Someone on the "General Discussion" boards posted an excellent question about why this particular thread seems so heartlessly pessimistic. Because I am actually
very optimistic about the general direction WDW is currently heading (ride maintenance notwithstanding) and life in general, I thought I should bring the question and and response into this thread.
You can read the original post and comments here.
I love these boards. Contributors to these forums absolutely represent some of the most knowledgeable Disneyphiles on the planet. They also feature some of the most negative people, on any discussion forum, Disney or otherwise. I keep coming back because of the former, and have learned to ‘consider the source’ when encountering the latter. Some people in the world are hopelessly negative; they always seek out the bad and choose to ignore the positive, or sadly, simply don’t see it. We all know people like that so it’s no surprise that with our large numbers here, several are in our midst.
I’ve read all the posts in the threads ‘Zip a Dee Doo Blah...” and ‘WDW Fan Base Initiative’. I appreciate that the opinions of some of these posters are quite respected on the boards. If these people state that there is an apparent decline in the quality of the parks, it gets my attention. I do visit twice per year, have done so for years, and I’ve personally felt a continued improvement in quality the past few years. But I digress.
The catalyst for the fan based initiative-Fix the Magic-was the Kevin Yee article on the sorry state of Splash Mountain. I have no issue with people being upset about the show quality, but I want to ask a few questions of those who posted to those 2 aforementioned threads (and anyone else who would like to contribute, of course). I’m not trying to be ‘difficult’ in any way, but I really want to know what people think about the following:
1. If ‘Splash’ is in such dire shape, and has been like that for a few days, is it possible that a single significant event is to blame (electrical issue, staff illness, etc)? Four years ago, I stayed at P.O.R. for the first time, and it was a disaster. There were cigarette butts everywhere, spilled drinks not picked up for days, etc. It was a mess for 4 days. Everyone on here assured me that was an anomaly and there must have been some kind of temporary issue. I haven’t seen it like that since. Is it possible that’s what’s up with ‘Splash’?
2. Do those of you who notice the ‘bad’ actually notice all the ‘good’ stuff going on? ‘Splash’ as described, should be shut down for refurb-agreed, but do notice or give props for all the positive work? In the past few months, MK has debuted ‘The Magic, the Memories and You’, new queue at Pooh, new queue and hitchhiking ghosts at HM, refurb of Main St. Buildings, new Adventureland bridge, Town Square Theater, some Treehouse work and continues a $300 million F.L.E. expansion. Fondness of these changes is irrelevant...these examples show money being spent and an effort to continually improve quality and the show.
3. Are you looking at the 80’ and 90’s through ‘rose colored glasses’? I know that there were breakdowns, effects issues, long queues, etc. back then as well. Has there been an actual decline in quality, or like many other things, is it a product of the internet age and our ability to instantly share text, photos and video? This is another ‘Google effect’...magnification of data. Twenty years ago, any of us who went to WDW could share photos and stories with only a few people, but that’s it. Now, if any of MKs 17 million annual visitors see an issue, they can write about it and share it with the world. Maybe this ‘Splash’ issue could have happened in 1995, but people visiting before or after would have no awareness of it. Now, we have people like Kevin Yee searching, snapping and posting photos that we can all see. Were there really never railroad ties missing on BTMRR in the past, or did we simply have no way of knowing that unless we were there at that time...and looking?
4. (For the ‘conspiracy theorists’ only) Do you really believe that the T.D.O. people are sitting in a room somewhere, wringing their hands, saying “No need to fix ‘Splash’, we still get 17 million people a year...muahahahah”? As Steve said in one of the posts, Disney has a system in place to see what needs to be fixed, and generates a plan to do so. I’ve been involved for years in making decisions where I work and I can tell you a few things I’ve learned. Most people are well intentioned, have pride, and care about quality. I know that every decision made involves lots of dialogue, discussion and debate. Even so, there are co-workers, and people in the community, who completely disagree with some of them. Unless you are sitting around the table, you can’t appreciate the rationale and how priorities are set. I tend to see the glass half full. Are things at WDW perfect? Nope. Were they ever? Nope. The T.D.O. people have done several good things during a 2 year worldwide recession. If you make a list, you might be surprised how long it is.
