How to help WDW make more money and make guests happier

[redrosesix]

Something else they could address to make more money without much cost would be to establish some consistancy in the process for ordering cakes, particularly in light of the current year's theme. We've ordered birthday cakes twice before, and it is such an annoyance... Everyone has a different answer about what can and cannot be done and how much it is going to cost, and no one returns phone calls. If I'm prepared to spend $50+ on a birthday cake for my kids (or $100-ish on one for me & my mom this trip ), I would appreciate speaking with someone who can help me give Disney more of my money!

Excellent point! It's hard enough to plan something like this from home. If the local grocery store can help a person order a birthday cake, WDW should be able to pull it off.

I wonder if this explains the plethora of Disney wedding planners I always see advertised? (and they're not giving any money to WDW) I can't imagine planning a wedding there if they can't get a birthday cake right.

 

[longing2Batdisney]

I know to some that the opinion sounds harsh. But, I stay away from smoking areas because I know I can't breathe when I pass and I do not want my DS2breathing that. The smoker (such as my DH makes the choice to light up), I make the choice to try and not breathe the smokers air. I grew up breathing smokers air in the house and car. Now, thanks to years of that I have a massive asthma attack afterwards. I choose not to let me child breathe this air. So, I agree with the PP you smoke you move to the area the has been designated for you; if it was my choice the designated area would be out of the public area all together. I know people don't light up in a sense of malise but of need. But, they should be courteous of us nonsmokers and especially children we have enough bad air to breathe without intentionally making it worse. (Strong perfumes and colonges are also things people should take into consideration--I usually just move away without a scene but I should not have to, you know what I mean.

 

[DaveStroem]

In my post about FP for resort guests, I am in no way suggesting that they do away with free FP. My suggestions was to have a special FP not unlike the current birthday FP. Now that would be something to celebrate.

 

[momof4va]

No one should have to pay for a fast pass. More character meals for boys. Pirates, Monsters Inc., Wal-e, etc. They also need more characters to meet and great that are unique, and current. As movies are released, there should be an opportunity to meet those characters.

I agree, bring back the DP with the apps and tip included. I would be willing to pay more for that.

I agree that there should be something for those who stay on property. Universal does have the front of the line perk, perhaps disney could do something similar. I like the special fast pass for guests that would be good for two or more times in a day. I realize that staying on property you get the atmosphere, but there should be something more.

More special themed events that you have to pay to attend would also be fun. I know that the halloween event is well attended and so are the pirate and princess parties. Special events like this that coincide with a holiday or movie release or something to that effect would be cool.

Smokers drive me nuts. The line at the front waiting for people to get through the finger readers and the bag check needs to be updated to accommodate crowds. Maybe they should have an express line for people who are staying on property at each of the parks. Typically these people know how to use the machine and can get through faster.

It would also be cool to get some sort of recognition or "freebee" if you have been at a milestone, like 5th time, 10th time, 15th visit, etc. Discounts or a special meal or participation in a parade or other event.

 

[redrosesix]

In my post about FP for resort guests, I am in no way suggesting that they do away with free FP. My suggestions was to have a special FP not unlike the current birthday FP. Now that would be something to celebrate.

That was what I understood too. I was also thinking about the special fastpasses they hand out when a ride breaks down, etc. Since it's not like we'd be asking them to come out with a completely new product, and it actually can't cut into revenues, it's an excellent perk to offer to resort guests. How much could that little piece of paper cost?

 

[Glencora]

How about making pin codes transferable? If you gave out unique pins to certain people, and they couldn't use them, let them pass them on to someone who can. Once the pin has been used, no one else could use it. That way they at least get someone into the parks, even if it is at a discount.

 

[3goofyboys]

I agree with much of what pps have said. I'd love to see more events and meals geared toward boys. I would happily give Disney a whole lot more money if they'd provide me the opportunity to give my boys a once in a lifetime experience. I think the hero and villian meals are a great idea.

