And the cuts continue....

[roymccoy]

My wife and I were at DL today and I stopped by the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor for my usual fix. I asked for my customary cup of ice water (ice cream always make me thirsty for some reason) and I was told, "We no longer give out ice water...I can give you a cup and you can get water across the street by the fruit stand." I asked why they couldn't give out ice water anymore and I was told "I don't know...they just came and took out the water spicket." The water spicket is right below the Nestea button, and she said that it no longer works. Okay folks...here's the "Disney magic" I hear so much about at work. Wow...I really feel the love.

Also, a couple of rides in Fantasyland were closed "just because." Alice and Wonderland was closed (no refurbishment going on) and I asked a sweeper why it was closed and he told me that "when it's slow, they close rides here and there."
Great...do they lower the prices "here and there" too?? No. Of course not.

Roy

 

[Michelle]

Okay Roy, I'll bite.

Why do you go to Disneyland and DCA if nearly every trip results in some disappointment for you? I'm honestly curious. If I was so unhappy with a place I would not be frequenting it.

Sure, there are things I miss at the parks and I don't like some of the cutbacks either. But overall I love both Disneyland and DCA and when I go I focus on what I DO enjoy.

It just seems like there is more that you don't like than you DO like, so I just wonder why you keep going.

 

[teri]

Um... not to say that the sweepers at Disneyland are not top notch and sometimes privy to information that others may not be aware of,.... but I certainly would not necessarily EXPECT them to know why a certain attraction has been taken out for the day. Could be any combination of reasons.

And perhaps the water spicket broke? Maybe she really didn't know why... not all casual employees are informed every time a decision is made about maintenance.

Be sure to let Guest Relations know about your concerns next time you go. As much as you complain, I have a feeling you will be back anyway.

 

[year2late]

Dude, if it coninually bothers you so much - stop torturing yourself (and others) and don't go.

Reason #1 From all your posts, it seems as if you hate it.
Reason #2 Don't give Disney your money it only encourages them.

 

[WDW2002]

and #3 I have heard on other posts, how you (and others) are scaring first timmers.

As with Michelle, I do not see why you continue to go if you are so upset and disappointed in the park(s). Are you hoping that it is different this time?

 

[roymccoy]

My dad was there the first week it opened. I am a Disney fan. I have had an annual pass since the very early eighties. I try to post
honestly and without too much "rah-rah". Up until just a few years ago, I really didn't have anything negative to say about DL. Then,
I just started noticing changes. Rides started closing with nothing going in it's place. Restaurants started closing early or just closing period. Prices are on the rise and services are waning. It's not some axe I have to grind with Disney, it's just the way I see it. Are you going to tell me that Tomorrowland is better now? The submarine lagoon is better now? The Ranch area? The County Bear Jamboree? The Motorboat River area? The Restaurant off of Main Street? Now I can't get a glass of cold water???
Now rides are closing because of low attendance? I just hate to see this happening. It hurts me to see my beloved DL go down.
You don't know how much I want to be wrong about this. I have kept my family in Orange County just because we love Disney so much but there is no doubt about it...Eisner and company are hurting the park with their penny-pinching. You're darned tootin' that I'm going to complain at City Hall. I'm going to do my part to keep this slippery slope from sliding any farther. I'm scaring off the new visitors by talking about what I see at DL?? I hope not. I just want to share with people what I observe at DL. Many of my posts are very flattering to DL. I will admit though, that lately I have seen more bad then good. I cancelled my WDW this year because of things I read on the WDW boards. I felt that Disney has cut-back too much there this year to earn my money. Too many hotel, ride and show closures to make it worth the coast to coast trip. Am I mad because someone spoke up over there and posted that Port Orleans was closing? That Carousel of Progress was closed? That the Downtown Disney boats were shut down? That the park hours were cut way back? No. It helped me with my decision.

Don't shoot the messenger. I only calls em' as I see's em.

Roy

 

[year2late]

That is not what is being said at all. If you consistently have major problems that cause grave dissatisfaction with DL - DON'T go. It's kind of a "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" thing. Stop giving them your money. Disney is a business, they listen to loss of revenue first.

 

[teri]

Well, I understand... we WANT Disney to succeed, we don't want to withdraw our money and support. We are kind of attached to the place. The cutbacks are not pleasant for anyone, and if everyone left and took their money elsewhere, things would just snowball.

The important thing is to give feedback in terms that shows how it is affecting their operation and will have the most potential for positive impact. A constant stream of negative feedback gets shoveled into the PR file so they can respond with a benign but non-committal response. Positive suggestions tend to get a little more consideration, when they have been routed to the right people.

Just my little rah-rah for the morning.

