We had a magical time but...

[Minnesota disney fan]

It used to be the American tourist going to Europe was termed "the ugly American" is it now "the ugly Brit" coming to America

Yeah, I hate that saying about Americans. I remember when the internet was new and we could actually play games (poker, blackjack) with people from other countries. I got on one that had a lot of Germans and other nationalities. They were all talking back and forth with each other and introducing themselves. I introduced myself as being American, and they all shut up. Not one welcomed me or talked to me. I don't know why? I think some people get the wrong idea about American from the actions of a few crazies. It was an eye opener to me.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I have been hearing complaints like this for years. So much so that I think I am hyper aware of those things while at WDW. And I just don't see it. Maybe I'm lucky.

I will admit that when I do see a mess, something like garbage on a bus, I put the blame on the guests. People need to stop behaving worse than the lowest animal. Disney shouldn't be expected to hire 1 CM for every 1 guest.

And no, the parks and resorts are no "overcrowded" though this is a popular bit of hyperbole. Both things have occupancy limits. Both may be busier that some would like, but they are not technically "overcrowded". They are busy, which is a good thing for any resort business.

In my opinion It's way too crowded long before any arbitrary occupancy limits kicks in at the WDW parks.

 

[dizdrew]

Fingerprinted doors?

You know- very messy fingerprints all over the glass doors. Not just prints though. Very gross smears and such. I work retail and we have to clean on a regular basis. That means several times a day wiping down the doors.

 

[NickMaio]

Agreed - - - WDW has been very lackluster when it comes to cleaning up.
We were there last summer. The garbage cans were overflowing. We saw 3 custodians with garbage can collections services painting mickey's on the ground with water.
Nice touch - - but I would rather not smell garbage while waiting in line at Buzz than watch a mickey evaporate on the boiling concrete.

The nice touch is when people change their little ones diapers in line and thrown the smelly diaper in the trash beside the line........
Keep it classy Springfield!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NickMaio]

I do think that our expectations for Disney have gotten so crazy high that it's probably impossible to live up to everyone's expectation for every detail all the time. Sure it's Disney and they still excel in the industry but at the end of the day it's still theme parks and hotels that require lots and lots of hard work and man power to make sure everything is close to perfect all of the time.

Maybe they're lacking a little bit bc they seem to be letting more and more people into the parks? There didn't seem to be as many people there back in the 90s and early 00s so maybe it was easier to clean up after less people.

I partially agree with you - - - I have been going to WDW for over 35 years now. I remember 10ish years ago all parks were spotless, the ride queues were amazingly kept, staff were all amazing. WDW was top of the charts.
The garbage, poor upkeep and crusty staff was held for those guys down the road at Universal.

WDC is a multibillion dollar corp - They fully have the means to staff and upkeep our precious parks. My problem is I remember when everything really was the Best Place on Earth, and no that is not wearing my rose coloured glasses.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Maybe they're lacking a little bit bc they seem to be letting more and more people into the parks? There didn't seem to be as many people there back in the 90s and early 00s so maybe it was easier to clean up after less people.

Not to mention the people have gotten worse, throwing things all over the place, etc.

 

[NickMaio]

Not to mention the people have gotten worse, throwing things all over the place, etc.

People have always been slobs

 

[John park hopper]

People have always been slobs

Yes there have always been slobs but there seems to be considerable more now

 

[NickMaio]

Even with less people in the parks - - - - - more people = more profit = more money to hire more staff.

It really should equal out - - - -DIS has been jumping prices for everything every year without fail.

Yet - - they cut ride staff hours, clean crews, maintenance ride crews. Some rides are really falling into disrepair.
Last few times we rode Dinosaur we could barely see anything - - - the lighting system was so dim. My guess is that they will only replace a bulb when it blows. All gas charged bulbs lose their brightness over the years.

My problem is that WDW seems to be content with this - - - our turn styles are flying - most people won't notice or care.

Problem is - - - the passionate fans DO notice and CARE. We stopped going every year and MIGHT go every 2-3-4 years?
I am sure this lower standard others are noticing as well and will return in kind.

WDW is very expensive - I do not expect them to cheap out when we are not.

 

[NickMaio]

Don't get me wrong - - -We really love WDW. However, it leaves a crummy feeling in my stomach to remember how they used to do things. How important theming and atmosphere were to them. Characteristics that really set them apart. Case in point was the inclusion of a Starbucks on Main street USA. That was the nail in the coffin for us. Early 20th century- - - lets get some Starbucks money in here, the hell with the theme. Such an Iger move!

 

[Elfinko]

My only complaint on our last visit in 2018 was the cleanliness at the resort. A lot of it was the guests fault, but it was clear MouseKeeping appeared understaffed as well based on how late they came to the room and the things that were overlooked when cleaning.

 

[NickMaio]

Just bc they have the money though doesn't mean it's possible. They let sooo many people into the parks now that it would be near impossible to constantly clean every crumb from every customer all the time. Think about the swarms of people at the parks at any given time. I think they do a decent job but there are so many issues with letting in as many people as they do. It takes away from the experience in more ways than one.

Because they have money does mean keeping a park clean possible. We have seen trash bins overflowing all day long......the same ones. All it takes...simple solution.....hire more people to remove said garbage.
Look at how much money Dis made last year.
They are penny pinching.....PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Rides going uncleaned, garbage, rides running without adequate refurbs....the list goes on.
Anyone who has been going for even 5 years must notice this..... Don't even get me started on the monorail. What a total display of corporate pull backs.

