Negativity

[spacemt354]

I don't know, I hate sports and so don't care about that type of thing. I guess just out of loyalty?

What does that have to do with my post though?

What it has to do with your post is that you question why people go to Disney when 'all they're going to do is complain' - which can be refuted.

Sometimes in life the things you care about the most are the things you're most critical of. Not everyone is wired the same way though...so perhaps this model doesn't apply to you.

Like if that's all you are going to do then why are you still going to Disney? You clearly hate it, so why keep going?

This is a broad assumption based on... what?

And why even care what others do? How does that affect your enjoyment of the parks?

 

[Dave B]

You know Magical Express isn't free though? It's built into the cost of the rooms.

I am aware of that, if universal did the same, it would not come across as so cheap ,perception is reality, Disney just seems to make it all so easy

 

[Dave B]

Ever been to Disneyland?

Yes I grew up in Southern California, went to Disney Land probably 50+ times, yes we paid for parking there, but if I stayed at the hotel it was FREE and the hotel has a shuttle to get me from the airport to Disneyland fro free or PART of the package

 

[21stamps]

Yes I grew up in Southern California, went to Disney Land probably 50+ times, yes we paid for parking there, but if I stayed at the hotel it was FREE and the hotel has a shuttle to get me from the airport to Disneyland fro free or PART of the package

Where else besides Disney have you had free transfers? DCL doesn't even have them. It's $35 per person per way.

 

[George]

You know Magical Express isn't free though? It's built into the cost of the rooms.

Correct. Which is why I occasionally book a plane ticket to O'town and then just ride the Magical Express. Sometimes I'll do this 25 times a day. Then, if I have a vacation where I have my vehicle or a rental car, I don't feel like I'm not getting full value since I had so many DME rides at an earlier time point. This is called the "Future Added Value Effect" or FAVE. Take that suckas!

 

[drizgirl]

Yes I grew up in Southern California, went to Disney Land probably 50+ times, yes we paid for parking there, but if I stayed at the hotel it was FREE and the hotel has a shuttle to get me from the airport to Disneyland fro free or PART of the package

My point is that Disneyland Resort does not have free transportation from the airport like Magical Express. The onsite hotels don't have free parking either.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You know Magical Express isn't free though? It's built into the cost of the rooms.

I would think that anyone that ever made it to adult status would be acutely aware that anything that someone else pays for be it Magical Express or any other alleged free thing, is hidden in some other price. Nothing is free, nothing! Just like free dining... no someone somewhere is charging for it and you are paying.

It seems when you do like I do when I fly in to Orlando, you can rent a car, stay and eat mostly offsite, go to WDW parks, golf courses, etc. and pay thousands less. Guess what those thousands paid for. Yup, everything they called free plus more.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Why do people still support their team despite them loosing the game most weeks?

Alcohol mostly!

 

[eliza61nyc]

I don't know, I hate sports and so don't care about that type of thing. I guess just out of loyalty?

What does that have to do with my post though?

So first, I love complaints so I'm weird. I hate the "sunshiney" every time disney farts it smells like roses mentality. Whether people agree or not Disney is a business that offers a service I pay a lot for that service and if it's not up to expectation, yes I'm going to report it.

Now I don't hate Disney, in fact I would say I love it and since I'm a dvc'er and have been going since the 1990's I Know first hand the level of premium service they can achieve. Yes I recognize that things have changed and prices have gone up but when you continually raise the prices far above inflation year after year in order to simply exploit profits, that's a problem.

A lot of people will comment negatively from nostalgia. basically I do remember better times and just like every thing else you're more sad to see the changes.

Many of us have changed the way we vacation. I use to own 2 dvc memberships and would go twice a year. I recently have sold one and now go maybe every 15 months AND my trips are much shorter. so the mouse world is getting less and less of my money.

