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

[Smiley/OCD]

Not making excuses, but it is very difficult to clean trash in a ride during the middle of an operating day while the ride is in motion. It’s not as simple as sending someone through with a garbage picker, there’s a lot of safety rules at play.

Yes I understand that, but my wife and I were there in mid November last year…at the top of Splash where the wagon in outside before the first drop, there were 2 soda bottles, a sprite and orange…they were there SO long, the labels were faded. Went on it 3 days later and they were still there.
That means 1 of 2 things…(maybe both), either walk/ride throughs aren’t being done, or the mgmt. aren’t pressing the issue. I DID point it out to a CM at the exit on the second trip and we did go on it again the next day and YES, it was removed.
The understaffed excuse and the COVID excuse and the fact that Splash is closing excuse so why care excuse is getting REAL WORN OUT. If a CM is doing a walk/ride through and not noticing FADED label bottles of soda (obviously up there for a LONG time), there’s a problem with management, morale and pride…hey Josh, instead of bumbling your way through your blue sky presentations, how about showing that TWDC actually cares and shows a little more pride…

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I can and will give Disney a hard time for the first points, but your last point is the biggest problem of all. Many people NO LONGER CARE what they do or where they throw things. It's disrespectful and disgusting how far modern values have fallen for at least a certain percentage of the population. If I had thrown garbage somewhere other than a garbage can, I would have had to pick it up and I likely would not have seen the park the rest of the day. Our kids were taught the same - garbage belongs in the garbage can, not wherever you feel like leaving it.

The disgusting thing is that I don’t think it’s necessarily the kids…

 

[Smiley/OCD]

We were in the parks in August and they were super clean. What we did notice: lack of housekeeping (ugh), Rock and Roller Coaster was a big yikes-sound off, lights not right, and the most concerning part was I asked if someone would push down on my lock device and they said sure once you take the corner, and no one did, and Splash was worse each time we rode it, sadly abandoned. However, overall cleanliness was excellent. We even had a janitor give my kiddos stickers and tell them to throw the trash down for him to pick up to keep him busy (very Miracle on 34th Street moment).

Just out of curiosity, I’d be interested to know if that CM was a long time “veteran” or a newbie…that sounds like a veteran that has pride and awesome guest service experience.

 

[networkpro]

A perfectly innocent phrase that doesn't have any demeaning or "deep south" intent.

Oh I even let that one slide because you know what ? The majority of people dont retire and move North, Disney didnt build any parks on the Northern tundra, and I 95 is full of people escaping .....

 

[Lilofan]

Not really unless you want to interpret it that way. There is nothing even close to suggesting what you are implying by "their help". That is a very often used to indicate staffing even up north. Believe me almost all business owners would happily do it themselves without having to hire people to help if they could. A perfectly innocent phrase that doesn't have any demeaning or "deep south" intent.

Often used? I doubt it. The help used to describe staff is used in a demeaning tone. I looked it up - person of lower social standing , must do things for you.

 

[CAV]

Also referring to staff who provide customer service in whatever role as " their help " is demeaning. How would you like it if you were in such a role and a customer described you as the help?

Which is it, racist or demeaning? It is only one or the other or both, if that is the prism you view the world through.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

Trying to not sound rude, or negative....
Really - as WDW exists today? It's pretty much "deal with it", or "stop handing over your cash".
We chose the later. DVC Contracts being gifted and sold late 2022. We had a great time - we did not leave WDW: it left us.
No, we did not do this for purely economic reasons. Even folks that HAVE a lot of cash can recognize a poor use of their money - that's how they accumulated it in the first place .

 

[Jrb1979]

Often used? I doubt it. The help used to describe staff is used in a demeaning tone. I looked it up - person of lower social standing , must do things for you.

Either way they don't have enough help so they need to find more.

 

[OneofThree]

Three years ago you could see the rot coming in. Management changes to a greater concentration on the bottom line over guest experience caused this. So, don't expect to see great improvements until they clear out the current management.

So, this really. But it's not a zero-sum game. Executives do need to look after key metrics in order to secure crucial cost of capital etc., particularly with the economic uncertainty in the wake of Covid. That said, management, IMO, has seemed to move too far in the direction of sacrificing vision and the long game for short-term kudos.

 

[_caleb]

in the past, if an attraction wasn't show ready, it wouldn't be opened, espeically with multiple animatronics not working, no music, etc. Now, they don't seem to care and just run the rides in whatever shape that they may be and get to non-safety maintenance when it suits them.

How long in the past are we talking here?

