Trip Report Readers Chick Chat and Guy Gabbing Thread!

[Zipadeelady]

Yes and no. For the most part big businesses can't do anything major in a less than two year time span. Look at Tron - ride was announced in 2017 and yet here we are in 2023 soon and it's still not open. I'm no IT person but I assume Genie Plus needs a lot of codes and that has to take a couple years to do and test out.

So the odds of Chapek being the fault for everything or even half the things done is very slim.

So am I right thinking that he is possibly the fall guy? Maybe he could've stopped some of the things that we all hate about the parks but chose not to so that also makes him just as guilty as Iger? I just know that when I look at that other thread everyone is saying this is great but they are the same ones who have been complaining about Iger before the mess of Chapek. I'm just confused of why they are excited if Iger was the one that was making these horrible choices to begin with.

I just want my daughter C to be able to buy the Pirate Pass for herself.

 

[MickeyCB]

So am I right thinking that he is possibly the fall guy? Maybe he could've stopped some of the things that we all hate about the parks but chose not to so that also makes him just as guilty as Iger? I just know that when I look at that other thread everyone is saying this is great but they are the same ones who have been complaining about Iger before the mess of Chapek. I'm just confused of why they are excited if Iger was the one that was making these horrible choices to begin with.

I just want my daughter C to be able to buy the Pirate Pass for herself.

I know zip (get it?) about what truly went down, as does no one else outside of that boardroom.
But, the consensus seems to be Bob 1 definitely put a lot into motion that all of us hate and resent, but that Bob 2 wasn't capable or willing to soften those blows and appears to have piled on.
I'm of the opinion the board could care less about the things we do. History of the parks, new attractions and entertainment. Getting our money's worth.
I think the death toll for number 2, was the Wall Street issue. And with that said how is Bob 1 going to be the savior?
How does he stop gouging the customers eyes out if Disney and Wall Street insist on keeping the goal of profiteering?

And as I respond to your post I have to remember I'm the one who started this thread and asked everyone to be nice. So we need to probably not say what we really thought about the last 2 years in here!

 

[Zipadeelady]

I know zip (get it?) about what truly went down, as does no one else outside of that boardroom.
But, the consensus seems to be Bob 1 definitely put a lot into motion that all of us hate and resent, but that Bob 2 wasn't capable or willing to soften those blows and appears to have piled on.
I'm of the opinion the board could care less about the things we do. History of the parks, new attractions and entertainment. Getting our money's worth.
I think the death toll for number 2, was the Wall Street issue. And with that said how is Bob 1 going to be the savior?
How does he stop gouging the customers eyes out if Disney and Wall Street insist on keeping the goal of profiteering?

And as I respond to your post I have to remember I'm the one who started this thread and asked everyone to be nice. So we need to probably not say what we really thought about the last 2 years in here!

Great response! Thank you for the input.

 

[Tuvalu]

Em is no longer mad at me.*







*except for the $70 charge to her credit card from all the cool stuff she bought!

 

[MickeyCB]

Em is no longer mad at me.*

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*except for the $70 charge to her credit card from all the cool stuff she bought!

That is awesome!!! And I'm so jealous!

 

[MickeyCB]

From this Mickey loving house, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

 

[Darstarr]

From this Mickey loving house, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
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You too!!!
And to every American Magician as well!!

 

[Tiggertoo56]

A bit late in the day, but wanted to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving









 

[Songbird76]

So I have a serious Bob question and the News and Rumors thread is a hot mess.

Everyone hates Bob C. He has only been in his position for 2 years, can the crap show that we call Disney World (which I still love) be his fault? I mean all the horrible choices that have been made lately weren't those already in the making with Bob I?

Now don't freak out, I'm a bit ignorant with the politics and corporate ladder at Disney (I believe there is a guy named Josh that might be mistaken for Satan). I just get all my information about what I need to do when visiting the parks from the Trip Report Forum.

I'm not sure either, but my understanding was that most of what people hated Bob C for was the MAJOR cost increases and the loss of perks? Things cost more than ever, but you get LESS for that money. No more magical express, no more free fastpass, etc, but I think a lot of the changes HAD to be started even before he was in charge. I kind of think it's not just any one person....it's a whole bunch of higher ups who want shareholders to make more money more than they want to satisfy the guest paying for it. As long as people still pay it, they'll still increase prices, and they'll take away "perks" or monetize them if they can.

 

[amjt660]

I know zip (get it?)

Max

 

[amjt660]

Large corporations are just that -

So to say that one person is responsible for coming up with all the ways that we as customers feel we are being gouged is...

But upper upper management - like board of directors and CEOs - are responsible for setting the vision - and large IT projects and cost modeling and pricing must go through them (in some capacity)

It is true that major projects take a long time from initial concept to implementation
So some of the big stuff like Lightening Lane and Genie Plus were probably on the books when Iger was still involved.

But Chapek was in charge during COVID when workers were being treated with little respect, programs and services were cut, prices were increased , etc.

