If You Ran WDW (spinoff from another thread)

[Cheshire Figment]

The earlier question related to what you might do differently. I am posing the question of if you had full authority to make changes at WDW what major changes would you implement. Giving reasons would be appreciated. I have several.

Epcot - Bring back to original Journey Into Imagination full attraction. This would include the walk-around Dreamfinder with his puppet Figment. (And this would be Steve, who held the position for 15½ years.) After exiting you would go upstairs to the Image Works (which still has most of the stuff there, although it can be updated and then exit into the Magic Eye Theater. Maybe a new or old 3-D movie, but definitely not Honey I Shrunk The Audience.

Related to this I would make sure that Figment and Dreamfinder became the official Ambassador's of Epcot.

Magic Kingdom.

1. Next redo of Space Mountain make modification to the track similar to what they have done at Disneyland so that the ride is accessible to people who cannot easily transfer.

2. Remove Stitch and put in an attraction from early Disneyland: The Flying Saucers. This was really fun but had problems due to it was exposed to weather and delicate operations. This would have 50 years of mechanical and electrical progress as well as sheltered from the weather.

Animal Kingdom - Repair the Yeti, even if it requires taking Expedition Everest offline for several months.

Studios - Do something with the theater that has been used for Sounds Dangerous.

Property-Wide

1. Change Fastpass policy that passes are only valid within the printed time period. Probably allow a two hour window rather than one hour so it may not conflict with dining times.

2. Eliminate "Free" Dining. Maybe more room discounts.

3. Eliminate the Basic Disney Dining Plan. Keep the Quick Service and the Deluxe or higher levels. Tied into that will be an increase in the general quality of food available in the table service locations, and a reduction to more reasonable prices for buffets.

 

[newdeal]

I would get rid of all the sponsors from the pavilions at Epcot. Then I would add a second toy story mania ride in the "hot set" area, get rid of prince caspian, make the backlot tour guided again and restore some more of the cool stuff they used to have. I would then proceed to give myself a free, lifetime pass

 

[mesaboy2]

1. Change Fastpass policy that passes are only valid within the printed time period. Probably allow a two hour window rather than one hour so it may not conflict with dining times.

You cut me real deep, CF.

 

[dobtia]

Heck I am always up for spending someone else's money:

1. We stay off-site so I will be greedy there...a Magic Your Way Parking Pass. Not sure what the value would be, and I don't mind paying, but something since I am in charge.

2. DTD: I would amp up the dining options. Maybe a few small rides. I would just make it a place to be. I would also find a way to make the parking better there.

3. EPCOT: Add another country or two. I would love Greece and Brazil, but that is another thread that we have all played on a lot. I would get rid of Captain EO and get a new 3D show in its place. I am not sure what the show would be, but I would bet Disney could come up with something cool.

4. Animal Kingdom: They need a couple of more pure rides. I would find a way to use the river. That is a lot of space they could use. Maybe a water coaster of some kind. Disney has the technology to build sound barriers so it would not scare the animals in that area. I would also overhaul the dino land area.

5. DHS. More rides rides rides. I would overhaul the who backlot area into a Pixar Place/Land. I would keep the Backlot tour but get rid of the pre show. I would really focus on animation. Made a tunnel with the history of Disney annimation that float along the walls. Think Nemo maxed out. I would put in a coaster based on the doors in Monsters INC. I would put in an interactive bumper car ride based on Cars. It would keep points based on bumps and other things. There could be a small kids version too.

6. Magic Kindgom: Fix the theme around the Motor Speedway. Me and the son like the ride, but it can be much better. Stich is a given. Not sure what else I would do for MK.

Somewhere on property I would gear a character meal towards boys (girls would enjoy it) but lets be honest Disney has way more girls stuff. I would have a Pixar meal, maybe a Star Wars meal at DHS something like that.

 

[POOHsie]

I miss resort-branded souvenir items, mugs and t-shirts.

I especially miss the finer items for sale in the gift shops. It is all gone, cast aside for Dollar-mart junk. This has cheapened the Disney experience a lot. I used to love to find unusual objects to buy at Epcot FW, MK Main Street and DTD.

Disney dessert offerings are on par with something from a vending machine. Dry, tasteless, they seem either previously frozen or meant to last for days. With all the chefs at Disney, surely real desserts can be properly made fresh.

I agree with a more accessible Space Mountain. It was so horrible for me to enter and exit last Fall, with my handicap, that I could not think about riding it again. This was after it was just re-done. What gives?

