If they keep Star Wars as an 'Enter through Frontierland' deal, I can see them doing this
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Tiana's Bayou Adventure: Disneyland Watch & Discussion
- Thread starter Californian Elitist
- Start date
If they keep Star Wars as an 'Enter through Frontierland' deal, I can see them doing this
chadwpalm
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
They wouldn't need to. RotR line used to go as far as the Hungry Bear bathrooms and they just kept people to the side and still allowed normal traffic flow through.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
The year, 2171.
The observation theatre is packed; a mixture of business attire and lab coats are sprinkled among the crowd, a Mickey ear hat is seen among the crowd; all looking down on the operating room.
Propped in the corner of the operating room is a Mickey plush wearing a surgical mask.
On the operating table there is a body completely covered by a white sheet. The body is connected to various machines; the medical team is working to finalize all the settings as the crowd looks on in total silence.
The silence is broken with whispers and gasps from the theatre as the head surgeon lifts the sheet to expose the head.
The head is that of Walt Disney.
Speaking through their mask, the head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “Reanimation will begin now”.
The head surgeon presses a button and various syringes inject substances into the body. Injections complete, the entire space is in total silence.
All of a sudden, the body erupts into violent convulsions!
The theatre reacts with screams and crying, the medical team is shouting out various readings, the head surgeon, barks back with commands and the team quickly responds and after a couple of scary minutes that seemed like an eternity, the body is now motionless and the theatre settles back into silence.
A team member presses a button, and over the speakers we hear the familiar flat line tone of the heart monitor.
The head surgeon says, “paddles please.”
The head surgeon says, “charge to 200”, the medical team all step back.
The head surgeon presses the paddles to the body’s chest and the body violently arches up and the theatre reacts.
The flat line tone continues. Sobs can be heard from the theatre.
The head surgeon barks, “push epinephrine.”
The head surgeon says, “charge to 220!”
The head surgeon presses the paddles to the body’s chest and the body violently arches up as the theatre reacts again.
In the tone, we now hear the heartbeat! The theatre erupts into cheers and celebration!
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “silence please”.
The medical team checks their machines, calling out various readings. From the looks of everyone in the operating room, all looks calm and routine. All reading checked, the call outs end, and we are back to complete silence.
From the theatre, someone yells out “Wake up Walt!”
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “silence please”.
The head surgeon now moves to be right near Walt’s head. He is checking various things, like pupil reactions etc, he says “push dexmethylphenidate.”
The syringe injects the dexmethylphenidate into Walt’s arm.
Walt begins to move his head and we hear a moan from Walt.
The theatre erupts into cheers and celebration!
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “silence please”.
The head surgeon asks the medical team, “How are things looking?” The medical team member casually reports each reading, and all looks fine.
The head surgeon now leaning over Walt’s head and whispers,
“Walt, Walt, please try opening your eyes.”
Walt opens his eyes. The theatre is blocked from seeing this.
The head surgeon takes Walt’s hand and asks, “Walt, squeeze my hand.”
Walt is able to squeeze the head surgeon’s hand.
The head surgeon asks Walt, “Can you give me thumbs up?”
Walt raises his hand and gives the thumbs up at the same time, the head surgeon, moves away so the theatre sees this.
The theatre erupts into cheers and celebration! The head surgeon lets the celebration continue for several minutes.
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “This concludes our procedure. Walt will need some time to acclimate to his new body, so it will be a while before he’s ready for questions.
The theatre erupts into applause, and someone yells out, “We love you, Walt!”
Walt hears this and smiles.
The crowd files out of the theatre. Everyone is happily talking as they leave.
Walt is wheeled to a room to continue to recuperate and rest.
The next day, Walt wakes in his room. He doesn’t know what day it is, what time it is; there are no windows in this room, and to Walt, it looks futuristic. “This room gives me some ideas for Tomorrowland”, he says to himself.
A man enters the room and takes a seat next to Walt.
“Hello Walt, my name is Bob Iger. For many, many generations my family has been running The Walt Disney Company”.
Walt’s eyes open wide, “generations? What are you talking about? The last thing I knew I was working on a new TV project that I wanted Kurt Russell for and working on EPCOT for the Florida project. As soon as I am out of here, I must get back to work on EPCOT”.
The heart monitor alarm goes off; a nurse is in the room quickly.
The nurse said, “I told you this was going to happen.” The nurse gives Walt a shot and he calms down.
Bob says, “Walt let me try to explain. You have been, ah, in a coma, for a long time now. What year do you think it is?”
Walt says, “Are you kidding me, its 1966.”
Bob says, “The year is 2171.”
Walt’s eyes open wide, he asks, “What about my family, what about, Lillian, Diane, Sharon, Roy?”
Bob says, “All gone, many decades ago.”
Walt’s eye’s fill with tears. He asks, “Why did you wake me?”
Bob says, “Frankly Walt, we need your help.”
Walt asks, “Is there a problem with Disneyland; the Florida project?”
Bob says, “Well they no longer exist.”
Walt asks, “What happened?”
Bob says, “Well that’s a long story. We need your help here.”
Walt asks, “Where am I anyway?”
Bob says, “That’s the thing, long story short, Disneyland; the Florida project are gone because the Earth is gone. We are on Mars. All of humankind lives on Mars now.
Bob looks into Walt’s eyes and says, “Mars needs a Disneyland.”
After a pause to take in what Bob has said, Walt eyes open bright. With excitement he says, “Let’s get to work! I have an idea about an attraction based on Song of the South.”
Bob accesses the meta implant in his head. In his ear the implant reports back “No data found for Song of the South; information was most likely was lost in the cyber wars of 2060.”
Bob says to Walt, “Hmm, I have never heard of it. Whatever you say Walt, let’s get to work!”
The observation theatre is packed; a mixture of business attire and lab coats are sprinkled among the crowd, a Mickey ear hat is seen among the crowd; all looking down on the operating room.
Propped in the corner of the operating room is a Mickey plush wearing a surgical mask.
On the operating table there is a body completely covered by a white sheet. The body is connected to various machines; the medical team is working to finalize all the settings as the crowd looks on in total silence.
The silence is broken with whispers and gasps from the theatre as the head surgeon lifts the sheet to expose the head.
The head is that of Walt Disney.
Speaking through their mask, the head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “Reanimation will begin now”.
The head surgeon presses a button and various syringes inject substances into the body. Injections complete, the entire space is in total silence.
All of a sudden, the body erupts into violent convulsions!