As most of you know I work at a Toyota plant - we have full time employees and contract employees. Full time makes up approx 90% of our total workforce. All full time employees received a paycheck every two weeks as planned during COVID. We shutdown for 7 weeks with zero vehicles being made at one point and still paid our full time people. We asked them to use some of their vacation allotment but we were very fair.

Large corporations have the resources to make this type of decision - smaller companies do not

The concept was that when we came back we did not want to go through a rough patch with new hiring and training
We made the long term decision to take the hit to be able to rebound quickly

Disney Theme parks in USA (do not know the Asia or Europe story) took a short sighted approach - and we can see the impact on Cast member training, readiness and overall moral.

Just my two cents.

Max

 

[MickeyCB]

As most of you know I work at a Toyota plant - we have full time employees and contract employees. Full time makes up approx 90% of our total workforce. All full time employees received a paycheck every two weeks as planned during COVID. We shutdown for 7 weeks with zero vehicles being made at one point and still paid our full time people. We asked them to use some of their vacation allotment but we were very fair.

The concept was that when we came back we did not want to go through a rough patch with new hiring and training
We made the long term decision to take the hit to be able to rebound quickly

Very forward thinking, and so incredibly kind to the employees!
You can tell anywhere you go, and with any service you use, what the management is like. Disney the company, used to be exacting and all employees held to high standards. Not so much any longer. Thankfully there are still very dedicated CM's all over that still go the extra mile to provide a great experience for all of us.

Not related to the Disney short sightedness but this just reminded me of something.
I can't remember for sure, but I think it was the Toyota program that our hospital had all of us, Drs. managers, VP's etc. go through several years ago. It was quite interesting. Not sure it meshed perfectly with the healthcare industry, but interesting nonetheless.
Trying to tie the concepts of stream lining the process of care of a patient from the ER, to the floor to home, to a car assembly line required some mental gymnastics!

Another unrelated tidbit. I was reading one of the Disney Life Magazines and they said it took one year and one day to build Disneyland! (And I am aware that doesn't count the planning time, or that things weren't completely ready on opening day), but currently Disney is what, 4 or 5 years constructing a roller coaster that is a copy cat?!

 

[amjt660]

Hi @MickeyCB
It is funny you mention a hospital
We have trained local hospitals inthe past on the merits of the Toyota production system (TPS)

It is a management system and culture that can be applied to any operation ( if you have a qualified trainer)

Construction time for projects vary based on a number of variables

If you have what is called a green field site you can work more efficiently and quickly

Working around a running theme park impacts timelines and cost -you have to be cleaner and quieter and less visually offensive

But to honest the reason Disney is moving at a snails pace is budget

Keep a small crew working only regular time - do not spend extra money to air ship anything - let it show up on a slow boat from China - do not give your suppliers a premium to delivery early or even on time , etc

I cannot prove it - but I have seen it happen at my plant - so I assume a similar approach works at WDW

Max

 

[FutureCEO]

But Chapek was in charge during COVID when workers were being treated with little respect, programs and services were cut, prices were increased , etc.

Anytime you have to work with the public, your underpaid. Working with the public is the most exhausting thing ever. The customer is always right and bend over backwards for customers philosophy is out of control.

Don't get me started on tipping culture.

 

[Songbird76]

Anytime you have to work with the public, your underpaid. Working with the public is the most exhausting thing ever. The customer is always right and bend over backwards for customers philosophy is out of control.

Don't get me started on tipping culture.

Ugh.....the whole tipping system needs to go!! It's SOOOO toxic! I've never NOT tipped anyone, but I was a server for a couple of months while I was doing my student teaching, and it was terrible. Even WITH tips, I averaged like $4 an hour. It was in my home town, and everyone knew me, so people seemed to think because they know you, they don't need to tip. Like...the friends and family discount, except you're in a town where EVERYONE knows everyone, so you got very few tips. And the owner's daughter was the cook. They took $4 out of your pay every shift for food whether you ate there or not, and the daughter would refuse to cook anything for me and I wasn't allowed to cook because you had to have some certification for the industrial-sized hot plate thing. So I'd have $4 taken out of my paycheck, have to go across the way to the grocery store to buy food, and still not make anything because people felt like they were my friends and didn't need to tip me. And then there were a couple different groups who would come up every Saturday morning and sit in the back at one or two tables and order nothing but coffee. Free refills on coffee, and it cost 75 cents.....so most would sit there for a couple of hours and I'd have to make dozens of trips back and forth to fill coffee mugs for about a quarter. There was one REALLY sweet elderly man that everyone called "Grandpa" and he would only drink one cup, and he ALWAYS tipped a dollar or two. He tipped more than he paid for the coffee! His son-in-law would trip the waitresses with his cane, thinking it was a funny prank and he was a pretty grouchy customer. Maybe that's why Grandpa tipped so well....to make up for his annoying son-in-law.

You don't really tip here...maybe round off a bill from 87 euros to an even 90, but that's about it. You don't get nearly as good service, but it's much more fair to the employees.

 

[Tuvalu]

Em and I spent her birthday weekend in a location that was NOT Disney related. Though I don’t want to do a full trip report, I thought some of you might enjoy reading about our adventures. I will preface this by saying we are very grateful for @JenniferS and the recommendations she provided!