I like balanced trip reporting. If you get a room that is dirty upon check in, yes that's what I want to hear about. now I also want to hear how the problem was address but how do you make a informed decision if everyone tells you how great every thing is. If a restaurant is not worth the money, yes I want you to say so. It may help me avoid the restaurant.

 

[eliza61nyc]

They advertise with a goal of emotions being felt by the audience, which will hopefully turn into a customer.
Almost every company does this. People just laser in on Disney more than the others. Not totally sure why.

I think it's because Disney lasers in on our emotions (as others have said). for example Vegas advertises but it's main take away is "fun with a little sin thrown in".
Disney advertises in a way that says "if you don't go to disney your kids won't have any happy memories".
I literally participated on a thread on another site where a young lady called off her wedding because her fiance would not guarantee that they would go to Disney every year. God's truth and what was scary there were a ton of other members that agreed with her. Comments were "you have to demand your own happiness". WTH?? That's the difference in Disney marketing, it's almost cult like.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Where else besides Disney have you had free transfers? DCL doesn't even have them. It's $35 per person per way.

Really?? I just went to Paris, my transfers from Charles D'gauille to my hotel was free, or as others mentioned it was included in my package. I've never paid to get from the airport except at Disney lol. prior to magically express. it was how we got in the habit of renting a car in the first place.

 

[21stamps]

Really?? I just went to Paris, my transfers from Charles D'gauille to my hotel was free, or as others mentioned it was included in my package. I've never paid to get from the airport except at Disney lol. prior to magically express. it was how we got in the habit of renting a car in the first place.

I've never had these experiences on a regular basis. The biggest "family" week long vacations along with WDW are imo a cruise or Atlantis.
Cruise lines- you pay for transfers.
Atlantis- you pay for transfers.
To be fair, I'll throw Beaches in as well.. and they do provide transfers. You're paying for it in other ways though.

I think it's because Disney lasers in on our emotions (as others have said). for example Vegas advertises but it's main take away is "fun with a little sin thrown in".
Disney advertises in a way that says "if you don't go to disney your kids won't have any happy memories".
I literally participated on a thread on another site where a young lady called off her wedding because her fiance would not guarantee that they would go to Disney every year. God's truth and what was scary there were a ton of other members that agreed with her. Comments were "you have to demand your own happiness". WTH?? That's the difference in Disney marketing, it's almost cult like.

I know I mention Atlantis a lot on these threads, because imo they do the exact same thing. So does Universal, so does Legoland.
Their marketing is all the same.

I agree that Disney is a different animal to some people.. that woman sounds like a nut case though..lol

 

[danheaton]

I've found that quite a few Disney fans take it personally if anyone here attacks Disney or their policies. The company and the parks are such a core part of our lives (including me, not being critical there) that it feels like we're being attacked when someone complains. The sports analogy is apt, as are politics or religion. Because we're so close to it, it can be tough to recognize failings and issues from how Disney functions.

It can be true that we can have amazing trips at Disney World AND they could do things a lot better. We spend a lot of money at the parks and support them online through word of mouth, so fans have a right to expect more from Disney. Disney World is super popular, but that doesn't mean every guest is having the best experience they could have. Some may decide to forego a trip next year (or even next month) due to the price or crowds. There's no real way to track that beyond surveys that Disney conducts. So citing attendance, lines, etc. doesn't really say much. My local baseball team has bad years sometimes and raises prices every year, and people still go. Is it the optimal experience? Not always. That team's ownership has fallen into the same trap that Disney sometimes hits. Complacency can impact it.

Yes, Disney is investing a lot in the parks and opening quite a few attractions in the next five years. But there are still issues here and there. I don't know of a better place to discuss the positives and negatives than on a forum of this type.

 

[21stamps]

To the people talking about advertisements,

Come on guys, look at these-
It's fluff, it's fantasy, and it's meant to tug at your heart, your child's wants, and make you open your wallet. It's no different than Disney.

