DEBATE: Please answer some questions for another loyal poster!

[raidermatt]

What Casey is talking about is the question of what does Disney do to make it possible for so many people to overlook the problem times of their trips.

Ok.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think its Disney "doing" anything to make people overlook the bad times. Its just that the good times really do outweigh the bad times for most people. Sort of like Planogirl described it. A bad moment, or even a bad day does not equal a bad vacation.

I'm sure you've all seen the bumper stickers "A bad golf day is better than any work day", or other such variations. When its all said and done, most people realize this later, even if something gets them annoyed at the time, like a bad tee shot on the golf course, or a long line in a theme park.

Also, much of what everyone mentions as being problems, like the weather, long lines, close quarters with family, etc, are going to exist to some degree in lots of places the family chooses to vacation. Not coming back to WDW, and instead heading somewhere else, might not take care of those problems.

In fact, WDW's plethora of entertainment options might actually allow some families to avoid some of those problems by not forcing them to make up their own things to do. Take a family having a bad time at WDW, and instead put them in a tent for a week in the Yosemite backwoods, and they might not fair any better, except maybe in the pocketbook. Of course I'm not saying this is true of everyone.


Now, getting back to Planogirl's point, like DK, I completely agree. It is very possible to recognize Disney is offering less from a value perspective (or simply acknowledge a negative of any kind), and not be happy about that, yet still overall have a good time and consider WDW to be a good value.

Whether or not I share that negative with somebody who asks about my trip depends on the context. In general, when somebody casually asks "How was your vacation?", they are generally looking for an overall answer. They usually don't want a disertation on how Disney's business model is slowly killing the company, but you still get a kick out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

So, in those cases, I'm going to give the overall answer, which has always been "great!". That's not a fib, its just the "short" answer, which is usually what people want. They sure as heck don't want to hear me whine about the change in package delivery, or how a poor philosophy means I have to ride a bus instead of a monorail, or even that it was hot, and then hear me say I'm going back next year.

That confuses people around here, who read our rantings everyday. Just think what it does to civilians!

Just one quote from Planogirl:

Surveys are like that though. Ask the right questions and you get the right answers.

I know this is a tangent, but its so true...

 

[caseymaureen]

Thanks Crusader, I think I might take that "absolutely right" part out and frame it
It was certainly a challenge in many different ways. If I could tell all the guests one thing pertaining to WDW, it would be:

Remember that the CM you see at the restaurant, on the street, or running the ride, probably has as little or less control over the situation than you do. If we're not allowed to give you something, it wasn't our decision, we would gladly do it but we'd lose our jobs. If the ride is shut down it most likely isn't our fault. And if the prices have gone up and portions down, we've most likely complained about it too. Sometimes I think that the people at the bottom of the totem pole have a better perspective on what it's all supposed to be about than the people at the top. We usually feel the same way you do when these things upset you, we're just not allowed to say, "Yeah, I know it really stinks. What a bunch of cheapos to take away that 4th chicken finger..."


Thanks to all of you for responding to my post! Your experiences and opinions have given me alot to think about. If the paper ends up half as good as it could be, I'll post it for everyone to read. But if it doesn't...I don't want to embarass myself...

 

[SoonerKate]

You'd better send it to me! I want to read it either way!

 

[Planogirl]

DisneyKidds, I did go back and read your posts and I believe that I did misread your points. My apologies. I thought that you were trying to say that a person should always state whether something was good or bad and only that. Thus my black and white statement. I meant to point out in my clumsy way that something as complex as WDW can be both good and bad, and this is something that is often overlooked. I think that the balance of good and bad is what colors our perception of the resort, at least those of us without rose-colored glasses.

However, upon reading further posts it appears that we actually agree about this.

 

[CasualObserver]

Originally posted by raidermatt

So, in those cases, I'm going to give the overall answer, which has always been "great!". That's not a fib, its just the "short" answer, which is usually what people want. They sure as heck don't want to hear me whine about the change in package delivery, or how a poor philosophy means I have to ride a bus instead of a monorail, or even that it was hot, and then hear me say I'm going back next year.

That confuses people around here, who read our rantings everyday. Just think what it does to civilians!

Matt, this reminds me of a trip I took to the Cayman Islands. I was diving on Cayman Brac, some of the best water on the Earth. I got so annoyed with some of the other divers whining about the wave surge on a particular dive. I felt that they did not appreciate how good they had it. It was my first "exotic" dive location and I was having the time of my life. I loved all of it and the surge just didn't matter.

I guess that's some of what others see in our analysis of Disney's management today. It comes across as not appreciating the fun of it all.

Casual Observer

 

[DisneyKidds]

However, upon reading further posts it appears that we actually agree about this.

 

[minster22]

All right, I admit it. I am just a little bit intimidated posting on this thread but cannot resist putting in my two cents. I read a book several years ago"The Unofficial Disney Companion" by Eve Zibart which addresses the whole Disney package from many different aspects. There is a quote the captures my personal love for Disney. "Walt Disney World reawakens the child in us by providing that extraordinary and undifferentiated stimulation-fantastic, scientific, emotional, projected, fearsome, heroic-that for most people is available only in their youth. Educational programs and museum-quality exhibits abound; the detailed furnishings and decor of the various parks are incredibly accomplished and fascinating, if only in a weird kitsch-culture way; the menu of thrill rides and amusements offered says reams about American pop culture, if you are inclined to muse while standing in line; and the parks undeniable magnetism for tourists of all ages is itself a sociological marvel. " And I like to lay around the resort and water park pools!! Many may debate the quality, service, cost etc of a WDW vacation, I know that it certainly is not a perfect World. For me, it is a truly wondrful respite from my day to day world ( which is pretty darn good to start with !), so I will continue to go back, probably as often as I can.

 

[caseymaureen]

Minster22~ Don't be afraid, all opinions are welcome! That is a very good quote and I think it accurately describes many peoples' feelings toward the company and the parks. Thanks!