Do You think DISNEY has gone down hlll the last few years?

[Alison Wunderland]

I'm afraid to speculate, it may give Disney ideas!

As long as Disney doesn't resort to this for busses or ME I will continue going.

 

[gmboy95]

I think that since the Sept 11th downturn, Disney has taken a noticeable turn in the wrong direction from a quality control perspective

 

[goofy4prez]

As long as Disney doesn't resort to this for busses or ME I will continue going.

I'm assuming you have never stayed at an Epcot resort then. One bus serving the YC, BC, BW, Dolphin, and Swan can look like that picture.

 

[goofyernmost]

Since I am of an age where attempting to read this entire thread would be a lifetime endeavor, I will just say this.

Whether or not WDW is declining depends on who you talk to and how they define decline.

Personally, I don't think it is declining at all. I think it is changing, perhaps not fast enough, in the sense that it used to be the leader and now is in a catch up mode. Unfortunately, all the talent that they needed to stay a leader has been sent off. Guess where a lot of them ended up? If you said Universal you would be correct. So that will probably mean decline in the not to distant future.

Looking from an angle other then the gloom and doomer angle, I remember the Parks, particularly MK in the early 90's and it "literally" stunk. It was a mess, walking down Main Street you could get the smell of garbage wafting through the air. I got a hot dog at Casey's and the Ketchup was actually rancid. That and the general run down look was obvious. Today, I see a lot of refurbishing happening like a new Fantasyland, lots of work on the buildings facades and interiors, landscaping and the like makes me feel the opposite of decline.

However, if they don't do something big, soon, they may become something other then the go to attraction. Instead of people saying, "we're going to Disney and while we are there we will also visit Universal or Sea World" it will be the other way around and it will be Disney that they will also go visit.

 

[brunette8706]

Since I am of an age where attempting to read this entire thread would be a lifetime endeavor, I will just say this.

Whether or not WDW is declining depends on who you talk to and how they define decline.

Personally, I don't think it is declining at all. I think it is changing, perhaps not fast enough, in the sense that it used to be the leader and now is in a catch up mode. Unfortunately, all the talent that they needed to stay a leader has been sent off. Guess where a lot of them ended up? If you said Universal you would be correct. So that will probably mean decline in the not to distant future.

Looking from an angle other then the gloom and doomer angle, I remember the Parks, particularly MK in the early 90's and it "literally" stunk. It was a mess, walking down Main Street you could get the smell of garbage wafting through the air. I got a hot dog at Casey's and the Ketchup was actually rancid. That and the general run down look was obvious. Today, I see a lot of refurbishing happening like a new Fantasyland, lots of work on the buildings facades and interiors, landscaping and the like makes me feel the opposite of decline.

However, if they don't do something big, soon, they may become something other then the go to attraction. Instead of people saying, "we're going to Disney and while we are there we will also visit Universal or Sea World" it will be the other way around and it will be Disney that they will also go visit.

*
Oh my gosh, you just opened my eyes! YOU REALLY COULD BE RIGHT! Like I said earlier if it were just one or two cuts here and there it would be okay, but it's NOT. They're cutting out a lot of things while at the same time raising prices.

Anyway GREAT POINT!

Brunette

 

[DonnaBoo]

I never thought I'd say this aloud...but, I've been very tempted to go to Universal for a day visit. Ever since the Harry Potter "exhibit" opened. I hope Disney will be able to keep up.
We luv Disney and as long as it can stay competitive this is where we'll be staying.

 

[Planogirl]

I probably shouldn't admit this but we go just as much for Universal now and we are eagerly checking out other places. WDW is no longer our primary focus like it once was.

(Don't hurt me...)

 

[d1gitman]

...I've been very tempted to go to Universal for a day visit. Ever since the Harry Potter "exhibit" opened. I hope Disney will be able to keep up...

i find these type of comments interesting.

i mean , think about it...Harry Potter is one of hte most successful franchises of all time, so why wouldn't a vast majority of people consider or heaven forbid, actually go see the park? Disney isn't the only company to have an iconic household hit with characters and franchises. nothing wrong with non-Disney successes in my book.

as far as competition goes, well it's this way in anything...someone is the trailblazer, trendsetter, leader, etc....this affords the competition the time and resources to study, emulate, copy and IMPROVE upon what someone else has already done. so i don't feel that Disney is any bit the lesser because Universal exists and has been getting better at their game, they have a good teacher - Disney. Just remember, Walt had his inspirations to draw from as well.

 

[MASKED MANIAC]

I live at the back entrance of Magic Kingdom and retired from Pro Wrestling to be able to take my sons to Disney each and every week...we go a few times a week...now Disny itself has not gone downhill but the people working there have...the old time Disney workers who respect what Disney means and who love Disney give it there all regardless of what they make but the new Disney employee, the college kid or the adult who ONLY took the job because he lost his other job due to the economy they are the ones who walk around the parks with a miserable look on tjeir faces and clearly dont want to be there....I completly understand how hot it is and how hard it is making minimum wage but then dont take the job....

But like I said the employees who love Disney give it there all.....

 

[flicx]

Judging from the debates going on in the monrail hours reduction thread I think disney has really taken another step backwards.Someone tackle the execs before they do real irrepairible harm!

