Give Disney A Break!

[MickeyMoose15]

I have heard tons of compalints from people on this discussion board about the recent discisions and it really pisses me off.

The Walt Disney Company is in hard times like the other companies and has to cut back in order to continue providing entertainment to the American public.

Also, these changes are only temporary. Disney has told us that the Early Entry Cut and reduced Park Hours is only for the rest of the month of October. Some shows have had reduced days and some people have lost jobs but that must happen. Theme Park attendance is going back up but if people cancel plans (Like some people on this board) and attendance goes back down, then these cut backs will go on longer and we will lose more.

SO PLEASE.....GIVE DISNEY A BREAK!!

[Judge Doom]

After reading all the cuts on this board. No breaks for Disney. If they cut service they should cut their price. I'm a consumer like everyone else and if I don't like the product i'm not buying it. Would you buy a Twinkie that's stale because you like the Hostess company? No no breaks from me. I'm almost certain I'll be canceling my trip in December unless things turn around and quick.

[Quentin Disney]

It's really hard to give Disney some slack right now. There are some cutbacks that I have no problem since they are reasonable for the situation they are in (stoping of EE, changes of parade times), but a sudden reduction in hours and the closing of a classic attraction during a celebration of Walt's life are shrewd moves made by the company. I'm beginning feel that Disney is using 9/11 as a worthless excuse to cutback in costs. All this occurs while excectives are picking out their new cars for next year and still wine and dine like there is no problem.

Looks like I'm changing to car #3. I can't take it anymore. They better be glad that I'm not hopping in #4 yet.

[TXDeb]

Disney is a business, not a charity.

Some of the cuts are advisable and understandable. Others just seem very short-sighted.

I'll give them a break, when they educate their CMs so that they can honestly answer the guests inevitable questions, and help them make alternate PS and other arrangements.

I'll give them a break when they quit lying to guests about the services. (Example e-mailing people who had asked about EE saying that it was still in effect, when it was canceled the next day. Telling people who called that there were no plans to cancel EE, when it was then canceled the next day.)

I'll give them a break when they start giving guests reasonable notice of changes. (Example many resort guests showed up for EE, only to be told by the MGM guard that it was no longer in effect. They had no prior notice through their resorts.)

I'll give them a break when the big-whigs absorb some of the losses themselves, with a few cuts in their own benefits, rather than expecting their paying customers to bear the brunt of the cut-backs, while still paying premium prices.

[Planogirl]

Well said TXDeb! I think that if Disney would just lay their cards on the table and cut out the mysterious "we aren't going to tell you!" act that many people would be more accepting of what they're doing. It's hard to get an answer much less a straight answer and has been for as long as I can remember.

I'm one who was grumbling about the layoffs at WDW. I realize that some of this is unfortunately necessary but I also recognize reduced services and reduced fun when I see it. People are commenting lately about dirty conditions, ragged hotels, poor food quality, closed rides, etc. a bit too much for me. I think the CM's are vital for Disney to maintain the Disney standard and atmosphere but they seem to be disappearing lately which is sad for us and sad for them too in my opinion.

But I hope that they'll be back! :)

[Kotar]

Give them a break, WHY??????

Their drastic business decisions are getting them EXACTLY what they DESERVE.

They've slowly but surely been cutting stuff for a few years now, just now that they're cutting a large group of major things all at once, rather than a little here a little there, people are starting to take notice.

[Mr D]

Now perhaps we will see the mighty untouched CEO actually reconsider his financial decisions, Give Disney a break? Get Real! If I go into a supermarket and all that is available to buy is pork juice, cat food and recycled toilet tissue do I continue to shop and pay for a limeted selection? No Way! I just head on down the street to the next seller. Now Universal Studios I will give a break to (and my money) they are a more attractive deal right now. This is in Orlando of course.

[johare]

I agree. Disney is not a charity and it's not the responsibility of their paying customers to 'give them a break'. People still deserve to receive what they paid for regardless of how the company is doing. If things are that bad, the stockholders should take a bigger hit...after all, they are the ones who made a bad investment, not the customers who spend big $$$ to have an enjoyable vacation.

