Lights of Winter not being displayed this year (2009)!?!

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
I've been reading this whole thread, almost with a smile on my face. All I can think as I read all this is "They finally all get it!!!!! YES!!!!!" :sohappy:

I just want to make sure that everyone recognizes this isn't the first thing they've taken away without replacement and without caring about the guest. This is a trend that has been going on for quite some time. Not just about the holidays... But with everything. Restaurants, clubs, attractions.

There have been a LOT of people posting in this thread that I haven't seen post on here for YEARS. I think that's great. I think that shows that this issue is starting to cross over to more than just the fanboys (me included) that spend way too much time on sites like this. :lookaroun:lol: And there's been a lot of brand new posters that have joined just to comment on this situation and what it means to the bigger picture. Welcome to you all! :wave:

I just want WDW to offer the same kind of quality as the other Disney resorts around the world. And the past handful of years have made me think that the declining going on at WDW would have no bottom... That nothing would get them to care... That regardless of what they did, some people would continue to make excuses for TDO. This thread has given me hope that maybe that's not the case. Maybe there IS a "last straw" for people. Maybe TDO CAN'T just do whatever they please with no negative impact to them!

There's a lot WDW does right. But there's a growing number of things they're doing wrong. Here's hoping this helps the general public see that and things start to change. :king:
 

Gucci65

Well-Known Member
I posted my .02 on their blog.

Mine is #22. EDIT***#122, not 22*** LOL

Not gonna change anything, but at least I'm able to vent about it.
 

EpcotServo

Well-Known Member
Oh booyyyy...I just realized The last thing Epcot needed was another Martyr...



Oh, uhh...errrI mean, SAVE THE LIGHTS OF WINTER! Yeah! Woo!



:lookaroun :lol: :zipit:
 

Figment82

Well-Known Member
I saw that on youtube. I thought the middle part was a bit slow. Im sorry nothing beats Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Carol of the Bells.

Yeah, you're right - nothing beats the Carol of the Bells part, especially the dramatic finish. I'm still a sucker for "Standing in Motion." :) Oh... They're both great, and sadly, both gone...
 

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
Aww shame. Get some of the execs to sell some furniture and carpets from their offices. Move down a peg or two with the company car.

I will be polite when I go to guest relations, but I`m not budging from there until I get to tell someone who is higher up than the poor desk CMs how I feel. Which is disgusted.
All a game of greed, which is really at the crux of this. It's low, especially for Disney, a company that provided this, which IS WHAT MADE THEM DIFFERENT.

Here's a comment TDO should take to heart when they make these kind of decisions:

BRIAN on November 11th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I actually had saved up money so I could afford some Photopass photos of myself in front of the Lights of Winter this year. Since Disney feels no need to put them up this year I have done the following..
1. Cancelled my Disney resort reservation and booked the Comfort Inn LBV.
2. WILL NOT RENEW MY WDW ANNUAL PASS.
3. Will now take 1 of the days I was going to EPCOT to see Lights of Winter and go to Sea World, Universal or Bush Gardens Tampa Bay.
4. Canceling my Reservations for the sit down restaurants I had and will now eat as much as possible OUTSIDE Disney parks. I have always gotten breakfast at EPCOT at least several mournings on all my trips, but will now eat my free continental breakfast at the Comfort Inn LBV instead.
5. Too late for this year because I already bought my MVMCP ticket But will not do so again after this.
6. I have gone to Disney World 2 times a year for several years.
So I will now find elsewhere to go. Hawaii sounds nice. And NO I will not use Disney Adventures for this like I was going to.
7. Had thought about doing a Disney Cruise nest year also. Well guess I will use an other cuise line now.
Will use saved photopass money for this cruise and anything else I can think of to “take away” form Disney since they seam to have no problem in doing it to us. Remember also. No tree lighting ceremony and no Twas night before Christmas show at Magic Kingdom as well.
Extra note. WILL NOT RENEW MY DISNEY WORLD ANNUAL PASS. Just in case Disney didn’t see that up above.
Brian
:sohappy:


You posted this!? Fantastic.
Here is a very lonely looking Christmas tree at Epcot this morning.
That is SUCH a shame. What used to be a vibrant area is highly generic.

It's not his fault that Disney hasn't given him a suitable answer for the LoW debacle. There's no reason to attack his personal account.

Interesting—we get a repainted UoE, new railings, and the beginning stages of a new Innoventions, but they won't install a Christmas light display.

And why aren't the doves/snowflakes installed in that planter?

Do you honestly think that effected this?

Needless to say, it shouldn't.

Sheriff.



Yep, like my sheriff theory was right from day 1.

And it's not a one time deal. It is the "Disney Parks" plan being implemented.


(
:rolleyes: Look at that SPIN!!:ROFLOL:
A small trip down memory lane is called for I think. To review...

So instead of having this display for the holiday season:
DSC00533.jpg




Noitce that even the light display that used to be in the planter is missing as well. I guess those were also "obsolete". :rolleyes:
Oh, that's just a depressing thing.

