Five Years On...

[CarolynFH]

I think Disney might have predicted that Uber etc. was gonna be a big factor to airport travel, and more importantly the ease of you going to other park or hotel without a car.
I always felt the main reason they did it was to offer reason for you to not rent car, but once they saw uber coming that strategy was moot.
Plus more people were trying to swing with just carryons which really makes it an iffy benefit.

I don't think they needed to predict it. Having read the Transportation and Resorts boards regularly during the years before covid, I can say that Disney was already seeing the effects of rideshare on usage of DME. Posts on the Transportation and Resorts boards regularly discussed how much more convenient rideshare was, and one of the most frequently asked questions was whether you could sign up for DME, let Disney transport your checked luggage to WDW, and take rideshare yourself. I am pretty certain that Disney was already seeing reduced numbers of guests taking the DME buses.

 

[rangerxenos]

Sunday Brunch at California Grill. I still miss it, it was my favorite meal on property.

 

[focusondisney]

1. One fewer dinner show (no more luau), continuing the tradition of eliminating dinner shows (the Top of the World Supper Club show at Contemporary)
2. Paid Fastpass/Genie/Lightning Lane/whatever they name it next
3. Fees for individual rides to wait

The luau space was destroyed for more DVC villas in the new tower. Maybe it was sped along by Covid, but I would bet it was already in the works before then. The current trend is all about DVC it seems.

A paid fastpass system was already in the works before Covid. Club level guests were able to book 3 FPs in advance for $49 I think it was. It was strongly rumored to be a pilot for a paid FP system. Someone on another site with supposed inside info was already hinting at a time frame for implementation before Covid.

Club Level evening turndown service never returned.

(I know, boo hoo, but it was among the ‘small things’ operational changes that occurred)

Turn down was nice, but it would often happen about 5 for us. But it would be silly now when they don’t even get to your room for regular housekeeping until 3.



The Play Pavillion & the Mary Poppins ride, major parts of the Epcot reimagining were cancelled because of Covid. And the future world event space & fireworks viewing area were greatly reduced.

 

[Cfabar1]

The Play Pavillion & the Mary Poppins ride, major parts of the Epcot reimagining were cancelled because of Covid. And the future world event space & fireworks viewing area were greatly reduced.

I think they were also cancelled because the champion of the strategy wasn't there anymore, and he was not exactly thought of in high regard by imagineering... I'm convinced that the Chapek drama is part of the reason why say the GF renovation was delayed... sure,

some of it was to save money with the EPCOT cancellations, but some of it also was to retool concepts deemed flawed I would imagine... And in the meantime the vacancies at EPCOT just continue... my personal feeling is EPCOT is one of the weakest, if not the weakest park at Disney right now...

 

[BarlowFamily]

I can't remember the exact name, something like Captain Hook's Pirate crew. DS was 4 in early 2020 and loved it. We have wanted that type of experience to come back.

 

[SteveH]

Five years? Hell it's been 11 years and I'm still PO at Disney for cancelling Off Kilter!

IMHO Covid was the perfect cover for Disney to reset the Disney Experience in their favor, cutting expensive things, cutting services, cutting perceived benefits. All this is nothing new, Disney isn't really about the guests, it's about the bottom line. Even with all the cuts, some people are still flocking to the parks, so expect more cuts and changes. It's how things work.

Now where is my Off Kilter playlist

 

[disneychrista]

How many of these things are directly related to COVID and how many are just cost cutting and would have happened anyway.

Even reservations at Disneyland aren't 100% due to COVID. They had an AP that required reservations before COVID. It is just a great way for then to manipulate attendance.

 

[OKW Lover]

How many of these things are directly related to COVID and how many are just cost cutting and would have happened anyway.

Exactly! I suspect even some of those decisions were blamed on Covid so that somebody didn't have to take the heat for a bad decision.

 

[disneychrista]

A paid fastpass system was already in the works before Covid.

Disneyland had Max-Pass where you could do exactly what you do now with LLMP. You paid to be able to book your FP on your phone. I guarantee you this was a test for what would eventually become Genie+ and now LLMP.

 

[fwm]

When Covid hit WDW eliminated the special events at the Food & Wine Festival. These have not returned yet and it seems will not.

 

[BrianL]

When Covid hit WDW eliminated the special events at the Food & Wine Festival. These have not returned yet and it seems will not.

Yeah, it was hoped that the new festival center would bring them back, but they changed the plans and built Communicore Hall instead. Of course, they could hold events in that space, but it seems like they just don't plan to do so.