Post here regarding WDW cutbacks, changes & Complaints

[CarolAnnC]

In order to keep our Theme Park Attractions & Strategies Board free for on topic and ride and/or attraction related posts, we have created this thread where you may post your concerns regarding the current cutbacks and changes at WDW.

Please feel free to post here and all separate threads currently on TPA&S will now be merged onto an archived post. Thank you all for your cooperation in this regard! :)

[ukcatfan]

If you are planning on staying off property because the EE is now gone... I say more power to you. That means that when I stay on property it is one less person that I have to deal with. And if there are very many of you that do this, they will probably offer even better discounts that I can take advantage of :D

[RRabbit]

I'm very disappointed with this news. Of course, I will continue to stay on the property but this was a major 'perk' for me.
RRabbit

[Melika77]

HI! Is EE really gone? When did this happen? If this going to be the case forever? If not, when will it be reinstated....

Thanks
Melissa

[100AcreWoodFriend]

Not only is EE gone, but the following other changes have occurred:

Animal Kingdom is now opening at 9:00 instead of 8:00

MGM is now closing at 6:30 instead of 7 or 7:30

Future World is now closing at 7:00, though TT and MG, SE, Inno and Coral Reef are open til 9

Garden Grill isn't doing breakfast anymore

All these have been confirmed through www.wdwig.com/hnews.htm

I'm not a happy camper, as I now have a bunch of ressies to change!:(

[WDWFAN9]

I am not overly disappointed with the suspension of EE because my kids don't like getting up early. However it is a heavily advertised benefit of staying on-property. Disney is breaking faith with the many people who made plans long in advance. It is not enough to ruin a trip, but it is discouraging. And as far as a character greeting goes, my youngest child is almost 15, it doesn't make up for losing time in the parks.

I am more concerned with "regular" park hours being cut back. I not only want to do a lot of attractions/shows during our visits, I want to just "be" in the parks, enjoying the sights and sounds that are so magical and make WDW the happiest place on earth.

I hope Disney has not begun a vicious circle of cutting hours/benefits because of less visitors, then having less visitors because of less hours/benefits.

My daughters and I are so excited about our upcoming trip ( we arrive Oct 27th!), a girls getaway. Nothing is going to get in the way of us having a wonderful time. Lets hope that things improve and Disney can bring back some of those perks that add to the magic!

[kristikae]

We are going to Disney in December. I have cancelled my on-site reservation and opted to rent a house. MUCH cheaper and there are no more perks for staying onsite anyway.

URSELFISH said in a previous reply that we should all be happy we get to go and feel sorry for all of those who are serving their country in Afghanistan (paraphrased). I think I can reply to this as an informed person. During Desert Storm most of my family was gone. My mother is a Brigadeer General, my stepfather a Major, my brother a 1st Lieutenant, his wife a 1st Lieutenant. Did I stop living or feel guilty because they were overseas? Absolutely not and they wouldn't have wanted me to. Did they feel it was unfair that they were in Saudi Arabia? No. They knew what they were up against when they signed up for the military. Yes I do appreciate all that the service men and women do for our country. With my family being in service I am reminded daily what sacrificed they have made.

Now with the events of 9-11 my mother is probably getting called out of retirement and my youngest brother just found out he is being sent to Guam. Even with that I am still going on my trip.

I am a single mother and have worked 80 hours a week for the past year to save to give my kids the trip of a lifetime. I am upset about the loss of EE and feel I am justified in my feelings. Yes Disney says everything is subject to change and that is their right. Just because they can legally do it doesn't make it good business.

[Figaro30]

Where should people forward any complaints they have about WDW? Is there a specific person that you should email?

[Miss Jasmine]

What type of complaint? I have a list of all the Prominent Disney personnel at WDW. Let me know.

[Minnee]

I was wondering if anyone has received a response from Disney?? I emailed a few days ago, just letting them know that I was Very disappointed about the end of EE, and had a few questions. I did ask for a response, and I'm still waiting:(
Have your heard from Disney? I tried calling, twice, each time, the CM didn't know anything about any changes.:(

[kristikae]

I too am waiting for a response from Disney. I emailed them a week ago and so far no reply.

[100AcreWoodFriend]

Not to add to the unhappiness of this thread, but I just went to the Dis sight and it confirmed all the park hours that Deb's website stated, including these:

Epcot World Showcase is now opening at noon, instead of 11:00.

Besides closing early, Future World is also opening later - 10:00.

The Beauty and the Beast, Pokahontas and Friends and Hunchback shows will be closed two days per week now.

I have to say I'm sorely disappointed. I'm 4 days away from a vacation I have anxiously awaited and now I feel very shortchanged. I'm getting much less service for the same price and I feel it's very unfair.

I understand Disney is hurting by everything that happened. I understand they do the best they can to make their "guests" have a great time while there. I also understand that Disney is a business, not a beloved relative I'm going to visit. I have shelled out hard earned money to stay inside the park and I will shell out even more hard earned money, because we plan to eat in the park each day. I'm only afraid now to see how much they jack up the prices on things within the park to help recoop their losses.

The saddest thing about this, is that the people really going right now are their diehard fans, but I don't feel so diehard right now, I feel cheated. They should be notifying people of these changes. They have a website (one I frequent often!), they should announce their changes, make their apologies and ask people to come anyway. I'd respect that a whole lot more than making the changes quietly and not notifying their CM's, so when you call, you can't get a straight answer. They're just abusing their employees by making them face frustrated and angry customers.

Sure I could reschedule, but I don't want to. I shouldn't have to. I should be able to go to Disney and expect the same great time I've always received and if things get trimmed a bit, at least apologize and offer something else to make up for it, don't act like business is the same as it use to be. Nothing is the same as it use to be.

Okay, I'm done soapboxing. I leave for Dis in 4 days, I'm going to hang onto what little excitement I have left and make the most of it. I wish the same to the rest of you!

One note to kristikae - your mom is a Brigadeer General - how awesome, you must be SO proud! Best wishes to your family, I hope everyone makes it safely home!

[Figaro30]

I know how you feel. I talked my parents into going with us. I'm really afraid that they are going to be very disappointed. I had our whole itinerary planned out. Now it looks like I'll have to redo the entire thing on a whim during our trip. I really wanted this trip to be great for my parents. I still hope it will be great. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I hope you do end up having a great trip and please share with us all that happens while in WDW.

Looking forward to your trip report when you return.

[Figaro30]

It would be for a general complaint about the cutbacks and discontinuation of EE.

[100AcreWoodFriend]

Thanks Figaro, I'll be sure to report back.

One "happy" note - I was able to reschedule all my ressies, I didn't lose anything because of being booked, thank goodness for that!

[Sandy Fisher]

Our trip is November 10. We can't possibly cancel now. We are flying and I don't even want to imagine the nightmare of making other plans, getting money back, etc. Has anyone had any flack from Walt Disney Travel, etc. about cancelling on site reservations? I just saw on another site that the Living Seas ride has been closed. Now, don't get me wrong, that is a short ride and you can see it all doing the "tour" of the pavillion. I just don't understand how much more they can cut and still expect people to put up with it. This may be our last trip for quite a while. My husband's employer is offering early retirement to a group of elegible people, as young as 58, and then going to layoff until they have just enough to keep running. This is a company that does business worldwide and has been in business over 100 years. We don't take fancy expensive trips. We don't stay at expensive resorts. But we do love Disney and go when we can. There has to be a limit to how much more they can cut and I'm more concerned about the regular hours than early entry or e-nights. Has anyone heard any predictions on how long these cuts will go on???:(

[Miss Jasmine]

For Snail Mail here goes (sorry don't have e-mails):

Mr. Al Weiss
President
The Walt Disney World Resort
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Mr. Lee Cockerell
Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World Operations
1375 Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000

Ms. Erin Wallace
Vice President
The Walt Disney World Resort
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Mr. Karl Holz
Vice President
The Walt Disney World Resort
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Walt Disney World Guest Communications
P.O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

Walt Disney World Guest Relations
P.O. Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Mr. Phil Holmes
VP of Magic Kingdom Operations

Mr. Brad Rex
VP of EPCOT Operations

Mr. Tom Wolber
VP of Disney/MGM Operations

Ms. Beth Stevens
VP of Animal Kingdom Operations

All Can be reached at the P.O. Box 10000 address

If you really want to go for the gusto:

Mr. Michael Eisner
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4873

Mr. Paul Pressler
Chairman & President
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Same address as Eisner

[100AcreWoodFriend]

Wow Jasmine - are you hooked up or what??!!

Thanks for the addresses, since it's too soon before I leave, I'll save them in case I need them once I get back.

[Santa]

With all the cutbacks and the discontinued EE. What is the great advantage's of shelling out the extra hard earned money to stay on disney property. The transportation is great but I get that when I purchase any ticket media to any Disney park. I could save a ton of money by staying off sight on Hotel Plaza and walking to Downtown Disney, catch the bus to TTC & go anywhere at WDW. Or catch a bus the hotels on the plaza provide to TTC. When the perks are gone all you have left is an over priced hotel room to sleep. And that is what I am feeling about the cut backs. Now I am hearing of a permanent closer of The Carousel of Progress (my favorite attraction). But as the song goes.

I think my question to Disney would be; What value do I get for paying extra to stay on your property?

Under 3 weeks and unhappily counting.

[belu]

I just called to confirm my reservations and asked about early entry changes.

The poor CRO tried to sell me on some story that she obviously was reading from a script.

We are not having Early Entry now because we ar trying out a Character Caravan. From extensive Polling we have learned that this is what everyone wants.

I asked her if this has aything to do with a slowing economy - Yes I know this is a loaded question (She's a reservation agent not a CEO) She told me -NO this is what everyone told Michael Eisner they wanted. People told him that the only reason they use Early Entry is to see characters.

It's okay though because she assured me that if people e-mail Eisner he will always do whatever the people are asking for.

So I think we should all ask for free trips to WDW....... LOL


Kelly

[sgtdisney]

Did she offer to give you Eisner's email address?:D

Just an FYI, the Early Entry Benefit is no longer listed on the Disney World Website in their resort benefits page. Just more fuel to feed the rumors?

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/waltdisneyworld/resorts/benefits/resortbenefitsindex?id=ResortBenefits

[wuzfuz]

:jester:

For what it's worth, I personaly would like to see the parks open later but stay open later at night(except animal kingdom since you can't see the animals at night). All of the parks are really beautiful at night, it's cooler and things just seem more exciting in the evening; the parades, fireworks, the landscaping etc... . Just a thought.

[Annie'sMom]

I have found this whole thread rather interesting. Obviously, every person has a "breaking point" for when visiting WDW becomes not worth the expense or time. For many, the elimination of Early Entry, the cut in operation hours and the general reduction in park attractions is that point.

For those of you who have not reached that point, what is your "breaking point?" When, if ever, will WDW reach that point for you? In other words, what would it take to make you not visit WDW? Is there anything that would ever make you give up WDW?

[Toby]

I can't believe that Disney has closed the Carousel of Progress. What's next? Shorter hours, no EE, no E-ticket nights, and now one of Walt Disney's favorites has been closed....I thought we were suppose to be celebrating 100 years of Walt Disney's birthday - nice present Walt - they've closed your favorite...We've got reservations for 6 days in Dec. - our 15th trip there, and I'm reluctant to even go...Instead of enticing people to come down there, everything is being cut....all the $$ went to DisneySea, Toyko, and DW is just closing favorites, with no new exciting rides, except Space, in the coming future....Hello, Disney you've got to do better than this for the faithful!!

[wdwguide]

Just FYI, Tokyo DisneySea is not owned by the Walt Disney Company, and was paid for by the Oriental Land Company.

[YoHo]

Just as a note. All of Miss Jasmine's addresses and more can be found on the rumours board as a sticky post. Also, Floating around there is a phone number that will get you to Eisner and Pressler's secretaries. This is a legitimate phone number and it is not private.

[t_arlotti]

I was thinking of starting an online petition stating our displeasure with the recent the changes at Walt Disney - Specifically the removal of the early entry and the reduction of park hours. Then we can forward the list to Disney.

What do you think? I think we could get a large list of names.

Tony

[RAD]

I returned from 5 days at WDW last week and while attendance seemed to be a bit lower then in the past it wasn't a ghost town. They even added a 2nd SpectroMagic parade on Saturday night because of the crowds that they had at MK.

I feel that Disney should make good, via either a discount on hotel reservations or some freebies for folks that have had long standing reservations. We all know that park hours change all the time but historically you can figure out what the hours are going to be year from year, but these changes go way above the normal changes. Even when the parks are open there's so many cutbacks with shows and restraunts that we started to feel cheated. Disney made an implied promise to their customers and they should at least offer something else since they broke those promises.

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

So the parks may open an up to an hour later, and may close earlier than previously proposed. The schedules are always subject to change and Disney doesn't have to offer an explanation why they are changing the hours. There are less travelers due to the tragic events of 9/11 and a slow economy, it doesn't take a scientist to figure that out. The loss of EE is not detrimental to enjoying your WDW visit, it is an enhancement, a perk. Is EE the ONLY reason you choose to stay on WDW property? We chose to stay on-site because of the "Disney Magic". We loved the theming of the resort (ASMo), and if we wouldn't have driven our own car we would have used resort transportation. There is more to Disney World than EE, e-night a few minor attractions that are "temporarily" closed, and reduced show schedules. It's not as if they shut down Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, stopped the parades, completely stopped the performance of the Lion King in AK, etc. It costs money to keep WDW in business. If the money's not coming in, they aren't required to operate at full capacity. I'm sorry that so many of you have been upset and displaced by the cutbacks. Be thankful that you have the ability and the means to spend time at WDW and bring back magical memories to last you a lifetime.

[kpgclark]

I just got off the phone with Disney. I was transferrd to a supervisor because I wanted to voice my unhappiness about the lack of EE and reduced park hours. She told me they have survey forms there and have been surveying potential guests to see how they feel about cancelling EE and reducing park hours. I encourage everyone to call! I phoned CRO. She said if enough people complain they will probably change things. I'm not sure if it is true, but we should give it a try.

By the way, I've seen postings before about whether or not this Character Caravan is or is not a replacement for EE. The CM I spoke with said it was meant to be the replacement for EE. Her words.

Call or write if you are unhappy about cancelling EE or reducing park hours like EPCOT opening at 10am!

[Minnee]

iNTeNSeBLue98,
Do you have plans to go to WDW in the next month? We do, your right, EE is a perk, which we would have enjoyed, (we have small children that are up early). I feel that for the $$ I am paying to stay at the Polynesian, I want the perks, I want all the bells and whistles. This is a trip that I have planned for almost a year with my entire family!!! These few minor attractions that are temporarily closed, are probably going to be closed while I'll be there. These are things that when we booked our vacation 9 months ago were listed as benefits or perks of staying at an onsite property and now they're just taken away. I just feel that it was part(NOT COMPLETELY) of why we decided to stay at the polynesian.
Sorry, I'm just disappointed :(. Sorry to vent like this..........

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

No Minnee, I do not plan on going to WDW this year. But I do plan on next year, in November. Before all of these cutbacks were announced, I had my days planned as to which parks we'd visit. I didn't incorporate EE in the schedule, as right now we plan to stay off-site because we want to see USF and Sea World too. I guess I might be upset too if these features were taken away from me, I can't say for sure. But I'd still be grateful that I got to go at all and had the priveledge of spending my nights in such a beautiful place. Do your best to enjoy your trip.

[Synonymous]

Being grateful has nothing to do with it. You pay good money to go to WDW and you have to decide whether or not it's worth it. Yes, Disney is hurting and yes they have to make business decisions. But there is such a thing as BAD business decisions. It's not a moral issue- it's a business transaction.

I took alot of these cutbacks in stride until I saw the recent changes in operating hours. MK closing at 6:00? Epcot opening at 10:00? What am I supposed to do with my 4 year-old daughter when the park closes at 6:00? We're there for the parks, not to hang out at the hotel.

This is a serious reduction in what I'm going to be getting for my money. We're supposed to go in February, and now I'm wondering about it. I just can't see sitting around the hotel until 10:00 before we can go to Epcot.

T

[Super Mom]

I just got home from my Disney trip 6 hours ago. We had a wonderful time, but the cutbacks were frustrating. EE was actually discontinued while we were there. We never actually got to MGM. On our last day, Sunday, we were planning to go to MGM for EE do ToT, RnR coaster , Star Tours and Millionaire, before hitting Typhoon Lagoon one last time. we got to MGM at about 8:15 -- My DS's (9 & 7) took one look at the crowd waiting to get in and said let's skip this and just go to TL.

I agree with the posters who would not stay on site right now. Without EE or E-night, I would have spent a lot less money and stayed off-site.

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................................. ........... Hey, ukcatfan, that may be one less person to deal with at the resort but with later openings and no EE, you'll get to meet your 150,000 friends all at the same time when they swamp the parks at the same time. And no special deals for you, because as soon as they come out all the people that left and then some will flood WDW hotels! Enough said. Disney is slitting it's wrist with this move. They are aleinating their core business, the Returning Disney Families. I can not cancel my trip in 18 days. BUT, we are offsite for 6 out of ten days, instead of zero. No Character Meals, only a couple sitdown meals because we are out of the parks by dinner time!! The good news is I just saved $500 that is now going to be spent in Hawaii next year. The bad news for Disney, the money they are saving on all these changes for my familes share is about $10.

[Disney-down-under]

As an employee of the Travel and Tourism industry, I can
completely understand Disney's reasoning behind cutting park
hours.
This is the worst time in history for the tourism industry, and we
are all being forced to tighten our belts.
I'm sure we would all prefer less hours at the Parks, than the
obvious alternative of involuntary staff cuts, or worse still, Park
closure.
While it may be inconvenient for us to miss out on our Early Entry,
or have to shuffle a few reservations, just think how anxious the
Disney staff must be - unsure whether they'll have a job after the Holidays.

Just a thought.

[Tori 2001]

:rolleyes:

It takes a lot to make me complain, but now I'm going to, for what it is worth.

Those of us who travel in the "off season" have always been at a disadvantage with Disney - park hours shorter, more rides down for rehab, some water parks closed.

Now, in addition to that, we are told that park hours are being cut further, some shows are being canceled and parts of some hotels may be closed, some restaurant meals are being eliminated despite longstanding reservations, and the EE option perk all seemingly at the whim of the park managers with no advance warning.

All this, and yet the ticket price is the same as people pay in summer, with all those perks included.

It is understandable that Disney is concerned, with the impact of the Sept. 11 tragedies on their budget just like everyone else's. Yet most on these boards report pretty normal crowds of late, so could it be the company is just using this as an opportunity to cut services while keeping the same old price?

Disney tickets are worth every dime, but let's face it - they aren't cheap. Cut enough of the fun and people will begin to stop being so excited about the trip, and maybe travel to other locations where they get a full day's entertainment. If what we are told is true, it would be very strange for Epcot World Showcase not to open until noon or even 1 p.m. - and Magic Kingdom to close at 7 p.m. which makes it simply too short a day to see everything. And how many more jobs can they eliminate or cut hours on before that famous Disney CM responsivess, charm and positive attitude falls by the wayside as it has elsewhere in corporate America?