I don't understand why anyone would be willing to accept less from Disney. Many companys are having hard times right now. Would you accept cutbacks from them? What if your newspaper said that they would need to skip Tuesday's and every other Sunday's newspaper in order to 'continue providing' the news to their customers. Keep in mind that you would still pay the same for a subscription? Would that be ok? What if your cable company cut the number of channels in half but wanted to charge the same amount for less service? Is that ok? If not, why make excuses for Disney.

[Kallison]

Perhaps they need to stop expanding so much and take care of what they have got. We've spent over $10,000 in the last three trips, give them a break? How about if I just drive by and toss the money at the curb and make it easier for them?

[Simba's Mom]

I admit-maybe I've got rose-colored glasses on-but I'm with MickeyMoose! I'd rather go to a Disney theme park with their cleanliness and service for only 5 hours a day than some other theme parks that do stay open late!

[toefungus]

SO PLEASE.....GIVE DISNEY A BREAK!!

Nope, sorry. This time they've gone too far. :mad:

[C.Ann]

It has nothing to do with giving Disney a break.. It's dollars and cents.. You don't draw customers to the parks by doing everything you can think of to push them away.. If attendance continues to drop Disney has NO ONE to blame but themselves and to try to pass it off to the events of 9/11 is pretty disgusting in my book.. If they truly need to make reductions in services, shows, park hours, and what-have-you, then let the PRICE reflect it.. Don't expect people to pay for a gallon of milk and only get a pint in return.. Disney is committing financial suicide and the blame lies squarely in their own laps - not in the laps of the innocent victims of 9/11..

[TXDeb]

I admit-maybe I've got rose-colored glasses on-but I'm with MickeyMoose! I'd rather go to a Disney theme park with their cleanliness

If theme parks were my only choices for places to spend my vacation dollars, I have to agree with you Simba's Mom.
However, if Disney can not give me enough value for my hard earned vacation money, there are so many other places to go that just might provide as much fun and a better value.

The problem is that we DISer's are unique. Give us a little extra money and a little time off, and we automatically think 'Disney'. Most people are not like that. They will choose a way of spending their money that they believe offers them a good return on their investment. They will most likely choose some other place, or way, of spending their money than Disney right now, unless Disney offers some kind of 'deals' or incentives to draw them to the parks and resorts.

[ralphd]

Disney was not to blame for the events of September 11th.

Disney was not to blame because people could not get to Orlando after the events of September 11th.

Disney did put people into hotels for free that could not go home.

Disney is not responsible because many people are cancelling resevations because they are afraid to travel.

Disney is not responsible because people cannot travel because of economic reasons.

Disney can institute cost containment programs to stay financially stable. Airlines, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and other travel and entertainment companies are all cutting costs.

Disney is taking the same actions as any responsible company.

ralphd

PS
We were at Epcot on September 11th and think Disney and the CM's did an outstanding job of handling a delicate situation!

[TXDeb]

You are right - Disney is not to blame for the events of 9/11 and its aftermath.

However, if the company had been running things wisely before 9/11, they would be in a better position to deal with this situation. Especially, when you consider the banner profits that the parks pulled in during 2000.

It still comes down to the fact that Disney must attract people back to the parks and resorts. It is not my responsibility to 'save' Disney and I can not do it by myself anyway. WDW has to do its part to make spending money there seem like a good value (and not just to us loyal Disney fans). It is their responsibility to market their product in a way that makes me, and others, want to come spend money with them in spite of any reasonable cut-backs that must be made. They are not doing that right now.

It's not my fault that 9/11 happened either, and I have a responsibility to my family to make sure that our money is spent wisely.

[toefungus]

Disney is taking the same actions as any responsible company.
Maybe it's responsible in the "buisness world", but in the "tourism world" they are shooting themselves in the foot. Do park hours cut, closed attractions, and EE and E-ticket nights being cut sound like a good reason to go down to WDW? No. They are getting a lot of negative publicity from all of this and it's not going to help them. WHat they should be doing it making WDW sound like a great place to go right now. What they're going it making people not want to go to WDW.

