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Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV
- Thread starter WDW1974
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misterID
Well-Known Member
Was someone saying something about being overdramatic?
People usually do this on a discussion forum. We can't all see rainbows everywhere. Or rainbow tunnels... Great, now you made me mad again!
Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
Try sitting in front of Universal's castle sipping a Butterbeer, Pumpkin Fizz, or get wild and go for a Hog's Head Brew.
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
John Lasseter is friends with Tom Fitzgerald... that should scare you.
Clever Name
Well-Known Member
You can get one for $10.00 if you are 62 or over. And if you have permanent disability, you can get one for FREE! You must show documentation to prove your permanent disability. More information here: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm
HMF
Well-Known Member
Just checked out the latest print guidemaps, Most of the Meet & Greets are labeled as attractions and the headline Attraction being promoted is "Storytime with Belle" for Magic Kingdom with Splash & Soak Station counted as a major attraction so is the Epcot Character Spot of all things. Really scary stuff.
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Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Interesting, but, not based in reality. A Disney Theme Park is not a double decker sandwich. As we all lament the things that Universal is doing, it very much could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to Disney. They have been floating along forever thinking that no one could ever compete with them. Universal is very much showing that this is not the case.
Some of the points brought up by others are valid. WDW is more then "just a theme park". It has grown to be a very important part of American culture. Every generation since 1972 has been introduced to the place. It isn't going to just go away...it really can't. However, with Uni starting to show some teeth it has a very good chance of waking up some of those dozing executives and in the long run make WDW a better place. That, however, doesn't take away from what Uni has done over the last few years.
About 8 months ago I wrote a pretty lengthy report on what I experienced on my trip in January. How it finally hit me what was missing in Disney and where it had gone. Spirit (the feeling not the poster) is what Disney has lost and Uni has gotten. They have done that by looking at how Disney got to be the power that they are and figured out how to beat Disney at their own game. If nothing else that ought to embarrass a number of big wheels in Florida and in California. In the meantime Disney has closed attraction, restaurants and other things making it have the feel of a store that is having a going out of business sale. Not exactly uplifting even if the guest is not consciously aware that they notice. Oh, it does make an impression.
Being critical of what Disney has become does indeed show that they care about Disney...otherwise why waste that much time pointing out the problems. However, over dramatizing the situation is as harmful as any new attraction being built by Uni. It becomes something that nobody takes seriously. It's almost the same as starting a thread promising information that those of us that care would like to know about and then being 62 pages in and still have absolutely no information that wasn't already mentioned, be presented. It just gets to the point that yelling Wolf to often stops people from paying attention.
In summary, the playing up of Universal is not necessarily a LOVE of Universal as much as it is a fear of losing a thing that had, in the past, given us so much pleasure and enjoyment. It's a fear that if something isn't done soon we will lose something that we all care about or at the very least left a mark on our hearts that we do not want to part with. It can be compared to panic in some ways. We as individuals are powerless to do much about it. We have to rely on a group of people that we do not trust with our loved one. We know that if we vote with our wallets, and enough of us do that, we stand a chance of losing even more. Having that bad boy down the road poking a finger at the Disney suits, is a very positive thing. They may not admit to it, but they are indeed concerned.
HMF
Well-Known Member
Fitz is supposedly on his way out last I heard from Spirit. The most damage he can do is in the already heavily damaged Paris Studio Park and considering they are near bankruptcy I don't see that happening.
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WildcatDen
Well-Known Member
In my defense, I said it was not a fair comparison, but they did make yummy sammies.
The point is that if a business is not doing well one of the options is to close the underperforming unit. Newport News was the ONLY US builder of Nuclear powered Aircraft Carriers and one of only two builders of Nuclear powered Submarines. Seems like a favorable position right? Did not keep Northrop from spinning them off.
On a grander scale, there once was this country that went by the name of USSR. Got into a bit of a spending was with some country from the West and now the USSR ceases to exist as it was once known. Now again, not apples to apples but just saying, nothing would surprise me at this point.
Is the inaction a pause to see how to retaliate, or a pause to contemplate other options?