The theatre reacts with screams and crying, the medical team is shouting out various readings, the head surgeon, barks back with commands and the team quickly responds and after a couple of scary minutes that seemed like an eternity, the body is now motionless and the theatre settles back into silence.
A team member presses a button, and over the speakers we hear the familiar flat line tone of the heart monitor.
The head surgeon says, “paddles please.”
The head surgeon says, “charge to 200”, the medical team all step back.
The head surgeon presses the paddles to the body’s chest and the body violently arches up and the theatre reacts.
The flat line tone continues. Sobs can be heard from the theatre.
The head surgeon barks, “push epinephrine.”
The head surgeon says, “charge to 220!”
The head surgeon presses the paddles to the body’s chest and the body violently arches up as the theatre reacts again.
In the tone, we now hear the heartbeat! The theatre erupts into cheers and celebration!
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “silence please”.
The medical team checks their machines, calling out various readings. From the looks of everyone in the operating room, all looks calm and routine. All reading checked, the call outs end, and we are back to complete silence.
From the theatre, someone yells out “Wake up Walt!”
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “silence please”.
The head surgeon now moves to be right near Walt’s head. He is checking various things, like pupil reactions etc, he says “push dexmethylphenidate.”
The syringe injects the dexmethylphenidate into Walt’s arm.
Walt begins to move his head and we hear a moan from Walt.
The theatre erupts into cheers and celebration!
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “silence please”.
The head surgeon asks the medical team, “How are things looking?” The medical team member casually reports each reading, and all looks fine.
The head surgeon now leaning over Walt’s head and whispers,
“Walt, Walt, please try opening your eyes.”
Walt opens his eyes. The theatre is blocked from seeing this.
The head surgeon takes Walt’s hand and asks, “Walt, squeeze my hand.”
Walt is able to squeeze the head surgeon’s hand.
The head surgeon asks Walt, “Can you give me thumbs up?”
Walt raises his hand and gives the thumbs up at the same time, the head surgeon, moves away so the theatre sees this.
The theatre erupts into cheers and celebration! The head surgeon lets the celebration continue for several minutes.
The head surgeon speaks into the microphone, “This concludes our procedure. Walt will need some time to acclimate to his new body, so it will be a while before he’s ready for questions.
The theatre erupts into applause, and someone yells out, “We love you, Walt!”
Walt hears this and smiles.
The crowd files out of the theatre. Everyone is happily talking as they leave.
Walt is wheeled to a room to continue to recuperate and rest.
The next day, Walt wakes in his room. He doesn’t know what day it is, what time it is; there are no windows in this room, and to Walt, it looks futuristic. “This room gives me some ideas for Tomorrowland”, he says to himself.
A man enters the room and takes a seat next to Walt.
“Hello Walt, my name is Bob Iger. For many, many generations my family has been running The Walt Disney Company”.
Walt’s eyes open wide, “generations? What are you talking about? The last thing I knew I was working on a new TV project that I wanted Kurt Russell for and working on EPCOT for the Florida project. As soon as I am out of here, I must get back to work on EPCOT”.
The heart monitor alarm goes off; a nurse is in the room quickly.
The nurse said, “I told you this was going to happen.” The nurse gives Walt a shot and he calms down.
Bob says, “Walt let me try to explain. You have been, ah, in a coma, for a long time now. What year do you think it is?”
Walt says, “Are you kidding me, its 1966.”
Bob says, “The year is 2171.”
Walt’s eyes open wide, he asks, “What about my family, what about, Lillian, Diane, Sharon, Roy?”
Bob says, “All gone, many decades ago.”
Walt’s eye’s fill with tears. He asks, “Why did you wake me?”
Bob says, “Frankly Walt, we need your help.”
Walt asks, “Is there a problem with Disneyland; the Florida project?”
Bob says, “Well they no longer exist.”
Walt asks, “What happened?”
Bob says, “Well that’s a long story. We need your help here.”
Walt asks, “Where am I anyway?”
Bob says, “That’s the thing, long story short, Disneyland; the Florida project are gone because the Earth is gone. We are on Mars. All of humankind lives on Mars now.
Bob looks into Walt’s eyes and says, “Mars needs a Disneyland.”
After a pause to take in what Bob has said, Walt eyes open bright. With excitement he says, “Let’s get to work! I have an idea about an attraction based on Song of the South.”
Bob accesses the meta implant in his head. In his ear the implant reports back “No data found for Song of the South; information was most likely was lost in the cyber wars of 2060.”
Bob says to Walt, “Hmm, I have never heard of it. Whatever you say Walt, let’s get to work!”
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EPCOTCenterLover
Well-Known Member
We were in California for my mother in law's memorial service. As a tribute to her and thinking what she would want, our entire family went to Disneyland the day after the services to celebrate her life. (That was last Sunday.) When we rode Splash, it was clear they were already letting the effects die out.
They fixed a few things but yeah alot of the ride is wearing out already
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
What I’d give for a comprehensive list.
SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
Valid.
The overwhelming majority of the entertainment cuts were due to Covid. While the timeline for the return of entertainment has been slower than we all may like, the overwhelming majority of it (barring parades) has returned. Excluding parades, I would not be surprised if Disney's entertainment budget is (~90%) of what it was pre-pandemic, adjusted for inflation, may even be more now that Avenger's Campus adds a whole slew of entertainment costs. Walking around the parks, there seemed to be characters everywhere. From performers on Main Street, to Super Heros in AC, character meet and greets at every corner, musicians in Paradise plaza, etc. New Orleans Square had singers serenading the joyous onlookers below, Toontown was busting at the seems with characters, and while tacky and misplaced, a Pixar-dance party in Tomorrowland. There was way more entertainment everywhere, twice-nightly Fantasmic, nightly (exceptional) fireworks and alternative viewing locations like Small World. Even walking through SWL, there were multiple times where we were literally walking alongside a character and we didn't even realize it until a member of our party pointed it out.
Strongly disagree. Genie+ is a million times better than Fastpass or MaxPass ever were, you’re paying for that upgrade, but to pretend the old Fastpass is equivalent to the current Genie is disingenuous.
If ticket prices were decreased by the price of Genie for each day of the trip, it would effectively cost the same as the free FastPass, and if that were the case, no one would be saying it’s worse.
Genie is a concealed ticket price increase, but it’s better than raising ticket prices by a flat fee. Currently, I have elderly family at WDW who intend to visit the parks for a couple days, mostly, they’re just going to lounge around the hotel and venture into the parks for a bit. They won’t ride but a couple rides, so the death of Fastpass doesn’t really effect them, but a blanket ticket increase would. Genie allows marathoners to marathon the parks, and allows others to chill if they want.
