Where has all the "Magic" gone?

Rozzaru

Rozzaru

New Member
Original Poster
As a diagnosed "Disney Addict", I've recently come to discover that I can fine tune the excitement of our next trip in September by sifting through Disney rumors, news, and blogs as I have my morning coffee. It started out as simple perusing and now I'm writing my first conversation... Our last trip was October of 2011 and I have begun to more and more see that Disney is eliminating or failing to repair/recognize many of their magical "details", some small and others not so much. The not so small details include the laughing place glitches on Splash Mountain that are quite laughable in the fact that they were so apparent while still down. Another is the "frozen" Yeti on E.E. that cast members will joke, is "sleeping".

From what I have heard, these and others continue to sit stagnant and unaddressed. Are they costly Repairs? Maybe. Has Disney gotten complacent with success, forgetting some of the things that keep them on the top? Possibly. Unfortunately my "wish come true" of ever getting a candid response from someone legitimate from within the Disney machine will probably never happen. But what TRULY bothers me are small details that are gone, as today I discover that an end has come to the hidden paintbrush at Tom Sawyer's Island. What's next? Not being able to call the U.K. phone booth at E.C? Maybe that's gone already too. I want an answer to WHY something like that REALLY has to happen. That little touch of something extra is a tragedy to lose. This WILL force me into a peaceful act of protest as I WILL create and hide my own version of the paintbrush myself, as a final attempt of dissatisfaction, which from what I hear will happen with others as well. In this day and age, social media and discussion is a great weapon, but a call to action is now necessary!

Consistently I will attack any discussion that begins by trying to degrade the reasoning or value in the Disney experience, vacation, and quantity of them. But when I consistently here about these overlooked and bi-passed bits of "magic" I do lose a bit of passion towards my argument. My creed to all in Disney Nation is to not succumb to simple discussion in this digital age. As Disney follows the demographics and numbers of today's youth and the almighty dollar, we will lose more of these nostalgic and special things of days past. Disney Nation MUST respond with more than words. Friendly and intelligent acts of protest are the next step. I will not compromise my own or anyone else's experience while at the parks, but what are we to do if we are to make our concerns known before more is lost forever?.....
 
Gojira ゴジラ

Gojira ゴジラ

Well-Known Member
Rozzaru said:
Friendly and intelligent acts of protest are the next step. I will not compromise my own or anyone else's experience while at the parks, but what are we to do if we are to make our concerns known before more is lost forever?.....
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I agree with some of your statements to an extent, but perhaps you're taking it a bit too far. I totally respect your opinion though but I think you should try to lighten up a little.

I personally think that Disney is more than just a ride. It's all about immersing in sounds, smells, feeling and visuals. Which I think they did very extremely well -which unfortunately people take this for granted, hence less appreciation in this category.

They'll fix those things you concern about, when? I don't know.. but knowing they are facing a tough competition from the Boy who Lived, they have no other choice but pushing themselves forward.
 
SeaCastle

SeaCastle

Well-Known Member
I would argue that a fair share of the "magic" (whatever that means) is still there. It is possible to be totally and utterly cognizant of WDW's cutbacks but still be able to enjoy your vacation.

That said, as a Spirited friend has told me, the easiest way to "protest" is vote with your dollars. If you perceive WDW to be an inferior product, then don't go. Or don't stay onsite, don't buy their merchandise, don't eat on property, etc. When people stop spending at (and visiting) the property en masse, Disney will be forced to do something eventually. We're beginning to see this with what is being discussed in the News and Rumors section, as WDW management reaches a fever pitch as visitation at the parks is way down and guests realize that Disney is hacking away at offerings and details and not adding more to its parks.

The problem with doing forms of protest at the Parks is that WDW is private property. When visiting WDW, you are a guest. Protesting in front of the castle would be "trespassing" just as much as protesting outside the EPCOT entrance plaza. Disney can and will find any excuse to remove you or suppress any movement on their property. This is different than, say, Occupy Wall Street, where folks occupied private land that, under an agreement with New York City, had to be open for the public at any given time. We don't have that sort of agreement at Disney. They can just as easily kick you off the property and "banish" you as I can from someone on my private property.

I never visited WDW in its prime. My first visit was in 2000 and I didn't start regularly visiting until 2004. Even now, I know the parks that I experienced are not the same as the parks in the 70's and 80's. It is saddening to know that, as much as I love the parks as they are now, they offered so much more when I was never around (or alive!) to visit. Even as I've visited over the past eight years, Disney has continued to cut. Disney in 2004 is much different than Disney in 2012. This makes me disappointed and less willing to shell out the money that we do to go to WDW, when I know that with each subsequent visit, more is being cut back but prices continue to increase.

So we go on vacation to different places. Our family loves Disney World, but we're taking a break from visiting for a few years. If you really want to send a message to Disney, do the same. They'll realize (if they haven't already) that a veritable exodus of a demographic Disney had taken for granted means that changes are going to have to be made. And hopefully this means the magic comes back.
 
Cody5294

Cody5294

Well-Known Member
The magic hasn't left. It's still their and every time I visit WDW each month I still have fun. I just ignore all of the problems it has. I'm excited for the new FLE and Test Track 2.0 and more for Pandora: The World of Avatar. Once the FLE is finished I know more is coming to DHS which is already my favorite park as it is. Just go to the parks and have FUN! and stop looking at the past and comparing to now
 
Jimmy Thick

Jimmy Thick

Well-Known Member
Wasn't this the name of a failed web-site that went under a couple months ago?


