Do You think DISNEY has gone down hlll the last few years?

[Donut23]

Can read my latest trip report here. Things have DEFINATELY gone down hill lately...

I just read your trip report. I'm so sorry.

Everyone has their moment when those favorite "rose colored glasses" come off. For some of us it happens sooner than others but if decline continues, the group will grow.

Mine came off years ago. Remember when they had that promotion...get a 15% discount and if the discount is increased we will modify your reservation? For some reason, that was my moment.

I had been an avid.....ok, let's tell the truth.....I was a RAPID Disney supporter. I lived in Maryland but had an annual pass. I was there 2 or 3 times a year.

For any of you who travel often, most of us take advantage of travel perks which hotels, airlines and car rental companies use to bring us back to the brand. I just assumed that Disney followed the same marketing plan that...."a happy repeat guest is the BEST advertising possible"....and would be rewarded with some sort of program.

I had noticed the perks had disappeared over the years and I admit, the 15% promo was stupid but not a biggie....but for me, it was enough to slap me awake. Ok, ok.....probably also because I had met my castmember (at the time) boyfriend that summer and I was also hearing about life on the INSIDE of the house of mouse-32 year veteran. He certainly has seen changes!


Everyone has a breaking point. Many fight the good fight to pretend nothing has changed and I actually envy them a bit. It's still magical to my DH and myself....but we also travel with a big dose of reality now.

It's still sad when I hear someone else lost their "glasses".

 

[cm8]

So your saying as long as the food is cheap it's ok that it's crummy? Sorry, that's the one argument I hear alot that I'm not buying. bad food is bad food and even when I did the ddp I expect hot halfway decent food.

You're absolutely right in that us "old" timers are most likely to notice. that's natural. I don't compare Disney to other parks mainly because Disney set the standard of quality entertainment. I compare them to the standard they themselves set.

So I voice my displeasure with my dollars, I no longer buy the souveniers when before I always picked up stuff for the kids in my family. We rarely eat at a ts restaurant preferring to either eat of site or in our villa. If I'm going to get Ihop quality food, I'll simply head out to the Ihop outside of DTD and pay alot less.

: I really agree with what you have stated! We leave all the time and head off to some really great restaurants and are well worth it!!!

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

everyone has a breaking point. Many fight the good fight to pretend nothing has changed and i actually envy them a bit. It's still magical to my dh and myself....but we also travel with a big dose of reality now.

It's still sad when i hear someone else lost their "glasses".

ita

 

[brunette8706]

Can read my latest trip report here. Things have DEFINATELY gone down hill lately...

**
HI! Sorry about your trip! I feel your pain. I did make a few comments on your trip report thread. It's a shame. I think we should all bring back Eisner. The one thing that stands out alot is ongoing construction at MK. It's alot, too much if you will. Between some of the shops that are be refaced on Main Street and the expansion at Fantasyland, it's too overwhelming, kinda looses much of the Disney magic if you ask me.

 

[Pirate Jeff]

....and I mean that.

Usually, a thread of this size is cut off and honestly, I felt some pages back it would be. Not so however. Further, I am more than impressed by the civility of this thread with very little nastiness! I am well aware of my post count, I am on this board more a "reader" than a "writer"! I tend to be argumentative and that doesn't usually bode well for a site like Disney!

That said, I want to stress some points here.....

I am disappointed with some of the changes at the World. I won't dwell on redundancy and beaten down horses....., so I won't spell them out. Instead, I'll reflect a bit and I am certain, a few members will understand my points..., I pray Disney execs get the message at some point!!

There is no similar magic, to walking down Main Street U.S.A. when you get past the vintage railroad station. Has anyone looked at the maps on the wall? Authentic for the era of mid-19th century America. When you pass through the tunnel into Hometown Square, you know, you've arrived. You smell the popcorn from the red cart to your right or you see the blue misters from the cart on your left...either way, you are treated to the vision of Walt Disney himself.