It simply isn't right. If Disney plans to keep cutting services and on-site perks, it better be ready to continue discounting those hotels and to cut down the price of the park tickets. The Disney way used to be over-the-top magic - "how much can we possibly give out customers so they will keep wanting to come back." Now it seems to be "how much can we get away with cutting before they stop coming?" If they deliver the product, the people will come back, more than ever, and finances will take care of themselves over time. If they don't, it will be on its way to becoming just another amusement park.

Maybe it's just the disappointment talking, as I had to cancel my trip with my children due to the disrupted flights in September, and then lost the flight we could afford when America bought out Delta and tickets instantly changed from $94 to $300+ for the very same flight.

I wonder if Disney bothers to monitor sites like these. They should, if they want to know what people are thinking. I wish we were there. I wish we could go. But when we do, I want it to be the magical place I've always known, not something less.

'Nuff said.


Tori :eek:

[Sandy Fisher]

Considering it was only your second post, you covered the frustration that many of us are experiencing very well. We have planned our trip since January. We deliberately planned for the "off" season so we could enjoy the parks. All four of us work and we had to coordinate time off. We can't just drop everything and travel from PA to FL for a weekend or a quick 3-day trip, etc. I wish we could be spontaneous and just go with the flow.
Like you, we absorbed the first "cuts" and thought that it still would be a super trip. We don't go very often and knew with the economy that this might be our last trip for a while. But then the super shortened hours really caught my attention. Yes, we may have time to do other things, but when we go to WDW, that's what we go for. Not for fancy sit-down meals every day, not for Universal, etc. If it wouldn't cost us a bundle, we would probably cancel.
My husband has been accusing me for years of trying to keep the economy going singlehandedly! Disney has never been a "cheap" vacation and we've never had a discount. We're going to go because we can't afford not to at this point. But I am not thrilled at waiting with however many others decide to go for Epcot to open at 10. Unreal.
We never did EE either because we don't have small children and we do the attractions, shows, etc. that adults enjoy and we can travel at our own pace.
But the early park closings and late openings ---- even for November ----- are just too much.:(

[livsea2]

Yesterday we called CRO to confirm the latest changes in cancelled shows and the CM told me decisions on park hours are being made week to week. How can anyone decide when to go? :mad: :rolleyes: :mad: :( :rolleyes: :(

[Teri1]

I just got on the boards to find out EE is gone along with E-nights(which I absolutely loved) . What confuses me is when I called WDW Dine to make my PS arrangements last month I was told how crowded it was going to be the first week of Nov. I couldn't get early PS for Chef Mickeys any day that week. The CM kept saying how overbooked they were because people had rescheduled vacations. I was given the impression that I had picked the wrong time to visit. I was so upset when I got off the phone but thought oh well, I have EE and E-nights to make up for the crowds. I won't let it ruin my planning. Now to find out the park hours are shorter and no EE and E-night! I don't know what to do about the PS arrangements I made. I guess I will wait til I get there and cancel and try to reschedule as I go. I just wanted everything to go well because I am bringing my best friend along who has never been to WDW, she has lost 135 lbs. and is starting a new life with a split from her husband of 20 years. I thought this would be a great way to celebrate her new life. My husband and I have been here before so we could skip a few things but I wanted her to have the best time. Thanks for letting me vent. Teri.

[ctdisneyfamily]

I sent an email concerning EE morning and they responded, that they were unaware of any changes in this policy! This was dated 10-22-01!

Does the right hand know what the left is doing?????

[GoldenOldie]

Why does this surprise you? It's not like Disney's CM's have a history of knowing all the answers. At least they didn't say it wasn't true, only that they were not aware of it. Guess the inter-office mail's a little slow these days. ;)

[jdads2]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA.

Wooo wasn't THAT funny.

Just a crazy thought passes through my warped mind

[juliebelle]

It's ok Teri, are you feeling much better now that you have it all out? :)

You will still have a blast while you're there. Once you walk down mainstreet and here that happy music, the disney magic will start to make you feel so good. Soon you'll be skipping down the sidewalk, smelling all those wonderful disney smells, listening to the great music and feeling so festive. You'll be sure to have a fantastic time showing your friend all the wonders of Disney.

Happy Trails!!!! :)

[Teri1]

Thanks, Juliebelle! I feel much better now. I know we will have a good time. I guess the upside to all of it we can sleep in and get more rest .

[Disneyfun1]

Well looks like another attraction may be biting the dust! How long before they tear down the castle??!!

http://www.wdwmagic.com/magic.htm

[Buzz2001]

I can't believe the amount of shows and events being canceled. I hope all of this is just temporary and WDW and the US gets back to normal. God I hope we catch all of those responsible.

[jenfur]

Okay , this was the first cancellation that has really upset me . I missed this last year because of the other parade and was really hoping to see it this year . I can see shorter hours and a few resturants closing but this is a parade - parades and fireworks are a big deal at MK (I guess the fireworks will be next)

So many people are canceling because they are scared or becaues they won't get EE or E-nites and how do they repay the loyal people who are coming anyway - take away a big attraction that they show in every planning video so that my kids and my Mom are excited about seeing something that won't be there ! :mad:

[Doctor P]

Given that they have not made the decisions on November hours yet, and Spectromagic is very dependent on the parks being open late enough for the lights to take effect, I would not worry yet and I certainly would not worry that it is independently being axed. It may be, but I would wait for official word.

[Blue Eeyore]

Help! I leave in 12 days and I'm not feeling the magic! First... no E-Ride nights are scheduled. Then... EE is taken away. Now... I hear that the week I go is gonna be crowded with New Jersey people! I usually go the second or third week of November. This the first time that we're going during the first week. Is it really going to be THAT bad!?!?!?!?! Pass me some Pixie Dust, I need it!!! THANKS!!!!!!!!!:confused:

[KFISCHER]

These posts have been inundated by angry people, pointing their fingers at nasty Walt Disney World for one change after another.

The real blame needs to be placed on the over-reacting American public, which has foolishly decided to completely alter their very existence. They are afraid to simply LIVE. They have chosen to avoid air travel in droves, and are staying away from tourist attractions, incorrectly fearing the absolute worst.

What a shame. At a time when America is proudly standing tall, showing it's patriotism and love of country, too many others have chosen the "hide under the bed" routine.

As a result, lower attendance has forced Disney's hand. I don't blame Disney at all. I blame the thousands and thousands of no-shows and cancellations.

I will not cancel my Disney plans for this weekend. And I'm going again in December, when those horrible folks at Disney have slashed rates at the All-Stars to under $50.

If the park is open an hour or less, or there's one less parade, I'll manage. And I refuse to let all the naysayers on what is normally a very positive web site spoil my enthusiasm for my travel plans.

[Heather]

Sadly, every rumor posted so far about a cut or cutback has proven true. Many of us who are planning to leave next week are unable to obtain refunds of certain things. I am truly disappointed that Disney, in requiring us to plan (and for many things, pay) so far in advance continues to cut out things with no notice and no opportunity for us to change our plans. I have said before and will say again, I'm not opposed to scaling back -- sure, let there be fewer shows, take away a couple of Ee mornings per week, but don't take everything away. SpectroMagic was only scheduled to run on Fridays and Saturdays in November as it was -- why can't it still run ONE day per week? And if the daytime parade will be switched to nighttime, as was indicated as being one of the options to "replace" it, does this mean no daytime parade at MK? I"ve also heard that they are closing all the resort pools earlier in the evening -- what does this leave for a family to do?

[aprincessmom]

Don't worry. Just go and have a good time. To paraphrase the bumper sticker "A bad day at Disney is still better than a good day at work!"

[Blue Eeyore]

Thanks for the encouragement, but Oh GOODNESS! I didn't mean for "New Jersey people" to have a bad connotation! I hope it didn't sound that way!!! I just heard that it's going to be crowded because of a lot of people coming down from New Jersey for a fall break or something.

But you're right... There's no where else in the world that I'd rather be than Disney! Even on a bad day. Thanks!

[janiejo]

I agree with princess mom - you can't be blue because you will be at WDW! I remember going to WDW offseason in the early years and nothing was open past 7 p.m. Before Illuminations, off season was a time when everything shut down come nightfall. We used the evenings for doing other stuff - our kids were younger then and loved the game rooms in our hotel, going to the pool, loved what is now DD, and of course, the meals. I think it just takes a new mindset but with a bit of planning, you will still have a great time! I wish I could go to WDW in the coming weeks but I have to wait until March. Enjoy your trip!

[dmfuru]

The decline in WDW services began prior to 9/11--there are others here who can give more information, but this summer already saw shorter park hours, "bus on demand", opening certain rides 1 hour after park opening, closing of some restaurants, etc.

WDW depends upon a lot of foreign tourists and lots of them aren't travelling at present. I have seen lots of posters criticizing Americans for cutting back on travel, but why not criticize foreign tourists who are cutting back travel.

A lot of Americans aren't travelling b/c of financial reasons as well as fear. There are lots of lay-offs, lower investment returns, etc. and some people just don't want to spend thousands of dollars on vacation right now. I don't think it is inappropriate for people to save their money right now. If you have the assets or are willing to shoulder some debt to visit WDW right now, I say go for it.
If money is tight, or you just don't feel right travelling, then save your money and time for a vacation in the future.

[wdwnut]

hi: here's a little something to maybe help. we are usually there during "off" season with reduced hours anyway and well remember only having the original illuminations as the only fireworks around. we've also been there when they've extended hours due to unexpected attendance. maybe this will happen. just plan on all being reduced and anything extra will be a bonus! some of us "new jersey people" are sneaking in an extra trip this year that just happens to coincide with the wine and food festival and the nj teachers convention. also, it is right between seasons for 2 hs students who are active in sports.

[Blue Eeyore]

You guys are RIGHT! I usually go there during off season too! AND... I will plan for the worst. I guess I'm just used to getting up extra early so I'm done with the parks around noon and then going back in the early evening. This trip I'll get to sleep in instead! Okay... the magic is starting to come back to me. THANKS!

[izzy]

I've been reading posts about these cutbacks, and I can't stand it anymore. I'm finally putting in my 2 cents worth!

Disney is just not looking at this from a logical business standpoint. Their only focus seems to be on reducing expenses, when they do have another option open to them. They could be working to increase revenues! (Yes, I apologize for my college accounting coming back to haunt me and now you folks - LOL!) Disney should be offering great deals and incentives to get us to come down there if business has truly slackened off. I have yet to see them make cuts in hotel prices or give us ticket incentives since 9/11. They only hotel discounts I've been seeing for the next few months are the discounts that were out there before 9/11. Also, why couldn't they cut ticket prices some? (Don't gasp when you read this - desperate times call for desperate measures!) And I don't mean discount a 5 day hopper pass that I could buy now and use later, but perhaps offer it on the LOS passes that have to be used within a certain timeframe. That way they could assure themselves that people weren't buying reduced ticket for the future. I know that I would consider a trip to Disney if they made it worth my financial while. Just think of how much revenue they could generate if they decided to make some great offers to get people back. Obviously, they know what their break-even point is for when they make money vs. when they start losing it, but I don't even think they're looking at things from standpoint. All they want to do is cut, cut, cut. The rest of the travel and tourism industry seems to be on the ball. There are great deals out there now on cruises, airfares, and even some of the parks like USF and IOA. They are willing to lower their prices to get us back! No, they won't be making as much money as they were in the past, but at least they're making more than if the ship cabin was empty, or the plane wasn't full.

I realize these are hard times for everyone, but Disney needs to get a clue. They way I feel about the cutbacks now (and some of them I didn't really use, like EE), it will probably be several years before they see me again. We are expected to give and give and give, and they aren't willing to do their part.

Sorry, I'll stop ranting now!

[PieInYourEye]

Just thought I'd share...

Disney asks workers to cut back jobs
Associated Press Story

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Walt Disney World officials asked some of their workers Monday to volunteer for a 20 percent cutback in hours and salary.

The company wants 7,400 full time employees to cut back their workweek to 32 hours, saying it will save some jobs and preserve insurance and retirement benefits for employees, spokeswoman Marilyn Waters said.

Waters said the voluntary work reductions were ''an opportunity'' to employees ''because some people would like to do that for lifestyle reasons.''

Disney also fired an unspecified number of highly paid contract workers in its technology department on Monday and reduced the hours of some attractions, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Work schedules for about 40,000 hourly employees had been reduced after the Sept. 11 attacks that devastated the tourism industry. About 1,000 salaried Disney World workers in California and Orlando were laid off before Sept. 11.

The offer of voluntary reductions was made only to Orlando-area workers, not to those in California. Orlando's theme park has been hit harder by the drop in tourism because it relies more on visitors who traveled on airplanes.

Other cost-cutting measures were also taken. Some live shows will be eliminated on certain days, including MGM Studios' Beauty and the Beast, and the hours of a handful of attractions at Epcot were reduced.

[mickeyandme]

I'm assuming Mr. Eisner took a cut also....last stock price $18.55......

[susanw]

I just got back from WDW on Sunday (10/21) and I can say that the parks were much more crowded than I expected them to be! I don't know about the total overall numbers (park attendance, room occupancy at resorts, etc.) but there were LOTS of people in the World! And LOTS of UK visitors too! LOTS!

The cutbacks are a big disappointment (and I hope they don't last until our next trip in March!) and I can't figure out what Disney's game plan is. I agree with the earlier poster who said that the public is overreacting and letting fear make their vacation plans for them, but I also really think Disney is overreacting too. And they're handling the cuts badly. Are they really that desperate? Cutting park hours, closing restaurants, cancelling shows and parades, etc. ALL AT THE SAME TIME??!! What's with that? Sure October is the off-season, but Disney is running around like a headless chicken--cutting this, cancelling that, not giving anyone any warning or time to change their plans. They're only going to hurt themselves in the end. And it will take a long time to regain the full faith and confidence of some of their most loyal customers!

[dpappas]

I just saw this on my "WorldFlash" ticker -

Disney asks workers to cut hours to save money

By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 23, 2001

Disney hours


New hours at Walt Disney World because of cost-cutting measures:
Magic Kingdom: Sunday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (will vary during busy times and Fridays and Saturdays)
Epcot Future World: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (with Test Track and Coral Reef restaurant open until park closes)
Epcot World Showcase: noon to 9 p.m.
Disney-MGM Studios: No changes this week. Starting next week 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Animal Kingdom: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ON THE WEB


Walt Disney Co. stock quote


Walt Disney website

TOURISM


Tourism drives Central Florida's economy, so use our in-depth tourism coverage to stay on top of the latest news, trends and events.

MORE HEADLINES

Disney asks workers to cut hours to save money

Attractions experience 'bumpy ride'

FAA to reopen Orlando's skies for small planes

Smaller attractions weather downturn

Visitors bureau signs up more hotels





Thousands of salaried workers at Walt Disney World were asked Monday to cut their work week to 32 hours as the company stepped up cost-cutting efforts.

The move will mean 20 percent less in their paychecks for 7,400 workers at Disney's parks, hotels and administrative offices.

Disney also trimmed the hours of some attractions and restaurants and fired an unspecified number of contract workers.

The company's higher-paid employees join the ranks of the attraction's 40,000 hourly workers, who have seen their work schedules sharply reduced since the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., that devastated the tourism industry.

Disney spokeswoman Marilyn Waters said the reduced workweek was a way to "save some jobs" and that employees would be able to keep insurance and retirement benefits.

Waters said the voluntary work reductions were "an opportunity" to employees "because some people would like to do that for lifestyle reasons."

However, she said, if there weren't enough takers it would not automatically mean that some jobs would be abolished.

But that possibility was clearly implied. About 1,000 salaried Disney World workers were laid off before Sept. 11. They were caught up in cutbacks that included Disneyland in California.

The Monday offer of voluntary reductions was made only to Orlando-area workers, an indication that Disney World has been harder hit than Disneyland by the fallout from the terrorism attacks.

Even before Sept. 11, Orlando's attractions were having a bad year compared with Disneyland. In the third quarter that ended June 30, revenue for the California attraction rose about $100 million from the same period a year earlier, while Disney World's numbers fell by about that amount.

The disparity has much to do with the demographic differences in the two parks' markets: Disneyland draws huge attendance from a steady supply of West Coast visitors who drive there. Disney World relies heavily on tourists who fly in from the North, Midwest and overseas. Reduced airline schedules have hit hard at Disney World's so-called "destination" trade.

Among the cost-cutting measures Disney World has adopted are eliminating some live stage shows on certain days, such as Disney-MGM Studios' Beauty and the Beast.

And Monday it went further. At Epcot, most of the Future World section at the front of the park will be open for three hours less each day. The hours were trimmed to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., compared with 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A handful of Future World attractions will remain open until 9 p.m.: the Spaceship Earth and Test Track rides, Honey I Shrunk the Kids show and Innoventions pavilion. One Future World restaurant, Coral Reef, will also remain open until 9 p.m.

Epcot's World Showcase section, which consists largely of restaurants and shops representing nations throughout the world, will open an hour later -- at noon -- and still close at its usual 9 p.m.

"We still have more entertainment than guests can experience in a day," Waters said.

Waters said Disney World's Yacht and Beach Club resort, near MGM Studios, has closed its Galley restaurant but still has three other restaurants.

Also Monday, Disney fired an unspecified number of highly paid contract workers in its technology segment. The company would not confirm the estimates by other Disney employees that about 40 contract workers, some at the attraction for as long as five years, were dismissed effective Oct. 19.

[Wonderlandmom]

The parks are crowded from local people, they don't bring in much money to the resort. All of FL is suffering because of the losses in tourism. Special session to trim 1.3 Billion from the budget began today. It will include money to promote the tourism industry.

[Poohbear123]

I was feeling BLUE too, but felt better after I STOPPED reading about EE-mornings on this board! It can get you really DOWN when you read about it in EVERY thread!!:rolleyes: I use to participate in EE but I guess I will just have to do without it this time. I leave in............8 days!:D ;)

[Bosjoe]

He would be the last to take a pay cut I bet..He should not take a raise for the next 5 years and give up his bonus's to save some employees who make mininum pay.. Its not just there but everywhere. These high price exec's need to give back to its employees. Its the people behind the scenes that make the company.. The front line.. :)


Just my opinion
:)

[Blue Eeyore]

Pooh Bear is SO right! Now that I think about it, when I first heard about EE, I was upset, but not NEARLY as upset as I've gotten while reading all these depressing threads! I'm gonna stop reading 'em. ...And I advise a lot of you to do the same! Thanks!

[MImickey]

Has anyone considered the idea that Disney is trying to recoup the money they lost when they closed their doors due to the 9/11 tragedy?

I'm not saying this is an excuse. God knows I don't feel it's fair paying full price and receiving much less in return, but Disney is a company and perhaps this is their solution. I can't even imagine how much money a place like Disney brings in in one day.