And the loss of the smaller lights too....AT LEAST put those up to add to the festivities.:brick:

Or, could be he just doesn't care, but I'm not getting that vibe.
I am.
You have to understand Epcot's management view on things also, does LOW bring in any extra money? Is there any LOW food? or any LOW merchandise? So it is just window dressing to them, it is an expense that maybe was going to receive an upgrade, but when they found out the price, they just decided to get rid of it all together. It is not a moneymaker, just a crowd pleaser, but just like the tree lighting ceremony performed in the same area previously.

So what does bring it extra money during the holidays at Epcot? Candlelight Processional Dinner Packages, it makes the restaurants happy and Epcot management happy to make that extra money, and they more than half way sold out and the seating arrangement is geared toward dinner packages, conventions, VIP's, and guests. Standby seating is only going to be about 200 - 400 seats a show. So they will be long lines for people who want a seat without buying a dinner package.

Also, personalized Christmas ornaments, they can make some extra money on that also, so that is where their focus is, where they can cut costs and make more profit in other places.

Take Food and Wine for an instance, they made a lot of cuts, and didn't have have as many as offerings as they did in previous years and were preparing for lower numbers, but lo and behold they actually made a profit of an extra 10% over their projections. So now they think we can make more cuts and make bigger profits and hope nobody will notice.
Are you kidding?! This was the DISNEY DIFFERENCE! Little DETAILS that were amazing in their scope and effect on the thematic and atmosphere of the park. And now? Gone. We are left with a generic EPCOT.

And that is just how Disney NEVER used to be. You got somethings for nothing but the price of admission. Sad sign of the times. I`d love to give middle management a right kick where it hurts about this. We were so looking forward to it. Yes, the POE tag will still be special, but the LOW seemed to be even more special. Magical. Disney. Pixie dust and all that. But what do I Know? I never saw them in person. And now I can`t. They have become another victim of the companys greed for shareholders and profit.
201 very soon
EXACTLY.

Looking forward to post 201.

I've been reading this whole thread, almost with a smile on my face. All I can think as I read all this is "They finally all get it!!!!! YES!!!!!" :sohappy:

I just want to make sure that everyone recognizes this isn't the first thing they've taken away without replacement and without caring about the guest. This is a trend that has been going on for quite some time. Not just about the holidays... But with everything. Restaurants, clubs, attractions.

There have been a LOT of people posting in this thread that I haven't seen post on here for YEARS. I think that's great. I think that shows that this issue is starting to cross over to more than just the fanboys (me included) that spend way too much time on sites like this. :lookaroun:lol: And there's been a lot of brand new posters that have joined just to comment on this situation and what it means to the bigger picture. Welcome to you all!

I just want WDW to offer the same kind of quality as the other Disney resorts around the world. And the past handful of years have made me think that the declining going on at WDW would have no bottom... That nothing would get them to care... That regardless of what they did, some people would continue to make excuses for TDO. This thread has given me hope that maybe that's not the case. Maybe there IS a "last straw" for people. Maybe TDO CAN'T just do whatever they please with no negative impact to them!

There's a lot WDW does right. But there's a growing number of things they're doing wrong. Here's hoping this helps the general public see that and things start to change.

It's nice, huh? :lol: We just NEED to continue this momentum...We could be the New Disneyland of the early 2000's, here...
 

Atomicmickey

Well-Known Member
I posted over there, and they approved it. Waiting to see if there is any more response.

I'll be the first to admit it. I don't really give a rip about LoW, personally.
But I am not a Christmas person. They're pretty. I won't be there this year, etc.

However, I am concerned about this precisely because of what they said on MiceAge, about cutting by degrees.

Next time, it could be something that I care about. So it is worth raising a stink over.

LoW is exactly the sort of "extra magic" that Disney does that no other place does. So, yeah, this is important. I also agree that this is a great test to see how Disney deals with this brave new world of social networking. Do they think that 200 posts is significant? Well, there were less than 200 for their tilt-shift video, and they went WOW about that.
So, we'll see.
 

Jasonflz

Well-Known Member
:eek: What is Disney corporation thinking. Are all of those suits idiots?!?

Honestly, a turkey leg could do a better job managing everything than them.

Why in the world would they get rid of Lights of Winter? A bunch of greedy numskulls if you ask me.

And why the sudden need to save money????
They already make a fortune. They should be spending not saving. Sheesh.
 

fillerup

Well-Known Member
For your amusement, some quotes from Bob Iger from the 2008 annual report.

"We will continue to focus on what creates the most value for our shareholders: delivering high-quality creative content and experiences; balancing respect for our legacy with the demand to be innovative; and maintaining the integrity of our people and products."

---From Iger's intro letter to shareholders and CMs.

"The result is yet another theme park experience that distinguishes our Company and causes people to say: “What will they think of next?” or, “Only Disney can do that.”"

---Referencing the opening of Toy Story Mania.

