I agree with you here - again for the most part.
Most of the ones that you list above can be put in the cost savings bucket. If it's just pure cost savings, or if money is being used elsewhere, or if parts wore out that could not be replaced in a practical way, or for some other reason - that can be open to debate. But I can agree the guest was either ignored, or factored into the equation and determined to be a non-factor as compared to the other reasons (that we do not know about).
However, the dubming down of the TTA narration confuses me. It cost money to change the narration. So why would they make it 'dumber'? That's something I cannot understand. I am going to make a guess here and say WDW/WDI does not change things on a whim. They are changed for financial, engineering, legal, or guest satisfaction reasons. (if anybody can think of another reason, please chime in)
Lets look at these reasons
Financial - Nope, if anything it costs money to change a narration
Engineering - I can't see how the script narration has any impact from an engineering standpoint. It's not as if they were worried about the dynamic response of the PA speakers they have, or the sound levels were not loud enought
Legal - I can't see this being a reason either.
So that leaves Guest Satisfaction. Which leads me to believe that the majority of guests want a dumber script (or that somehow Disney arrived at this conclusion) Quite frankly (and I am getting out my ladder to climb up on my high horse here) given the majority of the people I see in WDW, I can belive it.
Let's assume what I said above is true, that guests want things dumber. So now it becomes should WDW give guests what they want, or should they push to give the guests something better that some may not enjoy?
That's a tough choice. I for one would like to see WDW keep pushing the guest envelope. Offer up some things that make you think. Rides that invoke imagination rather than "look we went fast" Foods that make you say "I have never had that before, but I will try it rather than eat my 50,000th chicken nugget"
This thread and response made me stop and think this through, and I hate to say it, but I think part of the problem is markteing direction. WDW used to be a top shelf destination. When you went there you were spending a lot of money, but you expected a lot. It was not something most people did multiple times a year. When you went, you went with a different mindset. Now with PIN codes, discounts, dining plans, bounce backs and the other sundry deals it opens up WDW to more people on a regular basis. It has become a generic desitination. As such many of the details are lost on the average guest. The average guest wants to go fast, eat huge portions of cheap gruel, and buy any cheap trinket they can find that has mouse ears stuck on it. I really think, after typing all this and going over it in my head, that WDW is now catering to it's self fulfilled prophecy. If you price your resort to make it plain store brand artifically flavored vanilla ice cream availability, then you serve store brand bland vanilla ice cream. If you want to serve up the premium stuff, then you have to dish it out in those small expensive cartons.
I think too many people have become used to WDW selling its "ice cream" in five gallon pails for $10.
-dave
Fan-freaking-tastic post. :wave:
I think he just said it. No insinuating there at all. :ROFLOL:
And I agree with him. Some people just like to hate things. Some people like to revel in the past and nothing in the present will please them.
After literally thousands of post deriding a product, it causes sensible people to wonder why a poster continues to consume the product that causes them such anguish.
Sometimes its not about demanding a better product, sometimes its just about hearing yourself talk and seeing how many people you can get to agree with you.
It's not you. It's not even a vast majority of the posters here, but there is a very, very vocal minority that it does apply to.
I can't speak for the rest of the board, but I've never considered you in the "why is everyone upset?" group.
Well, thanks. :lol: ANd yes, very vocal, and very small. I think that they are inconsequential, compared to those who do look at past attractions and critique the new ones.
Don't know who you are talking about, though.
Actually there are people that are anti-Disney that come on here and try to change people's minds about the parks and the company. Weird but true. I got into a heated debate a year or so ago with some guy that bashed the parks and was all pro Universal. So yes, they are here.
Wow. Really? I'm lucky to say that I haven't seen any of that.
I don't know if I agree with you. For example, myself ... you might be able to say that I hate Epcot. I don't know if I do or I don't, but using the criteria you mention above, it certainly seems you'd say I do. I complain about Epcot constantly.
Now, I don't know if I'd say I hate Epcot. I know for a fact that I love EPCOT Center (for at least it's first decade). It was my favorite park, it contained my favorite attraction in any park (and still does, the American Adventure) ... I pretty much loved everything about it. That's ages 6 to 16 for me.
Is it really fair to say I hate Epcot (or Disney?) just because I really don't like about 90% of the alterations/changes/decisions made within the park since the early 90s? Do most people spend a lot of time thinking/talking about things they hate? Or is it more true that people generally spend a lot of time thinking/talking about how to make something they love better?
As an aside, I'm one of those who have spoken with their pocketbook. I'm in my thirties, I have more disposable income than I know what to do with and I travel/vacation often. And if the resort was where I'd like it to be, my 2-day trips once a year would turn into week long vacations overnight. But they're not. Everytime I go lately, I wind up spending a portion of my return trip home thinking "I can't believe they did X, Y and Z; they ruined it." Frankly, (as sad as this is) I find it somewhat upsetting.
First bolded point: Yes. I just think that's human nature. We like to imagine. And just look at the Disney connection! Walt: "I do this, because I want to do it better". Why can't WE do that, too? :lol:
2nd Point: Yes, I do that, too. Horizons to M:S, JII, SSE. I think about all the History that park has, and all the classic rides that it's missing. It makes me nostalgic for them, but honestly has no CONCRETE impact on my experience that day in terms of "fun" I had. In experience, YES. But enjoyment, no.
However, the very fact that I feel that the experience is diminished shows that something is rotten in Denmark....That should never be the case in WDW.
Do you know the theme of Future World? Those rides were becoming dated and guest flow had dramatically dropped. The replacements have created new interest for guests who've been before and guests who have not. Technology is constantly shaping the minds of young people and they're not entertained by slow moving animatronics and outdated technology. To keep up with technology Epcot has to keep changing. That's one of the concepts of the park.
I agree. EPCOT Center did need to change.
The question, however, is HOW to change it. I think that they had the concept right in 1994 but lost it, and lost it quickly.
A cartoon fish hiding from its father represents the theme of Future World how again? Refresh my memory.
Here's another concept of the park:
We will have many pavilions, each focused on a particular subject matter. Each pavilion will show you the history of the subject, where we are now, and a look at where it will be in the future.
Like it or not, there was a historical component all over Future World. It was inherent in the theme. It's like whoever is making the decisions has either forgot this or ignoring it. In my opinion.
Agreed in full. Here's how they changed it in the WRONG way.
Change for the good? SSE07, RoE. New, broader, more modern topics and storytelling as opposed to the older versions.
Great quote BTW.
And I'm sure the original JII had any more to do with that as well? Technology has become the "future" in Future World. The addition of Disney characters were implimented due to guest complaints. It might not have been you are I but they are there because guests have spoken up.
Where is that quote from?
JII was the basis for creating the future. Though the Lit., art, and theature scenes were a stretch, the Tech, science and opening scenes were quite in tune with FW.
IMHO, of course. :lol:
What's futuristic about singing dairy products?
It wasn't, and neither is Soarin'. But it's part of a greater "Land" experience, so it fits the bill.
