Walt said...

[Captain Crook]

"We should always strive to exceed the guests expectations"...Is this philosophy possible today? Should today's Disney be using this standard as a guideline or is it just not practical/possible in today's business setting?
:smooth: :smooth: :bounce: :smooth: :smooth:

[marty3d]

I think every company - not just Disney - must strive to exceed their guest's/ clients expectation. How else will companies differentiate themselves? If companies decide to only do what is necessary to make a profit - eventually they will fail. Business history is littered with once great companies that did not try to exceed expectations.

Do you think GM builds tries to exceed expectation? No - but Honda and toyota do - and they succeed.

I think Disney still tries to exceed expecations - I ceratinly know that the parks continue to exceed my expectations - even in difficult times.

Unfortunately, Disney has raised the bar so high that it's difficuult to meet those expectations (I'm thinking of the last few animated films).

It's ok for Disney to fail to exceed expectations from time to time. It's not ok to stop trying. I know alot of people will disagree with me, but I don't think Disney has stopped trying.

[Bob O]

Disney should be using the standards set by Walt, but alas they no longer care to exceed guests expectations but try to get by on the good will they have built over the years!!! If they wanted to exceed our expectations they wouldnt build parks that are half day at best but still charge full price. They wouldnt just contuine to release sequels of alot of their old films but would try to create more masterpieces. If they abided by Walts theory i dont believe their stock would be as low as it is as people will pay more and buy more when they believe they are getting true value for the money they spend. They havent focused on what they do best but feel that bigger is better. It hasnt worked for aol/time warner and with disney's recent moves it also hasnt worked as they keep getting bigger but are losing touch with what was their core, and a peferect example is Pixar creating great animated movies and disneys animated films of late pale in comparsion in quality and box office.

[DaveO]

I think Disney is trying and does exceed almost alll NORMAL guests expectations. As I said in a previous post I was just there and over heard many 1st timers about how wonderful the World was it was great to hear! My expectations are very high BUT I do not expect an E ticket ride every six months. People seem to forget that when MK first opened it did not have 5 of the major rides it does now. Walt also said he never wanted to open a finished park - he wanted it to grow.

And it is just an opinion that AK is not a full park - for me and many others it is a full day.

I also hope that Disney does NOT meet cetain folks expectations. For example - Bob O from reading his posts would like super coasters (nothing wrong with that and I am not trying to pick on Bob) but I do not think Disney should meet his expectations that is not thier market. Leave that to IOA. If they did AK would have never been built.

Everytime I visit they meet my expectaions - I think you really need to visit other parks like SeaWorld - which charges $50 to really appreciate how good of a job Disney does. Also really take notice the difference in staff between IOA and Disney and you will notice.

These boards make it hard to see the magic when there is so much discussion on how it is made. It is like watching a magician after reading a book on how all of his tricks are done. This sets people up for disapointment no matter how good the tricks are. Or if you knew the show whas planned for 3 hours but he decided on a two hour show. Again very hard to meet expectations.

Expectations are very subjective. And in this fast paced information age it will be even harder for Disney to meet them for certain folks.

Dave O.

[Bob O]

What is a NORMAL disney guest???? And im not surprised first timers would be overjoyed. They are possibly comparing it too parks they have been too closer to their home which more than likely is six flags. So in comparsion of course disney will seem very magical, which it still is but not as much as it could be or has been. But from having been to wdw numerous times since 1982 i feel the parks have slipped a notch as compared to when i first went, be it from the hours of operation to how clean the park is and other maintence issues. I dont see disney trying to wow their guests as much as they did in the past IMHO. The parks are now looked upon as more of a cash cow than they used to be when the company was smaller and the parks were a bigger part of the company. Now the parks are used to siphon money to pay for alot of the bonehead decsions the company has made.

[GeorgeG]

While I still think WDW is a wonderful place, I have to think the management isn't really paying enough attention to Walt's ideals.

There are a few other threads along this line and everyone, me included, has a variety of opinions on whether or not WDW is up to par and why or why not.

If there's one thing that bothers me, if even just a little bit, it's that WDW doesn't seem to acknowledge repeat guests. I'm not saying we should expect tons of special consideration. Even a simple "welcome back" at check-in would at least show their paying attention.

