The worst decision WDW ever made?

[Fox&Hound]

As a fan since the seventies, I think the worst decision at WDW was to build additional gates. In my opinion, there should be one park with very large lands where guests would spend a day exploring a single land. For example, Future World and Tomorrowland could have been combined. Imagine a first time visitor seeing Space Mountain with Spaceship Earth in its immediate background. Everest, Safari and Dinosaurs could have been placed in Adventureland. Fantasyland could have had a movie section. As guests entered the park, they could have experienced "magic" as they board a steam train and go to Adventureland/Frontierland or board a people mover and go to Tomorrowland/Future World. Yet everyone would still be able to go see the castle.

Clever but what a logistical nightmare. Imagine bag check or trying to see the fireworks if everyone was in one giant park. And transportation? Makes my head hurt...

 

[Matt_Black]

Bob Iger is the worst thing Disney has done for park consumers, we haven't had any real improvements other than Fantasy Land since he's been at the helm. He's probably the best thing Disney's done for shareholders though, although they've been downgraded three times this year I believe. Maybe it's time for some fresh and innovative leadership.

The US parks are practically falling apart, but they're a cash cow so they can be left stale and rotting. There's tons of money to be made elsewhere so that's where they're investing instead.

Which ignores the renovation to Disney Springs, the construction currently going on at DAK, and the announced expansions for DHS, but yeah, NOTHING new for the parks outside of New FantasyLand.

 

[rucifee]

Which ignores the renovation to Disney Springs, the construction currently going on at DAK, and the announced expansions for DHS, but yeah, NOTHING new for the parks outside of New FantasyLand.

None of this stuff is innovative and most of this work should have begun 10 years ago. Disney Springs = a shopping mall. Not innovative. DAK, nothing special there. ANNOUNCED =/= COMPLETED. I can use upper case words too.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Starbucks! Going to Disney World to get Starbucks is like going to Paris just to eat at McDonald's!

Yeah, except not at all. Getting Starbucks at WDW is getting a high-quality product when past available options were garbage. Getting McDonald's in Paris is getting a poor-quality production when other available options are excellent. So it's actually exactly the opposite of going to Paris to eat McDonald's.

 

[rucifee]

Yeah, except not at all. Getting Starbucks at WDW is getting a high-quality product when past available options were garbage. Getting McDonald's in Paris is getting a poor-quality production when other available options are excellent. So it's actually exactly the opposite of going to Paris to eat McDonald's.

Nescafe was garbage, for sure. Joffrey's however was not. Instead of adding Starbucks they could have (and arguably should have) supported Joffrey's and increased the presence in the parks. They would have been supporting a local company in doing so as well.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Nescafe was garbage, for sure. Joffrey's however was not. Instead of adding Starbucks they could have (and arguably should have) supported Joffrey's and increased the presence in the parks. They would have been supporting a local company in doing so as well.

Um, they still have Joffrey's at every single location that serves coffee except for the four (five?) Starbucks locations. You have to seek out the Starbucks product. If you pick "random WDW dining location," it's going to be Joffrey's.

 

[rucifee]

Um, they still have Joffrey's at every single location that serves coffee except for the four (five?) Starbucks locations.

Did you miss the part where I said "increased the presence in the parks"? Of course you didn't you just needed an excuse to reply.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Did you miss the part where I said "increased the presence in the parks"? Of course you didn't you just needed an excuse to reply.

It's EVERYWHERE. There's no possible way to "increase presence" beyond "EVERYWHERE." Saying "Disney should increase Joffrey's presence in the parks" is akin to saying "Disney should increase the presence of Coca-Cola in the parks."

 

[rucifee]

It's EVERYWHERE. There's no possible way to "increase presence" beyond "EVERYWHERE." Saying "Disney should increase Joffrey's presence in the parks" is akin to saying "Disney should increase the presence of Coca-Cola in the parks."

The 4 Starbucks locations could have been Joffrey's locations, that was all I was saying.. in addition to implying you were partially wrong when you said "when past available options were garbage".. but please, do keep talkin.

 

[Matt_Black]

None of this stuff is innovative and most of this work should have begun 10 years ago.

Ten years ago when the economy wasn't very good and we still weren't very far off from the post 9/11 travel slump?

 

[rucifee]

Ten years ago when the economy wasn't very good and we still weren't very far off from the post 9/11 travel slump?

Ten years ago, or 2005, Disney was doing just fine.

 

[Matt_Black]

Ten years ago, or 2005, Disney was doing just fine.

Yeah, Disney was doing fine, but many of the people they market to weren't. And if Disney had started ten years ago, there would have been construction right in the middle of when the economy really started to go south. How much do you want to bet that most, if not all, of what they started would have been quickly down-scaled and "value-Imagineered"?

 

[rucifee]

Yeah, Disney was doing fine, but many of the people they market to weren't. And if Disney had started ten years ago, there would have been construction right in the middle of when the economy really started to go south. How much do you want to bet that most, if not all, of what they started would have been quickly down-scaled and "value-Imagineered"?

Right, Disney was doing fine and the economy wasn't. Crowds were low, what a great time to invest in the parks. In addition, it would have contributed to the local economy and had a cascading effect of feeding dollars into the area surrounding them. Everyone wins, but they didn't invest in their business over those years and that is a sad part of their history now. Oh well.

This thread is about the worst decisions TWDC has ever made, I've said my opinion, there's no reason to attack it.

 

[PhilharMagician]

• Adding those crappy touchscreens to Spaceship Earth and removing all of the decent show scenes.

• Taking away Off Kilter and adding the Lumberjack show

• Terminating the Osborne Dancing Spectacle of Lights

• Removing Lights of Winter

• Combined lunch and dinner menus at many restaurants

• Spending over a billion dollars on a guest tracking system instead of adding more capacity to the parks.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yeah, Disney was doing fine, but many of the people they market to weren't. And if Disney had started ten years ago, there would have been construction right in the middle of when the economy really started to go south. How much do you want to bet that most, if not all, of what they started would have been quickly down-scaled and "value-Imagineered"?

That value engineering would have been built right in as firms were desperate for work.

 

[Matt_Black]

I've said my opinion, there's no reason to attack it.

I forgot that by invoking "It's my opinion!" any and all statements are thereby immune from criticism or rebuttal.

 

[TXDisney]

I might not think this is the worst decision they've ever made but I think not adding a couple more countries in WS isn't smart. There's plenty of room and it's a huge hit especially with adults.

 

[rucifee]

I forgot that by invoking "It's my opinion!" any and all statements are thereby immune from criticism or rebuttal.

 

[Matt_Black]

I might not think this is the worst decision they've ever made but I think not adding a couple more countries in WS isn't smart. There's plenty of room and it's a huge hit especially with adults.

If it were entirely up to Disney, I'd agree with you. However, you have to find a foreign sponsor (either the country itself or more likely businesses located within that country), and then ideally it's a country that has a decent public image in America. (A Russian pavilion would have flown in the 90s but today? Not so much.)

 

[TXDisney]

I agree but there still are plenty of nations that are in a good financial state with a good reputation that they could add. We are talking a couple countries not adding 15.