Kevin Yee Reports - All the missing curtains

[TP2000]

I hate the DL vs. WDW card...but the best way to tell the difference is to take back-to-back trips to DL and WDW (or even better, TDL and WDW as some people have been able to).

I agree!

And for me, that's now a big part of the fun, since I have an AP for Disneyland and live 20 minutes away from the place. I had to cancel my last planned trip to WDW in late '11 due to work stuff, but I was trying to find time to get there this winter. I'm afraid that if I wait until next fall to return to WDW (and I just can NOT do Orlando from May-September due to the climate), the comparison will become even more alarming with Buena Vista Street and Cars Land opened.

But BVS/Cars Land are Anaheim exclusives, and really shouldn't count. It's the similar or identical attractions and facilities at the two properties where the comparison fun is the best; Pirates, Splash, Bugs Life, MuppetVision, Soarin, Mansion, Space, Small World, Toontown (oops), Rivers of America, etc.

You have to wonder why Burbank doesn't force an Executive Exchange Program with TDO suits going to TDA for a month to see how they do it in Anaheim? :veryconfu

There are good CM's and well designed facilities at WDW. They just seem stifled by some boneheaded upper management decisions and budgets.

 

[HMF]

Not much.

Kevin-Love The Rizzo Factor. So fitting. It's like they made that years ago for us to discover the relationship one day. It's too perfect.

I would suggest that those upset with the current state of WDW to adopt the Rizzo avatar to send a message.

 

[HMF]

I got a return comment that in the case of the France movie, the curtains broke, and Disney has now outsourced this kind of repair - their own mechanics aren't allowed to do it - so they are waiting on an outside contractor to do it.

That's the problem, right there.

 

[disney fan 13]

I would suggest that those upset with the current state of WDW to adopt the Rizzo avatar to send a message.

I agree

 

[Captain Chaos]

I would suggest that those upset with the current state of WDW to adopt the Rizzo avatar to send a message.

Done... but we all know no message will be sent... The best way to send a message is to stop spending any money at WDW...

 

[disney fan 13]

Done... but we all know no message will be sent... The best way to send a message is to stop spending any money at WDW...

More of a ''show your support'' , then ''send a message'' type thing...

 

[WDW1974]

I posted elsewhere when I noticed the drapes missing:

Ellen 3rd showroom (when she's on the helicopter) - maybe three years ago?
Impressions de France - about two months ago
Philharmagic - February 12

I got a return comment that in the case of the France movie, the curtains broke, and Disney has now outsourced this kind of repair - their own mechanics aren't allowed to do it - so they are waiting on an outside contractor to do it.

That isn't surprising. Disney's MBAs have all been pushing everything outside the company since they rose to prominence in the mid/late 90s.

I've seen 4-star resorts have pool issues and Bubba from St. Cloud or Davenport drives his pickup up to the place (BW was where I saw this) to fix it. And you're thinking (or I was) that with hundreds of pools and spas on property they shouldn't need to call someone outside the company, this is what happens when beancounters decide 'we don't need to do this crap inhouse' ... it's why if you're one of the less than .005% of WDW guests who are awake at 1:30 a.m. and walk thru a lobby you'll see some outside company coming in and attempting to clean ... love watching people using buckets of water on the wood floors of the WL.

That might be a good column ... what WDW outsources in 2012 that it didn't in 1992 and how it might just lead to those pesky Declines by Degrees.

~The Tix are free? OK, I'm in!~

 

[EOD K9]

I'm going to DL in the middle of May. Does anyone know if CL will have had a soft opening by then?

 

[WDW1974]

Of course I'm not mad at you, Spirit, but you knew that.

Yes, I did. ... But I'm one Spirit you really don't wanna see angry.:fork::goodnevil:drevil:

As I explained on our walk around World Showcase that day long ago, I also choose to "call it as I see it" rather than overlay an artificially-negative spin to everything I do. I simply tell the truth as I see it. I like Sorcerers and think others will too, but agree it will create problems in the park. I hate the lack of upkeep and have spent the past eight years online pointing out the shortcomings in my columns.