[DC7800]

Disney is simply hunkering down, cutting costs & trying to survive a situation that may last 6 months or 6 years. They are fully aware of the short term damage they're doing, but they must cut costs for the worst case scenerio.

they need to have their financial ducks in a row & be able to operate as efficiently as possible within the realm of a bleak economic outlook.

But, Disney's moves in the last few days are way out of proportion for the current economic outlook. The draconian cuts seem more appropriate for the early 1930's than 2001. Travel is down dramatically, but there are already signs of recovery (though recent anthrax news hasn't helped). It's only been six weeks since 9-11, so we shouldn't expect everything to be back to normal so soon - yet things are already looking up. Now, nobody can say for sure what the future holds, but if travel and the economy should take a turn for the worse, Disney can always make more cuts later, if they are necessary. At the moment, the prospects (fortunately) look as though the downturn won't be nearly as bad as one would think looking at the Disney cutbacks (Christmas spending will be a BIG 2002 indicator). Right now, people could really use a little Disney magic - they need only be given a compelling reason to make the trip. And, providing incentives for people to visit will make a much bigger differerence in revenue than all the WDW cuts announced or rumored combined.

I'm not saying Disney should make no effort to curtail costs - they should, though more selective reductions than we've seen in the past few days. Besides, if worse comes to worse, Disney would not be the first company to lose money in an economic downturn (GM, Sears, etc). Yes, that would be bad, but the stock price is already depressed, and Disney is a solid company with resources to endure the bad times.

[johare]

Disney was not to blame for the events of September 11thThat is true. However neither was I so why should I expect to receive less for my money when visiting Disney?

Disney is taking the same actions as any responsible company. This is totally incorrect. Disney should be making efforts to convince people to come spend their money at WDW, instead they seem to be doing everything they can to discourage visitors. In the long run they'll realize that they've made a BIG mistake.

[Eeyore2U]

I'll give Disney a break. I would like someone to tell me how they could plan for this? I tihnk the reactions are knee jerk. I think as more information becomes available the will right what some see as wrongs. Before we bought DVC we paid for ROOMS and passes. We got extras and were bound by the hours of that day. Is a company obligated to give perks?? Do your employers give bonuses if business is bad? There have been years when trhe head honcho at Disney Co. didn't get a bonus. I'm sure he won't this year.

[Captain Crook]

DIS friends, I want to explain my missing post that DC7800 has eloquently responded to. I had some reservations about the content and deleted it hoping no one was responding (unfortunately DC7800 was). He has effectively captured my position in his quotes and responded admirably. I'm sorry for making his post hard to understand.

I apologize for the confusion & promise to not let it happen again...Bad Captain, bad Captain!
:smooth: :smooth: :bounce: :smooth: :smooth:

[TXDeb]

Eeyore2U -
I think that if I owned a DVC, I would feel a little differently about the cut backs, since I would have more flexibility in planning vacations and my room costs would already be at a fixed rate. I would know that if my trip was a little less 'magical' right now, I was already set for another trip in a few months, or next year.

However, the average vacationer will be looking at this from a different perspective. They will be weighing the value of spending their money at Disney vs somewhere else. Especially, if they have to save for several years for a big trip. They may decide that it is still worth it to come, but I am betting that unless Disney makes it a little more attractive, they will either put off their trip or go elsewhere.

Thanks for the gracious explanation of the missing post, Captain Crook. :)

[JeffH]

I don't know about things looking up.
Today I found out how it seems that all the malls in America have 'cancelled' Halloween.
The way I see it, they provide the safest (and convenient) way to trick-or-treat, now kids will be forced to walk the dark streets for their candy:(
Whenever I complain about it, all I hear is "well with things as they are..."
Seems like this has become an excuse for shutting down everything nowadays.
Seems like I'm the only one who's done all he could to not let this get me down (or change my life).
We will be making our third trip to WDW since the disaster this weekend (I'm sure glad WDW didn't cancel their Halloween celebration(s))
I feel sorry for my X who bought Tasha a beautiful Ariel costume to wear for Halloween and now I fear that Tasha may not get a chance to make her happy wearing it while trick-or-treating. And I fear that with this, the terrorists have won:(

[Eeyore2U]

TXDeb,

In all honesty I'd say the same thing even if I didn't own DVC. We are frequent visitors, always offseason, never used EE or E night. I have dealt with shorter hours and remember when there was no PI. I also have had no fireworks or nighttime parade.

