Just back and really feeling sad

[kbeam]

We just got back from WDW, BRV. First, the good: Remy ride is amazing, Mickey and Minnie Runaway Train surprisingly good. But the bad overcomes the good. The 2 biggest disappointments for us were the French film being replaced with that pathetic, thrown together Beauty and the Beast singalong and the animal topiaries gone from WL. I'm not a fan of change as it is, but this cheapening effect and dumbing down what were once educational attractions is beginning to really lose the appeal for us. And the Lion King show...no more monkey acrobats, swinging ballerina or audience participation doing animal sounds/movements?? I' m sure there's more that I'm not remembering. It just seems we're being nickel and dimed while the details of why we love Disney so much are being whittled away.

 

[melk]

We just got back from BRV a couple of days ago. The first thing I noticed was that the lanterns under the walkway from the main lodge to the villas no longer have the flickering lightbulbs. I always thought they looked so cool, like they were real lanterns.

At some point I realized the buffalo topiary was gone. The last time we were there it was across from Geyser Point. It wasn’t there this time. I figured maybe it was moved someplace else.

When we arrived I noticed our favorite Mickey topiary at the walkway to the villas. It was always tradition to take my kids pictures there. I thought it would be fun to do it again even though they’re adults now. But one of my kids hadn’t arrived yet so I figured we’d do it later in the trip. Well the darned thing disappeared overnight! I couldn’t believe it. We never did see it again, hopefully it will return.

Not sure how your room was but ours was showing some wear, especially the couch. That definitely needs to be replaced.

 

[Eagles0509]

We just got back from BRV a couple of days ago. The first thing I noticed was that the lanterns under the walkway from the main lodge to the villas no longer have the flickering lightbulbs. I always thought they looked so cool, like they were real lanterns.

At some point I realized the buffalo topiary was gone. The last time we were there it was across from Geyser Point. It wasn’t there this time. I figured maybe it was moved someplace else.

When we arrived I noticed our favorite Mickey topiary at the walkway to the villas. It was always tradition to take my kids pictures there. I thought it would be fun to do it again even though they’re adults now. But one of my kids hadn’t arrived yet so I figured we’d do it later in the trip. Well the darned thing disappeared overnight! I couldn’t believe it. We never did see it again, hopefully it will return.

Not sure how your room was but ours was showing some wear, especially the couch. That definitely needs to be replaced.

If you scroll down this thread, the Mickey and Buffalo have been removed in the past for unknown reasons. This is reported back in 2015.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/v...viva-vwl-updated-13-oct-2021.3242976/page-230

 

[jo-jo]

I was hoping Lion king would be back to the full show by now.

 

[RoseGold]

I just got back too and I was ready for a list of stuff like leaf blowers at poly or having to walk through construction hell to get the Remy ears my kid wanted. But I don’t know any of this. Literally none of it. What topiaries? If there was an educational film somewhere at WDW (was there?) I didn’t watch it.

You know what was awesome? $15 to walk on to most stuff, like some kind of superpowered fast pass. I actually paid $50/person/day for club level extra fast passes. I’d take genie any day!

 

[kbeam]

I just got back too and I was ready for a list of stuff like leaf blowers at poly or having to walk through construction hell to get the Remy ears my kid wanted. But I don’t know any of this. Literally none of it. What topiaries? If there was an educational film somewhere at WDW (was there?) I didn’t watch it.

You know what was awesome? $15 to walk on to most stuff, like some kind of superpowered fast pass. I actually paid $50/person/day for club level extra fast passes. I’d take genie any day!

The film in France was awesome. We watched it at least once a trip.

 

[kbeam]

We just got back from BRV a couple of days ago. The first thing I noticed was that the lanterns under the walkway from the main lodge to the villas no longer have the flickering lightbulbs. I always thought they looked so cool, like they were real lanterns.

At some point I realized the buffalo topiary was gone. The last time we were there it was across from Geyser Point. It wasn’t there this time. I figured maybe it was moved someplace else.

