-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Why All the Vitriol Against Disney?
- Thread starter Berret
- Start date
pax_65
Well-Known Member
It amuses me that some of you are focused on the PEOPLE who are "angry" with Disney. Yes, there may be something wrong with those people (myself included) but most of these sentiments stem from real problems in the parks - high prices, lack of new attractions, shorter hours, and other decisions that are not focused on giving guests a magical vacation experience at a reasonable price.
If you look back, WAY back, at my posts you'll see I defended Pooh over Mr. Toad and (I think) even Mission Space over Horizons (blasphemy, I realize). I think I even went so far as to quote Walt who reminded us that the park would never be "finished" and would get better as the years go by. I'm not opposed to progress.
If you look back, WAY back, at my posts you'll see I defended Pooh over Mr. Toad and (I think) even Mission Space over Horizons (blasphemy, I realize). I think I even went so far as to quote Walt who reminded us that the park would never be "finished" and would get better as the years go by. I'm not opposed to progress.
RobidaFlats
Well-Known Member
You had me going for a moment, I was even about to hit the "Like" button until that business about Horizons. Shame on you and your house
pax_65
Well-Known Member
You had me going for a moment, I was even about to hit the "Like" button until that business about Horizons. Shame on you and your house
Yeah, I might have gotten carried away with that one.
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
Latest one is the non-rotating space station in Mission: Space.
I think it's a great example of what the "complainers" are talking about:
It's built to rotate. It's not a fast-moving part that would need all kinds of new engineering to fix. I think someone mentioned in the other thread that it needed a gear.
It's been years since it rotated. From Disney's point of view they could:
1) Spend money to fix it (there'll be no (measurable) increase in ticket sales if they do).
2) Leave it to rot (they won't be able to measure the loss of sales from not fixing it).
So they leave it... and increase prices and create more up-charge events/things. People are still flooding to the parks so no harm.
Now, this is just one little broken effect. The problem is, there are a lot of little things like this at Disney which are adding up. There are a lot of folks who see this adding up and are thinking that it actually takes away from the experience (it's all the little details that makes the complete Disney picture) and, worst case, that guests are going to taper off (less money coming in so they actually can't fix simple things at that point).
Right now management seems to be riding the, "They're going to come and pay, anyway"-wave and not bothering. It's not new, though. Maybe they're right. Maybe Disney is so engrained in the American psyche that they really don't have to keep things up and can just rake the cash across the table.
They've lost me, though. They've lost others on here. It doesn't mean I don't want others to have a good time. It means that there are those of us who are pointing out a problem and others who argue against it with, "You're just nitpicking/complaining... Disney's awesome!"
I think it's a great example of what the "complainers" are talking about:
It's built to rotate. It's not a fast-moving part that would need all kinds of new engineering to fix. I think someone mentioned in the other thread that it needed a gear.
It's been years since it rotated. From Disney's point of view they could:
1) Spend money to fix it (there'll be no (measurable) increase in ticket sales if they do).
2) Leave it to rot (they won't be able to measure the loss of sales from not fixing it).
So they leave it... and increase prices and create more up-charge events/things. People are still flooding to the parks so no harm.
Now, this is just one little broken effect. The problem is, there are a lot of little things like this at Disney which are adding up. There are a lot of folks who see this adding up and are thinking that it actually takes away from the experience (it's all the little details that makes the complete Disney picture) and, worst case, that guests are going to taper off (less money coming in so they actually can't fix simple things at that point).
Right now management seems to be riding the, "They're going to come and pay, anyway"-wave and not bothering. It's not new, though. Maybe they're right. Maybe Disney is so engrained in the American psyche that they really don't have to keep things up and can just rake the cash across the table.
They've lost me, though. They've lost others on here. It doesn't mean I don't want others to have a good time. It means that there are those of us who are pointing out a problem and others who argue against it with, "You're just nitpicking/complaining... Disney's awesome!"
blueboxdoctor
Well-Known Member
Some people do just complain, but there is also fair criticism of the parks. I mean, the most obvious is Future World in EPCOT. And there is also a fair amount of Hollywood Studios criticism (especially with rumors of the movie ride possibly being closed down/removed) basically just being Toy Story and Star Wars in a few years. Or how Starbucks can't make up for the bakery no longer in Magic Kingdom (that's a personal complaint, as I don't like coffee but I did like the baked goods at the bakery, but really, it doesn't at all ruin my trip, just a little thing I wish was still there).