Hi, I wish you'd posted this in the original thread, because it definitely adds to the discussion. :wave: I never intended for the thread to be nothing but a blast of negativity. Here are my answers; and if you don't mind, I'm going to quote this entire post in the main thread.
1) Of course I realized that by discussing Splash Mt's current state, the Negative Nellies would enthusiastically berate everything they could. Yet that didn't stop me from starting the thread, and here's why: Splash Mountain really
is that bad. The animatronics barely move, the audio is off, show scene lighting is atrocious (some AAs are in the dark but the walls are spotlighted); Splash doesn't look like a Disney-owned attraction.
2) If you read my opening post and the more well-written ones carefully, people are indeed praising the recent maintenance in the parks, and many of us are asking why Disney seems to be maintaining facades and other attractions while ignoring certain rides. Splash, BTMRR, COP, and the GMR stand out as having particularly horrible maintenance. Main Street is lovely, but why does that matter if two of the park's wienies are merely creaking along?
Ironically, the thread doesn't have many posts that are 100% doom-and-gloom, but it has plenty of "Magic Pixie Dust" defenders accusing us of not appreciating Disney, not actually liking Disney, not understanding a child's point of view, etc. IMO, it is these rabid defenders who are out of touch with reality. Their posts are naive at best, Disney PR hacks at worst; and their criticisms are illogical. Why would anyone care about the state of Splash Mt. if they didn't like Disney? Why would Kevin Yee, or I, or other respected members like Martin carefully list legitimate problems if we simply hated Disney? Couldn't we just pull out the peeled paint/burnt lightbulb argument instead?
3) WDW was not as technically advanced in the 80s and 90s, but it was far better maintained. Most of the management had been in Florida since its early days, and they had personally invested time into the parks. Of course they wanted to make money, yet they sincerely wanted to provide an unparalleled experience by constantly exceeding Guest's expectation. Just a few examples include topiaries throughout the property's roadways; character waterskiers on the Seven Seas Lagoon; special parades for Easter, July 4th, and Christmas; new parades every four to five years; cannons firing atop the outside of POTC; geysers blasting beside BTMRR; a burning cabin on TSI; Barker Birds outside POTC and the Tiki Room; more live entertainment in the parks; and REAL celebrities and music acts at Grad Nights and on televised specials.
Did you notice something? Not one of those required an upcharge, a special party ticket, or an overpriced makeover to enjoy. They were small things available to every guest for no reason other than Disney
could. The late 90s/early 2000s change in management threw out anything that wasn't instantly profitable, thus destroying the small things that added up to a bigger experience.
WDW is the only American resort with this problem. DL still has plenty of small things that enhance the environment, and all of their attractions except Indiana Jones are kept in top shape.
The company itself once considered WDW a peerless standard for all vacations worldwide, as opposed to a magical land exclusively for children, and was willing to offer the best of everything because Disney
could. Eisner fought for the best architects and best ideas for expansion. Everything in America was profitable; he should not have allowed the DLP fiasco spook him into pulling back the reins in America.
4) I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I agree with previous posters (Merlin for one) who said the biggest problem is that current execs see the parks as a stepping stone to something else. Profitability and spreadsheets are held up as divinity, and execs worship at the temples to guarantee advancement. I'll be the first one to say I've met some of TDO, and most of them are genuinely friendly people—many of them actually do frequent the parks! The problem is that for years, the people who ultimately control the money have been stereotypical pencil pushers who can't understand anything other than the bottom line. Intangible experiences, a touchstone of the entertainment industry, are a foreign concept to them. As long as a character is slapped on something, they consider it "magical" and "Disney" enough to greenlight—as long as its ROI is astronomical. I'm not saying they're evil people; they just don't belong in the entertainment industry.
Things were never perfect at WDW; and as an overall resort, it offers more than ever before. It did go through a ten-year rough patch, but things are slowly being fixed. (Really slowly; how long does it actually take to paint a building?
) But no amount of repainted facades, Next-Gen queues, interactive Mickey shows, or castle projection shows are an excuse for attractions which are literally falling apart in ways any first-time visitor would notice.