I don't gamble, but know a number of people who spend a lot of time (and money) at Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Foxwoods. It seems these places know how many times you've been there, how much you've won or lost, and what you like to eat and drink. They also understand it's in their best interest to encourage good customers to come back often.

It's just hard to believe WDW can't tell if you've ever been there before (as a resort guest). I will say there was one exception to that, though. Although I'm sure he didn't remember my name, Steve, one of the former bartenders at the Banana Cabana, at least recognized me on our return after over a year and said "welcome back." I'm not even a big drinker, but love the atmosphere there. Those two words made me feel good, though amazed that of thousands of people he sees during the course of a year, he remembered one that is probably rather ordinary.

So, in my opinion, it isn't a new thrill ride that attractes me to WDW, but little things that makes it different from any other place. I think that's what Walt had in mind, and what seems to slipping away a bit.

[HorizonsFan]

It's just hard to believe WDW can't tell if you've ever been there before (as a resort guest).
Don't kid yourself. They know. We get mailings now that can only be explained by our many trips to WDW. If you've had the same phone number for awhile, I'll bet you're in the database...

[GeorgeG]

I would hope so, Dave. I'd like to get a better record of my many vacations there since I haven't kept all that information (and here I'm complaining about them?). I asked at the desk at the CBR Customs House last time and the CM said they didn't have those records.

Does anyone know where to inquire about such stuff?

[Galahad]

They are not going to be able to go back in time for you very much. But it won't be long before the CM at the shops or the resorts can see a screen on their computers all about you when you give your card/name showing past visit stuff as well as preferences they've managed to collect. There's a lot of potential for "Magic" when a CM knows who you are.

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Well I've said it before, but I'll say it again...I love the level of conversation that goes on here. You guys are great! Your discussions are so very well thought out!

My take? Well, yes things have slipped from time to time. But then that old magic comes back and I forget...until the next slippage.

I have high expectations of Disney (probably more so than the average Joe any way...but who is the average Joe?). I am greatly disappointed with the masses of IIs that have come pouring out of the animation department. (with the exception of Fantasia 2000). I know they are big money makers, but while giving a little blood to make some cash is fine, you don't want to bleed yourself dry (which I feel Disney is doing now.)

As far as Disney marketing goes...I feel they greatly under utilize what information they MUST have on me. God knows I have spent enough time and money at WDW and TDS. They have the resources. They know where I've stayed and what I've bought. Isn't it time that they stopped the mass crap mailings and started focusing on the spenders? As was pointed out in an earlier post, the gambling centers KNOW who their clients are and make sure they are "well kept"...it keeps them coming back for more. Shouldn't Disney be doing something SIMILAR? It sure would impress the heck out of me.

[larworth]

Captain

Is this a trick question? YES and YES.

In a recent article there was a premise that the average theme park goer's was no longer easily impressed. The inference being it has become harder and more risky to try to get a return from hardware based attractions. I assume the logic is the proliferation of themed places, simulators, 3D movies, video games, etc. has raised the bar on what it takes to WOW someone. At least faster than the cost effective technology that is available to do it has advanced.

If this were the case, while the goal would still be the same, maybe the means might need to be adapted. However, it sure doesn't seem like the lastest wave of major attractions(the Spiderman, RnR, MIB, Soarin, TDS rides) have suffered from fan indifference. They still seem to be impressing the average visitor.

[dznefan]

You are so right about a great deal of the magic coming from interaction with cast members. We have had some wonderful experiences. One was very similar to yours. We have taken many of the backstage tours and on serveral occasions had the same quide. On our last tour we walked up to the desk to sign in and she looked up and said Oh' Hi Donna. Glad to see you back. That can really make your day. We have had cast members bring merchandise we could not find in the park to our hotel from the outlet store. We were given Walk-Around-The- World polo shirts because we had so many bricks. Other experiences too many to mention. The parks can be beautiful and the rides fantastic but it takes those magical people to make it work. Hate to see Disney vend out so many services to people not schooled in Disney Tradition and think Disney needs to instill this in castmembers right up the corporate ladder.

[Conure]

Disney cares about money. Not satisfaction. I'm usually satisfied, but do they care? Not really.


