News Round Up 2018

[TheMaxRebo]

The bathroom issue is surprising. Other issues not so much.

For the bathroom I could see them just thinking easier to put all urinals in kids area at kid height - but yeah, not best design

Fence think kinda surprised just as it is saftety involved

 

[TheMaxRebo]

That's awesome. I could see either of these precious tots behaving similarly.

Now that the kids know we're going they've seen the rides so much and have fallen in love with Grim Grinning Ghosts and the "Yo ho" Pirate songs - they finally displaced Daft Punk for car rides. I love Daft Punk too kids, but man, too much of a good thing.

What are the rumors of ride closures in late August? Is that easily accessible info? I've never really cared before, but I'm just realizing I made have another, of so many, parenting mistakes by showing the kids all the rides we could ride.

Good idea to preview some of the rides - also, if they are new to character meets showing some videos of them can be helpful. More of an issue with smaller kids but some kids freak out when they meet a mouse or dog or duck that is 5 times the size of the

 

[tlmadden73]

The bathroom issue is surprising. Other issues not so much.

My guess (and hope), as I've stated before they will eventually fix some of these issues .. a few poles and some creative shading (the "lid" of a toy's box or something).

The plastic fence is surprising, after a few months in the hot sun that plastic will probably be really faded and brittle. How did it make it that far to be almost IMMEDIATELY blocked off? Did someone break one already and almost fall through? Did a Disney lawyer walk through the land and panicked when he saw the potential liability?

Having all urinals kid height? My biggest pet peeve for a 6'3" tall person. You'd think Disney could afford a floor to waist urinal are they that budget conscious you can't spend a few extra dollars on a taller urinal?

 

[UncleMike101]

My guess (and hope), as I've stated before they will eventually fix some of these issues .. a few poles and some creative shading (the "lid" of a toy's box or something).

The plastic fence is surprising, after a few months in the hot sun that plastic will probably be really faded and brittle. How did it make it that far to be almost IMMEDIATELY blocked off? Did someone break one already and almost fall through? Did a Disney lawyer walk through the land and panicked when he saw the potential liability?

Having all urinals kid height? My biggest pet peeve for a 6'3" tall person. You'd think Disney could afford a floor to waist urinal are they that budget conscious you can't spend a few extra dollars on a taller urinal?

Perhaps Disney figured it was a lost cause what with guys staring at their cell phones and spraying the walls and floor instead of attending to the "business at hand".

Yes I've seen that.....................

 

[Capang]

Yikes...

Toy Story Land’s Early Woes: Unsafe Fences, Poorly Executed Restrooms, and Slow Food Service Plague Disney World’s Latest Addition

https://wdwnt.com/2018/07/toy-story...service-plaque-disney-worlds-latest-addition/

I call BS. I was just there. That fence wasn't backed with wood yesterday and that is where they had people lining up for FP. Right against that fence. And I asked my husband about the bathrooms. He was pretty sure he would've noticed the bathroom issue. He was in there, hes over 6ft.

It's a cute land designed for lovers of the movie franchise and families woth littles. I dont get the hate it's been getting.

 

[Ambehnke]

After seeing how my son (when he was 4) enjoyed LEGOLAND .. and a small "old timey" park in Wisconsin (that collects/refurbishes some old carnival rides and puts them into a small family theme park), I feel Disney is missing more "toddler" areas or attractions. I mean . .I get why they don't as those rides traditionally can't hold adults and aren't really crowd eaters.

While it has toddler rides (like Dumbo and Aladdin's Carpets) .. and they can go on Dark rides, there is just something about sitting on a vehicle and going in a circle that just amazes and thrills kids under 5.

To me, while looking forward to Toy Story Land, that seems what is missing from the area. A TODDLER ride .. or a playground .. or a splash pad .. or an air-conditioned TOY store that makes it a fun themed lands for the really little ones.

BAY BEACH! We live 15 min away. My kids are 4 and 6 and have have been to Disney many times. We still go to Bay Beach at least once a week in summer because the kids love the rides and it’s CHEAP! (Like we have fun for a few hours for 10-15$)

 

[skier_pete]

After seeing how my son (when he was 4) enjoyed LEGOLAND .. and a small "old timey" park in Wisconsin (that collects/refurbishes some old carnival rides and puts them into a small family theme park), I feel Disney is missing more "toddler" areas or attractions. I mean . .I get why they don't as those rides traditionally can't hold adults and aren't really crowd eaters.