I'd also love to see added perks for onsite guests. We will be staying onsite this trip because my kiddos are small and we need to get back to the rooms for a mid-day rest. Once my kids grow out of this, aside from atmosphere and EMH (which most touring plans say to avoid) there isn't a ton of extra value to compensate for the increased cost.

 

[redrosesix]

I would be thrilled if Disney would ENFORCE the no heely's policy. Every trip one of our party is slammed into by an out of control kiddo with wheeled shoes of some kind.

One of those kids went barreling over my DD on our last trip -- v. dangerous! He's lucky I caught her. They aren't allowed inside anywhere here, so I was really surprised to see them in the parks. And on several occasions.

Disney does need to do more for its high affinity group.

I know that no matter how hard I try and save my money, I will never visit WDW as much as some of you.

And they need to start doing something with "The Nightmare Before Christmas" my kids love this movie...and it is ripe for all kinds of events.

My DHs favourite movie -- it has quite a following where we live, so you can imagine the response when he got home with a Nightmare t-shirt. I think a lot of people we know would travel to WDW just for a ride based on that movie. I had heard rumours last year that they were considering one, but they just went away.

I realize it takes quite a long time to develop something as large as a complete ride, but it couldn't take much longer than the creation of a movie to develop some kind of attraction that would come out near the same time as a new movie! The interest in something like Incredibles or Wall-E wanes over time -- think how popular it would be to have SOMETHING themed to a movie you're pretty sure will do well available as the movie comes out! A special limited-time character meal, a stage show!

I hear movies really take about 4 years to make, start to finish -- definitely enough time to build something. If they can make a movie, design character toys, design a whole new line of clothing, etc, etc, they can make a ride.

In fact, my DD was refusing to watch the POTC movie, thinking it was too scary. Until she went on the ride, which is now her favourite. And she bought a pirate hat and wants to buy the pirate movie.

 

[d1gitman]

I would like to see some sort of rewards or frequent visitor program for the resorts. Like HiltonHonors or Marriot rewards. The more you stay at a Disney resort the more you earn. You could earn free nights, gift cards, etc. You could even make status levels and the higher the status, I think you get it.

Almost every aspect of the travel industry has them, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, rental cars. Like Pete says, Disney does need to do more for its high affinity group.

that's a great idea!

 

[princessfionasmom]

I whole heartedly agree with the character meals for boys. Imagine how cool it would be to have a Star Wars character meal- even if only during Star Wars weekends. How about meals tying into newer releases. meal with Wall-e, the Robinsons, bolt characters etc. Or ones with previously retired characters - how cool to see Kingdom hearts, hercules characters etc. But by far would love to see a villians character meal.

OMG, I would be totally all over a star wars character meal, oh and the kids would love it too. But I want it all the time. I love star wars weekends (we've only been to one) but I want to try different times of the year. But that is one I would definitely pay for that would satisfy everyone in my family. Great suggestion!!

 

[WDWTigger72]

