Why Have People Put Up With Disney So Lazy and Cheap?

[imagineer boy]

My biggest issue with Disney now is that they are sticking to what's safe and marketable with their new attractions instead of coming up with anything original. What was the last original attraction added to the parks? Yep, Expedition Everest and that was ten years ago. All I can say is that thank god Rivers of Light (not an attraction so that doesn't count) has no characters crammed into it.

Now people often tell me when I say this, "but people coming to Disney World don't care about that stuff, they come because they want to see Mickey and the characters." To them I say that people don't know what they want. Would Disneyland visitors back in the 60s have asked for something like The Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean? No they wouldn't have and they're the greatest Disney rides of all time. So personally I wish Disney would stop cramming character tie ins where they don't belong (*cough*Frozen in Norway*cough*) and start focusing on original and creative ideas.

 

[Glasgow]

The biggest problem with the present is that the past exists. Disney set it's own standards and they didn't always rely solely on profit .. That was just a side effect of good show. Things have changed, due to the mgmt AND the nature of business today. Many people haven't changed their expectations though, hence the current dismay. Personally, I'm upset but not to the point of calling the company out. I'm most disappointed by the lack of growth and innovation at WDW, but instead of bemoaning the situation, I'm voting with my dollars and taking them to UNI this year instead of WDW. Hoping for the best ...

 

[Jeff456]

I think we all know Disney used to do it better but the reality is (and I know it is expensive!) that they still do it a lot better than most other places, Universal has certainly caught up but I think Universal itself has improved massively which might exaggerate the general decline at Disney.
The fact that WDW is open 365 days a year and still looks the way it does amazes me.. I went to Alton Towers a couple of weeks ago which must be along with Thorpe Park the best theme park in the UK, it has only been open a couple of weeks this season and still looks shabby, an advert for the park at present promotes 'Towers love and care,' as if painting things and fixing broken scenery was something to advertise, Disney does this automatically!
I agree WDW has declined but it's still great and I will still continue to visit!

 

[Goofyernmost]

You're just trying to argue. You generalize too much. First you say "it's just like you guys to take everything to the extreme", and now you're assuming that because I have some constructive criticism, that I don't enjoy Disney or love going there. I wouldn't care so much if it didn't have such an impact on me! It's possible to be critical of changes, and still love where you're going. In fact, I hope more people think like that, because customer feedback and response inevitably helps to shape a better Disney experience.

I do generalize, but, I'm hardly the only one that does that. There is plenty of that on both sides of the aisle Since I have assumed that this was a discussion board, that it was possible to have an alternative opinion without it being an "argument". Silly me! Believe me, in the long run none of us are going to be winners in these discussions which would be the purpose of an argument. I'm sure you will consider this an argument as well... I can't control that so, whatever!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The simple reality, IMO, is that things change over the years and some folks like what's changed and others don't. Whether it's better or worse or just different is very much in the eye of the beholder. I personally feel Disney has it right, their profits and crowds tend to support that position.

Not only do things change, but people change. There's a lot of finger pointing at how Disney has changed, but some people need to look in the mirror. Common sense would dictate that things are much less "magical" than they used to be if you visited Walt Disney World for the first time when you were eight years old, whether that was 1971 or 2006. With the exception of our septuagenarians, none of us have an adult's memory of Walt Disney World as it was in the beginning versus how it is now. I suspect a lot of the "magic is gone" complaining has to do subconsciously with the fact that things tend to be less magical when you're the one paying for your vacation, your boss is a jerk, and you have a mortgage payment waiting for you at home than it is when you're a kid.

 

[PlaneCrazy1978]

Because despite the gloom and doom some people portray, I'd rather be at WDW than mowing the lawn, bored out of my mind watching TV, or sitting at my desk working. It's all relative.

 

[Soarin2u]

As someone's who is fresh out of Highschool, I'd like to say that to me Disney hasn't gotten worse. I never rode 20K, Horizons and seen old Epcot so I can't validate that they were somehow better than what's taken their place. I even loved the BAH and am sad to see it go since I grew up with it. However, many on these forums had complained about its existence blocking the theatre. I guess I just know a different WDW than from many on these forums.

