If the WDWMagic Forums existed in the 80s, what would folks be saying?

[ParentsOf4]

What I meant is that they didn't notice such tiny negative things that are so MINOR and not worth fussing about. Back then, everybody was just happy to be there and they didn't search for things to complain about. For example, if a special effect wasn't working on a ride, they wouldn't pout about it. They would look on the bright side and be happy that they just got to ride it!

Please don't take this the wrong way but you sound like you either weren't there or simply didn't notice.

in the early 1980s I went to WDW several times with my brother and friends. The running joke was the almost frighteningly polite CMs. On more than one occasion we mentioned the "Stepford Wives", even calling the CMs the "Disney Wives". (You have to see the original movie to understand the reference.)

We saw a small child throw a wrapper on the ground and thought it would be interesting to watch how long it took a CM to pick it up. We discretely stood to the side to monitor the offending article. We expected to wait a while. Wouldn't you know it, the paper was gone in 37 seconds! (Yes, we timed it.)

On another occasion, we were at central hub at MK and noticed a bench with chipped paint on one arm. We joked about it for the rest of the day. We even took a photo. Wouldn't you know it, we came back the next day and the chip was fixed to the point that we couldn't see where the chip had been!

This was the standard of quality we used to expect from WDW all the time on every trip.

Oh and, by the way, our 3-day hopper ticket cost $35.

 

[GoofGoof]

Please don't take this the wrong way but you sound like you either weren't there are simply didn't notice.

in the early 1980s I went to WDW several times with my brother and friends. The running joke was the almost frighteningly polite CMs. On more than one occasion we mentioned the "Stepford Wives", even calling the CMs the "Disney Wives". (You have to see the original movie to understand the reference.)

We saw a small child throw a wrapper on the ground and thought it would be interesting to watch how long it took a CM to pick it up. We discretely stood to the side to monitor the offending article. We expected to wait a while. Wouldn't you know it, the paper was gone in 37 seconds! (Yes, we timed it.)

On another occasion, we were at central hub at MK and noticed a bench with chipped paint on one arm. We joked about it for the rest of the day. We even took a photo. Wouldn't you know it, we came back the next day and the chip was fixed to the point that we couldn't see where the chip had been!

This was the standard of quality we used to expect from WDW all the time on every trip.

Oh and, by the way, our 3-day hopper ticket cost $35.

This is true. I have come to expect less from WDW than in the past. If anything I let more slide now than I would have back in the day. I think it is partially due to lower expectations on quality for everything. I find myself always saying "they don't make things like they used to". Pride in work also factors in. Don't get me wrong there are still a lot of CMs that have great pride in their work, but there are some that don't. Part of that is probably the perception that they are underpaid, over worked and generally not treated as well as they were back in the day.

 

[Pocahontas]

Please don't take this the wrong way but you sound like you either weren't there are simply didn't notice.

in the early 1980s I went to WDW several times with my brother and friends. The running joke was the almost frighteningly polite CMs. On more than one occasion we mentioned the "Stepford Wives", even calling the CMs the "Disney Wives". (You have to see the original movie to understand the reference.)

We saw a small child throw a wrapper on the ground and thought it would be interesting to watch how long it took a CM to pick it up. We discretely stood to the side to monitor the offending article. We expected to wait a while. Wouldn't you know it, the paper was gone in 37 seconds! (Yes, we timed it.)

On another occasion, we were at central hub at MK and noticed a bench with chipped paint on one arm. We joked about it for the rest of the day. We even took a photo. Wouldn't you know it, we came back the next day and the chip was fixed to the point that we couldn't see where the chip had been!

This was the standard of quality we used to expect from WDW all the time on every trip.

Oh and, by the way, our 3-day hopper ticket cost $35.

You're right, I wasn't there.
But, I honestly don't think WDW today is all that different from what you described. That's just from my personal experiences which may be different than other people's.

 

[Pocahontas]

One word should convince most that things are very different:

Yeti

Well, it's just that small things like that don't really bother me. That might be why I don't see much of a difference, because most of the things people consider 'wrong' don't really affect me.