I think people are upset by setting high expectations and having things change. What would happen if it rained everyday? Life has so many variables and uncontrollables. If you think there will be less magic. I respectfully disagree. We make the magic, Disney gives us the setting, imho.

[dotterson]

I can understand cost cutting. I can understand trying to keep the 'spirit alive' and dumping things that don't work. What I can't understand is doing things that annoy potential vacationers or giving no notice to those who are immediately affected.

I think what I really don't understand is if these 'cost cutting' ideas are a quick reaction because of a bad Sept. or what. OR, is this just an excuse for poor planning.

I have friends who just came back. The parks were packed (maybe because of the missing EEs, who knows.) She said the only way that the crowds were tolerable was that they got FassPass whenever they could.

So, is Disney shooting themselves in the foot? Are people truly taking their vacations or hotel stays elsewhere? Are these cost cutting things good with the upcoming holidays???

I think there are an awful lot of 'chiefs' there making high salaries and decisions. Maybe a few less would be better than asking CMs to reduce their hours. Maybe keeping things such as EEs bring in the people. Maybe the world needs a place or magic and changing the good things will keep them away (especially if they've been saving for this once-a-year trip and now get even less). (I don't see a cut in park tickets for the reduced hours.)

I own DVC. I'm not too happy. I wasn't planning another trip for about a year, but I feel bad for those who are missing important parts of their hard-earned vacation...

Disney, please rethink some of these recent changes...

d

[TXDeb]

Eeyore2U -
You say that you are frequent visitors, and that is great. If you miss out on a show or ride, you know that there will be another time to see it in the near future.

For some families, Disney vacations are few and far between. If they feel that that will not be able to get their money's worth, they will not come. Or perhaps they will come, and be disappointed enough to never return.

Rain at WDW never bothers me. I am still out in the parks, getting in as much fun time as possible.

I have no problem with some cut-backs. Obviously, there need to be some adjustments. I just think the way that the cuts are being made, and some of the things that they are cutting are unwise in the long-term. Disney needs to inform their CMs of the changes, so that they can answer questions and help guests make alternative plans, rather than leaving guests in the dark to struggle along trying to make sense of what has changed.

As far as high expectations - I do admit that my expectations of WDW are high. That is not my fault. That is what I have received in the past, and what Disney markets itself to be.That is why they have been able to command premium prices. You got what you paid for. If any business fails to live up to the standards that I am used to receiving from it, I will think long and hard about continuing to spend my money there, even if it is my favorite place in all the world - WDW.

[MickeyMoose15]

We must give Disney a break because they have had trouble finacially lately. With 102 Dalamatians, Emperor's New Groove, Pearl Harbor and Atlantis underperforming at the box office and attendance down at theme parks because of the weak economy before September 11th.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, GIVE DISNEY A BREAK!!!!

[Bob O]

What has disney done to deserve a break???? They have made their own bed by numerous bad decisions and i used to give them the benefit of the doubt but wont anymore. Why should we think these cutbacks are only temporary??? Im expecting once times improve they will return some things but very few in their entirety. I think disney needs to change their leadership and should start at the top with eisner. From his decision to hire ovitz etc it has been a long line of bad decisions that have been paid off/excused by his handpicked executive board and the time has come for a change! I own stock and the last couple of years have been a downward trend with no indication it will improve.

[C.Ann]

I would pay the going rate for an umbrella.. But I would expect to get a WHOLE umbrella - not a half of one..

[Planogirl]

This reminds me of an ex-coworker who was looking into taking his family of 5 to WDW during peak time. He checked out some of the Disney resorts and also some offsite resorts. He asked me why he should stay at a Disney resort because they were quite expensive compared to the offsite places. I told him about the transportation, early entry and the possibility of e-nights. I did not explain the "magic" because there's really no way to explain it and I don't think that he was the type to be impressed with that anyway.

