Biggest Disney Park Blunder

[famsen]

1. Stitch's Geat Escape
2. Hat at MGM
2. New York Street at MGM - What a waste of space!

 

[PixieDust742]

1. getting rid of the Skyway (I never got to ride it)

2. as much as I like Stitch, not a fan of Stitch's Great Escape. With all the hype, I thought it would be better.

3. The placement of the multi-million dollar Yeti on Expedition Everest. Again, all the hype and money spent on this advanced technology and we see him for all of 5 seconds. I can think of various other places to put him so we can see him longer and enjoy all the time and money that went into his creation.

4. Journey Into Your Imagination. Like other posters, I'm glad they brought Figment back, but it's not the same.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

I agree Main St. is not supposed to be a gift shop!

 

[Cool-Beans]

Recently, Stitch.

Back a way, the Castle Cake.

Overall: cuts in Magic combined with increased selling (especially the time shares)

 

[Stepharoonie!]

1. Getting rid of 20,000 Leagues and replacing it was more character meetings. A Little Mermaid ride would have been better.

2. Getting rid of Mr. Toad...there's MORE than enough space to have that and build Pooh across the way.

3. Changing Journey Into Imagination. I understand why they did it, just wish that they didn't. It was my FAVORITE ride as a kid.

4. Getting rid of the Lion King Show! Loved it!

I like the hat, but not sure why it was placed where it is...

 

[lauran cameron]

one word.
figment.
getting rid of him was possibly THE worst mistake ever.
and it makes me so sad because I absolutely adore Eric Idle
and they used him to replace figment in a way so it just is sort of
unfortunate that such a funny guy was used to replace such a loveable character (figment)

 

[lauran cameron]

Cast member home towns have returned to the badges now!

HOORAH!!!

 

[DisneyBlonde]

Changing Journey Into Imagination. I understand why they did it, just wish that they didn't.

Why did they do it?

 

[VSL]

I'm sorry that is no dolphin. It's some sort of bass.............??????

It's apparently a dolphin FISH rather than the type everyone is more familiar with. And no, I have no idea why

 

[VSL]

A couple of folks mentioned the 3 Cabelleros & Emperor's New Groove. (I stand corrected on "latin characters")...BUT Disney doesn't celebrate these characters much. My point is that this is a marketing blunder....If I was a decision maker at Disney (or stockholder), I would want to seriously tap into this market (more than I had) with a full feature film & a Latin princess...so those folks can celebrate/embrace their heritage more (& spend their money).

BUT... are there any legends/myths etc. about any Latin princesses?

Also - and this came up in a [now locked] thread last year about African princesses - would they be wearing their traditional dress or the typical European ballgown dresses?

If they don't see a market in it, they won't spend money on it... so I'm guessing that they don't see much of a market in it

Actually, I'm wondering if Disney (and the world, I guess) has moved on from the 'Princess Era' - it's a different type of market these days for children (Pixar's films are all non-gendered, for example).

 

[Hound 109]

BUT... are there any legends/myths etc. about any Latin princesses?

Gosh, I don't know. Didn't mean to suggest it had to be a "princess". (& I'm not an expert on "Princesses", but there seems to be alot of them on here) I don't think Belle, Snow White, Mulan (maybe others) were originally "Princesses". I would think there might be some legends / myths that might make for a good backdrop. I'm not Latin, maybe someone who is could share a possible legend / story.

Traditional dress or the typical Europeanallgown dresses?

I have lived in San Antonio (50% hispanic) & now live in Austin Texas. My 6 y/o (Korean) son attends a school that is 20% hispanic, 20% asian, 5% black & 55% caucasion. The school is pretty cool about having the kiddos show off their cultures. The hispanic culture celebrates all sorts of things (holidays, balls, quincenera's (sp?) etc. They most definitely have "gowns" but with a latin flair. (Man, I wish someone who knows about Latin celebrations or Gowns would post, cause I am really fashion challenged.)

Mulan "dresses" for the Epcot Princess meal & she doesn't wear a traditional (European) gown. & I assure you that if my son had been a girl, my wife would have her dressed up just like Mulan. (He does have a traditional Korean celebration costume that is really cool.)

If they don't see a market in it, they won't spend money on it... so I'm guessing that they don't see much of a market in it.

Demographically here in the States, there is a market (IMO). You're right though, Disney is NOT dumb. Heck, they might be working on something right now.


Thanks for your comments, VSL.

hound

 

[88Keys]

In no particular order....