 

[lazyboy97o]

What I meant is that they didn't notice such tiny negative things that are so MINOR and not worth fussing about. Back then, everybody was just happy to be there and they didn't search for things to complain about. For example, if a special effect wasn't working on a ride, they wouldn't pout about it. They would look on the bright side and be happy that they just got to ride it!

That's because Disney did not operate attractions in the same manner they do today. Disney preferred people not experience a subpar attraction and closed it until it was back up to standards. There were people whose job was looking for minor effects and small details not working and ensuring such issues were resolved in a timely manner. Those jobs don't exist anymore.

 

[luv]

You're right, I wasn't there.
But, I honestly don't think WDW today is all that different from what you described. That's just from my personal experiences which may be different than other people's.

OMG, if you like Disney now, you'd have been blown away by how great they once were.

 

[gwhb75]

Commodore Vic 20.

I loved Gorf. That was a great VIC 20 game. I also liked getting games on cassette. Cutting edge my friend...cutting edge.

 

[Ralphlaw]

Mass complaining wasn't as common back in the 80's. For comparison, think about the auto industry. Most American made cars of the 1970's were unreliable clunky junk that rarely made it to 100,000 miles, and few people complained en masse. Then the Japanese automakers made a quality product at less cost, and Detroit complained about how unfair and scary this was. Yet few people in the public complained about the junk that Detroit was making by comparison, but word indeed did get out. Lemon laws were passed, and quality from Detroit finally came around.

Similarly, people didn't complain about Disney because an atmosphere of complaining with kindred spirits online didn't exist. Disney also could provide Health Insurance on the cheap (less than $200 per employee per month), and paid decent wages in the $5 per hour range, which was pretty good for young people without kids and up-and-comers who were smart enough to want a touch of Disney on their resume's. And Disney could still make money selling 3 day park hoppers for $35 and having only a handful of hotels on property.

Yet, 20,000 Leagues sat derelict, only 2 parks existed through most of the 80's, and people stood in line because there were no Fastpasses. We were easier to "Wow" because few families had computers that actually did much of anything spectacular, especially graphically, and the internet was non-existent to compare anything with. A clunky robot, a catchy tune, and a 360 degree video was "amazing, did you see that, incredible, you've got to go down and see it for yourself!!!" Space mountain was "unbelievable, how did they do that?" And the old Star Tours, according to my nephew, "Was the greatest experience in my entire life."

Hey, we're harder to impress now, but I am thoroughly convinced that if we had had the internet in the 80's, and high health insurance premiums, and home computers to compare everything with, and more choices from the competition that finally got a clue, we'd've been complaining then too.

By the way, if you want to read happy posts, jump into the Disney Cruise Line threads. There, it's almost all smiles and giggles, and I imagine that is also where some of Disney's greatest minds are working, with most workers putting in 70 hours per week and living on tips.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I've posted this before, but I think it needs to be posted again. It should be required reading.

How it Was Done - Part One
How it Was Done - Part Two
How it Was Done - Part Three
How it Was Done - Part Four

 

[lazyboy97o]

The comment section is the first place I go after reading an article somewhere, before clicking the X.....they get outright NASTY. Seriously makes me concerned. And I hope people were ALWAYS that way and just now are able to voice it, but really, it just makes me worry about humanity sometimes. :/

Comments on an article are not really an apt comparison. You just don't have people sharing and discussing in the same sort of community-type setting as with a forum. There is an even greater degree of anonymity that further emboldens people to post nasty comments and troll.

 

[Sans Souci]

"OMG, the Japanese tourists with their Nikons. Don't they, like, have their own Disneyland in, like, Seoul or Shanghai or whatever their capital is? They are buying up everything that is American. They don't look or sound like me, and that's, like, sooooooo un-American. Gag me with a spoon."

 

[Voxel]

I sad this else where but could you imagine this forums response to the Disneyland Grand Opening.

 

[Zweiland]

I sad this else where but could you imagine this forums response to the Disneyland Grand Opening.