 

[RMAMom]

Souvenirs ~ Would be park/hotel specific and quality. No more $50.00 shirts you can see through!

Dining Plan~I would keep it but raise the price to a level that would afford quality menus.

Characters ~Allow them to walk around the parks like they used to so children can have the magical experience of Chip and Dale (or whoever) just showing up on Main Street or in Fantasyland etc.

OK, thats all I have off the top of my head!

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

Ban standing on all buses. Each rider would be required to be seated or wait for the next bus.

Sell extra magic hours tickets as an add on. Seriously, the longest lines I ever stood in were during EMH evenings.

Assigned chairs at the pool, perhaps a ticket given to each guest with a numbered chair. Once they leave the pool, the seat opens up. I cannot stand to see towels -- etc. left on empty chairs for hours.

 

[EPCOT is a verb]

I would bring back Body Wars. I loved that ride.

I would make good, quality coffee available around the World.

I would make WiFi free at all resorts.

 

[hookedonears]

In addition to many of the good suggestions that have already been made here, I'd:

Update and improve:

The Indy cars - MK;
Jungle Cruise - MK;
Kali RR - AK major, major, major improvement - make it a fun ride;
Great Movie Ride - DHS;
Muppet 3D - DHS;

Completely Re-Do:

Tom Sawyer Island - MK;
Stitch - MK;
Carousel of Progress - MK;
Figment/Captain EO - EPCOT;
The entire County Fair area of AK;
American Idol - DHS;
Studios Back Lot tour - DHS;
Indiana Jones.

 

[BCV09_Saratoga10]

1. Change Fastpass policy that passes are only valid within the printed time period. Probably allow a two hour window rather than one hour so it may not conflict with dining times.

2. Eliminate "Free" Dining. Maybe more room discounts.

3. Eliminate the Basic Disney Dining Plan. Keep the Quick Service and the Deluxe or higher levels. Tied into that will be an increase in the general quality of food available in the table service locations, and a reduction to more reasonable prices for buffets.

DISLIKE DISLIKE DISLIKE!!! Are you crazy?!?! Like you've never used Fastpasses outside of the window...and who wouldn't like free dining? And the Basic DDP is the core, the original plan! You gotta keep that!

Ban standing on all buses. Each rider would be required to be seated or wait for the next bus.

Sell extra magic hours tickets as an add on. Seriously, the longest lines I ever stood in were during EMH evenings.

Assigned chairs at the pool, perhaps a ticket given to each guest with a numbered chair. Once they leave the pool, the seat opens up. I cannot stand to see towels -- etc. left on empty chairs for hours.

DISLIKE DISLIKE DISLIKE!!! If there weren't standing on buses, you'd be waiting hours to get on a bus. If you sold EMH tickets, you'd be waiting in even LONGER lines. And chair assignment would never, ever work. If you see a towel there, MOVE IT.

5. DHS. More rides rides rides. I would overhaul the who backlot area into a Pixar Place/Land. I would keep the Backlot tour but get rid of the pre show. I would really focus on animation. Made a tunnel with the history of Disney annimation that float along the walls. Think Nemo maxed out. I would put in a coaster based on the doors in Monsters INC. I would put in an interactive bumper car ride based on Cars. It would keep points based on bumps and other things. There could be a small kids version too.

I disagree. I think they should bring back actual film and television production to the studios. That was the original concept, remember. Although I would not mind the Monsters, Inc. coaster. Cars bumper cars are a no in my book.


If I ran WDW, I would:

1. Bring back Wonders of Life and add Horizons in between either the Land and the Seas or the Land and Imagination.

2. Change the entire Imagination pavilion. Combine the new and old Journey rides. Bring back the second floor ImageWorks. Add a new 3D or 4D movie.

3. Get corporate sponsors for all the pavilions.

4. Add some new countries to World Showcase.

5. Have Innoventions West become Communicore and Innoventions East stay as Innoventions East stay as Innovnetions. Communicore would focus on the global community, and Innoventions would focus on technological innovations.

6. Change the Seas back to the Living Seas, but keep the Nemo touches. But, the Nemo feel would be downplayed a little.

7. Use the Jr. Chef space in the Land for something, and add actual people the the Living with the Land boat ride again!!

