Two coasts: One very different world

[theRIOT]

Ok, I've been lurking at the entire thread and choose not to comment on the trolling and banning of people because I don't want to get caught up with that but I do have a comment on people saying that the 90's was the "hey day" or best time in WDW.

I worked at WDW from 1995-1997 and I have friends who have worked there from 1989 to the present. Here's the differences from my personal experience with WDW.

When I worked there CM's were occasionally disgruntled employees or having bad days because it's a job and that is to be expected but it was fairly rare because we were actually treated pretty good. We were recognized constantly for good service and by recognized I mean that I got things like a new TV, a trip to Disneyland California, a 4-day cruise for two people and a tour of Animal Kingdom with 19 other CM's by Joe Rohde a few months before the park opened. I got these not only from having good guest comments but from helping out fellow CM's. Basically anytime I was spotted doing something great my name was dropped into a hat and if drawn, I was a happy girl. Because I was treated so great I gave 110% to my job - it was a win-win for Disney...happy CM = happy guests = better guest comments = happy CM.

Comments from guests and FL residents along with CM's at the time were that Disney World was so much more fun, cleaner, better etc than Universal, Sea World and other theme parks in the area. Those comments are getting fewer and far between. My friends that are CM's now have said that they tend to get more comments on why Disney isn't exciting, as nice, as fun as other parks. My recent visit to Universal was great and there were a lot of attractions I found to be suprior technology to Disney or at least better utilized. I wish I could confidently tell people Disney is way better than Universal like I used to but now I encourage some people to include Universal days in their "Disney" vacations.

Attractions go 101, they need refurbs, they get worn out and they require upkeep. My location had a system for reporting anything that was wrong from a safety issue to a burnt out lightbulb. If it was an easy fix, I generally reported it one day and it was repaired before my next shift. We were encouraged to report things that were not "Good Show" and we were rewarded for pointing these things out. It wasn't considered complaining, it was considered to be "Quality Control".

We had a GSM team who's job was to measure "Guest Satisfaction Measurement". If we noticed that a couple of guests commented on a certain thing - for example, where can I get an ice-cream (this is an actual example but I don't recall the exact numbers) we counted that for a specified amount of time (say 3 weeks) and then presented to our GSM manager - "In 3 weeks we had 304 guests ask about ice cream." A week later an ice cream cart was placed closer to our location.

I realize this is small but it showed that the CM's know first hand what the guests want - sometimes when management and the "Disney bigwigs" don't. It may not be a big thing but we got an ice-cream cart - and a greeter in our area with guidemaps to answer questions, and a better area for our entertainers, and a higher quality restaurant. We got those because CM's cared, managers listened and TDO responded.

I don't feel like Disney has been as receptive about "Guest Satisfaction Measurements" as they used to be. To my knowledge they don;t track this anymore at all (at least not in my former location) We often tracked 4 or 5 different things at a time. Not all of them came to fruition but enough did that I felt like we were being heard and I was a channel for guests to have their say.

So I guess to sum it up, my two complaints about WDW today compared to WDW in the 80's and 90's is that guests and CMs concerns are not addressed or even acknowledged and WDW is no longer a front runner attraction in terms of "show" and technological advancement - they have not evolved as quickly as other parks have. They are no longer the one to watch - they are the one scrambling to catch up. I also personally feel like they may be dragging out the Fantasyland expansion so it gives them something to hype for years instead of months.

This doesn't mean I dislike Disney. I am not canceling any upcoming trips or boycotting anything. In fact I always have a good time there and am looking forward to my upcoming visit but I have to say that seeing how things are shaping up on the other coast I would be tempted to skip a trip to WDW and go there instead.

This.
Above all things, this.

As another former CM, I know exactly where you are coming from and it makes me sad.

 

[wannab@dis]

Jimmy Thick- Remind me not to make you mad...

I'm not mad, I'm baffled. I just don't understand why the vocal complainers don't understand their message (sometimes legitimate) is lost in the noise of their posts. There are issues that should be fixed. There is absolutely no question about that and several are annoyingly obvious. I've made the suggestion multiple times that people will have more success in getting others to agree and vocalize their complaints if they are objective, factual and posted without the nastiness. Their complaints should also be constructive so others can see, understand, and possibly join with them in making it more vocal in the wider Disney community. However, the opposite usually happens. The complaints are generalized, subjective and derogatory. They put readers immediately on the defensive by calling them names or questioning their intelligence because they don't notice the minutia, or don't agree with the subjective generalizations.

