Why do you believe WDW has gone downhill?

[Soarin2u]

They just took another big slide down the hill with the elimination of live photopass photographers at some of the character meet and greets. No more Memory Maker for us.....

I really hope this shtick fails. I really, really do. But wouldn’t we know that even if it takes terrible photos they’d keep it

 

[Bpmorley]

They just took another big slide down the hill with the elimination of live photopass photographers at some of the character meet and greets. No more Memory Maker for us.....

Probably not a big impact. You see most people also handing the photographer their phone to also take a shot.

 

[DisAl]

Probably not a big impact. You see most people also handing the photographer their phone to also take a shot.

That is partially my point. 50,000 cast members and they ruin a valuable service to eliminate 9 positions. STUPID.

 

[Miss Bella]

We always have breakfast at the resort around 8:00 (QS), and don’t eat again until at least 4:00-5:00 (TS), and we usually use our snack credits for drinks. There’s no way we could eat a lunch too, especially with all the walking and the heat.

We usually eat lunch and TS dinner around 730 or 8 pm. I don’t buy the dining plan, but I don’t think eating 2 meals a day is out of the ordinary. The poster that said they only eat once a day is most likely in the minority on that one. I can’t imagine feeding my teens once a day. They need 3 meals a day. If the dining plan included apps I’d probably get it. We’re not really dessert people.

 

[Bpmorley]

That is partially my point. 50,000 cast members and they ruin a valuable service to eliminate 9 positions. STUPID.

or are they just reassigning them?

 

[Rosanne]

So, I'm actually writing an essay and I need the voices of those who believe Disney World has lost its special touch.

What are changes Disney has made you believe have been for the worst? And does it represent something greater? Are there things you see now that you don't like? Essentially, I need people to complain about Disney World so I have arguments to address.

For example:
Not fixing the Yeti as a sign that Disney fails to maintain their rides to the extent they should.
Or,
Food quality, in general, has gone down but the prices remain high indicating Disney is being cheap.

The only thing else I ask for is to say something more creative than "crowds" and "ticket Price Increase." Least, if you say these give a unique argument as to why they're bad

Thanks!

Oh! And if you don't think Disney has gone downhill, I'd take those responses too!

Edit: Maybe downhill was too broad of a term. I'm really just seeking what changes or things have there been that have reduced the quality of your Walt Disney World Experience.
I do not agree that WDW has gone downhill and therefore need counter-arguments. Rather than assuming what the counter-arguments are, I thought it'd be nice to quote some. Therefore, I really would like specific points of an argument.

I dont like the way they changed fast passes from the kiosks in the park to 30 to 60 day reservations online. Its impossible to get a fast pass within 30 days as people that are in the resorts get them first in 60 days. And after many of these people make reservations 60 days in advance, they dont bother to cancel them so others can get them. There has to be a better system.

 

[MuteSuperstar]

I know there are more guests now, but there on a daily level, it's not a huge increase. Disney however has lost the ability to mange these guests. Or perhaps they've simply stopped caring about it.

I think it's probably the latter. Understaffing by design and making people pay more for less have been cornerstones of the Hyperfinancialization/Obscene Exec Pay era for a long time now. It took Disney longer than I expected to fully embrace the dark side, but it looks like we have now fully arrived there. And as long as customers continue to pay and indeed a lot of them even bizarrely root for this sort of thing, it will only get worse.

 

[zombiebbq]

Still writing. It's a final. It's big. I chose a massive topic. I like the rambling, it's good stuff to work with.
However, the point of the essay was never say any these points are wrong, rather I personally concede on most, but this was to almost play devils advocate. That and its also redirecting the blame to culture and crowds for most changes.

I'm also obviously not addressing everything said. No need to address all the complaints about crowds 10 times. So really, when you narrow it down the arguments are fewer. That and I state clearly in my essay that I can't go over every complaint and that'll I focus my attention on the ones brought up the most frequently.

I think it's a great topic you chose! What class is this for? (sorry if you have mentioned it already haven't gotten through the thread entirely). I also agree it's better to get fresh answers from posters who know you may be using their comments in an essay. The strict rules for academic papers nowadays would suggest that's the way to go.

