new projects around the World

[ToTBellHop]

I have not been particularly let-down by recent attraction development (despite a lull right after 9/11, but that was understandable). My issue is that there is only one new ride under construction now. I hope they have new attractions up their sleeves for Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

The burned out lightbulbs is a reasonably new problem--I would say even 5 years ago, I never took much notice to burned out lights--maybe one here, one there, but I can forgive Disney for that. It's just gotten out of hand.

By and large the parks are still clean (certainly cleaner than Six Flags), but I have also walked into absolutely disgusting restrooms from time to time--toilet paper on the walls, for example. This is obviously due to inexcusable behavior from obnoxious, immature guests, but have guests gotten that much worse in the last 5 years? The average guest certainly isn't like the average 1955 guest at Disneyland, who would dress up to go to the parks. I've also from time to time seen trashcans overflowing--and because I'm not one of these rude guests who throws garbage on the ground if a trashcan is full, I have to try and push the stuff in the trashcan down so my stuff will fit or I have to go on an expedition to find an empty trashcan (this tends to be a problem at peak mealtimes at some of the larger counter service locations, like the Electric Umbrella). I'm willing to do it but having someone's unfinished coke spill on me is also kinda gross. Should guests be forced to do this? Perhaps it's no surprise that we sometimes see trash laying around.

Don't get me wrong, I still love Disney, but there are little things that I'd rather not have to deal with and these problems probably started 10-15 years ago, and only now have they gotten to levels that the average guest can notice changes (I have definitely seen parents trying to force their family's garbage in a trashcan at, say, Pecos Bill's, with a slight look of disgust before they put a smile back on their face so their 5-year olds don't notice it. Maybe my parents did the same when I was 5 but I think it was, indeed, cleaner in 1989 than it is now).

 

[wedway71]

I have not been particularly let-down by recent attraction development (despite a lull right after 9/11, but that was understandable). My issue is that there is only one new ride under construction now. I hope they have new attractions up their sleeves for Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

The burned out lightbulbs is a reasonably new problem--I would say even 5 years ago, I never took much notice to burned out lights--maybe one here, one there, but I can forgive Disney for that. It's just gotten out of hand.

By and large the parks are still clean (certainly cleaner than Six Flags), but I have also walked into absolutely disgusting restrooms from time to time--toilet paper on the walls, for example. This is obviously due to inexcusable behavior from obnoxious, immature guests, but have guests gotten that much worse in the last 5 years? The average guest certainly isn't like the average 1955 guest at Disneyland, who would dress up to go to the parks. I've also from time to time seen trashcans overflowing--and because I'm not one of these rude guests who throws garbage on the ground if a trashcan is full, I have to try and push the stuff in the trashcan down so my stuff will fit or I have to go on an expedition to find an empty trashcan (this tends to be a problem at peak mealtimes at some of the larger counter service locations, like the Electric Umbrella). I'm willing to do it but having someone's unfinished coke spill on me is also kinda gross. Should guests be forced to do this? Perhaps it's no surprise that we sometimes see trash laying around.

Don't get me wrong, I still love Disney, but there are little things that I'd rather not have to deal with and these problems probably started 10-15 years ago, and only now have they gotten to levels that the average guest can notice changes (I have definitely seen parents trying to force their family's garbage in a trashcan at, say, Pecos Bill's, with a slight look of disgust before they put a smile back on their face so their 5-year olds don't notice it. Maybe my parents did the same when I was 5 but I think it was, indeed, cleaner in 1989 than it is now).

I agree. I think perception is the reality for alot of us. I am a Manager for Target and we strive on 2 things which is a-Guest Service and b-super clean stores.We for the most part staff our store accordingly to handle these 2 goals but alot of times we are OUTNUMBERED by obnoxious guests who totally throw any sense of Dencency out the door before entering the store.
I have seen woman change their babys diapers in the middle of an aisle and throw th dirty diaper right on the floor.I have seen people spill their Starbucks cofee right onthe floor and laugh and walk away.

Now heres where I think Perception is Reality fits in at WDW. A good example is as a Mgr I do my rounds and walk by an area and make sure it is Target brand(everything neat and zoned and full with no safety issues).I walk away and turn the corner and then some lady spills her coffee on the floor walks away and 5 seconds later another guest walks by and sees the spilt coffee on the floor.Their Perception IS Target has dropped the ball and lowered standards to let this happen but never realized that 30 seconds before I was there and in about 5 minutes when someone comes to check th area again it will be fixed.

I think alot of times(maybe not all the times) this is true at WDW.We happen to see something that happened before someone can fix or happened right after someone was there.Im not excusing everything but alot of things just happen due to Guests who have no dignity and destroy everthing in their paths like locusts.

I take into account that even as great as WDW is ran it is still the busiest and most visited Resort in the WORLD and millions and millions of people walk down Main Street every year and I think WDW is very clean and very magical.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I agree. I think perception is the reality for alot of us. I am a Manager for Target and we strive on 2 things which is a-Guest Service and b-super clean stores.We for the most part staff our store accordingly to handle these 2 goals but alot of times we are OUTNUMBERED by obnoxious guests who totally throw any sense of Dencency out the door before entering the store.
I have seen woman change their babys diapers in the middle of an aisle and throw th dirty diaper right on the floor.I have seen people spill their Starbucks cofee right onthe floor and laugh and walk away.

Now heres where I think Perception is Reality fits in at WDW. A good example is as a Mgr I do my rounds and walk by an area and make sure it is Target brand(everything neat and zoned and full with no safety issues).I walk away and turn the corner and then some lady spills her coffee on the floor walks away and 5 seconds later another guest walks by and sees the spilt coffee on the floor.Their Perception IS Target has dropped the ball and lowered standards to let this happen but never realized that 30 seconds before I was there and in about 5 minutes when someone comes to check th area again it will be fixed.