RESORTS
(1) The first thing that comes to mind is the check-in process at the resorts, even a small line (4-5 people) can mean up to 30 minute wait. Hopefully, With the new online check-in process coming very soon this will make things quicker, although I see some downfalls to that with room requests not being met or any specific questions a resort guest has.
(2) Absolutely, A clean room is a must as other guests have already commented. This goes from all the bed sheets, rugs, bathtub, sink and so on. I remember seeing a television show like 60 minutes where they secretly recorded some mousekeeping (contemporary resort) and other hotels housekeeping, and to say the least the video was disturbing. I have had some great mousekeepers, but have also had my share of not so great rooms. One resort room was completely overun by sugar ants, and the front desk left the decision to myself whether to have spray and stayed, or transfer to another room. The transfer was a must, and there where crumbs all over in both rooms I went to!
(3) Although, The carpeting is a cheaper alternative and great for the theming I think it should just be removed from all rooms. Too many issues with cleaning, dust, food stains, etc.
(4) Friendly staff, Although I cannot remember a time that I have not had staff say hello|Aloha|etc I have seen some posts where staff are not so friendly. My recent Polynesian trip I had so many staff (mousekeeping, horticulturists, restaurant staff, etc say Aloha|Hello. We all have bad days, but sometimes you have to leave your attitude at home, just like some people have to leave their bad mood at the office when coming home to family.
(5) Training, Training, Training...For many years Disney Resorts where known for their service, and that leads to the great training they have had. I have seen too many staff (Resorts, Parks, Etc) over they years that have been trained too quickly and put into a position they should not be in. Either the staff wasn't trained appropriately before being placed in a position, or the staff member should have never been put in a position where they would not succeed/enjoy, or a specific product was not ready to be pushed out to the staff (For example, Just look at the new ADR booking system and the 3 hour wait).
(6) I agree that some sort of fastpass for resort guests would be great for the parks. For some reason, Some time ago when FP first started I thought this was a perk for staying onsite, but I could be wrong maybe it was always open to all park guests.


PARKS
(1) Many times I have seen too much wear and tear on many of the rides, theming, etc around the parks. A family member commented on it a few years ago where they saw so much paint chipped all over railings, and mentioned that years ago everything was truly spotless.
(2) The amount of foot traffic going through fast food locations is enormous, but I would love to see those areas more spotless. Sometimes you go over there and there is ketchup, mustard, mayonaisse, etc all over the place. If you lean against something by accident its all over you, or on the bottom of your tray.
(3) "Take Pride In Your Job" - Seeing staff members who just don't do their hair in the morning, wear their pants down low like a rapper, shirt half tucked/untucked, etc is probably one of my biggest pet peeves. Is this everybody? No, but I have definitely seen this on a few trips! I know the hourly pay for employees isn't that great, but money shouldn't be deciding factor to have pride in your work. I had a great parent and family that always showed me to do things the right way, even when I had my paper route when I was 12-16 years old I would always climb those 20 stairs to place the paper inside someones storm door (Rain, Snow, Heat, etc). This carried on when I was making $6.25/hour working at a nursing home as a dietary aide for 8 years through college. Including my internships later in college, all the way through to my previous employer where the money definitely got better. It drives me crazy when people wave a red flag and have the excuse of who cares I am not getting paid that much to do a job attitude. Sorry this one went to long, but its up to each individual to do their job to the best of their abilities.