I never let schooling get in the way of my education.
-Mark Twain

[DVC-Landbaron]

How is it possible that I didn't chime in on this thread before??? :confused: Walt said...
"We should always strive to exceed the guests expectations"...Is this philosophy possible today? Should today's Disney be using this standard as a guideline or is it just not practical/possible in today's business setting? Of course it is!! It's what makes Disney - Disney!! Otherwise it's just another company out for the almighty buck!

Isn't that what we've been saying all along? I can't believe you haven't heard the message. It's one of the fundamental reasons we're all such Disney nuts. Now if we can only get Ei$ner to understand the concept!!

[HB2K]

"We should always strive to exceed the guests expectations"...Is this philosophy possible today? Should today's Disney be using this standard as a guideline or is it just not practical/possible in today's business setting?
In any business if you worry about how MUCH you can give a customer for their dollar instead of how LITTLE, you're bound to succeed. It's not brain surgery.

Walt's ideals are the main cusps for any type of customer relations. Treat people with respect and don't try to swindle them and you're bottom line will follow.

Right now Disney NEEDS someone in charge who's only focus is to try to keep their finger on the pulse of their customers. Let someone else worry about the numbers and making them work. A content company shouldn't be run on spreadsheets.

I was just there and over heard many 1st timers about how wonderful the World was it was great to hear!
What were they wowed by? DinoRama or Cindy's castle? Tower of Terror or Aladin's magic Carpets?

I know an E Ticket isn't required every six months....but just as Six Flags improve themselves usually every season, so should Disney. New rides and other improvements shouldn't take half of a decade to be realized.

And it is just an opinion that AK is not a full park - for me and many others it is a full day
No...it's you're opinion that AK is a full day park. The attendance numbers show people do not feel that DAK is worthy of their vacation dollars. If the majority of people felt DAK is a full day park, why are they staying away in droves?

I also hope that Disney does NOT meet cetain folks expectations. For example - Bob O from reading his posts would like super coasters (nothing wrong with that and I am not trying to pick on Bob) but I do not think Disney should meet his expectations that is not thier market. Leave that to IOA. If they did AK would have never been built.
If Disney left everything other than themed carny rides to everyone else, you would never have seen DAK. Animal Kingdom was built to cater to the guests who would leave WDW to go to parks such as Sea World & Bush Gardens. Why shouldn't WDW be something for everyone? My mom doesn't ride rides such as Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, et al. but she still goes and loves the place. If you don't like a ride, don't go on it. But suggesting Disney shouldn't build anything but family rides does a dis-service to people who look for those on their vacations.

P.S. If Disney never built anything outside of "their market" you would NEVER have had Disneyland or Walt Disney World.

[Lesley]

I don't think the upper level management at WDW is striving to exceed guests' expectations...but thankfully there are many in the company, I think mainly in the areas where guest interaction occurs, that still do strive for that. Its what keeps me going back right now.

[Conure]

You must be lucky. It depends on who you talk to.


I never let schooling interfere with my education.
-Mark Twain

[Planogirl]

Everytime I visit they meet my expectaions - I think you really need to visit other parks like SeaWorld - which charges $50 to really appreciate how good of a job Disney does

Maybe it's just me but the line between the WDW and a park such as SeaWorld seems to be getting blurrier and smaller over time. I think I know why this is true for me too.

I have VERY high expectations of Disney. This is all Disney's fault too because of what they've done in the past. They've constantly raised the bar higher and it's no fair suddenly trying to lower it. This is what I see at any rate.

Now SeaWorld, a park somewhere between WDW and Six Flags, keeps improving itself year after year. They keep raising their own bar higher and it's a joy to behold IMO. I expect to find out if Universal is doing the same thing next year.

I guess my main point is that I just don't want these upstart parks bypassing Disney someday. It seems inevitable though unless something changes the current Disney attitude.

[Disneycrazymom]

I am surprised that Disney does not have some type of program for repeat hotel guests. My DH stays at Hilton and Starwood on business and enjoys the perks. Both offer many benefits for their loyal guests. It seems that Disney could use a similar kind of program for on-site guests. The client feels important and the company gets a lifelong client. There are still companies that work very hard to exceed the client expectations, that is the # 1 goal of DH's firm. I am not sure that Disney has done this too well lately.

