Disney Imitates The Simpsons

[chipnwendy]

This is most definitely a vent, so please take it for what it is. Your opinions are most appreciated, as I am wondering if I'm the only person who feels this way.

Once upon a time, there was an episode of "The Simpsons," where Bart's class takes a field trip to Fort Springfield. Upon arriving at Fort Springfield, Principal Skinner is shocked to learn that there is a $5 per child admission fee, whereas admission had previously been free. When Skinner questions the lady at the admission booth, she mentions that the park is under new ownership and points to a sign that reveals the new owners are the "Diznee Corporation", whose motto is "Sorry, But There's Profit To Be Had."

The reason I mention this is in reference to our visit to MNSSHP on October 5th. Not only has Disney discontinued the family photographs that we always looked forward to at the MNSSHP & MVMCP, but they have now put those awful photopass cast members at nearly every place that we used to take pictures every year (Cinderella's Coach, for example) to catalog the different costumes the kids wear every year. The "Sorry, But There's Profit To Be Had" mantra really seemed to be out in full force this year, and we definitely found it to be somewhat of a bummer.

 

[tmt martins]

I agree to a point

I think the free photos were poorly done.

Not the Photo pass ones are done much better but the 50% off is like buy one get one free.You have alot of choices to choose from for you photos now.

I also think they could have switched over to the photopass system and still gave the free one because once on the sight you might want to buy others.

 

[MyGoofy26]

The free picture didn't bother me - we aren't picture people. But the photopass I do understand. People want it. People are more than willing to spend the $99 for the CD, but if the Photopass people aren't out to take your picture it's not worth it for a few character pics. I'm sure there are other annoyed that photopass people are everywhere as well. . . but any company is going to err on the side of paying guests (in this case, guests willing to spend $99 on a CD of pics)

 

[GEM]

You can still take your own pictures there. You don't have to do the Photopass pictures. There's nothing to stop you from using your own camera, just like you always did.

 

[chipnwendy]

I totally understand that you could still take your own photos, but it completely killed the spontenaity, and it created these bottleneck lines, especially when the finicky photopass cameras decided to quit working.

It just kind of irks a bit, because most of the magical moments we've had have been those that happen by chance, and those moments are becoming somewhat scarce it seems.

 

[WillCAD]

I have no problem with the Photopass photographers being everywhere, except that they constantly BLOCK access to the Partners statue for those of us who want to take our own photos.

I think it stinks that Disney got rid of the family photos that were part of the $45 admission fee to MVMCP and MNSSHP. But sorry, there's profit to be had.

 

[Luv2CtheMouse]

I see your point.

 

[mattsdragon]

I don't see your point. We often find ourselves searching for more photopass photographers. My wife takes hundreds of pictures, but we also use the photopass ALOT, they take good pictures, and they can do the digital enhancements. We wished they had about 3 dozen more at the Flower and Garden Festival.

The free photo is kind of BS on their part, but eh, we'll end up buying the CD anyway, so kind of a moot point.

As to the profit taking. Are you actually faulting a company for seeing an opportunity to further increase their bottom line? God forbid and company tries to make money. That is what they do you know. They make more money, the company stock goes up, the investors make more money, they are more willing to add more capital, the company expands. They are hardly being an evil corperation by adding more photographers (hmmm, how much do you think thier payroll expenses have increased for this party considering how many CM's they have to add to remove the non-ticketholders, more photographers. . .seems like a good trade with the free picture). If you don't want to use the photographers and the photopass system, bring your own camera. Sounds like a rather trite and petty complaint really.

 

[Chuck S]

Have you bought groceries lately? Prices are up everywhere. Much of it because of the increase in transportation from $3.50 a gallon gas. Now that retail prices for products have gone up, it is unlikely that they will drop, even with the cost of energy going down. Employee costs are up, too, because of health insurance and other benefits. I would rather see Disney drop the free photos than raise the price of MVMCP $10 or so.

 

[Poohbear123]

I have no problem with the Photopass photographers being everywhere, except that they constantly BLOCK access to the Partners statue for those of us who want to take our own photos.

I think it stinks that Disney got rid of the family photos that were part of the $45 admission fee to MVMCP and MNSSHP. But sorry, there's profit to be had.

Yes, they do, and it sucks!

