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

[cm1988]

Three years? Worldwide pandemic leading to staffing shortages and reduced incomes along with a management change.
Will the Disney parks of old come back? I doubt it, it would take inspired vision and belief goodwill is more valuable than quarterly increases so lament if you want, adjust if you must and move on if you can't.

Yes, goodwill is more valuable than short-term profit. Once a business loses its brand, the wheels fall off. When the brand is magic, and the guest no longer experiences magic, the guest goes elsewhere.

Catering to a high-spending segment of a once-loyal audience won’t create magic, and wealthy people have many options for travel and entertainment. They’re trying out the “New Disney” this year. Next year they’ll jet or cruise to another premium resort while Bob Chapek stands grinning beside Mickey Mouse.

 

[Incomudro]

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.

I agree with the first half of your post, as to how keeping the park cleans discourages guests from leaving trash behind.
I disagree with the second half however.
I believe that the population on the whole is indeed more sloppy and disrespectful than in previous decades.

 

[cm1988]

This is obviously fake news.
Factcheck: WDW is "The most Magical place on earth" NOT the "Happiest Place on earth"

Elaborate distraction is not magic. A bidding war for a place in a queue is not magic. Staring at a cellphone is not magic.

 

[cm1988]

My first role at Walt Disney World in 1988 was merchandise host. I really thought of it as being a host. Like being a host at a party, or maybe you don’t know all of the guests personally but this is a party and those are the guests and you want them to be happy. Period. There are probably many cast members trying to do the same thing today, but the party is messed up with all of the crazy choreography of cell phones and wristbands and paying too much for everything. How much fun is having to compete to pay $15 to ride a 15-minute ride after paying $130 to join the congregation and then having to reserve the privilege of paying $200 to assemble a lightsaber? Is that how magic is defined these days?

 

[JustInTime]

This is the only type of content I see here anymore. Personally, I have as much fun as ever in the parks. Yes, it’s more expensive but I don’t mind.

 

[Goofyernmost]

This is the only type of content I see here anymore. Personally, I have as much fun as ever in the parks. Yes, it’s more expensive but I don’t mind.

I'm sure you don't, but perhaps you have the cash to do so. Unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury. It has become quite clear from conversations here that those people that can afford it, are joyously happy with what Disney has become. Those that no longer are able or willing to accept that magic isn't something that can be purchased know that the magic comes from inside us but it has to be aided by outside influences that makes one feel that magic. Constantly opening ones wallet to attempt to recreate what was once automatically offered is not magic, but I will admit that it does indeed take a lot more imagination and suspension of disbelief than I am capable of doing. For your sake and for Disney's hopefully that will be able to be sustained for many years. For me the experience has been diminished to just participating on a Disney related discussion forums.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I'm sure you don't, but perhaps you have the cash to do so. Unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury. It has become quite clear from conversations here that those people that can afford it, are joyously happy with what Disney has become. Those that no longer are able or willing to accept that magic isn't something that can be purchased know that the magic comes from inside us but it has to be aided by outside influences that makes one feel that magic. Constantly opening ones wallet to attempt to recreate what was once automatically offered is not magic, but I will admit that it does indeed take a lot more imagination and suspension of disbelief than I am capable of doing. For your sake and for Disney's hopefully that will be able to be sustained for many years. For me the experience has been diminished to just participating on a Disney related discussion forums.

It’s not only the money aspect of it anymore. We all expect to pay more as the years go by for everything . I’m saying that even with the knowledge of Disney prices going up more then most things. My main problem is and always will be the value for the money. I he
I hear people saying right on these boards that over the last 3-5 years things are declining. I have news for you, they have been for 20 years or more. Anyone that has been going since the beginning, in the 70’s, knows this. It was a joy going for decades seeing the expansion and even minor things being added. It made the magic. IMO, after AK opened is when the little cutbacks started. You can look at threads on this board from a long time ago of people mentioning things that slowly started to disappear . They were over shadowed by a E ticket ride being built but the amount of these small, only things that Disney would do, started to take place. For people that have been going to Disney for only 5,10,15 years might not even notice that much but it happened as is still happening as the directive now is to make as much money as possible.
I don’t think they can ever get back to what they were. Takes too much money and they don’t have the will to do it with the record amount of money being made. So they will announce another E ticket, which might be built in 4-5 years and the masses will be happy. I won’t because I remember.
It’s still a value for some I’m sure. They don’t know what they have missed.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Elaborate distraction is not magic. A bidding war for a place in a queue is not magic. Staring at a cellphone is not magic.

I was joking. The only thing wrong about the article was happiest vs most magical…

 

[Goofyernmost]

It’s not only the money aspect of it anymore. We all expect to pay more as the years go by for everything . I’m saying that even with the knowledge of Disney prices going up more then most things. My main problem is and always will be the value for the money. I he
I hear people saying right on these boards that over the last 3-5 years things are declining. I have news for you, they have been for 20 years or more. Anyone that has been going since the beginning, in the 70’s, knows this. It was a joy going for decades seeing the expansion and even minor things being added. It made the magic. IMO, after AK opened is when the little cutbacks started. You can look at threads on this board from a long time ago of people mentioning things that slowly started to disappear . They were over shadowed by a E ticket ride being built but the amount of these small, only things that Disney would do, started to take place. For people that have been going to Disney for only 5,10,15 years might not even notice that much but it happened as is still happening as the directive now is to make as much money as possible.
I don’t think they can ever get back to what they were. Takes too much money and they don’t have the will to do it with the record amount of money being made. So they will announce another E ticket, which might be built in 4-5 years and the masses will be happy. I won’t because I remember.
It’s still a value for some I’m sure. They don’t know what they have missed.

