be slightly better than your competition." Years ago Disney never ran this way. They were the innovators who everyone else looked up to. They were at the forefront of entertainment. No one came close to them. This is why people like WDW1974 are so passionate about Disney. Because they remember the old Disney who was untouchable. Now they just stay above the curve only doing what they have to. Its sad the ride that is thought of as the most fun, exciting and innovative ride isn't even at Disney and its 10 years old. Its Spiderman at IOA. I know everyone has their opinions but in the theme park industry thats the one to beat. Its just sad that todays Disney hasn't been able to top it in 10 years and counting.

 

[kcnole]

A few responses:

Because Disney used to have an image. That image involved attractive, professional looking CMs. This may not be politically correct (not that I give a flying you know what) but slovenly morbidly obese CMs do NOT portray a postive image. They portray the opposite. A sad one. And the customer service I have been receiving has been very lacking in many ways. I got stare downs (psychotic looking ones) from a few CMs who I happened to make eye contact with. I said 'hello' to more than a few who simply ignored me and kept walking. If you think any of this would have been acceptable in the 70s or 80s or most of the 90s, you're 100% wrong.

I disagree with you on this area. Well I do and I don't. I agree, Disney used to have an image to keep. They hired pretty people and put them onstage, the non pretty ones got shoved backstage. But that was in a different cultural time. You can't do that anymore. You do that once and you get your pants sued off of you.

Secondly even if they wanted to, its a different culture and a resort which is much too big to allow them to do that. When they did that there were two parks and what, three resorts or so? With the sheer number of people they have to hire now they sometimes just have to take who they can get. That's part of the problem with the size of the resort now, but you've got a public demanding more and more (even though in many ways what you get is less and less, just look at the number of attractions across 4 resorts in WDW vs 2 resorts in DL)

Gotta disagree with you on this one. Everytime I visited Uni on my CP the place looked like utter crap.

Universal hardly looks like crap, but I wouldn't say its any better than Disney.

So, in other words, Disney should not be allowed to do ANYTHING fun.

I believe you're referring to the MILF attraction. While some hate the attraction, I don't. I think it's a fun, funny, and enjoyable attraction. That said, I hate its location. It just does not fit in Tomorrowland in any way shape or form. There's absolutely nothing futuristic about this attraction. Were this Sci-Fi land then I'd be ok with it, but its tomorrowland with attractions about our future. I'd have absolutely zero problem with an attraction like this being in Pixar Place. I just don't like it in Tomorrowland because it destroys the theme of that place.

 

[DallasDis]

I would be surprised if anything major were to happen at WDW in the next year or more. You have to understand the current state of the economy. It reaches to more that just gas prices and consumer spending. At it's root we are in the middle of a credit crunch, which directly affects any building projects that Disney might have. Example:

Say Disney wants to build a new E-ticket attration. And that attraction is going to cost $50 mil. Well they don't have that $50 mil laying around, so they have to borrow it. However with the credit crunch they can't exactly just walk in the bank and grab it. Any lending agency will not be very open to loaning out a huge sum like that when they are near bankrupt as it is. Add to that the fact that less people are traveling and the bank sees this as a bad investment.

I want to see Disney expand as much as the next person, but finanically that is just difficult right now. It's not that Disney isn't making money, just that they don't have millions laying around to build attractions. Because of the finanical turmoil, they are doing the exact same thing that every other company is doing...wait and see. See what happens. To embark on major building projects right now is foolish. We have no idea if this economic crisis is a minor blip or a more long term situation.

I think that the basic flaw of thinking that Disney has to build something now is that it ignores the problem that is affecting every other company right now. I think that Disney is not building because they do not want to, but Disney is not building because they can not afford to.

 

[CBOMB]

What who said that? Of course Disney is fun but so is Six Flags. There is a huge difference between simply being fun and being Disney.

The problem is Disney always had the highest standards and they were proud of it and rightfully so. They deserved it, they were the best out there by far. The problem started in the mid 90's when the let the MBAs take over. This is when the mentality at Disney went from being the best out there to being just slightly better than the competition. Trust me when i got my MBA this is what they actually teach you. "You only have to be slightly better than your competition." Years ago Disney never ran this way. They were the innovators who everyone else looked up to. They were at the forefront of entertainment. No one came close to them. This is why people like WDW1974 are so passionate about Disney. Because they remember the old Disney who was untouchable. Now they just stay above the curve only doing what they have to. Its sad the ride that is thought of as the most fun, exciting and innovative ride isn't even at Disney and its 10 years old. Its Spiderman at IOA. I know everyone has their opinions but in the theme park industry thats the one to beat. Its just sad that todays Disney hasn't been able to top it in 10 years and counting.

Man that was an excellent post. You hit the nail directly on the head.

 

[DisneyNut2007]

That said, I hate its location. It just does not fit in Tomorrowland in any way shape or form. There's absolutely nothing futuristic about this attraction. Were this Sci-Fi land then I'd be ok with it, but its tomorrowland with attractions about our future. I'd have absolutely zero problem with an attraction like this being in Pixar Place. I just don't like it in Tomorrowland because it destroys the theme of that place.

I disagree with that statement as well!