For annual passholders, who know the system, and know how to game it, they disproportionately received benefit from Fastpass. Fastpass was a stupid redistribution of enjoyment system from the inexperienced to the experienced.
Having Genie be paid allows the people who actually need it (the people who don’t visit the parks all the time) an opportunity to enjoy the parks to a greater extent.
Genie absolutely is worse for groups of people than Fastpass, but, if we’re being honest for ourselves, for the average guest, it’s better.
There are other ways to tackle this problem, but this is the one they chose.
Both of these things are probably experienced by .01% of the people who visit Disneyland or less, and while they may have been very significant to you, they carry very little significance.
Personally, I think Disneyland´s space is aggressively mediocre and easily the worst coaster in the park, so I don´t really mind the idea of Hyperspace, but again, having an occasional overlay for a singular attraction that you personally dislike out of the literal dozens and dozens, seems very minor and hardly trip defining. Indy was going to be down for refurbishment during our trip, and while I think Indy was
As a customer, Mobile-order is miles superior to normal ordering. In my everyday life, I mobile order whenever possible. It´s not even uncommon for me to mobile order after I arrive at the food location even if there is zero line. Mobile ordering ensures your correct order is placed, you don´t need to bother with a receipt, and you can easily see all substitution options and combos. The mobile-ordering experience is vastly superior. On my trip a couple of weeks ago, I exclusively used mobile ordering, even though every place we went to seemed to offer normal ordering. Seems like a win-win to me. Those who enjoy the efficiency and accuracy of mobile ordering can enjoy seamless integration, and those who insist on sticking to traditional means can do so.
Same point as the original point. Prices have gone up.
I'm not sure what their plans are, but I also don't see how a closed movie theater ruins the Disney experience.
Rise is fantastic. MMRR is also fantastic. Went with a friend who had never been on MMRR in Orlando (or to Disneyland) who placed it as his second favorite attraction across Disneyland park, DCA, and Universal Studios Hollywood. Personally, I thought MMRR was a fine E-Ticket in Orlando, but the context of Toontown, vastly improved queue, improved pathing and timings, and the fact it didn't remove GMR, actually makes it an exceptional ride for me. I finally see what certain people were going on and on about.
While I think MFSR is a good attraction, I do think its execution leaves some to be desired, but it's still a good ride, but not everything needs to be a masterpiece. As for Webslingers, I loved it. Super fun ride. Thought the preshow was funny, and the ride was very enjoyable. Not a headliner, but it's not trying to be either, its exterior, queue, pre-show, and boarding all set appropriate expectations for the ride experience. I honestly have no complaints about this ride.
I do prefer Soarin' Over California, but honestly, after seeing it again for the first time in years, it's probably largely driven by nostalgia. That said, we rode it several times and I liked it more each time. So it's valid, but this is also relatively minor, this isn't a Figment-level downgrade, and whether it's a downgrade at all ultimately is up to personal opinion.
I love, love, love, love, love! DCA's atmosphere, from Cars Land to the Pier entrance streets, etc. No complaints. Hollywood Land's eastern side is dog. But other than that! Love it. Leaving Paradise Plaze after WoC gave me exiting Epcot after IRoE, something I haven't felt in YEARS.
Personally, I don't think there have really been a thousand minor inflictions. I honestly believe that the majority of the negatives at Disneyland today result from the hyperinformation society we live in. We're constantly bombarded with all this negative sentiment at the parks, and then when you go, you can choose to inflate, magnify, and bathe in it, or you can choose to have a good time, and I'm not saying just pretend the bad isn't happening, but I'm saying it just largely isn't. Before going to Disneyland, I saw this massive discussion about how they ruined something and made it so much worse, but after going and seeing it in person, I was like wth, this is what they were complaining over? Not only was it completely insignificant, wouldn't have noticed it if I wasn't looking for it, but it wasn't a definitively negative change. Really baffled me. It's a lot easier for us to grip onto negative stories and dwell on them, and that's just being human, but seems very silly, especially when you take a step back from it all.
To me, there's an INCREDIBLE disconnect between the negativity spread about the current experience, and the reality. Personally, I think basically every park around the world is currently in its best-ever state. Of course, pricing has gone up SIGNIFICANTLY, but that doesn't alter the actual theme park experience. The same value equation that existed before (does the price of x justify what I'm getting?) continues to exist. Yes, the barrier of entry has increased, but it’s still a cost-benefit analysis question. Personally, I think the parks have improved, maybe not at the rate of price increases, but that value proposition shouldn't contaminate the experience itself.
This post will not be popular if you're happy about something you're not sitting on a forum. You come here to bicker or you come here to learn about news for projects that interest you. As a result, I've noticed the posts that receive substantial positive attention and reactions are almost entirely news related or negative, and that's the internet I suppose, but honestly quite silly. You don't need to be a corporate shill to look for recent wins.
At the end of the day, what people value obviously varies, so new major additions and improvements may not overcome a few minor regressions, but time and time again, actually experiencing these attractions and amusements contrasts the sentiments continuously repeated on these boards. Whether it's Web Slingers or Mario Kart at Universal Studios Hollywood, reality (at least mine) contrasts the sentiment.
Can't even wait for the Tiana can of worms to open once that attraction opens. Honestly don't see how it could be a step-back at Disneyland, which will just make an already stacked park even better, even if I disagree with the original decision to retheme Splash Mountain.