"While we realize perfection is not something that can be delivered all of the time, we at least embrace the value of striving for perfection all of the time."

----Oh really?

"Strategically, we continue to adhere to priorities established a few years ago. A commitment to high-quality creative work, a persistent focus on mastering new technology......."

---Guess that persistent focus hit a bump. (Sentence above edited by me)

"It’s a real honor to uphold the Disney legacy and to continue to create memorable and magical experiences for kids of all ages. Together, we look forward to doing our very best for you every day, everywhere and in every way."

---Big Whoop

"The creative efforts of a high-caliber global team produce transformational experiences and products that connect with audiences on an emotional level. These are experiences of the heart, a part of the Disney Difference that stays with Guests long after they have left the park."

---Yeah, like Lights of Winter connected emotionally and stayed with us, as evidenced by this thread.

All bolding was done by me.
 

fillerup

Well-Known Member
Oh, and by the way....

Walt Disney shares rose in after-hours trading Thursday after the company reported earnings and revenue that beat analysts' expectations.


The entertainment giant said it earned 46 cents a share excluding one-time items in its fiscal fourth quarter, compared with 43 cents a share this time last year.


Sales for the most recent quarter reached $9.87 billion, up from $9.445 billion in the same period last year.
 

WDW Vacationer

Active Member
:eek: What is Disney corporation thinking. Are all of those suits idiots?!?

Honestly, a turkey leg could do a better job managing everything than them.

Why in the world would they get rid of Lights of Winter? A bunch of greedy numskulls if you ask me.

And why the sudden need to save money????
They already make a fortune. They should be spending not saving. Sheesh.
:ROFLOL:Needed to vent?

That was VERY funny!:ROFLOL:
 

flFigment

Member
Oh, and by the way....

Walt Disney shares rose in after-hours trading Thursday after the company reported earnings and revenue that beat analysts' expectations.


The entertainment giant said it earned 46 cents a share excluding one-time items in its fiscal fourth quarter, compared with 43 cents a share this time last year.


Sales for the most recent quarter reached $9.87 billion, up from $9.445 billion in the same period last year.



They think that people are upset now wait till they get word of this.

I am so upset that they are discontinuing this and so upset they have now strayed from what being Disney is all about. I am going to write to each board member and then also write Roy Disney and see what he thinks of this. I know this little issue to him would be nothing however it is time for the cuts to stop and for the time period of if we can dream it we can do it to come back. Maybe it is time for another version of the "Disney Decade" BUT I think it is the declining Disney by degrees decade
 

WDW Vacationer

Active Member
Tyler from MA on November 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm

Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Very dissapointed by this loss. Do you guys realize how many people this is the last straw for? If not I do-MANY! Im not one to complain as I know Disney is a business,but this is just bad. Confirming it on Twitter does not help. Press release please?
What’s that sour taste? Oh,the Lights of Winter were retired because they are “obselete”.

My second comment is awiating moderation.^
 

Jasonflz

Well-Known Member
Tyler from MA on November 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm

Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Very dissapointed by this loss. Do you guys realize how many people this is the last straw for? If not I do-MANY! Im not one to complain as I know Disney is a business,but this is just bad. Confirming it on Twitter does not help. Press release please?
What’s that sour taste? Oh,the Lights of Winter were retired because they are “obselete”.

My second comment is awiating moderation.^

:lol: A petition might help, no?
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
I've been reading this whole thread, almost with a smile on my face. All I can think as I read all this is "They finally all get it!!!!! YES!!!!!" :sohappy:

I just want to make sure that everyone recognizes this isn't the first thing they've taken away without replacement and without caring about the guest. This is a trend that has been going on for quite some time. Not just about the holidays... But with everything. Restaurants, clubs, attractions.

There have been a LOT of people posting in this thread that I haven't seen post on here for YEARS. I think that's great. I think that shows that this issue is starting to cross over to more than just the fanboys (me included) that spend way too much time on sites like this. :lookaroun:lol: And there's been a lot of brand new posters that have joined just to comment on this situation and what it means to the bigger picture. Welcome to you all! :wave:

I just want WDW to offer the same kind of quality as the other Disney resorts around the world. And the past handful of years have made me think that the declining going on at WDW would have no bottom... That nothing would get them to care... That regardless of what they did, some people would continue to make excuses for TDO. This thread has given me hope that maybe that's not the case. Maybe there IS a "last straw" for people. Maybe TDO CAN'T just do whatever they please with no negative impact to them!

There's a lot WDW does right. But there's a growing number of things they're doing wrong. Here's hoping this helps the general public see that and things start to change. :king:

Quoted for truth.

It's been happening for over a decade now.

And while all the resorts have their issues, none have seen the declining by degrees (Kevin Yee's term) that WDW has.

They've all lost things, but they've also ADDED ... in many cases substantial better things.

WDW just keeps chugging on, living off a reputation from say 1971-1996, charging more and giving less.

It's a sad realization when fans get that into their skulls, but it's better than living in perpetual pixie dust.
 

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