And by no means am I saying people do not care. You would not be here if you did not. We all care. Maybe it's the suits that don't?
fractal
Well-Known Member
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
I don't think he does. I'm grateful for his instrumental work in getting DCA 2.0 taken care of, but other than that, he's spread too thin and cares too little. And of the new attractions at DCA, only RSR is a genuine hit - Mermaid is middling at best, Luigi's disappointing, Mater's just okay. He's been to WDW and knows the kind of state it's in - where's his push for that? He most likely can't be bothered as he runs two prolific animation studios, and I don't blame him. A man needs to sleep and see his family every so often.
But Walt Jr. he ain't, and more Pixar attractions isn't the answer whenever a park needs something new. They want something new for DCA, and Monstropolis is the answer? Please.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I agree that there are no guarantee's that Disney will automatically survive, but for the time being, in Florida, they are not going to be driven out. But they can take a hit or two, and if it gets to be more then that without a reaction, then it becomes a real possibility that something could happen. As you pointed out, it has happened to other places that we would have thought untouchable. Thus the reason that the cynical have been so vocal about what has happened to Disney. Most of us have been there in the beginning. We remember what it was and know that what it was, is why it has the reputation that it enjoys today. We don't want to lose it. I don't feel that we will lose it in the immediate future but if they don't take WDW seriously as a viable entertainment venue...they can totally lose our loyalty. I totally understand that none of them, Uni included can just indefinitely build new stuff constantly. Pretty soon the law of diminishing returns shows up and then they get into financial trouble. However, WDW hasn't done much at all over the last almost 10 years. It's time to invest in the parks.
WildcatDen
Well-Known Member
As far as the parks, it has been few and far between, but money has been spent, just not on stuff most 'fans' find worth while (NexGen anyone?). I wonder how most would feel if they spent money to keep the parks in top condition but added nothing. Enough?
culturenthrills
Well-Known Member
Well Disney is now offering up nights for sale at Pop Century on Half Off Depot.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Despite what you hear from some people WDW as a business is doing just fine, at least right now. No reason to shut it down. That's just plain crazy talk not based at all in reality. Not investing in upkeep or new attractions could eventually result in a resort that is losing money that would need to be shut down, but it would take a lot to get to that point. Probably not in my lifetime.
For me personally, the lack of upkeep and all of the little cutbacks to rides, services, entertainment and dare I say "magic" is far more disappointing than not having new attractions. If Disney came out tomorrow and said their plan to combat Uni is to drop $2 billion into a 5 year complete refurb of the existing parks, resorts and infrastructure without adding a single new ride I would stand up and applaud. I'd take WDW from the 90s transported in a time machine to now over WDW as it exists today plus Avatar, Star Wars and Carsland.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I know that not everyone agrees with me, but I have never felt that they have let down on keeping the parks in top condition, so to answer you question, we have what we have now. NextGen should never have had any affect on attraction building and updating. It is from a different budget to begin with. It only starts to affect the other budgets when it turns into a cluster like it has. They could have had both and with a little less expectations they would have.
To me the problem, other than the empty show buildings, has never been physical. It has always been in the emotional range. Nothing new will generate no excitement. Couple that with Uni doing so much to their parks and moral of the CM's starts to decline, moral is also affected when Disney allows things to happen that are just not right (GAC abuse, tour groups out of control, etc.). They feel helpless, and they feel demoralized. That emotional feeling cannot be completely hidden by a shiny row of smiling teeth. It goes deeper then that and projects to those around them. Like it or not. No matter how hard the CM's try, they are still influenced by the fact that they are just not as proud of the Disney organization as they once were. If Disney itself cannot display a spirit of pride and priority maintenance of the standards (behavior) that made a Disney Park, a Disney Park...how are they going to be able to make everyone else believe the it still exists.
Black Pearl
Well-Known Member
Universal has a deal there as well currently.
HMF
Well-Known Member
If only it were that simple.
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
HMF
Well-Known Member
I have not forgotten. The longevity is in question though and as of right now DLR is in such relatively good shape I am not quite as concerned as of right now.
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