WDW Awakens ...

[marni1971]

Well, the PR spin is out. The dates are announced.

The 2016 WDW summer promotion consists of overlays, changes to existing entertainment, added capacity to existing attractions and an intermin show. When you see it all listed together on one page it is shameful.

It wouldn't be so bad if these things didn't used to be normal, regular plussings.

 

[mm52200]

Well, the PR spin is out. The dates are announced.

The 2016 WDW summer promotion consists of overlays, changes to existing entertainment, added capacity to existing attractions and an intermin show. When you see it all listed together on one page it is shameful.

It wouldn't be so bad if these things didn't used to be normal, regular plussings.

I'm confused, weren't these all things that were just happening on their own accord anyway? So they decided to take these new things,overlays, additions, whatever you want to call them and tie them into their summer promotion.
Isn't this better than them trotting out Frozen Summer Fun for the third year in a row, or hyping up a Monstrous Summer with no new actual offerings or Show Your Disney Side with two new restaurants we have open.

If a brand new nightly fireworks show, new attraction enhancements and overlays, new entertainment, and other offerings is shameful then I guess I'm confused....

 

[Speedy71]

I look at it this way. Disney is 3 years from being where it needs to be. After Avatar, SWL, Toy Story Land, and all of the other little things are complete Disney will be back to normal. The problem is they started 5 years too late and won't finish for 3 more years. They need to be planning now for what goes beyond those new areas and ready to implement those changes immediately after completing these.

Those lands will not bring WDW or disney back to "normal" those IMO should have came years ago. And lets not even talk about how they have neglected to refrub some of these rides especially MK and EPCOT.

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm confused, weren't these all things that were just happening on their own accord anyway? So they decided to take these new things,overlays, additions, whatever you want to call them and tie them into their summer promotion.
Isn't this better than them trotting out Frozen Summer Fun for the third year in a row, or hyping up a Monstrous Summer with no new actual offerings or Show Your Disney Side with two new restaurants we have open.

If a brand new nightly fireworks show, new attraction enhancements and overlays, new entertainment, and other offerings is shameful then I guess I'm confused....

I think the shameful part is that there are no new rides at all for 2016. In the distant past there would never be a whole calendar year with no new rides. It was a given that if you visited every year there would be something new to see and if you skipped a year or 2 you may not recognize the place. Flash forward to 2016 and we get an overlay of Frozen, more capacity at existing rides and some changes to shows and that's actually pretty good compared to the recent past. That's the shameful part.

 

[Mike S]

Well, the PR spin is out. The dates are announced.

The 2016 WDW summer promotion consists of overlays, changes to existing entertainment, added capacity to existing attractions and an intermin show. When you see it all listed together on one page it is shameful.

It wouldn't be so bad if these things didn't used to be normal, regular plussings.

 

[tirian]

We really don't need the graphic restroom discussions. Thanks.

Yes.

But.

I'm here now and have never before seen such filthy restrooms at WDW. "Stuff" on the ground in TWO facilities at the Studios (in the front by stroller rental, and the ones near Toy Story).

Considering this is Phil Holmes's park, I shouldn't be surprised. The cutbacks are evident at restaurants and transportation, but especially in custodial.

EDIT: FWIW, the few custodians I have seen are working hard. But there aren't enough of them to keep up with the public.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Yes.

But.

I'm here now and have never before seen such filthy restrooms at WDW. "Stuff" on the ground in TWO facilities at the Studios (in the front by stroller rental, and the ones near Toy Story).

Considering this is Phil Holmes's park, I shouldn't be surprised. The cutbacks are evident at restaurants and transportation, but especially in custodial.

EDIT: FWIW, the few custodians I have seen are working hard. But there aren't enough of them to keep up with the public.

That's awful. I kinda feel bad for the custodial artists...they have a lot of people to clean up after.

 

[PhotoDave219]

And the 'real media' is likely to shrink even more if the Hostile Buy Out of the Chicago Tribune by Gannett plays out (and the Tribune is considering not fighting the buyout.) Since the Chicago Tribune currently owns the Sun & Orlando Sentinel that could be added to Gannets portfolio of Florida owned newspapers, it is likely 'real media' decrease in number yet again at these events. Gannet is known to rework the newly acquired newspapers and consolidate efforts (and employees) to turn the profit margins around. Could be harder to read objective, vetted, real news stories regarding the world of Disney in the future.

Yes, this is extremely bad. Crossing the streams bad.

 

[AEfx]

I'm pretty sure he sees every entertainment venture and medium as a giant ATM machine.

As opposed to every other film studio head, who are all about the art...