This is the only reason I can think of. When I was down there at the beginning of Oct., I was told that attendence was steadily increasing. This was noticable throughout the week.

If this is the case, then we can only hope that it won't last forever. I do feel sorry for those who already have plans and can't cancel. I hope you can make the best of a poor situation.

[Mboothby]

Well, I sympathize, really, because we chose to go the first week of December, as it's usually the most quiet time to go and now we find out not only will Pop Warner be there, but 5000 members of the press (stay at one of our hotels, no less) and that they have cut the hours for MGM on the day I really wanted to be there so the press can have a special event. SO, I was SUPER bummed about this, but you roll with the punches and I just KNOW that once I get on property there's no way ANY of it is gonna matter, because I'll be THERE. It simplay can't matter.
By the way, I went in early November one time and met a ton of people from Jersey. We wondered why there were so many people from one place there at the same time (I'm from California) and lemme tell you. They were the funniest, friendliest, most entertaining people you'd wanna meet. And I didn't notice any difference in lines. So, I wouldn't worry. The World is a VERY big place. So, heavy crowds tend to get spread out. I know that I've been during that Pop Warner time before and never noticed any difference, save for one day when I wondered why there were so many teenagers in cheerleader outfits running around Epcot and then they were all on our plane coming home, but it didn't make a difference in lines, I think because they are busy with competitions during the day. I think the biggest differences you'll see is in little things like...perhaps not getting the kind of room you wanted on that specific floor you like or your room not being ready as early as it might have been, because when I go, since ALL the press will be at AKL, I KNOW I'm not getting any special treatment! Anyway...don't let it get ya down. Take it a day at a time, get on that plane, check in and let hte magic begin. You'll see, it won't make a difference. And have fun with some of those fun Jersey people. They're a hoot!

[livsea2]

Who say Disney has to cut hours,shows, parades, fireworks etc.
In a slow economy how many stores do you see shortening hours/ How many cut the sleeves of a suit to cheapen the product but charge leave the full price for it? The morons running Disney don't know how to run a business. When things are slow you STAY OPEN LONGER ,CUT PRICES, AND GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS MORE VALUE.......NOT LESS. Bad management is going to ruin Disney but don't tell Ei$ner, HIS moves are geared to reduce the bottom line and increase his bonu$$$$! :smooth:

[kenman]

I am felling BLUE downright BLACK with all the bad news this past two weeks! Now today I heard that spectromagic is being cancelled, fantasmic is going to be on a verry limited sch. and also the new DVC resort is being canclled, Why should I or anyone pay $300 hotel room a night then pay park admission if there is nothing good to do. Not even cop! I am going to do something I thought I'd nevere do, cancelle my may trip for 8 nights at the DAKL! But I half to because I don't think the parks are worth the money any more!!! :mad:
I love Disney with a passion , but no night parade that draws the line!!!!!!

[eeyore0062]

Ignore the negativity... it will bring you down faster than anything else.

I guess because I really don't get into the nighttime parades, fireworks, etc, that part doesn't bother me very much--- I do know, however it is a big thing for some--- we only use the nighttime parade to take advantage of smaller lines in MK, so I guess for that reason, I'll miss it. However, if the park is closing sooner, I may actually get to enjoy my resort, or even visiting others.

I like EE mornings, and E ticket nights, but it won't kill me if they aren't there... I will just get more sleep in the morning, and be able to enjoy PI and the Adventurer's Club even more at night!

Yes, some of the restaurants won't be open, but there are so many to choose from, it should be no problem--- it may just make me try something I haven't tried before!

As for crowds, I can take delight in the fact that there are people who are enjoying Disney and spending their money, and perhaps because of the extra money Disney is taking in, these cutbacks may be a thing of the past, sooner rather than later. Also, it may result in longer park hours while we are there.

And as far Pop Century not opening as scheduled, I would rather they put the money for completing that into something else, like laying off fewer CM's.

The scheduling of what we do may be a little different this trip, but we will just go with the flow... at least we will be in WDW!!!

There are plenty of positives to be found, if you look, you just have to look, and not block them out with negativity:)

[Mboothby]

I understand your point and your frustrations, but it's because so many people have cancelled that these changes are taking place. The more we cancel, the more changes will take place until they finally just close down the park. Now is the time we NEED to go and show our support and keep WDW alive and kicking. If we all drop our ressies there may be no WDW to EVER go back to. Is that what we want? Are we really that upset over a few changes that we'd rather see the parks close entirely!? I know it's bummin' people out. I know it's upsetting. I too have an upcoming ressie next month. Something I've looked forward to for nearly 2 years now, but I fear if we all just stay away, we'll risk losing something very precious to us. Think about it before you do anything rash. Think about all the good things they STILL have there, not just those being taken away. There's still PLENTY to do and see. What about all the NEW parades that are still running and the new AK Lodge. What about all the great food and all the Xmas and 100th year stuff comin' up. There are still all our favorite rides and characters to see. WDW is a big place and a few parade changes doesn't make a DENT in all there is to see and do.

[kenman]

I just heard on the 6'oclock news that Disney is asking 40,000 employes to voulntary cut there hours or wages buy 20%,WOW!!! Just heard the tail end, did anyone else hear this:(

[alice-d]

For those who believe that Disney is cutting attractions because it is so broke, I have three words -Fox Family Channel!

[wetts1]

One thing I really don't understand...how can Disney cut back on RIDES within the parks? Ok, so there are a few less performance of the shows, but how can you open a ride late and close early? This to me is one of the most ridiculous things of all. Or is it not a fact that rides have reduced hours and this is just a rumor?

[wetts1]

Sorry, I know this does not belong on this board. When I posted I thought I was on the themeparks board. Can anyone move this? Thanks!

[Blue Eeyore]

I didn't hear that. It's TERRIBLE!!!

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Actually, a lot of stores have closed or shut down on certain days lately. Kinda sad. And is some instances, I am paying more for a lesser quality item. War creates havoc on many levels.

[MImickey]

FYI - Disney owns so much more than just Fox Family Channel. They have money coming in every direction, but they still lost money that they weren't anticipating. Like I said, it's not a good reason, but if you're trying to make your quarterly earnings report look better - then what better way? A store might not cut off the sleeves of a coat and sell it for full price, but they will lay-off workers to save money. Disney shortens hours - saves paying more out in wages. Disney cuts attractions - saves paying more out in wages. Disney charges full price - brings in more for the bottom line.

If you want to take your frustration out on someone, take it out on Disney itself. Instead of whining and complaining, and dogging other's views because they may be looking at it from a different angle, quit going there! Quit spending your money on trips to Disney! Some of you might not be able to do it now, but you can stick to it in the future. There are plenty of other places to spend a nice vacation. Disney has been out for the almighty dollar for quite some time now. This is nothing new. I travel down to Disney at least twice a year for vacation. I've seen it inside and out, during peak and off seasons. Money comes before the magic. Disney doesn't give away anything for free.

You may also try some of those addresses that were posted earlier. Send them your angry messages. I just sent a message through their website last week about an incident that occurred there during my last visit. They responded in about a day and said they were talking with the departments involved and would get back to me. We'll see.

Poor management or not, they'll keep brining in the money until everyone takes a stand and spends their hard earned dollars elsewhere.

[TDC Nala]

>>I asked her if this has aything to do with a slowing economy - Yes I know this is a loaded question (She's a reservation agent not a CEO) She told me -NO this is what everyone told Michael Eisner they wanted. People told him that the only reason they use Early Entry is to see characters. <<

Really? Then what were they doing on the rides? Why have rides open early at all? And as far as I know, anybody can stroll down Main Street before official park opening and meet characters. Last time I was on Main Street before 9 they had a really good selection of characters greeting guests in front of the castle. Have they stopped opening Main Street before the rest of the park? I doubt it, because the shops are there.

I have taken those surveys. I'm sure they would never ask "Would you rather have Early Entry or characters at the resorts?" They probably asked "Do you use Early Entry?" (to which I would have truthfully said "No") and "Do you think it would be a good idea to have characters at the resorts?" (to which I would probably have replied "Why not?") without any hint that they are thinking of the two items as mutually exclusive choices.

[Eric, Julie and Hailey]

From the Orlando Sentinel today...***sigh***

--------------------
Disney asks workers to cut hours to save money
--------------------

By Robert Johnson
Sentinel Staff Writer

October 23, 2001

Thousands of salaried workers at Walt Disney World were asked Monday to cut their work week to 32 hours as the company stepped up cost-cutting efforts.

The move will mean 20 percent less in their paychecks for 7,400 workers at Disney's parks, hotels and administrative offices.

Disney also trimmed the hours of some attractions and restaurants and fired an unspecified number of contract workers.

The company's higher-paid employees join the ranks of the attraction's 40,000 hourly workers, who have seen their work schedules sharply reduced since the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., that devastated the tourism industry.

Disney spokeswoman Marilyn Waters said the reduced workweek was a way to "save some jobs" and that employees would be able to keep insurance and retirement benefits.

Waters said the voluntary work reductions were "an opportunity" to employees "because some people would like to do that for lifestyle reasons."

However, she said, if there weren't enough takers it would not automatically mean that some jobs would be abolished.

But that possibility was clearly implied. About 1,000 salaried Disney World workers were laid off before Sept. 11. They were caught up in cutbacks that included Disneyland in California.

The Monday offer of voluntary reductions was made only to Orlando-area workers, an indication that Disney World has been harder hit than Disneyland by the fallout from the terrorism attacks.

Even before Sept. 11, Orlando's attractions were having a bad year compared with Disneyland. In the third quarter that ended June 30, revenue for the California attraction rose about $100 million from the same period a year earlier, while Disney World's numbers fell by about that amount.

The disparity has much to do with the demographic differences in the two parks' markets: Disneyland draws huge attendance from a steady supply of West Coast visitors who drive there. Disney World relies heavily on tourists who fly in from the North, Midwest and overseas. Reduced airline schedules have hit hard at Disney World's so-called "destination" trade.

Among the cost-cutting measures Disney World has adopted are eliminating some live stage shows on certain days, such as Disney-MGM Studios' Beauty and the Beast.

And Monday it went further. At Epcot, most of the Future World section at the front of the park will be open for three hours less each day. The hours were trimmed to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., compared with 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A handful of Future World attractions will remain open until 9 p.m.: the Spaceship Earth and Test Track rides, Honey I Shrunk the Kids show and Innoventions pavilion. One Future World restaurant, Coral Reef, will also remain open until 9 p.m.

Epcot's World Showcase section, which consists largely of restaurants and shops representing nations throughout the world, will open an hour later -- at noon -- and still close at its usual 9 p.m.

"We still have more entertainment than guests can experience in a day," Waters said.

Waters said Disney World's Yacht and Beach Club resort, near MGM Studios, has closed its Galley restaurant but still has three other restaurants.

Also Monday, Disney fired an unspecified number of highly paid contract workers in its technology segment. The company would not confirm the estimates by other Disney employees that about 40 contract workers, some at the attraction for as long as five years, were dismissed effective Oct. 19.

Robert Johnson can be contacted at rwjohnson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5664.



Copyright (c) 2001, Orlando Sentinel

Visit OrlandoSentinel.com

[Manthra]

I recently sent this email off to <A href="mailto:wdw.guest.communications@disney.com">Guest Relations at Disney</a> concerning my families upcoming trip.

To Whom It May Concern:

I, and my family are long time Disney supporters who have been coming to
your parks religiously since 1967. Starting in 1974 I have been going at a
pace around three times a year.

For the first time I am bringing a group of people, most of whom have never
been before, to visit your parks this coming November 4th - 10th. I am very
distraught to see that you have pulled the schedule and are considering
changing park hours and operating procedures during this time.

I booked my vacation (13 people in all) back last May, and everyone has been
getting more excited with each passing week. We booked lunch, dinner, shows
and golf reservations as early as we could and based it off the calendar you
provided on your website, and the hours we were given when I called
407-WDisney.

Sunday, November 4th we are planning on visiting the Magic Kingdom, we have
reservations for my neighbors family (first timers) for lunch at the Castle.
I was hoping that my In-Laws would be able to watch the fireworks with their
Grandchildren this night as we will probably never be able to convince them
to take this trip again. According to your calendar you were going to have
fireworks this night. Your operating hours were supposed to be 9 am to 7 pm,
and we all know that some of the most magical time at the Magic Kingdom is
at night with all the lights.

Monday, November 5th we are planning to visit Disney MGM Studios. I made
reservations for all of us to have lunch at the Sci-Fi Diner and have gone
on and on about what a great show Fantasmic is to see. Your website listed
the park hours to be 9 am to 7pm with Fantasmic at 7 pm. The three twelve
year olds in the group are hoping to ride the Tower of Terror after dark.

Tuesday, November 6th we are expecting to visit EPCOT center. My In-Laws and
neighbors are very excited to see all the countries and sample the flavors
at the International Food and Wine Celebration. My parents want to take
their youngest grandchildren (1 and 2 years old) to see The Living Seas
(which I hear you shut the ride part down). I have shown pictures/video and
talked about how grand Illuminations is at night to see all the countries
lit up. According to your original calendar your park hours were to be 9 am
to 9 pm with the countries opening up around 11 am. My son (12) wants to
take both his grandfathers on Test Track.

Wednesday, November 7th we have booked a character breakfast for the group
at Port Orleans because my two youngest and the neighbors 11 year old
daughter love Tigger. Then around 2 pm I have booked a tee time on one of
your fine golf courses for my father, neighbor, his wife and I. My
Father-In-Law is to take my 12 year old son out on the speedboats, and my
wife and the two grandmothers are taking the babies to the petting zoo in
the campground. At 9 pm I booked the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue for my In-Laws, and
my wife's Aunt and Uncle who will be driving over from near Daytona, and my
folks are going to watch the kids while my neighbors, my wife, and I go to
Pleasure Island for the evening. I have told them how incredible it is to be
there when the clock strikes midnight.

Thursday, November 8th my In-Laws are going to Daytona with my wife's Aunt
and Uncle to visit for the rest of the week, so any chance to see any of the
shows you might cancel will be gone. The rest of us are planning on visiting
your Animal Kingdom park (originally scheduled to be open 9am to 5pm).
Afterwards we were going to cook out at our campsites (my neighbors are
renting a cabin, my folks have a motorhome, and we have a trailer) and then
my neighbor and I were planning on taking the older children to DisneyQuest
for the rest of the evening.

Friday, November 9th we are planning on returning to the Magic Kingdom to
try and catch any attractions we might have missed on Sunday. I have also
gotten everyone very excited about SpectroMagic. If I remember correctly
your hours of operation were 9am to 9pm with the parade at 8pm and fireworks
as well.

Saturday, November 10th my neighbors will be returning to Michigan with my
12 year old son. The rest of us will take a day of rest before heading out
on Sunday.

It is very dis-heartening to me to think that my long laid out plans for a
magical trip to your fantastic parks are going for naught. I can't even
juggle my schedule around for fear we might not get some of our
reservations. I also feel like I am beign slighted because you are still
charging us full price to visit your parks at reduced hours.

Just rounding out our expenses for this group I am figuring on:

Tickets: $2,500.00
Lodging: $2,200.00
Shows/Golf/Non-Park Entertainment: $1,200.00
Food in Park: $500.00
Air Fare: $1,500.00
Gas: $400.00
Total (before purchasing keep-sakes): $8,300.00

This is not even including the food we bring, film, and other essentials.
Our families have been putting away money since January looking forward to
this trip.

I noticed on your website you are offering a free day on any park hopper
bought at DisneyLand.

Have you thought about doing this for those of us traveling to Florida?

I have spent months agonizing over trying to make what I feel is the perfect
trip for all of us, especially those of us who have never been before, and
very well may never make it again. My neighbors figure this is their
once-in-a-lifetime blowout trip (which is evidenced by them spending $180
per night on one of your cabins to stay near us in Fort Wilderness).

Again, I am worried that my best-laid plans are futile now, and part of the
magic for me is ruined. I lament finding out that you are cutting my groups
time in your parks rather then coming up with a way to boost attendance by
giving incentives.

I look forward to hearing from you with positive news about park hours
during our trip. Please do not close the Hall of Presidents, The Country
Bear Jamboree, or The Carousel of Progress as my In-Laws are really looking
forward to seeing these fine attractions.

Cordially yours,

Michael S. Ewles
michaels@ewles.com

[CuZbCuz]

Folks, I love WDW, but enough is enough. There are alot of wonderful things our family can do with our limited (!) vacation dollars.

Other posts have tried to keep up a level of enthusiam about trips many of us have planned ( We are leaving Saturday) but I cant paste a smile to my face.

Our reservations have been messed up 2x by Disney Club. USAir cancelled both of our non-stop flights, giving us instead lousy flights with long layovers that themselves, because of later departures going down and an earliewr flight home, cost us almost an entire day worth of vacation. Now we lose EE and Enights, Then the parks are opening a hour earlier and closing an hour later?!

I already sent my e-mail to Eisner & co. But what goo will it do? None for our trip. Too late to cancel with out big $ losses ( and broken hearted kids!!!)

We had a reservation for another trip, this one the fancy-hotel, long-stay dream vacation we had been promisimg ourselves for years. For the same dollars we had at first considered about a 10 day Carribean cruise with a few days in Aruba to boot!

We picked 6 nights at GF instead, with some fancy meal ressie's.

Well, WDW is out & the cruise is in.

Folks, the only real power we have over the bean counters who are spoiling the magic is to vote with our $. There is a whole world outside of 'the world'.

[DisneyHog]

I am broken hearted with all this terrible news! We are leaving Nov. 9 and have been so looking forward to this trip! Does anyone know if there will be any performances of Spectromagic in Nov? I read the rumor that it will not run at all. What nights has it run in the last few weeks. Thanks for any info. Spectromagic is truly the one of the "magical" parts of a WDW trip and it will be so sad to miss it because of the horrible events of 9-11.

God Bless America, Disneyhog

[MissinDis]

My family and I were at WDW Sept 11. For starters, I have to say that I was extremely impressed with the way Disney handled the horrific situation!! They quietly informed small groups that the parks would be closing, so there was no hysteria. We were to leave the next morning so assumed that this was our last day and we had to leave early. That was a disappointment. But all the guests that we encountered had a good, supportive attitude. And then Disney gave us all an extra day to enjoy in the parks to make up for the time we lost Sept 11.

Remember that sometimes while there it rains (pours is more like it!!) Sometimes the parks are open for shorter hours. Sometimes you simply can't get into a show because it is full or doesn't fit your schedule. But none of these - or even all of these things combined - doesn't ruin your vacation. We stayed on Disney property and I will do so again, whether there are perks or not. It is just more convenient and makes you feel like you are part of something.

The park hours had already been shortened the week we were there - even before Sept 11. And we still had plenty of time to do everything we wanted to. We hadn't planned on attending the parades because it seems like a lot of work to try to coax a 4 yr old to stand still for an hour waiting for a parade. So whether there are parades or not, there is still so much other great, fun stuff to do!!