Disney hasn't changed drastically to me and so I can still love it for what it is. I can still ride POTC and get the same experience (with the inclusion of Jack, which I don't mind) as I did 14 years ago on my first trip. Sure I miss some things such as the hat, and the old test track (Those two are about it, as I'm okay with Frozen with my only qualm being that Norway should focus more on Norway). But I simply miss them and can feel no hate or anger for the changes Disney has made. Disney can't always predict what's going to be a failure and success. And though they still have done some dumb stuff, I don't work for their corporate office and know all the exact the reasons behind all of their decisions.

I realize now that supposedly WDW was better decades back but, I can never truly agree as I never experienced it then. I love Disney World at its present version.
So I how would I vote with my parents wallet? For now, yes. (And my family agrees)

 

[POLY LOVER]

Walt did such a great job building the magic that it transends all the CEO's that have come and gone since Walt left us. His spirit occupys the parks and we feel it, when the feeling is gone so will the people, until then the dream continues and the hope remains that it all gets fixed.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I also try to think about the positive things instead of the negative things.

 

[s8film40]

For me the nostalgia is still there but WDW has lost much if not all of it's wow factor. I think WDW has also slowly gotten away from it's whole family model and to a much greater degree markets the parks for just children. It used to be portrayed as an all around vacation destination, many of the more adult and family activities are no longer highlighted in much of the advertising and promotional material. There is now a much greater emphasis on character meet and greet, character meals, kids playing dress up as princesses or pirates and parents are generally just shown enjoying seeing their children so happy. I think this has either created or is a result in the shift in perception of WDW. From the changes I've seen over the years the vast majority of the general public has the attitude that WDW is just something you have to do for your kids. It's almost as if there's this belief that if you don't take you kids to WDW at least once your a horrible parent.

Take a look you can see the progression:

70's


80's


90's


Today:

 

[Goofyernmost]

For me the nostalgia is still there but WDW has lost much if not all of it's wow factor. I think WDW has also slowly gotten away from it's whole family model and to a much greater degree markets the parks for just children. It used to be portrayed as an all around vacation destination, many of the more adult and family activities are no longer highlighted in much of the advertising and promotional material. There is now a much greater emphasis on character meet and greet, character meals, kids playing dress up as princesses or pirates and parents are generally just shown enjoying seeing their children so happy. I think this has either created or is a result in the shift in perception of WDW. From the changes I've seen over the years the vast majority of the general public has the attitude that WDW is just something you have to do for your kids. It's almost as if there's this belief that if you don't take you kids to WDW at least once your a horrible parent.

Take a look you can see the progression:

70's


80's


90's


Today:

Amazingly, the thing that I thought of was all those adults from the 70's are either dead or very old and the kids are in their 50's. The transition is that all the adults and kids in the current one are the children of those adults in the 70's and grandchildren (even great grandchildren) of them. However, there is much more emphasis on the kids mostly because, nothing much has changed for the adults. Everything is pretty much known about has been passed down from generation to generation and it has, since then, become a rite of passage for the kids. So, that is who they target. Very few of the kids will be showing up without adults, so if you promote to the kids, the adults have to come anyway. All the rest still exists in some form or the other. In the 70's they needed to show the adults why they would want to go there. Over the years it became a message of why you should bring your children and visit again. Different motivation and target, but brings in the same people.

 

[s8film40]

Amazingly, the thing that I thought of was all those adults from the 70's are either dead or very old and the kids are in their 50's. The transition is that all the adults and kids in the current one are the children of those adults in the 70's and grandchildren (even great grandchildren) of them. However, there is much more emphasis on the kids mostly because, nothing much has changed for the adults. Everything is pretty much known about passed and has been passed down from generation to generation and it has, since then, become a rite of passage for the kids. So, that is who they target. Very few of the kids will be showing up without adults, so if you promote to the kids, the adults have to come anyway. All the rest still exists in some form or the other. In the 70's they needed to show the adults why they would want to go there. Over the years it became a message of why you should bring your children and visit again. Different motivation and target, but brings in the same people.