There are examples of objective complaints that nobody can argue -- yeti and splash mtn AA's come to mind. For the yeti, there may be other factors we're not aware of, plans that are waiting until the next scheduled major maintenance, etc. However, I don't understand why they don't bring in some theatrical lighting (little more than strobes) and massive audio system to supplement the show until the yeti can be repaired or replaced. Just think, they could stage the yeti in a menacing manner, put in some great lighting effects, get some awesome audio of the roars and (possibly) use the current sensors for timing... seems like a 3rd shift improvement that should happen. Everyone walking out of AK should stop of guest services and let them know we want the yeti fixed. Make that suggestion for an interim fix. Make your voice heard where it truly matters!

But instead of objective complaints, we're all too often subjected to childish rants, over-generalizations, focus on minutia, slanderous and derogatory remarks. There is little or no appreciation of work being done, just tear it apart and complain. Casey's is a perfect example. They didn't have to build Casey's, they didn't have to double up dumbo with an indoor queue, or update the train station. They surely didn't have to put all the theming they've added to the area, dumbo or even the peanuts in the concrete. They could have brought the walls up to Toontown and left it as is. Someone even said (maybe this thread) that we should "mourn what we didn't get." Really? Ever seen videos of the kids that throw a fit on Christmas morning because they didn't get the exact toy they wanted? Same thing. It's an entitled and spoiled behavior.

The funny thing is more people would get behind the legitimate complaints if the posting behavior by some people was modified.

 

[wannab@dis]

Ok, I've been lurking at the entire thread and choose not to comment on the trolling and banning of people because I don't want to get caught up with that but I do have a comment on people saying that the 90's was the "hey day" or best time in WDW.

I worked at WDW from 1995-1997 and I have friends who have worked there from 1989 to the present. Here's the differences from my personal experience with WDW.

When I worked there CM's were occasionally disgruntled employees or having bad days because it's a job and that is to be expected but it was fairly rare because we were actually treated pretty good. We were recognized constantly for good service and by recognized I mean that I got things like a new TV, a trip to Disneyland California, a 4-day cruise for two people and a tour of Animal Kingdom with 19 other CM's by Joe Rohde a few months before the park opened. I got these not only from having good guest comments but from helping out fellow CM's. Basically anytime I was spotted doing something great my name was dropped into a hat and if drawn, I was a happy girl. Because I was treated so great I gave 110% to my job - it was a win-win for Disney...happy CM = happy guests = better guest comments = happy CM.

Comments from guests and FL residents along with CM's at the time were that Disney World was so much more fun, cleaner, better etc than Universal, Sea World and other theme parks in the area. Those comments are getting fewer and far between. My friends that are CM's now have said that they tend to get more comments on why Disney isn't exciting, as nice, as fun as other parks. My recent visit to Universal was great and there were a lot of attractions I found to be suprior technology to Disney or at least better utilized. I wish I could confidently tell people Disney is way better than Universal like I used to but now I encourage some people to include Universal days in their "Disney" vacations.

Attractions go 101, they need refurbs, they get worn out and they require upkeep. My location had a system for reporting anything that was wrong from a safety issue to a burnt out lightbulb. If it was an easy fix, I generally reported it one day and it was repaired before my next shift. We were encouraged to report things that were not "Good Show" and we were rewarded for pointing these things out. It wasn't considered complaining, it was considered to be "Quality Control".

We had a GSM team who's job was to measure "Guest Satisfaction Measurement". If we noticed that a couple of guests commented on a certain thing - for example, where can I get an ice-cream (this is an actual example but I don't recall the exact numbers) we counted that for a specified amount of time (say 3 weeks) and then presented to our GSM manager - "In 3 weeks we had 304 guests ask about ice cream." A week later an ice cream cart was placed closer to our location.

