Video - Splash Mtn finale Jan 22 (all animatronics broken)

[lebeau]

Either way, TDO have themselves to blame. Poor upkeep. Slashed budgets. PPM cut back.

The park is at such under capacity- as admitted- that indeed having BTM and Splash down at once would be a PR nightmare. And who's fault is that? The 20k plot has been empty for nearly 20 years now. Prime real estate. That and some of the other plots could and should have been developed as people eaters years ago. Now with Toontown gone and a signature E Ticket closed the park is close to breaking point. If Splash AND say POTC go 101 over Easter the resulting mess should be a final wake up call.

50,000 guests in park + two or more E tickets down + FLE work + Fastpass = a recipe for disaster.

Is it wrong that I am now hoping to see this exact scenario play out?

 

[DubyooDeeDubyoo]

This doesn't quite throw the dagger through the heart of my trip in the fall, but it does throw some weight behind getting a DL AP again when DCA is finished and taking a few trips out there through the year.

The costs in just travel to Florida is steep enough that experiences like that kind of frost the mood.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Not trying to come to anyone's defense here.... As the highest priced theme park in the US, the customer expectation is that everything should work every day. I would love to see it some day.

However, compare some broken down AA's on Splash Mountain to a "fully functional" log ride at any other amusement park. Night and day difference. There's no such thing as "show quality" at Cedar Fair or Six Flags parks. Universal tries their best, but NOBODY compares to Disney when it comes to the full experience.

I'll be there in a few weeks, then again at Thanksgiving (coming from Cincinnati, OH no less). I'm not going to let one attraction or one park in need of attention stop my plans to enjoy all 35,000 acres. Maybe those of you who visit every weekend see things differently. If you visit any place regularly, you're bound to notice every new paint chip, nail pop, cracked tile, etc.

TDO will get through this. Take a look at WDW as a whole, and it's still where most people want to spend their vacation time. Especially me.

I'll ride Splash regardless. Would love to see all AAs working perfectly, but can accept the fact if some aren't. That's a whole lot better than not being able to ride BTMRR at all!! And WDW is way better than Kings Island (right in my own backyard).

I'd agree that this is much-ado-about-nothing if this sort of problem was isolated to just Splash Mountain but it's not. I feel differently when the same show quality issues are in every park on numerous attractions and visible virtually everywhere you go on-property. It's signs of a much larger problem than just AA's in 1 scene of 1 attraction not working. That's the point. WDW as a whole hasn't always been in this state of disrepair. It's been mentioned in other threads that the maintenance practices weren't always what they currently are (ie. fix only what's broken, wait for things to break to give anything attention, order parts you don't have without keeping parts on-hand, etc. all in the spirit of saving a buck). If things hadn't gotten to this point WDW wouldn't be in the position they are currently in trying to limp thru with crappy show while attractions nearby are down for lengthy refurbs that they were in dire need of. These aren't problems that WDW has to have. That's the point.

 

[DubyooDeeDubyoo]

It's not like there aren't a lot of men in hard hats wandering around MK. That's likely the problem. There's so much down at MK right now that taking Splash down for a few days starts creating an occupancy nightmare.

Running the park on minimal hours (i.e. no early starts or late closings) would probably be a help.

 

[RSoxNo1]

When Storybook Circus opens up, Splash Mountain needs to close for a refurbishment. I know it will overlap with Big Thunder Mountain, but it's at the point where it should really be closed now.

I have never gone into Guest Relations to complain about broken effects, but I will tell ride operators if something is broken that can be easily fixed. Something like what Kevin showed u with this video would probably be enough to get me into Guest relations with a complaint. I hope that there were plenty of people in Guest Relations that day complaining about the state of the attraction.

A former Red Sox pitcher (I believe it was Mike Timlin) explained why fans boo athletes. They're not booing you because they hate you, they're booing you, because they want to cheer you.

We're "booing" Disney here. We don't hate Disney, we just know what they're capable of, and this isn't it.

 

[TP2000]

What's the point of billion dollar next gen when the basics are broken?

BINGO!

I've wondered that exact thing myself.

Why are they spending over a Billion dollars to keep over-medicated ADD children and their over-stimulated parents with surgically attached iPhones entertained in a 30 minute queue when the ride they are about to go on hasn't had a rehab in years and looks like utter garbage?

If the rides have dozens of non-working animatronic robots and the CM's working them have low enough standards as to not think it's a problem, why bother with the rides at all?

Why not just have a Next Gen queue to slap your way through for 15 minutes and then exit and go play whack-a-mole in another Next Gen queue for a bit before your Next Gen lunch reservation with blinking characters who can confirm in character voices that you pre-ordered the gluten-free sandwich? Who needs good rides at this theme park? :lookaroun

 

[sweetpee_1993]

A former Red Sox pitcher (I believe it was Mike Timlin) explained why fans boo athletes. They're not booing you because they hate you, they're booing you, because they want to cheer you.