Now, a year later, there is no early entry and no e-nights. I had a difficult time with the transportation the last time I was there (but hopefully that was just a fluke). So what exactly is the appeal to someone like my ex-coworker? If a new visitor decides to go to WDW, what exactly will motivate them to pay the big bucks to stay at a WDW resort?

I realize that there's always the Allstars. However, I would imagine that many people would rather have a restaurant on the premises and maybe a few other extras. That leaves the moderates for the budget conscious. Is it worth it, sight unseen, to pay what they cost?

[johare]

We must give Disney a break because they have had trouble finacially lately. With 102 Dalamatians, Emperor's New Groove, Pearl Harbor and Atlantis underperforming at the box office and attendance down at theme parks because of the weak economy before September 11th. Have you been reading this thread? People should NOT have to expect less from Disney. Why on earth are WE responsible for Disney putting out crappy movies which don't do well at the box office? You think we need to give Disney a break becuase they 'have trouble financially lately'?!? How can that possibly make sense to anyone? Lots of companies are having financial trouble right now. Does that mean that we should all expect less from all these companies? Is it the consumers responsibility when a company makes unwise financial decisions?
LIKE I SAID BEFORE, GIVE DISNEY A BREAK!!!!Absolutely NOT. What do they deserve a break for? Making bad movies? Poor financial decisions? Using a national tragedy as an excuse to put the screws to their loyal customers? Sorry, no breaks here.

[noblemickey]

Yes I think we should give Disney a little break. They are getting hit from all fronts, TV down, Advertising down, Movie attendance down nationally, theme park attendance down, etc., etc.
My concern is that once Disney sees the impact of less WDW park offerings for same or more money that they will factor that in, in the future. That is many corporations mentality. When I go down on 12/3 I expect to see less as these boards detail. I just hope that Disney does not use this to cut back on new attractions at WDW and other parks. That being said, I do feel that I will give Disney a pass and see what the future has to offer. We must remember that new attractions and maintaining present ones is very costly and no company is a bottomless pit of money. If they make plenty of money, hopefully they will spend more for our pleasure. This is not naive thinking but it is hopeful thinking.

[toefungus]

We must give Disney a break because they have had trouble finacially lately. With 102 Dalamatians, Emperor's New Groove, Pearl Harbor and Atlantis underperforming at the box office and attendance down at theme parks because of the weak economy before September 11th.

One big reason that Disney is having trouble is because of DISNEY. I can understand Sept 11th, but other than that it's all their own fault that their movies are huge flops, and theme park attendance is down. With the cut of EE, why would people stay onsite anymore? They could save alot more $$ staying offsite. They should be doing things to encourage guests to come to the parks and stay at the resorts. What they're doing now is scaring all of them away. One bad move after another.....:rolleyes:

[disneycub]

Why should I give Disney a break?

Because they wasted 1.4 billion dollars on Disney's California Adventure?

Because they're buying Fox Family for a billion or so dollars? And inheriting a billion or so in debt?

Because they haven't had a substantial box office hit since The Lion King?

Because Michael Eisner and his band of goons make more money than the economy of some third-world nations?

My heart is bleeding. Give me a break. :rolleyes:

[C.Ann]

I think the customers will give Disney a break when Disney gives the customers a break - and not before..

noblemickey made a good point.. If people continue to go to Disney World and fork over full price for HALF the services and entertainment they were getting prior to this then what would Disneys incentive be to reinstate all of these things once their "crisis" has passed?

I'll say it again (and again and again and again..) - it all boils down to dollars and cents.. It simply makes no sense whatsoever for people to pay thousands of dollars to go on these "once in a lifetime" vacations and then not get what they were told these vacations would include.. And then to add further insult to injury, Disney doesn't even have the common courtesy to inform their customers of this prior to their arrival at Disney World..

It's bad business and as I have previously stated before eventually they will find that they have commited financial suicide and they will have no one to blame but themselves..