 

[Soarin2u]

A friend was there this weekend and had to wait 30 minutes for food at Pinnochio Village Haus. This was 30 minutes after ordering. The place was slammed full of people but they only had half the kitchen open.

My location did this too. We would close down Bay 1 after a lunch rush, and keep Mobile Ordering at Bay 2 and Bay 3 open. Dinners in general are "slow (or at least nothing compared to lunches)." Most days its not a problem only really having one side open, some days we got hit hard during dinner and were not prepared accordingly. But, I wouldn't wiggle a finger at Disney on doing this, it has happened everywhere I have worked in the food industry. I waitress while in school, and during slow days they'll send servers home, but wouldn't management know it that suddenly at 2 o'clock we'd be slammed. And before Disney I worked for another mouse, and most school days were dead between the hours of 9-4. But then their be the bizarre lunch rush where everyone with a pre-schooler shows up on Thursday afternoon in September for the lunch buffet and it'd only be me and a manager. I've personally never worked anywhere where they plan for the unexpected to happen. Always has it been to plan for the usual and the predictable.

 

[draybook]

I just got back from 5 days. I think I have narrowed down the biggest issue with Dizzy Werld.

The operations team either....

A. Has completely forgotten how to manage crowds.

B. Has completely changed their crowd management style for the worse.

C. Some combination of A and B.

I visited all four parks, and at a not very busy time, and it felt like the middle of Spring Break most of the time.

The attractions are understaffed and operating far below capacity. This drives up the wait times, which in turn drives more guests into the pathways as they search for an attraction with a reasonable wait. So now you are waiting longer to ride, and trudging through New Years Eve level crowds in the street all the time.

I know there are more guests now, but there on a daily level, it's not a huge increase. Disney however has lost the ability to mange these guests. Or perhaps they've simply stopped caring about it.

Especially, and I'll reiterate this, ESPECIALLY after parades/events. Holy crap is it ever a mosh pit during parades. Also, the line/crowd management during the Halloween parties was embarrassing. Did I mention that they were using tape as the line indicator at the CBJ location? Yes, I said TAPE. Needless to say, some people cut between us and the ladies behind us and you better believe I called them out in front of everyone when I spotted some CMs. This isn't on the standard CMs by far, it's on these knuckleheads in charge. I honestly believe that this is a problem across the board and not just with WDW.

For instance, we just had one of our operation managers resign after 18 years. Instead of letting the man work out his last two weeks, our POS director cut him loose right before a busy holiday week and with a department (Dexcom) that is very sensitive to issues such as errors and misshipped items. This director also thinks that a degree, no matter what it's for, trumps experience and has passed over several well qualified people for supervisor roles just to bring in outsiders who have no clue about the medical supply business.

Sorry for my rant, but I think that overall we're seeing a bunch of idiots being promoted to positions of power and decision making and we're all suffering for it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

My location did this too. We would close down Bay 1 after a lunch rush, and keep Mobile Ordering at Bay 2 and Bay 3 open. Dinners in general are "slow (or at least nothing compared to lunches)." Most days its not a problem only really having one side open, some days we got hit hard during dinner and were not prepared accordingly. But, I wouldn't wiggle a finger at Disney on doing this, it has happened everywhere I have worked in the food industry. I waitress while in school, and during slow days they'll send servers home, but wouldn't management know it that suddenly at 2 o'clock we'd be slammed. And before Disney I worked for another mouse, and most school days were dead between the hours of 9-4. But then their be the bizarre lunch rush where everyone with a pre-schooler shows up on Thursday afternoon in September for the lunch buffet and it'd only be me and a manager. I've personally never worked anywhere where they plan for the unexpected to happen. Always has it been to plan for the usual and the predictable.

But... but... Disney is held to a higher standard. After all it isn't run by humans that have to use statistics to know how to plan thing, know when things will break and anticipate every possible problem that might come up in the course of a day. I mean that place is magical, and people paid a huge amount of money to go there, the very least they should be is clairvoyant. No excuses!