And if the parks close earlier than you want, just go to Downtown Disney. So much fun and we had some great meals there!!

We felt that, while you definitely feel the price of admission, it is not a rip-off. Just think about how much you would pay to take your family to a live show. Or your local county fair, paying extra for each ride. And at WDW you get that and more.

We certainly can't complain about the service that we got. Everyone was great!!

There were no E-Nights when we were there. The only one scheduled was Sept 11, and of course, no one was able to attend that night. But, I didn't hear anyone complaining.

We did use EE and it was so nice to be early to the parks, I must say. But it felt pretty rushed. It would have been nice to sleep in some mornings, have a leisurely breakfast and then go at a slower pace. Everyone has their own priorities.

Just remember all the good things that are still available. This is just a temporary situation!! All businesses in America - probably the world - are having to make decisions to help them stay in business during this time.

I live where the economy is completely dependent on tourism and we saw a huge slump following 9/11, however, everyone is trying to pitch in and support the economy the best they can until things pick up again. If we all boycotted, the economy would never rally!!

Just my thoughts.

[eeyore0062]

Well said MisinDis... what a ray of sunshine after such doom and gloom.

Just remember folks, the more people who cancel out of protest, the more cuts will be made in the parks, restaurants, etc. The only way to get back the things they cut is to GO, and once you get there, I am sure you will find out that things are not as dismal as they sound on this board! The more you dwell on negativity, the more negative your outlook.

Smiles are contageous:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) :):):):):):):):)

[Keith]

You can copy this over on a new topic on theme park board, and then delete your first post here.

[Mr.MouseFan]

I'm annoyed and need to vent. Bear with me here..lol.

I've been planning my trip to WDW for over a year now. It started with 4 of us going...then it got narrowed down to 2 people going...recently, it was narrowed down to just me. I thought long and hard about going alone and I realized that this would be the perfect oppurtunity for me to be able to see the different things I have always wanted to see but haven't been able to. EE being cancelled is no big deal to me because I'm really not an early riser. Things to do on my list included Fantasmic, Spectromagic, Illuminations, among other things. When Disney decided to slash the park hours considerably (and yet still charge the same price as the folks who visit during peak seasons and have up to 6 hours more in the parks), I was again disheartened but kept reminding myself that with lower than usual crowds, I could get alot accomplished in a short period of time.


Tonight, I read "rumors" that Spectromagic was going to be cancelled all together and Fantasmic would be running at a reduced schedule as well. These rumors aggravated me a great deal. Not only have they decided to slash park hours tremendously, close rides all together and reduce hours on a lot of others, but they are apparently preparing to cancel some of the most magical aspects of WDW. Personally, this is unacceptable.

To get people to come to their parks, Disney needs to give people a reason to be there in the first place. Anyone can go to an amusement park, but Disney was something more than an amusement park. It was a sight to behold, unbelievably, Disney has decided to shudder these sights.

It amazes me that Disney can rip off their loyal guests in Florida while, at the same time, frivulously spending millions upon millions of dollars on yet another media outlet like Fox Family!
Walt Disney was a man who was willing to take major risks in order to achieve success. He took a major risk with Snow White and the building of Disneyland and they paid dividends for him. It's a shame to see that the company he worked so hard for, the company that was dedicated to giving a family their dollar's worth at it's theme park has now turned to ripping off families by reducing its hours, closing its shows and attractions while at the same time charging them full price.

What a shame andwhat a way to say "Happy 100th, Uncle Walt".

[PrincessAli]

Disney lowered their Ticket prices and reduced the Resort rates ..do you think that might help bring people back to the parks?? Then just maybe all that has been taken away will be returned and eventually things will be back to normal?

[kristikae]

What annoys me most is the people who keep saying, "Don't cancel...it will only make it worse." Why should we be responsible for Disney's bad decisions? As others have said when business is down you run sales etc to try to get more business in. You don't give your customers less value for their money and expect them to buy more. Any business class will tell you that as will common sense. Why should it be up to me to take care of Disney. I am the customer. Disney should be fighting for my money. I've worked 80 hour work weeks all year to save the money to take my kids to Disney. I was willing to pay the extra to stay at a Disney resort so we could take advantage of early entry and get as much time as possible in the parks. Now that it is gone I refuse to pay $1820 for lodging for the week when I can have a 4 bedroom house for $800. It just doesn't make sense. Disney needs to remember that they only exist because of the customers...not the other way around.

[*Fantasia*]

I'm not so much worried about cutting the hours (open an hour late, close an hour early). But it will concern me if they start closing down some of the rides. I can deal with one show or/and one parade a day, but if they start closing some of my favorite rides because they can't afford someone to watch the area, then I will definitely be mad, I have a problem with that.

I could just see Disney putting all the bus on schedule instead of running the service continuiously just to save on gas. It could happen. So let's see what's next.

[Figaro30]

I know this goes along with all the cutback discussions....but I thought a poll deserved it's own thread. I am very curious to see how many of these angry people are canceling their trip because of no more EE, cutback hours, shows, etc.

[Figaro30]

Guess I'll vote first. Although I am quite mad we are still going because too much has gone into planning this extensive trip with my parents in 29 days. Have been waiting since January for this trip and it's almost here. HOpefully it will continue to be a great trip for us all! Keeping fingers crossed!!!! :(

[kristikae]

You need to add another choice on voting...Cancelling stay at Disney resort but still going on trip. I have cancelled my resort stay but we will still be going.

[CatOne]

How about an alternative to all of the above...switched dates. We switched from Dec. to May. I am hoping things will be better by then, but we could have jumped form the fire to the frying pan....so to speak. I hope you have a wonderful time and find that things at Disney are much better in person than they appear to be on paper right now. We really decided to switch more because of our own personal situation than Disney's cutbacks but I guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back. We were really stretching it to make this trip and after we saw all the cutbacks we just decided we would be better off to wait. I am still very jealous of all of you who get to go with all the terrific decorations and beautiful Christmas atmosphere!! I'd rather be in WDW than here, even with shorter hours.


CatOne:bounce:

[fholdred]

Another choice--Not mad, but disappointed and still going.

[eeyore0062]

Sorry to annoy you, but Disney will keep taking things away in the way of hours, restaurants, less shows, etc unless there are people there to take advantage of them--- like any other business, why are they going to pay to run the parks as though they are full capacity, when they aren't--- that doesn't make good business sense. Yes, I can imagine there are many disappointed people, but no one said that this would be permanent... it is in response, not only to the Sept 11th event, but also to a slowing economy. They are offering great discounts on their resorts right now, so in that way, they are offering incentives. There is so much to do at Disney, even without the little extras. Most of those little extras did not even exist a decade ago!

[jodyb]

Yes, I am not exactly "mad", but I am very very disappointed. Yet I'm still going and still trying to be excited. I was disappointed but not depressed when they canceled E-nights and EE, but I was still ok. The kicker for me is the now rumored cancellation of Spectromagic. If that happens I truly will be depressed and VERY disappointed - maybe then it will verge on angry... but for now, as I said... sadder but still going....

[livsea2]

because I couldn't get any answers from the CM's I talked to regarding MVMCP 12-2 and CP dinner tickets parades ,firework shows etc. In my email I stated I refuse to wait until 7 days prior to decide wether or not to cancel. The CM confirmed that the CP for which I have reservations may be cancelled and offered to change reservations but as I explained "TO WHEN?" " what dates do you guarantee?" (answer none) I'm still waiting for a reply a couple more days and I'll have to cancel. Disney has to be nuts for expecting people to pay thousands of $$$ on a maybe we'll have some of our scheduled events, but some of the posters on this board with the mouse shaped heads will support them no ?s asked. Not me.

[luvaladdin]

I believe this is why Disney does what it does, i.e. cutbacks. Because they know they can. People will still come. Many people on this board are very upset, even outraged, about the cutbacks but they are still going to Disney World. People are complaining to Disney about the cutbacks. But the bottom line is, they are still going to Disney World. Disney can count on this. People returning just recently from the parks say the parks are very crowded and the value resorts are full. So Disney is not doing THAT bad financially.

[dpappas]

I have to say I was disappointed at first but I am getting a fabulous rate for 10nights at the hotels (45% discount with AP - which I bought just so I could get the rate). This is our first trip over the Christmas holidays and we are really looking forward to seeing some of the resorts.
We have always run ourselves to death every other time so we are going to relax a little more this trip, maybe not as many late nights or super early mornings. We plan to enjoy the resorts, take in the Christmas decorations and be happy just to be at WDW.
Hope everyone continues to support Disney and Disney Magic - I know we will!
:pinkbounc :pinkbounc :bounce: :pinkbounc

[SNOWBOARDER]

We love Disney, so we're going anyway!! Umm..luvaladdin...have you looked at Disney stock lately?? They ain't doin' that great...

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by SNOWBOARDER
We love Disney, so we're going anyway!! Umm..luvaladdin...have you looked at Disney stock lately?? They ain't doin' that great...

Disney Stock was doing poorly for months before the tragedy on September 11th. They have made a number of poor financial decisions in the last year and have overexpanded greatly. The time for a management change may have come and gone.

[Claudia Kellenberger]

As much as I understand everyone's frustration about the recent cutbacks,
I would rather face cutbacks than bankruptcy and no Disney World anymore.

I am glad just to be alive and to be ABLE to pay for my vacation. Most of my co-workers cannot afford to go to WDW.

I am thankful that I was not employed at the World Trade Center.

I am thankful that WDW still exists for me to enjoy at all.

Somehow, mere cutbacks I cannot complain about. I'm just glad to be going at all.

[Heather]

Gotta agree on the Disney stock, since I hold some and have been watching it's ups and downs for a couple of years.

Would suggest one other choice on the poll: upset/angry/frustrated/whatever and WOULD CANCEL if could get all my money back. The change dates one would do as well, as that is what I would personally do if I could get all my money back. Sad.

[Ncrnation]

the fact that they are closing so many restaurants and shortening the hours goes to show they had no contingency plans. did they think the economy wouldn't have any dips? i feel badly, but i'm upset bc this effects our Dec Christmas vacation. i'm afraid with the crowds that will go if they don't open up more activities and restaurants it's just going to be one huge bottleneck with everyone trying to do the same few things.

With the creation of the new parades, the AKL, pop century, walt's 100 aniv, they just spent too much money and don't know what to do now that not enough is coming back in. they did this to themselves, but it will be the customers who have to pay.

my family hasn't been in over 10 years and i'm so sad that now that we can all clear our schedules and get together again that they're making all these changes for the worse.

i know this sounds selfish, but vacations are very selfish activities. we're paying top dollar and we want the best. now we will suffer bc Disney executives screwed up and now have to cover their you-know-whats.

[Misti]

I'll move it...

:)

[eeyore0062]

My outlook is much the same as Claudia's. We have so much to be thankful for, it seems sort of petty to complain about cutbacks at WDW. I know that is costs quite a bit to go there, but even with the cutbacks there is still SO much to do and see, and I am SO glad it is still there to enjoy!

As for Disney getting back to anyone who has emailed, snail mailed, and called, can you imagine the sheer VOLUME of mail they are having to go through and answer each and everyday? Usually it takes a week or two to receive a reply, so it could take even longer under the circumstances.

If you feel you must cancel, then by all means, do so. Nothing in the entire world is set in stone right now, and I think the best approach is to take it as it comes, live life day to day, and be thankful that we can.

Hope I didn't insult anyone, that was not my intention:)

[pwcarlson]

Put me in the category of -Not mad, Disappointed- But still going!

I remember in the mid to late 80's, fall/winter, Disney had reduced hours quite a bit. The only time that the hours were 'normal' was Christmas week. After Jan 2nd they returned to the reduced hours. So maybe this reduction in hours and extra's(E-nites, E-Entry, etc) is not so out of the norm. This reduction is happening to a lot of companies. Not only Disney. I remember my mom's favorite saying, "This too will past." We all need to remember that the hard times will past and just to enjoy everyday.

[Robinrs]

I'm going but since I'm staying offsite I'm not TOO affected by the cutbacks.

I would like to add that I am staying ONsite at Universal because they have the best perk in the world, Express Access!

[DancingBear]

After reviewing the threads on the WDW cutbacks, and the list of cutbacks, it seems to me that WDW's response is generally appropriate, IF attendance is truly way down, and IF they continue to monitor the situation and respond appropriately...

HOWEVER...

It seems that they could have generated much more goodwill if:

1--They gave at least SOME meaningful advance notice of the changes (say, one week)

2--They made it very clear that they don't anticipate that any of these changes are permanent, and that they will continously monitor attendance and bookings and respond quickly to improvements

3--They made a consistent effort to reach the customers directly affected by the changes and help them make alternative arrangements. From posts on these boards it appears that some folks with PSs, or resort ressies, which are no longer good have been contacted, while many have not.

4--They had good, consistent, reliable information about the changes available on their website and throughout the organization. For example, how have some folks still been told that they can make ressies at Pop Century?

5--They were willing to disclose more specific information about the affect on attendance and bookings, and changes. The variations in the impressions given on these boards about the crowd levels from recent visitors shows that anecdotal information on this is very unreliable. I know that this is against usual Disney policy and mindset, but if this is an extraordinary situation, then they should take extraordinary measures to communicate with their customers.

Too late for this, but don't you think that reactions would have been different if they had immediately sent a note to everyone on their reservation/PS list showing that there were dramatic drops in attendance, saying that they were contemplating significant changes in response, and directing folks to the official website where they had a special section devoted to spelling out the changes. Ideally, the website would then give the phone number to call on specific things, like rescheduling your Tony's breakfast, and the people who answered the phone would actually be prepared to reschedule.

I tend to think about these things as my wife is in PR, and I as a lawyer am often involved in "damage control" for my clients. It seems to me that Disney has plenty of resources and expertise in this regard. I don't fault them for their response during the immediate first two weeks after the attacks, but they have now had time to work this out, and I think their communications have been lacking.

Of course, there always seemed to be problems before with the CRO and the website keeping up with changes and giving accurate information. Perhaps the events of the last few weeks will prompt them to address these communications issues.

[stacy6552]

I cant believe this! What happened to first rate service at wdw? We are arriving next saturday and nobody at wdw can even tell me when the parks are going to be open!

i understand about payroll affordability! But they cuts they are making seem to be rediculuos! They shouldnt be cutting back the bus running times, rather they should cut back the number of busses running. what about breakfast? what about a late dinner? cut back on the popcorn guy inside the park not the bus driver! cut back on the occassional show not on park hours. or close all the water parks for longer during the cold season, or close the mini golf every other day or something.

what do they think we are going there for?

(and of course my trip is nonrefundable.....)

Anyone got any tips? Someone tell me that my family will be the only ones there or somethng.....

[Melynny]

I think your ideas are great and would have been-or BE a great way to handle these changes. But.. almost everything you said could be viewed as actions that could and most likely would add more costs to the bottom line.

I honestly believe that most of the folks that are affected by the cut backs would have been much more open minded about the changes, if they could have heard it from an " official" source rather than hearing rumors, and having to call and confirm these rumors themselves. Our minds have a way of adding more doom and gloom to everything these days. It is really hard to find even a glimmer of pixie dust lately! I am traveling down there in 9 days, I will be looking closely at the changes and the way that they are being handled!

[Figaro30]

It just seems that every post I read the attendance doesn't seem to be very "DOWN". People are reporting wait times of up to 50 minutes on some threads. This doesn't seem to be "down" to me.

I could understand their cuts more if this were the case, but it doesn't seem to be that slow of a period. If anything it's more of a normal attendance.

[DancingBear]

Figaro, I've seen those posts as well, but also several others saying things like "Weekends crowded, weekdays empty" and "We walked right onto almost everything" and such.

I guess my strategy of being freer with attendance/booking info only works if attendance really is down. If they're doing this and there really is no justification, then they're really going to get in trouble with their customers!

I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt here, because:

--plenty of news reports saying FL travel is down

--their competitors such as Universal are also making cutbacks

--regardless of what we think of their decisions at the margins, Disney has to want its guests to have a positive experience

--no reason to do things like close PO-FQ or delay Pop Century or get rid of 9:30 HDD unless bookings are really down

[minster22]

Claudia and eeyore0062, I'm with you guys!! Given the situation of war that we are in , my friend and I are just plain thrilled to be able to still go to WDW. We are taking direction from the nature of the cutbacks... AK not open until 9 am , no need to rush out first thing in the morning, something not open there are still hundreds of other things to do including absolutely nothing!! I swear I am happy just walking around the resorts, never mind the parks themselves.

[princess angel]

claudia, I agree, Disney would never intentionally conspire against its vacationers with cut backs. they are doing what they must to stay alive during this horrible horrible time for our country! like most of us, wdw is obviously suffering,i am very grateful that dh and I are able to go to WDW in November for 2 weeks and enjoy the magic. cut hours, a few closed restaurants, what ever they must do to keep the magic there for us is fine with me!
I will go to wdw and have a wonderful time! The cutbacks only sadden me because it means that disney is suffering!

Laura :)

23 days til WDW!! yipeeeeeeeeee :) :) :)

[skuttle]

I'm not mad at all and I can't wait until our December trip!! :D

I think Disney is doing what they have to do. I'm not a business person, and even I was, there's no way I would know what to do with a company that size! I think Disney knows what Disney has to do. I'm just grateful that I am alive and healthy and that Disney will be there for me to visit.

[regi]

wasnt mad until i found out they are closing our resort on the day we arrive in 10 days. of course, they didnt call and tell me that i had to find out on the boards and call them to confirm. so with 10 days left to go, i have no idea where we will be staying. now i am mad.

[AKASnowWhite]

Another vote for disappionted, but still going. Much of how great your trip will be depends upon your attitude. I for one, am glad that I have enough advanced notice on cutbacks to rearrange my plans as needed. So maybe we do WS most every evening (after 7pm anyway!) or Disney Quest or Downtown Disney...we are staying at the BW...plenty to do there! I will miss EE, but maybe we'll swim FIRST rather than during a mid-day break. I can adjust.

As for Disney stock...it's really going downhill....got a bad rating today....cut backs must surely be necessary, not arbitrary.:(

[jennybobenny]

regi....what???? Please tell me you weren't scheduled to stay at Pop Century and they never called to tell you the opening was delayed. If that *is* the case they should put you up in the Grand Floridian at no extra cost! ;)

As for disney, I'm disappointed, but optimistic. And we're still going! Can't wait. :)

[TZMOM]

your family will be the only ones there. Seriously, chill out, you're gonna have a blast, I have several friends who have & still do work w/Disney. The company isn't always run that great, but you'll be on VACA!!!! Have fun!!!!

[regi]

no, we are booked at port orleans french quarter for nov. 3 - nov. 7 and i just found out today that as of nov. 3 they are closing. we called to confirm and they said yes it was closing but they had no idea what was going to happen with all of us who were booked there. it might not be as aggravating if disney would at least let the people who work there know what was going on so we could get some answers.