You have a horse drawn trolley with a horse that poops and everything!! One of the few times we've rode the trolley, the horse had to do his business and it was gone before the carriage passed the "mess"! On the carriage, around the bend past the flag-pole of Old Glory, onto Mainstreet and the castle ahead. You smell cookies baking, see hawkers selling their Mickey Balloons and the horse tender, courteous and polite answering all the little kiddies questions as though she's done it a thousand times.... and still has the same passion as though it were her first time!

We get off the trolley and bump into some cast member going about his business whom upon eye contact says: "Hello!! Have a magical day!!" ...as though he were your best friend from school. Then my wife and I, sit down on a bench. At some point, a bird flies onto her arm (we have pics) and lets her pet it and eat out of her hand! We've had the same experience with squirrels and ducks! We know we shouldn't feed them and we've gotten scolded more than once about it...but if a person has never had the honor, of having one of God's little creatures trust them enough to let them touch them and feed them, they have never known "magic".

Magic, is so much more than a clean restroom or white sheets on a bed. Magic, is passing through a gate, and all the world's troubles are left behind. The beeper, the checkbook and the cell phone are all left in the car, where they belong.

Inside the gates, into Adventure-Land. Take a walk past a spitting camel, after climbing through the trees of a castaway family, whom found paradise on a deserted island. The Magic Kingdom is like that, along with the other parks there.

Years ago, I recall some folks asking about where to go, Universal or Disney? No contest to me. Universal is like a good concierge, Disney, is the Suite. Where else in this world, can you watch Taiko, French Acrobats, Italian Street Actors, eat School Bread from Norway, witness the eclectic society of Morocco, and experience the cultures of 11 countries?

NO WHERE!!!

Disney has it's faults, I've stated so much. But no where on this planet, can you find one part of the world where there is no fear, no ignorance and no bad things to get you! A real "fantasy-land" of wonderful magical experiences for all ages to appreciate!

For this reason, I suggest that Disney has a responsibility to maintain the "magic". This "magic" shouldn't be a "priveledge" but a way of life.

Donald Trump or maybe some DIS board members may argue with me.... but I don't care. When you build a business upon the magic of one man/mouse, your responsibility is to maintain that mission for the duration.

Disney still delivers. I pray they never forget the magic that got them to this place in human existence.

Personally, I think they falter in some areas, yet still, if you ask me..............


My absolute worst day at Disney, is fathoms (darn....I miss 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea..) above my "BEST" day at work!!!


AAAAAAARRRRRGHGH!!!!!

 

[GadgetRick]

I just read your trip report. I'm so sorry.

Everyone has their moment when those favorite "rose colored glasses" come off. For some of us it happens sooner than others but if decline continues, the group will grow.

Mine came off years ago. Remember when they had that promotion...get a 15% discount and if the discount is increased we will modify your reservation? For some reason, that was my moment.

I had been an avid.....ok, let's tell the truth.....I was a RAPID Disney supporter. I lived in Maryland but had an annual pass. I was there 2 or 3 times a year.

For any of you who travel often, most of us take advantage of travel perks which hotels, airlines and car rental companies use to bring us back to the brand. I just assumed that Disney followed the same marketing plan that...."a happy repeat guest is the BEST advertising possible"....and would be rewarded with some sort of program.

I had noticed the perks had disappeared over the years and I admit, the 15% promo was stupid but not a biggie....but for me, it was enough to slap me awake. Ok, ok.....probably also because I had met my castmember (at the time) boyfriend that summer and I was also hearing about life on the INSIDE of the house of mouse-32 year veteran. He certainly has seen changes!


Everyone has a breaking point. Many fight the good fight to pretend nothing has changed and I actually envy them a bit. It's still magical to my DH and myself....but we also travel with a big dose of reality now.

It's still sad when I hear someone else lost their "glasses".