 

[AEfx]

I guess I believe that loyal customers and newbies should get the same experiences.
If the newbies like it they will become repeaters.
If not they can stay away.
If the loyal customers don't get the experience that they have come to expect they will not return.
In either case dissatisfied customers lead to business losses.

Which Disney used to understand...unfortunately, with the shift in corporate America and investor mentality (people tend to keep stocks now for weeks and months instead of years) that is all about the next fiscal quarter, that was allowed to infiltrate WDW.

It's funny, because the people that still think that WDW offers exceptional service amaze me, because measurably, it doesn't. But past that, you just don't hear "average" people talk about it like they used to. They would come back and talk about attractions that they couldn't believe existed (now, Universal gets that kind of praise), though so often they would talk about that almost intangible "feel" that everything had.

Yes, those unique paper products for each park were a part of the whole. It seems silly to mention something like the napkin you wipe your mouth with or the disposable drink cups or unique shopping bags and receipts as really being significant, but they were as part of the whole experience. They were special because that was the only place in the world like it and you knew it with every detail.

Yes, employing and keeping long-term CM's in general who were invested in their jobs are better than the average FOTL employee who is now a CPer who thought they'd get to spend a semester farting around at WDW and are now disgruntled over having to do "menial" jobs.

Yes, those towel animals were important. There may not be scientific or forensic data to explain that, but that it was a "thing" that somehow impressed many folks was undeniable.- it's one of the top three things you used to hear people say about that "Disney Difference" that so many companies used to study and try to emulate. (Seriously, companies used to come to WDW to learn about it because it was so renown.)

So many little things, in addition to offering the best and most exciting attractions being built world-wide, are what built the WDW brand to be able to charge the ever increasing, way past standard inflation, prices it commands today; unfortunately, as the quote above illustrates - at some point, unless things take a dramatic and complete 180, that sheen it earned after all those years has already started to dull and will only continue to do so.

Ten years ago to even suggest that anything happening over at Universal could dare compete with anything at WDW would have had you sent straight to the loony bin (or Looney Tunes bin, i.e. Six Flags). Now, WDW has slipped to being "average" or as someone else astutely said, "industry standard". That's a big step down from the reputation of world-class, one of it's kind, theme park experience that WDW previously earned and enjoyed.

 

[Mike S]

Which Disney used to understand...unfortunately, with the shift in corporate America and investor mentality (people tend to keep stocks now for weeks and months instead of years) that is all about the next fiscal quarter, that was allowed to infiltrate WDW.

It's funny, because the people that still think that WDW offers exceptional service amaze me, because measurably, it doesn't. But past that, you just don't hear "average" people talk about it like they used to. They would come back and talk about attractions that they couldn't believe existed (now, Universal gets that kind of praise), though so often they would talk about that almost intangible "feel" that everything had.

Yes, those unique paper products for each park were a part of the whole. It seems silly to mention something like the napkin you wipe your mouth with or the disposable drink cups or unique shopping bags and receipts as really being significant, but they were as part of the whole experience. They were special because that was the only place in the world like it and you knew it with every detail.

Yes, employing and keeping long-term CM's in general who were invested in their jobs are better than the average FOTL employee who is now a CPer who thought they'd get to spend a semester farting around at WDW and are now disgruntled over having to do "menial" jobs.

Yes, those towel animals were important. There may not be scientific or forensic data to explain that, but that it was a "thing" that somehow impressed many folks was undeniable.- it's one of the top three things you used to hear people say about that "Disney Difference" that so many companies used to study and try to emulate. (Seriously, companies used to come to WDW to learn about it because it was so renown.)

So many little things, in addition to offering the best and most exciting attractions being built world-wide, are what built the WDW brand to be able to charge the ever increasing, way past standard inflation, prices it commands today; unfortunately, as the quote above illustrates - at some point, unless things take a dramatic and complete 180, that sheen it earned after all those years has already started to dull and will only continue to do so.

Ten years ago to even suggest that anything happening over at Universal could dare compete with anything at WDW would have had you sent straight to the loony bin (or Looney Tunes bin, i.e. Six Flags). Now, WDW has slipped to being "average" or as someone else astutely said, "industry standard". That's a big step down from the reputation of world-class, one of it's kind, theme park experience that WDW previously earned and enjoyed.

Time to bring up this story again as it so perfectly points out how renowned Disney's reputation was.