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Off this POV from 3 days ago-
How Do Ya Do
- First goose not moving from the neck down
- Frog on top level between geese has his mouth stuck open
- Lights nearly out on geese next to Brer Gator
- Goose in the tree stump seems to only be moving his mouth
- Brer Bear not moving in the Rabbit Trap, only bobbing up and down
- Brer Fox’s body is stuck in place and his arms are broken
- Lighting is mostly out on Brer Rabbit and Brer Turtle
- Brer Turtle not moving
- Pumpcart Brer Rabbit scene is in complete darkness
- Baby Possums are missing above the flume
- Hitchhiking Gator’s eyes are messed up and his body is barely moving
- Giggling Brer Rabbit not moving
- Brer Bear’s “Nothin’ but BEES” line is out of sync and too quiet
- Only starts playing after the logs start dropping
- A few of the spinning beehives are broken
- Brer Bear with the beehive kind of spasms now
- Audio is starting to give out too
- Weasels are stuck in the ‘up’ position
- Stork #2 missing
- Remaining stork has no arm movement
- Rowboat Hound Dog completely in the dark and dead
- Goose’s mouth is stuck shut
- Saddlesore Swanson not moving from the neck down
- Trapped Brer Rabbit’s mouth is stuck open
- Mother rabbit’s mouth seems slightly stuck
- Neither Boothill Boy is working
- Brer Rabbit/Fox audio in the cave scene quieter than normal
Zip A Dee Doo Dah
- Brer Porkypine’s arms are not moving properly
- Guitar gator not moving his arms
- Two cats in the flower cart have very jerky motion instead of their usual smooth movement
- Guitar dog’s mouth not moving
- Fox in front of the Capt. Andy flyer has very jerky motion
- Waitress Pig’s head is able to turn too far left
- Zip-A-Dee-Lady not rocking back and forth
- Brer Bear not trying to unwedge himself from the hole anymore
- This effect was recently repaired but seems to have broken again
- Brer Gator not moving
- Brer Fox’s audio is giving out
- Brer Rabbit’s home entirely blue, orange lights are broken
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Forgot to comment on the grass mound on top. You re right, it doesn’t work. Definitely lacking compared to Splash’s design. It’s obvious they want to make it look shorter by getting rid of the dead tree and adding the water tower. I was never a fan of the boat in the tree but I would have preferred the tree by itself to the underwhelming grass mound.
SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
In Disneyland, I’d argue it works, since it’s somewhat randomly there, and the log looks weird from Haunted Mansion. Splash isn’t really a weenie from anywhere, it’s just on the side of the pathway, so lowing the visual magnitude of the exterior doesn’t do harm.
Doesn’t work in WDW, though, where it’s meant to be a significant weenie.
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
One of Splash's primary design characteristics was to be a weenie. The ride is visible from that half of the park (and the hub if you know where to stand)- it was very much designed to try and pull visitors over to Critter Country.
I've never had an issue with how the ride looks from Mansion, but that's definitely subjective.
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
Add us to the better in 2015 list also, from a rides perspective the parks are very similar but from a crowd management and entertainment perspective they are much worse now than they were in 2015, or 2019 for that matter.
Genie+, reservations, the reliance on the app, the lack of shows… all worse.
I will say that 2023 has been much better so far (for us) than 2022 though so at least that’s a positive. We had many days in 2022 when we’d leave the park and spend large portions of our day at our hotel because the lines were so ridiculous you couldn’t even get a snack without waiting in a half hour line, and mobile order return times would be several hours out, it was pretty sad when a hotel pool and bar was more enjoyable than the parks.
Our disappointment with the 2022 parks also resulted in us decreasing our visits from one weekend every month or so to one weekend every 3-4 months on average. It was the first year in our decade plus obsession with DL that we would look forward to the end of our weekend. We never experienced that prior to the post Covid DL.
Genie+, reservations, the reliance on the app, the lack of shows… all worse.
I will say that 2023 has been much better so far (for us) than 2022 though so at least that’s a positive. We had many days in 2022 when we’d leave the park and spend large portions of our day at our hotel because the lines were so ridiculous you couldn’t even get a snack without waiting in a half hour line, and mobile order return times would be several hours out, it was pretty sad when a hotel pool and bar was more enjoyable than the parks.
Our disappointment with the 2022 parks also resulted in us decreasing our visits from one weekend every month or so to one weekend every 3-4 months on average. It was the first year in our decade plus obsession with DL that we would look forward to the end of our weekend. We never experienced that prior to the post Covid DL.
You said your first visit to DCA was in 2017… I’m curious, was that also when you first visited DL? Have you had many visits to the DLR over many years and are therefore a consistent visitor, or have your visits been fewer and sporadic?
BaconPancakes
Well-Known Member
I noticed the same thing for the WDW version when we rode it in October. Hardly any effects were working. It was really depressing to have that be my last time riding.
zipadee999
Well-Known Member
At least the California version is still somewhat passable, even if it’s pretty rough. I rode the WDW version in January and parts of it felt like an abandoned attraction. I had a friend and it was his first time on it so we really hyped it up beforehand that this was the best ride, and at one point he turned to me and said “why is this so creepy?”I noticed the same thing for the WDW version when we rode it in October. Hardly any effects were working. It was really depressing to have that be my last time riding.
He didn’t understand what all the hype was about so we had to explain to him that 70% of the effects were broken. Not sure DL is quite there yet, but it’s not exactly in prime condition.
BaconPancakes
Well-Known Member
Yes it was in Six Flags condition. They should have been embarrassed, but not surprising since Chapek was in charge.
While DL isn't in the absolute zombie state WDW's closed in, if the retheme wasn't around the corner it would definitely be time for a refurbishment
CaptinEO
Well-Known Member
While all entertainment staff was gone for the pandemic, I know off the top of my head that the Tomorrowland Band, Trolley Boys, Billy Hill and the Hill Billies, and Mad T Party were cut well before the pandemic.
Not sure if anyone's spotted it yet, but Splash has been removed from the DL website's banner. It was beween Galaxy's Edge and HM.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
@SplashZander I want to say that I'm genuinely happy you had a fantastic time at DLR. However, because you have been to the resort I believe only twice (2017 and 2023? Please correct if incorrect), you probably saw all of the positives and few of the negatives during your trips. I don't want to make it seem like the resort isn't doing great things and isn't still a pretty great experience-I myself have pushed back at what I saw as a lot of negative hyperbole when I returned to the resort in 2022 after a four year absence. Much of DLR is better than many here give it credit for, and certainly it is overall a more functional place at the moment than its Floridian cousin.
That said, I experienced some issues on that 2022 visit that I don't think would have happened ten years ago that I catalogued previously, and may do so again if they seem relevant. Additionally, I don't believe there's a single person here who is visiting the parks more regularly than you are that genuinely believes that things have never been better than they are right now, and there's a reason for that. There absolutely are things that used to be better than they are now. Not all of these things may have been of equal value to all, but nonetheless these changes did occur and have, to varying degrees, negatively impacted my visits, as well as those of most here posting on the DLR board.
A few reasons that I don't believe have come up yet about why the park can't be the best it's ever been? Prior to 2020, the park didn't have a reservation system that currently serves no purpose except to help Disney staff with the absolute minimum needed to make the parks operate functionally and to arbitrarily annoy people by not letting them in because they didn't properly do a park reservation. Additionally, prior to 2019 or so, it would have been inconceivable that the park's most popular ride would shut down hours before the rest of the park. Perhaps early on when Rise was constantly having problems this made sense, but to still be doing it now? What benefit does that serve the park's guests?