CUSTOMERS/GUESTS
Oh yeah, Its not only disney that needs to create a better environment, but also the customers/guests attending these parks.
(2) I have seen guests who leave their trash all over the place, do you do this at home? If so, I would hate to live in your house!!! Help out, and do the right thing by putting your trash into the appropriate barrels. Don't leave your cups, bottles, napkins anywhere you please.
(3) Courteousy, Kindness and Respect - Its something that is more like a coin flip with other guests. My family member had a person in an ECV vehicle drive right up their ankles without apologizing, and to top it off there was no crowd and they where just sitting there. I have seen people cut in front of others like there is nothing wrong with that for rides, food, etc. I have specifically had to tap a person on the shoulder and ask them to go to the back of the line please. The staff member then communicated that it was the person's fifth time up at the register for playing games in AK. Unbelievable! Oh, and a post I saw the other day regarding the person where a cast member was rude and they basically said kiss their butt, there is class for you. Two wrongs don't make a right!
(4) Smoking - This one really kills me as I have never been a smoker, but grew up with many in my household until they all quit when I was still young. Go to designated areas please!
(5) This goes along with the trash above, but my recent resort (polynesian) it looked like a bomb went off at night in the hallways. People eating their food on the way to their rooms would drop crumbs all over the place in the hallways. It was kind of nasty when going back to the rooms, but this could be a mousekeeping topic and a guest topic.
(6) I know WDW can be awe inspiring, but something that can drive me nuts is when people are walking and stop short. Pull off to the side like you would in a car! I think this has already been mentioned. At the polynesian everybody crowding into the main lobby for the luau so others cannot get by is another example. Excuse me worked well with most, but others just looked at you like you had three heads.
(7) When riding rides, I have no problems with someone taking pictures but please turn off your flash. Turning around to look at a part of the ride, and having someone flash their camera right in your face isn't always fun. They ask you before the ride "No flash photography", but yet people don't care about other guests. I would like to say it would be mostly foreigners but the majority of time I have been on rides they have spoken perfect english. Get a good camera that has the ability to take those shots in dark areas! I have taken pictures on rides with flash, but I have (A) Asked the other guest behind me if it is ok (B) Made sure there is nobody on the ride in front of me for a few boats or behind me for a few boats. Yeah, This was during halloween on pirates and I made sure I wouldn't disturb any other guests first and had the courtesy to ask. They snapped pictures as well!
(8) During crowded times, Move all the way down in shows like they ask you too. Sitting in the middle isn't fair to other guests who want to get in and see a show. Cast definitely will have you move and ask you to move down further, but I have seen people who refuse to move. If its a light crowd feel free to do the middle of row thing.
(9) When cast members ask you to do something, please do it like you would in your own work environment. I have seen during the flag retreat ceremony where guests refuse to listen to staff and cut right through the rotary. Have had staff say they don't pay me enough for this! This type of thing happens with guests quite a bit throughout the parks, if a cast member asks you to do somethng just do it without creating a huge hassle/scene because there is probably a reason for it.

 

[BabaGanoush]

The biggest specific issue where Disney has dropped the ball recently has been the lack of "boy" themed stuff - be it dining experiences or attractions. Suffice it to say, there is not an easy correlation of the BBB to boys - makeovers of any kind are just not appealing. However, a "boy" themed character meal is something that is not only achievable but potentially very profitable (due to the lack of that kind of experience in Orlando).

I have always loved the idea of having a Star Wars themed restaurant and I believe the conversion of MGM into DHS can spur this on as DHS is becoming move ABOUT the movies and less a working studio. Thus, an immersive Star Wars experience works more now. Ultimately, I would love to see the Backlot Express turned into a recreation of the Mos Eisley Cantina. The biggest problem with this is I don't think the Studios can support another Full Service Restaurant. Thus, I would propose that Hollywood & Vine be turned into a Counter service restaurant (which would help distribute the CS throughout the park).

Regarding FP, I would hope that they never "sell" fastpasses but rather keep them available to anyone who purchases a ticket to the park.

Thinking more big picture - I agree with the poster that laments the cost cutting of the resort. The executives have become slaves to the shareholders and unfortunately the recession is producing reactionary tactics rather than opportunistic ones. As of right now, WDW does not have a single project announced. The company seems to be viewing the American Idol Experience and Toy Story Mania as the last major additions to any of the parks for some time. I have never seen this company go so stagnant before.

There is a story of a chocolate company that produced the best chocolate in the world. Their chocolate had over 40 ingredients and was very expensive to produce - but people bought it because of its quality. However, the business figured out that they could eliminate one of its ingredients with an inconsequential change in taste - thus increasing the profit. Their stock rose. They continued to look at the ingredients and after a long period of time, continued to reduce the components. Eventually, they started to notice that their sales were falling eventhough the taste was similar to the previous incarnation. What they failed to realize is that they did not compare their new product to their original and the large difference in taste that now was present.

Just something for Disney to think about as they continue to cut costs and reduce the value of what they are offering.

 

[princessfionasmom]

WDWTigger72 - Well said!