I realize this is small but it showed that the CM's know first hand what the guests want - sometimes when management and the "Disney bigwigs" don't. It may not be a big thing but we got an ice-cream cart - and a greeter in our area with guidemaps to answer questions, and a better area for our entertainers, and a higher quality restaurant. We got those because CM's cared, managers listened and TDO responded.

I don't feel like Disney has been as receptive about "Guest Satisfaction Measurements" as they used to be. To my knowledge they don;t track this anymore at all (at least not in my former location) We often tracked 4 or 5 different things at a time. Not all of them came to fruition but enough did that I felt like we were being heard and I was a channel for guests to have their say.

So I guess to sum it up, my two complaints about WDW today compared to WDW in the 80's and 90's is that guests and CMs concerns are not addressed or even acknowledged and WDW is no longer a front runner attraction in terms of "show" and technological advancement - they have not evolved as quickly as other parks have. They are no longer the one to watch - they are the one scrambling to catch up. I also personally feel like they may be dragging out the Fantasyland expansion so it gives them something to hype for years instead of months.

This doesn't mean I dislike Disney. I am not canceling any upcoming trips or boycotting anything. In fact I always have a good time there and am looking forward to my upcoming visit but I have to say that seeing how things are shaping up on the other coast I would be tempted to skip a trip to WDW and go there instead.

Good post. I agree policy shift is a shame.

This post illustrates a wonderful example of constructive criticism that should be copied and sent to guest services. (with the poster's permission of course) Share it with WDW and ask why they have stopped paying attention to their front line CMs. Give them examples of good interactions in the past and let them know your expectations on a future trip will determine whether you continue going or not. This lets them know it could hit their bottom line if guest expectations are not met. But, you have to follow through and not go if you find the service or the product below your expectations!

 

[Mouse Detective]

Share it with WDW and ask why they have stopped paying attention to their front line CMs. Give them examples of good interactions in the past and let them know your expectations on a future trip will determine whether you continue going or not. This lets them know it could hit their bottom line if guest expectations are not met. But, you have to follow through and not go if you find the service or the product below your expectations!

Culture change must start at the very top. Until it does and works its way down through each level to the lowest level of employees, it won't happen.

And the problem with "bottom line" arguments is that while it's true that more money could be made in offering a higher quality product, Disney is making so much money now that they don't care and no one in charge notices that profits could have been even higher than they were.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Culture change must start at the very top. Until it does and works its way down through each level to the lowest level of employees, it won't happen.

This is part of why I do not get why people so adore Staggs. He made a name for himself at Disney being actively involved in the pushing of the shift of culture at the end of Eisner's ears that so many so hate.

 

[Tom]

Ok, I've been lurking at the entire thread and choose not to comment on the trolling and banning of people because I don't want to get caught up with that but I do have a comment on people saying that the 90's was the "hey day" or best time in WDW.

I worked at WDW from 1995-1997 and I have friends who have worked there from 1989 to the present. Here's the differences from my personal experience with WDW.

When I worked there CM's were occasionally disgruntled employees or having bad days because it's a job and that is to be expected but it was fairly rare because we were actually treated pretty good. We were recognized constantly for good service and by recognized I mean that I got things like a new TV, a trip to Disneyland California, a 4-day cruise for two people and a tour of Animal Kingdom with 19 other CM's by Joe Rohde a few months before the park opened. I got these not only from having good guest comments but from helping out fellow CM's. Basically anytime I was spotted doing something great my name was dropped into a hat and if drawn, I was a happy girl. Because I was treated so great I gave 110% to my job - it was a win-win for Disney...happy CM = happy guests = better guest comments = happy CM.

Comments from guests and FL residents along with CM's at the time were that Disney World was so much more fun, cleaner, better etc than Universal, Sea World and other theme parks in the area. Those comments are getting fewer and far between. My friends that are CM's now have said that they tend to get more comments on why Disney isn't exciting, as nice, as fun as other parks. My recent visit to Universal was great and there were a lot of attractions I found to be suprior technology to Disney or at least better utilized. I wish I could confidently tell people Disney is way better than Universal like I used to but now I encourage some people to include Universal days in their "Disney" vacations.