Jimmy Thick- In ten years, it will get bumped, let it all out now!!!
 
Tom

Tom

Beta Return
Hulacat said:
Silly me, but I still get goosebumps when I see the castle, Spaceship Earth, the tree of life, etc. Can someone tell me what the deal is with calling the phone booth in Epcot's UK section?
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There are two old red phone booths near the restrooms at the UK pavilion. The phones in them actually work, and have inbound phone numbers. If you know those numbers (I do, but not sure if I'd get scolded for posting them on here), you can sit on a bench nearby and have some fun with people :D
 
ShookieJones

ShookieJones

We need time for things to happen.
Avenger117 said:
wow, that was intense. Am I the only one that read that post with the voice of Abraham Lincoln in my head?
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haha...thanks for the chuckle!

To the OP - quite a speech. Quite eloquent in fact...but unfortunately as @SeaCastle has pointed out (also quite eloquenty):
there is only ONE way to protest! With your wallet. Or actually by NOT using your wallet.

Many people around here are PO'd about the 'declining by degrees' that occurs at WDW.
The problem is we're the front line. We're the FIRST to notice this decline.
We notice first and b*tch the loudest, but guess what? Most of us around here...even those of us who complain the most
are still throwing thousands of dollars at the Mouse.
The general public? The majority of folks who go on a semi-regular basis but aren't us? They haven't even noticed that the
napkins don't have a Disney logo on them...

So even long after the nuts like us get fed up and don't go..(if that ever happens) they'll still be a whole lot of people who will still be opening their wallets and wiping their faces with plain old napkins not knowing or caring that the Yeti is stationary or the laughing place water effects aren't working.

sad but true but don't you know...I can't freaking wait for September WDW vacation!
 
The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Rozzaru said:
what are we to do if we are to make our concerns known before more is lost forever?.....
Click to expand...
The perception is that the critical fan base of DL managed to move Anaheim's management style from 'good enough' to 'try to exceed guest expectation'. All companies are sensitive to customer perception. Disney spends gazillions on marketing and maintaining its brand. It is vulnerable to public perception of the quality and worth of its name.

Social media are powerful. We, hardcore fans, are just a tiny percentage of guests, and Disney doesn't feel it if we vote with our wallets and go to DL for one year instead of WDW. But we do populate, make, maintain Disney's cyber image.

It is 2012. The first timer looking into Disney for a fun family holiday to bring his young kids to will start by checking the internet. For prices, for information. So it is important what is said about WDW online. Disney knows this - it extensively tries to steer and control what is written about WDW.


But all 'protests' are subject to one cold hard reality: WDW is pretty much filled to capacity, a rousing financial succes. There is no real direct incentive for WDW to change its management style. When your customers are lining up to get in, you don't change your ways. No, you raise your prices. As WDW does. :(
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
At the risk of offending some here all I can say is if the magic is gone, it has left your hearts and not actually the property. I started going in 1983 and have gone, on average, once a year since that time. I remember MK when it was basically a stand alone park. EPCOT had just opened and was anything but Magic at that time. Lines were long, the famous people moving ability that Disney seemed to have down pat, was either not working in EPCOT or it didn't exist.

I still felt the Magic. I felt it driving into the property. It just had an air about it. It didn't have anything to do with attractions, it didn't have anything to do with CM's, it didn't have anything to do with cleanliness or many of the other things that are areas of complaint today. I hadn't even seen any of that yet. It was just WDW. In it's basic and exciting glory. It came from within me, not from external sources.

I got in the theme parks and was positively overwhelmed by it. I had never experienced anything like it in my life. I was transported back to being a kid again. I would venture a guess that I had more fun then my young children did.

As years go by, the glow that we once saw starts to diminish. Flaws we didn't see in the beginning start to show up because it's not all new to us anymore. The quality hasn't dropped, our expectations have risen. It's all in our perception.

I remember going to Disneyland in 2005. That was the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland and all I heard was how much better condition DL was in than WDW. I didn't go looking for anything wrong, in fact, quite the opposite. I expected everything to be perfect. I can't say that I found a lot wrong, but I did see things like a giant whole in the wall as I entered "Small World", something I never saw at WDW. I saw pieces of concrete missing from the stairway leading up to the Train Station on Main St. And this was in the middle of their biggest celebration ever and shortly after a large amount of money was spent to "fix" it up. Those that were preaching the perfection were just not seeing the flaws that existed. They didn't want to see it.

A theme park, especially ones like DL or WDW are very busy places and subject to much wear and tear. Take the people mover at WDW. That machine has been moving constantly everyday for 40 years. In all my visits I have never seen it down. When we get to the point that we cannot accept that mechanical things will break through no ones fault...just wear...and then if I start feeling that the place is falling apart, that is also from within and brought on by unrealistic expectations.

Oh, I have seen many problems at WDW over the last 30 years, but when you consider the use and abuse that stuff takes...realistically it is all pretty good. I have seen bad things in the 90's when everyone thinks that it was at its peak in efficiency and quality. The things I saw back then were anything but that. We just all have a short memory of negative things the younger we are. That all seems to change somewhat when we get older.
 

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