[Bob O]

Of course disney should have thrill coasters and its to their detriment that they dont!!! Disney should provide experiences that their guests want and a sizeable majority IMHO would enjoy a thrill coaster and once opened it would have long lines and would keep the long lines due to its popularity, unlike rides that some people wish were here(motion/horizons) which had little lines beacuse they werent popular.
And disney right now IMHO with current management cares little about "wowing" the guest but is happy to get buy on their repuation/good will. They are unwilling to provide the extra to make things more magical and are unwilling to spen the money to update their parks and even give us a complete park when opened, they perfer to give us cheap carny rides and half day parks that they promise will some day grow up into a full days park.

[Conure]

This sounds like the "Losing the Magic?" thread I started. Do you just not like Horizons? Anyway, they could've refurbed Horizons, AND built your mega coasters. (I love those by the way).
Here's a list of things that they have spent large sums of money on, while leaving crumbling attractions down in Florida.
Disney's California Adventure
RadioDisney
Tokyo Disneyland
DisneylandParis
SeaDisney
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPNCLASSICS
ABC
ABCFAMILY
Disney Channel
ESPN Cafes nation wide.
ESPNEAST
ESPNWEST
And so the list goes on. NOT including marketing deals, which also take large amounts of cash.
Tell me they couldn't have refurbed Horizons AND built roller coasters, Bob.



I never let schooling interfere with my education.
-Mark Twain

[DC7800]

Originally posted by Bob O
Of course disney should have thrill coasters and its to their detriment that they dont!!! Disney should provide experiences that their guests want and a sizeable majority IMHO would enjoy a thrill coaster

What is a NORMAL disney guest???? And im not surprised first timers would be overjoyed. They are possibly comparing it too parks they have been too closer to their home which more than likely is six flags. So in comparsion of course disney will seem very magical, which it still is but not as much as it could be or has been.

Originally posted by HB2K
suggesting Disney shouldn't build anything but family rides does a dis-service to people who look for those on their vacations.


Thrill coasters really have no proper place in Walt Disney World, and recent attempts to incorporate such attractions into the parks only served to "cheapen" the overall experience (Dinorama, DCA). For reasons I'll no doubt do a remarkably poor job explaining, Disney and thrill rides make a poor combination.

All the usual arguments are quite accurate - that WDW is a place for families to experience together, and that the magical (dark) ride is what Disney is all about - but it is the perception and expectations of first-time and occasional guests that I'm curious about. That "normal" guest (whomever that may be) comes to WDW with at least some vague ideas of what they think a "theme park" is supposed to be, generally something along the lines of a Six Flags. So, they arrive expecting lots of fast, wild, and often wet "rides" which, while literally thrilling to some, are not what you traditionally find in WDW. If you were to evaluate the Magic Kingdom based solely on thrill rides, it would place a (rather distant) second to any Six Flags.

Of course, that's an unfair standard. Whatever our "average" guest may have been expecting, at Disney they find immersive, well-themed attractions (not "rides") that tell a story, and which "wow" visitors not by flipping them upside down but rather by Disney magic and "pixie-dust". Even if WDW were to add a half dozen thrill rides and hyper-coasters to each park, it still could not compete on this level with IOA or Six Flags - but more importantly, it shouldn't try. Anyone can build a thrill coaster (and most parks do); it isn't difficult, requires little innovation, and even less talent or imagination. Disney is above this. You would not expect your server at Victoria & Albert's to ask if you want fries with that, nor should we expect WDW to lower itself to the "cheap thrills" arena.

That is not to say a coaster cannot ever be utilized as a "ride vehicle" in a Disney attraction (Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain), but you still have the problem of creating an attraction that everyone can enjoy. You can tell the same story by using a non-coaster ride vehicle, or at least providing a more sedate ride (the "dual path" concept) option in the attraction suitable for basically all persons who tour WDW. Disney cannot fully satisfy the thrill-ride crowd (this in no way precludes offering something for everyone; for example, RnR and SM) without largely abandoning the family-friendly omni-mover fans (consider recent complaints against Future World), and again, a mere "handful" of thrill rides and coasters invites unfavorable comparisons with more "thrill ride" oriented parks such as IOA.