Attractions go 101, they need refurbs, they get worn out and they require upkeep. My location had a system for reporting anything that was wrong from a safety issue to a burnt out lightbulb. If it was an easy fix, I generally reported it one day and it was repaired before my next shift. We were encouraged to report things that were not "Good Show" and we were rewarded for pointing these things out. It wasn't considered complaining, it was considered to be "Quality Control".

We had a GSM team who's job was to measure "Guest Satisfaction Measurement". If we noticed that a couple of guests commented on a certain thing - for example, where can I get an ice-cream (this is an actual example but I don't recall the exact numbers) we counted that for a specified amount of time (say 3 weeks) and then presented to our GSM manager - "In 3 weeks we had 304 guests ask about ice cream." A week later an ice cream cart was placed closer to our location.

I realize this is small but it showed that the CM's know first hand what the guests want - sometimes when management and the "Disney bigwigs" don't. It may not be a big thing but we got an ice-cream cart - and a greeter in our area with guidemaps to answer questions, and a better area for our entertainers, and a higher quality restaurant. We got those because CM's cared, managers listened and TDO responded.

I don't feel like Disney has been as receptive about "Guest Satisfaction Measurements" as they used to be. To my knowledge they don;t track this anymore at all (at least not in my former location) We often tracked 4 or 5 different things at a time. Not all of them came to fruition but enough did that I felt like we were being heard and I was a channel for guests to have their say.

So I guess to sum it up, my two complaints about WDW today compared to WDW in the 80's and 90's is that guests and CMs concerns are not addressed or even acknowledged and WDW is no longer a front runner attraction in terms of "show" and technological advancement - they have not evolved as quickly as other parks have. They are no longer the one to watch - they are the one scrambling to catch up. I also personally feel like they may be dragging out the Fantasyland expansion so it gives them something to hype for years instead of months.

This doesn't mean I dislike Disney. I am not canceling any upcoming trips or boycotting anything. In fact I always have a good time there and am looking forward to my upcoming visit but I have to say that seeing how things are shaping up on the other coast I would be tempted to skip a trip to WDW and go there instead.

Absolutely fantastic post. Thank you for sharing, and in a straightforward, factual, and tactfull manner. It's nice to hear a first-hand account from a CM who worked during the hey day.

This is not a baited question, but in your absolutely unbiased opinion, which levels of management played positive roles and encouraged all the tactics you mentioned? Was it just at the park-management level, or did it extend up to the then president of WDW, Lee Cockerell? I'm just curious as to how far up the chain of command you, personally, as a CM, felt the dedication went.

 

[DznyRktekt]

Ok, I've been lurking at the entire thread and choose not to comment on the trolling and banning of people because I don't want to get caught up with that but I do have a comment on people saying that the 90's was the "hey day" or best time in WDW.

I worked at WDW from 1995-1997 and I have friends who have worked there from 1989 to the present. Here's the differences from my personal experience with WDW.

When I worked there CM's were occasionally disgruntled employees or having bad days because it's a job and that is to be expected but it was fairly rare because we were actually treated pretty good. We were recognized constantly for good service and by recognized I mean that I got things like a new TV, a trip to Disneyland California, a 4-day cruise for two people and a tour of Animal Kingdom with 19 other CM's by Joe Rohde a few months before the park opened. I got these not only from having good guest comments but from helping out fellow CM's. Basically anytime I was spotted doing something great my name was dropped into a hat and if drawn, I was a happy girl. Because I was treated so great I gave 110% to my job - it was a win-win for Disney...happy CM = happy guests = better guest comments = happy CM.

Comments from guests and FL residents along with CM's at the time were that Disney World was so much more fun, cleaner, better etc than Universal, Sea World and other theme parks in the area. Those comments are getting fewer and far between. My friends that are CM's now have said that they tend to get more comments on why Disney isn't exciting, as nice, as fun as other parks. My recent visit to Universal was great and there were a lot of attractions I found to be suprior technology to Disney or at least better utilized. I wish I could confidently tell people Disney is way better than Universal like I used to but now I encourage some people to include Universal days in their "Disney" vacations.

