Picking sides...Where do you stand about Disney World...

[disney fan 13]

Since the vote has topped 100... TEAM DISNEY needs work, we are the 51 percent!!!

 

[unkadug]

TDO needs work.

Thick needs work also.

 

[wm49rs]

TDO needs work.

Thick needs work also.

So does the poll.....

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Maximizing profit is fine. But what Disney is doing is putting short term profit over the long term stability. Ride closures are few and far between, as they fear that people will get aggravated that "I go once every 7 years, and I can't even ride Space Mountain!" However, in the future, people will be getting aggravated that "I come here every 7 years and Space Mountain is falling apart!"
Always a trade-off.

How is the long term stability affected when the parks are running at almost 100% occupancy 100% of the time? People need to realize for every one person complaining about the state of the parks 20 people will gladly take their place and go without question. Disney, if they wanted, could not introduce any new attractions anywhere for 10 years and people would still fill the parks.

There's a difference between cost and value. Wizarding World of Harry Potter is value. About $200 million for a deeply themed area and an innovative attraction. Most of Disney's recent projects (Yes, even at Disneyland), have been incredibly inefficient with spending, from where I see it. DCA's expansion is large, but over a billion dollars? Fantasyland is good, but about $300 million for this? 50% more cost than Harry Potter?

Potter is a fad stuck in a theme park that feeds off what Disney lets them have. I still don't see Potter making a dent into Disney's hefty profits, but I do see Potter waning in interest before you know it, while Fantasyland will serve its purpose exceptionally well. You will only be able to compare Potter to Avatarland, and in the end, watch Disney win as they always do.

I've also read that Next Gen could be a bit more than a billion, which is insane.
If we want to talk inefficiency, that's it.

A theme park making over a billion dollars profit is inefficent? I would gladly take those CEO's if I ran a company.



Jimmy Thick-Expanding the Jimmy Thick brand!!!

 

[Captain Chaos]

Is Disney dying? No.... Is everything in great shape? No... Does Disney need help, updating, and work? Sure does...

And with recent reports that they are FINALLY taking care of these issues we have complained about, maybe they have finally listened... Or maybe the higher ups have lit a fire under the backside of the management team in Orlando to finally do something...

 

[wm49rs]

And how do you know the way Disney is financing the Next Gen project? Try to keep thing in perspective, if possible.....



Jimmy Thick- Making thick a household name, whether or not the households want it.

 

[TaoBoxer]

Wait a second, did you post this poll just to bash people who don't agree with you ? Time to hop back into your short bus & blast off into the sunset.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to get your monies worth on a vacation. I don't want to see broke attractions. Will I still have fun ? Yes. But I don't want to feel cheated either.

 

[menamechris]

I think it defeats the purpose of a poll for the pollster to conduct it to try and satisfy his own opinion and bias.... Just say what you want to say and be done with it, JT.

With that said - WDW clearly needs to get back to their own 4th "Key" - Efficiency. If it is really that much of a hassle and process to get a light bulb (or few dozen) replaced - How is that being an efficient organization?

Whether some guests choose to turn a blind eye to the slide in maintenance, show quality, and efficiency - that is their prerogative. But the fact remains that the resort is not the well oiled machine that it once was. One department seems to not know what the other is doing. And some don't even know exactly what they are responsible for. If these kinds of things don't get clarified and taken care of by management, expect to see more of the same and worse. Again, it's not necessarily about laziness or indifference - it is a matter of a lack of efficiency.

 

[R W B]

I voted Team Disney because like said above, some light bulbs out some chipped paint and the Yeti not working is not going to ruin my vacation. If all that were fixed then I'm sure it would add to my vacation though. I'm 24 yrs old, my first trip was in '06 when I was 18 with my older brother and his family, the same week as the cheer/dance championships. Trust me, my focus was not on bulbs and paint, lol. Since then I've been 3 times in the last 18 months and the current state of Disney is the only state of Disney I know. From reading here and seeing pics it seems 20-30 years ago the parks were in better shape but idk that so I have nothing go compare today's Disney to. Mow in 20 years from now when I'm bringing my kids, if the parks are in worse shape then today, I'll have something to complain about. Until then, I can't really complain and I'll still spend money there because it puts a smile on my face. That's all I can ask for.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

From reading here and seeing pics it seems 20-30 years ago the parks were in better shape but idk that so I have nothing go compare today's Disney to.

This is the biggest myth in the history of Disney.

The parks were not in better shape years ago, its just a myth perpetrated by people who feel the need to complain about something, anything.

The whole Disney company was almost fleeced out from under the Disney family because 20-30 years ago the Disney family lost the plot. Thankfully they brought in Micheal Eisner who made the company, and especially they parks into the jewel they have now become.

Don't believe what you read, the parks back in the day, were never better than what you have now. That argument is a broken crutch, replaced with a motorized scooter.


Jimmy Thick-Crackin' eggs...Again!!!

