What has happened to the place we (used to) love?

[James Alucobond]

With regard to park upkeep, I feel like it's a combination of factors, including:

• a reduced focus on maintenance
• a loss of institutional knowledge regarding attraction-specific maintenance during the pandemic
• difficulty fully staffing the maintenance team
• dealing with a clientele that is increasingly less respectful of their surroundings

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

I don't give them a pass on not keeping up with maintenance on their attractions. They had the time during Covid and they could do it right now. The big difference is they don't want to spend the money that way. If they paid their help more of a living wage, they wouldn't have a so called staff issue. They made this issue themselves. I am so disappointed in disney's leadership and the ignoring of the parks! It could be done. Other parks have kept up maintenance, as was mentioned above about Paris, and have hired help. It all falls down to disney's "leadership". No pass from me!

 

[ProjectXBlog]

Disneyland was the worst I’ve ever seen it this past June. Ride closures were more rampant than I’ve ever seen on either coast, and the park was littered with trash to the extent that it genuinely looked like Six Flags.

I rode Splash Mountain first thing in the morning, and there was already an empty water bottle at the bottom of the first lift hill. Ok, whatever… I told the ride attendant when I got off the ride. I rode it again at 9 PM and it was still there.

Honestly, nobody cares. The suits definitely don’t care, and I question how much some of the CMs care. But I won’t blame them, because the tone is set at the top.

It’s still a better overall experience than a typical amusement park, but it has fallen so far from just a few years ago. This is Chapek’s legacy.

Absolutely agree. I just had my Key expire with no plans to renew because the past year has been an all-timer with regards to how dirty the queues/walkways/gardens are. There’s also been a real uptick in unpleasant/rude interactions. I went to City Hall on one of my last trips but the response I got was “Sorry, but I haven’t noticed that myself.”

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

I was there this past weekend and all rides worked fine except for one screen on the Gran Fiesta Tour. The parks were really clean.

 

[hopemax]

A trash check for people to do the next time they are at MK if they are so inclined... the Haunted Mansion queue. Look through the fence, straight down to the bank of Rivers of America, close to the wall, behind the bushes visible from the ROA, tons of trash. But from the river side, looks pretty good. It's like they clean what would be visible and leave the stuff they don't think can be seen. Since most people aren't looking straight down from the HM queue.

 

[alphac2005]

I don't give them a pass on not keeping up with maintenance on their attractions. They had the time during Covid and they could do it right now. The big difference is they don't want to spend the money that way. If they paid their help more of a living wage, they wouldn't have a so called staff issue. They made this issue themselves. I am so disappointed in disney's leadership and the ignoring of the parks! It could be done. Other parks have kept up maintenance, as was mentioned above about Paris, and have hired help. It all falls down to disney's "leadership". No pass from me!

Living in Orlando, the labor and Covid excuses are at this point just that—excuses. Universal’s property looks outstanding and clean and things are pretty decent over at SeaWorld as well.

Case in point of declining standards: We were at the Haunted Mansion last week and look over the outer wall of the cue where we were in line bad there was tons of trash all along the dirt below us including water bottles, wrappers, etc. and from their state, it was clear that they had been collecting. Bathrooms at times are pretty gross and out of things like paper towels and soap.

It’s noted that guest behavior is worse than ever and I totally agree and people do leave junk where they didn’t before, but again, they’ve got a handle on this at Universal, so there is a very Disney centric problem at this point and with the micromanaging of costs and what this whole crew is all about, it doesn’t take much to see why things aren’t clean as they were.

 

[hopemax]

Living in Orlando, the labor and Covid excuses are at this point just that—excuses. Universal’s property looks outstanding and clean and things are pretty decent over at SeaWorld as well.

Case in point of declining standards: We were at the Haunted Mansion last week and look over the outer wall of the cue where we were in line bad there was tons of trash all along the dirt below us including water bottles, wrappers, etc. and from their state, it was clear that they had been collecting. Bathrooms at times are pretty gross and out of things like paper towels and soap.

It’s noted that guest behavior is worse than ever and I totally agree and people do leave junk where they didn’t before, but again, they’ve got a handle on this at Universal, so there is a very Disney centric problem at this point and with the micromanaging of costs and what this whole crew is all about, it doesn’t take much to see why things aren’t clean as they were.

