The Spirited Back Nine ...

[Kman101]

Again, just sharing my observations and experiences and pointing out that not everyone feels that there's been a vast improvement over the past few years. Like I said, I've personally witnessed the exact opposite. I'm pretty confident my experiences weren't just a fluke or a case of "wrong place, wrong time."

If things have improved over the last several months, I think that's great and I'm happy to hear it. I have not visited during this timeframe as I've decided to stay away from WDW because of my experiences.

I'm not saying all of the problems have magically gone away just generally saying that everyone's experiences can differ. I've had an overall mixed experience but I do think things are improving and again not as bad as many want to make it out to be (not saying you). But believe me, they still have issues LOL

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm not saying all of the problems have magically gone away just generally saying that everyone's experiences can differ. I've had an overall mixed experience but I do think things are improving and again not as bad as many want to make it out to be (not saying you). But believe me, they still have issues LOL

Wanna know how different it can be from person to person. The absolute worse condition that I remember WDW being in was in 1986. Since then it has, in my eyes improved. It is still, by any standards a clean, well kept theme (amusement) park by comparison.

I even went to the touted Disneyland in 2005. That was during the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of DL. I saw, amongst other things, a broken concrete step going up to the train tracks (didn't even have a tape warning people not to step there), a hole the size of a basket ball in the exterior wall of Small World (it didn't look new either) and metal stanchions that were part of a queue line that were actually rusted to the point of being visible and also having the oxidation come off and stick to your hands. It's all personal perspective in my opinion.

 

[Stevek]

Some Spirited Quick Hits:

I hear that the fanboi brigade on the Twit feed are all upset about a fourth TS film and my response would be why? The characters are beloved. The three prior films have all been great. Why complain about this? I get the angst about Pirates 5. I even get it about Frozen 2. But John Lasseter and Pixar love these characters and have done them proud and I don't see that changing.

Because fanbois hate everything that doesn't fit their narrow thinking about Disney. The past few weeks have really brought that to a head for me where I pretty much have deleted 99% of Disney folks from my Twitter feed. As I edge ever closer to my 48th birthday, my tolerance for people with the maturity and mental capacity of 12 year olds is about nil.

 

[ParentsOf4]

It's only a percentage. The annual report should show the available rooms. If that number drops a ton due to out of service rooms you'll see it. When's that due @ParentsOf4 ?

Last year, Disney filed their 10K on November 20.

Don't expect the number of available room nights to drop noticeably more than the 361 rooms at the Poly taken out-of-service for conversion to DVC (representing about 1.2% of total domestic room inventory). Over the quarter, that comes out to roughly 33K room nights.

On average, Disney keeps about 4% of rooms out-of-service for other reasons. The Poly's numbers means it's about 5% right now.

 

[Stevek]

This may be a little off-topic but, @WDW1974, what are your thoughts on the health of frontline CMs? I swear there's an enormous amount of very obese CMs, I would think if you are walking around on your feet all day you would stay in relatively decent shape, what's being served in the cafeteria?

It's a societal problem that's not unique to CM's. Many of us, including lots of fanbois and girls I've seen out there, suffer from the same problem though I think mine may be more about the majority of my time being spent taking kids to and fro soccer fields (and consequently eating too much fast food, not enough gym time...which is just a poor excuse for being too lazy to fix it). The fainbois just spend too much time consuming that spectacular Disney park food. Don't get all offended people...most of us could lose a few pounds.

 

[Stevek]

Livestream is still up though...let's see how long they'll keep it going.

Yeah, I pretty much dumped it about 5 minutes in when the sound was off. There are far better recordings on youtube anyways...the ususal suspects of course.

 

[StageFrenzy]

I'm not saying I don't care about people being unhealthy and obese but you really look at it that way? And sometimes weight gain is medical and can't be helped. So you never know. I don't see why it matters and why it matters what Tammy Sue and Bob are doing on their vacation.

Yes, there usually is a cause and it can be helped to a certain extent.

