The worst decision WDW ever made?

[Knothead]

Not building EPCOT.

I agree 100%. Huge mistake and practically a slap in the face to the man who made it all possible and a complete disregard to a dying man's dream. Despicable. Criminal. I hold a grudge to this very day.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Everyone had the same opportunity to get more rides in every day.

That is the argument that has been used since day one and it simply isn't true. Unless, you know how to divide 100 into 75 and come out with 1. The next part of that argument is well if they had gotten up early enough they would have gotten one. Well, riddle me this. If every possible rider arrived at rope drop, would everyone get one or would they run out before everyone had one in hand?

 

[mf1972]

This is an opinion based thread just wanted to see what everyone thought.... I think getting rid of the old FP system and filling in the Lagoon and Closing 20,000 Leagues.

no more parade at epcot. liked tapestry of dreams. maybe not the most exciting parade, but always associate a disney park with a parade.

 

[Goofyernmost]

no more parade at epcot. liked tapestry of dreams. maybe not the most exciting parade, but always associate a disney park with a parade.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't Tapestry the ONLY parade that Epcot ever had and that was just during a brief period of time around the Millennium change. I know that DHS had a few (not recently) and AK had one but I had never seen it. The only park that I ever associated with a parade was MK and in my opinion they had too many. I'm not a good judge of that because there are two things on this planet that I wouldn't pay a nickel for and that is a parade and a circus. Dislike both of those things intensely.

 

[Killnme]

MK- Alien Encounter and Sky Ride
EPCOT- The Seas before Nemo, The Christmas lights walking towards the countries ( I like those better then the Osbourne Lights).
Hollywood- ESPN the Weekends, Superstar TV (I was in Cheers like 4 times), The special effects show where Sounds Dangerously took over. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Show
AK-The Tarzan Show and I just wished the walkways were bigger, that place doesn't handle crowds well.
Value Resorts- When they were they were actually a value.

 

[mf1972]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't Tapestry the ONLY parade that Epcot ever had and that was just during a brief period of time around the Millennium change. I know that DHS had a few (not recently) and AK had one but I had never seen it. The only park that I ever associated with a parade was MK and in my opinion they had too many. I'm not a good judge of that because there are two things on this planet that I wouldn't pay a nickel for and that is a parade and a circus. Dislike both of those things intensely.

we've been going to WDW since 2000, so I'm not sure if Epcot had a parade prior to that. think they stopped it in 2004-05. sorry parades aren't your thing. I appreciated them for the creativity & theming of it all.

 

[TubaGeek]

That is the argument that has been used since day one and it simply isn't true. Unless, you know how to divide 100 into 75 and come out with 1. The next part of that argument is well if they had gotten up early enough they would have gotten one. Well, riddle me this. If every possible rider arrived at rope drop, would everyone get one or would they run out before everyone had one in hand?

I'd correct you on your math, but there are other old threads where that has been done to death.
As for your point about it disadvantaging folks who arrive later, that's true, but I feel that it's well worth it if it gives the opportunity to benefit a healthy majority of guests.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Not doing something with Ariel's at the Beach Club.

I remembered eating at Ariel's in 1991 as one of the places I ate at for my first trip to WDW when it was opened to the general public.

Unless something changed, Disney actually does something with that space. That space is being used for Disney Weddings. The question is how many times a year that space is used for that.

I think it is tough for Disney for doing something with that spot outside of weddings. That spot is too big for a bakery and I don't think the Yacht and Beach Club needs another big store to sell items.

You are dealing with a spot that doesn't hold a lot of people based on the info I read. In terms of wedding's, Ariel's holding up to 78 guests including the couple getting married. That means turning that spot into a counter service is questionable as a result. Having that spot as another table service again is questionable with the amount of table service places that Yacht and Beach Club has based on why it closed a first place.

 

[DJRA]

In addition to all that has been done wrong at Epcot (horizons gone, re-imagining Test Track, killing the one and only Figment then bringing it back half assed insulting us with what's there now).
Letting SpectroMagic rot and rust away.

 

[ChrisFL]

I agree 100%. Huge mistake and practically a slap in the face to the man who made it all possible and a complete disregard to a dying man's dream. Despicable. Criminal. I hold a grudge to this very day.

I am not that mad about it. I've read books that detail the situation surrounding the concept.

From what I can tell, they had a good amout of the plans completed, but maybe only 60%? There were a lot of details left out of the things that were made public.


There was also a very volatile time in society. The 1960's had the Vietnam war, the hippie movement, race riots, the assassination of a president and his brother, MLK Jr., the Kent state shootings, then the impeachement of a president.

The vision of a mature, calm, peaceful place to live may have seemed too difficult to do at that time.

 

[Sam Magic]

This.

