Stevek
Well-Known Member
It's even worse when you see people in a fast food place just leave their trays and trash at the actual table when they get up. C'mon, it is really that tough to carry the tray to the trash can 10 feet away?
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Spirited Spring Break News, Observations & Thoughts ...
- Thread starter WDW1974
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It's even worse when you see people in a fast food place just leave their trays and trash at the actual table when they get up. C'mon, it is really that tough to carry the tray to the trash can 10 feet away?
jlsHouston
Well-Known Member
I know what you are talking about here. I was in there at Thanksgiving and the dining room was a mess. And yes I know this place sees a lot of traffic but shouldn't they staff for that?
Yes, EPCOT has a lot a potential, but one added new attraction is not what EPCOT really needs.
It would be nice, but the Park as a whole needs a far larger investment in it both thematically and creatively.
A major re-investment is what is needed across the entire Park to bring it back into a state of being the cutting edge and inspirational place it once was.
That does not mean it needs to return to it*s previous state, which despite my respect for those fabulous early days would make no sense today.
The Park needs to recapture the spirit of that impressive past, but in a forward thinking way that will greater impress today*s Guests.
Some fantastic additions could be made to almost everything presently there to raise the bar higher, especially with todays technology options, but the problem is nobody in the decision making departments of the Company seems interested.
It needs the direct attention and influence of someone high up on the corporate totem pole to give a hoot about EPCOTs future and funnel the creative talent and financial resources in it*s direction.
Sadly i am not 100% sure if there is anyone currently in the Company that has such required dedication to the Park, or if they do, they are in a position of power to actually make some waves.
That is the trick, you see...it is rare to have both in one person!
What today*s Disney needs, particularly in Parks & Resorts, is someone with a grand vision that can clearly see the potential EPCOT holds and have the balls to take a risk and make some real improvements.
If only the corporate purse holders would stop obsessing over their shortsighted, short term gain tactics and trust in said *visionary* we could really see some movement.
Unfortunately, the Disney organization that could have pulled that off no longer exists it seems.
Today*s Disney is all about playing it safe...not taking a creative chance on something....and focusing more on tie-ins/synergy.
The bold direction to change EPCOT needs to come from within.
Fans just wishing for some changes is not enough....there needs to be some internal wishing as well, and a seen need to invest in such changes.
I would like to hope it could happen some day, but some major restructuring within the Company needs to happen first.
Honestly, I simply think that it comes down to the fact that most executives see EPCOT as the theme more than the theme park. They know that the themes (of being able to walk around the world in World Showcase and visiting what used to be a World's Fair in FutureWorld) are good enough to keep millions of visitors flocking to it for years – without doing a darned thing.
Rather than them "fixing" FW the way it really needs to be fixed, they'll probably look for one big splash attraction to get headlines rather than sinking millions into the stale and out of date that won't add to the bottom line. It makes great fiscal sense, but it's terrible for the park.
I imagine whatever happens to Imagination will be like what they did with The Seas. That way they can tout a new attraction while really just putting a new skin on the old one. It costs much less than creating something new and you rehab the aging attraction at the same time.
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
Just a thought on Epcot:
Epcot Center was the culmination of efforts by the men who learned at Walt and Roy's hands to attempt to create a theme park, whilst not being what Walt would have wanted, that aspired to Walt's vision for EPCOT. Everyone from E. Cardon Walker on down supported that mission. Today, however, we are in a situation where Epcot is seen by management as just one of four theme parks. A theme park, whose attendance numbers are good enough and food/beverage/merchandise numbers are excellent, by their standards. If you really want something that channels the spirit with which Epcot Center was built, not aesthetically similar, you need a change in how the folks at the top of the company feel about the theme parks. That is for them to truly appreciate them and care for them like they did in the 70's/80's/Early 90's.
Epcot Center was the culmination of efforts by the men who learned at Walt and Roy's hands to attempt to create a theme park, whilst not being what Walt would have wanted, that aspired to Walt's vision for EPCOT. Everyone from E. Cardon Walker on down supported that mission. Today, however, we are in a situation where Epcot is seen by management as just one of four theme parks. A theme park, whose attendance numbers are good enough and food/beverage/merchandise numbers are excellent, by their standards. If you really want something that channels the spirit with which Epcot Center was built, not aesthetically similar, you need a change in how the folks at the top of the company feel about the theme parks. That is for them to truly appreciate them and care for them like they did in the 70's/80's/Early 90's.
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Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Indeed, and you are correct when it comes to the mentality to simply *re-skin* a present Attraction.
It is the cheaper and in most cases easier way.
Thus why we need changes in the upper hierarchy within the Company before we start seeing some real substantial improvements.
Your comment above regarding just building a *big splash* Attraction to get headlines rather then spending the millions needed to truly improve the Park is a valid point.
Disney did this with *Mission:Space* and look what happened.
The corporate mentality of *not having to do anything because people visit anyway* is what really needs to change first and foremost before we see any real movement that matters at EPCOT.