We shouldn't expect an exact replica of everything shown. Fish aren't going to be flying in the air at a restaurant, each of our children aren't going to have a wand to light up Harry Potter.. our adult minds should know this.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I literally participated on a thread on another site where a young lady called off her wedding because her fiance would not guarantee that they would go to Disney every year. God's truth and what was scary there were a ton of other members that agreed with her. Comments were "you have to demand your own happiness". WTH??

Sounds like that was more of a godsend for the guy...

 

[Willmark]

Certainly an interesting thread (I've read a lot over my time as a lurker on the site).

Seems to me their is the Pixie Dusters on one end then the Doom and Gloom folks on the other. The cast majority somewhere in the middle.

I go to Disney and expect value for the premium they charge and don't if it's not meeting up. I never went as a kid and my first trip was with my own family in 2011, so my perspective is from that frame.

Seems to me Disney has reacted glacially slightly slow to a changing market. Some feel they shouldn't be called out that failing? It's a voluntary transaction; no one is forcing a person or family to go to Disney yes. At the same time it should come as no surprise when customers voice their displeasure from cost to service and everything in between.

Disney doesn't really listen to any one customer but enough to trends and the $.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I've never had these experiences on a regular basis. The biggest "family" week long vacations along with WDW are imo a cruise or Atlantis.
Cruise lines- you pay for transfers.
Atlantis- you pay for transfers.
To be fair, I'll throw Beaches in as well.. and they do provide transfers. You're paying for it in other ways though.




I know I mention Atlantis a lot on these threads, because imo they do the exact same thing. So does Universal, so does Legoland.
Their marketing is all the same.

I agree that Disney is a different animal to some people.. that woman sounds like a nut case though..lol

Oh definitely. nothing is exactly "free" but I've never had to come out of my pocket once the trip is paid for. I did RC Oasis of the Seas last year, I picked up my credential package and inside was a voucher for my transfer from the hotel (I go to Ft. lauderdale a day early) to the ship. Next May I'm going to London. I purchased a package on line from travelocity. price included all taxes, transfers, flights and hotel.
No difference than Disney.

It's like their free dining claim. free dining is not free, you pay rack rates to get it. What it really means is that it's prepaid.

 

[eliza61nyc]

To the people talking about advertisements,

Come on guys, look at these-
It's fluff, it's fantasy, and it's meant to tug at your heart, your child's wants, and make you open your wallet. It's no different than Disney.

We shouldn't expect an exact replica of everything shown. Fish aren't going to be flying in the air at a restaurant, each of our children aren't going to have a wand to light up Harry Potter.. our adult minds should know this.

Nah totally different to me. for example here is an excellent advertising campaign. Notice that disney world really isn't ever mentioned. yet at the end you've got people blubbering like babies.




and in this one the specifically tell you that extraordinary things happen every day.



The best commercials have you BELIEVING the magic without realizing it. this is one of my favorites

 

[Willmark]

Here's where the disconnect might be: plenty of people talk about "the magic" here and in other threads,

Some people don't have that perspective as say like me where I don't have childhood memories of the place.

The flip of that is people who do have those memories expecting something different.

Disney is certainly st an interesting point. Have they hit a wall in terms of capacity and cost?

Not adding a 5th park has been great for shareholders, not so great for park-goers. Oh I get they are explanding in place like crazy, but that should have happened 5 years ago.

So perhaps another reason for naysayers?

 

[pax_65]

Not adding a 5th park has been great for shareholders, not so great for park-goers. Oh I get they are explanding in place like crazy, but that should have happened 5 years ago.

It's not just about a 5th park. It's about reinvestment in the current parks. If you look at attendance numbers, the Magic Kingdom attendance is way up while the other parks are fairly flat (I haven't seen numbers for AK post-Pandora yet, but it doesn't appear that they have brought in the people they hoped). That's because MK delivers more attractions and entertainment than the other parks.

That said, we have record-high prices at all the parks while they are cutting live entertainment, park hours, parades, etc.