It's interesting to think about how different things would be if that had happened.

Yeah now Disney would have to listen to an entire city complain about what they're doing wrong. Sad part is I still do not think that things would change...

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I don't agree. It was a fun family attraction for my family. My kids knew they were at Disney filled with fantasy and the could differentiate. They were bright, they knew to close their eyes in any movie, TV Show or attraction the was visually scary. The movement part of Alien wasn't a rough ride. It had a 48" height, so about 8 years old. My kids by age 8 were seasoned Disney guests.

My DS rode Body Wars at age 3 when it opened. It only had an age requirement, which was 3 years old, originally there was not a height requirement. He came off laughing, me and DH a bit nauseous. When it came time for my DD as a preschooler to ride Twilight we explained the actual ride as only a elevator that goes down fast, no bumping or turning upside down. My toddlers Boo'd the ghoasts in HM, shot the pirates with their finger guns and were bored out their minds with Small World.

My advice often to parents is don't scare your kids. Don't overly describe the attraction. Most can handle attractions. And bribes worked well for us too. With kids 5 years apart in age we were so done with baby swap.

I agree that you should have your kids try things, but something that gave your mother nightmares to the point that she never made her child try it is a different story. I could be bribed on a lot of rides (I got a lot of stuff over Tower of Teror), but not that one.

 

[luv]

It may turn out to be these wristbands, but has yet to be seen, so...

The castle cake, cluttering up the views around Bay Lake and cluttering up the World Showcase.

HM: MGM/DHS - the park layout and choices.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

It may turn out to be these wristbands, but has yet to be seen, so...

The castle cake, cluttering up the views around Bay Lake and cluttering up the World Showcase.

HM: MGM/DHS - the park layout and choices.

I agreed with cluttering up the views around Bay Lake and cluttering up the World Showcase and is why I liked your besides liking your honorable mention.

I disagree with the Castle cake because it was only there for one year unlike how long the wand was at Epcot and the fact the Sorcerer hat still exists at DHS.

 

[JenniferS]

I agreed with cluttering up the views around Bay Lake and cluttering up the World Showcase and is why I liked your besides liking your honorable mention.

I disagree with the Castle cake because it was only there for one year unlike how long the wand was at Epcot and the fact the Sorcerer hat still exists at DHS.

You beat me.
Two words - THE HAT!

 

[Gabe1]

I agree that you should have your kids try things, but something that gave your mother nightmares to the point that she never made her child try it is a different story. I could be bribed on a lot of rides (I got a lot of stuff over Tower of Teror), but not that one.

Yikes! I don't spook easy. DH and I had an agreement from the get go raising our kids we wouldn't saddle our kids with our own fears, we'd actually try and make sure we didn't pass them onto our kids. My DH can't swim. I bought coast guard life jackets and he took the into the pools in Disney when they were small while I did laundry. I have a fear of heights (yet I ski mountains in Colorado.) So he took my kids on the Sky Way.

My DD has a genuine phobia with spiders. Going away to college she fretted about what she would do. I bought a can of hairspray. That won the war on Spider control for now.

 

[dolce20]

I remembered eating at Ariel's in 1991 as one of the places I ate at for my first trip to WDW when it was opened to the general public.

Unless something changed, Disney actually does something with that space. That space is being used for Disney Weddings. The question is how many times a year that space is used for that.

I think it is tough for Disney for doing something with that spot outside of weddings. That spot is too big for a bakery and I don't think the Yacht and Beach Club needs another big store to sell items.

You are dealing with a spot that doesn't hold a lot of people based on the info I read. In terms of wedding's, Ariel's holding up to 78 guests including the couple getting married. That means turning that spot into a counter service is questionable as a result. Having that spot as another table service again is questionable with the amount of table service places that Yacht and Beach Club has based on why it closed a first place.

You're totally right about Ariel's as a venue spot. I just think it's odd that it sits there vacant the other 340 days of the year. (exaggerated guess). Beautiful spot like that deserves something more. I also remember it as a restaurant. Fine dining like that, the Gulf Coast Room, The Empress Room, all sadly gone. People don't wanna get out of their shorts and flip flops anymore.

 

[harlock2977]

The current shipwreck that is now Future World. It's almost like intentionally steering the Titanic into an iceberg. As someone who has visited the park in its salad days, I'm embarrassed to take my wife as it is now.I feel like more of an EPCOT Center apologist than a current Epcot fan.

 

[Matt_Black]

Yeah now Disney would have to listen to an entire city complain about what they're doing wrong. Sad part is I still do not think that things would change...

Yeah. I've said it before and I'll say it again that, despite his best intentions, Walt's vision of Epcot would have become like BioShock, albeit with presumably more musical numbers.

 

[rob45]

Stitches Great Escape