 

[lazyboy97o]

My location did this too. We would close down Bay 1 after a lunch rush, and keep Mobile Ordering at Bay 2 and Bay 3 open. Dinners in general are "slow (or at least nothing compared to lunches)." Most days its not a problem only really having one side open, some days we got hit hard during dinner and were not prepared accordingly. But, I wouldn't wiggle a finger at Disney on doing this, it has happened everywhere I have worked in the food industry. I waitress while in school, and during slow days they'll send servers home, but wouldn't management know it that suddenly at 2 o'clock we'd be slammed. And before Disney I worked for another mouse, and most school days were dead between the hours of 9-4. But then their be the bizarre lunch rush where everyone with a pre-schooler shows up on Thursday afternoon in September for the lunch buffet and it'd only be me and a manager. I've personally never worked anywhere where they plan for the unexpected to happen. Always has it been to plan for the usual and the predictable.

Walt Disney World intentionally has substandard capacity, so yes, it is Disney’s fault. A best, the Magic Kingdom, the world’s busiest theme park, has about the same dining capacity as it did 30 - 40 years ago while some venues are sill often shuttered. Disney also now has far more data on people and their plans to visit.

 

[Soarin2u]

All I know is that a dinner rush is generally slower. I was only addressing that fact. We plan weeks ahead not day off when the bays will close due to scheduling CMs. You said Pinocchio’s had one side open yet was slammed. That’s a bit unusual to have it be slammed during dinner. Normally one side does the job for the evening.They expected weeks earlier that the crowds were going to be moderate. Day of stats may only help them to know extend the shifts of few workers to help out just incase. I wasn’t talking about the capacity I was talking about the half kitchen comment was all. Sorry.

 

[lazyboy97o]

All I know is that a dinner rush is generally slower. I was only addressing that fact. We plan weeks ahead not day off when the bays will close due to scheduling CMs. You said Pinocchio’s had one side open yet was slammed. That’s a bit unusual to have it be slammed during dinner. Normally one side does the job for the evening.They expected weeks earlier that the crowds were going to be moderate. Day of stats may only help them to know extend the shifts of few workers to help out just incase. I wasn’t talking about the capacity I was talking about the half kitchen comment was all. Sorry.

Only operating half a kitchen is an issue of capacity. Even then, Disney makes guests plan a variety aspects of a visit months in advance, all of which provides greater insight into forecasting attendance.

 

[TraderSam]

On the subject of crowd management, I'd have to say that we noticed a significant increase in the wait times of the non-E-Ticket rides when FP+ came around. Pirates used to be a five, maybe ten minute wait. Now it's nearing an hour. Same for IASW and other classics. Even PhilarMagic can have a 30 minute wait at times.

I don't know what all feeds into the logistics of it, but when they eliminated the paper Fastpasses, it seems like the crowds spread out to more of the attractions.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

More animatronics, less screens. The Little Mermaid ride is a perfect example. Animatronics. Lots of them and it was fun, it felt like you were a part of it. Finding Nemo? Nah. Who wants to look at screens all day?

Not to mention they seem to be more creatively bankrupt than ever. Nothing wrong with IP rides but it has been a decade since a notable non-IP ride was created. Part of the charm of WDW is that not everything had to be attached to their movies. It was a nice mixture, now they can't buy an idea if it killed them.

 

[Oddysey]

Facts don't care about your feelings

Hey Ben

 

[GeoffR]

I would add the parks trying to stay relevant in the short term.

Tower of Terror is over 20 years old, based on an IP from 1959-1965, Splash Moutain is over 25 years old, based on an IP from 1946, Haunted Mansion is an original idea and so is Pirates and Big Thunder...all of which are over 40 years old. Do you see Guardians of the Galaxy, Ratatouille, Pandora, and all these other new attractions having relevancy like this? I personally don't.

These are short-term bottom dollar ideas to boost relevancy in the short term. Which they absolutely have and will. People have eaten up the new additions. For me, however, uprooting older/classic attractions to appease the short-term end up hurting you in the long run.

Toy Story Land, though I don't think the land is well-themed, will hold true because the films are classics. Star Wars Land is a toss up, only because I think it's silly to keep the classic films outside of that land; makes zero sense to me personally. And because of that, it's dedicating a land to IP that's only 3 years old. That is a lot of hope. They are really investing in their new films being on the same level of the classics if they are willing to stake this amount of money and land into it; and again, I think that is just short-sighted. Will we be talking about The Last Jedi 25 years from now? Maybe (I won't lol) but we ARE talking about the classics 40 years later.