We're "booing" Disney here. We don't hate Disney, we just know what they're capable of, and this isn't it.

This is a wonderful analogy! I would loooove to be cheering WDW and happily planning the next mega-adventure there. But I can't. That makes me sad. And irritated.

BINGO!

I've wondered that exact thing myself.

Why are they spending over a Billion dollars to keep over-medicated ADD children and their over-stimulated parents with surgically attached iPhones entertained in a 30 minute queue when the ride they are about to go on hasn't had a rehab in years and looks like utter garbage?

If the rides have dozens of non-working animatronic robots and the CM's working them have such low standards as to not think it's a problem, why even bother with the rides at all?

Why not just have a Next Gen queue to wait in for 15 minutes and then exit and go wait in another Next Gen queue for a bit before your Next Gen lunch reservation with blinking characters who can confirm in character voices that you want the gluten-free sandwich? Who needs actual rides? :lookaroun

Sad but oh-so true. And funny the way you said it in that last paragraph. :lol:

 

[xdan0920]

However, compare some broken down AA's on Splash Mountain to a "fully functional" log ride at any other amusement park. Night and day difference. There's no such thing as "show quality" at Cedar Fair or Six Flags parks. Universal tries their best, but NOBODY compares to Disney when it comes to the full experience.

You are both right and wrong in the same paragraph. You are wrong because you should not be comparing Splash to some log ride at any other amusement park. You should be comparing Splash to itself. And for the past year or more it has not even come close to measuring up. You are sort of right when you say no one compares to Disney for full experience. That used to be 100% true. Now it is true in some areas, and false in many others.

I'll ride Splash regardless. Would love to see all AAs working perfectly, but can accept the fact if some aren't. That's a whole lot better than not being able to ride BTMRR at all!! And WDW is way better than Kings Island (right in my own backyard).

Riding Splash in this condition is in no way better then not riding BTMRR at all. Riding Splash when it looks like this is downright depressing.

 

[GLaDOS]

If the rides have dozens of non-working animatronic robots and the CM's working them have low enough standards as to not think it's a problem, why bother with the rides at all?

I dunno if it's fair to blame frontline CMs. They don't have the authority to close an attraction.

 

[NewfieFan]

Wow. That is ugly.

Indefensible.

I am at a point where I need to make a decision about how to treat WDW.

On the one hand, I love WDW. A huge chunk of my best memories take place at the resort. I am a DVC owner, and I go every year.

Things are deteriorating so badly now, and the members on this site, and other sites, do such a great job of keeping us informed. I am having a hard time fully enjoying myself in WDW. I find myself thinking, "I wish I was like the ignorant masses." I want to enjoy WDW like I used to again.

So here is my choice. Do I just unplug completely from the Disney fan community and try and plunge myself into ignorance to better enjoy the parks?

Or do I stop going to WDW entirely? DVC operates on the west coast. I could use my points there. Maybe save up a couple years worth of points and head to Aulani?

TDO at this point is operating so poorly that my preferred 3rd choice, continue to be involved in the online fan community, and enjoy the parks, is not an option for me. So what do I do? and, am I the only one feeling this way?

I'm in the same boat with you! I'm a DVC member and I love my trips to WDW. Not only is WDW my happy place but it's our getaway, the place where we spend quality time together as a family, the place where my husband puts away the iphone and work, etc.! I love to get my fix of pixie dust! There's still so many things that I love about WDW and things that make me happy while I'm there. But I'm starting to notice problems while I'm there and so is my husband and kids (and they don't read forums). I'm even starting to look for problems... and that's just wrong! We're going in April and I couldn't be more excited but it makes me sad to think about what won't be working or in tip top shape.

I don't know what to do either! I love the online community, it gives me my fix while I'm away... and I just love talkin' Disney with someone who will listen (instead of the glazed over eye look I get from everyone else in my life). The negative does get to me at times and I wish it was all pixie dust and flowers all the time!

 

[maxairmike]

I dunno if it's fair to blame frontline CMs. They don't have the authority to close an attraction.

Well, they can call it down for show quality issues, but management would likely tell them to go right back up and at least give the CM(s) who made the call an unpleasant ear full, if not full discipline of some sort.

But yes, blaming the ride CMs is completely unfair and they can't close it permanently.

 

[Lee]

A few months back I posted a copy out of an old PotC operations manual. It listed out which AAs would, when malfunctioning, would cause the ride to go 101. (Auctioneer, dunking mayor, etc.)

ALot has changed when a whole scene can go down and the ride remain open...

 

[PlaneJane]

Well that's beyond embarrassing, it's disgusting and really creepy. Not to mention unacceptable and shameful. I wouldn't normally do this, but there's really no better expression to convey thoughts on this situation-

:brick:

I see your facepalm and raise you:
.