While it has toddler rides (like Dumbo and Aladdin's Carpets) .. and they can go on Dark rides, there is just something about sitting on a vehicle and going in a circle that just amazes and thrills kids under 5.

To me, while looking forward to Toy Story Land, that seems what is missing from the area. A TODDLER ride .. or a playground .. or a splash pad .. or an air-conditioned TOY store that makes it a fun themed lands for the really little ones.

It's why I say (and lots of people get upset when I do) that Disney is not really the place for little kids. It's designed for families, but if you travel there with the under 5 set, you are going to be (a) limited in what you can do with them and (b) they are going to make it more difficult to enjoy the other rides. Of course if you have kids with ages spaced apart (as most people do) then there's going to be little ones you take with you...but it is still just not that great a place to go. You really are better off going to your local amusement park with a kiddie land with a 3-year old than Disney World.

 

[Ambehnke]

It's why I say (and lots of people get upset when I do) that Disney is not really the place for little kids. It's designed for families, but if you travel there with the under 5 set, you are going to be (a) limited in what you can do with them and (b) they are going to make it more difficult to enjoy the other rides. Of course if you have kids with ages spaced apart (as most people do) then there's going to be little ones you take with you...but it is still just not that great a place to go. You really are better off going to your local amusement park with a kiddie land with a 3-year old than Disney World.

The characters were much of our enjoyment my kids’ first trip at 3 and 1. It was worth that trip because those memories and smiles were the best. You just have to plan and know what to expect. It’s good for all ages but definitely for different reasons. Not every person is going to love every attraction or addition.

 

[Capang]

While looking at pics from the 2 days we spent in the land some of the fences had boards, but nothing was roped off from views. The bathroom thing I really dont get. I asked my husband again if he was sure and he said he was, but take that with a grain of salt. Really though, the land is great. The only real, real issue is lack of shade or misters. Even the meals at woodys were good and quick. Mobile ordering on the website for anywhere, that's another story entirely.

Actually, the one thing Disney REALLY needs to fix is their websites and apps. It's like they built them piece by piece and connected them with band aids and glitter. Total disaster.

 

[skier_pete]

The urinal thing I don't get. Those kids urinals don't cost more and installing them low or high is all the same. This is clearly not a cost cutting measure, but a design choice. A little strange, though I've never had a problem hitting a kids urinal - though I'm only 5'10".

 

[hakepb]

I call BS. I was just there. That fence wasn't backed with wood yesterday and that is where they had people lining up for FP. Right against that fence. And I asked my husband about the bathrooms. He was pretty sure he would've noticed the bathroom issue. He was in there, hes over 6ft.

It's a cute land designed for lovers of the movie franchise and families woth littles. I dont get the hate it's been getting.

People like to think Disney is great because they design and execute perfect processes that result in the best theme parks in the world.

But Disney’s service excellence is more known because Disney does a better than average job bringing in a large number of employees to actively correct the mistakes the flawed designs and processes introduced.

It’s fun to point out things like the shade. Remember when BOG opened, and they had to provide personal umbrellas to guests waiting in line?

 

[amberpi]

Good idea to preview some of the rides - also, if they are new to character meets showing some videos of them can be helpful. More of an issue with smaller kids but some kids freak out when they meet a mouse or dog or duck that is 5 times the size of the

Thanks for the info. The kids have met some at other events, and lordamighty (that's a word in the south), have we seen some videos. Let's just say brunch on Sunday (for the World Cup) was super easy - the kids got to watch ride videos while at their favorite gastropub! They were so good for the entire match.

Regarding characters, because all of a sudden these are important, is there any site that covers up to date character changes? I know these are, obviously, a much more fluid thing, and I'm just wanting to make sure that we manage expectations regarding who we might meet in any park as we cruise in and out.

 

[Capang]

People like to think Disney is great because they design and execute perfect processes that result in the best theme parks in the world.

But Disney’s service excellence is more known because Disney does a better than average job bringing in a large number of employees to actively correct the mistakes the flawed designs and processes introduced.

It’s fun to point out things like the shade. Remember when BOG opened, and they had to provide personal umbrellas to guests waiting in line?

I get that. And their service best be excellent when they charge what they do and you get big screw ups. And service wise you can't beat them. But the land is really well done. It is supposed to look like toys scattered around a backyard. They achieved that. It looks like every toy I've stepped on in my living room ar 2am.

I think the problem with the land is that people went in expecting something akin to Pandora or even the yet unseen SW:GE. This isn't that. It is a small land catering to the 4-8 set. Something that will give grandma and the little kids something to do while mom, dad, and the big kids head to SW:GE.

