Is anyone getting as turned off as I am?

[luvthemouse71]

Well, Dumbo is a circus elephant who performs in a.... wait....circus.

it's probably a " clown phobia", lol.

 

[maxiesmom]

On the DISUnplugged podcast episode after the cuts were announced, Pete said that at one point (a few years ago, IIRC) a member of one of the groups was making $25/hour (pointing out the groups weren't being paid minimum wage) I believe he also said some (or all?) were Equity members. He went through a lot of reasoning to show why he believed this decision was financial, and that whatever shows they brought in would definitely be making less than the shows leaving were. IMO, his reasoning was very well thought out and absolutely possible, if not probable. All you have to do is look around the rest of World Showcase and see what they've just straight out cut and never replaced. If it weren't *at all* about saving money, why not replace all acts instead of just removing them?

I thought they were replacing them, just not right when they stopped the old ones.

 

[Cira]

LOL Nope. Loved going to the circus as a kid, visited Barnum & Baileys Ringling Museum in St. Augustine once a year for YEARS. LOL When I saw the circus theme, INSIDE Disney (in photos, have not seen it in person yet), I just thought it "cheapened" Disney, that's all.

it's probably a " clown phobia", lol.

 

[Cira]

Thanks SO much for that feedback. I LOVE SeaWorld, so if that is the case, I'm staying even closer to SeaWorld and would welcome a chance to go back there. I'll check it out. Thank you again.

Honestly,the Disney parks seem to have fewer Christmas decorations every year,even MK aside from Main Street doesn't have much.I visit all the Florida parks regularly and for Christmas the most impressive one for me the last couple of years has been Sea World,no upcharge admission for their Christmas events and shows which it's sister park Busch Gardens does have or like MVMCP at MK but all you have to do is walk around Sea World after the sun goes down and it's almost shocking at how many lights and decorations are around the park,not just in one area but all over.

 

[Cira]

When the Magic Kingdom opened there were few attractions. What made it special was the immersion, the attention to detail, and wonderful over the top guest treatment. I remember thinking wow, they really want me to feel welcome and appreciated. When you could get in for 3.75. Now? They really appreciate my amex credit card. I love Disney. But this is the trend as I see it.

 

[Planogirl]

Honestly,the Disney parks seem to have fewer Christmas decorations every year,even MK aside from Main Street doesn't have much.I visit all the Florida parks regularly and for Christmas the most impressive one for me the last couple of years has been Sea World,no upcharge admission for their Christmas events and shows which it's sister park Busch Gardens does have or like MVMCP at MK but all you have to do is walk around Sea World after the sun goes down and it's almost shocking at how many lights and decorations are around the park,not just in one area but all over.

I'll keep this in mind. I love holiday decorations and events and it never occurred to me that SeaWorld would do so much.

 

[Cira]

You also have to wonder if the people buying in for the hard ticket events do so because, like the poster below, they are finding ways around enjoying WDW for less $.

No doubt. However, part of it comes down to consumers making choices. On my family's recent trip, we stayed at All-Star Sports for $73 a night, taxes included, for five nights. We only bought one-day MK tickets. My children are all under 6. They enjoyed swimming and playing games at the pool. We toured resorts- they surprisingly liked that. We had a couple of fun table service meals- walk-ins at Trail's End and Beaches & Cream (sat at the counter). We did pony rides at Fort Wilderness for $5. Watched fireworks from several locations. Etc. We had a wonderful time!

Is this the typical WDW vacation? Of course not. But, there are opportunities to spend less, and also much much more, if you want to. I don't know how much I can fault Disney for charging for exclusive events when a sizable number of guests are clearly willing to buy in.

 

[Cira]

Thanks DaninMN. I thought I was alone on that. LOL

We visited MK yesterday. I think the circus section looks like a cheap carnival at a State Fair. I feel the same way about the dinosaur area of AK.

 

[Cira]

Once again, someone more eloquent than myself. This is how I feel many times.

In my almost 50 years of visiting Disney theme parks, I've never felt more like a $ to them as I do now, as opposed to feeling like a welcomed guest.

 

[Cira]

Ahhhhh! I remember the days when I would wake up in the morning, looking forward to spending the entire day & night at the Magic Kingdom. !!! I would just get up and go, buy a ticket at the Main Gate, get on the monorail or Ferryboat, go in and enjoy the place. Go on the rides, or wait to go on the rides, it was fun anyway. Eat whenever and whatever i wanted to eat. No planning, just GO and have a wonderful time. TODAY, it sounds so overwhelmingly complex to people who do not know all the ins and outs and I believe that THAT takes the fun OUT of it for SOME people. I personally am half and half, I am very organized in my ways and enjoy structure, but when I think back on the days that we'd just get up and go, it is a startling contrast to what MK (Disney Park) visitors have to go through these days.

I have been following this tread for awhile, since we just got back I now feel I can weigh in. Change is good. Good to have fond memories of things. Many things that are gone now i would like back but that's how it goes. With all that being said; I do not like all the planning that has to go into a vacation anymore. I have to know where I want to be, where and when I want to eat and what rides i want to go on months before i even arrive. Don't like the FP+. We had major problems with the electronic readers and spend countless hours at guest services DAILY to get some new glitch ironed out. You would think a place like WDW would be able to have this figured out by now. Ya, not going back until something changes. If I know anything, its that change will always come.

 

[Cira]

Thank you msb!

If I recall, the only thing you need to make an ADR is an email address, and a credit card number to guarantee it.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I thought they were replacing them, just not right when they stopped the old ones.