This is the kind of thinking that devolved what was once a wonderful entertainment experience into the cluttered mess it is today.
Here*s hoping it happens at some point in the future.....
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Yep.
The attitude towards the Park needs to be the first change before we see anything even remotely close to a major, bonified real improvement in direction.
That's because Disneyland is still a Disney theme park, (or at least it is again after Pressler/Harriss). Even Colglazier picks up trash.
#NoDinTDO
71jason
Well-Known Member
At $60 a night, they'll recoup MM+'s expenses in just over 45,000 years!
Agreed, I said the same thing about the $35 EPCOT after-hours event (btw, that $35 doesn't even guarantee you a seat, but that's for another thread). But the increase in parking, and the EPCOT events, and that $500-a-head SWW thing, and a cover charge at ADH ... there's a noticeable pattern developing.
Stevek
Well-Known Member
At that point, I'd walk right up to where i ordered and tell them that I'd love to leave this in the trash but they are already overflowing. I've done it before, usually gets the managers attention.
truecoat
Well-Known Member
One thing I pulled from that report is their outline of strategy for core business. It identifies the core targets for future growth, all kinds of families including parents and children, couples and multigenerational extended families. It seems that stateside this target would stop at parents and children or parents with children.
They go on to say they will focus on attracting families with children and new-aging (middle-aged couples whose children have grown up). That last part is important as here as well as Japan we have an ever growing baby boomer population with money to spend. The OLC apparently gets that while it is ignored in Orlando.
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
On that note, the focus on Southeast Asia is interesting because a large number of HKDL's international crowd is Southeast Asian (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, The Philippines). It will be interesting to see how the resorts compete for this segment of guests over the coming decade.
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
Probably. But will the new guy/gal be stupid enough to try to sell the parks to the Saudis?
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
I can see it now...all the AAs in every ride would get ripped out and replaced with sock puppets. (And some here would think that's a good thing)...
HTF
Well-Known Member
Basically still the same I just stopped posting, receiving, and requesting for inside info is all.
HTF
Well-Known Member
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
What is it with you and Muppets?
Captain Chaos
Well-Known Member
Well when Magenta was a wee little panther cub, one of the muppets... Well, that's for another thread on a less than family site...
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
I don't care much about them, frankly. I just don't like them being shoehorned into the Disney pantheon; I feel they're dated, they're has-beens, they're a poor fit, and haven't brought anything to the company. I don't like the Marvel and Star Wars acquisitions for much the same reasons. (Marvel will probably be profitable at least; Star Wars remains to be seen).
And that's that. I'm not here to ENDLESSLY debate the Muppets' worth with their fans. I'm not saying anything more about them beyond this post. You might note that PhotoDave threw me a set-up line and I merely followed up on it. The new Muppet film flopped spectacularly,and so as far as I'm concerned, I've won the argument. I'm done with the Muppets - unless someone gives me an opening I can't resist. Moving on...
John
Well-Known Member
Cleanliness......like most things it starts at the top. There was a time when it was company policy that ANY CM that walked by a piece of trash without picking it up was written up. From the CEO down! Can you imagine Mr. I picking up a piece of trash?
Often not mentioned here but TDO now contracts out most of the cleaning duties after hours. Of course no the daily empty trash cans duty but the after hours though cleaning. Everybody screams about the low wages Disney pays but these folks make even less. They are over worked and under paid....sound familiar? There was a time when those duties fell on long time CM's that cared about the parks. Yes I know a few of those people. It seems that guest don't know how much has been lost in the past decade and a half. Like any business its the people who make the difference....in this case, The Disney difference.
But I digress, it starts at the top. Disney needs to make cleanliness a priority. It hasn't. It has value imagineered cleanliness as well. Cut the very proud Cm and contract it out to a company that only cares about getting in and getting out. To them its just a job. No longer is it a CM who cares and takes pride. Same goes for the painting, electrical and most other mechanical maintance. There was an old saying about Disney.....you could eat off the streets.....now you don't even want to eat off the tables.
Often not mentioned here but TDO now contracts out most of the cleaning duties after hours. Of course no the daily empty trash cans duty but the after hours though cleaning. Everybody screams about the low wages Disney pays but these folks make even less. They are over worked and under paid....sound familiar? There was a time when those duties fell on long time CM's that cared about the parks. Yes I know a few of those people. It seems that guest don't know how much has been lost in the past decade and a half. Like any business its the people who make the difference....in this case, The Disney difference.
But I digress, it starts at the top. Disney needs to make cleanliness a priority. It hasn't. It has value imagineered cleanliness as well. Cut the very proud Cm and contract it out to a company that only cares about getting in and getting out. To them its just a job. No longer is it a CM who cares and takes pride. Same goes for the painting, electrical and most other mechanical maintance. There was an old saying about Disney.....you could eat off the streets.....now you don't even want to eat off the tables.