Shocked at all the hate

[Walt Disney1955]

I do get the whole idea of criticizing the park. Look, I've done it at times to an extent. But I think if you were a first timer on this board and a Disney lover you could easily get discouraged with things that people complain about. I understand that as well.

 

[Cesar R M]

Well, in part, yes. However, I do feel that it's accurate. Many people tend to go overboard with the complaints and criticisms. I remember one thread about Disney donating $3 million (iirc, the amount might be somewhat different, but it was more than I see in a year, anyway) to a children's hospital, and some commented with "That's all?!? Cheapskates."

definitively cheap. If you compare how much free work the "volunthears" have done..

 

[rct247]

I think most of the complaints come across as negative when really many of us are just holding the company to a higher standard that it needs to be at.

Tragic Kingdom summarizes WDW in it's current state. There really is a darker side to WDW and many are not aware of it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I do get the whole idea of criticizing the park. Look, I've done it at times to an extent. But I think if you were a first timer on this board and a Disney lover you could easily get discouraged with things that people complain about. I understand that as well.

Why is the first timer at all relevant? That's just a way to try and mask an appeal to ignorance.

 

[Andrea 55]

I'm a big proponent of replacing a lot of the old crappy stuff with newer good stuff. I think the fact that things like Backlot Tour, Universe of Energy, etc have made it this long without being replaced were a major negative to WDW. However I see them taking major strides to improve this (a bunch of things closing at DHS to build new stuff, Avatar and Rivers of Light at DAK, re-doing most all of DTD) I just hope this trend spreads to Epcot and MK.

That being said the declining quality of everything that seems to be rampant complaints on the boards is totally blown out of proportion. I can walk around the parks all day and see very little to no trash, the paint and landscaping look fantastic, the entertainment and fireworks are still top notch. People just like to complain because it's the cool thing to do.

Another thing that people are angry about is that they are being priced out but lets be honest Disney doesn't give a **** about that because their attendance is higher than ever. If you don't go but a rich family from China or Brazil does they are fine with that because statistics show they are going to spend way more money anyway. Even with the price hikes the parks are still crowded pretty much all the time, people can complain about how greedy Disney is but that's not going to change supply & demand.

I haven't seen any official announcements about DHS and what's planned. Have I missed something?

 

[wdisney9000]

WDW is the better vacation destination overall, bigger, more to do

The smiles on my families faces when we visit has little to do with how big the resort is or how many things we can do. We enjoy being together and in a place that holds so many memories to us. It just happens that we made those memories at WDW. Im sure there are families who have the same feelings towards Disneyland or Disney Paris, Tokyo, etc. Thats what makes ANY and ALL the Disney parks the best destination. Each park is something special depending on who you are.

But to the OP, and all the apologists for WDW, if you can not see how far from its original grace it has fallen, you probly never will, so enjoy it for what its worth. Ignorance is bliss.

The people that you claim only "complain because its cool", are the ones who actually voice concern, write emails, visit guest relations, and are probly the reason that every new attraction isnt just a spinner or a chainsaw show.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Why is the first timer at all relevant? That's just a way to try and mask an appeal to ignorance.

Simply because it is not up to us to tell others how to look at things and what to like and not like. It is highly arrogant of us to think that we have all the answers, that we have perceptions that are completely correct or that our personal tastes are what others should strive for. Really, why are they relevant? They are relevant because they are crucial to the continuation of an idea started by Walt Disney and whom, without, will inevitably cause it to wither and die.

We as the vocal minority cannot financially support even the, so called "shoddy conditions" of WDW or any other park. The best we can do is to encourage others to decide for themselves whether or not what is there fulfills their needs and inspires their imagination.

They are relevant because we were once a first timer. If we had not been allowed to judge for ourselves none of us would be here discussing how irrelevant first timers are thus rendering ourselves irrelevant as well.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Simply because it is not up to us to tell others how to look at things and what to like and not like. It is highly arrogant of us to think that we have all the answers, that we have perceptions that are completely correct or that our personal tastes are what others should strive for. Really, why are they relevant? They are relevant because they are crucial to the continuation of an idea started by Walt Disney and whom, without, will inevitably cause it to wither and die.

We as the vocal minority cannot financially support even the, so called "shoddy conditions" of WDW or any other park. The best we can do is to encourage others to decide for themselves whether or not what is there fulfills their needs and inspires their imagination.

They are relevant because we were once a first timer. If we had not been allowed to judge for ourselves none of us would be here discussing how irrelevant first timers are thus rendering ourselves irrelevant as well.

Impress the repeat visitor and you'll impress the first time visitor. Keeping customers is better for a business than constantly seeking new customers.

 

[BrianV]

Mr Toad was torn down for Pooh, 20K was torn down for Little Mermaid, Horizons was torn down for Mission:Space, Stitch replaced Alien Encounter... replacing beloved attractions with inferior successors happens the whole time at WDW.