I think alot of times(maybe not all the times) this is true at WDW.We happen to see something that happened before someone can fix or happened right after someone was there.Im not excusing everything but alot of things just happen due to Guests who have no dignity and destroy everthing in their paths like locusts.

I take into account that even as great as WDW is ran it is still the busiest and most visited Resort in the WORLD and millions and millions of people walk down Main Street every year and I think WDW is very clean and very magical.

I agree with that to an extent--but I'm just not sure guests are significantly worse now than they used to be. It was always possible to see trash on the walkways, and it still is. When I see that, I blame guests and not Disney. If 7 lightbulbs are burned out on one sign, however, I'm not sure it's so much an issue of Disney not getting to it as it is an issue of Disney ignoring the problem or putting it off. The average lightbulb can last awhile, so for 7 to be out on one sign, some of them have been out for several days or more. And related to filled garbage cans, do we really generate more trash now than 10 years ago? I don't have any data but I would guess we don't.

 

[mousermerf]

I think alot of times(maybe not all the times) this is true at WDW.We happen to see something that happened before someone can fix or happened right after someone was there.Im not excusing everything but alot of things just happen due to Guests who have no dignity and destroy everthing in their paths like locusts.

I take into account that even as great as WDW is ran it is still the busiest and most visited Resort in the WORLD and millions and millions of people walk down Main Street every year and I think WDW is very clean and very magical.

What about things they stopped checking though? Things managers are ignoring?

In the past few weeks, several trips to a manager or guest services has resulted in discovering that they were blissfully unaware it was even broken when i had noticed for several days. (I only goto report things when i get annoyed they're "still" broken.)

 

[Scar Junior]

Kyle, I'm a bit confused because it seems to me like your arguments aren't consistent. Things like burned out light bulbs are the reason many of us are happy that they aren't rushing to expand right now.

Would I like to see a new E ride in the 20K lot? For sure. But as much fun as it will be to ride that, I will be equally as disappointed at the years of gum all over Splash Mountain or the state of disrepair in the Haunted Mansion or Spaceship Earth. Beautiful attractions not being taken care of are the same thing as those light bulbs not being taken care of. Building more right now won't help the situation.

I believe their strategy for the next year is to offer one or two small new things while they sit on their (successful) position as industry leader. They will make tons of money while spending less on construction. But, if the rumors are true, they will also take the steps to use much of their expenses this year on fixing things that have gone long ignored. Who knows, maybe some lightbulbs will even get replaced! I view it as though they are just taking a breather. Even the greatest athletes take some time to sit out and rejuvenate once in a while.

The Disney Parks shouldn't be in this position, but they are. The appropriate conversation isn't 'damn them, this shouldn't have happened.' While we may be able to find people or situations to blame, it doesn't improve anything. The dialogue should be 'well, this is where we are at. where do we go from here?'

Building more right now just makes the maintenance even thinner. The more minds focussed on new projects, the less minds are focussed on noticing problems and improving what they have.

It's not a matter of "If you built it, (they) will come." Roughly the same amount of people will come whether they build more or not this year. But don't you think that since this is where we are right now that we should focus on improving what we've got? If you stop paying attention to your kids and their grades slip and they get in trouble you don't have another kid... you focus on the one you've got!

-- BTW, Wedway... I love your comments about 'perception is reality.' I'm a firm believer in the "social construction of reality theory."

 

[Anthony95]

In all fairness Disneyland is still being brought upto standards from the late 90`s / early 00`s period of neglect. The park was literally being run into the ground by incompetence from management (thankfully a lot of that hierarchy has now gone) - the park was physically falling apart.

you know, i think i have been so blinded by 'the magic' that i never noticed these types of details. i think i remember seeing a light post or two with chipped paint... maybe a full garbage can... but i don't remember a multitude of actual details... but i can say i remember feeling 'off' when i went there a few times back then (food quality and impatient food service personnel being one thing i questioned).

can you give me a link to a good old disneyland thread where you all perhaps talked about this in details (besides this thread). i want to read it so i can see if i remember those things, and when i go back, see if i can tell the difference! (in the mean time, I'll go see if I can unhash a thread... but if you know a link already, i'd love it if you or anyone else, can post it or pm me with it) Thanks!!!!

Michelle

 

[ToTBellHop]

There was a time when Disney could change lightbulbs AND build new attractions at a good clip. I'm not sure I'm being inconsistent...I have expectations that if prices to enter the parks increase exponentially over time at a much greater rate than that of inflation (and there is no denying that they have), standards will at least be kept at the same level as in the past, if not a heightened level. It's like eating at McDonalds versus eating at Disney. I can get a burger, fries, and a sprite at either, but it will cost me almost twice as much at Disney. I therefore expect food certainly of similar quality, but more likely better quality from Disney. And that is typically the case.

 

[coastermaster83]

Hey has anybody noticed that the tomorrowland speedway will be down for refurb on the 14th of Feb. I had heard nothing about this and was curious if it was just normal refurb or major refurb.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Hey has anybody noticed that the tomorrowland speedway will be down for refurb on the 14th of Feb. I had heard nothing about this and was curious if it was just normal refurb or major refurb.

they don't want anyone "parking" the cars on Valentine's Day...

 

[coastermaster83]

they don't want anyone "parking" the cars on Valentine's Day...

WOW THATS JUST WRONG ON SO MANY FRONT's:sohappy:

 

[CubsRock]

The skyline in the urban entertainment area doesn't look like Chicago's, trust me i am from around there. Even though the building stlye would fit in a place like Grant Park, Chicago won't be planning anthing like that because we are trying to get the US bid for the Olympics.