So yeah, there's nothing wrong with constructive criticism.
But yes, there is also a ton of complaining, which gets annoying (especially a few weeks ago there were a lot of threads with people saying how much better things were in their days and how awful new generations are).
So yeah, there's nothing wrong with constructive criticism.
But yes, there is also a ton of complaining, which gets annoying (especially a few weeks ago there were a lot of threads with people saying how much better things were in their days and how awful new generations are).
rob0519
Well-Known Member
Well, welcome to the forums. After reading the posts for several years I'm sure you will be a welcome contributor. I don't know how it could be done, but since it was your idea, perhaps you have some thoughts on how to start a "fact checking" thread?
You've probably noticed that the level of disenchantment with a lot of members here over the years is in direct correlation to the decline in the quality of service, food offerings, merchandise offerings etc. while the company is posting record profits.
The Disney marketing machine has done an incredible job of filling the resorts and in some cases over filling the parks for the last 15 or so years, including visitors from around the world. Unfortunately, the operations of parks and resorts does not seem to have kept up with the increase in visitors.
A completely made up example would be say you had "x" number of park visitors in 2000 and each day you had custodial cast members performing "y" number of hours daily and the park appeared spotless. Now fast forward to 2016. You now have "x times 2" number of customers and "y" remains the same or perhaps is moved to "y times 1.5". The cleanliness off the park will be down simply because the same level of effort is not being exerted.
You can go to forums about cruising and replace the word Disney with Carnival, NCL, Princess, etc. and you will see the same exact comments about lower quality in food and merchandise, higher prices across the board and nickel and diming the customer to death.
I personally think it was time for Mr. Toad and Snow White, and Light, Motors, Action and the streets of America, etc. to be replaced by new attractions (although a Meet and Greet should not quality as an attraction). I just miss the quality and level of service I perceived to be in the parks and resorts 20 years ago while paying much, much more.
You've probably noticed that the level of disenchantment with a lot of members here over the years is in direct correlation to the decline in the quality of service, food offerings, merchandise offerings etc. while the company is posting record profits.
The Disney marketing machine has done an incredible job of filling the resorts and in some cases over filling the parks for the last 15 or so years, including visitors from around the world. Unfortunately, the operations of parks and resorts does not seem to have kept up with the increase in visitors.
A completely made up example would be say you had "x" number of park visitors in 2000 and each day you had custodial cast members performing "y" number of hours daily and the park appeared spotless. Now fast forward to 2016. You now have "x times 2" number of customers and "y" remains the same or perhaps is moved to "y times 1.5". The cleanliness off the park will be down simply because the same level of effort is not being exerted.
You can go to forums about cruising and replace the word Disney with Carnival, NCL, Princess, etc. and you will see the same exact comments about lower quality in food and merchandise, higher prices across the board and nickel and diming the customer to death.
I personally think it was time for Mr. Toad and Snow White, and Light, Motors, Action and the streets of America, etc. to be replaced by new attractions (although a Meet and Greet should not quality as an attraction). I just miss the quality and level of service I perceived to be in the parks and resorts 20 years ago while paying much, much more.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Tough love is OK as long as people are not basing their criticism on childhood memories. It was so much better when I was a kid is often heard. That is just crazy. Childhood will give you good memories or bad memories, but, it won't give you detailed memories. As a litmus test, and I have said this before, go back to the house you grew up in. I think you will find that you remember it as a big, expansive place. You will be shocked now as to how small it actually is. It didn't shrink, it's just that childhood memories have massive magnifiers built in. A lot of the complaints about how Disney has gone down hill are based on childhood memories. They are not accurate. Prices are higher? Tell me one place where that isn't true? I paid $3200.00 for a brand new Buick in 1970. The same vehicle is now in the mid-30K's Ten times higher and the quality is not that much higher. However, a very good wage in 1970 was anything above 10 grand a year, now that is poverty level. There is one thing that we can all count on in life and that is that everything changes. Most of the alleged complaint are more a display of our own disappointments that things are not exactly how we remember it, but, in many of the cases, if we allow ourselves, many of them changed for the better. We just can't always see it.
Last edited:
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
whats it to you? You some sort of Disney private investigator or something?
I do it to annoy some people, it seems to work too.
I do it to annoy some people, it seems to work too.