[Snow Shoe]

This very morning I wrote Disney and expressed my disappointment about several of their cutbacks. Our family still plans on going next July as usual. If certain cutbacks haven't been restored by then, some re-planning will have to take place on my part, but I'M STILL GOING!! Disney is not exempt for the poor economic times or bad fiscal or park judgements made by top management. However, it's still Disney and we love it. Knock on wood, hopefully things will start looking better in the next year, but till then, they need our support even telling them that what they've done is in error.

[momejay]

If Disney tells you, they also tell the terrorists. How can one tell the difference over the phone? I think they are just being cautious.

[sgtdisney]

I wonder how much of the cutbacks at the theme parks are helping to pay for the 5.2 BILLION Dollar Purchase of Fox Family network which was completed today......?

[welovemickey]

Just relax and concentrate on the Magic of Disney! You probably won't even know the differences once you're there.

[sha_lyn]

Originally posted by livsea2
Disney has to be nuts for expecting people to pay thousands of $$$ on a maybe we'll have some of our scheduled events, but some of the posters on this board with the mouse shaped heads will support them no ?s asked. Not me.

OK I understand you are upset with disney right now but you have no reason to be upset with people that post on this board

[Planogirl]

I'm just so glad that we went this summer. I'm one who can't afford to go now and even if I could, I don't think I could stand all of this frustration. I wish everyone the best of luck.

[n8ivcelt]

I was staying out of all this but...... People keep saying give Disney a break better cutbacks than bankruptcy. I bet they are cutting services to guests and CMs but I bet Eisner will still get his huge yearly bonus. Just part of that bonus would be enough to keep EE.

[Disneycrazymom]

Oh No are they cancelling the Candelight Processional shows?:eek: Will they cancel all of them on a night or reduce 3 to 2. I really want to see this show! Where did you get the information about that, I would like to know more. Thank-you

[KarenH]

While I selected the "not mad" answer, I'm really in the "disappointed but still going" group. So far the official cuts won't affect us much and our trip is not until the first week of January and who knows what will be happening then.

No E night would be disappointing, but I had already resolved myself to not having that based in the days we will be there (Jan 2-8 - no Tuesday night and E nights have been on Tuesdays in January in the past). We never used EE (my family doesn't get up), we avoid that park. We were not planning on going to the restaurants that have closed so far. We are not staying at the resorts that are closing.

Shorter park hours are disappointing - I expected short hours (MK 9-7, MGM 9-6:30, AK 8-5, Epcot 9-9), but they are shortening them further and the shorter hours will affect us most by compressing the people into a shorter period of time and thus creating longer lines rather than actually affecting our touring (we never seem to get to the park before 10am anyway). Only Pocohantas will be dark on the day I have planned to tour. (Actually I think Hunchback might also be dark on the day we are going to MGM, but we saw it last time and I wasn't planning on seeing it this time.)

I will really be disappointed if Spectromagic is not running at all during our visit.

[kidzmom3]

I just wanted to say that I strongly disagree with people who are posting that we should be grateful that we can go to Disney World. I may be grateful that I have a DH that can provide for his family with extras, but I am not grateful to the company itself. WDW is a product, that we greatly enjoy. But we should not feel grateful to it, for its existence. It is there to entertain and to take as much of your money as possible. I usually hand it over with not regrets. To state that people should just put up with these cutbacks and not say anything. So that the money making entity can go on is really ludicrous. WDW will be there for anyone who wants to spend the money on it. And if the services get so bad, that no one goes (highly unlikely) then it will disappear. Would I be sad? YES Would i be angry? YES Would it be my personal fault? NO! It would be the fault of a company, that claims it is for families, but is really for money. We all know and understand this, but our love of the place clouds our vision. It is not our responsability to pay more and recieve less. They should be bending over backwards to reward consumers who are willing to come and pump money into their entity. I do respect that people have differing opinions. This is mine. Good luck to everyone with their plans. I hope that they reinstate some of their services so everyone is not so disappointed. My sister and neices are going for the first time in Nov. They have heard all my great stories and decided to finally take the plunge. They work hard, her husband is a bread man, and saved for a year and a half. My biggest fear is that they will be disappointed. How can the World do that to children. Yes we are at war, and things are harder. But, to pay the same and recieve less (in a resort vacation) is not your typical price to pay.

[cjzap090750]

While I understand how everyone feels about no discounts, fewer park hours, and everything else I just received a phone call that gave me a whole new perspective. My sister-in-law just returned to work at EPCOT after her maternity leave - she had twins. She has had to take a 20% cut in her salary, and her husband, who also works in the Tourist Industry just got cut by 15%. Here they are with two new mouths to feed, and their annual salary has been reduced by 35%. That's huge!. We're all gripping about what Disney is doing to us, but just think about the poor people who work there. Both my husband and I make good money, but a 35% reduction in income would really hurt.
I too was angry about the cutbacks, (we're leaving this Sat for a trip to WDW) but after hearing this news, I don't feel so bad for us anymore. I truly hope that all of you out there who are now considering NOT going to DIS, reconsider. By not going we're not punishing Eisner and all the other Disney Big Wigs, we're ultimately punishing those hard working people who keep the parks going. The fewer people who visit the parks will ultimately mean more cutbacks - mostly in workers and salaries. I would certainly hate to see that happen. This is out first vacation in over 23 years WITHOUT kids. While I was hoping to be able to enjoy MK, MGM at night time (it's all so beautiful) we will take the evening hours to do others things we've not done before. I'll enjoy what hours I have at the parks. My father-in-law says crowds are very small during week, so we should be able to do everything we want to during operating hours. I'm counting seconds now, and getting more and more excited. Anyway, please think about what I've said here. Let's don't punish the workers - it's not their fault. NUF SAID. Disney here I come!!!!!

CJ

[susansquit]

While Disney and many other travel companies are laying off employees after the Sept. 11 attacks, perhaps they can take a lesson from Steve Wynn.
Steve Wynn is the formal Mirage resorts CEO. Although he is in the process of building a new casino, he said last week, "I would have had to be against the wall with a pistol in my nose and convinced that the only alternative was certain deathe before I'd lay off people" I went 29 years without having to lay off people. Having been worked for this man I truly believe his words.
Disney is not showing any consideration for it's employees or it's consumer base. It only cares for the stockholders (of which I am a tiny ,tiny shareholder) and how large Eisner's bonus is at the end of the year.
Unfortunately we can only speak to the cast members who are afraid for their jobs and we can't blame them.
The people on these boards are so dedicated it seems there should be some way our frustration can get heard at the top.

[diskids2]

Although I'm buried by 135 posts, I feel the need to write that I cancelled our trip for Thanksgiving. I'm not going. I'm not spending another $7000 for the fifth trip in 3 years. I'm going to take my money and spend it some place else. It is my right to complain about the changes. It is my right to expect certain things from Disney. For me this is not just about the horrific events of 9/11. It's about the cost cutting that was taking place before that awful day. I agree that there are more ways to work this out. Cancelling EE, opening up an hour later, cancelling different shows, parades, that may not be a big deal to some, but to me it is. And by the way if I want to complain, I will. This particular thread has been set up for that. Don't read it if you don't like it. And by the way, there are other places in the world to relax and spend time with friends and family. Maybe even in your own backyard!

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................................. ..... I am a Disney Addict, but I have a secret medication that keeps me sane!! Teri1, your best bet is to make it as good as you can for your friend, any first timer will feel the Magic. Grimace at what is going on, and cut you're spending and send Disney a silent message. It will take awhile, but eventually some bean counter will say, hey boss, attendence is down 12%, but spending is down 24%. Tell all your friends on line to contact Disney and tell them how they are canceling thier trips. We need a flood of contacts to Disney, to help them fix this mess. And as far as the workers end of this goes, fighting and complaining is what is best for those workers. We must challenge Disney and let them know that if there is no magic, there is no US. Then there will be a further reduction in hours for the workers. Our message is clear to Disney, MAKE IT RIGHT, MAKE IT MAGIC, WE WILL COME.

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................................. Hey Eisner, are you out there?? You just lost a $7000 trip from diskids2!!! A former four time traveler, within three years. Remember what I said about slitting your wrists and "offing" the Returning Disney Families? Case in point just in case you still don't understand it!!

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................................. Hey Eisner..Would you please read 100AcreWood Friend on this board about being disappointed and no longer being a die hard fan! Please do.

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................................. .......Hey Eisner, did you get a chance to read "kidsmom3" response to this board?? You know that you are dealing with a highly educated woman. Are you going to toss her aside?? Explain to her how a caravan of characters on a couple days a week makes up for seven days of early entry!! Read her post very carefullyand you will see what WE feel are problems.

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says............................................I feel for your pain, cjzap 090750, could you get an easier name?! As I have said on other posts and what seems to be so true is that WDW is ignoring the Returning Disney Family, the people that built this empire, for .............air?.................water? Can't be money, cuz we spend all that and then some!!

[Dizz]

Well folks, after reading all these posts, doing my own research and now today having experienced yet another "Disney Magic Moment"(see this threadWhat would you do?? (http://64.225.125.24/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=114528) )I think that we are going to cancel.(CRO said we had until 10/30 because we booked so early.) Looking at the money that we shelled out vs. the value of going now,the value is gone along with the magic. While we don't have children, we still took advantage of EE. CoP was our favorite attraction, now it's gone. I don't need to get into all the closures and cuts. You all are more than aware of them. Charactor Caravan for us is a "Who Cares?" kind of thing. No kids so the Charactors weren't what we were going for.(Yes, I know that adults like them too) We were going to experience the same "Disney Magic" that we have experienced for the past 19 years.
I read that people are saying things like "Go. If you don't it will only get worse." and "It's still a business." Well frankly, if I don't go it might make it worse for the suits. But if I do go, it will be worse for me, as I know midway through my 11 days, I will become nostalgic. I will be overcome with the memories of what once was, and now has been reduced to a shadow of it's former self. At this point I know I will lose any bit of Disney that still runs through my veins.
It's not about the money(ok some of it is), but mostly it's about loyalty. We sat down tonight and figured out that we have spent approx.$362,600(that's just hotels, food,tix) on 37 trips in 19 years. That's more than I paid for my house. I've never even thought of going any where else. I couldn't. That would be disloyal to the people who have always made sure that my vacation was great. But now, those same people are turning there back on all of us who have supported them through the years, not even giving us any respect for our patronage. As I have said on this subject to other people, the current situation at WDW I liken to a friend of 19 years hitting the skids. I would always help a friend as long as it is appreciated. Just don't try to put one over on me,because that's when I cut the ties. I feel that even a simple phone call from Disney would have curtailed all this. To the WDW people I can only say this. I would have come this Tuesday,stayed at your fine hotel. I would have dined in your restaurants,and bought your t-shirts and whatnots. Heck, I was even looking forward to purchasing another $1000 fiber-optic coat to go with last years. If it's money you need, I was more than willing to let you have it. But you tried to put one over on me. You nickel and dimed me to death. I will not let you ruin my memories of yesteryear. And now the ties have been cut.
Sorry for the rant..Climbing off the soapbox.......

[Shelton]

My family went to WDW in late September after much debate and comforting thoughts from Disney lovers here on this site.Needless to say we were caught up in the cutbacks.I voiced my concerns here and posted my thoughts also to Disney.I would like to thank you for letting us Disney lovers post (and Vent).

Guess who called me last night? Michael Eisner, no just kiding but it was a concerned person from Disney.WOW I thought, one E-mail does count.We talked for over thirty minutes and he said Disney would like to say they had recieved my E-mail and they are listening.

He asked me if I had anything else to add and I thought that this was maybe my one and only chance to speak my mind.I told him that there are alot of loyal Disney lovers like my family that were concerned with the cuts in their service.I told him we travel to WDW twice a year and (spend alot of money) in their parks.

We started off with reservations at the All-Stars but ended upgrading to the Wilderness for three nights.We dropped on night to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel.The Disney person became very interested and asked me why.I told him we wanted to check out the new hotel and that they had front of the line access for people staying on-site at Universal.He asked me to compare the two. I told him the HRH was very nice and the room we had was huge.We liked the FOTL freature also.Overall we like the WL better.
I asked him why doesn't Disney do something like letting Deluxe resort residents have FOTL access all day long at the parks?Moderates could have some number of FOTL access and All-Stars have a few? He said that ther has been some talk of that and they are listening to us.

I told him I know attendance is down and time are tough but we did not want Disney to cut too much.I asked him if Disney looks at sites like this and he said he tought so.I told him with outside hotels running deals like $390.00 per night people are wondering if the Disney magic is worth the higher price.I told him maybe Disney cold run better deals than they do to get new people come and also for people like us that come alot.

Thanks for letting me post this long post but our thoughts are getting through.

:)

[alice-d]

I think your' idea is a good one. I hope Disney is listening.

[Pea Picker]

I am wondering why you think it would be a good idea to give different levels of park access (front of the line) to guests who stay at different on-site hotels. People who stay at Deluxe resorts receive more for thier dollar as it is. Larger rooms, more recreation choices, more dinnig choices, etc. Why should park access be tied to the amount you pay for your room. If that was the case maybe we should have bus service run more often for those guests also, or maybe when they bring back E.E. it should be for only people at the Deluxe resorts. I do not think it would be a wise business choice for Disney to start giving different park access to different hotel guests. If that was the case then why would anyone want to stay at a Value Resort when they would get the same service off-site at a cheaper rate. Fast Pass is the way to go, when everyone is paying the same for a park ticket (discounts aside) then everyone should get the same service.

Just a thought.

[jillhou]

I think FOTL access for resort guests would be much better than the fastpass system. I use fastpass and it has worked for me, but there would be MORe benefits for onsite guests with FOTL which I think is good and proper.

Not sure if I agree with giving deluxe resport guests more FOTL access - not a bad idea though!

As someone who is pretty much forced to stay at the deluxe resorts with each visit, I do think there should be more perks for guests at Deluxes than at Value. That is the purpose of them being deluxe! Transportation service is really one of those areas that I think deem better service. FRiends at WL recently really moaned over their bus service. Said it was really substandard. They have stayed at All Star more than anywhere - and found bus service there to be superior. Deluxe hotels should have more benefits all the way around. There is a huge difference in price. It should mean something>

Glad to hear Disney is listening!!!!!

[tileman]

Heres how I see it FOTL access if we pay just say hmmm $170.00
a night we can get FOTL access :D cool

But it seems like the more you pay the more you get. Then how about if they do go through with this FOTL access & in a yr or so they make it the $280.00 a night room that get more stuff than the $170.00 rooms. The parks would be a mess. I mean look at the lines now, add all the stuff above, now you have to have an ID for the rides to see what line you can get in.......

But wait new or diff lines so thats more building or adding to rides as they set to make room for the new lines so who pays for that in the tickets prices.

How would you feel if you are paying to stay onsite and you paid for your park tickets, your kids and family are anticipating the rides. Now your in the park and everytime you go to a ride your waiting in longer lines all because of this FOTL. Not just the longer line but at the shows like Lion King or Disney Playhouse and your child is always stuck in the back even if he/she was waiting an hour while the others had just walked up. Could you explain that? Or better yet would you want to have to explain it.
To me it sounds like segregation. I know that's taking things a bit far but.....................

We've stayed at many of the deluxe, moderate and value resorts. We were at the AKL right after it opened. But many times, especially the nighters we stay at ASM. The rooms are generally the same it's all themes and a few perks here and there. Different pool sizes, restaurants,and so on. Your paying the extra for resort perks and that's the way it should stay.

We have FL AP and have been there on over 18 trips since last December. We were at MGM and were getting our AP pins when a lady in front of us was told since her AP was seasonal she was unable to get the pin. I'll tell you she was not at all happy. I'm sure when you tell people they are going to wait another 10 minutes to get in the ride because this guy and his party of 15 are staying at $$$$ (the money resort) want to get on now. That's not going to go over to well.

The only one getting anywhere with this is Disney. But at the same time some are going to spend the extra for the FOTL while others are just going to go to Sea World.

One more thing is if you add FOTL pass where do you propose to stop it at? I'd rather have special dining while in the park allowed for those in more expenseive resorts. How about reserved bathrooms? I paid alot of money to stay here I don't want to wait all day to go to the bathroom. Ever waited in line in the womens room? :)

[Figaro30]

Figaro30 says.....................Disnee Dad needs to work at Disney as the big cheese himself!!!!!! This way he can slap some sense into Eisner then fire his butt!!! :D

[Figaro30]

I needed to get this out. I am beginning to crack. Just reading about POFQ and Pop Century. I can't take it anymore!!! What is happening to my world???? This is beginning to be like turning on the news and expecting something other than bad news!! It's totally impossible. Every day I come on here I hear about something else being closed, canceled, postponed. I CAN"T TAKE IT!! Somebody give me something good to look forward to PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!!!! I am totally beginning to bum out and am experiencing massive disappointments and anger. HELP ME PLEASE!!!!

[firemanmark]

We are still going the end of Nov./beginning of Dec. Who knows what else they'll cut by them (or maybe restore).

But the bottom line is that my kids are 7 and 8. No matter how we look at the financial picture/dollar value, this is their only opportunity to experience the "MAGIC" at this time in their lives. They will never know that they missed "this" or "that". Tourist attractions and cities all over the world, not just the USA, are cutting back.

I'm sure we could change everything and go to Hawaii or somewhere else we've never been ---and say "what a blast we had and what a bargain". Only to have someone else tell me how much more we could have gotten prior to September 11th.

God continues to bless America. Let's do our share.

[eeyore0062]

Actually, the closing of PO-FQ was done to consolidate staff, and provide better services. PO-FQ is the smallest of the moderates, therefore easier to manage the transfers of reservations, it also has the least amenities--- it really could be considered on par with the value resorts at this point. These are business decisions that we may not like and may not understand, but I doubt that they are being made lightly. The fact that a personal phone call was received by someone who posts here, shows that they are concerned... maybe not enough to bring back all of the perks, but they are taking the time to find out why people are so disappointed. If you haven't taken the time to voice your complaints, please do so... only by letting them know, can things change, however, cancelling to voice a complaint, without a letter, email, etc to let them know why, is a moot point. As for those who feel that just because we are not thinking of this as negatively as others, please note the title of this thread... it is entitled Cutbacks, Changes, and Complaints, so we all have the right to express our opinions, whether they agree with others or not.

[Annie'sMom]

After learning about the cancellation of EE, I emailed WDW resorts last week. I didn't really expect a response, but I got one today on the phone. I got the spiel about how this wasn't necessarily directly related to the events of Sept. 11, but was as a result of consumer requests, that they had added the character caravans because guests indicated they were in the parks early primarily to see the characters. By the way, this fellow indicated the character caravans would visit the resorts three days a week.

I indicated that because of the age of my dd, the only way to get through Fantasyland in any kind of tolerable time, we had to use Early Entry. He told me that this new policy has been in place only a week but was "an overwhelming success." I told him how much that surprised me, since I rarely saw characters at EE anway.

He was very nice, and I indicated that we would wait until it was a little closer to June before we made any decisions about our trip, but I would be watching developments closely.

