Repainting of Epcot Central Plaza?

[marni1971]

So, what changed? What is broken?

Whole top jet sections are inoperable
The mister system has been broken for years
The side canons are often low on pressure (not weather related) and mis aligned
Some of the centrepiece arch nozzles are jammed
The PA system has multiple blown speakers and amplifiers. Only specific places can hear the music. Ironically the head on centre view is not one of them.

 

[note2001]

Whole top jet sections are inoperable
The mister system has been broken for years
The side canons are often low on pressure (not weather related) and mis aligned
Some of the centrepiece arch nozzles are jammed
The PA system has multiple blown speakers and amplifiers. Only specific places can hear the music. Ironically the head on centre view is not one of them.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Whole top jet sections are inoperable
The mister system has been broken for years
The side canons are often low on pressure (not weather related) and mis aligned
Some of the centrepiece arch nozzles are jammed
The PA system has multiple blown speakers and amplifiers. Only specific places can hear the music. Ironically the head on centre view is not one of them.

Sounds like it'd be easier to list what IS working rather than what isn't.

 

[Sage of Time]

Whole top jet sections are inoperable
The mister system has been broken for years
The side canons are often low on pressure (not weather related) and mis aligned
Some of the centrepiece arch nozzles are jammed
The PA system has multiple blown speakers and amplifiers. Only specific places can hear the music. Ironically the head on centre view is not one of them.

Good lord. Terrible.

I really don't get how people can defend Disney and their actions when information like this is out there.

 

[flynnibus]

Good lord. Terrible.

I really don't get how people can defend Disney and their actions when information like this is out there.

We're getting FrozenWay replacing that aweful Maelstrom.. that's how! </sarcasm>

 

[Sage of Time]

We're getting FrozenWay replacing that aweful Maelstrom.. that's how! </sarcasm>

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[Otterhead]

I really don't get how people can defend Disney and their actions when information like this is out there.

Er... I'm not even sure what this is supposed to mean.

The Fountain has had maintenance over the years, but doing so is a major procedure. It still puts on a good show as-is ... I always stop and watch it. It's not like the thing is decrepit.

Your post makes it sound like Disney murdered someone and hid the corpse. We're talking about some broken or mis-aligned fountain sprays.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

. We're talking about some broken or mis-aligned fountain sprays.

Then let them fix it. I got a plumber over to fix my tab. A chimpanzee can organise it.

Letting stuff rot to save a few pennies is not a sign of lean, agressive management. It is a sign of a dumb monkey pretending to be that. Get an organisation in place that can fix problems instead.

 

[Sage of Time]

Er... I'm not even sure what this is supposed to mean.

The Fountain has had maintenance over the years, but doing so is a major procedure. It still puts on a good show as-is ... I always stop and watch it. It's not like the thing is decrepit.

Your post makes it sound like Disney murdered someone and hid the corpse. We're talking about some broken or mis-aligned fountain sprays.

It means exactly what I spelled out in the post. Disney has let upkeep slide in the face of them raising prices. The guest experience you and I are paying for is higher, but the product is lessened with features of the parks are in such terrible disrepair that they do not function right.

Defending that and saying things like "Disney is a business" and that small slips in quality control don't matter to the overall resort are nonsensical to me. You get what you pay for, and I am certainly not one to pay for a day in a theme park where they can't even have a fountain running correctly.

My post had nothing to do with murder and corpses... just good theme park business.

 

[Otterhead]

Then let them fix it. I got a plumber over to fix my tab. A chimpanzee can organise it.

I'm somehow guessing that your plumber doesn't have the parts on hand to fix 30+ year old custom-made high-powered fountains. We don't even know if Disney has parts on hand at this point. If fixing the fountain was as simple as calling a plumber, they'd have done it in 1986. It's not that simple and certainly not that cheap. That's why I think it's completely ridiculous to use some malfunctioning fountain tubes as a symbol of the supposed "downfall of Disney". But hey, if that's your breaking point...

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I'm somehow guessing that your plumber doesn't have the parts on hand to fix 30+ year old custom-made high-powered fountains. We don't even know if Disney has parts on hand at this point. If fixing the fountain was as simple as calling a plumber, they'd have done it in 1986. It's not that simple and certainly not that cheap. That's why I think it's completely ridiculous to use some malfunctioning fountain tubes as a symbol of the supposed "downfall of Disney". But hey, if that's your breaking point...

Disney never has a problem upkeeping their extra charge events. Apparantly it's not so difficult.

I can show up at that fountain with six guys/gals tomorrow and have it fixed by Monday. It's a fountain, not a Space Shuttle.

 

[marni1971]

I'm somehow guessing that your plumber doesn't have the parts on hand to fix 30+ year old

It's 22 years.