 

[TLSnell1981]

I never thought I'd say this aloud...but, I've been very tempted to go to Universal for a day visit. Ever since the Harry Potter "exhibit" opened. I hope Disney will be able to keep up.
We luv Disney and as long as it can stay competitive this is where we'll be staying.

Harry Potter World is AMAZING!! Disney will be playing catch up, if the trends continue. Universal has snagged, more than a bit of imagination from Disney. iMO

 

[Jacie]

US is definitely worth a day, but only a day. DH and I were able to do it all at US in 7 hours in May. We LOVED the WWOHP, and it was the most crowded part of both parks...
Apparently, Disney had the bid to do a HP theme in the parks first and declined. I wish it was at Disney instead! I hate spending $100 just to go see HP, lol.

 

[Planogirl]

We spend at least 3 days at Universal and some people spend more. It's just a matter of what a person enjoys most.

That aside, from my understand WDW offered a proposal to J K Rowling and she flatly rejected it. She was definitely involved in development from start to end.

 

[TLSnell1981]

US is definitely worth a day, but only a day. DH and I were able to do it all at US in 7 hours in May. We LOVED the WWOHP, and it was the most crowded part of both parks...
Apparently, Disney had the bid to do a HP theme in the parks first and declined. I wish it was at Disney instead! I hate spending $100 just to go see HP, lol.

Wow, it took us two hours, just to get into Harry Potter. The wait for Ollivanders was 90 minutes..Dervish and Bangs...over an hour. We could barely do HP in seven hours.... without dining. We also like the original park. Not a problem spending two or three days, at Universal.

 

[rie'smom]

US is definitely worth a day, but only a day. DH and I were able to do it all at US in 7 hours in May. We LOVED the WWOHP, and it was the most crowded part of both parks...
Apparently, Disney had the bid to do a HP theme in the parks first and declined. I wish it was at Disney instead! I hate spending $100 just to go see HP, lol.

We actually like Universal better-the hotels are much nicer and the parks are wonderful! I can see a time pretty soon when our Orlando trips will not include Disney.

 

[Donut23]

As long as Disney doesn't resort to this for busses or ME I will continue going.

Wait, this was the bus to Pop last weekend when MK closed! I knew I had seen it before!



hahahahaha

 

[Donut23]

*
Hey FLIX! Yeah it's a joke! Isn't that what the guests are paying for ?? The MONORAIL! Sheesh! Good to see you!

Hello Brunette!

Your thread is like the energizer bunny.....just keeps going....and going!

As far as the monorails go, DH and I had considered a monorail resort next and just visiting the MK and EPCOT (with my scooter)....and leaving the rental car at the airport. No more.

Personally, as a guest of one of the monorail resorts, I would not be happy to hear of cutback hours. Isn't using the monorail anytime one of the reasons you stay at a ......... monrail resort?

For me in a scooter, yes, it IS a big deal. We go above and beyond to avoid busses with the scooter.

 

[goofy4prez]

1. Monorail - I am not going to go crazy about this - why assume it's because Disney wants to save money? Why not assume that it is for safety reasons?

Tiger

I don't want to single you out, but I have tried to run scenarios through my mind how safety would be a factor in this. If it's because it's dark out after midnight or the wee hours of the morning, then there are times in the winter it is dark at 6:00 pm and they are still running. The area's are well lit and there are employees making sure everyone is boarded and clear of the mono-rail. If this turns out to be true, like so many other cutbacks, the consumer is not the one they are thinking about.

WDW has to be the only entity I know where they can raise the price, eliminate something, cut back on services, make something smaller, or lower the quality and many will say they are doing it for us. I own a business and if I lowered my quality of service or cut back on them and did this with a price increase I doubt I would have many of my customers walk into my doors and say, "Thank you may I have another, I'm glad you are looking out for me."

 

[brunette8706]

I don't want to single you out, but I have tried to run scenarios through my mind how safety would be a factor in this. If it's because it's dark out after midnight or the wee hours of the morning, then there are times in the winter it is dark at 6:00 pm and they are still running. The area's are well lit and there are employees making sure everyone is boarded and clear of the mono-rail. If this turns out to be true, like so many other cutbacks, the consumer is not the one they are thinking about.

WDW has to be the only entity I know where they can raise the price, eliminate something, cut back on services, make something smaller, or lower the quality and many will say they are doing it for us. I own a business and if I lowered my quality of service or cut back on them and did this with a price increase I doubt I would have many of my customers walk into my doors and say, "Thank you may I have another, I'm glad you are looking out for me."

*
Hey there! Great post! I think on the monorail thread they are saying it's for maintenance. This is something I don't buy. Disney has had monorails since their inception in 1971, never, EVER had they had to shut down service earlier than expected. And you're right, if it were one or two things they were cutting back on, okay I could accept that, but it's a whole laundry list of cutbacks and raising prices.

 

[MASKED MANIAC]

We actually like Universal better-the hotels are much nicer and the parks are wonderful! I can see a time pretty soon when our Orlando trips will not include Disney.

Im shocked....The quality of how Universal employees act is enough to keep me away.....