Attractions go 101, they need refurbs, they get worn out and they require upkeep. My location had a system for reporting anything that was wrong from a safety issue to a burnt out lightbulb. If it was an easy fix, I generally reported it one day and it was repaired before my next shift. We were encouraged to report things that were not "Good Show" and we were rewarded for pointing these things out. It wasn't considered complaining, it was considered to be "Quality Control".

We had a GSM team who's job was to measure "Guest Satisfaction Measurement". If we noticed that a couple of guests commented on a certain thing - for example, where can I get an ice-cream (this is an actual example but I don't recall the exact numbers) we counted that for a specified amount of time (say 3 weeks) and then presented to our GSM manager - "In 3 weeks we had 304 guests ask about ice cream." A week later an ice cream cart was placed closer to our location.

I realize this is small but it showed that the CM's know first hand what the guests want - sometimes when management and the "Disney bigwigs" don't. It may not be a big thing but we got an ice-cream cart - and a greeter in our area with guidemaps to answer questions, and a better area for our entertainers, and a higher quality restaurant. We got those because CM's cared, managers listened and TDO responded.

I don't feel like Disney has been as receptive about "Guest Satisfaction Measurements" as they used to be. To my knowledge they don;t track this anymore at all (at least not in my former location) We often tracked 4 or 5 different things at a time. Not all of them came to fruition but enough did that I felt like we were being heard and I was a channel for guests to have their say.

So I guess to sum it up, my two complaints about WDW today compared to WDW in the 80's and 90's is that guests and CMs concerns are not addressed or even acknowledged and WDW is no longer a front runner attraction in terms of "show" and technological advancement - they have not evolved as quickly as other parks have. They are no longer the one to watch - they are the one scrambling to catch up. I also personally feel like they may be dragging out the Fantasyland expansion so it gives them something to hype for years instead of months.

This doesn't mean I dislike Disney. I am not canceling any upcoming trips or boycotting anything. In fact I always have a good time there and am looking forward to my upcoming visit but I have to say that seeing how things are shaping up on the other coast I would be tempted to skip a trip to WDW and go there instead.

Thank you for sharing this. (Wave smiley)

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

Absolutely fantastic post. Thank you for sharing, and in a straightforward, factual, and tactfull manner. It's nice to hear a first-hand account from a CM who worked during the hey day.

This is not a baited question, but in your absolutely unbiased opinion, which levels of management played positive roles and encouraged all the tactics you mentioned? Was it just at the park-management level, or did it extend up to the then president of WDW, Lee Cockerell? I'm just curious as to how far up the chain of command you, personally, as a CM, felt the dedication went.

The 3 managers at my location were fantastic. I also had a suggestion which turned out to help the manager of the Mexico pavilion (it helped decrease the hazards fo the World Showcase Rope Drop for the Cdn and Mex. CM's) and he was wonderful about it. In fact when I casually mentioned to him that my mother and sister were arriving for a visit the following week he gave them a private tour of the Mexican Pavilion including just the three of them in one boat as he pointed out some "magic" that sometimes goes unnoticed.

I rarely even heard Lee Cockerell's name mentioned however I had the opportunity to chat with both Joe Rohde and George Kalogridis. They really seemed to listen and take suggestions however if anything was implemented from the discussions...I can't say. Keep in mind the discussions were set up by them to have an informal chat with CM's about issues and areas of improvement so the fact that they wanted to do at all that was great and I suspect it wouldn't happen today.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Ok, I've been lurking at the entire thread and choose not to comment on the trolling and banning of people because I don't want to get caught up with that but I do have a comment on people saying that the 90's was the "hey day" or best time in WDW.

I worked at WDW from 1995-1997 and I have friends who have worked there from 1989 to the present. Here's the differences from my personal experience with WDW.

When I worked there CM's were occasionally disgruntled employees or having bad days because it's a job and that is to be expected but it was fairly rare because we were actually treated pretty good. We were recognized constantly for good service and by recognized I mean that I got things like a new TV, a trip to Disneyland California, a 4-day cruise for two people and a tour of Animal Kingdom with 19 other CM's by Joe Rohde a few months before the park opened. I got these not only from having good guest comments but from helping out fellow CM's. Basically anytime I was spotted doing something great my name was dropped into a hat and if drawn, I was a happy girl. Because I was treated so great I gave 110% to my job - it was a win-win for Disney...happy CM = happy guests = better guest comments = happy CM.