When we arrived I noticed our favorite Mickey topiary at the walkway to the villas. It was always tradition to take my kids pictures there. I thought it would be fun to do it again even though they’re adults now. But one of my kids hadn’t arrived yet so I figured we’d do it later in the trip. Well the darned thing disappeared overnight! I couldn’t believe it. We never did see it again, hopefully it will return.

Not sure how your room was but ours was showing some wear, especially the couch. That definitely needs to be replaced.

I thought there was something 'off' about the lanterns, but I was so tired every night, I didn't put 2 and 2 together. Sigh.

 

[DonnerB]

I think Impressions de France is still shown later in the evenings…

 

[kbeam]

I think Impressions de France is still shown later in the evenings…

Whew!! Thank you!

 

[bluecruiser]

I think Impressions de France is still shown later in the evenings…

They certainly don't give it much time, only the last hour and a half.
According to today's schedule in the app:

• Impressions de France is showing 8:30pm-9:45pm
• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along runs from 10am-8pm

 

[McCrae]

I wonder how much of the concerns expressed above are due to the impact of Covid and Disney taking precautions for our health and safety. The Lion King show being a Prime example.
Hopefully wont be long before things get back to normal.

 

[Judique]

I wonder how much of the concerns expressed above are due to the impact of Covid and Disney taking precautions for our health and safety. The Lion King show being a Prime example.
Hopefully wont be long before things get back to normal.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for anything to return. If what's left and what's coming makes you happy, I'd focus on that.

First visit 1988 for me. I'm still missing 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. It was awesome for us back then. But I bet today's visitor would want it replaced.

 

[MICKIMINI]

The twinkling lanterns at BRV added so much to the atmosphere...so sad!

 

[Pluto1976]

The new version of the Lion King show is definitely sub-par compared to the original version. Hopefully the cut elements are re-inserted into the show and this is not another cut to save money.

 

[DeeBee3]

I never saw the original Lion King show, but we loved the version they did in August. Obviously, though, I am unable to compare.

Being a kid in the 90s, I loved the Beauty and the Beast singalong, but then again, never saw the original movie on France.

I'm sure they will up the show on Lion King with some time. It's a business and they took a huge loss if you look at last quarter reporting.

 

[Sparky984]

The new version of the Lion King show is definitely sub-par compared to the original version. Hopefully the cut elements are re-inserted into the show and this is not another cut to save money.

We skipped it this time after seeing the modified version on our last trip. I’ll never go see that version of the show again.

 

[bbeagle]

The new version of the Lion King show is definitely sub-par compared to the original version. Hopefully the cut elements are re-inserted into the show and this is not another cut to save money.

Hopefully all the cuts are because they can't hire enough people, not strictly money. Time will tell.

Once the covid restrictions are lifted - and society goes back to normal, I'm sure many more people will come into the workforce. I'd NEVER work or even go to Disney if I had to wear a mask all day. No mask - I'll be there in a heartbeat.

 

[Vulnox]

Hopefully all the cuts are because they can't hire enough people, not strictly money. Time will tell.

Once the covid restrictions are lifted - and society goes back to normal, I'm sure many more people will come into the workforce. I'd NEVER work or even go to Disney if I had to wear a mask all day. No mask - I'll be there in a heartbeat.

We wore N95 masks the entire trip, outdoors and indoors. It was no problem at all, and the inability of others to keep it over their nose, two years into this damn thing, was unreal.

I think most of the show restrictions are due to staffing, they covered it when discussing the Indiana Jones show that had to cut back performance times. Flickering lights and that, who knows. Could be limitations on getting those bulbs or just a change that allowed them to consolidate parts on hand. Or maybe some people complained because the flickering bothered them.

 

[DVCjj]

The film in France was awesome. We watched it at least once a trip.

That film with the hauntingly lovely soundtrack was always a 'must' on several trips a year. Very annoying so many favorites are gone.

 

[SwanVT2]

We skipped it this time after seeing the modified version on our last trip. I’ll never go see that version of the show again.

Oh no! I’ve always wanted to see the show and we go to AK Wednesday and had planned for it. Now I’m annoyed because EE is closed too and we were looking forward to that