I'm with you (and remember that promo). We live in NJ are are AP holders (all 4 of us). The first thing which has gotten to me is the RIDICULOUS ticket prices. Sorry, but the prices they're charging are just way too high. And why on earth continue to INCREASE them during (arguably) the worst economic time in our country's history?

But I digress...

 

[si-am]

Then my wife and I, sit down on a bench. At some point, a bird flies onto her arm (we have pics) and lets her pet it and eat out of her hand! We've had the same experience with squirrels and ducks! We know we shouldn't feed them and we've gotten scolded more than once about it...but if a person has never had the honor, of having one of God's little creatures trust them enough to let them touch them and feed them, they have never known "magic".

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

lol, no kidding!

Last trip a gull stole my daughter's churro!

 

[spacemountainmom]

Pirate Jeff -

Awesome post!

Thank you for taking me inside the Magic. I could "see" each and every thing you described.

January is too far away!

 

[Planogirl]

I just got back and while I wouldn't say that the magic has disappeared, I do think that the parks are not what they once were. I'm thrilled for people who see the same parks or don't see the changes as being a big deal but we're all different in our expectations. We still have an amazing time and will continue to go but the level of service, the FOOD, the creativity and the overall look of the resort have all changed and continue to do so.

One more thing, I won't compare WDW to other vacation destinations because that's pointless IMO. Disney needs to meet its own standards and not someone else's.

 

[brunette8706]

I just got back and while I wouldn't say that the magic has disappeared, I do think that the parks are not what they once were. I'm thrilled for people who see the same parks or don't see the changes as being a big deal but we're all different in our expectations. We still have an amazing time and will continue to go but the level of service, the FOOD, the creativity and the overall look of the resort have all changed and continue to do so.

One more thing, I won't compare WDW to other vacation destinations because that's pointless IMO. Disney needs to meet its own standards and not someone else's.

*
Planogirl-

Hi! Where did you stay? We just got back last week August 15th. Stayed at the YC which was great, actually it was awesome. But as other posters have pointed out I do think that it has way too much construction going on at MK. Between the Fantasyland expansion and the store fronts with covers on them at Main street was a bit much. We opted to eat off property a lot of times. We went to Shula's, Garden Grove, Kimono's, they're a short walk from the YC in the Swan hotel. I refuse to pay the surcharge's that Disney incorporated.

Someone else said that they scaled down the decorations at the Mickey's Halloween Party and Epcot's Food and Wine festival. Not sure why they would do that?

 

[Tiger926]

Can read my latest trip report here. Things have DEFINATELY gone down hill lately...

Just read it...sorry you had some issues, and you've lost a bit of magic. It happens to all of us at some point, but hopefully, it will come back! I think Disney is faltering in the small details, which is something that it used to excel at, but when you cut staff, this is one of the first areas to go.

....and I mean that.

Usually, a thread of this size is cut off and honestly, I felt some pages back it would be. Not so however. Further, I am more than impressed by the civility of this thread with very little nastiness! I am well aware of my post count, I am on this board more a "reader" than a "writer"! I tend to be argumentative and that doesn't usually bode well for a site like Disney!

That said, I want to stress some points here.....

I am disappointed with some of the changes at the World. I won't dwell on redundancy and beaten down horses....., so I won't spell them out. Instead, I'll reflect a bit and I am certain, a few members will understand my points..., I pray Disney execs get the message at some point!!

There is no similar magic, to walking down Main Street U.S.A. when you get past the vintage railroad station. Has anyone looked at the maps on the wall? Authentic for the era of mid-19th century America. When you pass through the tunnel into Hometown Square, you know, you've arrived. You smell the popcorn from the red cart to your right or you see the blue misters from the cart on your left...either way, you are treated to the vision of Walt Disney himself.

You have a horse drawn trolley with a horse that poops and everything!! One of the few times we've rode the trolley, the horse had to do his business and it was gone before the carriage passed the "mess"! On the carriage, around the bend past the flag-pole of Old Glory, onto Mainstreet and the castle ahead. You smell cookies baking, see hawkers selling their Mickey Balloons and the horse tender, courteous and polite answering all the little kiddies questions as though she's done it a thousand times.... and still has the same passion as though it were her first time!