Comments from guests and FL residents along with CM's at the time were that Disney World was so much more fun, cleaner, better etc than Universal, Sea World and other theme parks in the area. Those comments are getting fewer and far between. My friends that are CM's now have said that they tend to get more comments on why Disney isn't exciting, as nice, as fun as other parks. My recent visit to Universal was great and there were a lot of attractions I found to be suprior technology to Disney or at least better utilized. I wish I could confidently tell people Disney is way better than Universal like I used to but now I encourage some people to include Universal days in their "Disney" vacations.

Attractions go 101, they need refurbs, they get worn out and they require upkeep. My location had a system for reporting anything that was wrong from a safety issue to a burnt out lightbulb. If it was an easy fix, I generally reported it one day and it was repaired before my next shift. We were encouraged to report things that were not "Good Show" and we were rewarded for pointing these things out. It wasn't considered complaining, it was considered to be "Quality Control".

We had a GSM team who's job was to measure "Guest Satisfaction Measurement". If we noticed that a couple of guests commented on a certain thing - for example, where can I get an ice-cream (this is an actual example but I don't recall the exact numbers) we counted that for a specified amount of time (say 3 weeks) and then presented to our GSM manager - "In 3 weeks we had 304 guests ask about ice cream." A week later an ice cream cart was placed closer to our location.

I realize this is small but it showed that the CM's know first hand what the guests want - sometimes when management and the "Disney bigwigs" don't. It may not be a big thing but we got an ice-cream cart - and a greeter in our area with guidemaps to answer questions, and a better area for our entertainers, and a higher quality restaurant. We got those because CM's cared, managers listened and TDO responded.

I don't feel like Disney has been as receptive about "Guest Satisfaction Measurements" as they used to be. To my knowledge they don;t track this anymore at all (at least not in my former location) We often tracked 4 or 5 different things at a time. Not all of them came to fruition but enough did that I felt like we were being heard and I was a channel for guests to have their say.

So I guess to sum it up, my two complaints about WDW today compared to WDW in the 80's and 90's is that guests and CMs concerns are not addressed or even acknowledged and WDW is no longer a front runner attraction in terms of "show" and technological advancement - they have not evolved as quickly as other parks have. They are no longer the one to watch - they are the one scrambling to catch up. I also personally feel like they may be dragging out the Fantasyland expansion so it gives them something to hype for years instead of months.

This doesn't mean I dislike Disney. I am not canceling any upcoming trips or boycotting anything. In fact I always have a good time there and am looking forward to my upcoming visit but I have to say that seeing how things are shaping up on the other coast I would be tempted to skip a trip to WDW and go there instead.

What are the odds that Next Gen could be used to monitor and update maintenance issues more timely? It does seem like things such as the Ice Cream scenario outlined here are one of the things that would hopefully be handled by Next Gen, but also by common sense.

I really would like to hear Lee, WDW1974, raven, marni or anyone else weigh in on the prospects of Fastpass+. I've painted it as a doomsday scenario to a certain point with the only real benefit to the guests being if it's kept as a Day of Reservation only. I really see the potential lack of flexibility here and the potential for a much lower # of day of Fastpasses. I can see this being the final nail in the coffin for me to switch the bulk of my trips to Disneyland.

 

[kaelynj1s]

Hello! I am new to the boards and this is my very first post! I have been reading several different forums and have finally decided to add my personal preference in the mix.

First off, I have never been to Universal, Sea World, DL, or DCA. I have only been to Six Flags, WDW, and Tokyo Disneyland so I am definitely not as knowledgeable as others on here. So, please correct me if I am wrong on anything.

It's very obvious that DL/DCA and WDW are very different from each other. Walt designed and built DL himself. His heart and soul is (or was) in that park and I find that fact alone makes DL more desirable.