Me 'Earties
Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate
#FirstWorldProblems
At least that's what I equate it to. But maybe I'm one of those so-called pixie dusters. I have very fond memories of WDW and even when I may not like something, I say to myself: there are people who do like it, and that's cool. I love WDW regardless, and I'm going to spend my vacations there as often as possible
At least that's what I equate it to. But maybe I'm one of those so-called pixie dusters. I have very fond memories of WDW and even when I may not like something, I say to myself: there are people who do like it, and that's cool. I love WDW regardless, and I'm going to spend my vacations there as often as possible
Last edited:
Sonconato
Well-Known Member
In my opinion, what many would think is complaining is really constructive criticism. What might appear to be something negative to one person may not be negative to another. It's kind of like art. In any case, constructive criticism, whether you agree with it or not, is really beneficial to a company and if that company chooses to ignore such criticism, then they could possibly face challenges in the future.
One major issue that we have noticed in the Walt Disney Company that is very different now than it was 25 years ago is that they used to welcome this criticism and often would make an effort to address many or most issues that were brought to their attention. We were AP holders back 25 years ago, as we are now, and it used to be that if you had any complaints or compliments, you could always share those with Guest Relations. We used to do this frequently with great success. What we have noticed is that if you approach them with a compliment, which we do often about Cast Members, they will ALWAYS write that down and are glad to take as much information as possible.
However, we have much less success when we have concerns or complaints. It seems that most of the time, if we have a complaint, the most we would get out them is an "I'm Sorry, I hope you have a Magical evening". They wouldn't even write anything down. This is partly why we post on this forum, mostly to see if others feel the same as we do. The only time anything might be written down is if it could bring them into a law suit. For instance, one time my husband complained, on behalf of the handicapped, that a great number of guests would park their strollers in front of the drinking fountain that was near the BarnStormer which would prevent someone in a wheelchair from being able to access that drinking fountain. Although this really isn't Disney's fault, they certainly acted upon it. He showed some photos he took over a few week period (only on weekends) and Disney addressed the issue immediately and it's NOT been a problem since.
It seems to me, Disney should be reading these forums and make an effort to address many of these issues. In fact, if Universal were smart, they would certainly also benefit from reading these forums, not so much to know what Disney is doing right, but what they might be doing wrong. It creates great competition which benefits us all. My husband shared a story with me that sort of explains how criticism can be beneficial and as a result, the customer benefits.
The following story come from www.todayifoundout.com but he has said that he has seen this story in many other websites and books.
Today I found out the creator of Lamborghini S.p.A. originally owned a tractor company, Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A., which produced tractors from surplus military hardware. He decided to get into making cars as a result of frustrations he had with a Ferrari he had purchased which ultimately resulted in him being insulted by Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the famed Ferrari brand car company.
Having always been interested in car engines, during World War II, Ferruccio Lamborghini served with the Air Force mechanics corps and became known as a wizard at mechanical improvisation and fixing engines.
After the war, Ferruccio setup a small car and motorcycle repair shop in northern Italy. His first great business idea was to buy surplus military machines and convert them into tractors, which were in a great demand in the agricultural area where he lived at that time. In the beginning, from derelict military vehicles, Lamborghini was building on average one tractor a month. This business very soon became extremely successful allowing Lamborghini, in 1960, to expand his business to manufacturing oil-burning heaters and air conditioning units for buildings.
As a car lover and wealthy entrepreneur, Lamborghini owned a number of sports cars, with the Ferrari 250 GT being one of them. At a certain point, Lamborghini became frustrated with problems he had with the clutch in his Ferrari. He then went to visit Enzo Ferrari. The world may have never had the famous Lamborghini super cars that were to follow had Enzo Ferrari not answered Ferruccio’s complaints with “the problem is not with the car but with driver!” and went on to advise him to look after his tractors instead. For a mechanical genius and Italian, this kind of answer was not only insulting but an open challenge.
With millions of liras from his successful tractor business sitting around, Lamborghini decided to build his own car with a V12 engine and founded an auto factory in the small town of Sant’Agata. Lamborghini hired Ferrari’s ex-employees Giotto Bizzarini, Franco Scaglione, and Gian Paolo Dallara. The task was very clear – to create a luxurious and powerful GT that would reach 150 mph on the Autostrada del Sole, the famous Italian motorway which connects Milan with Naples. The result was the Lamborghini 350GT. The rest is history.
Great things come from complaints that generate challenges…everybody wins!