No, I do understand and respect that. You may have misunderstood. My only point was to take shots at you for liking something that I absolutely believe is another example of dumbing down the product. I understand even why you might like the cards (some kind Spirits have sent some my way since I seem to have an aversion to driving up to WDW instead of flying across the country to DLR, call me crazy, we both know I've been called far worse), but I just can't go for additions like this ... not when they can't even get the basics close to right anymore.

Part of the reason I choose to not harp ONLY on the negative is that you create a weariness in the reader with such a relentless approach. It would be different if my column were simultaneously disgorging insider information about company internal politics or the next attraction to debut in months, because then people would click on my articles no matter what else I said in them. But I lack the sources to do that effectively (or at least consistently).

Thus, if I tried to go "all negative" in an effort to really get the word out and hopefully effect some manner of change, people would soon write me off as a one-note negative ninny (many already have) and tune out.

No one, least of all me, would suggest going all negative. Contrary to some opinion (far less popular than 2-3 years ago, though) I am not negative all the time and point out positives when/where I see them ... much like Lutz has done, even in the darkest days in Anaheim. ... Just with you I see a conscious effort to balance things out. And like I said, I believe far more folks at WDW Co will view your latest column as a net win for them because they don't give two (expletives) about curtains and show quality, but absolutely care about NEXT GEN and SotMK is part of that.

Besides - and to circle around to the front of my argument - I prefer to simply tell the truth all the time. Life *is* balance. Anyone who claims otherwise has never tried to be father, husband, employee, entrepreneur, friend, and author all at once.

There. Insider information on what this columnist, at least, has running through his head

You do wear so many hats, amazing your head doesn't cave in. Would love to visit again ... but I get to WDW far less these days and can't seem to push myself to go.

Maybe I should start a Disney Lifestyle site ... I'd love a free Fantasy cruise or two!

~Dinnertime!~

 

[jmuboy]

I am concerned that WDW may be getting close to a point it cannot recover from. How many more cutbacks, broken AAs, removals, quality reductions with a price increase, dumbed down menus, etc before the WDW just won't be able to recover it once heralded level of quality and service?

.....or have we already reached that mark?

 

[disney fan 13]

I am concerned that WDW may be getting close to a point it cannot recover from. How many more cutbacks, broken AAs, removals, quality reductions with a price increase, dumbed down menus, etc before the WDW just won't be able to recover it once heralded level of quality and service?

.....or have we already reached that mark?

Were close but not there yet...

 

[Lee]

Would love to visit again ... but I get to WDW far less these days and can't seem to push myself to go.

Oh, alright....I'll drive.

:lol:

 

[Jim Handy]

Apparently the Universe of Energy curtains were done by a company and is kind of a unique system. The company has since disppaeared and nobody can fix them. Not sure how true that is, and even if that is the case, I'm sure they could figure out a new system.

 

[Lee]

Apparently the Universe of Energy curtains were done by a company and is kind of a unique system. The company has since disppaeared and nobody can fix them. Not sure how true that is, and even if that is the case, I'm sure they could figure out a new system.

(singing...)
"If we can dream it, then we can do it..."

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Missing curtains...schmurtains.

The real issue with Energy is missing Radoc cubes. The real missing reveal is not curtains opening to reveal a wider screen, but curtains opening to reveal giant mirrors to create a full 360 degree theater. What's missing from Energy is dazzling show, great songs, laser show. Missing is the 'spirit of EPCOT' which meant innovation all around: a theater that moves, the largest moving vehicles of any ride anywhere, solar power, guided tracks.

That's what missing. What's really missing. Malfuntioning curtains is merely declining by degrees. Turning Universe of Energy into Ellen is where Mickey turned into Rizzo. :fork:

 

[WDW1974]

Not in my case. I've been visiting regularly since 2008. That's withing the "TDO sucks more than ever" window

I've been visiting since 1974. Regularly.

I've visited every Disney park/resort in the world. I've stayed at pretty much every WDW and DL resort (most numerous times). I've stayed at Disney's resorts at HH and Vero. I've taken numerous DCL voyages, including a transatlantic. I also have traveled extensively beyond Disney (and non) theme parks.

Oh, and I work and know many in the entertainment industry.