Anyway, now to address points you made:
-Billy Hill & the Hillbillies (a demonstrably popular group that nonetheless somehow ended up at Knott's because of Disney blundering)
-The Laughing Stock Co., and a subsequent dueling piano show (BH&THB also were in Golden Horsehoe-with each act it appeared to get smaller and smaller scale)
-Mad T Party
-The aforementioned Pixar Parade at DCA
-The Happy Camper
-Oparation: Playtime! Featuring the Green Army Men
-A dance party that would go down the parade route prior to the main DCA parade (in 2013, Phineas and Ferb themed)
-Minnie's Fly Girls
-Instant Concert-Just Add Water
-With the loss of Big Thunder Ranch came the loss of another venue
-A whole slew of Tomorrowland Bands that would rotate and play actual music in the park and attract dedicated fans-all replaced with WDW-esque dance parties
I'm not going to say that all of these things were 100% my thing, or that I even saw all of these things (I actually didn't know the Happy Camper had ever been a thing until I pulled out my 2013 entertainment guide from that trip, but I love the idea of what seems like a charming little throwback sort of leisurely show-just a place for people to sing campfire songs. Love it). I know that they have brought in some entertainment and characters that didn't exist at that time, notably all of the things they've brought into Avenger's Campus. But there's a number of things that disappeared between even 2013 and 2018 that were never really replaced, or given inferior replacements (the dance party thing, for example). Additionally, comparing those 2013 and 2018 times guides is instructive-in 2013, both parks received their own four-page times guides, with DL's completely full of stuff (DCA filled three pages with entertainment, and the backside with guest info). By 2018, both parks had been consolidated into a single times guide pamphlet that was additionally smaller and printed on less sturdy-feeling paper. In 2022, either I just flat out never grabbed one (unlikely, given that I have tons of maps and entertainment guides from previous visits) or they just didn't exist and they directed people to the app. Declining by degrees.
Even before they outright killed some shows, there were some shenanigans that sometimes happened over time. Like the way that Magical Map went from featured show to a show they could barely bother to run on weekends. Things that just didn't make sense and wouldn't have happened in the past. To me, it's a clear decline.
Additionally, there are limitations that exist with Genie+ that didn't exist with either FP, MP, or FP+. With Genie, I can only ride each attraction once per day. This assumes that I find equal value in every attraction, and that's just not the case. Furthermore, it's a limitation that didn't exist prior to Genie+. Why could I ride Space Mountain as many times as I desired three years ago with FP or MP for either free or a similar price to what I'm paying now, but suddenly because it's Genie I can't? And now I don't even get access to all of the park's attractions with the line skipping because now the most highly coveted attractions are about $20 apiece by themselves? I also want to point out that Disney is pretty much the only company that puts such arbitrary limitations on how I can use their system-if I were to go to Knott's, I could ride whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, as many times as I wanted. At Six Flags, it wouldn't be as flexible, and it would give me a return time like Disney does. However, I'm still free to more or less do what I want, when I want, as many times as I want. How can Genie be an upgrade in the context of not only what FP/MP used to be, but in the context of other systems of other parks? From every way that I can see, it's precisely the opposite.
Additionally, the idea that it will help the vacationers at the expense of the locals? That's true, but if I'm a local and I continue to see people fly through the Genie line (because, again, so many people will buy it because of the low price), that's not going to endear the place to me. And as much as sometimes there are annoying overzealous locals, DL still needs them and has shown through the way they've handled things like, say, the Magic Key program that they continue to make choices that are only logical if the locals are truly going to keep showing up no matter what-something that may not be as true as it once was.
I'm glad you enjoy it, and I'm not denying that it can be beneficial. But I don't appreciate essentially being forced to use it because of their desire to save some money on staffing.
Anyway, you shouldn't be a customer, you should be a guest.
Frankly, that Earl location must have made bank, because the fact that they keep coming back even as they've had to deal with a lot of nonsense from Disney beggars belief.
Perhaps this is where not being a Star Wars fan leaves me out of the loop, but I genuinely don't see any way in which Smugglers improves upon what Star Tours 1.0 AND 2.0 have done in the time they've been around. And it's similar enough to Star Tours to be redundant in my eyes, and clearly park guests must agree, because Star Tours last year had shorter lines than I have ever seen before. It's not even genuinely interactive for most guests-and I'm still not convinced that most people actually want that level of interactivity in any case, no matter how much the theme park industry crows about it. So now the longevity of a genuine park classic is more in question than it was in the past because Disney opened what is basically a glorified knock-off in the same park? How is that smart planning? Does that not point to a lack of imagination to envision Star Wars in a theme park beyond a motion simulator (and even Rise has moments where it too engages in Star Tours cosplay!), and shouldn't we expect more?
To me Webslingers did nothing to improve on, say, Ninjago at Legoland, which did the same sort of interactive thing back in 2017. Perhaps it's a me problem, but I don't feel like the ride did a particularly good job explaining what we were supposed to do on the ride. And again, it just doesn't make sense to me that Universal opened a far more-impressive Spider-Man attraction more than 20 years ago, and rather than taking advantage of the fact that one of their most popular characters can actually have his own theme park attraction in California and do something to raise the bar, they build...a glorified Midway Mania in sleeker clothing. For the character and the alleged leaders of the theme park industry, it's a letdown. I'm not saying that they shouldn't build smaller rides, but why not both? It's certainly not an attraction strong enough to anchor the opening of a new land, and retroactively adding Guardians into Avengers doesn't really solve the problem either. They NEED an anchor, a reason for people to care, beyond Webslingers and a pre-existing ride reskin. The alleged leader of the theme park industry should know this, but given that they did something similar with GE, perhaps they don't? It doesn't speak highly to their abilities in any case. Maybe I'd like the land and attraction more if I were more into Marvel, but honestly the whole area is just less aesthetically pleasing and pleasant to be in than ABL was. And I personally can't get beyond the vast disparity between what Universal is offering as their Spider-Man ride when compared to the much newer, but less impressive, Disney offering.
I disagree that the Soarin' change is minor. While Soarin' over California perhaps wasn't intended to be a park-thesis attraction, that's what it ended up becoming as one of the few unqualified successes of OG DCA. And yet they threw it out to replace it with a CGI fest where fake animals throw things in your face and you go to weirdly-askew and much more obvious (read: predictable) landmarks, all scored to a less impressive derivative of the original soundtrack. There's probably some nostalgia at play, as with anything else, but still-they did a park landmark, a park classic, dirty. As I've said, the OG Soarin' was an attraction I did multiple times a trip, and World is lucky to get hit once. Maybe that's another me problem, but I genuinely believe that the loss of the original Soarin' was the first, and in many ways still the worst, DCA change that made me less invested in the place. It's been all downhill from there, and perfectly symbolic to me of a park that lost its way.