8. Refurb the Magic Kingdom in stages. Stitch might go; I'd probably do a reboot of the Alien Encounter ride.

9. Add actual production back to MGM. Maybe get rid of the stunt show - if not, incorporate it into the Backlot Tour.

10. Add a 2nd show or something to Camp Minnie-Mickey.

11. FIX THE YETI!

12. Refurb MGM and AK in stages as well.

13. Add a new resort in each category - value, moderate, deluxe, and DVC. The DVC would be a dedicated DVC, and the deluxe would have no DVC accommodations. Also, I'd refurb Fort Wilderness.

14. Introduce hybrid buses (and monorails maybe; idk about the boats).

15. Scratch the Four Seasons resort. I hate it. It was "going to be complete by 2010" or thereabouts.

16. Not add a fifth theme park.

17. Bring back River Country and make Discovery Island in Bay Lake into something...well...safe .

18. Lower prices for resorts, tickets, and food by 10%.

19. Bring back the clubs on PI at DTD. Rebuild Motion & the Rock 'n Roll Beach Club, but make them dedicated teen clubs 3 nights/week.

20. Refurb DTD in general.

21. Make the WDW resort a better experience for all!

P.S. Sorry for the super long post.

 

[Hook's Girl]

I would pay front line Cast Members more. My reasons are purely selfish.

BUT happy Cast Members also make happier Guests.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I would totally redo the bathrooms in MK. Some of them REALLY look like they've been there since 1971. Rip everything to the studs and start over.

 

[StitchSpawn]

I think most of these suggestions are unreasonable or undoable business wise for Disney.
Except for the ride updates, I really don't know why Disney doesn't consider some more updates. Or why they felt the need to "cheap out" with Imagination or Stitch's Great Escape. It really isn't worth it in the long run, they're going to end up changing it again, so why not do it right the first time?

Anyways, Permanent Wall-E M&G in Tomorrowland, & interactive play areas about recycling.

 

[StitchSpawn]

I would pay front line Cast Members more. My reasons are purely selfish.

BUT happy Cast Members also make happier Guests.

I know it sucks to have such a hard job and get paid very little, but without having any inside knowledge, but a lot of business knowledge, Disney can't afford to pay it's employees anymore. I know it's tough when the Excutives are making so much more, but there are thousands of people that work for Disney and because Disney has to have so many employees, they can't pay them a lot. Also the fees required to maintain WDW are almost unfathomable! The tourist industry as a whole relies on cheap labor. Plus, most of those jobs don't require a college degree or higher or high level of skill, hence the low pay. I live in Florida and have worked plenty of low paying tourist jobs, our state runs on it.

That is why people should be super nice to CMs!

 

[nblake05]

Souvenirs ~ Would be park/hotel specific and quality. No more $50.00 shirts you can see through!

Dining Plan~I would keep it but raise the price to a level that would afford quality menus.

Characters ~Allow them to walk around the parks like they used to so children can have the magical experience of Chip and Dale (or whoever) just showing up on Main Street or in Fantasyland etc.

OK, thats all I have off the top of my head!

I agree with the souvenirs... but I REALLY agree with our take on the characters! DH and I were just discussing this the other day! I remember when I was little and they just seemed to roam around. Meet and Greets are great and serve a purpose, but it would be nice to have some characters wandering... I mean supposedly these characters "live at Disney World (or Land)" and yet they don't act like they "live" there.

 

[cbg1027]

Abolish all forms of the dining plan and thus hopefully stop the homogenization and cheapening of food at Disney.

Re-open the Wonder of Life Pavilion at Epcot

Bring back the Skyway at MK

Have monorails operate for Evening EMH!

Fix the Yeti!

Add a Middle Eastern and South American country to WS

Get rid of Stitch's Great Escape

Free Wifi

No Nescrappe Coffee - get a decent brand of real coffee!

No more Minute Maid OJ from concentrate!

No more plastic bacon!

This will get me flamed, but ban children under 10 from the signature restaurants.

Hot Tubs at the Value Resorts, add a couple of bucks a night to the rate if needed, it would be worth it to me. And put a freakin' hot tub in at the Poly!

A Value priced resort that has more adult theming - none of the giant cartoon icon stuff.

Get rid of the Narnia 'attraction' in DHS and use the space for something worthwhile.

Make DHS a working studio again and have the old backlot tour where there was actually a backlot to see!

 

[Colleen27]

Epcot needs a new 3D movie to replace Captain EO, and Disney has an immensely popular franchise right now that is all about imagination... I'd bring a Phineas & Ferb movie to that theatre.