 

[redrosesix]

RESORTS
(1) The first thing that comes to mind is the check-in process at the resorts, even a small line (4-5 people) can mean up to 30 minute wait. Hopefully, With the new online check-in process coming very soon this will make things quicker, although I see some downfalls to that with room requests not being met or any specific questions a resort guest has.
(2) Absolutely, A clean room is a must as other guests have already commented. This goes from all the bed sheets, rugs, bathtub, sink and so on. I remember seeing a television show like 60 minutes where they secretly recorded some mousekeeping (contemporary resort) and other hotels housekeeping, and to say the least the video was disturbing. I have had some great mousekeepers, but have also had my share of not so great rooms. One resort room was completely overun by sugar ants, and the front desk left the decision to myself whether to have spray and stayed, or transfer to another room. The transfer was a must, and there where crumbs all over in both rooms I went to!
(3) Although, The carpeting is a cheaper alternative and great for the theming I think it should just be removed from all rooms. Too many issues with cleaning, dust, food stains, etc.
(4) Friendly staff, Although I cannot remember a time that I have not had staff say hello|Aloha|etc I have seen some posts where staff are not so friendly. My recent Polynesian trip I had so many staff (mousekeeping, horticulturists, restaurant staff, etc say Aloha|Hello. We all have bad days, but sometimes you have to leave your attitude at home, just like some people have to leave their bad mood at the office when coming home to family.
(5) Training, Training, Training...For many years Disney Resorts where known for their service, and that leads to the great training they have had. I have seen too many staff (Resorts, Parks, Etc) over they years that have been trained too quickly and put into a position they should not be in. Either the staff wasn't trained appropriately before being placed in a position, or the staff member should have never been put in a position where they would not succeed/enjoy, or a specific product was not ready to be pushed out to the staff (For example, Just look at the new ADR booking system and the 3 hour wait).
(6) I agree that some sort of fastpass for resort guests would be great for the parks. For some reason, Some time ago when FP first started I thought this was a perk for staying onsite, but I could be wrong maybe it was always open to all park guests.


PARKS
(1) Many times I have seen too much wear and tear on many of the rides, theming, etc around the parks. A family member commented on it a few years ago where they saw so much paint chipped all over railings, and mentioned that years ago everything was truly spotless.
(2) The amount of foot traffic going through fast food locations is enormous, but I would love to see those areas more spotless. Sometimes you go over there and there is ketchup, mustard, mayonaisse, etc all over the place. If you lean against something by accident its all over you, or on the bottom of your tray.
(3) "Take Pride In Your Job" - Seeing staff members who just don't do their hair in the morning, wear their pants down low like a rapper, shirt half tucked/untucked, etc is probably one of my biggest pet peeves. Is this everybody? No, but I have definitely seen this on a few trips! I know the hourly pay for employees isn't that great, but money shouldn't be deciding factor to have pride in your work. I had a great parent and family that always showed me to do things the right way, even when I had my paper route when I was 12-16 years old I would always climb those 20 stairs to place the paper inside someones storm door (Rain, Snow, Heat, etc). This carried on when I was making $6.25/hour working at a nursing home as a dietary aide for 8 years through college. Including my internships later in college, all the way through to my previous employer where the money definitely got better. It drives me crazy when people wave a red flag and have the excuse of who cares I am not getting paid that much to do a job attitude. Sorry this one went to long, but its up to each individual to do their job to the best of their abilities.