-Knott's
-Kennywood
-Knoebels
-Disneyland
-Cedar Point
-Kings Island
-Silver Dollar City
-Six Flags Fiesta Texas
etc.
I can't speak for you, but it appears to me that you may be allowing your feelings about IP you like and what you felt was an excellent piece of day-ending entertainment elevate the rest of the park more than it perhaps deserves. And that's fine. But that doesn't jive with my experience with the place over the last decade. If I'm incorrect in my reading, you are by all means welcome to refute it. It is only an impression and nothing more.
Of course, Disney park fans are very vocal about what they perceive as the way things should be, and sometimes they, as are any members of fandom, are subject to spout hyperbole. I remember seeing complaints about Project Sparkle and so on that didn't at all register to me and seemed to be an overreaction. If someone does genuinely go to Disneyland and all they can see are the negatives, they should probably take a break from visiting, because we both agree that there is a lot they still do right. BUT if basically every person here regularly visiting the parks can list a number of things they don't care for in regards to how the park is currently run, or how this or that thing that had value to them disappeared over the past ten years, should that not be cause for concern? Especially if there are concerns that many, MANY people share? It's definitely true that people can get bogged down in negativity, and that many of those complaints might strike others as nonsense. But that doesn't inherently mean that every negative thought or gripe is wrong.
Speaking of pricing in general: over the past decade, pricing has skyrocked significantly across the board, and again, things that used to be included in large or small ways simply aren't anymore (everything from bread at table service restaurants to FP and so on). Unless you have unlimited funds, that does start to wear on you after awhile and affect how you see the place. My dollar doesn't go as far as it did ten years ago, and while I still have fun, I do think I am justified in being frustrated by that fact. Additionally, the way the resort is increasingly engineering your experience and directing you to your phone and revenue-generating schemes (i.e. park reservations, mobile order, Genie, more and more of the Fantasmic viewing area being reserved for dining package guests, etc) in a way that makes your experience less free and more stressful than it used to be, while the resort has simultaneously closed off or eliminated several quiet places to take a breather from what can often be a chaotic overwhelming environment even at the best of times (i.e. Big Thunder Ranch, Court of Angels). That doesn't mean there isn't still good there, but it does mean that a number of changes that have had a negative impact have nonetheless occurred.
The experience HAS been altered. Not to the point that it doesn't have value, but it has less value than it used to for many people. If you disagree, that's fine, but your experience is not the only experience. Other people have watched the decline over a longer period of time and have visited more frequently, and their opinions are certainly valid on this topic. No one that regularly posts here thinks everything is bad-if they did, they wouldn't still go to the parks-but there is plenty about the resort that could be pointed to as decline. But I don't think there's anything wrong with expecting more-we should expect more. We DO expect more. If we didn't, we wouldn't still be here talking about this and hoping for things to be even better than they are right now. We know this not just because of what Disney could do in the future, but because we saw and experienced them doing better than they are now with our own eyes.
I appreciate, and wish I could share, your optimism. But please understand that if I'm being negative, it's not just because it's fashionable to be negative online or on forums like this. So if you think the resort is better than ever, that's great-but understand that many will not share that opinion for a variety of legitimate reasons.
That said, I experienced some issues on that 2022 visit that I don't think would have happened ten years ago that I catalogued previously, and may do so again if they seem relevant. Additionally, I don't believe there's a single person here who is visiting the parks more regularly than you are that genuinely believes that things have never been better than they are right now, and there's a reason for that. There absolutely are things that used to be better than they are now. Not all of these things may have been of equal value to all, but nonetheless these changes did occur and have, to varying degrees, negatively impacted my visits, as well as those of most here posting on the DLR board.
A few reasons that I don't believe have come up yet about why the park can't be the best it's ever been? Prior to 2020, the park didn't have a reservation system that currently serves no purpose except to help Disney staff with the absolute minimum needed to make the parks operate functionally and to arbitrarily annoy people by not letting them in because they didn't properly do a park reservation. Additionally, prior to 2019 or so, it would have been inconceivable that the park's most popular ride would shut down hours before the rest of the park. Perhaps early on when Rise was constantly having problems this made sense, but to still be doing it now? What benefit does that serve the park's guests?
Anyway, now to address points you made:
You seem to be operating under the assumption that I'm mostly talking about Covid when I mention the entertainment cuts. I'm not. To be sure, there's a lot that's still there, a lot that's still good, and there's definitely more of it than there is at, say, WDW. But I'm specifically referring to some of the groups and shows that are no longer there and were cut between my first visit as an adult in 2013 and my last pre-Covid visit in 2018, including:
-Billy Hill & the Hillbillies (a demonstrably popular group that nonetheless somehow ended up at Knott's because of Disney blundering)
-The Laughing Stock Co., and a subsequent dueling piano show (BH&THB also were in Golden Horsehoe-with each act it appeared to get smaller and smaller scale)
-Mad T Party
-The aforementioned Pixar Parade at DCA
-The Happy Camper
-Oparation: Playtime! Featuring the Green Army Men
-A dance party that would go down the parade route prior to the main DCA parade (in 2013, Phineas and Ferb themed)
-Minnie's Fly Girls
-Instant Concert-Just Add Water
-With the loss of Big Thunder Ranch came the loss of another venue
-A whole slew of Tomorrowland Bands that would rotate and play actual music in the park and attract dedicated fans-all replaced with WDW-esque dance parties
I'm not going to say that all of these things were 100% my thing, or that I even saw all of these things (I actually didn't know the Happy Camper had ever been a thing until I pulled out my 2013 entertainment guide from that trip, but I love the idea of what seems like a charming little throwback sort of leisurely show-just a place for people to sing campfire songs. Love it). I know that they have brought in some entertainment and characters that didn't exist at that time, notably all of the things they've brought into Avenger's Campus. But there's a number of things that disappeared between even 2013 and 2018 that were never really replaced, or given inferior replacements (the dance party thing, for example). Additionally, comparing those 2013 and 2018 times guides is instructive-in 2013, both parks received their own four-page times guides, with DL's completely full of stuff (DCA filled three pages with entertainment, and the backside with guest info). By 2018, both parks had been consolidated into a single times guide pamphlet that was additionally smaller and printed on less sturdy-feeling paper. In 2022, either I just flat out never grabbed one (unlikely, given that I have tons of maps and entertainment guides from previous visits) or they just didn't exist and they directed people to the app. Declining by degrees.
