Lately, I've been reading and participating in another WDWMagic thread that is nearly 400 posts! It's been an interesting read/dialogue/debate about the current state of the parks (mostly MK), historical state of the parks, maintenance, budgets, leadership, etc. I’ve learned some stuff about how things are run, about others on these boards, and, about myself. Mostly, about myself.
I don't know why I’ve been reading threads for 3 years by people who feel the parks are in a sorry state, but I guess whatever the reason is, it's the same one that gets me to watch the doom and gloom on the evening news. I check in each night so I can see how the entire planet is in a complete state of disarray, disrepair and utter chaos. :lookaroun
This post, however, is more about how ridiculous I've been the past few years. I've actually spent tons of time on WDWMagic reading, not only news and fun posts, but reading the opinions of some people about the issues in the parks, and letting it cause me to be apprehensive about my trips to the World. Well, after I recently returned home yet again, having had the best trip ever and having seen practically nothing wrong, I had an epiphany. Actually, two epiphanies.
Firstly, why the heck have I been ‘trying’ to live vicariously through the eyes of people who are not presently happy with the state of things at Walt Disney World? I have actually been going to WDW looking for stuff that might be wrong, after researching it on this site. How nuts is that? I don't do that with any other place or event in my life. I wouldn't think of travelling somewhere and, in the months before the trip, search out negative articles by disillusioned people about that destination. I don’t do that for restaurants, concerts, amusement parks, other cities, etc., but that’s what I was doing at WDWMagic. Why did I do that for WDW? I'm not sure why, but it's rather asinine, so I've decided to stop.
Secondly (epiphany #2), all of the online discussion and debate recently went a long way in reminding me that practically nothing is ever objective. Even if something can be stated as fact-there is in fact a functional problem with the eye in the hippo on ‘Small World’, for example-that may or may not be considered a big deal by individuals who are aware of it. I stated in another thread that while there 2 weeks ago, I did not even see any of the issues being raised. (I do appreciate that did not mean they aren’t there, and not important.) However, even had I seen all the issues that some people feel contribute to the ‘poor show’, I might not have felt that was the case at all. People have various degrees of belief for, not only what they deem simply acceptable, but also for what they believe to be awesome. It is subjective. One person’s ‘meh’ is another’s ‘wonderful’ or ‘awful’. “That restroom was so clean. I thought it was okay. Really? It was gross.”...3 teens talking 3 weeks ago at WDW. Subjective, and perception, is reality.
So I had this crazy, revolutionary idea, and that is that from this point forward, I'm going to just experience WDW through my own eyes. I should have been doing that all along of course, but in my desire to read a lot, I was drawn to the ‘dark side’. (I guess I should have used the force.) I started to think that others might be right about things, when in fact there is no right or wrong, only one’s perception. I should have been focussing on my own instead of that of others.
So, here’s the next 9 years for me.
I will probably visit WDW about 20 times between now and 2021, at which time I retire from my job and will visit more often. I will continue to vacation at several of the current and future 97 DVC resorts-I’m thinking DVC ‘Tom Sawyer Island’ or DVC ‘Rocket Tower Plaza’-you know they’re coming. I will on occasion see something amiss and think, “Well, not perfect, but it’s run by 62,000 humans, and here’s an example of less than perfect management or poor budget decisions. Still, practically perfect in every way.” I will also remind myself that people will come and go in the various positions; things will change as this happens, and WDW will always be in flux. It will never be perfect, and for the record, never has been. If I ever reach a point where I am unhappy with the experience, I’ll vacation elsewhere.
As the years go by and we approach the 50th anniversary, things will continue to improve, even most of the disgruntled will be happy, and we can all meet at Casey’s on October 1st, 2021, to grab a hot dog, share a few laughs and debate what the next 50 years at Walt Disney World holds.
What do you think the next 9 years holds for WDW? Expansion? Putting money into existing attractions? Etc.?
I don't know why I’ve been reading threads for 3 years by people who feel the parks are in a sorry state, but I guess whatever the reason is, it's the same one that gets me to watch the doom and gloom on the evening news. I check in each night so I can see how the entire planet is in a complete state of disarray, disrepair and utter chaos. :lookaroun
This post, however, is more about how ridiculous I've been the past few years. I've actually spent tons of time on WDWMagic reading, not only news and fun posts, but reading the opinions of some people about the issues in the parks, and letting it cause me to be apprehensive about my trips to the World. Well, after I recently returned home yet again, having had the best trip ever and having seen practically nothing wrong, I had an epiphany. Actually, two epiphanies.
Firstly, why the heck have I been ‘trying’ to live vicariously through the eyes of people who are not presently happy with the state of things at Walt Disney World? I have actually been going to WDW looking for stuff that might be wrong, after researching it on this site. How nuts is that? I don't do that with any other place or event in my life. I wouldn't think of travelling somewhere and, in the months before the trip, search out negative articles by disillusioned people about that destination. I don’t do that for restaurants, concerts, amusement parks, other cities, etc., but that’s what I was doing at WDWMagic. Why did I do that for WDW? I'm not sure why, but it's rather asinine, so I've decided to stop.
Secondly (epiphany #2), all of the online discussion and debate recently went a long way in reminding me that practically nothing is ever objective. Even if something can be stated as fact-there is in fact a functional problem with the eye in the hippo on ‘Small World’, for example-that may or may not be considered a big deal by individuals who are aware of it. I stated in another thread that while there 2 weeks ago, I did not even see any of the issues being raised. (I do appreciate that did not mean they aren’t there, and not important.) However, even had I seen all the issues that some people feel contribute to the ‘poor show’, I might not have felt that was the case at all. People have various degrees of belief for, not only what they deem simply acceptable, but also for what they believe to be awesome. It is subjective. One person’s ‘meh’ is another’s ‘wonderful’ or ‘awful’. “That restroom was so clean. I thought it was okay. Really? It was gross.”...3 teens talking 3 weeks ago at WDW. Subjective, and perception, is reality.
So I had this crazy, revolutionary idea, and that is that from this point forward, I'm going to just experience WDW through my own eyes. I should have been doing that all along of course, but in my desire to read a lot, I was drawn to the ‘dark side’. (I guess I should have used the force.) I started to think that others might be right about things, when in fact there is no right or wrong, only one’s perception. I should have been focussing on my own instead of that of others.
So, here’s the next 9 years for me.
I will probably visit WDW about 20 times between now and 2021, at which time I retire from my job and will visit more often. I will continue to vacation at several of the current and future 97 DVC resorts-I’m thinking DVC ‘Tom Sawyer Island’ or DVC ‘Rocket Tower Plaza’-you know they’re coming. I will on occasion see something amiss and think, “Well, not perfect, but it’s run by 62,000 humans, and here’s an example of less than perfect management or poor budget decisions. Still, practically perfect in every way.” I will also remind myself that people will come and go in the various positions; things will change as this happens, and WDW will always be in flux. It will never be perfect, and for the record, never has been. If I ever reach a point where I am unhappy with the experience, I’ll vacation elsewhere.
As the years go by and we approach the 50th anniversary, things will continue to improve, even most of the disgruntled will be happy, and we can all meet at Casey’s on October 1st, 2021, to grab a hot dog, share a few laughs and debate what the next 50 years at Walt Disney World holds.
What do you think the next 9 years holds for WDW? Expansion? Putting money into existing attractions? Etc.?