In my mind, Pooh is superior to mr toad. But on the other two totally agree.

That said, I'll bet plenty prefer some of the other ones too. 20k being the exception. I never thought that one would go...

 

[Matt_Black]

In my mind, Pooh is superior to mr toad. But on the other two totally agree.

That said, I'll bet plenty prefer some of the other ones too. 20k being the exception. I never thought that one would go...

Honestly, I might give the nod to LM over 20K. Absolutely, 100% right about Alien Encounter being better than Stitch, though.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Impress the repeat visitor and you'll impress the first time visitor. Keeping customers is better for a business than constantly seeking new customers.

Seasoned customers eventually get sick or die or just get too old to go anymore. No business that expects to be around a long time only targets their current clientele. You will need to explain what you mean by "Impress the repeat visitor and you'll impress the first time visitor". How? Especially since you seem to think that there is no reason to pursue first timers.

 

[seahawk7]

I'm a big proponent of replacing a lot of the old crappy stuff with newer good stuff. I think the fact that things like Backlot Tour, Universe of Energy, etc have made it this long without being replaced were a major negative to WDW. However I see them taking major strides to improve this (a bunch of things closing at DHS to build new stuff, Avatar and Rivers of Light at DAK, re-doing most all of DTD) I just hope this trend spreads to Epcot and MK.

That being said the declining quality of everything that seems to be rampant complaints on the boards is totally blown out of proportion. I can walk around the parks all day and see very little to no trash, the paint and landscaping look fantastic, the entertainment and fireworks are still top notch. People just like to complain because it's the cool thing to do.

Another thing that people are angry about is that they are being priced out but lets be honest Disney doesn't give a **** about that because their attendance is higher than ever. If you don't go but a rich family from China or Brazil does they are fine with that because statistics show they are going to spend way more money anyway. Even with the price hikes the parks are still crowded pretty much all the time, people can complain about how greedy Disney is but that's not going to change supply & demand.

Don't knock Universe of Energy because that's where I take my nap after lunch.

 

[Victor Kelly]

You think this website or any Disney website is bad? Go look at a paintball, airsoft or shooting sports forum, they literally tear each other to shreds every single day. And that is for posting facts, never mind opinions. Disney forums, specifically WDWMagic is where I come for decent debate.

 

[englanddg]

Don't knock Universe of Energy because that's where I take my nap after lunch.

I sneak on a burger from Electric Umbrella and pretend that I'm eating in the (overpriced) T-Rex restaurant at DTD.

 

[NYwdwfan]

Mr Toad was torn down for Pooh, 20K was torn down for Little Mermaid, Horizons was torn down for Mission:Space, Stitch replaced Alien Encounter... replacing beloved attractions with inferior successors happens the whole time at WDW.

Technically, the beautiful 20K ride was paved over for a playground and some 15 years later we got some rides.

Still bitter.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Technically, the beautiful 20K ride was paved over for a playground and some 15 years later we got some rides.

Still bitter.

I have to agree with that. I don't understand how people can look at the "new" Fantasyland and not think that it is an improvement over what was there before. Toad was a character that was never recognizable to me. Pooh, I at least, had heard of. Snow White, if we allow ourselves to admit it, was a crashing bore. 20K was one of my personal favorites, but, it was replaced by two nice rides, an attraction and a restaurant. How can that not be better? Just because things change doesn't necessarily mean that what we get as a replacement cannot be as good, if not better, then what preceded it. It doesn't always work that way, but, in this case they are getting a bum rap. Both of the new rides are now family friendly which is what a Disney Park is supposed to be.

 

[Andrea 55]

I just think Fantasyland at DLR is better. There's Toad, Alice in Wonderland, Pinnochio, Storybook canal boats and train, Snow White, Peter Pan, Dumbo and the Carousel. It just seems like there's a lot more than at WDW. Ariel is in DCA and Pooh is in critter country. I'm not that impressed by the WDW's Fantasyland update, but I do love the new circus area!

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I am a staunch 20K Leagues fan, and I believe that with tech upgrades it could still be an amazing attraction. And what they allowed to happen with the empty lagoon was pretty bad. But I do think that 7DMT, LM (after it gets the DL upgrades), BoG, and Belle's village are a suitable replacement. As a whole I believe NFL is a success. They fumbled hard with the LM ride. But fortunately it's fixable. NFL is nice. Not blow you away impressive, but still quite pleasant.

 

[Victor Kelly]

20K was in sad shape before it was closed. Then they let it sit forever and a day.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I just think Fantasyland at DLR is better. There's Toad, Alice in Wonderland, Pinnochio, Storybook canal boats and train, Snow White, Peter Pan, Dumbo and the Carousel. It just seems like there's a lot more than at WDW. Ariel is in DCA and Pooh is in critter country. I'm not that impressed by the WDW's Fantasyland update, but I do love the new circus area!

If you had that same line up in WDW all you would hear is how stale and out of date all that stuff is.