Now, I hope that explanation made just a bit of sense! :)

and once opened it would have long lines and would keep the long lines due to its popularity, unlike rides that some people wish were here(motion/horizons) which had little lines beacuse they werent popular.

That's not really accurate. Horizons and World of Motion did not have short lines because they were unpopular; rather, they had short waits because they had such huge hourly ride capacities. For instance, if SM and Horizons were (theoritically) both running with most every seat occupied, with a 2-hour wait at SM and Horizons a walk-on, Horizons would actually be the more "popular" ride - in this example, it was carrying more "guests" per hour. Of course, every seat was not often occupied during Horizons final years, but that was due to a combination of factors, and you cannot judge an attraction's popularity based solely upon the queue length. I suspect enough money has been largely wasted in WDW alone over the past few years (the Spaceship Earth "wand", the JIYI fiasco) to have paid for something of a rehab for Horizons. For the price of ABCFamily and Go.com WDW could have built a park to put even DisneySeas to shame...

[DVC-Landbaron]

Really? Maybe Discovery Cove is a cool park but SeaWorld itself? Never been to Discovery Cove, but I’ve been to SeaWorld many, many times. I think it’s great!! Each time I go, I see them getting nearer and nearer the Disney standard. They’re not there yet, but it’s getting close!!

We went there less than two years ago and it was in bad shape. One new off the shelf Kraken and only one other real ride (the admittedly strong Atlantis: very well done indeed). Scoop!! I’m surprised at you! Deriding off-the-shelf rides?!?!?! :rolleyes: ;)

But seriously, if you judge SeaWorld by their rides alone I think you are missing the point by a country mile!! My whole family loves it. The little ones, Mom and Dad and especially the teenagers!! We can’t put our finger on it, but it certainly seems to have the “magic” touch!


PS: Why do you always post twice!?

[DVC-Landbaron]

Mr. DC7800,

WOW!!!! DITTO!!!! THANK YOU!!!! WELL PUT!!! BRAVO!!!!!


:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:


PS: I'll probably lose BobO's support, but honestly I have very, very mixed feelings about thrill rides and Disney. I LOVE them, but not at Disney!! And Mr. DC7800 clarified it a bit for me.

[Bob O]

Kraken seems like a great ride from what i have seen on TV and heard about from friends and would be a great addition to any disney park!!!!! But of course for some unknown reason disney wont work with the best coaster company B & M !!!

DC7800-Thrill coasters most defitinely have a place in disney parks!!! PW isnt a thrill coaster in the least!!! Its is a carny coaster and not a thrill ride. I read you argument and it makes sense even if it is wrong. Walt Disney himself put the first steel coaster into a American Theme Park when he had Arrow build the Matterhorn Bobsleds at DL. It was a major thrill ride for its day and was the first of its kind in any theme park and was the begining of the steel coaster craze. Their is no reason other than a lack of will and creative ability why a thrill ride/coaster cant be part of a immerisive attraction. The parks are over-run by extremely tame rides which im not against but their is no reason they cant have something for everybody and their is no reason to believe that if they built a immersive coaster expereince which they dont have that it wouldnt be extremely popular and if built with 4 across seating would have increased capacity. if you look at the lines with the longest waits it is the few rides they have that could be called thrill rides. Their capacity may not be as much per hour as tamer rides but they are also the first ones to go thru their allotment of fastapass's.
And you dont have to have a park over-run with thrill rides to be popular for people who enjoy a thrill ride. IOA only has 2 thrill rides Hulk/DD and other great parks such as Busch Gardens Williamsburg only has 2-Apollo's Chariot/Alpengist so you dont have to have 6-15 coasters, just a few high quality ones which disney has at the most maybe one.
And even though some people are nuts about rides like Motion/Horizons the masse's of people spoke by not going on the rides and disney would know this by the ride attendance.
Disney doesnt have to put in bland thrill rides like a Six Flags but their is no reason they cant use a thrilling ride like a coaster to make a unique attraction rather than waste money on spinners or glorified carny rides like PW. . Or maybe they should tear down the few rides like TOT/TT/RNRC that are thrilling to make the parks a better place to visit. Do you think the majority would like to tear down TOT and replace it with Horizons??? Would that be something to build a campaign around to increase park attendance??? In ending my long winded/haphazard post their is no reason the disney parks cant satisfy the people who would enjoy a true thrill ride and people who enjoy a more tame ride!!