 

[TP2000]

I dunno if it's fair to blame frontline CMs. They don't have the authority to close an attraction.

No, they don't have that authority. But their managers do, and their managers set the pace for the operation and the standards to live up to.

And it's quite concerning, and very telling, when frontline CM's who worked at Splash Mountain this past weekend when this video was filmed show up in this thread and don't see what the big deal was. Like this quote from this Splash Mountain CM...

Guys, it's really not that bad. Yes, slightly bad show but not disgusting and horrible enough to cancel a vacation. It's one scene on a 12 minute ride. Not one person complained to the cast yesterday and thousands of people rode and enjoyed splash, many riding several times. It's not worth shutting it down.

Not trying to pick on you imagineergurl since management lowering their standards so much and easily justifying it to the hourly CM's is not your fault.

But there was a time in the fading past when WDW had much, much higher standards and didn't excuse stuff like that.

Heck, there are two other operating Splash Mountain attractions in other Disney theme parks around the world where the standards on this slow winter weekday are noticeably much higher than what's happening in WDW's Magic Kingdom Park on this same day. :lookaroun

 

[NemoRocks78]

Is it wrong that I am now hoping to see this exact scenario play out?

Agreed, heh :lookaroun

This is just ridiculous.

 

[roadtripper]

We had season passes for Hershey Park in PA a few years ago and for the entire first month that the park was open the best roller coaster was not working. It was one that goes 0-60 in 3 seconds. I'd rather have the ride open and not working 100% than have both Frontierland attractions down. I do agree that it shouldn't be acceptable to Disney, but it is what it is.

 

[Princess_Minnie]

Had that happen to us once. One chicken was frozen in this really creepy position with one eye half closed and it's mouth open :lookaroun

I certainly don't think that ONE AA being broken is enough to shut down a whole ride, especially during a busy day at the parks. BUT, a whole BOAT FULL? C'mon MK management. It would be like an entire country of dolls being broken in its a small world and they were still running people through.

 

[wdwfan22]

Riding Splash in this condition is in no way better then not riding BTMRR at all. Riding Splash when it looks like this is downright depressing.

That's not true, and many guests would line up to tell you so. There is no reason for splash to be down now with Big Thunder closed. Yes the scene is unpleasant to look at, but it's not as bad as the ride being down. In my opinion the park needs to go back to 9am to 7 pm hours during the off season so there is more time to correct things.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Not trying to come to anyone's defense here.... As the highest priced theme park in the US, the customer expectation is that everything should work every day. I would love to see it some day.

However, compare some broken down AA's on Splash Mountain to a "fully functional" log ride at any other amusement park. Night and day difference. There's no such thing as "show quality" at Cedar Fair or Six Flags parks. Universal tries their best, but NOBODY compares to Disney when it comes to the full experience.

I'll be there in a few weeks, then again at Thanksgiving (coming from Cincinnati, OH no less). I'm not going to let one attraction or one park in need of attention stop my plans to enjoy all 35,000 acres. Maybe those of you who visit every weekend see things differently. If you visit any place regularly, you're bound to notice every new paint chip, nail pop, cracked tile, etc.

TDO will get through this. Take a look at WDW as a whole, and it's still where most people want to spend their vacation time. Especially me.

I'll ride Splash regardless. Would love to see all AAs working perfectly, but can accept the fact if some aren't. That's a whole lot better than not being able to ride BTMRR at all!! And WDW is way better than Kings Island (right in my own backyard).

AAAAAAAnnnnnnndddd.... THERE'S the post I was waiting for. The apologist. The exact mindset that TDO plays to, and banks on (literally).

Who needs "great" when "okay" is swell, right???

:hurl:

Comparing Six Flags and Cedar Point to Disney parks is apples and oranges. It always has been. They cater to different demographics. Their focus of offerings is completely different. They're built on completely different principals. It's the equivalent of comparing going to an MLB game to going to an NBA game.

The fact that WDW has operated with higher level of maintenance and offerings and efficiency with much lower revenue coming through the gates in the past yet somehow can't seem to figure out how to do it these days (with many more dollars to work with) shouldn't be looked at with a shrug of your shoulders and an "aw shucks... They can still theme an indoor coaster better than Disaster Transport!" viewpoint. It should be judged and viewed separately, based on the standards set forth by The Disney Company themselves. That's the thing... We're not setting some sort of crazy level of expectation for them. We just want them to adhere to their own standard they set for themselves.

 

[GLaDOS]

That's not true, and many guests would line up to tell you so. There is no reason for splash to be down now with Big Thunder closed. Yes the scene is unpleasant to look at, but it's not as bad as the ride being down. In my opinion the park needs to go back to 9am to 7 pm hours during the off season so there is more time to correct things.

No, the park needs to go back to refurbing attractions more than once every decade and having a dedicated and fully staffed maintenance department.