For some it is both. I am of an age where I cannot throw away money. I have no way of replenishing it now. But, since I am on the downward side of this mortal existence, I would spend it if going made me mentally feel like I did for the previous 38 years of loyalty to the place. That is no longer possible so if I do travel it will be to someplace I have never seen before.

 

[Shiriki_Utundu]

A good leader puts himself above no task

it would be refreshing to walk in the men's room in Adventureland only to see Chapek come out of a toilet stall with long yellow rubber gloves and a scrub brush

 

[Buried20KLeague]

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 .

Amen.

 

[RobWDW1971]

Amen.

Agree as well. Don't have any issue with the cost as long as it is still high quality.

I will no longer go because they are now so in your face with the disrespect and mocking of what made it great in the first place.

The current state of Epcot is living proof of their contempt for the standards they once had:

Half the park is a dirt lot - for years.
Wonders of Life sits empty.
Imagination is an absolute embarrassment.
Living Seas is a sad shell of what it once was.
The Land is on its last legs.
The complete destruction of the iconic World Showcase lagoon with the oil rigs.
And then there is a Marvel roller coaster because, um, people like to go "wheeeeeee", I guess.

Then just slap cartoons on everything else because the parks are obviously only for children and I'm done.

So many better places to spend my money....

 

[Lilofan]

Agree as well. Don't have any issue with the cost as long as it is still high quality.

I will no longer go because they are now so in your face with the disrespect and mocking of what made it great in the first place.

The current state of Epcot is living proof of their contempt for the standards they once had:

Half the park is a dirt lot - for years.
Wonders of Life sits empty.
Imagination is an absolute embarrassment.
Living Seas is a sad shell of what it once was.
The Land is on its last legs.
The complete destruction of the iconic World Showcase lagoon with the oil rigs.
And then there is a Marvel roller coaster because, um, people like to go "wheeeeeee", I guess.

Then just slap cartoons on everything else because the parks are obviously only for children and I'm done.

So many better places to spend my money....

Epcot makes some of it up with the food and wine options everywhere you turn at World Showcase. Table tops ( Aka garbage cans ) included to enjoy your items

 

[WaltsTreasureChest]

People were talking about this over at the r/WaltDisneyworld Reddit forum, and jeez. A lot of them put the blame on the people saying their true thoughts, rather than the corporation. Just look at this mess of a thread

 

[monothingie]

People were talking about this over at the r/WaltDisneyworld Reddit forum, and jeez. A lot of them put the blame on the people saying their true thoughts, rather than the corporation. Just look at this mess of a thread

The problem is the majority of those fans keep going back.

You're all just as much to blame as Bald Bob Paycheck.

 

[JustInTime]

I'm sure you don't, but perhaps you have the cash to do so. Unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury. It has become quite clear from conversations here that those people that can afford it, are joyously happy with what Disney has become. Those that no longer are able or willing to accept that magic isn't something that can be purchased know that the magic comes from inside us but it has to be aided by outside influences that makes one feel that magic. Constantly opening ones wallet to attempt to recreate what was once automatically offered is not magic, but I will admit that it does indeed take a lot more imagination and suspension of disbelief than I am capable of doing. For your sake and for Disney's hopefully that will be able to be sustained for many years. For me the experience has been diminished to just participating on a Disney related discussion forums.

Well, at least you can be miserable here without even leaving home.

 

[DznyRktekt]

I agree with that. However, I think it's human nature to Not take care (with trash) of stuff if the area they are in (WDWparks) are not kept clean. If you look around and there is trash everywhere and no one picking it up like there used to be, some people figure who cares! So they don't either. If a place is kept clean and orderly, then people tend to keep it that way. So, I think that's part of the blame.

Agreed.
Allowing trash and graffiti to remain in place encourages more to be added. An example of this getting out of hand is "hair tie mountain". Apparently it's a tradition for anyone who has a man bun or pony to add to the collection, and wouldn't have become so if maintenance had addressed it right away.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Well, at least you can be miserable here without even leaving home.

Or paying the place massive amounts of money to feel miserable.

 

[Chi84]

Or paying the place massive amounts of money to feel miserable.

People are paying Disney massive amounts of money to feel miserable?

 

[GimpYancIent]

For some it is both. I am of an age where I cannot throw away money. I have no way of replenishing it now. But, since I am on the downward side of this mortal existence, I would spend it if going made me mentally feel like I did for the previous 38 years of loyalty to the place. That is no longer possible so if I do travel it will be to someplace I have never seen before.

You are not alone in this. Everyone has their reasons but there is one consistent factor I believe this poll points out.
"
Washington Examiner

Lost its magic: Disney World fans say they’re forgoing trips in new poll"​