 

[DisLiss]

My thoughts on Toy Story Land are two-fold.

A.) I hope they take these issues into account as work continues with the new Star Wars area, to hopefully fix any similar problems before they open.

B.) This is precisely why I always try NOT to be one of the earlier/first people to buy something, try something, etc. I'm the opposite of the "camp out so we can say we had it/did it first" folks. I'm one of the "Check it out after they have time to fix the bugs." folks instead. It's far too common, imo, for companies of any sort, to put out a new product with enormous fanfare, but with a lack in quality to back up that fanfare.

Plastic open weave fences at child height sound like something that will take a beating...especially if the kids are already fidgety and agitated from hanging out in long, hot lines. I can see them banging into them. kicking them, etc. It seems so short-sighted to me to make a fence a place to cut corners. And the shade thing baffles me. You'd think they'd understand the importance of trying to make cool spaces in a park by now. I hope they can come up with some good quality fixes for these issues quickly and by some miracle remember next time that shaving funding off in the beginning often leads to more spending later.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I call BS. I was just there. That fence wasn't backed with wood yesterday and that is where they had people lining up for FP. Right against that fence. And I asked my husband about the bathrooms. He was pretty sure he would've noticed the bathroom issue. He was in there, hes over 6ft.

It's a cute land designed for lovers of the movie franchise and families woth littles. I dont get the hate it's been getting.

So they're lying, then? Could the fence issue (blocking it off) have just changed today?

Regardless: why make a plastic fence??

 

[Capang]

So they're lying, then? Could the fence issue have just changed today?

We first went two days ago, then yesterday at 6am. Some of the fences do have boards behind them, as I mentioned in a later post after checking our pics, but nothing was blocked off. The FP line lines up right next to one of the fences in the pics from the article and people were leaning over it to get pics of the track. Maybe they blocked it off yesterday later in the day or today? It is weird. There were not any blocked off areas either day I was there.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Thanks for the info. The kids have met some at other events, and lordamighty (that's a word in the south), have we seen some videos. Let's just say brunch on Sunday (for the World Cup) was super easy - the kids got to watch ride videos while at their favorite gastropub! They were so good for the entire match.

Regarding characters, because all of a sudden these are important, is there any site that covers up to date character changes? I know these are, obviously, a much more fluid thing, and I'm just wanting to make sure that we manage expectations regarding who we might meet in any park as we cruise in and out.

Anything big about characters will get posted here in the news forum

Kenny the Pirate s end to be the go to for character information/news


The main character meets are included in My disney Experiences on the maps and stuff along with meeting times. Just note that some times the will cut off the line so be there early for the set for popular characters (especially for princesses in Epcot I have found)

 

[rowrbazzle]

It's why I say (and lots of people get upset when I do) that Disney is not really the place for little kids. It's designed for families, but if you travel there with the under 5 set, you are going to be (a) limited in what you can do with them and (b) they are going to make it more difficult to enjoy the other rides. Of course if you have kids with ages spaced apart (as most people do) then there's going to be little ones you take with you...but it is still just not that great a place to go. You really are better off going to your local amusement park with a kiddie land with a 3-year old than Disney World.

I disagree. There are far more things for my three kids (all under the age of 6) to do at Disney World than at the local amusement park. Our youngest (1yo) is obviously most limited, but even then he can do almost every ride and attraction at Magic Kingdom. It's more limited at Epcot, Hollywood, etc., but we had no trouble finding things for everyone to do. The kids area at the local amusement park (which is a big one) only has a handful. That being said, more general play areas would be nice at the other parks.

 

[sachilles]

Unsure if it's true or not, but I was once told the urinal height is an ADA related thing.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It's why I say (and lots of people get upset when I do) that Disney is not really the place for little kids. It's designed for families, but if you travel there with the under 5 set, you are going to be (a) limited in what you can do with them and (b) they are going to make it more difficult to enjoy the other rides. Of course if you have kids with ages spaced apart (as most people do) then there's going to be little ones you take with you...but it is still just not that great a place to go. You really are better off going to your local amusement park with a kiddie land with a 3-year old than Disney World.

I get what you are saying for rides (and some parks more than others) though do they no young kids can still really get into character meets and parades and stuff and Disney does those as well as anyone

But you are 100% right to say it is for families not kids - meaning there is stuff for everyone, which means some of the stuff won’t be great for kids