Most everyone experienced the Grand Opening via TV, and if you watch the TV special it doesn't look that bad at all. So I think the response would be mainly positive, besides a few people who thought Mr. Disney was crazy for venturing out of the film industry.

 

[Voxel]

Most everyone experienced the Grand Opening via TV, and if you watch the TV special it doesn't look that bad at all. So I think the response would be mainly positive, besides a few people who thought Mr. Disney was crazy for venturing out of the film industry.

Why would all the Disney special being shown live show the negatives. I mean come on if any of these happened at a Disney Park opening we would be complaining about the incompetence of the Disney Corporation:
A few of the attractions kept breaking down on opening day (Peter Pan being one of them).
There were construction workers still working in the park when the gates opened.
Concrete was still wet and women in heels had a bit of an issue of sinking into the concert.
Counterfeit tickets were a issues, and a opening that was planned to only handle 11,000 saw 28,000.
This lead to a massive traffic issue and a food shortage.
There was a gas leak in Fantasyland that lead to a temporary evac from that area.
And last but not least a window from the Mark Twain Steamboat fell on a senator.

 

[Zweiland]

Why would all the Disney special being shown live show the negatives. I mean come on if any of these happened at a Disney Park opening we would be complaining about the incompetence of the Disney Corporation:
A few of the attractions kept breaking down on opening day (Peter Pan being one of them).
There were construction workers still working in the park when the gates opened.
Concrete was still wet and women in heels had a bit of an issue of sinking into the concert.
Counterfeit tickets were a issues, and a opening that was planned to only handle 11,000 saw 28,000.
This lead to a massive traffic issue and a food shortage.
There was a gas leak in Fantasyland that lead to a temporary evac from that area.
And last but not least a window from the Mark Twain Steamboat fell on a senator.

I know, but my point was that (relatively) very few people knew about these issues, much less experienced them. Based on what most people saw on TV, the opening appeared a success, so that's how it would be portrayed on forums like this one.

Although I suppose you could make a case that if forums existed back then, Twitter might too. So the first Disneyland visitors could complain about their experience and make their voices heard.

 

[Voxel]

I know, but my point was that (relatively) very few people knew about these issues, much less experienced them. Based on what most people saw on TV, the opening appeared a success, so that's how it would be portrayed on forums like this one.

Although I suppose you could make a case that if forums existed back then, Twitter might too. So the first Disneyland visitors could complain about their experience and make their voices heard.

This is where I have issue with your argument. Most of the people here who complain about Disney(including myself) don't hear about the flaws from the news. In fact when we do see something glowing positive about Disney on the news we try to poke holes in it and find out all the flaws. It's very like that the community of this type back then would do the same thing

 

[Zweiland]

This is where I have issue with your argument. Most of the people here who complain about Disney(including myself) don't hear about the flaws from the news. In fact when we do see something glowing positive about Disney on the news we try to poke holes in it and find out all the flaws. It's very like that the community of this type back then would do the same thing

Very good point, and I agree.

There is another factor to take into consideration, too. Disneyland was the first of its kind. The public didn't really have anything on the same level to compare it to. I don't know how that would affect the response, though.

 

[Ralphlaw]

Why would all the Disney special being shown live show the negatives. . . .
And last but not least a window from the Mark Twain Steamboat fell on a senator.

This is a negative?

 

[Voxel]

Very good point, and I agree.

There is another factor to take into consideration, too. Disneyland was the first of its kind. The public didn't really have anything on the same level to compare it to. I don't know how that would affect the response, though.

It is hard to tell. Alot of nay sayers would have been like DISNEY is an film company they are probably hiding how a failure it was and this will be the end of Disney (which alot of people thought it would be).

This is a negative?

Senators were more competent and successful unlike the current one. They actually had an high approval rating during this time-span. You don't see a record "failing" congress until the 90's into now.

 

[Ralphlaw]

What about that boy from Wisconsin, Joe McCarthy? Yeah, one big time exception.

The 50's were a respectful time, with authority that the public held in high esteem. Nowadays, "Drop Junk on a Politician" would be a reality TV show, starring Mike Tyson and Tanya Harding as droppers and Pols standing in line for the right to be dropped upon.