 

[John]

83% is still pretty bad given what t

Last year, Disney filed their 10K on November 20.

Don't expect the number of available room nights to drop noticeably more than the 361 rooms at the Poly taken out-of-service for conversion to DVC (representing about 1.2% of total domestic room inventory). Over the quarter, that comes out to roughly 33K room nights.

On average, Disney keeps about 4% of rooms out-of-service for other reasons. The Poly's numbers means it's about 5% right now.

That might have ben last year but this year it is going to be different. Why you say? I can personally vouch that discounted rooms are being even more limited to cast members. I called on the very first day available at zero hour to get a "Holiday discounted" ( 60% off ) room. The only thing available was a pool view at AKL. No moderate and no value available.....NOTHING.

These rooms will either be taken out of service or just sit empty. Last year CBR was an absolute ghost town. I also suspect attendance will be down during this time as well. There are cast members and their families who can only stay at the resorts during this time. 60% of a value is a pretty nice deal ( some would say....what they are worth ). These families will not be there. that's a lot of money off the table.

I believe this is a way Disney/TDO gets their so called pay raise back. OK.....you want a raise? We will just get it back another way. Give with one hand take with another. Could never do away with it 100%....they may have a riot on their hands....no just limit it to the point no CM's could ever afford it. If you do? Well we have this nice deluxe room you can have........Thanks Mom!........no not you Marcia!.......LOL

 

[lazyboy97o]

No it is not, It's just ugly and happens when there are no checks and balances on business

Most times I is the checks and balances. Corporate culture is something grown from within, not dictated by external parties. You can still treat employees like dirt even if you're loading them up with required pay and benefits.

 

[stlphil]

Companies and their employees are not evaluated solely on 'profits' in most parts of the world. Its that very focus and justification that shows just how broken society has gotten. There is a reason the US never ends up on top of 'best countries to live in' rankings.. and failing to address short term vision is a large part of it.

Speaking of 'best countries to live in' rankings, Norway was just named the most prosperous country on Earth.

I think it must be because the kingdom of Arendelle is within its borders (but some would say that Norway won't be able to hold this position in next year's rankings since it won't even really have an Epcot pavilion any more).

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Speaking of 'best countries to live in' rankings, Norway was just named the most prosperous country on Earth.

I think it must be because the kingdom of Arendelle is within its borders (but some would say that Norway won't be able to hold this position in next year's rankings since it won't even really have an Epcot pavilion any more).

I bet you wanna build a snowman.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

According to Andy Casto, Skipper John may have been taking Hayao Miyazaki on a tour through Disneyland/DCA.

 

[ParentsOf4]

That might have ben last year but this year it is going to be different. Why you say? I can personally vouch that discounted rooms are being even more limited to cast members. I called on the very first day available at zero hour to get a "Holiday discounted" ( 60% off ) room. The only thing available was a pool view at AKL. No moderate and no value available.....NOTHING.

These rooms will either be taken out of service or just sit empty. Last year CBR was an absolute ghost town. I also suspect attendance will be down during this time as well. There are cast members and their families who can only stay at the resorts during this time. 60% of a value is a pretty nice deal ( some would say....what they are worth ). These families will not be there. that's a lot of money off the table.

I believe this is a way Disney/TDO gets their so called pay raise back. OK.....you want a raise? We will just get it back another way. Give with one hand take with another. Could never do away with it 100%....they may have a riot on their hands....no just limit it to the point no CM's could ever afford it. If you do? Well we have this nice deluxe room you can have........Thanks Mom!........no not you Marcia!.......LOL

Sorry, I should have been clearer. A hotel room can be taken out-of-service (sometimes called out-of-order) and still be counted as an available room night. Typically, a room is counted as part of the available room inventory unless it's made unavailable for extended periods of time.

Disney can close an entire floor at a hotel for a month (meaning those rooms are unavailable to be booked) and still have those intentionally empty rooms count as "available room nights". It's something that might be done to save on operating costs, not to artificially boost the occupancy rate.