 

[roymccoy]

I have not posted any untruths. I post what I see at the parks...the good and the bad. Hopefully, my posts and everyone else's posts help to give folks who are planing a trip to the resort a little better idea of what they are in for. I appreciated the input over on the WDW boards and I know that there are people who appreciate my posts. We may have a little difference of opinion about the result of things, but you can't deny the facts. Things are not improving at DL right now and services are suffering. You may not think that a cup of ice water is all that big of a deal but think about it, how far has the budget cutting went that ice water has to be eliminated. Oh yeah, I called and spoke with someone in the executive office about the water at the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and I was told that it is no longer available. They can give you a cup and you can take it across the street behind the fruit stand. Again I ask, how bad and deep have the budget cuts gotten that they need to eliminate ice water? I feel that it is the tip of the iceberg and I feel that it is a trend that needs to stop.

As far as the "If you hate it so much, why do you go?" argument, I love Disney, I just don't like the current state of affairs and managing of the parks and hotels. It would be like asking someone why they continued interacting with a wayward child even though they were doing bad in school, taking drugs and dating a loser...you would still love that person but you would want them to know that you are not happy with their conduct and you would hope that your input would help turn them around.

Well, I still love Disney but I think that she's doing bad in school, taking drugs and going out with a loser.

Roy

 

[Floydian]

So let me figure this out...

What's her name that is in charge of DL/DCA now would be failing, Eisner sure acts like he's on drugs sometimes, so Pressler would HAVE to be the loser.

Makes perfect sense to me now!

 

[teri]

LOL!

Hi, Floydian, long time no see.

 

[raidermatt]

Nobody questions how much fun you had at DL in your younger days. I have the same types of memories. For you, however, DL is no longer what you are looking for. That has become very clear. In fact, I did a quick search because I know we have been over this before, and here is a quote from you just a few months ago:

I guess I'll catch em' on the rebound. I've had it....I'm through. A word of caution to anyone who is plunking down hard-earned money for a vacation to the Disneyland Resort...DON'T do it. There's not enough open in EITHER park to justify a trip at this time. Just my opinion, but I'm sure I'm not alone. Time to go cancel. I'm through.

I know the trip you were canceling was for WDW, but you are clearly saying DL is not worth going to. The economy has worsened since this quote, and we are in just about the slowest time of year, so I can't imagine why you expected a rebound. Yet you went, and had your day ruined by a cup of ice water and a couple of closed rides. Then you proceed to crucify Disney (again), and are surprised when people questioned why you even bothered to pull into the parking lot.

Roy, you are free to spend your time however you wish, but I can't for the life of me figure out why you would even consider setting foot inside of DL until you get some kind of indication that things have changed to your liking. The vast majority of the rest of us somehow seem to avoid the problems that plague you, and we have wonderful times. We know you are extremely dissatisfied with all of the parks, and we all know that you no longer feel you are getting a good value. But as long as you keep going back, even though Disney has stated it is staying the course, you will continue to be questioned. That's you're right of course, but you shouldn't be surprised by the reaction.

 

[teri]

And on the other hand, guys who love Disney this much, that they care to want things to be right, really should come to DIS Meets and meet other people who love Disney this much.

 

[Safari Steve]

There is no fiscal advantage to taking out the water line, it's the same water you can get "out by the fruit stand". This could not have been a "cut" made for financial reasons, as there is no advantage, and it would not have been removed out of meanness. This was probably the result of a mechanical problem. Very puzzling. I understand why you keep going back, but I do agree that your posts can scare first-timers. I know several people who have visited in the last two years for the first time, and came back gushing compliments. (even about little things like the themed pay-phone message in adventureland). To hear their reports and compare them with yours, you would think you were talking about two completely different places. I found the post you wrote about cuts at DCA causing you to cancel a trip to WDW particularly puzzling...
I think a short hiatus may be just the trick (you know, absence makes the heart grow fonder.)
Best wishes...


Kungaloosh!

 

[roymccoy]

I just wonder if they stopped offering cold ice water because it might sell a few more $20 cokes?? I said that I cancelled my WDW trip mainly based on what I read on the WDW boards AND seeing the same sort of thing happening at DL and DCA. It sort of backed-up what I was reading about the cutbacks at WDW.

Here...let me do this...I will list what I have seen at DL, without commentary, and you decide for yourself if there has been a degradation of services. No pixie dust, no Disney magic, just what I have seen:

Submarine Lagoon is abandoned
Tomorrowland needs a lot of work
The Motorboat River is empty
The Country Bear Jamboree is gone
The restaurant across from the Plaza Inn is abandoned
Big Thunder Ranch is totally deserted
The Festival of Fools stage area is abandoned
Rocket Rods are abandoned (which took away People Mover and America the Beautiful)
Mile Long Bar in Critter Country is empty
Innoventions is a giant corporate advertisement
The Skyway areas in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are abandoned
Also, hours are cut at the parks and rides are closed if the crowd isn't large enough.

These are just things I have noted when at the park. I'm not trying to ruin DL for anyone, just point out
that Disney is heading down the wrong road and we should all let them know our concerns. Do you think they left Mr. Lincoln open because everyone said "Oh well...who cares"? No, everyone made a fuss about it closing and the brass decided to leave it. Believe me, if there had been no complaints about it, Lincoln would be history. (no pun intended). How about Mr. Toad? It was saved by people letting Disney know that closing it would be a mistake.