They are replacing them (well most of them, there will be no replacement for the Fife and Drum Corps, leaving Voices of Liberty as the only entertainment act in the America pavilion). But apparently not with Equity performers, who are directly contracted to Disney, but with outside contractors who are not going to be official Disney "cast members." Thus, Disney doesn't provide them with anything like benefits, it merely contracts with their own management company for their services. Likely that means Disney will be paying the new acts less than they paid the outgoing acts. Labor is a major business cost.

 

[stitchgal]

I haven't been since they got FP+ and magic bands so I really can't say but I really don't like the idea of the FP+ and advanced reservations for rides. We'll see how it goes when we go in January.

We actually much prefer to go to Disneyland, even though it's much further now, that WDW. No FP+, better food and we love that everything is in walking distance from the hotels.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

There is also that rumor that World Showcase will have live entertainment only during "peak times." I don't know what they mean by "peak times," nor is it clear which entertainment they mean (the new acts? the old acts? all live acts?), and I haven't seen it in enough places to think it might be a thing, but if true it's a further sign of deliberate entertainment budget cutback.

Which Disneyland also did this past year, summarily discharging the hugely popular Billy Hill and the Hilbillies group, now playing down the road at Knotts Berry Farm under a new name.

 

[msb578]

Thank you msb!

Well, the other poster was correct- they've tightened things up online, and you'll need to create a My Disney Experience account. Which isn't terribly difficult to do.

But if you call, I do believe all you need is your contact info and a credit card number.

 

[Mickey28]

We as humans are creatures of habit, and we don't like change. Look no further than the responses in this thread to see the truth in that statement. Most responses begin with, I remember when at WDW.... There have been a lot of changes over the decades. Some have been good and some not so good. I have to admit that all of this planninng has gotten to be a bit much, and I do miss the spotanaity. However, I'm not going to let it keep from going to one of my favorite vacation destinations.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I thought they were replacing them, just not right when they stopped the old ones.

They are replacing some of the acts they just announced...not all of them (no replacement for Fife and Drum announced). I never said otherwise...not sure where you got that from.

My comment about looking around World Showcase to see what they have cut and not replaced was in reference to why would anyone think they cut these acts to save money. They've cut other acts around WS and never replaced them...clearly cost cutting measures. It's not a stretch to see these changes as a continuation of cost cutting.

If you want to hear it better stated, listen to the podcast. Pete has a lot to say on the subject.

 

[Angel Ariel]

They are replacing them (well most of them, there will be no replacement for the Fife and Drum Corps, leaving Voices of Liberty as the only entertainment act in the America pavilion). But apparently not with Equity performers, who are directly contracted to Disney, but with outside contractors who are not going to be official Disney "cast members." Thus, Disney doesn't provide them with anything like benefits, it merely contracts with their own management company for their services. Likely that means Disney will be paying the new acts less than they paid the outgoing acts. Labor is a major business cost.

Thank you for better stating what I was trying to say with replacing the equity with non equity acts. My last comment wasn't trying to say there won't be any replacements for the acts they just announced, but that there have been other acts removed from WS that were never replaced, so that it's easy to see this move as a continued cost saving measure.

 

[Mkrop]

Camp Minnie/Mickey is gone.

And that is why I added "they did" because I dont know where those trees will go or if they will be put up again. My response was to AK not having enought Christmas stuff, and I always thought the trees were adorable.

Change.

It can be handled many ways by a corporation. What has turned me off more than anything is how Disney has managed change and how poorly guests have been treated/informed during the changes.

For example, last Jan. we were all set up for a split stay: 4 nights at YC and 3 nights PBH at UO. Then, all the MB and FP+ implementation started for the Resorts - with no plan or info to the Guests.

Then, Tiering

Then, I saw what happened to the guests at Pop.... MB-only.... which went through the Holidays .... only for them

I cancelled our YC portion of the trip and extended the Uni portion. Very glad I did since YC went MB-only on the day we would have checked in. So sorry I missed that.....

Now, I'm planning our Jan trip back to PBH, hoping for a few days at WDW as an off-siter. And, what's happened while I'm trying to decide....?

The SB+ "test" at Soarin' and A&E (with no advanced notice to guests). Are they going to try that again? God forbid, implement it?

And Maelstrom - EPCOT's one of our top 2 Parks and one we would spend a day at in Jan. Is there a refurb? For how long? Will it be "Frozen" or not? Will we be fighting through hordes of little princesses just to get past Norway? Will I be getting nasty stares from their mothers while I order my re-branded Olaf Aquavit shots...?

I have been very disappointed in Disney's arrogant approach to guest management, guest information and guest service through all of this "Change".

Beyond all the "whys" and "hows" "whens" of all of this - that's my biggest issue...

Yes WDW lost a lot of my respect when they would just throw these changes out there and not inform their guests.

 

[dwheaton]

I really don't mind change at theme parks. In fact, that's what keeps them exciting and makes me want to go back. But here's the deal. My last trip to Disney World was in January 2012. We're going again in January 2015. At Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and the Animal Kingdom, there is basically nothing new. The Magic Kingdom has New Fantasyland, which I'm sure will be really nice. Even so, it's limited in terms of attractions. We have the 7DMT and Little Mermaid from DCA, plus the Belle attraction.

I love so many of the classic Disney rides, and I can't wait to revisit Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, etc. They're all great! Even so, the same passes that we bought in 2012 have gone up by a significant amount. Food prices are more, parking is more, and there's FP+ to deal with on top of it.

We stay at an off-site condo through my wife's parents, so that cuts expenses a lot. Even so, it's still going to be a significantly more expensive trip. I can't wait to go and am sure we'll have a great time. Still, it would be nice to see Disney trying a bit harder to earn our visit. My kids are young and aren't ready for much of Universal, but it won't be that way forever.