One major issue that we have noticed in the Walt Disney Company that is very different now than it was 25 years ago is that they used to welcome this criticism and often would make an effort to address many or most issues that were brought to their attention. We were AP holders back 25 years ago, as we are now, and it used to be that if you had any complaints or compliments, you could always share those with Guest Relations. We used to do this frequently with great success. What we have noticed is that if you approach them with a compliment, which we do often about Cast Members, they will ALWAYS write that down and are glad to take as much information as possible.
However, we have much less success when we have concerns or complaints. It seems that most of the time, if we have a complaint, the most we would get out them is an "I'm Sorry, I hope you have a Magical evening". They wouldn't even write anything down. This is partly why we post on this forum, mostly to see if others feel the same as we do. The only time anything might be written down is if it could bring them into a law suit. For instance, one time my husband complained, on behalf of the handicapped, that a great number of guests would park their strollers in front of the drinking fountain that was near the BarnStormer which would prevent someone in a wheelchair from being able to access that drinking fountain. Although this really isn't Disney's fault, they certainly acted upon it. He showed some photos he took over a few week period (only on weekends) and Disney addressed the issue immediately and it's NOT been a problem since.
It seems to me, Disney should be reading these forums and make an effort to address many of these issues. In fact, if Universal were smart, they would certainly also benefit from reading these forums, not so much to know what Disney is doing right, but what they might be doing wrong. It creates great competition which benefits us all. My husband shared a story with me that sort of explains how criticism can be beneficial and as a result, the customer benefits.
The following story come from www.todayifoundout.com but he has said that he has seen this story in many other websites and books.
Today I found out the creator of Lamborghini S.p.A. originally owned a tractor company, Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A., which produced tractors from surplus military hardware. He decided to get into making cars as a result of frustrations he had with a Ferrari he had purchased which ultimately resulted in him being insulted by Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the famed Ferrari brand car company.
Having always been interested in car engines, during World War II, Ferruccio Lamborghini served with the Air Force mechanics corps and became known as a wizard at mechanical improvisation and fixing engines.
After the war, Ferruccio setup a small car and motorcycle repair shop in northern Italy. His first great business idea was to buy surplus military machines and convert them into tractors, which were in a great demand in the agricultural area where he lived at that time. In the beginning, from derelict military vehicles, Lamborghini was building on average one tractor a month. This business very soon became extremely successful allowing Lamborghini, in 1960, to expand his business to manufacturing oil-burning heaters and air conditioning units for buildings.
As a car lover and wealthy entrepreneur, Lamborghini owned a number of sports cars, with the Ferrari 250 GT being one of them. At a certain point, Lamborghini became frustrated with problems he had with the clutch in his Ferrari. He then went to visit Enzo Ferrari. The world may have never had the famous Lamborghini super cars that were to follow had Enzo Ferrari not answered Ferruccio’s complaints with “the problem is not with the car but with driver!” and went on to advise him to look after his tractors instead. For a mechanical genius and Italian, this kind of answer was not only insulting but an open challenge.
With millions of liras from his successful tractor business sitting around, Lamborghini decided to build his own car with a V12 engine and founded an auto factory in the small town of Sant’Agata. Lamborghini hired Ferrari’s ex-employees Giotto Bizzarini, Franco Scaglione, and Gian Paolo Dallara. The task was very clear – to create a luxurious and powerful GT that would reach 150 mph on the Autostrada del Sole, the famous Italian motorway which connects Milan with Naples. The result was the Lamborghini 350GT. The rest is history.
Great things come from complaints that generate challenges…everybody wins!
SyracuseDisneyFan
Well-Known Member
I'm very excited for the new Toy Story land.
216bruce
Well-Known Member
A few main reasons for the 'moods':
1) Most folks don't like change. Think about it....when your favorite TV show loses a character and adds a replacement one, your fave band or performer changes their music direction or puts out a 'new' sounding album... "They suck now!". The same principle applies here. Now, if you just started listening to the band when that new album comes out or watching that show after the 'old' character left, you don't care or didn't know what it was like before. WDW is no different. At all.