Even before they outright killed some shows, there were some shenanigans that sometimes happened over time. Like the way that Magical Map went from featured show to a show they could barely bother to run on weekends. Things that just didn't make sense and wouldn't have happened in the past. To me, it's a clear decline.
And here I must explain why I strongly disagree. Ticket price increases have continued to happen anyway, and will continue regardless into the future. At this point, the price for Genie is too low, which results in WAY too many people using it. This was true for FastPass as well, but at least then it was free and theoretically everyone could use it. Now there's an upcharge, and it's priced at what seems like a "value" price of $20-30 on the face of things. But other line skipping services (Universal Express, Flash Pass, Fastlane, etc) are priced significantly higher, and as a result, the standby line is significantly less affected at other parks because few will pay for the privilege at the price that is being charged. With Genie, the price is too high for some to justify, but low enough that it's justifiable for enough people so that it is widely used and significantly impacts the wait of the standby line (and all of these systems demonstrably impact standby waits-witness the way that waits for rides like Buzz Lightyear and Monsters Inc, both of which could pretty much be reliably experienced in 15 minutes or less most of the day, both ballooned in popularity, resulting at one point in a two hour wait for standby, for Monsters Inc of all things. So as a result, Genie has the MOST negative impact to a guest that doesn't use the service of any such pass in the industry.
Additionally, there are limitations that exist with Genie+ that didn't exist with either FP, MP, or FP+. With Genie, I can only ride each attraction once per day. This assumes that I find equal value in every attraction, and that's just not the case. Furthermore, it's a limitation that didn't exist prior to Genie+. Why could I ride Space Mountain as many times as I desired three years ago with FP or MP for either free or a similar price to what I'm paying now, but suddenly because it's Genie I can't? And now I don't even get access to all of the park's attractions with the line skipping because now the most highly coveted attractions are about $20 apiece by themselves? I also want to point out that Disney is pretty much the only company that puts such arbitrary limitations on how I can use their system-if I were to go to Knott's, I could ride whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, as many times as I wanted. At Six Flags, it wouldn't be as flexible, and it would give me a return time like Disney does. However, I'm still free to more or less do what I want, when I want, as many times as I want. How can Genie be an upgrade in the context of not only what FP/MP used to be, but in the context of other systems of other parks? From every way that I can see, it's precisely the opposite.
Additionally, the idea that it will help the vacationers at the expense of the locals? That's true, but if I'm a local and I continue to see people fly through the Genie line (because, again, so many people will buy it because of the low price), that's not going to endear the place to me. And as much as sometimes there are annoying overzealous locals, DL still needs them and has shown through the way they've handled things like, say, the Magic Key program that they continue to make choices that are only logical if the locals are truly going to keep showing up no matter what-something that may not be as true as it once was.
It is nonetheless an example of declining by degrees, is it not? Of small touches that used to set Disney apart that they've now decided aren't worth maintaining?
It is something that is a personal negative that I now have to consider that I didn't a few years ago. Is that not a valid reason for me to be frustrated? I'm sure you have things that you don't care for that wouldn't bother me in the slightest, but it matters to you, and because of that, it's important. You have your things, I have mine.
Except that the point is that when I am hungry, I would like to have the choice to eat now, and I should be able to assume as a guest that I will not be inconvenienced if I just want to get into a line for a nearby restaurant. But that is not accurate, as Disneyland has essentially goosed the system by making virtually every restaurant have only a single worker for a line of people waiting to get food that is just as long as it would have been five years ago. And not every mobile order experience I had was smooth-my friend and I ordered a snack in the confectionary and there wasn't any clear signage or indication of where to pick up our order, and the CMs weren't particularly helpful either. Additionally, I like to save up for my trip and pay with Disney gift cards, which are less intuitive to use on the Disney apps than they should be. So it should be seemless, but in my experience it's certainly not to that point. Perhaps it will be in the future, but seeing as Disney seemingly has no idea how an intuitive app works, I doubt it will ever be where it should be. Not everyone has or wants to use their phone to order a meal. If I have to wait a little bit of time in a restaurant to be able to order, that to me is more tangible and understandable than "you can get your food in 40 minutes" on the app and I'm nowhere near the restaurant in question.
I'm glad you enjoy it, and I'm not denying that it can be beneficial. But I don't appreciate essentially being forced to use it because of their desire to save some money on staffing.
Anyway, you shouldn't be a customer, you should be a guest.
AND value has gone down, by virtue of things that had once been included no longer being included. It's not a 1:1 comparison.
It doesn't ruin the experience, but remember when Disney had the reputation of being a company that thought of everything and being proactive at addressing issues in the park/resort experience? They built that reputation, and for a long time they deserved it, and they still crow about how meticulous they are in every single piece of company literature they publish. Yet that is not shown in their actions. While I personally didn't use any businesses on that side of DTD other than eating at Earl from time to time, it is nonetheless indicative of a company (or DLR leadership team) that is clearly acting without a plan. I can't imagine the Disney of Walt's time, or the Disney up through the early nineties, just demolishing something without clear, concrete plans to immediately replace those services with something. It's not like people suddenly decided they hated Rainforest Cafe and left it destitude, you know? Or like ESPN Zone suddenly didn't fit in the context of modern Disney, the company of synergy and brands. They would have made more money, and the space would be more aesthetically attractive, if they had let those tenants stay in place until they had some sort of plan. And even if they were at a point where the contracts were going to expire and businesses were going to be displaced regardless, they should have been proactive at making sure everything was a go by that point. Clearly they didn't, and that doesn't reflect well on them.
Frankly, that Earl location must have made bank, because the fact that they keep coming back even as they've had to deal with a lot of nonsense from Disney beggars belief.
I am genuinely looking forward to experiencing MMRR, and get the feeling that I will enjoy it more than many here. It sounds perfect for the area, and Toontown has needed some love for a long time. I'm hoping that this will be an improvement and I can 100% get behind.
Perhaps this is where not being a Star Wars fan leaves me out of the loop, but I genuinely don't see any way in which Smugglers improves upon what Star Tours 1.0 AND 2.0 have done in the time they've been around. And it's similar enough to Star Tours to be redundant in my eyes, and clearly park guests must agree, because Star Tours last year had shorter lines than I have ever seen before. It's not even genuinely interactive for most guests-and I'm still not convinced that most people actually want that level of interactivity in any case, no matter how much the theme park industry crows about it. So now the longevity of a genuine park classic is more in question than it was in the past because Disney opened what is basically a glorified knock-off in the same park? How is that smart planning? Does that not point to a lack of imagination to envision Star Wars in a theme park beyond a motion simulator (and even Rise has moments where it too engages in Star Tours cosplay!), and shouldn't we expect more?