We get off the trolley and bump into some cast member going about his business whom upon eye contact says: "Hello!! Have a magical day!!" ...as though he were your best friend from school. Then my wife and I, sit down on a bench. At some point, a bird flies onto her arm (we have pics) and lets her pet it and eat out of her hand! We've had the same experience with squirrels and ducks! We know we shouldn't feed them and we've gotten scolded more than once about it...but if a person has never had the honor, of having one of God's little creatures trust them enough to let them touch them and feed them, they have never known "magic".

Magic, is so much more than a clean restroom or white sheets on a bed. Magic, is passing through a gate, and all the world's troubles are left behind. The beeper, the checkbook and the cell phone are all left in the car, where they belong.

Inside the gates, into Adventure-Land. Take a walk past a spitting camel, after climbing through the trees of a castaway family, whom found paradise on a deserted island. The Magic Kingdom is like that, along with the other parks there.

Years ago, I recall some folks asking about where to go, Universal or Disney? No contest to me. Universal is like a good concierge, Disney, is the Suite. Where else in this world, can you watch Taiko, French Acrobats, Italian Street Actors, eat School Bread from Norway, witness the eclectic society of Morocco, and experience the cultures of 11 countries?

NO WHERE!!!

Disney has it's faults, I've stated so much. But no where on this planet, can you find one part of the world where there is no fear, no ignorance and no bad things to get you! A real "fantasy-land" of wonderful magical experiences for all ages to appreciate!

For this reason, I suggest that Disney has a responsibility to maintain the "magic". This "magic" shouldn't be a "priveledge" but a way of life.

Donald Trump or maybe some DIS board members may argue with me.... but I don't care. When you build a business upon the magic of one man/mouse, your responsibility is to maintain that mission for the duration.

Disney still delivers. I pray they never forget the magic that got them to this place in human existence.

Personally, I think they falter in some areas, yet still, if you ask me..............


My absolute worst day at Disney, is fathoms (darn....I miss 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea..) above my "BEST" day at work!!!


AAAAAAARRRRRGHGH!!!!!

What a neat post - I felt like I was there! Thanks, Tiger

 

[cmpdw4me]

I have NEVER had a DW or DL trip that has been dissapointing. Sorry to disagree, but it is my MOST favorite vacation spot. I love the atmosphere, the resorts, the dining and of course, the parks. I FEEL the magic the second we are on site. I'm also realistic and know that times are changing and not everyone shares Walt's theory about customer service. I can only say, my personal experiences are ALL excellent!

 

[Planogirl]

*
Planogirl-

Hi! Where did you stay? We just got back last week August 15th. Stayed at the YC which was great, actually it was awesome. But as other posters have pointed out I do think that it has way too much construction going on at MK. Between the Fantasyland expansion and the store fronts with covers on them at Main street was a bit much. We opted to eat off property a lot of times. We went to Shula's, Garden Grove, Kimono's, they're a short walk from the YC in the Swan hotel. I refuse to pay the surcharge's that Disney incorporated.

Someone else said that they scaled down the decorations at the Mickey's Halloween Party and Epcot's Food and Wine festival. Not sure why they would do that?

We were offsite so that didn't play into my opinion. We did visit some resorts though and they all still look nice luckily.

I don't see the same level of service at the parks. I saw wonderful CM's - don't get me wrong but it's not the same. The parks aren't as pristine as they once were either. Cutbacks I expect.

Fantasyland did look rather pathetic this time but I kind of expected that. I understand that they are doing a major refurbishment but it sounds like they are scaling that back too? We did get to ride TSM one more time at least but that's closed too.

 

[bdoyledimou]

In the two weeks I was at WDWR, i can't count how many times, i saw something that needed to be fixed, from big to small.