CUSTOMERS/GUESTS
Oh yeah, Its not only disney that needs to create a better environment, but also the customers/guests attending these parks.
(2) I have seen guests who leave their trash all over the place, do you do this at home? If so, I would hate to live in your house!!! Help out, and do the right thing by putting your trash into the appropriate barrels. Don't leave your cups, bottles, napkins anywhere you please.
(3) Courteousy, Kindness and Respect - Its something that is more like a coin flip with other guests. My family member had a person in an ECV vehicle drive right up their ankles without apologizing, and to top it off there was no crowd and they where just sitting there. I have seen people cut in front of others like there is nothing wrong with that for rides, food, etc. I have specifically had to tap a person on the shoulder and ask them to go to the back of the line please. The staff member then communicated that it was the person's fifth time up at the register for playing games in AK. Unbelievable! Oh, and a post I saw the other day regarding the person where a cast member was rude and they basically said kiss their butt, there is class for you. Two wrongs don't make a right!
(4) Smoking - This one really kills me as I have never been a smoker, but grew up with many in my household until they all quit when I was still young. Go to designated areas please!
(5) This goes along with the trash above, but my recent resort (polynesian) it looked like a bomb went off at night in the hallways. People eating their food on the way to their rooms would drop crumbs all over the place in the hallways. It was kind of nasty when going back to the rooms, but this could be a mousekeeping topic and a guest topic.
(6) I know WDW can be awe inspiring, but something that can drive me nuts is when people are walking and stop short. Pull off to the side like you would in a car! I think this has already been mentioned. At the polynesian everybody crowding into the main lobby for the luau so others cannot get by is another example. Excuse me worked well with most, but others just looked at you like you had three heads.
(7) When riding rides, I have no problems with someone taking pictures but please turn off your flash. Turning around to look at a part of the ride, and having someone flash their camera right in your face isn't always fun. They ask you before the ride "No flash photography", but yet people don't care about other guests. I would like to say it would be mostly foreigners but the majority of time I have been on rides they have spoken perfect english. Get a good camera that has the ability to take those shots in dark areas! I have taken pictures on rides with flash, but I have (A) Asked the other guest behind me if it is ok (B) Made sure there is nobody on the ride in front of me for a few boats or behind me for a few boats. Yeah, This was during halloween on pirates and I made sure I wouldn't disturb any other guests first and had the courtesy to ask. They snapped pictures as well!
(8) During crowded times, Move all the way down in shows like they ask you too. Sitting in the middle isn't fair to other guests who want to get in and see a show. Cast definitely will have you move and ask you to move down further, but I have seen people who refuse to move. If its a light crowd feel free to do the middle of row thing.
(9) When cast members ask you to do something, please do it like you would in your own work environment. I have seen during the flag retreat ceremony where guests refuse to listen to staff and cut right through the rotary. Have had staff say they don't pay me enough for this! This type of thing happens with guests quite a bit throughout the parks, if a cast member asks you to do somethng just do it without creating a huge hassle/scene because there is probably a reason for it.

Thanks for posting!

Looove the idea of getting rid of the carpets. We stayed in 2 great hotels last year that had laminate flooring -- so much easier to get the floors really clean. They were both quite new though, so I'm sure there was extra sound-proofing built in. We don't have carpet at home either, and we're putting in laminate floor in our attic - it's actually less $$$ than the carpet I would have chosen.

As for the training!!! When we arrived it was really late. I think the security guard was like 16 -- my DH actually made a comment that it looked like all she was guarding was the TV. She didn't smile once, and she looked like she had just woken up. Not a very friendly arrival. And the front desk staff weren't much better -- they made a bunch of mistakes that it took us 2 days to sort out.

And you're right about the guests. Everybody would have a more magical holiday if we all thought a little more about what we did. There must be somebody somewhere who can calculate how much extra it costs WDW to pick up trash, or how many extra minutes each ride takes because people don't want to listen to the CMs.

 

[WDWTigger72]

Thinking more big picture - I agree with the poster that laments the cost cutting of the resort. The executives have become slaves to the shareholders and unfortunately the recession is producing reactionary tactics rather than opportunistic ones.