I think what some of you may be failing to understand is that the brass at Disney feel that DL may have too much in it for $43. They think that Walt may have been a little to generous. You want to know what the current management thinks is a "clean sheet of paper" perfect park? Go next door to DCA. That is what they envision a perfect DL park to be. That's what they think $43 is worth. They may be cutting ticket prices and adding things now, but back on February 8th 2001, we got a glimpse of what the future looks like at Disney.
It's big, it's empty and it's cost-effective. I smell money.

Roy

 

[roymccoy]

that drives me crazy? What is the policy at DL resort for drink re-fills? Some places say you can refill and some say you can't. All the drinks cost $2.19 so I don't see the difference. I feel like Oliver when I go up and ask "can I 'ave some mo' please?" They should
get that together and have a set policy. Either don't do it at all or do it everywhere. (Guess what their answer would be?....three guesses.)

Roy

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by roymccoy
"I just wonder if they stopped offering cold ice water because it might sell a few more $20 cokes??"
In your original post you even said that you could still get your ice water at another stand. Maybe, just maybe, it didn't work because it was broken it does happen ya know. And likely will be fixed the next time you decided to "waste" your money at DLR.

Here...let me do this...I will list what I have seen at DL, without commentary, and you decide for yourself if there has been a degradation of services. No pixie dust, no Disney magic, just what I have seen:

And here is my response (with commentary)

Submarine Lagoon is abandoned - unfortunely true. And yes, so far I don't see anything coming in to replace it. Even though, rumors were that we would be getting a new attraction in its place, by I think 2004/5?? But what I find worse, is the trash in the boarding area,(look at it from the monerail boarding area) that park guest let get in there.

Tomorrowland needs a lot of work - can do anything but agree with you here.

The Motorboat River is empty - a fact I, personally, did not even realize until I took a look at Yesterland

The Country Bear Jamboree is gone - this one bugs me the most. But thats what they call progress. So far they have not officially annonced it but they are planning on replacing it with another attraction.

Big Thunder Ranch is totally deserted - ?

The Festival of Fools stage area is abandoned - actually from what I understand this area can be rented for used by businesses (or I am assuming anyone who has the $$$)

Rocket Rods are abandoned (which took away People Mover and America the Beautiful) - which, again I assume, was not a decision that was made lightly. Rocket Rods, were very bussy/popular attraction.

Mile Long Bar in Critter Country is empty -

Innoventions is a giant corporate advertisement - while this may or may not be true. It has seemed busy each time I have gone. So busy in fact, that we never got to do much. So you may not enjoy this area does not mean that it is not a good attraction / area.

The Skyway areas in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are abandoned -


Also, hours are cut at the parks and rides are closed if the crowd isn't large enough. - This as always been true. A lot of theme/amuzement parks, simply close all together during the winter. Would this be a better idea?

 

[roymccoy]

Well, your commentary looks an awful lot like mine. I guess the difference between us is that you are okay with it and I am not. I feel that this is a planned "scaling back" that I don't think would have taken place if we had yelled enough. We slipped quietly into the night and they loved it. This stuff is cumulative. It doesn't happen overnight, it happens over months and years. Suddenly, you turn around and notice that there's a lot less around. As long as we say "thank you sir, may I have another" they will continue to close things at will. JMHO.

Roy

Oh, by the way, I was told that the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor WILL NOT be offering ice water to customers anymore. It is not broken, it will not be fixed...it was removed. It was a calculated decision on someone's part.

 

[teri]

Given that I have an autistic son who will only drink water and does not eat ice cream, that actually matters to me. It would be a major hassle to go in there, try to order, and then have to go cross the street and get his water before returning to sit down... try doing that with kids, especially with special needs kids, in a crowded park a few times and it gets old.

There has been so much expansion - Tokyo, DCA, resorts - that they have not put resources back into where they were before, with the idea that they would be refurbishing and adding new attractions over time. I don't think any of us knew that this recession would come and blow the bottom out of the travel/leisure industry. I am still blown away that they closed Port Orleans resort at WDW. It has been a rough year.

Well, I hope they can turn things around. But I still think Disneyland is wonderful, just as it is. It could be better, for sure, but it is very nice right now.

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by roymccoy
As long as we say "thank you sir, may I have another" they will continue to close things at will. JMHO

Roy, I hate to tell you but you are the one complaining about EVERYTHING at Disneyland but returning time after time after time. If I disliked so much about a place I would stop coming.


And yes, I have noticed most of the same things you have. But I also know disney is a business that makes business decisions. Some are good, some are not so good. I will not disagree that the cuts seems to be greater now then they have in the past. But so far I have not felt like I was not getting my moneys worth when I have visited the park(s).

One more thing Roy, try focusing on the good things, the things you like and you might even enjoy yourself.