2) A lot of the folks who gripe about 'back in the day' go A LOT. They fixate on a 'rotating space station' or an AA who 'doesn't move it's hand like it used to' or "Man, this restroom sure didn't used to have so many shreds of TP on the floor." because they have the perspective of time and the damnation of it too. They see, A LOT, how the AA is still busted, the TP is till stuck to the shoe and that dadgum space station DOESN'T ROTATE.....ARRRGHHHH! Does this matter much to the once in a lifetime visitor, the 'every 5 year family'? Nope. Not a bit. They likely never even notice. An example is a guy I work with who's a lot younger than me...he's 22 and I'm 58. We both are big WDW fans. In conversation the other day I found out that he never knew that the Yeti on EE was a moving AA. He never experienced it like that so...no harm, no foul. PS...the idea of it sweeping it's arm down and bending towards you blew his mind. Now, is this symptomatic or corporate decline? Yeah, some. But folks keep going....A LOT.
3) Our country just seems a lot grumpier and less tolerant lately. Just an opinion.
1) Most folks don't like change. Think about it....when your favorite TV show loses a character and adds a replacement one, your fave band or performer changes their music direction or puts out a 'new' sounding album... "They suck now!". The same principle applies here. Now, if you just started listening to the band when that new album comes out or watching that show after the 'old' character left, you don't care or didn't know what it was like before. WDW is no different. At all.
2) A lot of the folks who gripe about 'back in the day' go A LOT. They fixate on a 'rotating space station' or an AA who 'doesn't move it's hand like it used to' or "Man, this restroom sure didn't used to have so many shreds of TP on the floor." because they have the perspective of time and the damnation of it too. They see, A LOT, how the AA is still busted, the TP is till stuck to the shoe and that dadgum space station DOESN'T ROTATE.....ARRRGHHHH! Does this matter much to the once in a lifetime visitor, the 'every 5 year family'? Nope. Not a bit. They likely never even notice. An example is a guy I work with who's a lot younger than me...he's 22 and I'm 58. We both are big WDW fans. In conversation the other day I found out that he never knew that the Yeti on EE was a moving AA. He never experienced it like that so...no harm, no foul. PS...the idea of it sweeping it's arm down and bending towards you blew his mind. Now, is this symptomatic or corporate decline? Yeah, some. But folks keep going....A LOT.
3) Our country just seems a lot grumpier and less tolerant lately. Just an opinion.
pax_65
Well-Known Member
Great point. I agree 100% and I think your Yeti example is spot-on. I myself have been frustrated talking to a friend who loves Expedition Everest and thinks the Yeti moves. Like your friend, she never rode the ride in A mode and doesn't know what she's missing.
But to me, that's part of the shame of it. Most people don't realize how good it used to be. When I first went in 92 my in-laws challenged me to find one scrap of trash in the parks or one single thing wrong with any attraction. I couldn't do it.
Is Disney still great? Yes. Is it still one of the best vacation spots in America? Definitely. Is it as good as it used to be? Sadly, no.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
One huge factor is the simple fact that, over the past few years, "Disney" as a company has gone through some major changes and is no longer the Disney most of us grew up with, whether we're talking movies,TV or parks. Disney has lost its "heart" for a lot of people, to the point where it's just no longer worth the price they're charging. Disney still produces amazing products and experiences, and a changing Disney is better than an extinct Disney, but there's an inevitable sadness when you see something you loved so dearly for so much of your life disappear or change beyond recognition. That applies to anything. For younger folks who enjoy Disney, the "new" Disney--one of Marvel, Star Wars, fewer original non-film attraction concepts and more emphasis on current, popular animation-- will be the version they take to heart and make part of their lives-- and down the road, the time may come when they find they don't like where the company's headed... and so it will continue as long as Disney exists. And I do hope they continue to exist. Though I'm becoming less a fan of the company with each passing season, they still occasionally turn out some amazing films and rides.
Cowboy Steve
Well-Known Member
I do my best to not grumble too much. I may not be a pixie duster... lol! But I do LOVE Disney and can't help but notice the slight decline over the years. I have to agree with the majority of the posters here. Expectations, realistic or not, are not being met. Now me personally, I think my expectations are reasonable. But, having worked at an amusement park for 14 years, I understand the reality of 'today' vs the 'good old days'... I do see a lot of stuff I never noticed 25 years ago. Faded and peeling paint here, a burnt out bulb there, trash on the ground or in the landscaping... The human eye is drawn to inconsistency or anything that looks out of place. You instantly notice one burnt out bulb in a string of 500 or a on a marque. We can't help it. It's part of being a predator lol. And I hate it. Because that kind of stuff was really really rare 25-30 years ago.