Two Noobs in the Wood

When you have a December birthday, the holidays inevitably creep into your celebration. Em has decided to embrace that fact and declared she wanted “lots of Christmas” for her birthday this year.

And she knew exactly where to find it.



This would be our first ever visit. And it seemed serendipitous that Dolly Parton’s Magic Mountain Christmas aired the night before our departure!

Dollywood is half the driving distance than WDW is from our hometown. We arrived in Pigeon Forge at lunchtime. Though we didn’t meet Dolly, there was another celebrity we had to see.



And boy, can she cook!

Biscuits with cheese and garlic butter. Outstanding.



Clockwise from top: garden salad with poppyseed dressing; creamed potatoes; fried chicken, baked mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings; green beans. We savored every bite.



But wait, there’s more!

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake (chocolate and original). Served warm. The chocolate was yummy, but the original OGBC blew it away! And, dare I say, we liked it even more than LTT’s version!



Here is the menu with the family-style choices.



A meal of this caliber would have been twice the cost at WDW. Three times if the same quality ingredients were used!

What makes everything so delicious?

If you know Paula Deen, you know the answer.





The cholesterol spike in our blood was worth it!!

One item in the gift store gave us Disney vibes.

 

[JenniferS]

Em is no longer mad at me.*

View attachment 680254

View attachment 680252

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*except for the $70 charge to her credit card from all the cool stuff she bought!

Just checked - the one in Sevierville doesn’t open until Summer of 2023.

Which one did you visit? First time? Were you blown away?

And just $70. Amateurs.

 

[Songbird76]

Em and I spent her birthday weekend in a location that was NOT Disney related. Though I don’t want to do a full trip report, I thought some of you might enjoy reading about our adventures. I will preface this by saying we are very grateful for @JenniferS and the recommendations she provided!

Two Noobs in the Wood

When you have a December birthday, the holidays inevitably creep into your celebration. Em has decided to embrace that fact and declared she wanted “lots of Christmas” for her birthday this year.

And she knew exactly where to find it.

View attachment 683343

This would be our first ever visit. And it seemed serendipitous that Dolly Patron’s Magic Mountain Christmas aired the night before our departure!

Dollywood is half the driving distance than WDW is from our hometown. We arrived in Pigeon Forge at lunchtime. Though we didn’t meet Dolly, there was another celebrity we had to see.

View attachment 683346

And boy, can she cook!

Biscuits with cheese and garlic butter. Outstanding.

View attachment 683348

Clockwise from top: garden salad with poppyseed dressing; creamed potatoes; fried chicken, baked mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings; green beans. We savored every bite.

View attachment 683347

But wait, there’s more!

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake (chocolate and original). Served warm. The chocolate was yummy, but the original OGBC blew it away! And, dare I say, we liked it even more than LTT’s version!

View attachment 683349

Here is the menu with the family-style choices.

View attachment 683350

A meal of this caliber would have been twice the cost at WDW. Three times if the same quality ingredients were used!

What makes everything so delicious?

If you know Paula Deen, you know the answer.

View attachment 683354

View attachment 683356

The cholesterol spike in our blood was worth it!!

One item in the gift store gave us Disney vibes.

View attachment 683357

Happy birthday, Em!!! Looks like you had fun....at least some great food!

We didn't get to do anything for A's birthday over the weekend because he and E are both sick. Negative for covid, but not feeling well anyway, so we are postponing birthday celebrations. He went back to school yesterday, and then first thing this morning, his friend at school sent him a message to say that he tested positive. So now we have to keep testing A and hoping he didn't pick it up. He'll be so upset if he has to miss his chess tournament on Saturday!!

 

[Tuvalu]

Just checked - the one in Sevierville doesn’t open until Summer of 2023.

Which one did you visit? First time? Were you blown away?

And just $70. Amateurs.

Em and I were excited to see the Buc-ees Sevierville signs and did not realize it was under construction until we passed by.

My first visit to a Buc-ees was 11/13 in Warner Robins on the way to WDW. Posted this a few pages back:

First time at Buc-ees!

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Brisket and egg taco brekkie!

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Also posted in my current TR:

For @Loco_driver

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Tried it. Loved it!

Em and I went to the Calhoun location about two weeks later. And spent about two hours there. Made the rookie mistake of arriving at lunchtime, but saving the eating until after the browsing.

Won’t make that mistake again. Food first!

 

[Tuvalu]

Two Noobs in the Wood, con’t

Bellies full of butter, we explored The Island in Pigeon Forge.



We did not ride the spinning wheel of death.

The fountain show was fun to watch. Not quite the Bellagio in Vegas (or even Illuminations) but charming in its own way.



Our local Mellow Mushroom is more understated than Jen and Mike’s place here on The Island.



Em and I first experienced Byrd’s at its original location in Savannah (where…shamelessly…we entered and exited a few time for the free cookie samples before buying bags of our own!)



We exercised great restraint here and did not go in. The cookies may be tiny but they are addicting!