Put in a playground somewhere. There's no reason such a massive park should lack even one real playground to let little kids burn off some steam. Making the one they install on the path to the World Showcase on the Canada side for Flower & Garden permanent would do nicely.

At the Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland just plain needs work. First of all ditch Stitch. Replace that attraction with something Wall-E related. He's a much better fit for Tomorrowland anyway.

The Indy cars need major rehab too. I personally don't care for the common Cars suggestion. How about replacing the ride vehicles with electric-powered cars, and creating a themed queue with an educational/environmental component. It would be much more appropriate to the idea of Tomorrowland than antiquated go-carts reminiscent of a roadside amusement.

I love the Fantasyland plans, but wish Disney hadn't scrapped the Fairies component. I would love to see a Neverland section built that could include but not revolve around Tink and friends, with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys to balance out the "girlie" factor of the fairies.

Studios needs another family friendly headliner to take a little of the pressure off of TSM. As cool as the Monsters Inc coaster idea is, it doesn't fit the bill. Bringing over one of the rides from the DCA Cars Land would be a start, but new tech would be better. Maybe a combo dark ride/simulator that incorporates something like Soarin' into a more immersive, storied experience. Up! would be a great candidate for that concept.

Also, keep the Playhouse Disney breakfast at Hollywood & Vine, but turn lunch and dinner into a Pixar friends character meal featuring the Toy Story crew, the Monsters, etc. It isn't like anyone will wax nostalgic over the loss of the non-character dinner experience there, and the PHD characters simply don't have broad enough appeal to need two meals.

Animal Kingdom is one I don't really have a lot of ideas on changing. I like it the way it is, even (maybe especially) the kitschy Dinoland that everyone else seems to hate. Fixing the Yeti would be nice, but otherwise I think it is a nice one-day park that accomplishes what it set out to do.

Resort wide there are a few other things I'd do.

Petty and minor, but bring back the ostrich at Jiko and Cali Grill. It was incredible and now it is gone, probably the only menu change I've really groused about in the years we've been going to WDW.

Rethink the pricing of the Art of Animation suites. It is supposed to be a value resort, so why does it cost as much as a (moderate) cabin at Ft Wilderness and nearly as much as a standard room at a deluxe?

Build moderate level family suites. If they existed they'd be my choice every time, assuming they were priced roughly the way All Star Music suites are priced relative to single rooms (double plus a few bucks, not nearly triple like the AoA suites). I'd put them in Ranchos at CSR and Barbados at CBR, following the same strategy as the pirate rooms at CBR in using a unique room type to fill the rooms people otherwise request NOT to be in.

Bring back a nightclub at Pleasure Island/Downtown Disney, and make it adults-only with a cover charge to keep out the "just hanging out" element that became problematic at the old PI once the turnstiles came down. It doesn't have to be a whole district, just one versatile space that could have a different theme each night (dance, country, hip-hop, comedy, etc).

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

I would pay front line Cast Members more. My reasons are purely selfish.

BUT happy Cast Members also make happier Guests.

I apologize for leaving out the cast members. You make our vacation dreams come true.

I wouldn't mess with hourly wages. However all cast members would receive a nice yearly profit sharing check.

 

[thestevied]

Characters ~Allow them to walk around the parks like they used to so children can have the magical experience of Chip and Dale (or whoever) just showing up on Main Street or in Fantasyland etc.

I agree this would be great, but don't see how it could possibly work. Surely, as soon as a chartacter becomes visible they would be surrounded and unable to move!!

 

[kaligal]

God, where to start.

MK: Skyway back in. Stitch replaced. Bring back all the Christmas stuff.

Epcot: WoL to re-open. New and improved - educational and fun. I want a ride where we actually do see the inside of the body. Totally do-able now. Captain EO - losing it and burning the film. New voice and script for SSE. Australia into where that Outback thing is. Bring back the Christmas stuff.

AK: Jungle book show. Re-theme Dinoland to whatever they called the unicorns and crap. Uni has a Dinoland and it is better than Disney's. We don't need two.

DHS: Stunt Show out. I don't know what in, but that goes. New, cool thrill ride. A thing on musicals in where Sounds Dangerous was...I might be the only one who likes it, but I'm in charge, right?

Characters out and about. They aren't taking pics and signing autographs, but they do wave.

Then I'm going to lunch.