[Helios180]

People make Disney the end-all-be-all of the world. It is now time to realize that they are a functioning company as well. I have worked for them and know that things have to be done to make people like you happy. If you were told everything or responded to how we really feel then you would never come back. So please continue living in your disney smoke and mirrors or the company will never make you happy.
Be satisfied with what is still there. If people cancel vacations and don't spend their money to go, then guess what...Disney won't have money to reopen the things you love or hire the people back that you say you care about.
Truth is many guests don't care about us CMs and think we are their pesonal servant. I don't appreciate being treated poorly by a guest for minimum wage. I have rarely been told thank you or shown any other appreciation. Why is this? Because you think Disney is meant to cater to you every need. Well sometimes when guests act like jerks and we don't always want to, but we do. Because it's what you expect and what we are trained to do.
Don't get mad at Disney...afterall Disney is a name of greatness that has been created in your mind. Instead continue your vacations and be thankful for the CM's that work there. Because without them the Disney magic would have never been put in your heart to begin with. Eventually things should return to the Pixie Driven Magical World that we have all grown to love and enjoy.
josh

[TXDeb]

If you were told everything or responded to how we really feel then you would never come back.
And you wonder why some CMs are not appreciated. Maybe that feeling shows through!
Makes me really want to go back to support you guys and Disney even more!!! :rolleyes:

I have met both wonderful CMs and some pretty rude ones, but the great ones have far outweighed the bad.
I imagine the same is true of the guests who come through the parks.

I do agree that the CMs are what help make Disney 'magic' most of the time, and I do try to say thank you to CMs.
There are some rude guests out there. We other guests have to endure them sometimes too. Unfortunately, that goes along with being in a public place.

I am so sorry that you have had such a horrible experience with the guests. Maybe you would be happier working somewhere else, if that is the case.

I am also sorry that you have to be so concerned about your job with all the cuts that Disney is making, but it is not my responsibility to 'save' the company no matter how much I love WDW. If Disney can not provide a good value for my $$$, I will not buy their product. It is a functioning business as you yourself said, not a charity, and there are other wonderful vacation spots that are begging people like me to come by offering great incentives and discounts.

[TheWho]

let me ask you, Are you avoiding WDW until the cuts are reversed? I'm not telling anyone to give any company a break, I'm just saying speak with your wallet. Don't go. Stay home or vacation somewhere else. I don't think you can. As a matter of fact, I'll probably see you there next July.

Even at half speed, WDW blows away any family resort in the world. Let's hope the changes today bring the place back to full speed soon.

[Planogirl]

I actually have two places that I love going to almost as much as Disney. If these places are very inexpensive right now wouldn't I choose them particularly since my own financial situation is so precarious? If my financial situation improves, I would go again but I would be worried!

I don't know what the answer is. I don't believe in just supporting a company blindly but I don't want Disney to have any more problems either. :confused:

As far as the CM's go, I don't think that all guests are rude nor do they all take the CM's for granted. I believe that service has suffered as a result of some prior changes and I bet that service will be even worse now. This is certainly not because the CM's don't try but they can only do so much.

[TXDeb]

I don't know what the answer is. I don't believe in just supporting a company blindly but I don't want Disney to have any more problems either.

Planogirl - I echo those sentiments!

And as it has been said many times before, although I do feel that many of the decisions that have been made concerning WDW have been unwise, especially for the long-term, I do realize that some cut-backs are necessary. I don't think that I would have as much problem with them if Disney was upfront with people. Instead they seem to be trying to hide the 'bad news' for as long as possible. I know that they can not contact everyone personally who has trips planned in the near future. However, they should be calling those who will be directly impacted by cuts (PS, PO-FQ ressies) asap to assist them in alternate plans. They should also brief their CMs as to the changes, so that accurate info will be given to those who call with questions, and keep the website updated. And if a possible cut is being considered, but is not a done deal, I would rather have them tell me that, then say that things are not changing and then the next day - BOOM - the change has been made.

I would also rather have the 'worse-case scenerio' schedule laid out in advance, so that I can go ahead and make plans if we decide to go on in December. If they add more hours later, great. It is a lot easier to adjust your plans when more has been added, then when more has been cut.