I literally just posted about the HM queue. We aren't the only ones that noticed!

 

[bryanfze55]

Yeah... and if Disney started shutting down rides to clean trash, there might be another article complaining about all the rides breaking down.





Splash Mountain at Disneyland is notorious for the lack of access to the show areas due to OSHA regulations. It wouldn't be surprising, with the current state of the labor market, that there is no one in custodial that is trained in the requirements necessary to enter a ride path after hours just to clean up a water bottle.

Definitely not an excuse here, but there are a lot of reasons why this water bottle may end up being stuck there for awhile that don't all related to just management decisions.

Disney is hiring as few people as they possibly can. My guess is they could hire and train someone if they made it a “must.” Cleanliness in the park used to be a “must” - a priority. It seems now as though it’s optional to them.

 

[surfsupdon]

The Disneyification of everything has cheapened the overall feel of the Resorts. You cannot be transported to another location or time period with the constant IPification at Resorts. They do not feel as special any longer, they feel cheaper, like they are being downgraded to All Star style (which WAS the all stars purpose- in your face). I do not have a problem with the Values, I stay at Pop often. But I have a problem with Deluxes being infused with value style in your face themeing. My opinion.

 

[Mizner92]

I don't give them a pass on not keeping up with maintenance on their attractions. They had the time during Covid and they could do it right now. The big difference is they don't want to spend the money that way. If they paid their help more of a living wage, they wouldn't have a so called staff issue. They made this issue themselves. I am so disappointed in disney's leadership and the ignoring of the parks! It could be done. Other parks have kept up maintenance, as was mentioned above about Paris, and have hired help. It all falls down to disney's "leadership". No pass from me!

Pretty sure they’re called cast members, not “their help.”

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Can we cap the number of repetitive crying/whining/gnashing of teeth threads?

How about an “Ex-Disneygoers” thread in the Chit-Chat subforum to contain the “misery” crew?

 

[Chi84]

Can we cap the number of repetitive crying/whining/gnashing of teeth threads?

How about an “Ex-Disneygoers” thread in the Chit-Chat subforum to contain the “misery” crew?

Won’t work. Most of them still go.

 

[JoeCamel]

Pretty sure they’re called cast members, not “their help.”

Do you know why?
A story made up to bestow respect (something) without having to pay more. Here I give you this title... No money but that is a feel good right?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Do you know why?
A story made up to bestow respect (something) without having to pay more. Here I give you this title... No money but that is a feel good right?

Welcome to corporate psychology.

 

[JoeCamel]

Welcome to corporate psychology.

I once had a manager ask the question outright. What do you want more as recognition ? Money or xxzx? Guess what my answer was

 

[mightynine]

Can we cap the number of repetitive crying/whining/gnashing of teeth threads?

How about an “Ex-Disneygoers” thread in the Chit-Chat subforum to contain the “misery” crew?

You know, you don’t have to click the thread.

But then you couldn’t whine about it, so….

 

[World_Showcase_Lover007]

What happened? Management comes in that ONLY cares about shareholder value, spreadsheets, and the current fiscal quarter. Nothing else matters.

If the park is filthy, yet people keep coming, why would you spend money cleaning the park? (their mentality)

 

[Lilofan]

I don't give them a pass on not keeping up with maintenance on their attractions. They had the time during Covid and they could do it right now. The big difference is they don't want to spend the money that way. If they paid their help more of a living wage, they wouldn't have a so called staff issue. They made this issue themselves. I am so disappointed in disney's leadership and the ignoring of the parks! It could be done. Other parks have kept up maintenance, as was mentioned above about Paris, and have hired help. It all falls down to disney's "leadership". No pass from me!

Referring to cast members as " their help " strikes a tone from the turbulent 1950/60s in the deep South.

 

[esskay]

People are quick to say this is all covid related, or even just chapek - and while both have been terrible for the parks, a lot of these issues started long before either came along.

 

[CAV]

We went last weekend. At the MK, we were at the 7DMT. The wait time showed 75 minutes on the sign. We didn't see anyone in line. (Usually at the 60+ minute wait time, we see people lined up outside the wall. My wife asked the cast member, "Is the wait really 75 minutes?" The female CM, looked at my wife with a disgusted look on her face, shrugged her shoulders and replied in a snarky voice, "How am I supposed to know?"