To me Webslingers did nothing to improve on, say, Ninjago at Legoland, which did the same sort of interactive thing back in 2017. Perhaps it's a me problem, but I don't feel like the ride did a particularly good job explaining what we were supposed to do on the ride. And again, it just doesn't make sense to me that Universal opened a far more-impressive Spider-Man attraction more than 20 years ago, and rather than taking advantage of the fact that one of their most popular characters can actually have his own theme park attraction in California and do something to raise the bar, they build...a glorified Midway Mania in sleeker clothing. For the character and the alleged leaders of the theme park industry, it's a letdown. I'm not saying that they shouldn't build smaller rides, but why not both? It's certainly not an attraction strong enough to anchor the opening of a new land, and retroactively adding Guardians into Avengers doesn't really solve the problem either. They NEED an anchor, a reason for people to care, beyond Webslingers and a pre-existing ride reskin. The alleged leader of the theme park industry should know this, but given that they did something similar with GE, perhaps they don't? It doesn't speak highly to their abilities in any case. Maybe I'd like the land and attraction more if I were more into Marvel, but honestly the whole area is just less aesthetically pleasing and pleasant to be in than ABL was. And I personally can't get beyond the vast disparity between what Universal is offering as their Spider-Man ride when compared to the much newer, but less impressive, Disney offering.
I disagree that the Soarin' change is minor. While Soarin' over California perhaps wasn't intended to be a park-thesis attraction, that's what it ended up becoming as one of the few unqualified successes of OG DCA. And yet they threw it out to replace it with a CGI fest where fake animals throw things in your face and you go to weirdly-askew and much more obvious (read: predictable) landmarks, all scored to a less impressive derivative of the original soundtrack. There's probably some nostalgia at play, as with anything else, but still-they did a park landmark, a park classic, dirty. As I've said, the OG Soarin' was an attraction I did multiple times a trip, and World is lucky to get hit once. Maybe that's another me problem, but I genuinely believe that the loss of the original Soarin' was the first, and in many ways still the worst, DCA change that made me less invested in the place. It's been all downhill from there, and perfectly symbolic to me of a park that lost its way.
I'm not going to go into this because I don't feel like I have anything to say here that is unique from what I've said in the past, but I honestly feel better and more uplifted leaving the following parks than I feel leaving DCA, in no particular order:
-Knott's
-Kennywood
-Knoebels
-Disneyland
-Cedar Point
-Kings Island
-Silver Dollar City
-Six Flags Fiesta Texas
etc.
I can't speak for you, but it appears to me that you may be allowing your feelings about IP you like and what you felt was an excellent piece of day-ending entertainment elevate the rest of the park more than it perhaps deserves. And that's fine. But that doesn't jive with my experience with the place over the last decade. If I'm incorrect in my reading, you are by all means welcome to refute it. It is only an impression and nothing more.
As I've said, it's a lot easier to say there haven't been (or to not see) a thousand minor inflictions if you've only been twice. That's the nature of how it is to visit parks. You could undoubtedly point out things that used to be better at parks/places that you frequent that I wouldn't notice or wouldn't strike me as significant, but nonetheless held some meaning for you personally.
Of course, Disney park fans are very vocal about what they perceive as the way things should be, and sometimes they, as are any members of fandom, are subject to spout hyperbole. I remember seeing complaints about Project Sparkle and so on that didn't at all register to me and seemed to be an overreaction. If someone does genuinely go to Disneyland and all they can see are the negatives, they should probably take a break from visiting, because we both agree that there is a lot they still do right. BUT if basically every person here regularly visiting the parks can list a number of things they don't care for in regards to how the park is currently run, or how this or that thing that had value to them disappeared over the past ten years, should that not be cause for concern? Especially if there are concerns that many, MANY people share? It's definitely true that people can get bogged down in negativity, and that many of those complaints might strike others as nonsense. But that doesn't inherently mean that every negative thought or gripe is wrong.
Restricting myself to only Disney parks, I would say the only parks that across the board made almost entirely positive decisions were Hong Kong and Animal Kingdom. Some are more arguable (Hollywood Studios), but I'd say most others were defininitively better ten years ago (and even TDS' Fantasy Springs would have to be pretty incredible to make up for the massive downgrade in entertainment that has occured at that particular park over the past ten years). Again, doesn't mean that they're bad or terrible now, or that I can't/won't enjoy them when I visit. But I'm not getting the value for the money that I did ten years ago.
Speaking of pricing in general: over the past decade, pricing has skyrocked significantly across the board, and again, things that used to be included in large or small ways simply aren't anymore (everything from bread at table service restaurants to FP and so on). Unless you have unlimited funds, that does start to wear on you after awhile and affect how you see the place. My dollar doesn't go as far as it did ten years ago, and while I still have fun, I do think I am justified in being frustrated by that fact. Additionally, the way the resort is increasingly engineering your experience and directing you to your phone and revenue-generating schemes (i.e. park reservations, mobile order, Genie, more and more of the Fantasmic viewing area being reserved for dining package guests, etc) in a way that makes your experience less free and more stressful than it used to be, while the resort has simultaneously closed off or eliminated several quiet places to take a breather from what can often be a chaotic overwhelming environment even at the best of times (i.e. Big Thunder Ranch, Court of Angels). That doesn't mean there isn't still good there, but it does mean that a number of changes that have had a negative impact have nonetheless occurred.
The experience HAS been altered. Not to the point that it doesn't have value, but it has less value than it used to for many people. If you disagree, that's fine, but your experience is not the only experience. Other people have watched the decline over a longer period of time and have visited more frequently, and their opinions are certainly valid on this topic. No one that regularly posts here thinks everything is bad-if they did, they wouldn't still go to the parks-but there is plenty about the resort that could be pointed to as decline. But I don't think there's anything wrong with expecting more-we should expect more. We DO expect more. If we didn't, we wouldn't still be here talking about this and hoping for things to be even better than they are right now. We know this not just because of what Disney could do in the future, but because we saw and experienced them doing better than they are now with our own eyes.
I appreciate, and wish I could share, your optimism. But please understand that if I'm being negative, it's not just because it's fashionable to be negative online or on forums like this. So if you think the resort is better than ever, that's great-but understand that many will not share that opinion for a variety of legitimate reasons.
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