I want to be able to show support and respect for the decisions that are being made, but I would appreciate a little of the same in return.

[MickeyMoose15]

Yes, Disney has had some disappointments in the past.

We all thought that California Adventure would do a whole lot better then it has. The theme park attendance drop came out of nowhere because of the weak economy.

Based on animted film hits, you were wrong Disneyclub. They have not had a hit since TARZAN in 1999 which grossed more then $170 million which was the biggest Disney animated gross since 1994's The Lion King. They have had great films since 1999 but unfortunately they have not faired well. They proves that Disney should not listen to the critics.

Disney is like any normal company. If Universal was doing this same thing, you wouldn't care. You think that you deserve better since this is Disney where everything is BIGGER AND BETTER. Well get over it.

[JeffJewell]

We all thought that California Adventure would do a whole lot better then it has. The theme park attendance drop came out of nowhere because of the weak economy. ...on the contrary, there were quite a few people pointing out precisely where mistakes were being made when planning and building DCA. That attendance drop did not come out of nowhere, it came from the fact that Disney built a poor theme park on the cheap. Before 9-11, DCA numbers stunk up the entire West Coast while Disneyland's numbers were very close to targets.

This was not an economy-based, unforeseeable drop in attendance. This was a predictable result of abandoning the principles under which Disneyland was built. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the masses of folks who came under Disney's spell based on Disneyland don't have much use for DCA.

9-11 was definitely a huge curveball thrown at the tourism industry, but to blame the whole of Disney's problems on post-terrorism shock syndrome only absolves management of some serious mistakes that were clearly in evidence before 9-11.

Jeff

[johare]

Disney is like any normal company. If Universal was doing this same thing, you wouldn't care. You think that you deserve better since this is Disney where everything is BIGGER AND BETTER. Well get over it.Yes, I do care when Universal does the same thing as do a lot of people if you bother to go check out the Universal boards. btw: MickeyMoose, how old are you? Have you even been around long enough to know what WDW is capable of? I was there a few times in the 70's and have been going regularly ever since 1990 when I moved down here and have personally witnessed the decline of WDW over the past 10 years. Maybe thru a childs eyes it still is a mystical, magical place but some of us expect a little more from the company we've been loyal to for a significant part of our lives.

[figgy4me]

I am very disappointed.... This is the first year we were to stay onsite..... Decided we could afford the discounted rate, even though it is more than we usually pay for a room. That's okay because we were going to get to go to early entry and beat the crowds. Now that EE is gone, I find no real advantage to staying onsite. Only difference is free parking and I wasn't concerned with that, since we had decided on AP's. Right now, I am considering park hopper passes and staying offsite...

And with the Disney employees taking cuts - management should, too. Has anyone looked at what CEO's and upper management of companys make today? That is a big reason for the high prices on everything.

[Jay H]

No, you need to get over yourself. Yes, I believe Disney is bigger and better
and because of that I choose to spend alot of money there year after year.
I am loyal to Disney and I expect the same. Hell man, I am having finacial difficulties,
who isn't? However, I am still going down to WDW next month. If Disney can't give 100%
to us in the parks and at the resorts I understand, just don't ask me to spend a 100% of my
money and not get the same things either. I have every right to complain because Disney is
in business because of people like us on the DIS. If you are tired of hearing people complain
don't read the thread,simple!

Jay

[GOOFY D]

Originally posted by MickeyMoose15
I have heard tons of compalints from people on this discussion board about the recent discisions and it really pisses me off.

The Walt Disney Company is in hard times like the other companies and has to cut back in order to continue providing entertainment to the American public.

Also, these changes are only temporary. Disney has told us that the Early Entry Cut and reduced Park Hours is only for the rest of the month of October. Some shows have had reduced days and some people have lost jobs but that must happen. Theme Park attendance is going back up but if people cancel plans (Like some people on this board) and attendance goes back down, then these cut backs will go on longer and we will lose more.

SO PLEASE.....GIVE DISNEY A BREAK!!

You MUST be kidding! So, we should all get less for the ever increasing costs of our vacations and be happy with it? Wake up and smell the coffee.