The Spirited Back Nine ...

PhotoDave219

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
fillerup said:
This observation doesn't surprise me and I'm sure it didn't surprise you.

After all, you can come to a site that quite ironically is called WDW"Magic" and find that people are routinely called whores, rubes, trash, mentally ill and Walmarters etc. etc. ....ad infinitum ad nauseum.

More and more people are simply taking their online personnas into the real world. And we're sure as hell not the better off for it.
Click to expand...

There is a mental illness problem in Orlando.
 
LithiumBill

LithiumBill

Well-Known Member
I just returned form a week long trip to Orlando (for the first time in our last 4 trips, we skipped Uni parks, we were with family that wanted to do all for Disney parks). This was my families first time using the new Disney Experience and Fast Pass Plus... We stay off property (I have timeshare), and not on property.

I gotta tell you, I am probably best labeled a pixie duster, I love the place, for various reasons... But I had such a mediocre experience, it has me rethinking our annual trips. Or at best coming down and and only spending one day at MK and then spending the rest of the week elsewhere. We had a such a good time at our hotel (MARRIOTT HARBOR LAKE) that we cut days short to get back there.

First, the cast members at the parks were just "off". Now I know this is hit or miss, not all cast members, but there were more grumpy and just nasty cast members than I have ever encountered. In fact, I heard on three occasions, cast members swearing at each other. Once while walking into Star Tours, as we passed I heard three cast members on the side of the stage swearing like truck drivers, as I looked over my shoulder at them they just cackled and kept it up...

Second, Fast Pass is killing the experience. I was constantly looking at my phone to make sure we were in the right area of the park or that we would not miss our tie slot. It made the whole day just stressful, not fun. And rides like Pirates, why is there a fast pass? The lines are just inflated now. It's foolish.

Third, DAK and HS are at best 1/2 day parks that are full of filler and are just begging to be "fixed". There is not enough content to justify a $100 park admission.

I post this here, and not in the trip reports forum more because, I feel that I may have flipped a bit. This trip may have pushed me a bit AWAY from the pixie dust covered smiles and into the middle ground of, "I CAN SPEND MY MONEY ELSEWHERE..."

As we drove back the the airport, my wife and I both said, "It was a good time, we had fun, the kids had fun, but we are not going to rush back to WDW... not for at least 3-4 years."

We've begun thinking about a cruise, not a Disney cruise either.

Makes me sad, honestly. Feels like I've grown up, or someone told me the truth about Santa.
 
Nubs70

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
And theory's are ever changing things. Who knows, the next generation may just be clones of Walt Disney and everything will be put on track. Hey, it could happen!:angelic::cool:
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No it will not. Unless WDW is placed into private ownership and the owners hold the experience higher than profit. The only person I see currently is the Saudi Prince as someone who could purchase the parks and exercise vision.
 
Next Big Thing

Next Big Thing

Well-Known Member
PhotoDave219 said:
There is a mental illness problem in Orlando.
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I'd just like to know how this can be proved or why it needs to be continually stated.

Every major tourist destination in the world you will find people who act that way if you are just talking about attitude. It's just how tourist destinations work. Even in places like NYC, there is plenty of things you could find issue with if you look for it. The key is "if you look for it".

You live there, so you see and look for these things. If you don't like it, ignore it. Things like this aren't exclusive to Orlando, it's just something you experience on a fairly regular basis, so your view on the subject is a bit overstated.
 
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bhg469

bhg469

Well-Known Member
Next Big Thing said:
I'd just like to know how this can be proved or why it needs to be continually stated.

Every major tourist destination in the world you will find people who act that way if you are just talking about attitude. It's just how tourist destinations work. Even in places like NYC, there is plenty of things you could find issue with if you look for it. The key is "if you look for it".

You live there, so you see and look for these things. If you don't like it, ignore it. Things like this aren't exclusive to Orlando, it's just something you experience on a fairly regular basis, so your view on the subject is a bit flawed.
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NYC? It's got plenty of downside but no one says they will only go to nyc on vacation. There are mentally unstable people there but they're usually seriously disturbed. People that constantly revisit and don't see that the place is a shell of its former self are just the sad kind of crazy and not the, institutionalized kind.
 
Kman101

Kman101

Well-Known Member
It's definitely hit and miss with cast members. My experience on Monday with the cast members was wonderful. But on the flip side the last time I was there I noticed exactly what Lithium Bill pointed out. Very very hit or miss. Which isn't good. I actually had a really pleasant time at the parks. It wasn't crowded, I walked onto nearly everything I wanted to ... but in May it was a nightmare and I was miserable. It is what it is I guess.
 
Next Big Thing

Next Big Thing

Well-Known Member
bhg469 said:
NYC? It's got plenty of downside but no one says they will only go to nyc on vacation. There are mentally unstable people there but they're usually seriously disturbed. People that constantly revisit and don't see that the place is a shell of its former self are just the sad kind of crazy and not the, institutionalized kind.
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Yes, Orlando has that to a certain extent. I live in Tampa so I only see some of this occasionally. However, the thought that WDW is great and nothing is wrong is definitely out there and prevalent, unfortunately.

I'll chalk that up to marketing of the product and marketing "memories" (AKA "old stuff"). DVC has also played a huge part in it as well. I'm not saying that there aren't problems in WDW, but to just ever so loosely throw around that these people have mental illness may be going a bit far. They may have a brand addiction, though.
 
ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
tribbleorlfl said:
Correlation? Likely. Causation? Doubtful.
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The price of something very much influences expectation.

When I pay $16 for a meal, I have one level of expectation.

When I pay $60 for a meal, I have another level of expectation.