I wish there wasn't so much expansion at WDW. I feel that Disney needs to address all the minor issues first before carrying on to bigger (and hopefully) better things. My friend who is a CM told me that Tomorrowland is getting a major refurbishment as soon as FLE is complete. It needs one bad. Last time he was home, he got a call from one of his friends saying the planets on Astro caught on fire due to "electrical problems". I didn't notice any planets at Astro last time I was there so I guess they have been removed. As much as I enjoy the carousel of progress, it needs to go. I feel that space can be utilized way better. I dont think Tomorrowland has had any major refurbishment since...1994?

I can't say anything about DL/DCA other than I am jealous they have Carsland. I am remaining optimistic that our expansion will be equally as amazing. But why compare Carsland to Casey Jr? Carsland is one idea. One theme. Our expansion is several ideas and several themes opening in phases. I actually like the idea of Casey Jr. Splash station. I would rather happy kids than crying screaming kids. It keeps the kids happy, occupied, and in one area. I'd rather that than screaming in a queue.

 

[Mike K]

Hello! I am new to the boards and this is my very first post! I have been reading several different forums and have finally decided to add my personal preference in the mix.

First off, I have never been to Universal, Sea World, DL, or DCA. I have only been to Six Flags, WDW, and Tokyo Disneyland so I am definitely not as knowledgeable as others on here. So, please correct me if I am wrong on anything.

It's very obvious that DL/DCA and WDW are very different from each other. Walt designed and built DL himself. His heart and soul is (or was) in that park and I find that fact alone makes DL more desirable.

I wish there wasn't so much expansion at WDW. I feel that Disney needs to address all the minor issues first before carrying on to bigger (and hopefully) better things. My friend who is a CM told me that Tomorrowland is getting a major refurbishment as soon as FLE is complete. It needs one bad. Last time he was home, he got a call from one of his friends saying the planets on Astro caught on fire due to "electrical problems". I didn't notice any planets at Astro last time I was there so I guess they have been removed. As much as I enjoy the carousel of progress, it needs to go. I feel that space can be utilized way better. I dont think Tomorrowland has had any major refurbishment since...1994?

I can't say anything about DL/DCA other than I am jealous they have Carsland. I am remaining optimistic that our expansion will be equally as amazing. But why compare Carsland to Casey Jr? Carsland is one idea. One theme. Our expansion is several ideas and several themes opening in phases. I actually like the idea of Casey Jr. Splash station. I would rather happy kids than crying screaming kids. It keeps the kids happy, occupied, and in one area. I'd rather that than screaming in a queue.

Welcome to the forums! Interesting to hear that your CM friend mentioned a major Tomorrowland refurbishment. If it proves true, I wonder what could be in store for us? I feel the first thing that would change would be the removal of Stitch's Great Escape. It just seems there's a lot more negativity for it than praise and most guests would be happy with something new in that location, including myself. While I welcome a "major" refurbishment in Tomorrowland as you say, I truly hope that Hollywood Studios would be the focus of Disney's attention after FLE is complete.

 

[Pentacat]

I actually like the idea of Casey Jr. Splash station. I would rather happy kids than crying screaming kids. It keeps the kids happy, occupied, and in one area. I'd rather that than screaming in a queue.

They still be screaming in the queue, they'll just be screaming about how wet and cold they are now.

I just don't understand the point of these in-park water play areas. You have two huge water parks and themed or quiet pools just yards away from most hotel rooms on property. Other than just filling space (cheaply) why does this exist?

 

[flynnibus]

They still be screaming in the queue, they'll just be screaming about how wet and cold they are now.

I just don't understand the point of these in-park water play areas. You have two huge water parks and themed or quiet pools just yards away from most hotel rooms on property. Other than just filling space (cheaply) why does this exist?

Because in the summer when it's a 100 degrees and 80%+ humidity.. cooling off is a wonderful thing. You can't cool off here, if the pool is all the way back at the resort.

 

[Tom]

What are the odds that Next Gen could be used to monitor and update maintenance issues more timely? It does seem like things such as the Ice Cream scenario outlined here are one of the things that would hopefully be handled by Next Gen, but also by common sense.

I'm trying to think of how it could be used....but I'm struggling. NextGen is based almost solely around the RFID guest identifier, and tracking their moves and habits (as far as we know, and can assume). Of course, they'll use it for interactivity as well, but that's a cover for the real data mining motive.