 

[NickMaio]

DIS made 12.6 billion in 2018 making 2018 their highest grossing year EVER.
They have the money to make their North American parks MUCH cleaner.

 

[mouse_luv]

Yes, Disney has changed over time and the "dirty" issue you had. There wasn't this many people in the parks and on the transportation when you were there over the years (80s, 90s, whatever it was) and people nowadays don't care. They think it's someone elses problem to deal with and so you have this problem of not cleaning up after themselves and such, so you'll see more dirty issues.

I am not taking Disney's side on this, yes things are gross, but people need to be more accountable to a degree as well.

Last but not least, just be happy that you can afford to go. There are many that cannot.

 

[NickMaio]

12.6 billion. They have enough to keep the place clean. They just simply won't.
I love the.....you should be glad you can go mentality...... That is the Biggest reason why WDW won't keep their NA parks up to previous spec.
Because people tolerate it and go in droves day after day.
I love WDW and expect more from them. Yes there are more people..... But they are making A LOT more money from us. The same service should be expected regardless of service numbers.

 

[SirWillow]

Maybe they're lacking a little bit bc they seem to be letting more and more people into the parks? There didn't seem to be as many people there back in the 90s and early 00s so maybe it was easier to clean up after less people.

While it's a nice theory, the crowds aren't that much bigger than they were in the past. When I was working there (2006-2011) even at the most crowded times you wouldn't have seen mess like that. And even at that point there were some comments about how some things were being cut over overlooked a bit to save money.

Yet - - they cut ride staff hours, clean crews, maintenance ride crews. Some rides are really falling into disrepair.
Last few times we rode Dinosaur we could barely see anything - - - the lighting system was so dim. My guess is that they will only replace a bulb when it blows. All gas charged bulbs lose their brightness over the years.

WDW seems to be content with this - - - our turn styles are flying - most people won't notice or care.

And this is the real problem. After Disney made such a big todo about announcing how they were increasing everyone's wages, there were a lot of us that were in dread of what that really meant. Cut hours for cast members and more ways to reduce spending, cut costs, and get every penny they could from the guests. And that's what's been happening.

Cast members I know who work there in several departments have talked about ways they're working to reduce the number of cast working at any point, or find other ways to cut costs. And it's really showing in things like the repainting that used to be done every night. Not as many custodial workers to clean up. Things that used to be basic upkeep being overlooked or ignored for much longer periods of time. A place that used to be pristine, no matter how busy it was, not so anymore because they don't want to spend the money to keep it that way.

All while recording record breaking profits and trying to increase over that.

I love Disney, but this is one thing that simply drives me nuts sometimes.

 

[dizdrew]

Because they have money does mean keeping a park clean possible. We have seen trash bins overflowing all day long......the same ones. All it takes...simple solution.....hire more people to remove said garbage.
Look at how much money Dis made last year.
They are penny pinching.....PLAIN AND SIMPLE. Rides going uncleaned, garbage, rides running without adequate refurbs....the list goes on.
Anyone who has been going for even 5 years must notice this..... Don't even get me started on the monorail. What a total display of corporate pull backs.

Argh the monorail...the smell alone puts us in a love hate relationship

 

[dizdrew]

I've been 3x in the last 5 years and tbh I didn't notice any of that but I'm not overly critical of the parks and I enjoy them for what they are. I don't let the broken Yeti or any less than perfect encounter bother me or jade my opinion of WDW as a whole. Even with a few hiccups, it's is still an amazing, magical place like no other place I've been to. I get that expectations are high - Walt had his standards and people have tried to carry them out since he passed (plus it's a really expensive vacation) - but we're literally talking about trash that's barely a problem. Go to other theme parks around the country and WDW will look amazingly clean.

Not just trash though. It’ more than that and it disappoints me. How bad are things going to get if the details keep getting ignored. Of course Disney is still amazing! Like I stated previously, we are planning next trip already. But these things will compound and one day it will look as in need of a good paint job as the local Six Flags.

 

[mouse_luv]

12.6 billion. They have enough to keep the place clean. They just simply won't.
I love the.....you should be glad you can go mentality...... That is the Biggest reason why WDW won't keep their NA parks up to previous spec.
Because people tolerate it and go in droves day after day.
I love WDW and expect more from them. Yes there are more people..... But they are making A LOT more money from us. The same service should be expected regardless of service numbers.

My point was that people should be glad they can go and stop being ungrateful, entitled brats about it.
There are many that would love to go or go more often and cannot. When those said people can go they are just happy to be there and yes some things aren't perfect, it's not going to be perfect in the parks with so many people in them now that don't care about if they're throwing their trash on the ground or in a bin. The old skool mentality is sadly gone about cleaning up after yourself and caring about things.

In the long run, having a humble and grateful attitude will get one a long way. JMHO.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

- The more expensive WDW has become the trashier its audience. What gives?

- re: British, WDW doesn't exactly attract the flower of Albion. More the people who are a few years past the age to visit the Spanish coastal resorts.

Incidentally, I just stepped off a flight from Cancun to Glasgow, and let me tell you, the WDW audience feels like a breath of fresh air in comparison.