[Eeyore2U]

I tihnk at some point, level of expectation gets in the way of the true level of service. The goal is set so high that that it can't be attained. This is the case at DW's company and Sr. Management has to review bonus policies because achieving a lovel of 95+ customer satisfaction in healthcare is imo, ridiculous.

I think Disney does an above average job of meeting a customer's expectation of good to great customer service. I think that they also do an above average job of great to excellent customer service.

No one does or can do 100% of anything. I think people expect WDW to give you personalized service. Cut your steak into small bites and feed it to you type service and that just not realistic.

[airlarry!]

Sir Baron, I'm like you, I think, in that I love thrill rides, but wonder about their need at a Disney park.

1. M. BobO has to admit that once a park starts adding purely thrill rides, there is an element of needing more and more to add. Six Flags in Houston has to continue to add bigger and faster coasters to attract people to come -- because inside the park, most people only ride the middle coasters (which three years ago were the baddest) once. Compare that to WDW where Splash still generates two hour waits in the summer. Why is this bad? Disney will never, and should never, add hyper coasters every summer at the expense of adding other E*ticket attractions. JMO.

2. I think I have come up with a viable solution. Notice how Splash and Space have sections viewable by other attractions? I think Disney could add the hyper coaster...and make it a B & M coaster so BobO's stock could soar ;) but it would have to be enclosed, themed, with a story line like Journey to the Center, and it would have to contain another attraction that would run through it a la the Wedway People Mover/TTA.

So if is the rumored Atlantis coaster (with the story line) there would have to be a...uh...Milo's Atlantean Vehicle ride where you hop on those fish-cars (think Aquatopia) around and then actually through the coaster. That way the family park idea is not compromised. BobO and his sextuplet 13 year old boys can ride the hyper coaster, while Mrs. BobO and their quadruplet 5 year old daughters see a different part of the storyline on the Atlanteanopia ride. And they both drop their riders into the Marketplace (a fastfood and shopping area built like the one from the movie).

[Bob O]

Their is no reason disney has to get into the coaster arms race. Parks like IOA/BGW have 2 great thrill rides but dont feel the need to add one every year or every other year like Six Flags does. They are going after different crowds of guests. I would agree they shouldnt add a hyper coaster every year!!! But it would be nice to see a few more e ticket attractions every once in a while which has been scarce as of late!
And im not for adding coasters wihtout any type of theming, just plop them out their like Six Flags does. But it doesnt have to be inside either, it can be but doesnt have too. A great ride like Alpenqeist at BGW has outdoor theming of people hitting the roofs of building and white covered rocks to add to the snow lift theme.

[Dizfreak]

Great conversation everybody

Just got back from the World a couple of days ago here are some of my thoughts.

I think they have been slipping as of late. I've been every year, sometimes twice a year for the last 10 years and have seen the boom and the decline. This year however was the worst. And for the most part it is the little nit-picky things that start to ruin the experience.

1. Operating hours are at an all time low. 7 o'clock for the Magic Kingdom????? Add to the fact that there are no more early entries or E-Ride nights, that leaves you with a ten hour day. Not enough time to do everything. On my last visit we did half-days for three days in a row. Still didn't get to do everything.

2. Disney must be hiring anyone who walks in the door because there is a major lack of niceness. CM's running Test Track were shouting at crowds when the ride broke down. "Test Track is closed! Leave this area immediately." It was like police evacuating after a bomb threat.

3. Can they possibly close anymore attractions in Tommorow Land? Timekeeper, Carousel of Progress, and they were'nt running one of the stage shows. Walt must be spinning in his grave that they are not running COP during his 100th birthday celebration.

4. Magical Moments Parade, worst parage ever. Definately the lamest of the three parades. May be all new floats but nothing exciting. And what is with all the boried cartoonists on bicycles?

5. Not too sure why they are hearding EVERYONE at one gate during closing time, but I felt even more like a sheep than usual.