I believe that Disney must be getting a lot of negative feedback about some of these decisions. I alluded to several of the cutbacks of recent history in my email. It was not an angry email, but more of one of disappointment. I believe we have to use our consumer power to try to influence management decisions...not just at WDW but with any company.

Anyway, I just thought you all might be interested in the call.

[kristikae]

I just have a response to the people who say we should be grateful that we still get to go on vacation. Yes I am grateful but I deserve it as do my kids. I have worked 80 hour work weeks this past year so that I can take my 4 kids on this vacation. When I was 8 months pregant with my youngest daughter my company closed it's doors. Have you ever tried to get a job when you are 8 month pregnant? Guess what...it won't happen. Do I expect anyone to feel sorry for me? No. Life is full of disappointments as well as things to be grateful for.

Yes I feel bad for all who lost a loved one on 9/11. Yes I feel bad for those who got laid off in the travel industry. I also feel for the people of Afghanistan, laid off steel workers in the US, laid off auto makers, the families of those killed in the Lockerby plane explosion, the families of those killed in the UN bombings, the families of those killed in the Oklahoma boming, families of those killed in tornados last year....it goes on and on.

Does that mean I should blindly give my money to Disney when they are giving me less value for it? No. I am still going but am now staying off-site. Disney has lost an estimated $1000 in food revenue from me, and approximately $1890 in resort stays. Should I feel sorry for them? I don't think so. They are a business and good business tells you that if you want to keep customers you give them the best value for their money. For those of you that feel you need to take care of Disney and hand them your money because they are going through hard times...go for it! I work too hard for my money to feel sorry for them.

One other thing...I am a restaurant manager. We have great food at my restaurant. If my restaurant was going through a slow period (believe me business has gone way down since 9/11) would it be ok to take away your salad with your meal but still charge the same price? I don't think so. That isn't how you reward your loyal customers or try to bring in new ones. You run specials etc... Remember my customers would still be getting their great entrees, just not the salad. That is the same thing Disney is doing and we are supposed to be happy about it? Oh and I forgot...I'm supposed to be grateful that I can still go out and eat as many cannot.

[DancingBear]

Originally posted by cjzap090750
My sister-in-law just returned to work at EPCOT after her maternity leave - she had twins. She has had to take a 20% cut in her salary, and her husband, who also works in the Tourist Industry just got cut by 15%. Here they are with two new mouths to feed, and their annual salary has been reduced by 35%. That's huge!

Sorry to hear about your relatives' plight, but please note they didn't take a 35% salary cut--assuming their original salaries were equal, they took a 17.5% total cut. Still not something I would like to experience, but thank goodness they still have jobs and benefits.

That being said, I am very conscious of the price being paid by the CMs at WDW, others in the travel industry, and others such as the contractors for Pop Century, and I hope things get back to more normal levels soon.

[Figaro30]

ditto!

I don't feel sorry for people that get themselves into their own mess! The best lesson taught to these people is to have them deal with the consequences of their actions.

The same should be said for businesses! I'm sure Disney will be facing it's own barrel of consequences.

[Big Baby]

Waah, waah waah.

I'm just going to complain and whine.

Forget about all the people who have lost their jobs and are unemployed.

Life is so unfair to you because Disney had to make cutbacks.

Waah. You should be thankful for being alive and having the opportunity to experience life. Stop crying and start seeing the good in things. Be an optomist, not a pessimist.

If you don't like what Disney has done there is one simple answer. Don't go.

[HoosierFantasia]

I am amazed at the posts on this board. I can't believe how pissed off most of you are that Disney has had to make some cutbacks. Do you all realize how Disney, as a company, is doing? Do any of you own stock in Disney? If you did you would probably be concerned as to why it is only worth half what it was a year ago. The theme parks are Disneys 2nd largest unit. It is responsible for about 40% of Disney's revenues. Attendance at theme parks--particularly Walt Disney World--is low. Consumers are less likely to exclaim 'I'm going to Disneyworld!' when layoffs are mounting and there are concerns about air travel safety. If I were Eisner I would be making changes as well. You have to weigh your options: Lets see here, attendance is low this time of year anyway, and it is really low now, we can save lots of money by reducing park hours and eliminating the costly early entry program, OR we can we can layoff 10 to 20% of our staff, OR we can let it ride and see what happens. Who knows maybe the economy will turn around instantly, people will be taking to the skies again in record numbers and profits will start to soar! I DOUBT IT !!
All I am saying is that this is a business decision. One that has to be made for the financial stability of the company. I am upset about the changes. We have a family trip planned in June to do the land/sea vacation. Am i going to cancel this because of these changes. Hell No! I am going to go and support Disney, spend my money there to help them return to the finanicial strength they had before. Then watch my stock rise into the 40's again and be glad that Disney made the necessary changes and I did my part in not cancelling my trip to keep Disney fiscally sound so
my children can grow up and enjoy Disney they way I did.
P.S. I wouldn't be suprised that the normal park hours and possibly the EE return once attendance levels return. Hopefully by June, but I am going anyway!

Bill

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says....................................... Hey Eisner, Did you read the kristikae post?? You just lost another $3000. But hey, she is a restaurant manager and I think she is on to something. Takeing away the salads from the meal is a great idea!! But you are Eisner, you need to do more. Now you wouldn't want to charge more for drinks, but how about charging extra for the glass. Chairs not included, need to be rented! How about an extra charge for silverware?! If you work at it hard enough maybe you can bring Disney's Revenue down to Zero!!!

[LuvTheMouse]

I ordered a WDW package (via Disney Club) and Park Hopper tickets just a few days before all of the no-EE, shortened Park hours, etc. stuff hit the boards. According to my Disney Travel package, these trips are similar to cruises, etc in that you can't get out of them without losing $100s of dollars (pretty sneaky Eisey!). So I've decided this time I will go to WDW, use up some old Park Hopper options and save my new Park Hopper for such a time as when (hopefully) WDW management comes to its senses and reinstates EE and reasonable park hours.

What am I going to do at WDW? Something, I've never done before UNIVERSAL STUIDOS, ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE, and SEA WORLD! (needless to say, I will not be eating any sitdown meals at WDW this trip)

Who knows, on my next vacation to Orlando, I might just spare a day or two to see if WDW has gotten it's act together!

Like they say "OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW!" Universal Studios, here I come!

[DisneyHog]

Hi LuvTheMouse, I was just surfing for a bit of information about IOA as well. We go to WDW every year, and I have never ventured to the other area parks. I have definitely planned to try Citywalk on one of the nights due to the early park closings. I may also choose to spend a day in each of the Universal parks and save our Park Hopper days for next year. Who knows maybe the cutbacks will be a blessing in disguise and convince me to branch away from my beloved Disney and try new things.

[Briar rose108]

Has anyone else received a call?

I emailed Guest Services with my concerns about our upcoming November Vacation.

Today on my answering machine was a message from a Disney representative saying that they look forward to our visit and that while there have been some changes in WDW to rest assured that Disney would be as magical as ever.

Just wondering what responses everyone else has gotten?

Only 13 more days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says............................................. Just to let you all know every post that says Hey Eisner is being sent to Disney by my computer savvy and DW Cindy. In the realm of things I understand that this is just a flat tire, now maybe two along lifes path. If Disney is not given a clue about their idiotic plans, who knows what will happen. I send these messages in hopes that some pointy head will say hey, these people are right!! Anybody remember Discovery Zone, a great place to go and run around at an indoor playground? A goner. Anybody remember Boston Market, great chicken, over priced, now they survive in the freezer section. How about Webvan, that hits really close to home because we supplied them, another goner. Owens Corning, remember the pink panther doing insulation commercials! Almost out of business, but trying to hang on. If Disney continues to alienate thier core business partner, "US", we may end up with Six Flags At Orlando. Any of you computer savvy people should send the posts of people cancelling, or cutting back to Disney. I've sent about ten, so I must stop, before they think I am some crazy dude, but I am, crazy about DISNEY!

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................................. . I guess they didn't tell you that everything was canceled, and they want you to pay for the air you breath!! Slight emblishment, it's an unknown world out there, please post what is going on as soon as you can.

[dutton]

I've been watching these boards on everyone's reaction to the cancellation of early entry and trying to decide on how I felt. Well after careful deliberation, I have decided that I am MAAAAAADD! This is why: I have been planning for this trip for 11 months(Dec.9-14)We were originally booked at SOG for $89 and I was paying for my room and my MIL, and my parents were in 3rd room(my dad is retired military). After Sept. 11 I saw here great rates on DD resorts,specifically Courtyard. My mom suggested that I try for this hotel since you basically have almost the same perks. Our main concern was early entry program. I have 4 children and I thought it would work well for us. I knew the $29 rate would save me a bundle of money. I had seen good and bad reports on the Marriott but I am an optimist and decided that Marriott has a great reputation.I knew that the money was due up front and non-refundable, and wasn't worried b/c we decided that being on site was more important even though we could get better accommodations off site for a family of our size. Now all of a sudden I am seeing early entry gone, later park opening hours, and Marriott has reduced operations of their eating facilities. I saw a rate of $109 for HIFS which would have accomodated all 7 of us plus we'd be in one room, plus that would include free food for kids and 2 adult dinners per night. For $50 extra each day, I thought that was a great deal!!Does anyone agree or am I being cheap? I'm extremely apprehensive now! Still excited, but definately apprehensive. I know the majic will still be there when I see the castle and my childrens eyes, but I just wish I hadn't been so impulsive and would have done better research. Well, I'm sorry to make this so long, but I feel a little better!Thanks for listening!

[disneyluv4]

I do not blame you at all!!! We were planning a trip in Aug. planned on getting reservations this month, but decided to hold back, with all the cuts and all I do not know if it is worth it. We have been too many times to count and I guess I am use to it with EE and all. We use EE almost every day. So I guess we will sit back and wait. I think my DH would like to go somewhere else this year, so it is not bothering him at all. But it is bugging the h@#* out of me!! Good luck and you will still have lots of fun, don't let it get you down.

[CHIPSTER]

I am very disappointed in the early entry policy and the closing of some of the restaurants. Let's hope it is very temporary. Funny they haven't change the hours for the marketplace -- wonder why?????

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I too received a call from a guest service rep. I had e-mailed some specific questions and he was very helpful and reassuring. Disney has always had hours and attractions that are flexible with supply and demand. If parks increase in attendance, so will the hours. Very simple formula that most businesses use. How many vacations besides Disney do you all take? I have found that often a restaurant, store or an attraction I had planned on may be closed when I thought we could go. We went to Stone Mt. one time and the train was not running. So we did something else! On a tour in Austria that we paid full price for, we could not go see 1 of the homes. No one fussed at all. That is part of life.
You can see the glass partly empty or mostly full. I choose to see it mostly full.:)

[livsea2]

Those of you who received a reply from an email to Disney. How long did it take before they returned your message? I sent an email 5 days ago with specific questions and stated that if the cutbacks were significant I would cancel but I haven't heard from them. Should it take this long?:confused:

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I sent mine Sat(20th) to the address that was on this board. The form on the disney site was not working at that time. I got the call yesterday(25th).

[Bill3]

I was glad to see someone-Hoosier Fantastacia speak up for common sense.WDW is a business and his run as such.Many people who hang out here at DIS see WDW as a personal playground that is maintained for them and a few friends.EE will be forgotten in a few months OR they will decide its costing them money by not having early entry and reinstate it.Over the years I don't think Eisner has made many decesions that has cost WDW customers.Hey-we loved Discovery Island, and were sorry to see it go, but I didn't whine for a year, and it didn't cause me to alter any vacation plans.Stuff happens everyday that I may not agree with but thats life.
EE, restaurants closing,shows being altered etc- life goes on.If life gives you lemons -make lemonade. Quit whining, your alive and can afford to take a vacation,that should be enough!:earsboy: :earsboy:

[Heather]

A large portion of this "whining" is legitimate disagreement with poor, improperly disseminated business decisions in a forum expressly created to share, trade, vent, and argue these opinions. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[livsea2]

Is that Disney isn't communicating the cut backs to the public. People are finding out AFTER they arrive. That's tantamount to stealing. People wont leave after they have arrived but might reconsider if they Know ALL the cutbacks before their trip. Disneys recent policy is to announce times and events 7 days prior, thus not allowing customers the opportunity to make an informed decision. The expect us to just go and hope they will treat us well. That is not right!

[Carrickdisfan]

I live in N Ireland and for the past 6 years I have visited Florida/Disney each year and despite what has happened I still plan to do so next year. WDW must realise that many people work hard to save for trips there - especially when it is from outside USA - it costs us a lot but living in N Ireland we think we deserve something to look forward to. Therefore if WDW decide to cut their hours they have to either:-

1. Refund some money to people who have bought hopper passes expecting a full day at a park.

or

2. Reduce the price of passes bought on a specific day that the hours are reduced.

Last year whilst in Universal they had to close the park at 7.00pm instead of 10.00pm due to a thunderstorm and when we commented that we had bought a daily pass and expected a full day they gave us a complimentary pass for use in the future - I cannot see WDW doing this. People have to budget for a Disney trip and they must realise this.

Thank you for hearing my views from a miserable N Ireland.

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

But Disney has always had shorter hours in the fall and winter. They have always adjusted them to the crowds! You can go in the summer when it is crowded, stay all day to do what you want OR go in the value season with less park hours but LESS crowds and you will have time to do what you want!:)
Enjoy it! We find Disney a happy place to go to. :) We have NEVER run out of things to do and have been several dozen times! ;)

[Buckleybunch]

I got this quote from one of the other post! I guess I didn't know this??

Anyone else?

[dutton]

I am a very, very optimistic person---but, I am very disappointed in Disney! I made resv. for 2 rooms at the courtyard marriott in DD for $29/night b/c it was a great rate, we needed early entry and I knew Marriott had a great reputation. Now I'm hearing of awful service at the hotel, no EE, and I could have pd. $50 more a night to stay at HIFS and gotten free food!! I can't change plans b/c Marriott deal is non-refundable. This feels like a bait and switch tactic to me!! We need EE b/c we have 4 kids who get up early and will need a midday nap and then we were to spend evenings at parks. Now parks are opening later and closing earlier and I'm paying same amount for tickets that people pd. for all year and got better hours!! I wish they would offer discounted tickets for people going now thru 12/31!!Now we're just going to Disney parks the whole day and going to let 2 smaller children take naps in the stroller so that our older 2 will get full benefit. So, now there is no perk to being on site. I have been saving for 2 years to go and I feel a little cheated. I'm a very compassionate person and I understand cutbacks, but from what I'm seeing on these boards is that park attendance is normal for this time of the year! So, what is going on?!! Well I love Disney and am just venting b/c of loss of high expectations!Also, people are posting ideas of going to your pool and enjoying that time but we will be there in Dec. and I doubt it will be swim weather, esp. for a Georgia girl!HA!HA!

[luvaladdin]

I don't blame you, I'd be mad too. I was kinda, sorta planning on a trip leaving tomorrow for a week. I couldn't make up my mind if I should spend the money, and two weeks ago talked myself out of going. To tell you the truth, after hearing of all the cutbacks, I'm so glad I decided not to go. But to qualify that, we did just go in March anyway, so it's not as if we've never been or have waited a long time.

We always take advantage of EE and I absolutely love it - I'm a morning person and my kids are early risers, so it worked for us. BUT, I think you will still have a wonderful time, because Disney World is, well, Disney World! No other place like it, even with the cutbacks.

I would just plan on being at the park well before opening, so you can be at the front of the turnstile and get through the security check quickly. Then, at MK, just quickly make your way back to Dumbo, say, just as you would for EE. I'd follow the same kind of plan as EE, hitting all the rides in Fantasyland one morning and maybe all the rides in Tomorrowland another morning. Then there's plenty of "lesser" attractions that don't have long lines generally. And to look at it positively, maybe the cutbacks will encourage you to sit and relax more, realizing that commando touring is not what it's all about. You can spend time going on the monorail to different resorts, maybe eating dinner at one of them. Take advantage of the programs at Ft Wilderness - the campfire and movie. Do Downtown Disney one night - I'm not a shopper and we ended up not buying ONE thing there, but my kids liked walking around, playing with the legos, jumping with the squirting water in the sidewalk, etc. It was a great relaxing evening. Go the Poly one night for dinner, then walk along the torch lit path to the beach, sit in the hammock and watch the electric water parade. These are some of the things that we did this year as I tried to slow down and not be a commando (which is my nature).

Don't blame yourself for not doing more research - all these cutbacks were very sudden, and came one right after another. No one could ever have anticipated all that's happened beginning 9/11.

Have a wonderful trip, and be sure and let us know how it all went for you.

[pgjam]

I am very disappointed about the recent cutbacks both in the cancellation of EE and the cutback in hours. I went to DW last year the first weekend in December with a friend & had a blast. I talked my husband into pulling the 3 kids out of school for a long weekend because we can see the Xmas decorations & enjoy the parks. Now we can't go in early & the park is closing early. This leaves limited time to do everything we had planned. I was also expecting to see spectro-magic & that looks like a no go also. We are members of DVC & if this is the way DW will be in the future we will use our points to travel to other places. How Sad.
pgu in PA

[eeyore0062]

Boy, there really some on this post fanning the flames of negativity! We visited Busch Gardens today... yes the show times were cut, yes there were some rides closed, yes, there were also restaurants and shops closed, and YES, they staggered opening times among the different areas. Did that ruin our trip...NO! We had a fantastic time, and barely even noticed that those things were missing. If you go into something expecting to have a bad time, you will... it is a self fulfilling prophecy. :rolleyes:

[DancingBear]

Off topic, but--

Eeyore, I'm curious. I recently posted about my negative experience visiting the Carowinds amusement park here in Charlotte (dirty, loud, poor attitude of workers, etc.). My memories of Busch Gardens Wmsbg are much more positive--how did you find BG?

[tink2dw]

:( :earseek: I paid for Peak Season $7000.00 to go to Florida to "do Disney".[i told u i was stupid]
I bought 3 Adult AP's,It was the cheapest ticket media,but the thought was in the back of my mind to
maybe return in that year to "do more Disney":smooth: :earsgirl: :crazy: :smooth:

So, I started looking at Christmas HIGHER THAN PEAK SEASON PRICES,to "do Disney" again.[told u i was stupid]

Only, to find that for this HIGHEST PRICE SEASON OF ALL Disney has CUT the Fun of a "do Disney" by closing all my favorite shows,rides,and shorting the park hours,while canceling EE mornings and [FOR THE TRULY STUPID WHO INSIST ON PAYING 2 ADMISSIONS FOR THE SAME PARK]E NIGHTS My personal favorite.

My Question is: Who is the MOST Stupid??
ME or DISNEY?
:earseek: :earsboy: :crazy: :earseek: :earsboy: :crazy: :earseek: :earsboy: :crazy: :earseek: :earsboy: :crazy: :earseek: :earsboy: :crazy:

[Disney Doll]

I don't know, but I'm tired of all the whining posts, so I will do what I am sure a million people are going to tell me to do and not read them!!!!!