 

[unkadug]

This is the biggest myth in the history of Disney.

The parks were not in better shape years ago, its just a myth perpetrated by people who feel the need to complain about something, anything.

The whole Disney company was almost fleeced out from under the Disney family because 20-30 years ago the Disney family lost the plot. Thankfully they brought in Micheal Eisner who made the company, and especially they parks into the jewel they have now become.

Don't believe what you read, the parks back in the day, were never better than what you have now. That argument is a broken crutch, replaced with a motorized scooter.


Jimmy Thick-Crackin' eggs...Again!!!

That's all a matter of opinion.

 

[Jeff456]

Team Disney.... even though there will always be things at Disney which could benefit from more work, the maintainence in my opinion is second to none. Particularly when compared with UK theme parks anyway.. come September, October they look practically derelict!

 

[janoimagine]

Thankfully they brought in Micheal Eisner who made the company, and especially they parks into the jewel they have now become.
[/I]

Your forgetting Frank Wells. Eisner was good, however the Team of Wells and Eisner was akin to Walt and Roy (maybe a little stretch) But when Wells died suddenly and tragically, Eisner was lost, floundered and was ultimately replaced.

The parks were maintained better in the past, that is no myth. Look no further than the current maintenance employee count and maintenance budgets over the past 20 years and you will see the decline. The annual reports, released by Disney don't lie.

Still think were exaggerating, then take a Disney Cruise or visit TDS or even Disneyland and you will notice a higher standard than what the suits at TDO are trying to pass off as the Disney brand. Even Universal is stepping up there game by hiring the best and creating new attractions like Harry Potter, Harry Potter 2, the New Transformers ride and their new night time show in Orlando that is going head to head with World of Color on the West Coast.

I am not saying I don't enjoy Disney, I love WDW and visit every year, however I have been visiting yearly since the late 70's and as of late the quality has slipped at the Orlando property. Do I enjoy it less? A little, its the creative in me, I strive for perfection in my own work and it bothers me when I see simple things like the popcorn lights on the Grand Floridian burned out that are easy fixes, or the fact that they now run attractions into the ground before doing a simple annual refurb, or cut simple holiday offerings like the Lights of Winter.

I feel that it's corporate greed, I am all for a company maximizing profits and I strive to do it in my own business, but when you have done it successfully in the past, without affecting the show quality, there is no reason to not continue doing it in the future.

 

[CountryBearFan]

Paging Jimmy Thick, paging Jimmy Thick...

 

[Patrick_Ears]

i could care less on a light bulb out, or one two animatronics is not working. As long as i'm having fun with the family it's all good.

 

[Silver Figment]

While certain things might need some work i'll always be Team Disney.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Personally, I feel that your Disney experiences are quite similar to your life experiences. If you continually go out of your way to look for negatives and things that are wrong, you are guaranteed to find them. If you actually look for the positives, you are a happier person and enjoy life. Not trying to tell anyone how to live their lives, just explaining how I live mine, and how I experience Disney. I know most people will disagree, but to each their own.

Some folks like to stop and smell the roses....others complain because they have thorns, they are expensive to buy...you get the idea.

I think you're missing an entire third category... Those that strive for perfection. To be the best they can be.

For me, it's not about looking for negatives. It's about striving to be the best. And we know WDW can do it... They did it for YEARS. TDL does it now. DL does a LOT right. That's what's frustrating.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I'm in the minority on this one.. I'm Team Disney. Listen, I'm never going to deny that the parks need a lot of work. But I've got news for you, that's the cycle, such is life.

I don't understand this thinking at all. Why should quality degrade in cycles when the crowds have only grown and prices have only risen? Wouldn't one trigger the other, not send them in separate directions?

I also have a problem with two properties run by the same company being run in two completely different ways.

I'd venture to say that many who think the way you do sort of "don't know what they're missing". I'm not bashing you there... Just saying that there's nothing for you to compare it to, I guess.

 

[EaglesfanNJ]

I don't understand this thinking at all. Why should quality degrade in cycles when the crowds have only grown and prices have only risen? Wouldn't one trigger the other, not send them in separate directions?

I also have a problem with two properties run by the same company being run in two completely different ways.

I'd venture to say that many who think the way you do sort of "don't know what they're missing". I'm not bashing you there... Just saying that there's nothing for you to compare it to, I guess.

It's cool, I know you were not bashing...this is a discussion board, i respect your opinion.

Admittedly, you're probably right.. I do not know what I'm missing. In my case, I didn't go to Disney for the first time until 2004, I was an adult by then. Also, I've never been to DL. So in both cases I have nothing to compare my current perception of WDW too.

Some choose to want to pick out everything TDO and WDW could do better... I choose to enjoy what they do right already, and acknowledge their room for improvements, but not harp on it.

 

[UPbeekeeper]

Some choose to want to pick out everything TDO and WDW could do better... I choose to enjoy what they do right already, and acknowledge their room for improvements, but not harp on it.

Well said.