Getting rid of the 2-D animators ot MGM -- whcih helped suck the life out of MGM so that it is barely a working studio

Related, making the Studio Tour a shell of what it is

Losing the Magic Store on Main Street

Animal Kingdom losing Beastly Kingdom

The loss of artistic talent in the last few years of Eisner which may have affected creativity on new attractions

Letting Paul Pressler run the parks -- talk about the triumph of bean-counters over artisans

No skycars -- it still makes me sad to see the stations

The ridiculous rate of ticket price increase over the last 18 months. You know, according to the UOG, if park tickets had kept pace with inflation, tickets would be $42 today. Walt was never about taking a family and shaking them by their feet until he had every nickel.

 

[BTown]

Biggest Disney blunder? I have to say Journey Into Imagination. At least, the past two versions of it. This was one of WDW's best, most imaginitive rides, now it's just miserable. Attendence may have been lacking before, but from what I have seen of my past few trips, they can't pay people to ride this ride anymore. And now, I am hearing a lot of rumors about changing again, bringing back Dreamfinder and the feel of the original attraction for Epcot's 25th next year. I think the fact that, if the rumors are true, when its all said and done, Disney will have changed the ride 3 times in about six years only to come out with something very similar to what they all ready had. To me, that's a pretty big blunder.

But honestly, all of Future World seems to be a blunder these days.

I have said this so many times, but all of Future World's appeal has now been lost to an effort to make this part of the park more appealing to kids. All of it now seems to center around cheap thrills and cheap laughs, but you don't really learn anything at Epcot anymore? It's all just one big commercial. It's really sad. I miss the Epcot of the 80's.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Cast member home towns have returned to the badges now!

Yes but many of them aren't correct, I know a CP she said hers says Freshman U of Wisconsin, A) she hasn't started College yet B)she isn't attending there C) shes never even flown over the state
She said she isnt alone most of her friends info is incorrect also, I guess Disney is working on it though .

 

[TommyTutone]

From my most recent trip, Disney's biggest blunder is using Michael Bey as an example of someone who can make movies (backlot studio tour). Between the crapfests that are Armageddon and Pearl Harbor among many MANY other stinkers, Alfred Hitchcock's lifeless corpse would have been a better choice.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

EPCOT
Losing the Holiday Illuminations show from the 1990s.

Too many kiosks and carts on walkways around World Showcase. It's often
crowded. because people want to pause and check out each little merchant.

Loss of Tapestry of Nations

MGM
Closing the Hunchback show.
MGM giant hat.

AK
Walkways way too narrow at Animal Kingdom.

MK
Stitch - always supposed to be newly tweaked - always a disappointment

PS. I loved the pink castle cake, but we saw it mostly on Decemebr trips, so it matched the holiday spirit.

 

[dreamergirl78]

I have to say it, and not just because of our situation. But I REALLY wish Disney offered more perks for the military families out there. I talked to several CMs who worked at the stores who said they wish they could give military discounts.
So in my opinion one of the biggest blunders is ignoring the military population. MANY soldiers do not have the money to take their families there. But I bet if they came out with some wiz bang packages or discounts, you would see a huge increase in attendance by military families.
Just my .02!

 

[Disney Fool]

The Marching Band at MK--why did they do it? There was nothing like an early morning arrival at MK and watching the marching band come down the street playing "76 Trombones" -Ah, nostalgia.
Letting go of:
Penny Arcade,
The Joke Shop
The Characters roaming freely around the park without a "keeper"
The Main Street Candy Store when you could watch them making the candy instead of it looking like a factory.
The areas where you could dress up as 1890's characters and have your picture taken--or a pirate, or on a caboose of a train
Spaceship Earth--are they EVER going to put something in there at the end of the ride?
Skyway to Tommorowland--is it ever going to be anything else than Pinochio's
meet and greet?
ToonTown--compared to Disneyland--this one is a joke!
Don't even get me started on Mr. Toad, and 20,000 Leagues and Tapestry!

 

[VSL]

I have to say it, and not just because of our situation. But I REALLY wish Disney offered more perks for the military families out there. I talked to several CMs who worked at the stores who said they wish they could give military discounts.
So in my opinion one of the biggest blunders is ignoring the military population. MANY soldiers do not have the money to take their families there. But I bet if they came out with some wiz bang packages or discounts, you would see a huge increase in attendance by military families.
Just my .02!

But what about families who are just poorer than average?

 

[Marilou]

I must confess I haven't read thru entire thread so forgive me if this is a repeat. I think the midway type games in Dinoland in AK are a total mistake. Some of those dang stuffed animals would need a seat all their own on the plane trip back home.
We took a break from WDW in 2005 (never again) and went to Hershey Park, and it was filled with midway type games, most with huge stuffed animal prizes. Yuck! I save that for our local summer fair.

I guess if I spend a small fortune for the tickets, I want the entertainment to be included. I have no problem with additional money for food, drinks & a souviner, but come on.....I have to shell out more money for games too??