Have a lovely day!!!!

[shamrock30]

I'm surprised at the rudeness in this post. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. Because of the cutbacks, my DH and I may cancel our November trip. If we don't outright cancel, we will certainly only spend a day or two in the parks. Disney is a business; I am a consumer. If they aren't providing what I feel is a decent value for my money, I don't feel I have any sort of "patriotic duty" to support them. It is a business transaction! Cutting EE doesn't bother me that much, but the shortened park hours and cancelled attractions do. When I booked our trip, Spectromagic was listed on the calendar for a weeknight showing. It was our number one priority as far as attractions went. Saturday is our travel day, both to and from Orlando, so even if they continue the Saturday showings it won't help us out. And as two adults who have been to WDW several times, we like to park hop to experience our favorite attractions and skip the ones we aren't crazy about. It will be pretty hard to do that with the extra-late openings and early closings. We're still going to Florida, but may go somewhere other than Orlando this year. I certainly don't feel obligated to spend my vacation time and money at WDW if it isn't living up to my expectations right now. And I certainly don't begrudge those who decide a WDW vacation is still for them, even with the cutbacks.

[cheeringmom]

A CM at WDW called me in response to my e mail re: concerns about park hours etc. She apologized about no EE or E nights and said not sure when they will return. She also said the park hours will be posted on a week to week basis. We are going over Thanksgiving and that was a concern for me. She did say, however, that parades are on schedule and to look for a snowglobe parade??? I guess the reason I was called because in my subject I wrote that this was not a complaint just a suggestion about keeping the hours longer for crowded times like Thanksgiving. No guarentees!! Oh well. She did say that there have been a lot of complaints and the higher ups listen to the guests so keep those e mails coming if you want to be heard because apparently they are listeneing! She also mentioned that people are finding out about park closings etc before the CMs are! Interesting! Anyway, just thought I'd give a report on my conversation. pam:rolleyes:

[mnlovesdisney]

I just returned today from Disney. I was very disappointed to find rumors of EE being discontinued were true. Even more disappointing however was that in seven previous trips to Disney World we have NEVER had any problems with broken down rides and we usually go to the park four to five days per trip. On this trip we only went to the parks three and several times rides were broken. This happened on Test Tracks, Universe of Energy, and Dinosour. I think they have scaled staff back to the point they can no longer reliably keep the attractions running. To me this is a very, very sad thing that you can no longer plan on even being able to ride the rides due to parks being short on maintenance staff to keep them running properly.

[KProuty]

My answer isn't up there. I would cancel if I could get my money back, but I can't get my money back.

Katherine

[kimmar067]

Excuse me, but am I the only one to see a correllation between the votes (90% of the votes are VERY ANGRY PEOPLE who, no matter what, ARE NOT cancelling their long anticipated trips to WDW) and the complaints?Doesn't Disney see this? Even with these "horrible" times (slow economy, "terrorist" dangers, etc.) people are still choosing to go to WDW anyway. So tell me, what justification do they have for all these cutbacks? Some of these posts cited that there are so many "whiners", when indeed they certainly have a legitimate "ax to grind". If you have planned a vacation many months in advance, and your expectations are based upon those plans (regardless of WHERE your destination may be), you have every right to "whine". Okay, so the parks close early. Find something else to do. Doesn't that mean SPENDING MORE $$, when you already spent it for the day (a-la Park Hopper passes)? It will cost me $248 per day per park JUST TO ENTER (not including souvenirs, snacks, or meals) and then I have to spend an additional $40 to $50 to, say, play miniature golf? Either that, or shell out $10-$15 per child to "hang out" in an arcade. Sheesh! I could do THAT in New Jersey!!! I don't know how "empty" the parks are, but I can tell you this: I had a LOT of difficulty adjusting my PS's to accomodate the changes in park schedules, because PS's are UNAVAILABLE!!!! Yes, times are rough, and we must all stick together. However, I feel it is very unfair that the consumer is doing all the giving and Disney is doing all the taking......My DH was considering taking another vacation to WDW in Feb 2002, but now, NO WAY!!!!

(Okay, "soapbox" session is over!:rolleyes: )

[Laurajean1014]

Can anyone give me the "skinny" on what changes to expect at WDW? Leaving on the 31st and want a "heads up."

Thank Y:) u.

[Esmerelda]

Back in early August, a friend of mine took a job at a hospital not far from Disneyworld in their ER. He left Ohio around August 1 (got a HUGE sign on bonus there too might I add) and was thrilled for a new beiginning.

I spoke to him yesterday, he was very distraught. He said in the last 3 weeks, he has been sent home on 3 different days (his shift is 5 days per week)!! He is driving back home just to work at the old ER where I still am. He said if this keeps up, he is going to end up with a different hospital because he can't pay his bills as it is now. He said the problem is, there is NO one at the parks and the "Mouse" rules the entire area. According to him, the parks attendance is so low its affecting the entire business industry within a 50-100 mile range of Disneyworld. I was not surprised when he told me all of this.

So, now you see how and why all the cutbacks...cancellations etc have come into play. Disney is still a business and will always be one even though to some of us its still the happiest place on earth.

I am just thankful to still have my job even if it is about 1000 miles away from the world......


off my soapbox now...
E
:rolleyes:

[Laurajean1014]

:bounce: :bounce:

[noahsmom04]

I understand that there are many people that are upset about the recent cutbacks and changes that have happened at WDW. But I can't help but being upset about the attitude that some posters here seem to have. I know that when you spend a lot money you expect a certain level of service, that is totally understandable, but some of these posts seem downright selfish. Unfortunately there has been an inconceivable tragedy in our country that has cost us the lives of friends and family members, and has also seriously impacted numerous industries and companies worldwide. I'm sorry that due to that WDW had to make cutbacks, but consider for a moment the numerous people that no longer have jobs, the families that are forever incomplete and the fear that some people now live with on a daily basis.
Why not just be glad that you still have a family that you can take on a vacation and that you are still here to enjoy it! If you feel now that going to WDW is a waste of money then donate your vacation money to a charity or other organization that is trying to help people get their lives back together so that maybe someday they will know the magic and wonder of Disney that you seen to take for granted!

[travelgoddess]

We checked into the CR on October 20, that was the last EE day. My initial feelings were that of disappointment, but it faded fast. It made us slow down a little, and get a little more rest in the mornings. They are a business and I totally understand their decision. They are also closing POFQ til further notice, Blizzard beach was closed, Epcots hours were also shortened. All the CM's I spoke with said that things were picking up some.

[DW mouser]

Was planning a spring trip to WDW, but just got back from HRH (7days) and was very disappointed with all the cut backs. It definitely makes alot of difference having to pay the same for so much less, especially the parks closing early! Will wait until the regular hours return no matter how long that is, or a big reduction in the price of resorts and tickets!!

[eeyore0062]

Dancing Bear, to answer your question about BG-Williamsburg. It has won national awards for being the most beautiful park in the US, as well as having some of the best food, and I must agree on both accounts. The park is very tidy-- rivals WDW on that count, and the food is not only good, but it is reasonable in price for park food.

The shows are outstanding, and the rides are terrific too. Now, granted, it is not a Supercoaster park, like the Paramount or 6 Flags parks, but the coasters they do have have been included in the top 20. My favorites are Apollo's Chariot--a hypercoaster, and Alpengeist-- an inverted coaster that is like a run away ski lift--- really cool theming!. The other 2 big coasters are Loch Ness Monster--- a steel rail double looping coaster... It was the 1st to have interlocking loops, and Big Bad Wolf, which is really cool, because it uses the natural terrain of the land in its design. This is also an inverted coaster, but legs are inclosed, and the cars freely swing.

We get season's passes to this park every year, and have never regretted it. The CM's are nice, not of Disney caliber, but definitely many steps above some other parks.

I would be glad to pass on other info, do you have PM capabilities?

[4-me]

cjzap090750 Wrote:

She has had to take a 20% cut in her salary, and her husband, who also works in the Tourist Industry just got cut by 15%. Here they are with two new mouths to feed, and their annual salary has been reduced by 35%.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A cutback is never good - but they only have an 18% pay cut -
not a 35% paycut. Maybe a little more or less depending on
if one salary is a lot more than the other. She has 20% on
her half - he has 15% on his half. It isn't 35% on the total -
more like 18% on the total.

If they both made 30,000 for a total of 60000

She now makes 24000
He now make 25500

for a total of 49,500 - which is a 17.5% decrease in salary.

Still upsetting - but don't let the numbers make it seem
worse than it really is.

[NSN]

A friend just received a tape from Disney that says there IS early entry for people staying at WDW resorts -- I told her the tape was probably made before the decision to stop this. She is getting cranky that this was sent out to her (she just got the tape on Saturday) with no mention of the changes. :confused: and thinks I'm mistaken. I don't think I am, am I?

[eeyore0062]

No, you aren't mistaken. EE mornings are on hold as of now, because the attendence at the parks doesn't warrent it. They were created when attendence was at record levels, to give the resort guests some extra time to see everything ahead of the offsite guests. With the level of attendence as low as it is, you can see pretty much everything you would like, in little to no wait during regular operating hours, so it was expedible, and necessary to save money.

As for the tapes, they were published before the cutbacks. This is a no win situation, because, if they redid the tapes, it would cost more money, which is what they are trying to save... but if a guest requests a tape, and they aren't available, that will cause "crankiness", as well.

Perhaps your friend will enjoy the Character Caravans at the resorts in the morning, or like me, enjoy an extra 1 1/2 hours of sleep.

[Bev J]

We have just returned from 10 day trip, 2 at POFQ, 4 day wonder cruise and 4 days at the Contemp.
For the most part we had a grand time. BUT the cutbacks really got to us. First day we got there the 20th there was a letter in our room with the cutback hours. I went down and asked about EE, sorry no more but we will have the character caravan, now we would rather have EE we can see all the characters we want in the parks. Ok I guess we will sleep in abit, go to the parks and it is crowded. If this is not a busy time then whoo are all these people. CM's were rude and acted like they would rather be any place but Disney. Now this was not all CMs mostly younger ones, who openly complained about being tired, would not help when asked about something. EVen the kidcot stations in epcot the CM back in The England area was making chef hats she just sat there and ignored the kids and colored on a piece of paper I tried to talk and joke a bit with her and she had none of it.
Our family loves Disney and we will go back. We will probably stay on site but with the low rates off site are really temptening now since the perks have disapered . We hope that EE returns and CoP returns someday also. I hope disney reads this site and sees that we don't think WDW is the happiest place on earth now.

[Miss Jasmine]

I know a lot of you are upset by the changes and uncertainity with WDW's hours, entertainment and perks

Please read this article to see why some of these cutbacks have been made. It addresses the cost of the upgraded security and the increased cost in insurance.

http://www.quicken.com/investments/news/story/djbn/?story=/news/stories/dj/20011030/BT20011030000193.htm&symbol=DIS

Maybe this will help us to understand the situation a little better.

[dixiegirl]

Although I am not thrilled with the loss of EE and the cut hours, I can't really blame Disney either. They have to do what is best to protect their business and from a financial point of view, they are choosing the worse of the evils.

It's either cut hours, etc. or mass layoffs which I'm sure they are trying to avoid. I am leaving for Disney in 9 days and I'm going to have a blast no matter what the changes. I have been looking forward to this trip and a few changes are not going to stop me from feeling the Disney magic.

[eeyore0062]

Miss Jasmaine, thanks for the link... I read it, and it explains everything very well. Hopefully, it will open some eyes as to why the cutbacks are necessary!

[ering]

For those of you intent on telling me that I should be grateful for being able to go on vacation in light of the recent tragic events and the economic downturn, as opposed to being annoyed at Disney for thier cutbacks...

...WRONG! I understand that the economy is taking a nose-dive. I was laid-off in July. My husband and I have had our Disney trip planned for over a year, so some misfortune was not going to change our plans. We have been gleefully counting down the days (posted on our kitchen calender) since mid-February. Despite the lay-off, we decided to go ahead with spending over $4000 on this vacation. I have every right to be furious with Disney over not delivering the services that they promised. I understand the basic economics of business, and if the company needs to lay-off some of its employees to keep a solid bottom line then so be it. Disney has an obligation to deliver on the services that they have promised, and they are clearly falling short of this. I am not spending this money at Disney as an act of charity, I am doing it because I expect something in return. Disney is going about its changes in a very back-handed way. They are not advertising them, and from some of these posts I am seeing that their staff members are being unusually rude. There is no excuse for this!

And to address the issue of being grateful... I live in Northern Virginia (not far from the Pentagon). My husband is a police leiutenant with the Metropolitan Police Department (DC). From the day of the attack until several weeks later, he was putting in horrifically long days. He is now responding to anthrax calls. Yes I am grateful to be alive, and yes I feel I am fortunate, and YES this means that we are entitled to a vacation. Do not question the loyalty and/or motives of people just because they want what they have paid for!

Thanks for the soapbox! and thanks to all of the other police, firemen, and rescue personnel-- GREAT JOB!!!

:)

[eeyore0062]

WOW!!! I for one, am glad Disney chose to spare jobs. The perks are expendible, and have not always been there, people's jobs are not. I am sure that with the lower attendance the fun will far outweigh the inconvenience.

Kudos to the police, fire, EMT and military personnel and the jobs that they are doing in this time of turmoil!

Have a wonderful vacation:)

[DancingBear]

Originally posted by eeyore0062
I for one, am glad Disney chose to spare jobs. The perks are expendible, and have not always been there, people's jobs are not.

Well, I have come to believe that the cutbacks are, for the most part, logical, and most likely justified due to low attendance; however, don't the cutbacks mean layoffs by Disney?

I heard that they were asking some full-time CMs to take 20% cut in hours to save salary costs while still maintaining benefits--which is commendable--

otherwise, isn't elimination of EE, cutting back show days and hours (so one full-time cast can cover), not manning Fastpass all of the time, cutting operating hours, closing resorts in whole or in part, etc., all to save manpower costs more than anything else?

Not to mention all of the contractors who are now NOT working on Pop Century.

Again, I think Disney is probably making sensible decisions (although very poorly communicated), but I don't want to minimize the toll this is taking on the workers at WDW.

[eeyore0062]

No one is trying to minimize the toll that all of this has taken on the CM's at WDW--- believe me, I know the toll. Yes, the seasonal cast has been laid off, some of the part time staff is on "call in" basis, and the full time staff has been asked to cut hours by 20%... all commendable of Disney to try to keep as many of their CM's employed as possible. We just have to be patient and see what happens in the future. This is all unprecidented territory for everyone, and I am sure that WDW and the rest of the Disney company is trying to the best they can to satisfy the needs of the public, their CM's and their financial wellbeing.

Also, the Pop Century Phase I is still being constructed as of now... the grand opening has been delayed indefinitely, though.

[Heather]

Erin -
Bravo to your husband! I live near you and a neighbor of mine is with the Pentagon police and was on-site. True heroes, they are.

I also have to say I totally agree with you -- we too planned this vacation a very long time ago and have spent a large amount of money based on what Disney promised us. I respect everyone's right to their opinion and this is just mine.

Hope you have a great vacation!

[ering]

Thanks, Heather! Have a great time on your vacation as well!!!:cool:

[DW mouser]

Just remember, Disney is not the only place on earth for a vacation. We will probably set out a year or two and go to some national parks or elsewhere until we can feel like we are getting what we pay for at Disney!

[eeyore0062]

My husband keeps telling me the same thing about WDW not being the only vacation destination... and, I agree.. are also DL/DCA, DL-Tokyo, DL-Paris, the Disney Cruise line:)

If it is to be a real vacation, it must include the Disney!!!

[computerteacher]

I sent an e-mail with complaints about the end of EE and the late openings of several parks. I received a reply 2 days later saying they would check into it. They also asked for my phone # so that they could call me with information. Did you ever receive a reply?

Originally posted by Minnee
I was wondering if anyone has received a response from Disney?? I emailed a few days ago, just letting them know that I was Very disappointed about the end of EE, and had a few questions. I did ask for a response, and I'm still waiting:(
Have your heard from Disney? I tried calling, twice, each time, the CM didn't know anything about any changes.:(

[Figaro30]

I wrote them twice about the non-posting of November hours.

Yesterday I got a generic email stating where you can find the hours posted and a link of how you can get there.

VERY Generic! Thought for sure somebody might write back or call me. :(

[brett56543]

We are planning a trip just after the 1st (Jan 2-9) does anyone know if there will be any problems. Why I ask is, I have heard that the resorts are full for Thanksgiving and must be close for Christmas because we had a hard time finding a room then (26th-2nd).



2001 dixie
1989 offsite
1982 offsite

[IowaMagic]

If the only reason a guest stays on property is EE, then he/she is missing the whole Disney experience. Cutbacks are inconvenient right now but my two daughters who work at Disney see it as a way of keeping their jobs. One is lucky enough to still have 40 hours/week but the other one has been cut back drastically. If Disney didn't cut back on hours, parades, etc. there would be even more hours cut for employees. We need to trust that Disney is doing all they can now to make things better in the long run. Just be thankful you have the freedom to visit such a magical place.

[Rafiki USA]

Folks, there's a war on, one unlike any previously fought. September 11th was arguably the worst day in American history, the consequences of which will be felt indefinitely. The world changed forever that day, much as it did in Sept 1939 when war began in Europe. Will America recover? Of course, and prosper. However, it's really happening, and it's not going away.

I support everyone's right to have and express their opinions, so here comes mine. Yes, you pay alot of money at WDW. But are EE days the only deciding factor between on site and off site accomodations? If so, have you ever figured out how much extra you're paying for an extra, what? 4-6 hours of time in the parks over a week? What about the time lost commuting to and from your off site room?

Disney always cuts hours during slow times. That's why the parks aren't open as late in January as they are in April. Over 400,000 (yes, four hundered thousand) Americans have lost their jobs since the artocity, and WDW is trying to save as many jobs as they can. Considering the fiscal panic that has gripped many Americans, and the undoubtedly drastic drop in attendance WDW is experiencing, the cutbacks are relatively minor. Under the circumstances, closing of ALL WDW parks and hotels untill Christmas week would have been upsetting, but not inconceivable.

WDW, and the rest of America's economy, will recover. But if you stay home or change to off site accomodations (as is undeniably your perogative), you are not helping the recovery process.

God Bless America

[DancingBear]

RafikiUSA--

As I've stated elsewhere, as long as attendance is truly way down, the shortening of hours is a rational response by WDW and shouldn't significantly lessen the value of anyone's vacation.

That being said, I think that there one could still rationally decide that EE was a deciding factor in staying on-site.

--If you use EE 5 days, you get 7 1/2 extra hours of extra park time

--During this extra 7 1/2 hours, the attendance is extremely light, and you are able to "knock off" a number of popular attractions. This advantage continues to some extent after the rest of the park opens, as you have a jump on everyone else.

--The extra time comes early in the morning and substantially stretches the "park day", increasing the viability of taking a mid-day break and then returning to the parks in the late afternoon.

