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

[bethymouse]

We wouldn't be quite so obsessed perhaps? We'd go to the parks and enjoy them more, and stop looking for the Disney Flaws! Oops, that's when we didn't have the internet.
The same things would be said about the parks, and that we need two more parks and more hotels and DVC, etc...

 

[George]

But WDW was cool. For the kids in my neighborhood, it was the dream vacation.

I recall things changing after The Little Mermaid. Suddenly, anything Disney was appealing to my neices and nephews. After a few hit movies, people started to take their younger children to WDW. The kiddie patrol slowly started taking over what once was a place for families with their junior and senior high school students.

P.S. I thought I should mention that I remember strollers being almost non-existent back then.

Things have changed in that regard. Ever since FLE was announced in the deep recesses of my cerebellum part of me was going, "Great. More baby activities in baby world, just what they needed."

 

[Pocahontas]

I think that back then people were just so excited about this completely immersive and magical world that they didn't notice or care all too much about the small stuff. It's pretty much become the opposite today. I don't that Disney is the problem, it's the people.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Things have changed in that regard. Ever since FLE was announced in the deep recesses of my cerebellum part of me was going, "Great. More baby activities in baby world, just what they needed."

What is it? Do you hate kids or what?

 

[space42]

I really dislike this revisionist history. As others have pointed out, there were online forums that discussed Disney in the 80's and they weren't all doom and gloom. Unfortunately, the google archive only goes back to 1995 - go look yourselves instead of making incorrect assumptions. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/rec.arts.disney.parks - use the filter function to limit the search to 1995 - 1999. The only negative posts that I found from my brief glance was people upset (and rightfully so) at the rumors of the impending closure of Horizons. Since most people would point to this time period as being the beginning of the decline that we now see it is a pretty interesting time period to read from.
The doom and gloom directly corresponds to the actions of the Walt Disney Company. The internet just makes it easier for us all to gather and talk about it.

 

[Matt_Black]

All, but you'll note that part of my original premise includes the statement "the internet as we know it now", which sadly includes people who complain for the sake of complaining.

 

[space42]

All, but you'll note that part of my original premise includes the statement "the internet as we know it now", which sadly includes people who complain for the sake of complaining.

Except The Walt Disney Company as we now know it didn't exist in the 1980's either.
The problem is NOT the internet - it is directly related to the decisions of The Walt Disney Company.

 

[Matt_Black]

The problem is NOT the internet

... You've never read the comments sections anywhere, have you?

 

[Texas84]

I've been here since the co.uk days and I don't remember seeing the anger I've seen in the last year. It's that way on all boards, not just Disney. I have no idea why.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

... You've never read the comments sections anywhere, have you?

have you heard of this old fashioned thing called newspapers and readers letters.

Your lack of exposure and limited understanding does not a fact make.

 

[surfsupdon]

I think there would be people griping about the rising costs of Disney Resorts in the 80s.

But by decades end, we would be pumped for the first ever "Value style Resort," Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. And we would be really excited that its pool had a waterslide.

And that it was MORE AFFORDABLE!! And beautiful.

 

[space42]

I think there would be people griping about the rising costs of Disney Resorts in the 80s.

But by decades end, we would be pumped for the first ever "Value style Resort," Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. And we would be really excited that its pool had a waterslide.

And that it was MORE AFFORDABLE!! And beautiful.

But that is not what happened. They raised the price of the 'Deluxe Resorts' first , then introduced the 'Moderate Resorts' at the former price point of the Deluxe. Same thing happened with the 'Value Resorts' - first raised the prices of Deluxe and Moderate then introduced the 'Value Resorts' at the former price point of the Moderates.

Look it up - a room at the Contemporary resort in the 70's was $28 per night - $160 adjusted for inflation. About the same as a 'Value' resort today.

The rising cost of WDW didn't really start to get out of hand until the mid 90's.

 

[luv]

They'd be saying how cool the new Michael Jackson thing at Epcot is and wondering what the best hairspray was to keep your hair in place when outside and riding rides, which at the time (and even now) would have been in the Aussie line of hair sprays.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think that back then people were just so excited about this completely immersive and magical world that they didn't notice or care all too much about the small stuff. It's pretty much become the opposite today. I don't that Disney is the problem, it's the people.

If people didn't notice or care about the small stuff then how was there so much praise for Disney's attention to the small stuff? You can't praise something you do not notice.

All, but you'll note that part of my original premise includes the statement "the internet as we know it now", which sadly includes people who complain for the sake of complaining.

Bullocks. The number of people on here who complain for the sake of complaining are minimal and often get banned. This website alone is rather well archived and it can clearly be seen that there has been a shift in response due to noted reasons. That you are so desperately trying to concoct a revisionist scenario that supports your views speaks volumes.

 

[EOD K9]

The words "Gnarly" and "Totally Righteous" would be in a lot more threads.

Crush is that you? ---------- Who is this Crush person?

 

[Goofyernmost]

They'd be saying how cool the new Michael Jackson thing at Epcot is and wondering what the best hairspray was to keep your hair in place when outside and riding rides, which at the time (and even now) would have been in the Aussie line of hair sprays.

I can't speak for the hair spray part, but I can tell you that many people felt that MJ in Epcot was just wrong. It's a family park and out he comes hand on crotch. There is a place for everything, Disney was not it. I hated the show the first time I saw it, when it was first there. I left completely unimpressed and wondering why. Then MJ dies and the exploit the hell out of that sad fact. However, it didn't make the movie any better.

 

[luv]

I can't speak for the hair spray part, but I can tell you that many people felt that MJ in Epcot was just wrong. It's a family park and out he comes hand on crotch. There is a place for everything, Disney was not it. I hated the show the first time I saw it, when it was first there. I left completely unimpressed and wondering why. Then MJ dies and the exploit the hell out of that sad fact. However, it didn't make the movie any better.

Okay, SOME people would have said that the new MJ thing was cool.

Better?

Geez.

 

[Britt]

... You've never read the comments sections anywhere, have you?

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. :/

 

[Pocahontas]

If people didn't notice or care about the small stuff then how was there so much praise for Disney's attention to the small stuff? You can't praise something you do not notice.


Bullocks. The number of people on here who complain for the sake of complaining are minimal and often get banned. This website alone is rather well archived and it can clearly be seen that there has been a shift in response due to noted reasons. That you are so desperately trying to concoct a revisionist scenario that supports your views speaks volumes.

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!

 

[GoofGoof]

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. :/

It's always some annoymous coward that says some really offensive and rude things in the comments too. It always saddens me to see the way people act towards each other when they are safe and secure in the annonymous world of the internet.

Of course twitter is sometimes just as bad but at least in some cases the people are identified directly. Off topic, but has anyone ever seen tweets from that crazy, strange dude on twitter who hates this site and a lot of the people on here? Lots of personal attacks and some really angry stuff. I'm assuming he has tried posting here but been banned (probably more than once). People like that make me want to go back to the 80s where I just talked to friends or neighbors face to face about WDW.