Large areas covered by tarps in MK, or something as small as a straw dispenser that didn't work. Overflowing Garbage cans, and the ever present frowns on CM's faces.

Chips and cracks, faded paint jobs. The "SHINE" of Disney World is starting to fade..

With that being said, DW is still by far the best , and i agree that my worst experience there was better than my best experience at home!

 

[GadgetRick]

I think this goes well beyond staff cuts. I think a big part of it is horrible (not just poor) planning. Why on earth do they have so many things being refurbished at the same time? Because they planned the refurbishments poorly and didn't do them when they should have been done in the first place.

Why is the food getting so bad? That's not a staffing issue. It's a cost-cutting issue.

Why is the food so darn expensive now? Again, money issue.

I think missing many of the details is the staffing issue. I think unhappy CMs are due to staffing issues (CMs can chime in if they feel they can do so safely). But I feel the overall issue is the people in charge just don't have a direction or, more importantly, a vision of what WDW should continue to be.

I know a lot of people talk about how it's still a great vacation, etc.--and I tend to agree--but it can be, no, should be so much more because it has been in the past. Many of the little things I cited in my other post aren't things which would cost a lot of money to do properly (again).

Ok, food isn't a minor thing nor would it be cheap to fix but it should be fixed. If this many people are posting about it then how many people really feel this way? There is always a SMALL percentage of unhappy people who will actually complain. You know Disney is aware of the unhappiness with the food situation yet they refuse to do anything about it, even worse, they ignore there's a problem entirely. Sorry, that's not just crappy customer service, rather, it's NO customer service. Since Disney had always been known for their customer service in the past, not sure why they've decided it's not worth their time to continue to provide it.

Is WDW as bad as other places? Heck no. However, just because it's still better than other places doesn't mean they should get a pass when we all know darn well just how good they can be. The attitude from Disney (over the past few years but especially in the last year) seems to be to just be good enough rather than being the best. To me, that's just unacceptable and I really hope they change their tune.

We love going to Disney. If we didn't we wouldn't go down there multiple times a year from NJ and have APs for my whole family. However, at some point, we, the CUSTOMERS, have to stand up and demand what's owed us--the quality product we've come to expect.

I don't expect everything to be all perfect or anything like that. But I do expect good service, affordable prices for food/merchandise/etc and NOT to be raked over the coals on ticket prices. I'm willing to pay a premium for these things--have been doing so for years. But, at some point, the premium doesn't become worth it and, IMO, it's getting closer to that the longer they (the company) have this horrible attitude towards us--the CUSTOMERS. Instead of looking at us as a cash cow who can be milked, how about looking at us as a customer who spends money on their product(s)?

 

[disneynutz]

When you have a hundred million visitors paying the increased prices, buying over priced, made in China, Disney themed merchandise, and eating the reduced quality food, why would you go back to the old ways of doing business.

The number of repeat visitors who are upset about the new Disney business model is so small, I don't think that we have any impact on their decisions.

All they have to do is offer "free" food and the place will fill up.

Bill

 

[Tiger926]

When you have a hundred million visitors paying the increased prices, buying over priced, made in China, Disney themed merchandise, and eating the reduced quality food, why would you go back to the old ways of doing business.

The number of repeat visitors who are upset about the new Disney business model is so small, I don't think that we have any impact on their decisions.

All they have to do is offer "free" food and the place will fill up.

Bill

Absolutely agree!

A lot of posters on here are nostalgic for the 'old' Disney, but perhaps that wasn't working from a financial or business perspective? And despite logging thousands of park hours, I'm not even sure I could even summarize or articulate what the Disney of old actually is? How much different is it really? Most guests are being served in a good manner, as repeat vacationers are showing us.

If the parks are still filling up, and people are still eating the food and buying the products, why in the world would Disney change anything? People are spending money, and this is what Disney's first priority will be, and really should be to shareholders.