Obviously WDW thought that EE created additional bookings at the margin--that was why they offered the benefit in the first place.

Yes you are correct that staying at home (and holding on to your money) doesn't help the economic recovery, but spending your money elsewhere (whether on something for the house, on a trip to a different destination, or to an off-site hotel near WDW), does. It isn't any more patriotic to stay at the All-Stars vs. the Holiday Inn Family Suites.

[CuZbCuz]

Stayed @ AS Movies 10/27-11/3. Parks almost the same (crowd-wise) as our last trip during same period, which was in '97 during 25th anniv. Waited for nothing. Walked right on to all the biggies in every park when we got there early. The shorter hours were not too big of a deal.

Did Epcot Sat & Sun, 10/27 & 10/28. Lots of good wine & plenty of street/small performances. Got there @ opening so walked onto testtrak-later it was posted as 10 min wait in standby line but noone was visible outside so was likely much less than 10 min.

Monday 10/29 did MK. Walked right on Space Mtn & then on to Splash & Big Thndr. Fastpass booths were mostly closed but if they were avail the return time was almost always within 1 hour. The standby line times were posted as 0 or 10 minutes for everyother ride I can remember (except for Haunted Mansion-it was posted as 13 minutes!).

Walked onto Dumbo, Aladdin's carpet ride, sml world, Buzz Lightyear ( was asked if wanted to ride again without ever getting off ride-rode 3x!!).

Ak on Tues-late opening time meant everyone got there at the same time so thought K Safari would be long wait but only waited about 3-5 minutes. Stayed on (and got wetter everytime!) Kali River rpds. Walked into Leg of Lion King 5 minutes before show & were seated in 4th row. Walked on ( and HATED!!) Dinosaur. Word of caution--EXTREMELY loud, violent & not fun. Not even the teen ager liked it. Very Un-Disney like, even compared to Alien IMHO.

Studios on 10/31 (wed)-walked onto ToT and them Rock'n'roller cstr, no waits for either. Muppet vis 3d was 1/2 empty the 3 times we saw it.

Re-visited fav's in MK & Epcot Thurs & Studios on Fri (50's prime time cafe with no ps was still no wait-we were seated for dinner @ 5:30 right as we walked in. That place was a hoot! Food was good & prices a bit steep but the 'floor show" was well worth it.

AS movies seemed about 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Oh Yeah...Tiffany Towncar...they were GREAT!! Bob picked us up & was very helpful (even helping out other groups while we were waiting for our luggage) and Ronnie brought us back to MCO--Super nice guys & excellent service!!

[eeyore0062]

As DancingBear said, the attendance at EE mornings was very light, and since it was so light, it was an expense that Disney thought could be expendible. If the attendence at EE mornings had been huge, it would not have been cut. They are trying to save money by cutting things that were not being utilized to the fullest degree. I know that many of us on these boards really liked EE mornings, and used them to the fullest extent, but if you read back to the posts about it prior to their cancellation, you will see that many resort guests did not take advantage of them. Many reasons were given, including "I'm on vacation, I want to relax and sleep in.", " I could never get my kids, my husband and myself up and ready to be at the parks at 7:30 am". If you must find someone to point fingers at for the cancellation of EE morning, then point them in the direction of the ones who stayed onsite, and didn't use it. Really, if you have to blame anything at all, and it makes you feel better to do so, blame the slow economy and the events of Sept 11th. I have to agree, there really are more important things to be worried about than an extra 7 1/2 hours in a park per week. We will be going, and we will enjoy sleeping in an extra hour in the mornings... we will also enjoy the nightlife, which we have never had the time or inclination to enjoy before. I can't wait!!!!

[dan-tot]

I have been trying to read all the replys before I make one but I can't keep up with the flow. This will be the second time my family has gone to disney in December. We had a rough time with my sister last year and she was put into celebration hospital for three days. When you go during the winter time people need to expect that the parks are closing earlier and that some of the rides are down for rehab. Thats the only time they have so that there is little downtime during the summer period. We are not a show family so Beaty and the Beast and other shows like that have little meaning to us. Since we stay offsite in a time share EE perks have never really been an issue. I had the opportunity to get an EE at Disneyland and I felt that it was a waste of $10 because I didn't really get a chance to ride alot of the major rides. We stayed in the part at the contemp in a package deal. I think the perk is that when the park closes all those people are trying to get to their cars while you take the resort monorail to your hotel. The other perk is that the resort monorails go till way after the parks close so you can ride and just enjoy looking at Disney at night. If the Cof Progress is closed I will be disappointed because this will be number two favorite ride (timekeeper) that they have closed. I feel that Disney is only looking for the bottom line. They could care less about their workers and their customers. I think their attitude is like Mc Donalds they don't care if one person or a group of people are p-oed because there will always be ten or twenty people or groups who will be taking their place. I know that CoF is a minor ride as you would like to call it but to me it was a fun ride for my sister who doesn't do the mountains and as far as spacemountain they shuld upgrade it or close it down. It is in really bad shape it reminds be of the matterhorn ride in disneyland. I would of liked to have seen spectromajic but if it isn't there then I won't be that disapointed. I think if you are stuck in your hotel you ought to rent a car for a day and drive up international drive and see the sights. I know you have Disney but go to the Florida Mall on Sand Lake get out do something else. I know when you go to Disney you want to see everything while you are there. I think if you go with the flow of the park and take everything in stride you will be alot happier I bet.So slow down and smell the $2.50 box of popcorn LOL. We are going Dec 8 -15 I will be there having fun. We have been when the tour groups from Brazil was suspose to be over crowding the parks. We saw some groups but had no problems. I would complain as much as I could I would keep asking for a supervisor untill you got someone other than the operators and their supervisors. I would use the spanish speaking CRO line it is an 800 number. WOW this is a long reply.

Dan-tot

[Rafiki USA]

Dancing Bear-

You're 100% right about spending $ one place being no more patriotic than the other, and I certainly did not mean to imply that it was. However, not spending money at WDW does have an effect on services they're able to provide. Do you find that off site savings make up for the time lost commuting?

I feel fortunate to be able to visit at all. We had a trip scheduled for 9/21, but had to postpone (we live in Manhattan, my sis lives a mile from the Pentagon, my bro-in-law's a National Guardsman; I know many of us have similar stories). I just can't wait to get there. I'll sleep in the car if I have to.

God Bless America

[jdads2]

We just got back from our first trip.

A couple of things about this being a first trip:

1. We never had any hope of seeing all that we wanted to because we hadn't seen anything.

2. We didn't have first hand knowledge of the benefits of EE days so we didn't know what we were missing.

That being said, we saw more than we ever hoped to see. Even with the decrease in hours we never felt that we missed something because hours were shorter or staffing was down. If anything we probably saw more and had more personal care because attendance levels were so low.

You may ask that how I can compare my singular experience to anything. I can't. What I can say is that my family wanted for nothing. When we wanted something we got it immediately or certainly within a resonable amount of time (less than 10 minutes). This includes beverages at dinner, towels at the pool, rides to ride on or shows to watch. It was like WDW was open for us and a few friends.

[CarolAnnC]

We have provided this thread as a place to post concerns regarding the recent WDW cutbacks. This is NOT the Debate Board however and regular board Posting Guidelines apply here.

Personal attacks in particular will not be allowed here and will be deleted by the moderators.

We respectfully request that DIS Posting Guidelines be followed in order to keep this thread active and open for discussion. Thank you all in advance for your cooperation in this regard.

The Moderators of Theme Park Attractions & Strategies.

[eeyore0062]

RaiderMatt, you did a wonderful job showing the profitability, or lack thereof of EE mornings. Bravo to you:)

[tarzanman]

Disney is doing everything it can to keep all of our park experiences magical. It is actually quite a feat condidering what they are going through. Consider this article from Reuters.

http://yahoo.smartmoney.com/bn/RC/index.cfm?story=RC-20011108-N08111262

Keep up the good work Eisner!

[Maridw]

100AcreWoodFriend,
I don't know where you got that MGM is closing at 6:30. According to WDW official page, the hours are until 7 pm. All others have changed as you stated, and they had been the old hours until recently. I checked one day and they were still at the old hours. The next day they were at the new hours. My sister did the same. We are both going together and comparing our park schedules. :rolleyes:


I had also written to WDW from their page and have yet to receive a reply. I was commenting on how with the Caravan of Characters and no EE, they have taken something away from the guests of Shades of Green. Shades of Green has always been treated as a regular WDW resort until now. SOG is not on the schedule for the Caravan of Characters. Guests of SOG are now being treated as the Ugly Stepsister. No EE AND no CoC. :mad:

Oh Well, will try and make the best of it anyway. 14 days and counting......

[livsea2]

By now everyone who had a 5:00 Candlelight Procession Package has been notified by Disney that although they took your money and gave you a reservation, that show is being cancelled. Too bad, tough luck. We at Disney will do nothing for you except change your reservation if one is available even though you made your reservation weeks ago and now all the good times are booked.
A WELL run customer service business (Think outside the Disney box) would have done this;
"We are sorry to inform you that we've found it necessary to cancel the 5:00 performances, however to compensate you for your inconvenience, please allow us to reduce your package price by 20%...or.....Please accept a free round of drinks at dinner on us...or....please accept free passes to Pleasure Island that evening.... or one of many creative minimal cost to Disney gestures their marketing people could have come up with.
Considering the fact that we have been hearing for a couple weeks on this board that they were going to cancel the 5:00 shows they could have come up with something better that "WE've got it and you want it so take what we give you and shut the hellup" mentality.
I have considered cancelling this trip but I would lose about a thousand dollars in non-refundable prepaids. I assure you however I will take every opportunity to spend money offsite and it will be aloooooooong time until I return if at all!
I fear that Disney will continue it's downward spiral as long as Ei$ner is at the helm.
Thanks for letting me vent. Whew.:mad: :mad: :mad:

[eeyore0062]

Oh, Livesea2, perhaps it would be better if you did cancel your trip. If your feelings about 1 show time being cancelled and your ressie having to be changed can color your attitude that much, it doesn't sound like you will be able to enjoy anything else that Disney has either. I hope that you will be able to come to terms that things are not great down there, financially, and that they are doing the best that they can to preserve the magic for future generations.

I hope you feel better about it soon:)

[dan-tot]

I don't know about anyone else but it seems to me that if they keep taking and taking from us what will there be left. I want to support Disney as we all do but when is enough. I can see the cutbacks during the winter time but if they keep taking away major attractions then why go. We are going this Christmas and I am wondering what will will see besides the decorations. I love the parks did up for christmas but I would like to see something other than that. I was wondering about the Osborne exhibit will they have that this year? With CofP and Timekeeper gone it seems alot of our family favorites are going by the wayside. What next!!! The Bear Band?

Dan-tot

[KFISCHER]

My advice is to ignore all the complaints from people upset about cutbacks WHO HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN DOWN THERE TO ACTUALLY EXPERTIENCE THEM!

Instead, take to heart the reviews of people who actually travelled recently and saw first hand what Disney World is like right now.

I just spent 6 days there. I'm telling you straight: it was wonderful, every single bit of it!

The naysayers have every right to chime in on this web site, absolutely.
But I have a right to say they're all wet.

[eeyore0062]

Osbourne Family Specticle of Lights is still planned for December, as are all but 3 showings of the Candlelight Processional, the parades will all be there, the MVMCP will stilll be in progress, as scheduled... and if you are really lucky, and they are busy, you might even get a real "Surprise" morning. If you go at Christmas time, or at anytime, you will not be disappointed!

[MosMom]

I've read several posts about crowds being normal or even more than normal from years past...if this is the case, why is Disney cutting back on so much due to "reduced attendance"? Is there something I'm missing or is this their chance to cut back stuff they wanted to before 9/11 but now they have a viable excuse? It just doesn't seem to make sense. My friend who went in mid-October when it is supposed to be near dead said it was packed. We are seasoned Disney travellers & know each other's definitions of packed etc. It just isn't adding up to me. I must be missing something.

[buckylarue]

If the hours hadn't been shortened etc., the crowds would not be at normal levels as they would be spread out over more hours. If things start to get really crowded (as apparently they think they might be over Thanksgiving week), they will likely add more hours, special events (like the 2 recently announced E-nights), parades, fireworks, etc. The more folks go, the more stuff they'll bring back...we're doing our part and heading down for our third trip this year in 3 1/2 weeks!

[100AcreWoodFriend]

We just got back a week ago Mos and while it was busy, it wasn't as crowded as October 2 years before. The buses were empty, there was never more than a 10 minute wait for most rides and Epcot was deserted the day we went.

The weekend was crowded, but that's because of all the local folks visiting now, but the weekdays were pretty tame. And the hotels are pretty empty too, which would be why Dis would need to cut back I imagine. If they're able to close a whole resort like FQ and move everyone to other resorts, then you know they're not at optimal crowds.

[DancingBear]

In addition to the comment above that crowds are somewhat compressed due to the hours reductions--

Be careful about people's judgments about what's "normal"--you don't know what time of year they've been, etc. I've seen several posts say crowds seemed normal, but then talk about walking right on to most rides, etc.

One recent poster said they watched Spectro from Frontierland and had nobody anywhere around them!!

Of course, it would be nice if Disney would release figures. I just read a Wall Street Journal article about Disney's dismal earnings for the quarter ending 9/30, and a spokesman there said Disney theme park attendance was down 25% during that quarter and expected to be down further in the current quarter. Article also said per-patron spending was down somewhat at the theme parks.

The same issue of the WSJ had an article about ClubMed closing 15 of its resorts. They say some will close for good, others may be reopened if things pick up. Things are not good right now in the travel industry in general--there is no reason why WDW would not be exempt from these problems.

[CarolMN]

No one outside of Disney has any good data concerning park attendance. All we have is people's opinions, which as DancingBear says, are very subjective and unreliable. I would tend to believe the WSJ article before any anecdotal evidence. I'm also looking to see what the Disney annual report might have to say on the subject.

We should also keep in mind that Disney's security costs have increased, while revenues decreased. Although I have no idea what it takes to provide security in the wake of 9/11, I'm very sure that it is significantly more expensive than it was prior to 9/11.

[vicb]

My sister just returned 11/10 and thought the crowds were fairly light but due to shorter hours more people crammed into less time. They used fast pass for several attractions but walked on others. Only needed to enter Fantasmic 60 min. in advance but it did fill up. Were able to walk into some resturants with no PS (GG and Mexico).

[minniemick]

I e-mailed WDW after seeing a post on this board regarding cut backs, this was several weeks ago. At 4.40 pm GMT I had a telephone call from a lovely lady in Customer Services WDW {I did not catch her name}. She explained that times etc. are altering all the time and it could be that in the future things could go back as they were. I thought it was very kind of her to take the trouble to telephone me in the UK, at least we know now that the e-mails are read and she said they are passed on to the people who make the decisions.:bounce: :bounce:

[philg]

Kinda concered about Disney. Hope with all the cutbacks we get our money's worth.

philg

[dandave]

Hi philg! I'm glad you didn't decide to cancel your trip after all. The way I see it is this: With the AP discounts we are receiving during this Nov and Dec, then we are doing pretty well. WDW, to my understanding, does not usually offer AP discounts during this time. With the AP discounts for the CR, for example, you are probably saving around 40%. Unless they cut out 40% of the park hours and entertainment, then you're still ahead of the game money-wise.

Have a great trip!! :)

[Poohbear123]

You Will, just don't look for anything negative and you won't find it! I had a great time 2 weeks ago, and if I didn't I would not be going back in Feb. It was as if everything was the same, plenty of CM's and Hotel people were nice! Have a great trip and take LOTS of Pictures!:D

[erica_mutterer]

Michael Richardson, an executive from the disney offices contacted me yesterday regarding my e-mail (sent from the disney.com sight) expressing my opinions on such things as no EE, COP, and some of the recent restaurants that have closed or no longer served breakfast....he was very personable and friendly but unfortunatly not as informative as I would have liked(did not give specific answers as to if any of these things would be back) I did appreciate the call though. he did say that they have received lots of e-mails on these things...especially EE....he did explained that their decision to take away early entry was that they felt not many people were using it...he said that in the responses they are receiving that many people do want that option available to them....The character Caravan came about due to numerous requests for easier character access....he said that every e-mail is looked at and taken into consideration......In my opinion it certanly does not hurt to voice your coments...good and bad...if they get enough responses maybe all changes will not be permenant...he did say that they hoped that at least EPCOT hrs would be back to normal around Christmas...worst case...the summer...depending on the number of visitors...he also said the same for posting of the hours on the web. I did give him both positive and negative feedback.


just wanted to pass on this info...have a magical day....as Mr. Richarson said to me.......

[issa]

Just got off the phone with a wonderfully polite lady.
( I had know idea why they wanted to speak to me as the reservations are in husbands name)

She stated that she received my letter regarding my disappointment over the loss of EE mornings and they she and management were very touched with my Disney experiences and how the lack of EE would effect us and many other guests. ( I had even forgotten I wrote the letter)

She stated that she did not know when or if it would be re-instated and with the increase of the crowds it was a possibility. That the best thing the guests could do was WRITE in. so they have it on paper and can document it for reports being generated. She also stated that my letter was going to be a "lead " in a report showing the thoughts of the guest because of how well I wrote about the Disney experience my family had and how the loss of EE effects that.

She said she would like to encourage all guests to write and that it does make a big difference and that she was calling to let me know that my letter was read and is being taken in account.



I think this is wonderful!!

[josierac]

That's great.

[STOFFER]

Maybe all the letters and e-mails will have an effect. Let's hope so.

[tlduckie]

They wanted to let me know that EE is not in effect but could be started back up just depends on the crowds and DEC may have e nights. Told me the message boards are good but there is lots of misinformation posted. sometimes even before it happens

[drusba]

Interesting their mentioning December may have e-nights since in the past it never has as instead of e-night there is the Mickey Christmas party after hours.

[jiminyC_fan]

I got a phone call from the Executives Office and was told that a survey was done by guests and that EE was not used or important to the guests. He definitely implied to me that EE will not return anytime soon. He also said that the board is full of rumors and not to believe them all.

[8caliace]

Can you please post the address where you send these letters? I know I will take the time to express my feelings to Disney. Hopefully all of us who enjoyed the EE benefit will write in also. Thanks.

[T3trish]

Hi all,

I also recieved a call for a very polite CM regarding an e-mail we sent to them. The CM was polite,sweet, kind and also said EE are not coming back in the forseeable future. Sorry all--But once again. We went and had a wonderful trip without them.

[DawnL]

I received a call yesterday from a CM re: my e'mail on EE mornings. She was very nice - said that for now EE's were gone for good, but with their attendance getting better and with all of the letters and e'mails coming in, there was a possibility that they would continue again for the peak periods - no guarentee, but the letters and e'mails are being reviewed by their top people and they are having an impact. She said after September 11, Disney needed to come up with a quick way to reduce costs and discontinuing EE mornings was decided upon as a cost savings having the least impact on guests. I guess the best thing we can do is keep those letters and e'mails coming.