Well as was stated previously the attendance numbers have climbed significantly over the years. So while yes some of those adults are returning with their kids but there also seems to be a very large number of adults going for their first time as well because they have to take their kids. You can see the tortured looks on their faces, they don't care about WDW at all they're simply doing it for the kids. The result of this is that all those other activities and attractions have also slowly dwindled over the years. Disney can no longer boast 99 holes of golf, Pleasure Island is now gone, many of the more adult/family oriented shows have been replaced such as the ski show and Diamond Horseshoe. The attractions as a whole have become more kid and character oriented, just look at the replacements for Timekeeper, Alien Encounter, 20K, If you had wings, Living Seas, and many more and the soon to open Maelstrom replacement. Disney does still try to appeal to the adults as well somewhat, there are options but it's clear the emphasis is no longer on creating the "vacation kingdom of the world" but rather giving kids the ability to see their fantasies come to life.

 

[The90skid]

This is one of those questions that has no definitive answer. Everyone has different reasons. My personal reason is that Disney has a monopoly on, well, Disney! You can't experience Disney anywhere else, and what they do well they do REALLY well.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Yep no one can rip you off with such aplomb and make you feel grateful for being ripped off/

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I just booked my family's (Me52, Dad83, Mom80, Daughter20, Daughter15) June vacation.

6 nights Marriott Key Largo.

 

[WDWTank]

My biggest issue with Disney now is that they are sticking to what's safe and marketable with their new attractions instead of coming up with anything original. What was the last original attraction added to the parks? Yep, Expedition Everest and that was ten years ago. All I can say is that thank god Rivers of Light (not an attraction so that doesn't count) has no characters crammed into it.

Now people often tell me when I say this, "but people coming to Disney World don't care about that stuff, they come because they want to see Mickey and the characters." To them I say that people don't know what they want. Would Disneyland visitors back in the 60s have asked for something like The Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean? No they wouldn't have and they're the greatest Disney rides of all time. So personally I wish Disney would stop cramming character tie ins where they don't belong (*cough*Frozen in Norway*cough*) and start focusing on original and creative ideas.

I agree 100% man

 

[eliza61nyc]

I agree 100% man

LOL, anyone notice that the original post is from 2016 and yet here they are in 2018 having meltdowns about the same issues. Oh and hte parks are as crowded as ever so many folks complain.

methinks Disney is not the one with the problem.

 

[danheaton]

I've thought about this question a lot recently with the new fees, info on how Disney is cutting capacity to save costs, and continued focus on IP. The weird part is that while I recognize all the issues and the fact that it's gotten so much more expensive, I can't wait to go back there. It's so addictive, and I'd rather visit a Disney theme park than do almost anything. I'm addicted to it, even with all the changes. I suspect that's the case with a lot of fans. It's easy to say we won't go back, but there is still magic there within all the chaos.

 

[Raineman]

I've thought about this question a lot recently with the new fees, info on how Disney is cutting capacity to save costs, and continued focus on IP. The weird part is that while I recognize all the issues and the fact that it's gotten so much more expensive, I can't wait to go back there. It's so addictive, and I'd rather visit a Disney theme park than do almost anything. I'm addicted to it, even with all the changes. I suspect that's the case with a lot of fans. It's easy to say we won't go back, but there is still magic there within all the chaos.

You just explained exactly why it is my opinion that, with alot of the posters on here who are disillusioned with the state of the parks, many people who say "I'm done, I'm never going back" will still go back-and all the while, continuing to say how much things bother them. If you are so fed up, don't come back until you are convinced things have changed for the better. Follow through with what you say you are going to do. I'm not accusing you of being one of these people, as you stated that you recognize the issues (which is definitely different than complaining about them), but the enjoyment people do get from WDW, despite the perceived decrease in "value gained for $ spent", does keep them from following through with their threats of abandoning WDW, IMO.

 

[larryz]

LOL, anyone notice that the original post is from 2016 and yet here they are in 2018 having meltdowns about the same issues. Oh and hte parks are as crowded as ever so many folks complain.

methinks Disney is not the one with the problem.

I noticed... I was wondering what was new under the sun vis-a-vis Disney "lazy and cheap." Seems like nothing. In fact, seems just the opposite: if you're going to have a good time, you can be neither lazy nor cheap.