As this thread has showed us, there is sometimes a disconnect between what us loyal and repeat guests see at Disney, and what first or only timers see. We are a very small percentage in the grand scheme, as most are being served just fine. And to Disney, it's even more telling since DVC membership is at an all-time high. Disney sees loyal, as we've just spent thousands of dollars upfront, to vacation there for a lifetime. And we did so based on our enjoyment of past vacations.

We still enjoy our vacations, but since we've done it all, over a span of 10 plus years, we are starting to see small and minute details falling by the wayside. But, in the grand scheme of things, how many are actually seeing these same things? Chances are, it's a very small amount. Considering that Free Dining sells out resorts, people aren't too bothered by the food.

I think it's important that we continue to discuss these points, but we have to remain realistic about how Disney is going to operate, Tiger

 

[Noah]

I believe that they are keeping up to date. For instance, the AKV concept was very nice and any new character/movie they add are all integrated into the theme parks.

I especially loved one of the rides that showed us the new green technologies on farming techniques. I believe that was at Epcot center.

noah

 

[brunette8706]

I think this goes well beyond staff cuts. I think a big part of it is horrible (not just poor) planning. Why on earth do they have so many things being refurbished at the same time? Because they planned the refurbishments poorly and didn't do them when they should have been done in the first place.

Why is the food getting so bad? That's not a staffing issue. It's a cost-cutting issue.

Why is the food so darn expensive now? Again, money issue.

I think missing many of the details is the staffing issue. I think unhappy CMs are due to staffing issues (CMs can chime in if they feel they can do so safely). But I feel the overall issue is the people in charge just don't have a direction or, more importantly, a vision of what WDW should continue to be.

I know a lot of people talk about how it's still a great vacation, etc.--and I tend to agree--but it can be, no, should be so much more because it has been in the past. Many of the little things I cited in my other post aren't things which would cost a lot of money to do properly (again).

Ok, food isn't a minor thing nor would it be cheap to fix but it should be fixed. If this many people are posting about it then how many people really feel this way? There is always a SMALL percentage of unhappy people who will actually complain. You know Disney is aware of the unhappiness with the food situation yet they refuse to do anything about it, even worse, they ignore there's a problem entirely. Sorry, that's not just crappy customer service, rather, it's NO customer service. Since Disney had always been known for their customer service in the past, not sure why they've decided it's not worth their time to continue to provide it.

Is WDW as bad as other places? Heck no. However, just because it's still better than other places doesn't mean they should get a pass when we all know darn well just how good they can be. The attitude from Disney (over the past few years but especially in the last year) seems to be to just be good enough rather than being the best. To me, that's just unacceptable and I really hope they change their tune.

We love going to Disney. If we didn't we wouldn't go down there multiple times a year from NJ and have APs for my whole family. However, at some point, we, the CUSTOMERS, have to stand up and demand what's owed us--the quality product we've come to expect.

I don't expect everything to be all perfect or anything like that. But I do expect good service, affordable prices for food/merchandise/etc and NOT to be raked over the coals on ticket prices. I'm willing to pay a premium for these things--have been doing so for years. But, at some point, the premium doesn't become worth it and, IMO, it's getting closer to that the longer they (the company) have this horrible attitude towards us--the CUSTOMERS. Instead of looking at us as a cash cow who can be milked, how about looking at us as a customer who spends money on their product(s)?

*
Rickster-

Great post. I agree with everything you have stated. Did you ever notice the green like bus stops at MK? They're made of a green type of tin or aluminum. Well they are in desparate need of a good paint job. They have become very tarnished. These green like bus stops, lack of a better word, I have no idea what they're there for, have been like this for years. How much would paint cost to fix this? Same with the Odessey (sp) restaurant next to Mexico at World showcase. It just looks abandon even though it's not. How bout some fresh paint??? Disney made a net income on the July 3rd quarter at 1.3 BILLION dollars! So, it's not like they are losing money.

Brunette