 

[MyZoeJane]

I totally understand that you could still take your own photos, but it completely killed the spontenaity, and it created these bottleneck lines, especially when the finicky photopass cameras decided to quit working.

It just kind of irks a bit, because most of the magical moments we've had have been those that happen by chance, and those moments are becoming somewhat scarce it seems.

The thing that ticked me off most that night was the fact that the cemras stopped working SEVERAL times.... That whole week we kept encountering PHotopass photographers with broken cameras and so we only ended up getting out picture taken about 5 times. Grrrrr!

 

[MyZoeJane]

I don't see your point. We often find ourselves searching for more photopass photographers. My wife takes hundreds of pictures, but we also use the photopass ALOT, they take good pictures, and they can do the digital enhancements. We wished they had about 3 dozen more at the Flower and Garden Festival.

The free photo is kind of BS on their part, but eh, we'll end up buying the CD anyway, so kind of a moot point.

As to the profit taking. Are you actually faulting a company for seeing an opportunity to further increase their bottom line? God forbid and company tries to make money. That is what they do you know. They make more money, the company stock goes up, the investors make more money, they are more willing to add more capital, the company expands. They are hardly being an evil corperation by adding more photographers (hmmm, how much do you think thier payroll expenses have increased for this party considering how many CM's they have to add to remove the non-ticketholders, more photographers. . .seems like a good trade with the free picture). If you don't want to use the photographers and the photopass system, bring your own camera. Sounds like a rather trite and petty complaint really.

I agree completely, but WHERE did they add all these extra Photopass photogs? The whole first week of October we brely saw ANY! We saw three times as many when we were there the first week of January this year! I think the Photopass is AWESOME! Think about how many families will have a bunch of pictures with ALL of their family in them! I don't know about others.... but I hate to interrupt someone else's picture taking to hand them my camera and ask them to snap a pic for me....

 

[Corwin12]

I like the photopass photographers. I am planning on utilizing them alot on my next trip to make the 99$ cd more economical. On our last trip, they were really friendly and took more than 1 picture at a site to make sure we had several to choose from. It was great for DW and I because it was the only way to get pictures of us together ... I hate bothering people by asking them to take our picture.

 

[k5thbeatle]

This is most definitely a vent, so please take it for what it is. Your opinions are most appreciated, as I am wondering if I'm the only person who feels this way.

Once upon a time, there was an episode of "The Simpsons," where Bart's class takes a field trip to Fort Springfield. Upon arriving at Fort Springfield, Principal Skinner is shocked to learn that there is a $5 per child admission fee, whereas admission had previously been free. When Skinner questions the lady at the admission booth, she mentions that the park is under new ownership and points to a sign that reveals the new owners are the "Diznee Corporation", whose motto is "Sorry, But There's Profit To Be Had."

The reason I mention this is in reference to our visit to MNSSHP on October 5th. Not only has Disney discontinued the family photographs that we always looked forward to at the MNSSHP & MVMCP, but they have now put those awful photopass cast members at nearly every place that we used to take pictures every year (Cinderella's Coach, for example) to catalog the different costumes the kids wear every year. The "Sorry, But There's Profit To Be Had" mantra really seemed to be out in full force this year, and we definitely found it to be somewhat of a bummer.

Don't get me started on photopass...

 

[Hoopfamily]

I know what you mean. When I found out that Disney wasn't a not for profit company I just about flipped. It used to be you could watch a disney special presentation on sundays, but now you have to have cable just to watch disney channel. They have alot of nerve making money when every other company in America gives away goods & services free.

 

[disneymac]

When we were there we didn't see too many photopass photographers either. I was hoping to have enough pictures taken to justify buying the CD! I like them. It's a great way to get all of us in a picture - I also hate bothering other people to ask them to take a pic of us. Any time that we've wanted a picture in the same spot where they are, we also took pictures with our camera. No problem. A couple of times the photopass photographer has taken the pic for us with our camera too!

As far as Disney the corporation, yes, they are definitely in it for the money! And let's face it, they are pretty in your face with all their merchandise - even my kids make comments about coming off a ride into a gift shop (or not as the case may be) and how many DVC kiosks are in each park?! I could go on and on, but I won't. I hope you enjoyed your trip anyway!