Originally posted by C.Ann
And how many shows, events, hours, and such did US/IOA and Sea World cut?
IOA/USF both close at 7:00 on week nights during May, with IOA closing at 9:00 on Fris and Sats and USF closing at 7:00 on weekends, except for memorial day weekend, when both close at 9:00 on Fri and Sat. I don't know if this is a cut or if they have always had these shorter hours, but they are comparable to Disney hours during the same time period. Actually, they are lower because during the week at Disney you could still go to Epcot or the Studios after 7. In May, Sea World closes at 6:00 or 7:00, being open until 10:00 on Memorial Day weekend, 8:00 other weekends.
Universal cut entertainment performers in Aug. 2002. Universal also cut their soap opera weekend last Sept.
It is more difficult to find cuts from SeaWorld, probably because fewer people care about it to post about it. In Oct. of 2001 they closed a show and the otter area for a while, but I don't now anything about that really.
Universal closed King Kong, ET, and something else I think. There are supposed to be new attractions opening at some point (I think Shrik, Mummy, and Johny Neutron, but then, Disney has mission:space, Mickey's Philharmagic, and apparently Everest and a new movie for China slated as well - diamond horeshoe closed but may have a new show coming).
Did they also reduce the amount of food they serve while maintaining the same price?
I have no idea about the quality or quantity of food there, or if anything has changed. Frankly, I'm not sure what has changed at Disney, either.
Are their rest rooms filthy because they have cut back employee hours?
Actually, I seem to remember they closed some bathrooms at Universal.
I haven't been in a filthy rest room in Disney personally.
Have they substituted decent napkins with see-thru ones?
I have no idea about the quality of the napkins or if there has been any change. Or the toilet paper for that matter.
Have they done ANY of the things that Disney has in recent years?
By any objective standard, they absolutely have.
Is your perception based upon higher expectations from Disney in the first place? If so, I think that is a good thing and that Disney should be held to higher standard, frankly. Is it simply that the hours, etc. at Disney are more salient because more people are interested in what they are and post so much about them?
Also, remember that Universal has two parks to fill, not four, and they rely more upon local and near local visitors and less on international visitors than Disney does. If you honestly believe that there has not been a drop in international tourism following 9/11 and through the war, I don't know what to tell you.
I've been to US/IOS and Sea World - and definitely felt as though I received my moneys worth.. Can't say the same for Disney..
Well, you should obviously spend your money where you are happy spending it, just like anything else.
DR
I do realize how the vacation club works. We have been members since it's inception, over 10 years now. My point is that ,and I'm sorry if you don't agree, is that WDW prices continue to climb out of a lot of folks reach. And as far as not judging disney by the amount of people at OKW, we have stayed there 5 different times since last november, and each time the resort was full, so were the parks, with the possible exception of epcot. Just my observations.