Will Avatar be relevant down the road? Will the sequels ever come to? I would say probably not to the former, and yes to the latter, but will they be nearly as popular?

Again, this is all my opinion, but I think they've been very short-sighted recently and it's compounding on a lot of other issues formerly mentioned in other posts

 

[eliza61nyc]

I would add the parks trying to stay relevant in the short term.

Tower of Terror is over 20 years old, based on an IP from 1959-1965, Splash Moutain is over 25 years old, based on an IP from 1946, Haunted Mansion is an original idea and so is Pirates and Big Thunder...all of which are over 40 years old. Do you see Guardians of the Galaxy, Ratatouille, Pandora, and all these other new attractions having relevancy like this? I personally don't.

These are short-term bottom dollar ideas to boost relevancy in the short term. Which they absolutely have and will. People have eaten up the new additions. For me, however, uprooting older/classic attractions to appease the short-term end up hurting you in the long run.

Toy Story Land, though I don't think the land is well-themed, will hold true because the films are classics. Star Wars Land is a toss up, only because I think it's silly to keep the classic films outside of that land; makes zero sense to me personally. And because of that, it's dedicating a land to IP that's only 3 years old. That is a lot of hope. They are really investing in their new films being on the same level of the classics if they are willing to stake this amount of money and land into it; and again, I think that is just short-sighted. Will we be talking about The Last Jedi 25 years from now? Maybe (I won't lol) but we ARE talking about the classics 40 years later.

Will Avatar be relevant down the road? Will the sequels ever come to? I would say probably not to the former, and yes to the latter, but will they be nearly as popular?

Again, this is all my opinion, but I think they've been very short-sighted recently and it's compounding on a lot of other issues formerly mentioned in other posts

lol, ok take my opinion with a grain of salt, I am probably the only one here who is slap happy they are replacing the old stuff.

Are you confusing relevancy with originality maybe?? Splash mountain is not relevant, most of today's kids have never seen it and probably never will unless they get a boot leg copy. The examples you mentioned are probably the last of the true creative originality but relevant to today's consumer? naw.

I personally have no problem with them kicking out the old stuff, the majority of folks (not on fan boards) thought Ellen was beyond boring. It was the ride folks did to get out of the heat and catch a quick snooze, Even here how many times do we joke about which rides are dull as dishwater and sleep worthy.
Yes, 40 years from now we will be talking about the star wars franchise, maybe not specific films but the overall franchise will be popular.
How old is the Marvel universe??? Captain America was debuted in 1941!!! lol most of the original audience from world war II is dead and yet those characters are as popular as ever. One of the things I give Stan lee mad props for is keeping his stuff fresh and relevant.

Sorry IMO star Wars land will be as popular as any of the old rides we have now IF it is done well.

I respectfully disagree. I think it's brilliant. WDW was becoming the parks for old people and babies. I use to laugh when I rode the Great movie ride because after Alien and Wizard of Oz the majority of kids had absolutely no idea who or what the other films where. lol you really think Johnny Weissmuller is relevant?

I think GotG is more relevant and appealing to today's youth than Ellen and Alex trebic but of course that does get into the discussions on what the target audience for the world should be.

I think the next question is how much the modern consumer takes in once on the ride? unfortunately we are entering in the time of short attention spans and instant gratification. when on splash mountain are they following along the story? don't know.

 

[erasure fan1]

WDW was becoming the parks for old people and babies. I use to laugh when I rode the Great movie ride because after Alien and Wizard of Oz the majority of kids had absolutely no idea who or what the other films where. lol you really think Johnny Weissmuller is relevant?

This is my problem with Disney in a nutshell. You are right, lots of younger people had no clue about most of the movies, and the ride wasn't nearly as popular anymore. So just close or replace seems to be Disneys plan. The great movie ride is the one ride that could always have been updated to stay fresh and relevant. But in true Disney fashion, it's do nothing for 30yrs, then replace it instead of fix it. It shows the extreme shortsighted view of Disney. TGMR would have been a great way to showcase Disney movies that could never really get an attraction on their own. Especially with a company that always wants to push its own stuff. New rides and new IPs are great. But do it the right way. Put it where it makes sense, don't guardians or frozen it. And make it an addition instead of replacing something. With 3 parks needing capacity, there is little reason not to be adding attractions instead of replacing.