 

[Goofyernmost]

Often used? I doubt it. The help used to describe staff is used in a demeaning tone. I looked it up - person of lower social standing , must do things for you.

Doubt it all you want, I lived and worked in the north for 63 years and it was a common phrase. As common as signs that say "help wanted". Nothing derogatory was ever meant by the use of "the help". Same, same as "the employees". What you listed as a definition is not derogatory, it is factual. It is people that are paid to help the owner operate the business smoothly. They are there to help the owner in exchange for payment. How it is said or how it is interpreted is what might be offensive not the phrase itself.,

 

[Br0ckford]

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

I think you're looking for the little Mermaid movie thread.

 

[MadderAdder]

Doubt it all you want, I lived and worked in the north for 63 years and it was a common phrase. As common as signs that say "help wanted". Nothing derogatory was ever meant by the use of "the help". Same, same as "the employees". What you listed as a definition is not derogatory, it is factual. It is people that are paid to help the owner operate the business smoothly. They are there to help the owner in exchange for payment. How it is said or how it is interpreted is what might be offensive not the phrase itself.,

It’s not common anymore. It is insensitive.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It’s not common anymore. It is insensitive.

Bull. Things are only offensive if someone wants it to be. With so many things to be upset about in this world today, one has to be trying really hard to be a victim to make that offensive.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Often used? I doubt it. The help used to describe staff is used in a demeaning tone. I looked it up - person of lower social standing , must do things for you.

Having worked in retail management for 30+ years, I was often referred to as the help (and worse 4 letter words) many a time…I have permanent holes in my tongue where I’ve bit it trying to take the high road. Lol

 

[Lilofan]

Having worked in retail management for 30+ years, I was often referred to as the help (and worse 4 letter words) many a time…I have permanent holes in my tongue where I’ve bit it trying to take the high road. Lol

Retail is like the good old days for me. One of my first jobs was a cashier at K Mart making $3.35 per hour.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I can and will give Disney a hard time for the first points, but your last point is the biggest problem of all. Many people NO LONGER CARE what they do or where they throw things. It's disrespectful and disgusting how far modern values have fallen for at least a certain percentage of the population. If I had thrown garbage somewhere other than a garbage can, I would have had to pick it up and I likely would not have seen the park the rest of the day. Our kids were taught the same - garbage belongs in the garbage can, not wherever you feel like leaving it.

I don't really buy this. One of Walt's key insights is that the state of the park determines guest behavior - a clean park will encourage guests to keep it that way, while a less clean park will encourage guests to litter. That still holds true. In general, every generation has bemoaned the falling standards of the ones that followed, and they've always been much more wrong then right when doing so. Today's guests are not inherently less sloppy or less respectful then those in the 80s. The state of the park signals that respect is no longer expected.

 

[James Alucobond]

Today's guests are not inherently less sloppy or less respectful then those in the 80s.

People absolutely do not have as much respect for boundaries these days nor are they as attentive, in no small part because they simply interact with the environment differently in order to snap perfect Instagram photos or capture a TikTok video. In the 80s, it wasn't practical to take a million pictures, camcorders were hulking apparatuses, and there was no live streaming.

 

[seabreezept813]

Just out of curiosity, I’d be interested to know if that CM was a long time “veteran” or a newbie…that sounds like a veteran that has pride and awesome guest service experience.

Older gentleman, but not sure if he’d been there a long time or was enjoying his retirement job. We had a server who was definitely retirement age at Hollywood&Vine but was in training. Best server we had all trip too! While we definitely had experiences where CMs weren’t rude, but simply uniformed or unengaged, we probably filled out cast compliments for 6 people who went above and beyond. We had a young CM talk my 4 year old out of a pre-Kali River meltdown and convinced her to ride. So, I think the CM magic is there.

 

[seabreezept813]

People absolutely do not have as much respect for boundaries these days nor are they as attentive, in no small part because they simply interact with the environment differently in order to snap perfect Instagram photos or capture a TikTok video. In the 80s, it wasn't practical to take a million pictures, camcorders were hulking apparatuses, and there was no live streaming.

I think there is a change and I’m not sure what exactly it is.. but I’m a teacher, if I hand out papers or hand back papers, students constantly will just leave them crumpled on their desk in my room. I don’t remember that being a thing when I was in school. I think it comes from this kind of societal fear of confronting behavior because of how easily your response can be twisted through cameras, social media, etc. In the teaching world, we’re essentially told the student is always right, because admins are scared of parents. To have that power when your brain is still developing would make anyone think they won’t have consequences.