And the lack of Imagineering, or at least quality Imagineering, is indeed very evident. Whether this is because the truly great ideas are deemed 'too costly' and would have a bad ROI (and thus watered down), or just a general lack of creativity I can't say. But it is out there for everyone who grew up with the parks to see. It isn't enough to keep me from visiting. The magic is still there! Just seems like my ROI isn't as great as it used to be.
Disney set really high expectations for themselves from the very beginning... so to be fair they really had nowhere to go but down. But keeping one or two parks and a handful of resorts in tip-top shape was easy compared to the monstrosity that WDW has become.
WDW has done nothing but grow since it opened. With each growth spurt comes a lot of issues... find more staffing, adjusting for additional supply/merch/food requirements, more warehousing space for those supplies, more trash, more maintenance, etc. Is the quality of the staffing what it used to be, or have staffing demands required a watering down of employer expectations? I can't speak for Disney, but I can for my park... and it isn't positive. Staffing demands tend to trump being 'picky' with who you stick where. But that doesn't mean the staffing at Disney is a train wreck. Just means that maybe not everybody embodies the 'make everyone's experience a magical one' mentality... lol. So when Disney's CMs do 9 great things, it can all get wiped out because of the 1 thing that wasn't great.
Some of the blame has to be put on us the visitors as well. And that fact bothers me more than anything. There is a trash can every 20 feet on just about every square foot of Disney property accessible to guests. Yet there is still trash on the ground. Why? Because some visitors, a much higher percentage than 'back in the day', can't be bothered with making sure their trash goes into a trash can. Whether because they are truly slobs who don't care, or just too lazy to pick up any trash they drop, or walk an extra 10 feet to a trash can that isn't overflowing, we are part of the problem. Kicking a queue pole or bathroom stall door, sticking gum everywhere except where it should go, picking at the paint while standing in a line... touching things we know we aren't supposed to touch. You can go on and on and on... These things happen over and over and over, day after day after day. It takes a toll...
The lion's share of the blame for the demise, even if only a slight demise, falls on Disney for sure. But a lot of visitors contribute to the problem as well.
Now excuse me while I go yell at some kids to get off my lawn... *mumble*
And the lack of Imagineering, or at least quality Imagineering, is indeed very evident. Whether this is because the truly great ideas are deemed 'too costly' and would have a bad ROI (and thus watered down), or just a general lack of creativity I can't say. But it is out there for everyone who grew up with the parks to see. It isn't enough to keep me from visiting. The magic is still there! Just seems like my ROI isn't as great as it used to be.
Disney set really high expectations for themselves from the very beginning... so to be fair they really had nowhere to go but down. But keeping one or two parks and a handful of resorts in tip-top shape was easy compared to the monstrosity that WDW has become.
WDW has done nothing but grow since it opened. With each growth spurt comes a lot of issues... find more staffing, adjusting for additional supply/merch/food requirements, more warehousing space for those supplies, more trash, more maintenance, etc. Is the quality of the staffing what it used to be, or have staffing demands required a watering down of employer expectations? I can't speak for Disney, but I can for my park... and it isn't positive. Staffing demands tend to trump being 'picky' with who you stick where. But that doesn't mean the staffing at Disney is a train wreck. Just means that maybe not everybody embodies the 'make everyone's experience a magical one' mentality... lol. So when Disney's CMs do 9 great things, it can all get wiped out because of the 1 thing that wasn't great.
Some of the blame has to be put on us the visitors as well. And that fact bothers me more than anything. There is a trash can every 20 feet on just about every square foot of Disney property accessible to guests. Yet there is still trash on the ground. Why? Because some visitors, a much higher percentage than 'back in the day', can't be bothered with making sure their trash goes into a trash can. Whether because they are truly slobs who don't care, or just too lazy to pick up any trash they drop, or walk an extra 10 feet to a trash can that isn't overflowing, we are part of the problem. Kicking a queue pole or bathroom stall door, sticking gum everywhere except where it should go, picking at the paint while standing in a line... touching things we know we aren't supposed to touch. You can go on and on and on... These things happen over and over and over, day after day after day. It takes a toll...
The lion's share of the blame for the demise, even if only a slight demise, falls on Disney for sure. But a lot of visitors contribute to the problem as well.
Now excuse me while I go yell at some kids to get off my lawn... *mumble*
Last edited:
- In the Parks
- No
Yep, you got me, I'm a Disney private investigator. By the way, don't be surprised if you get a knock on your door in the near future ... just saying.