Ok, so I'm sitting in Coney Island by the carousel charging my phone and waiting for a concert (the Cyclone was very fun, didn't ride the Primeval Whirl clone I posted a picture of earlier) and what's going on next to me? A guy training new employees on how to give great experiences and exceed guests expectations in some conference room. He brought up Disney as an example and said how they would shut down a ride if one eye on an AA wasn't working. It's taking every fiber of my being to not go in and tell him he has outdated information.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

As opposed to every other film studio head, who are all about the art...

I know thaf they're all pretty much carbon copies of each other, but there was a time where it was more common for executives to respect the creative history creative of their company. That's what a lot the discussion here is about after all.

 

[Gabe1]

Yes, this is extremely bad. Crossing the streams bad.

Yup. Now having upped their buyout bid by another 50 million Tribune shareholders are turning up the heat to at least speak to the offer as
selling to a firm that has zero debt is something the Tribune hasn't had the luxury of. Tribune lost over 500 employees in the shake-up in that partial employee buyout last year. Still the Tribune has a good reputation for putting out a reputable paper as does many of the papers they have in their holdings. That experience could up the credibility to some of Gannett's papers. Who knows, depends on which employees it discards if the buyout happens. Either way less independent news sources out there is not a good thing for readers nor its employees.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Which Disney used to understand...unfortunately, with the shift in corporate America and investor mentality (people tend to keep stocks now for weeks and months instead of years) that is all about the next fiscal quarter, that was allowed to infiltrate WDW.

It's funny, because the people that still think that WDW offers exceptional service amaze me, because measurably, it doesn't. But past that, you just don't hear "average" people talk about it like they used to. They would come back and talk about attractions that they couldn't believe existed (now, Universal gets that kind of praise), though so often they would talk about that almost intangible "feel" that everything had.

Yes, those unique paper products for each park were a part of the whole. It seems silly to mention something like the napkin you wipe your mouth with or the disposable drink cups or unique shopping bags and receipts as really being significant, but they were as part of the whole experience. They were special because that was the only place in the world like it and you knew it with every detail.

Yes, employing and keeping long-term CM's in general who were invested in their jobs are better than the average FOTL employee who is now a CPer who thought they'd get to spend a semester farting around at WDW and are now disgruntled over having to do "menial" jobs.

Yes, those towel animals were important. There may not be scientific or forensic data to explain that, but that it was a "thing" that somehow impressed many folks was undeniable.- it's one of the top three things you used to hear people say about that "Disney Difference" that so many companies used to study and try to emulate. (Seriously, companies used to come to WDW to learn about it because it was so renown.)

So many little things, in addition to offering the best and most exciting attractions being built world-wide, are what built the WDW brand to be able to charge the ever increasing, way past standard inflation, prices it commands today; unfortunately, as the quote above illustrates - at some point, unless things take a dramatic and complete 180, that sheen it earned after all those years has already started to dull and will only continue to do so.

Ten years ago to even suggest that anything happening over at Universal could dare compete with anything at WDW would have had you sent straight to the loony bin (or Looney Tunes bin, i.e. Six Flags). Now, WDW has slipped to being "average" or as someone else astutely said, "industry standard". That's a big step down from the reputation of world-class, one of it's kind, theme park experience that WDW previously earned and enjoyed.

I think you're equating the "average" person to closely to the theme park fans on forums like these. In my mind, you have two camps of loyal customers, the Purists and the Pixiedusters, and two camps of newbies, the Everyman and the Special Snowflakes. As you know, the Purist view the park with an experienced critical eye, the Pixiedusters are willing to accept almost anything Disney hands them good or bad, and the Special Snoflakes judge by their asinine standards of how much of it revolved around them. the Everyman, however, will be more likely to see flaws than Pixiedusters due lack of bias and less likely to see flaws than the purists due to lack of historical knowledge. If you're in that camp, you're overall feelings about the quality would most likely be positive, but you're willingness to plan another trip do to how reprehensibly expensive. What I'm saying is that the Everyman isn't As privy to most of WDW's problems as you imply.

 

[ford91exploder]

I think you're equating the "average" person to closely to the theme park fans on forums like these. In my mind, you have two camps of loyal customers, the Purists and the Pixiedusters, and two camps of newbies, the Everyman and the Special Snowflakes. As you know, the Purist view the park with an experienced critical eye, the Pixiedusters are willing to accept almost anything Disney hands them good or bad, and the Special Snoflakes judge by their asinine standards of how much of it revolved around them. the Everyman, however, will be more likely to see flaws than Pixiedusters due lack of bias and less likely to see flaws than the purists due to lack of historical knowledge. If you're in that camp, you're overall feelings about the quality would most likely be positive, but you're willingness to plan another trip do to how reprehensibly expensive. What I'm saying is that the Everyman isn't As privy to most of WDW's problems as you imply.

