ok I am a long time reader and not a big poster here but this announcement is absolutely 100% tottaly crazy, stupid, a HUGE mistake and absolutely laughable to a very sad point. I will be writing the Disney board as well as directly to Ms. Crofton, Mr. Lansberry as well as the Director Emeritus Roy Disney.
I just watched Kevin Lansberry's video on the Orlando Sentinal website and it is an absolute joke.
First of all this guy needs to be fired on the spot! Meg Crofton I was hoping for good things from you and your team you wanted to assemble after I now see the direction you are going for WDW you need to be fired along with all of your pencil pushing non creative yahoos that think they know what is going on!
Questions I would love to ask these people.
Mr. Lansberry in what single brain celled idea did you ever get the idea people want more shopping at Downtown Disney? ok I would agree that I would like to see more DISNEY shopping there. I am not talking about a Harley Davidson shop, or a cigar shop or a Hoypoloi for a 500 vase to collect dust if you wanted to buy anything there. Nor do I want to see a clearance store of last years movie items that you couldnt sell in the theme parks. I dont want to see a sad excuse for a store that actually had a good idea in it of a pet store in downtown Disney that was never marketed correctly. You are right people do want to see more Disney shopping look at how packed the World of Disney store is. People do not want to see other companies coming in and taking over the very spot where the true roots of Disney truly are in creativity and doing things better than anyone else. Mr. Lansberry I would love to know when you took these surveys? did you happen to take them from 3 -6 PM during a Florida rain storm when families did not want to stay in the parks and they wanted to go to downtown Disney and Pleasure Island was open to kids but nothing is open? People here have had avery valid point in that kids should have NEVER been allowed on the Island Disney created this problem and this is DIsney's answer to it is to close Pleasure Island. I have a fantastic idea buy the land and building where the Dixie Stampede used to be and put all of your inept, inadequate, crazy, pencil pushing ideas there and leave Pleasure Island alone!!!! In additon to my comments earlier you say people want more shopping what about the 300,000 to 500,000 of shopping coming to the western beltway expansion? Is half a million sq feet not enough shopping for you and your mall mentality? To people not understanding the size we are talking about here this will help you put it into perspective. The World of Disney store in downtown Disney is 50,000 sq feet. Yes folks this will mean an additional 10 World of Disney stores retail space as well as more do you really think we need more than that?
There has been talk that Disney is closing the clubs because they want more family entertainment. So American idol is going to draw the crowds that Disney is hoping for? I personally think this crowd and attraction needs to go to Universal. This to me as you will see addressed later to Ms. Crofton is exactly what I am talking about? Disney taking ideas from other networks and bringing them to Disney. What happened to Disney having these great ideas on their own and not having to borrow them for some short lived hype?
In Mr. Lansberry's video he says that adults are going to have plenty of other entertainment in downtown Disney including Bongos, House of Blues and Raglan Road. Imagine this none of them are Disney!!!!! Then Disney is going to remodel Fultons Crab House and Portobello is getting a new menu ooo the excitement is just amazing!!! Mr. Lanberry you never answered the question what are you going to do for the people that do not have kids or want time away from their kids in an adultish type atmosphere with a Disney quality idea to it?
There is also talk of a balloon going in at Downtown Disney why is that going there what ever happened to the Boardwalk? Wouldn't that fit better theme wise in a board walk carnival atmosephere there then in downtown Disney?
Ms. Crofton. My questions for you are.
What are you doing to Walt Disney World? First of all you sell two golf courses so Four season can come in and build condos, single family homes and fractional home ownership properties on it because you could not work out a deal with Bonnet Creek developers and now the Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria are building 1500 hotel rooms there which by the way will be a great view driving by on Disney property. Yes there are going to keep some of the Osprey golf course but is that going to be open to Disney people or is that just basically now gone? I am a huge golf fan and Disney was always great with all the golf courses 99 holes to be exact now you are going to have the Palm, Magnolia and Oak Trail along with Lake Buena Vista golf courses. Palm and Mag are always full for 85% of the year and you cant get a tee time so are you going to replace the 36 lost holes are are you just selling/leasing off Disney property to ensure you get a bigger bonus this year?
Second you also have the western way expansion that has been talked about for a while. in the company's words:
On the western edge of the resort, Disney is planning a mixed-use retail, dining and lodging district just outside Walt Disney World Resort’s western entrance. Early development plans include:
- 4,000 - 5,000 low- to mid-rise valued-priced lodging units
- 300,000 - 500,000 square feet of commercial space, including restaurants, shopping and small-scale entertainment
I posted a question to Mr. Lansberry earlier and I will post the same to you.
Is half a million sq feet not enough shopping for you and your pencil pushing staff that thinks people want more shopping in Downtown Disney?
You are also adding 4 to 5000 value priced lodging units yet you still have parts of Classic years rotting in plain view site of guests now. Ms. Crofton and board of Disney Directors what happened to Disney actually building and branding ideas of their own? The Disney MAGIC you so passionately market is now becoming just a glimmer of its former glory. How many "Dreams" things can it have? I am now starting to think that the only "Dreams" that people are going to have is of Disney in its yesteryear glory of when it was spectacular and not when it is nothing more than a collection of second rate ideas overmarketed, overhyped and extremely underdelivered. Disney has always been a company that would over deliver on everything and that is Disney from the attractions to the service to the Disney brand that used to mean something. Now it is becoming a brand where everything is made somewhere else and nothing by Americans and the quality of the merchandise is now becoming lackluster.
So my question for you is very simple what are you doing to the Disney brand and to the Disney company?
for information sake Ms. Crofton I am not a website poster that does not affect your bottom line let me assure you that I am. My wife and I are annual passholders (we spend more in pins, figurines, food and recreation than anyone without any benefits does), Vacation club members in two different resorts, have been on the Disney cruise line 6 times. We have brought both of our families to Disney for a total of 22 adults, 8 children for a total of over 65 hotel room nights not staying on our vacation club. What does this all mean well doing some quick figures for your pencil pushers it comes out to approx 93,600 that our family has spent not including t shirts, pins and souvs just at the Disney World Resort. Mind you this does not include what my wife and I have spent with the Disney company on our Vacation club, cruises or special event ticket items that we have been a part too. Did I forget to mention that I am also a stockholder in Disney. Let the grass roots campaigns start!!!
Thanks all for letting me rant and rave and feel free to comment on my opinions. I would like to see what people think of the information.
