The more I see from WDW these days (DAK aside), the more depressed and disheartened I become. I don't know what Guests or fans think when they visit The Corpses of EPCOT Center and The Disney-MGM Studios. Truly.
When added to photo essays of what was River Country and vast swaths of trees removed whether so people can now see into Disney Springs from I-4 or so more timeshare can be added to the WL, what does it say?
To anyone who isn't a rabid Disney addict, BRAND advocate or apologist, they might think it looks like the place has been destroyed and that WDW is on the verge of bankruptcy and not more financially successful than at any point in its 44 year history.
How does one visit EPCOT and not wonder why the Seas looks like it hasn't been maintained since last century? How does one not notice how vast swaths of Future World are deader than some seedy strip centers on the wrong side of Sand Lake? How does one not notice how laughably out of date attractions like Ellen's Energy Adventure are? What makes people who aren't from Orlando and/or are Lifestylers/Bloggers/Podcasters etc feel a pull to return?
And the Studios? Really? George Kalogridis and Bob 'Chappie' Chapek don't laugh as people enter a park that now has a smaller footprint than it did 25 years ago when it was a cohesive product and offered more quality by far? Who 'produced' the most recent Star Wars clip show that Disney will proudly tout as a new attraction as Disney starts bulldozing for Toy Story Land, one of the weakest things it could have possibly cloned from its parks in Paris and Hong Kong? And putting BB-8 on the cover of the new maps? Ah, did you really do that just so all the OCD local fanbois could come out and hoard 156 copies that some are now selling on eBay?
This Disney is so far removed from what I grew up -- and, yes, became addicted to -- from the mid-70s to the late 90s. Just laughably lower quality and a lesser value in every conceivable way.
What exactly is the deal with DAK's RoL? Why can you not get anything from Disney beyond an Opening Date of April 22nd? They must have a whorefest scheduled. No one here has access to that internally? No one has dates and times? Disney expects you to know what you want for dinner on July 22nd and what time, but 18 days before a show is supposed to open it simply doesn't exist on any official schedules?! What kind of exceeding Guests expectations is that? Is it as big a secret as where that $800 million went in China ... or why that Austin dude came here to play PR for Disney after getting his 'exclusive' on the development of MM+? The only thing I know is DAK is blocked out for CM walk-ins for the last two weeks of April, yet the park is listed as closing at 6 p.m. every night. Labor schedules have to be made ... no one here works at DAK?
I don't agree with all the bravado and chest pumping I see from the UNI Wand Wavers. But they are doing so much more right with their inept management than Disney is doing with its own. The Kong attraction sounds really, really good ... and I am not a fan of the IP (although I loved the original attraction and would take it over the Mummy today). UNI keeps adding attractions to its parks and Disney keeps removing things and adding $150 EMHs (with most of the park shuttered) and cutting quality on cuts of beef while raising prices and you just get the same tired BS from fans. UNI adds great themed resorts, while Disney removes theming from its resorts and adds its own IP at the moderate levels and converts its deluxes (that it can't sell at $400-1000 a night because there aren't that many rubes with money who haven't visited before and want to) to timeshare.
Telling Disney that you won't visit anymore AFTER the next six trips you already booked and then Star Wars opening and then the 50th and ... oh yeah, what were we talking 'bout? You're going to keep up the very strange, dysfunctional, abusive, unhealthy relationship and then use Walt (who would probably toss around so many bad words that even
@The Mom would kick his tush off this site when he sees what his name is used for today) as a reason. Hey, guess what? I'm willing to bet that the Dead Guy might HATE much of what you love about Disney ... from Olaf to Vader, from Hulk to building half complete theme parks all over the globe, from cruise ships to timeshares to tacky motels ... so leave him out of any discussion.
I sorta reached my breaking point with WDW around 2012-13 when I flat out realized that not only was UNI offering a far better product (although way too many screens and attractions that feel the same!), but in many ways so was Busch ... now SW. Visiting smaller operations from Knott's Berry Farm in the USA to Europa Park in Germany to Ocean Park in Hong Kong has only continued to drive home the point that Disney most certainly isn't the best, especially in FL, at much of anything any longer beyond whoring IP and franchises, controlling social media (hey, Cupcake ... how are YOU doin?) And a deal? Well, if you stay off property, if you have cast friends that will walk you in, have dinner with you at the few places the rubes stay away from so you can get 40% off etc. then yeah, WDW is absolutely still worth it. But paying for it at anything close to full price? I just don't fundamentally get what it is that so many people see at a resort that is so damn stale and neglected that adding a billion dollars worth of work to one park would be but a tiny dent in what needs to happen.
I was there in 1976 for America on Parade and the opening of the old swimming hole.
I was there in 1986 when The Living Seas was dedicated.
I was there in 1996 when the BW opened.
Hell, I was even there in 2006 when the Yeti opened minus disco.
What exactly has happened to WDW in the last 10 years? What has been added (don't give me a list, got one in my head)? Where is the substance? Where is the quality? Where is the value? I sure don't see it.
But let's all get excited because a new garage is being built at Disney Springs Mall ... or because Club Villain (foamhead party for the 32-year-olds!) exists ... or because you can now pay $249 for breakfast at Boma ...
Just amazed at the justifications I see ...