What I am suggesting is that if you compare the number of physical rooms WDW has with the number of "Available Room Nights" reported in Disney's SEC filings, there are about 4% more physical rooms.

 

[FloridaRes]

Sorry, I should have been clearer. A hotel room can be taken out-of-service (sometimes called out-of-order) and still be counted as an available room night. Typically, a room is counted as part of the available room inventory unless it's made unavailable for extended periods of time.

Disney can close an entire floor at a hotel for a month (meaning those rooms are unavailable to be booked) and still have those intentionally empty rooms count as "available room nights". It's something that might be done to save on operating costs, not to artificially boost the occupancy rate.

What I am suggesting is that if you compare the number of physical rooms WDW has with the number of "Available Room Nights" reported in Disney's SEC filings, there are about 4% more physical rooms.

Thank you for posting something accurate.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Thank you for posting something accurate.

You've done nothing but push rude and snarky responses to everything on here. That may be how it works backstage at the grand Floridian but you're not there…

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

I hear that the fanboi brigade on the Twit feed are all upset about a fourth TS film and my response would be why? The characters are beloved. The three prior films have all been great. Why complain about this? I get the angst about Pirates 5. I even get it about Frozen 2. But John Lasseter and Pixar love these characters and have done them proud and I don't see that changing.

Hey Spirit, hate to do it but I gotta disagree. Sometimes doing proud a set of characters, franchise, whatever, is to know when to take a bow and let the curtain fall. Toy Story 4 is trying to defy the perfect ending to a near-perfect trilogy by topping it once again with an even better adventure. Do you know what the chances of that happening are? Slim-to-none, especially with Pixar's recent creative track record. People complain not because more out of the toys is a bad thing, but if any of them complainers are like me then my guess is there is lot of fear for 'tainting' the memory of a perfect curtain call.

 

[ford91exploder]

Most times I is the checks and balances. Corporate culture is something grown from within, not dictated by external parties. You can still treat employees like dirt even if you're loading them up with required pay and benefits.

Yes it is but too often sociopathic corporate cultures develop and there is no one to say "Bad Dog" to management and too often the BoD is indifferent to these issues even though they are by charter supposed to be the counterpoise to operational management.

 

[Kman101]

No, it's because people were told Toy Story 3 "ended perfectly" so the news of TS4 has sent them on an implosion because their world is being upset. It's that clear. DisneyFan 2000's post trying to justify the outrage proves this IMO. It's just fear and their overly worrying the 'perfect ending' will be ruined in their minds.

Once again assumptions are being made about a movie not out until 2017. And for all we know it could be a whole set of new toys and a new owner. With the old ones included too of course. Or it could be about Andy's mom and her growing up with his toys. Anything is possible.

 

[ford91exploder]

Hey Spirit, hate to do it but I gotta disagree. Sometimes doing proud a set of characters, franchise, whatever, is to know when to take a bow and let the curtain fall. Toy Story 4 is trying to defy the perfect ending to a near-perfect trilogy by topping it once again with an even better adventure. Do you know what the chances of that happening are? Slim-to-none, especially with Pixar's recent creative track record. People complain not because more out of the toys is a bad thing, but if any of them complainers are like me then my guess is there is lot of fear for 'tainting' the memory of a perfect curtain call.

Agree, I'd like to see DIFFERENT toys - perhaps the ones LOTSO was in charge of. Or jump forward 50-100 years when the toys are taken out of storage in a new world. I restore Lionel trains so I've rebuilt to like new many basket cases which 50-70 years ago were some child's pride and joy which now make a circuit under a new christmas tree.

 

[ford91exploder]

This may be a little off-topic but, @WDW1974, what are your thoughts on the health of frontline CMs? I swear there's an enormous amount of very obese CMs, I would think if you are walking around on your feet all day you would stay in relatively decent shape, what's being served in the cafeteria?

Starch and HFCS is going to pack on the pounds.