A dozen years ago, an adult meal at Cinderella's Royal Table cost $16.

Today with tax and tip, it costs $73.

Less than 10 years ago, I booked a non-discounted room in May in a Garden Wing of the Contemporary for $225/night.

That room costs $447/night in 2015.

By raising prices, Disney has raised expectations.

People can get 'mean' (using @PhotoDave219's word) when expectations are not met. They can get very mean when they've saved for years for a WDW vacation, only to be charged $73 for mediocre food, only to be crammed together with tens-of-thousands of other 'Guests'. 'Guests' who themselves have paid thousands for their vacations only to be herded about like cattle by Cast Members who are paid far too little for all the grief they have to deal with.

By raising prices, cutting quality, and delaying much-needed expansions to deal with WDW's overcrowding, corporate Disney has created an environment full of stressed-out 'Guests' and 'Cast Members'.

Is this causing 'meanness'?

You bet it is.
 
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Kman101

Kman101

Well-Known Member
Overcrowding is spot on. May was nuts and horribly busy. Monday was a pleasure and the crowds and cast members reflected that (I had numerous guests actually APOLOGIZE for running into me, cast members were talkative and friendly), just like they reflected it back in May (guests were rude, cast members exhausted and dis-interested). Of course, it's just two days I'm comparing of course, but as usual ParentsOf4 is spot on. The contrast is actually very interesting.
 
tirian

tirian

Well-Known Member
Go to California and spend a couple days at DL. Disney still does it mostly "right" there.

LithiumBill said:
I just returned form a week long trip to Orlando (for the first time in our last 4 trips, we skipped Uni parks, we were with family that wanted to do all for Disney parks). This was my families first time using the new Disney Experience and Fast Pass Plus... We stay off property (I have timeshare), and not on property.

I gotta tell you, I am probably best labeled a pixie duster, I love the place, for various reasons... But I had such a mediocre experience, it has me rethinking our annual trips. Or at best coming down and and only spending one day at MK and then spending the rest of the week elsewhere. We had a such a good time at our hotel (MARRIOTT HARBOR LAKE) that we cut days short to get back there.

First, the cast members at the parks were just "off". Now I know this is hit or miss, not all cast members, but there were more grumpy and just nasty cast members than I have ever encountered. In fact, I heard on three occasions, cast members swearing at each other. Once while walking into Star Tours, as we passed I heard three cast members on the side of the stage swearing like truck drivers, as I looked over my shoulder at them they just cackled and kept it up...

Second, Fast Pass is killing the experience. I was constantly looking at my phone to make sure we were in the right area of the park or that we would not miss our tie slot. It made the whole day just stressful, not fun. And rides like Pirates, why is there a fast pass? The lines are just inflated now. It's foolish.

Third, DAK and HS are at best 1/2 day parks that are full of filler and are just begging to be "fixed". There is not enough content to justify a $100 park admission.

I post this here, and not in the trip reports forum more because, I feel that I may have flipped a bit. This trip may have pushed me a bit AWAY from the pixie dust covered smiles and into the middle ground of, "I CAN SPEND MY MONEY ELSEWHERE..."

As we drove back the the airport, my wife and I both said, "It was a good time, we had fun, the kids had fun, but we are not going to rush back to WDW... not for at least 3-4 years."

We've begun thinking about a cruise, not a Disney cruise either.

Makes me sad, honestly. Feels like I've grown up, or someone told me the truth about Santa.
Click to expand...
 
B

Belowthesurface

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
By raising prices, Disney has raised expectations.

People can get 'mean' (using @PhotoDave219's word) when expectations are not met. They can get very mean when they've saved for years for a WDW vacation, only to be charged $73 for mediocre food, only to be crammed together with tens-of-thousands of other 'Guests'. 'Guests' who themselves have paid thousands for their vacations only to be herded about like cattle by Cast Members who are paid far too little for all the grief they have to deal with.

By raising prices, cutting quality, and delaying much-needed expansions to deal with WDW's overcrowding, corporate Disney has created an environment full of stressed-out 'Guests' and 'Cast Members'.

Is this causing 'meanness'?

You bet it is.
Click to expand...

This is more true than I think your keen sense of reality realizes. The FP+ and My Dis Experience debacle has also aided in the Cast Member moral issues.
 
Rodan75

Rodan75

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
The price of something very much influences expectation.

When I pay $16 for a meal, I have one level of expectation.

When I pay $60 for a meal, I have another level of expectation.

A dozen years ago, an adult meal at Cinderella's Royal Table cost $16.

Today with tax and tip, it costs $73.

Less than 10 years ago, I booked a non-discounted room in May in a Garden Wing of the Contemporary for $225/night.

That room costs $447/night in 2015.

By raising prices, Disney has raised expectations.

People can get 'mean' (using @PhotoDave219's word) when expectations are not met. They can get very mean when they've saved for years for a WDW vacation, only to be charged $73 for mediocre food, only to be crammed together with tens-of-thousands of other 'Guests'. 'Guests' who themselves have paid thousands for their vacations only to be herded about like cattle by Cast Members who are paid far too little for all the grief they have to deal with.

By raising prices, cutting quality, and delaying much-needed expansions to deal with WDW's overcrowding, corporate Disney has created an environment full of stressed-out 'Guests' and 'Cast Members'.

Is this causing 'meanness'?

You bet it is.
Click to expand...

WDW charges a 10-20% premium these days...in line with airports and other captive venues...can we please stop pretending they are charging a 50-100% premium. My work cafeteria charges more for a burger and fries. I'm consistently surprised by how little they charge for food and merch now compared to 10 years ago.
 

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