SorcererMC
Well-Known Member
Conversation on these boards often devolves into 'Doom &Gloom' vs 'Pixie-duster' or other black-and-white thinking. B/c WDW has been in the news a lot since June, there are more 'new' people posting (including my self)....so people want to know 'where do you stand?' or 'what camp are you in?'. For me, it depends on the issue and I'm usually somewhere in between. I have a lot of nostalgia for WDW (eg listening to Horizons as I type this), even though I know that 'what was' is not 'what is'. I don't really like the direction that TWDC under Iger has taken - even though I understand why it's been done from a business perspective. In general, I don't like decisions that seem to disrupt 'theme integrity'. And yet - I'm optimistic that Disney/WDW can still be a 'magical' experience despite these flaws.
Edit: And many flaws could be corrected if TWDC had the inclination/will to do so...sometimes it's like one step forward and two steps back.
chrisbarry
Active Member
We just returned from 6 days in WDW and have been going yearly for 13 years now. To me the place was just as magical, clean, friendly and awesome as it was the day I first walked in back in 2003. I realize that's not as long as some of you have been going, but it 's long enough and consistent enough to comment. I though the place was spotless. I thought the cast members were wonderful with some going over the top to do that thing that they do so well. The wife felt the same way. So did my 17-year-old daughter, who is a very observant major Disney fan like her dad. We love the place and it consistently doesn't let us down. Change is inevitable and you have to roll with that. Personally, I think New Fantasyland was a great addition. Always loved Maelstrom but I think they did a wonderful job with Frozen. The new Soarin' is fantastic. The re-imagined version of Test Track, awesome as well. The new queues for Pooh, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion - all excellent. New planets in Star Tours. The unbelievably awesome Star Wars fireworks. Meeting Chewbacca and Kylo Ren was a total blast. The list goes on. Star Wars, Pandora and Toy Story all have amazing potential. Good things do happen at Walt Disney World, sometimes they take a long time, but good things do happen.
It does get painful to read so much complaining. I agree. But, the Internet is a place for people to complain. I'm an active reader in the Bruce Springsteen online community. You think the Disney fans are bad? Despite the fact that he's released more new music in the last 20 years than most of his contemporaries - good music too - and despite the fact that he's still playing 3.5 hour concerts at 65+ years of age, and in my opinion has never "sold out," the online fans rip apart everything the man does. It's brutal. Me? I'm over the top grateful that I can still go see an amazing Bruce show all these years later and be entertained thoroughly for almost 4 hrs. The same goes for Disney. I'm so fortunate that it's there and that I can go with my family and friends and that it's still such a special place. So, I don't complain.
It does get painful to read so much complaining. I agree. But, the Internet is a place for people to complain. I'm an active reader in the Bruce Springsteen online community. You think the Disney fans are bad? Despite the fact that he's released more new music in the last 20 years than most of his contemporaries - good music too - and despite the fact that he's still playing 3.5 hour concerts at 65+ years of age, and in my opinion has never "sold out," the online fans rip apart everything the man does. It's brutal. Me? I'm over the top grateful that I can still go see an amazing Bruce show all these years later and be entertained thoroughly for almost 4 hrs. The same goes for Disney. I'm so fortunate that it's there and that I can go with my family and friends and that it's still such a special place. So, I don't complain.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I first went to WDW in 1983 at age 35. I agree with your feelings. I truly don't understand where all this, it's gone downhill is coming from. Is it different, of course it is, and it should be. Nostalgia is nice and there is enough of it about to keep everyone happy if they just try, but, the new stuff is also quite good. Every time I have gone the place looked spotless. There were lights out here and there, but, that was also the case 33 years ago, I noticed even if others didn't, not because I was intentionally looking, but, because I was taking it all in and was old enough to not be completely blind sided by the bright lights and music. I saw the warts as well. And they did exist. The buildings are brighter and none look weathered or falling apart.
They were lax there for the last 10 years, but, apparently there was a sufficient kick in the butt to wake some up out of their success stupor and make some changes. I have a lot of hope for the future. Unfortunately, at my age, it is debatable that I might not really be able to experience it unless I stay healthy and as we all know, life has no guarantees.
They were lax there for the last 10 years, but, apparently there was a sufficient kick in the butt to wake some up out of their success stupor and make some changes. I have a lot of hope for the future. Unfortunately, at my age, it is debatable that I might not really be able to experience it unless I stay healthy and as we all know, life has no guarantees.