And it's a real shame. It's symbolic of a care-less attitude especially at Epcot.

 

[wm49rs]

I'm somehow guessing that your plumber doesn't have the parts on hand to fix 30+ year old custom-made high-powered fountains. We don't even know if Disney has parts on hand at this point. If fixing the fountain was as simple as calling a plumber, they'd have done it in 1986. It's not that simple and certainly not that cheap. That's why I think it's completely ridiculous to use some malfunctioning fountain tubes as a symbol of the supposed "downfall of Disney". But hey, if that's your breaking point...

No, but it is indicative of a less-than-responsive attitude towards such features. But hey, if guests keep coming through the gates....

 

[note2001]

My fear is that the young adults who adore EPCOT are now getting to the point where they'll notice these things and have that love tarnished as it has been for many of us.

The focus needs to be brought back to maintaining the park to at least two notches above the rest standards. Right now it feels more like there's a bookkeeper running the place, and every morning he shouts out "Okay, it's running. Open the gates."

 

[Otterhead]

If you compare videos of the fountains 20 yrs ago with now, of course you'll see missing effects and jets, etc. But here's the thing: the fountains still work, they still put on a good show, and they're still running regularly. I was just there a month ago, and they still draw crowds of people ooh-ing and ahh-ing. It's not like people are walking by and shaking their heads sadly at them saying "what a shame, what a disaster, the park is in ruins". Ridiculous.

 

[Sage of Time]

I'm somehow guessing that your plumber doesn't have the parts on hand to fix 30+ year old custom-made high-powered fountains. We don't even know if Disney has parts on hand at this point. If fixing the fountain was as simple as calling a plumber, they'd have done it in 1986. It's not that simple and certainly not that cheap. That's why I think it's completely ridiculous to use some malfunctioning fountain tubes as a symbol of the supposed "downfall of Disney". But hey, if that's your breaking point...

These are not excuses for a billion dollar entertainment company.

If you compare videos of the fountains 20 yrs ago with now, of course you'll see missing effects and jets, etc. But here's the thing: the fountains still work, they still put on a good show, and they're still running regularly. I was just there a month ago, and they still draw crowds of people ooh-ing and ahh-ing. It's not like people are walking by and shaking their heads sadly at them saying "what a shame, what a disaster, the park is in ruins". Ridiculous.

If the whole show isn't running, it's not a good show. If 98% of the audio animatronics in Pirates of the Caribbean are working and the Auctioneer and Captain Jack are down and slumped over, it's not a good show. The same principle applies, here. Demand more for your dollar out of Disney. There's no excuse for things to be broken for an extended period of time.

 

[Communicore]

No, but it is indicative of a less-than-responsive attitude towards such features. But hey, if guests keep coming through the gates....

Of course, since guests keep coming through, then there's no point in doing anything, ever. No matter how stale, how unkept, the theme parks are people will still come.

 

[wm49rs]

If you compare videos of the fountains 20 yrs ago with now, of course you'll see missing effects and jets, etc. But here's the thing: the fountains still work, they still put on a good show, and they're still running regularly. I was just there a month ago, and they still draw crowds of people ooh-ing and ahh-ing. It's not like people are walking by and shaking their heads sadly at them saying "what a shame, what a disaster, the park is in ruins". Ridiculous.

And yet just imagine how good of a show that could be put on were TWDC to actually repair the feature to its proper state....

 

[Otterhead]

These are not excuses for a billion dollar entertainment company.

Epcot doesn't have a billion dollar budget. Maintenance at Epcot certainly doesn't have a billion dollar budget. They weigh what's most important to the show, as you say. The fountains? They still work. Is it worth the time and expense to drain them, rebuild them, retime them, etc? It's not a simple task -- that's weeks of work, minimum. If your maintenance budget has X amount of dollars and you need to decide which is most important, a still-functioning fountain or one of the only rides in World Showcase, which is visibly falling apart... I'd choose the ride.

 

[Sage of Time]

Epcot doesn't have a billion dollar budget. Maintenance at Epcot certainly doesn't have a billion dollar budget. They weigh what's most important to the show, as you say. The fountains? They still work. Is it worth the time and expense to drain them, rebuild them, retime them, etc? It's not a simple task -- that's weeks of work, minimum. If your maintenance budget has X amount of dollars and you need to decide which is most important, a still-functioning fountain or one of the only rides in World Showcase, which is visibly falling apart... I'd choose the ride.

How is EPCOT's actual budget relevant to a conversation on show quality that WDC/TDO can easily fix when they're practically printing money?

This attitude of picking and choosing what to refurbish is invalid when everything could and should be maintained to the highest of standard. ESPECIALLY when they're charging what they charge to get into the place.

Also, Gran Fiesta is in pretty good show condition.... so...?