To track things like guests wanting ice cream in a certain area would still need to be done using a human being....although today, they'd carry a tablet and I suppose they could "scan" the guest when they were answering the question. So, not only would Disney know from it's Survey Team that 50 people think there should be ice cream at location X....but they'd know who those people were and e-mail them a coupon for ice cream.

 

[kaelynj1s]

Welcome to the forums! Interesting to hear that your CM friend mentioned a major Tomorrowland refurbishment. If it proves true, I wonder what could be in store for us? I feel the first thing that would change would be the removal of Stitch's Great Escape. It just seems there's a lot more negativity for it than praise and most guests would be happy with something new in that location, including myself. While I welcome a "major" refurbishment in Tomorrowland as you say, I truly hope that Hollywood Studios would be the focus of Disney's attention after FLE is complete.

I hope his word stays true. He is a CM in Tomorrowland.

Maybe a Tomorrowland refurb is next for MK? But a DHS refurb wouldnt be such a bad idea. I think the back lot tour and LMA can use some updating or even some new attractions in that space. And what was this i read about lucasland?

 

[flynnibus]

To track things like guests wanting ice cream in a certain area would still need to be done using a human being....although today, they'd carry a tablet and I suppose they could "scan" the guest when they were answering the question. So, not only would Disney know from it's Survey Team that 50 people think there should be ice cream at location X....but they'd know who those people were and e-mail them a coupon for ice cream.

Imagine if you polled people all the time by simply asking them to swipe their ticket against a sign... then tomorrow magically things changed...

Or if you noticed people spent a lot more time in line at one type of food stand.. and later you find they opened more registers or another cart.

Or if they start tracking purchases more closely with ticket media.. there are all kinds of analytics possibilities.

The cool thing about everyone having a digital token.. is its very easy to have counts of things.

 

[GenerationX]

So, DCA is no longer a punchline, and the MK now has a small fraction of a major refurbishment opened.

 

[Tom]

Imagine if you polled people all the time by simply asking them to swipe their ticket against a sign... then tomorrow magically things changed...

Or if you noticed people spent a lot more time in line at one type of food stand.. and later you find they opened more registers or another cart.

Or if they start tracking purchases more closely with ticket media.. there are all kinds of analytics possibilities.

The cool thing about everyone having a digital token.. is its very easy to have counts of things.

Some of those things could indeed be done without human intervention. Just proximity scanners (which they will most assuredly install throughout property) that count people and log their demographics for some serious data analysis.

And there's no doubt in my mind they'll be tracking what each individual guest buys, rides, and experiences. And they'll tailor their marketing by person.

But to answer Tim's question, it would be done with a combination of human and NextGen technology. So I guess the simple answer is "yes".

But then he also asked if they could track maintenance issues. That's something that should STILL be done by CMs in ride/attraction operations reporting issues through a computer system....unrelated to NextGen.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

What are the odds that Next Gen could be used to monitor and update maintenance issues more timely? It does seem like things such as the Ice Cream scenario outlined here are one of the things that would hopefully be handled by Next Gen, but also by common sense.

We were able to do it with a scrap of paper and a pencil at every register - but I suppose anything now would make it incredibly complicated. Is there an app for that yet?

 

[rioriz]

But instead of objective complaints, we're all too often subjected to childish rants, over-generalizations, focus on minutia, slanderous and derogatory remarks. There is little or no appreciation of work being done, just tear it apart and complain. Casey's is a perfect example. They didn't have to build Casey's, they didn't have to double up dumbo with an indoor queue, or update the train station. They surely didn't have to put all the theming they've added to the area, dumbo or even the peanuts in the concrete. They could have brought the walls up to Toontown and left it as is. Someone even said (maybe this thread) that we should "mourn what we didn't get." Really? Ever seen videos of the kids that throw a fit on Christmas morning because they didn't get the exact toy they wanted? Same thing. It's an entitled and spoiled behavior.

The funny thing is more people would get behind the legitimate complaints if the posting behavior by some people was modified.

I have been saying this for ages and honestly, there are some insiders (drew81, lee,raven,and some i may forget), who do a great job at limiting their post but getting their point, neg or pos, across constructively. It seems to be those who follow that can bring the language and over posting you speak of...