Very insightful post and I think it describes the situation well at WDW the key is that Everyman is noticing the decline in the little things which made Disney well Disney, The names at the end of the ride caters to the Special Snowflakes but there are a lot less of the Snowflakes than the Everyman

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think you're equating the "average" person to closely to the theme park fans on forums like these. In my mind, you have two camps of loyal customers, the Purists and the Pixiedusters, and two camps of newbies, the Everyman and the Special Snowflakes. As you know, the Purist view the park with an experienced critical eye, the Pixiedusters are willing to accept almost anything Disney hands them good or bad, and the Special Snoflakes judge by their asinine standards of how much of it revolved around them. the Everyman, however, will be more likely to see flaws than Pixiedusters due lack of bias and less likely to see flaws than the purists due to lack of historical knowledge. If you're in that camp, you're overall feelings about the quality would most likely be positive, but you're willingness to plan another trip do to how reprehensibly expensive. What I'm saying is that the Everyman isn't As privy to most of WDW's problems as you imply.

Almost correct except that the purist and the pixie-dusters are one and the same. It's those that feel that they remember the "good old days" and hate any change to there sometime warped memories. That leaves it to the Purists and the Realists as loyal customers and everyone else is just there to have fun and are unaware of anything being different and are therefore oblivious of the "good old days" that never were and always will be!

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I probably fall into the "Purist" category, but that doesn't mean change can't occur.

Horizons and Imagination needed a good update, not destroying.
On the other hand, Kitchen Cabaret and Food Rocks needed to disappear as does Circle of Life.
Dinorama needs to be replaced.
Muppets should go.
It's also time for the departure of Carousel of Progress.

How's that?

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Almost correct except that the purist and the pixie-dusters are one and the same. It's those that feel that they remember the "good old days" and hate any change to there sometime warped memories. That leaves it to the Purists and the Realists as loyal customers and everyone else is just there to have fun and are unaware of anything being different and are therefore oblivious of the "good old days" that never were and always will be!

You have a point about how Purists can be nostalgia blind towards the flaws of the past which can blind their perspective of the present and future, but when I said Purist, I meant Realist in your lingo. What I meant by Pixieduster are the fans who are typically associated with groups like the Lifestylers and Mommy Bloggers. These are the type of Disney fans who are more than willing to accept most of what Disney does good or bad and will typically excuse the bad through poor justifications along the lines of "Disney is a business". Personally speaking, I'd consider myself firmly in what you would call the realist camp. I'm always willing acknowledge that Disney still gets a lot right and will praise them every time I feel they do. But in cases where I feel they go against the Disney standards, design, and/or traditions, I'm ready to stick it to them as hard as anyone.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You have a point about how Purists can be nostalgia blind towards the flaws of the past which can blind their perspective of the present and future, but when I said Purist, I meant Realist in your lingo. What I meant by Pixieduster are the fans who are typically associated with groups like the Lifestylers and Mommy Bloggers. These are the type of Disney fans who are more than willing to accept most of what Disney does good or bad and will typically excuse the bad through poor justifications along the lines of "Disney is a business". Personally speaking, I'd consider myself firmly in what you would call the realist camp. I'm always willing acknowledge that Disney still get a lot right and will praise them every time I feel they do. But in cases where I feel they go against the Disney standards, design, and/or traditions, I'm ready to stick it to them as hard as anyone.

OK, I suppose we can find a way to label everyone in some form or the other, but, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and many love and are loyal to Disney in the sense that they see more of the positive then the negative. I truly doubt that there is anyone that approves of everything that Disney does. They just don't carte blanche disapprove of anything that is done.

Case in point... is in another thread that is about Soarin'. Hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars have been spent to build a brand new theater and equip it with all the equipment necessary, yet, they are upset because they didn't drastically change the queue. Really, let's pick up the penny and miss the dollars flying overhead, it is sometimes hard to imagine what people expect or even should expect.

 

[Mike S]

Almost correct except that the purist and the pixie-dusters are one and the same. It's those that feel that they remember the "good old days" and hate any change to there sometime warped memories. That leaves it to the Purists and the Realists as loyal customers and everyone else is just there to have fun and are unaware of anything being different and are therefore oblivious of the "good old days" that never were and always will be!

My memory's just fine. There are very clear differences between now and then due in part to cuts all around and very different (worse) management. To the topic of this thread I also distinctly remember a promotion called the Happiest Celebration on Earth circa 2005. Puts this Summer Awakens nonsense to shame.