6. Chester and Hester's Dinland whatever is the most appalling thing I have ever seen. Worse than any carnival I have ever been too. The whole area gave me a headache and the Primevil Whirl is the lamest ride I have ever been on.

7. The security guards that check bags have got to be the meanest looking most unpleasant people they could find. Felt like I was back at the airport.

Enough complaining. Some good stuff.

1. Anyone who has not done the Keys to the Kingdom Tour must make reservations immediately. And ask for Bob. He is the best tour guide and probably one of the best CM's at Disney. The man knows everything there is to know about the Magic Kingdom, and is a great story teller. Brought tears to many peoples eys when talked about Walt's death.

2. All the waitstaff now ask if this is your first time dinning at that particular resteraunt and welcome you back if you have.

3. Flower and Garden Festival cool as always. Some really nice topiaries and displays.

4. Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade best daytime parade I've seen at Disney. Very imaginative. All major characters had their own floats. Very long, almost the whole parade route.

5. A little girl was waiting to see the parade and threw up. CM's had it cleaned up within five minutes and gave the girl about three feet of stickers. (I know these good CM stories outweigh the bad ones, but the bad always sticks out at Disney.)

6. Stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. (Formerly Dixie Landings) Great place to stay. Had never stayed there before, but like the other Port Orleans and since it was closed decided to give it a try.
The landscapping is beautiful. Had some great night time walks. My only complaint is that there is only one hot tub. For me a hot tub could be a vacation. Over 4000 people and one hot tub, something wrong with this equation.

That's about all I have to say. Thanks for listening.

[YoHo]

Only companies that exceed Expectations Prosper.

To look at something from my industry (computers, networking et al) look at AMD. When the Athlon was released, nobody expected it to do much. Intel had a stranglehold on high performace. Now Intel must fight to keep the high performance title. It is only their ability to lower costs and keep high margins that keeps them dominant. They are no longer on the cutting edge. and this has a profound effect on the people that buy this stuff.


Disney has the same situation. sure, they can keep on keeping on, but the only way to expand, grow, become prosperous is to exceed expectations.

[jonathansullivan]

2 eldery friends of mine who worked with Walt remember him for saying one simple phrase that seemed to drive him in the final days. He told those around him that Pirates was his final project...

"What we did yesterday made today possible, what we do today will make tommorrow better" - Walt Disney


While talking about Walt, can I tell you how SICK I was when I walked into the Hallmark (now Disney Theatre) where One man's dream is showing in MGM Studios...On the wall in gold is a quote

"Walt Disney once said "I hope we never loose sight of one thing, that it all started with a mouse" - Michael Eisener 2001

hmm...quoting someones quote? Sorry, I'll quit before I start.

[HB2K]

You would not expect your server at Victoria & Albert's to ask if you want fries with that, nor should we expect WDW to lower itself to the "cheap thrills" arena.
No, but I would expect some restaurant on the property to satisfy my need for French Fries.

I'm not saying plop a Hyper Coaster in each park. I'm saying it's a market segment which is becoming more and more popular as more and more families are traveling with Teens in tow.

I'm also not advocating a "Cheap thrills" experince. How is a roller coaster thrill any different than the thrill you'll experince from Mission:Space?

What I advocate is basically Dueling Dragons at IOA taken up another notch. An immersive queue (and if you haven't seen DD at IOA, make sure you check it out)....a solid pre-show leading into a themed roller coaster ride....one where the thrills are a "side-effect we've come to live with". Sell the ride on it's story...let the thrills be a side effect. Disney can do it....they just don't want to.
That is not to say a coaster cannot ever be utilized as a "ride vehicle" in a Disney attraction (Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain), but you still have the problem of creating an attraction that everyone can enjoy.
Uhm...not everyone rides the current rides. I use my mother as an example. She's scared to death of heights, so she refuses to do many of the "tame" rides you list. But she still enjoys the park for what interests her. If you only like the "tame" family rides, you go on them. If you like the Thrill rides, Disney shouldn't ignore you're wants.

Just like they cater to the different food tastes (Fomal @ Victoria & Alberts, Casual at Food Courts) there should be different options for riders.

[Bob O]

I would agree wholeheartedly with HB2K!!