2008 might as well been yesterday. Doesn't mean you aren't owed the right to an opinion, just that you (and so many others in the fan community) do NOT have the perspective or knowledge to get what Disney is doing right and doing wrong, who/what is behind it and why.

The WDW of 2012 may very well be better than the one of 2008 (to me there's very little difference except more DVC and more construction walls and higher prices for everything!) ... but it most certainly is a pale shadow of its past and a sad tribute to the management team that has been in charge since the 90s.

 

[WDW1974]

SQS is still there and they still do their job, but you would be amazed about how many things are on the list just for a normal attraction.

BUT, then turn over the list to Engineering Services (Maintenance Management) to be corrected then management decides what to be fixed or not. Maybe nobody notices besides SQS, so just turn it off or we don't have the parts so why fix something that nobody notices, etc.

________ poor management. There's no other 'splanation. And one that loves giving the finger to its guests daily (while telling them to have a MAGICal day).

Things don't get like this overnight and they don't get fixed overnight. That's the sad reality (kinda like much of our country today).

At TDR, I couldn't find one effect not working, one glaring (or even minor) example of bad show. Yes, there were a few (and only) burned out bulbs and a couple of railings in queues were ready for paint, but that was it ... the parks are kept immaculate and before someone just says its because the Japanese value it more and Americans are all pigs (let's forget about how many internationals WDW attracts, they must be swine too!) I'll just point out that WDW used to be kept to those same levels too.

It can be done. You have to want to do it. And you have to spend the $$$ to do it.

Disney is one of the cheapest companies I've ever had dealings with ... they don't seem to quite understand that there is something called the cost of doing business.

~101~

 

[WDW1974]

Heck, 90% of why they are fixing up Main Street is due to it being captured on video of various events and promotions. Gotta make it look pretty kids! :wave: Let's not talk about the streaks of mold and mildew you can find throughout tomorrow, or the bird droppings all over the railings on the TTA or the rusted out boxes that are supposed to protect the magnetic tracks.

Looking back at all the interesting and unique stores that have existed on main street, it has turned into a shopping mall with a victorian theme. There's no essence of turn of the era main street. Thank God they still have the trolly show and the mayor walks around. They don't run nearly as many vehicles as they do anymore. You'll still find all the different vehicles running at DL USA and DL Paris. Most of the sound effects coming from the second floor windows of main street at the MK don't work anymore, yet you can hear them just fine at DLP on a busy day. Anyone remember the party line phone in one of the main street MK stores? that was removed years ago, and there's just a few penny arcade machines left at the train station, 2 of which have been broken since 2010.

Don't even get me started on the queue windows in space mountain's fast pass line. Since the spring of 2011 the projects on the spheres to form Mars and the Moon have been turned off, just revealing balls on a stick, and the cookie astroid effect has been broken too...let's not talk about the pealing paint that has been in the queue since 2010 or in Buzz and has yet to be repaired.

Yep ... you do get it quite well now that you traveled beyond ... Pennsylvania

We need to get you to Anaheim ... and then Asia.

You may never want to return to The Timeshare Kingdom of the World unless you are visiting that other place up I-4.

~Fanbois always get the point ... ~

 

[WDW1974]

I hate the DL vs. WDW card...but the best way to tell the difference is to take back-to-back trips to DL and WDW (or even better, TDL and WDW as some people have been able to).

True enough ... or just visit in a short period of time. In the summer of 2006, I went from DLP to DL to WDW all in a period of about five weeks.

Between 9/09 and 11/10, I visited every Disney park on the planet and had multiple visits and/or APs to all but TDR (which I hit just once ... but what a once it was!) and also spent two weeks at sea with DCL.

There's no way to NOT view WDW (the parks at least) as VASTLY inferior to all the others in things like show quality, upkeep/cleanliness, freshness/seasonal offerings.

I am amazed that Disney doesn't have a mutiny with unhappy DVCers who are wondering how they could have bought in a decade ago and seen so little change ... so little progress.

 

[WDW1974]

Oh, alright....I'll drive.

:lol:

Will you also pay for the Yosemite Suite at WL?

You know the Spirit likes things done right ...

~You mean we have to stay at the Ritz?~