I definitely don't want to make this wonderful thread into a agree/disagree thread, and I really wanted to post this as one of my topics also, until I stepped back with both my personal stock trading and work experience within the financial field. Specifically, The common shareholder really has no power with what a company may or may not do, except receive one voting share for one share of stock every year. There have been times where common shareholders have had an impact on a company, but honestly it is getting less and less common. The preferred stockholders typically get more voting power usually like a 10-to-1 ratio sometimes. Also, With stock investments (common stock) big business usually plays a bigger role nowadays. For example, Just look at http://investor.msn.com and put the stock symbol DIS. Click on the "Ownership" and go an see what Fidelity, state street, vanguard, etc hold for the number of shares. Its way more than any one individual investor probably has, but also even if you own a mutual fund associated to one of these companies, these companies don't have to vote in your best interest. I have also personally seen a financial institution strong arm a specific company with a threat of selling all its stock, transferring its credit cards to a competitor, and services to a competitor with the intent of driving down a company's earnings and stock price. Legal or Illegal tactics I have seen it happen...

 

[ChocoKat]

As a FL resident I get a lot of perks and discounts, so I won't complain much, but there is one cardinal rule they have to follow to get us FL residents in the park:

Stop blocking the weekends for discounted rates!!! Go back to the way it used to be a year or so ago

Seriously! Who in the world can afford to take days off more than once or twice a year in the middle of the week when there are no holidays in between?! We don't have that much wiggle room on our leave time, and it keeps us away even though a lot of us have seasonal or annual passes and would love to come by more often for the weekend!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Ok, I've not seen this yet.

Dh and I have been to the world several times, but always spend most of our time in the theme parks. We would really enjoy taking a Disney vacation that involved everything else the world has to offer.

I would love to see some kind of pass that would allow limited park time, with unlimited play time for searacers, horse back riding, miniature golf, surrey bikes, fishing, canoes, etc.

It just doesn't make sense to pay extra for all of the wonderful activities outside the parks, when you've paid so much to be inside the parks. However, I can't justify going all the way to Disney and not going inside the parks.

How about unlimited activities with park time after 6pm, for a price similar to full park passes??

 

[mickaholic4077]

I wouldn't want there to be a charge for them either..nor would I want to see an unlimited pass for Deluxe resorts or even onsite resorts...But a fastpass or two for a ride of your choosing for onsite guests...that'd be nice. No one in line would have to know that it was a resort pass.

Okay,maybe 1 or 2 a day for resort guests,but I'd want them to look exactly like all fast passes so no one would know it's a resort fast pass.

 

[nooneshome]

This falls under the category of making me happy but I doubt it makes more money for WDW. I would like to see more variety of counter service food.

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Fastapasses should be free, but resort guests should also be considered. In my opinion, I think Disney should continue to let the FP be free for day guests as it is now, but maybe come up with a fastpass for resort guests that allows 1 ride without a wait at each of the fp rides for each person staying in the room without having to go and fetch the fp at each of the rides or risking them being gone for the day.

I also hadn't considered how little there is for boys until I read this thread. I only have a daughter (and one on the way, not sure what I'm having this time), but now that I think about it, its true. There are so many Princess character meals yet not one Pirate character meal. There was a rumor I used to hear about a pirate character meal coming to adventureland in MK with Capt. Sparrow and Peter pan, but this was years ago, and nothing ever happened.

Also, I'm a bit confused. Lately, it seems like all WDW attractions are being refurbed. Honestly, I think they are over doing it. Some attractions definetely need a refurb, but some don't yet they are still making changes and spending money on all this. Why not slow down on all the refurbs and spend the money on a new big attraction to lure guests over. I can't even count how many times I've heard people say they are not going back to disney cause they have been there so many times and done it all and the ticket prices are going up and up....why not make that new Little mermaid ride in Fantasyland they were talking about? I know the american idol is new among some other things, but I think they need a big thing like adding a new section to AK, or something like that that would get people going back over and over.

I'm also starting to feel like the magic is disappearing. Rare characters don't seem to be out as much as they used to and CM's don't seem to be the way they used to anymore. During my first few trips to WDW, every CM would smile, they would call my DD princess as we walked by, people would go out of their way to make a family happy. I'm not saying this doesn't happen anymore, but lately, it seems to happen a bit less. Not sure why as this isn't something that would cost WDW extra money. Its just nice and makes it such a happier place.