OMG!! Disney cancelled the Bedtime stories!!

[TwingleMum]

I am soo upset I just found out that Disney cancelled the Bedtime stories shown on resort TV. WHHHHYYYY!!! You knew you were in WDW when you put on the TV and the bedtime stories were on. My DS's love them. What rocket scientist, pencil pusher thought this up? What so we could watch that lame Samatha Brown wannabe tour WDW?? That was such a nice touch. The kids (alright me too) floated gently off to sleep with visions of Disney dancing in our heads. Sometimes the bedtime stories were the only bribe that got the kids back to the room. Anyone want to start calling and e mailing? I don't have a link to post but maybe someone else can post it.

 

[poohandwendy]

I wonder why they decided to do that?

 

[TwingleMum]

It doesn't make sense. It was such a nice perk. Whats next Mickey wake up calls???

 

[Pixiedust34]

We liked the bedtime stories! But, we did wish that they would vary the story every night. We seemed to have the same story all of the time.

The bedtime stories were good.

What I'd like to see is a channel that plays those cartoons they show in the resort lobby. My kids loved those!

 

[luvmy2sams]

Wow!

We finally were back in the resort early enough to let the kids watch these on our trip last month. DS will be sad when we return, and he doesn't get to be lulled to sleep with Toy Story.

 

[mrsv98]

When did this happen? They were on a couple of weeks ago when we were there. That is too bad, I am not sure who will miss tham more, DD or DH.

 

[bicker]

I can confirm that they were there two weeks ago. If they're not there now, it could be a short promotional period. Until we get an official confirmation from Disney, one way or the other, we shouldn't go off-the-handle and panic.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I am soo upset I just found out that Disney cancelled the Bedtime stories shown on resort TV. WHHHHYYYY!!! You knew you were in WDW when you put on the TV and the bedtime stories were on. My DS's love them. What rocket scientist, pencil pusher thought this up? What so we could watch that lame Samatha Brown wannabe tour WDW?? That was such a nice touch. The kids (alright me too) floated gently off to sleep with visions of Disney dancing in our heads. Sometimes the bedtime stories were the only bribe that got the kids back to the room. Anyone want to start calling and e mailing? I don't have a link to post but maybe someone else can post it.

I started thinking about this post form February, and was getting depressed. i posted over on the resorts board, to see if anyone can confirm, and nothing has been confirmed.

I did call down to Disney a few minutes ago to ask if they had in fact been cancelled, and as far as the CM knew, and he put me on hold to ask, the bedtime stories are up and running, with no known future plans to discontinue them.

OP, where did you hear of this to begin with?

 

[BuzzBoyMom]

Nope - don't believe it!!! Can't be true!!! A friend comes back in 2 days - I'll verify with her!!!

NOOOOOO!!!!!

 

[birdiesunshine]

My dd loves them. The only thing she loves more than the bedtime stories are the cartoons they play in all the lobbies. She couldn't care less about the parks if she can sit there and watch those cartoons all day.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Nope - don't believe it!!! Can't be true!!! A friend comes back in 2 days - I'll verify with her!!!

NOOOOOO!!!!!

Sad, but it seems it IS true. I posted the fact that I called down and asked on my thread on the resorts board, and since then, 3 posters have responded that there were no bedtime stories during their recent trips.

 

[WDWfor5]

When we were at POR-Riverside in January / February I called the Front desk to ask about bedtime stories and the Mickey Wakeup call and was told both were discontinued.

I was just glad I had never told my kids about them. I'd love for them to bring them back - there was nothing child appropriate on TV in the evening. You'd think Disney world would have something on TV in the evening for children even if it was just Disney cartoons.

 

[3princesses4us]

So they cancelled the Mickey wake up call too?

 

[Disney1fan2002]

So they cancelled the Mickey wake up call too?

NO WAY!!!!

What is going on? Really, there is no good reason to cancel either IMO. I know for a fact people were using the services. MANY people. We loved the wake-up calles, and the kids each took a turn sleeping next to the phone, and it was a game to see what character each one would get.

I always seemed to get Stitches UGLY voice in the early AM. LOL

My DH says the only problem with the bedtimes stories, were they needed to be updated. The stories were getting old. I got excited when he said that, because I thought maybe they are only temp. cancelled while they update them with Chicken Little, Incredibles, and maybe Cars. Then DH, had to rain on my parade to point out they wouldn't have to cancel them to update them.

I am going to try to find an address, if i can get an address, would you all be willing to write until your fingers fell off? We need to let Disney know this is a tragedy.

 

[bicker]

The real question is whether this would make any significant number of guests change their decision about visiting WDW or staying at Disney resorts. I suspect the number got so low that the cost associated with updating it, maintaining the feed (?), etc., just wasn't worth it, or more likely, that budget allocation was diverted to something that they believe would have GREATER positive impact on us than the bedtime stories. Think about all the wonderful things added in the last couple of years, and figure that some of that is thanks to redirecting some attention towards those things over the bedtime stories.

 

[ADisneygirl]

We just returned last weekend from a wonderful trip to WL. I am sad to report that there are no longer any bedtime stories on the tv.

They do have a wake up call, but it is not Mickey. It is Stitch each and every time.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

The real question is whether this would make any significant number of guests change their decision about visiting WDW or staying at Disney resorts. I suspect the number got so low that the cost associated with updating it, maintaining the feed (?), etc., just wasn't worth it, or more likely, that budget allocation was diverted to something that they believe would have GREATER positive impact on us than the bedtime stories. Think about all the wonderful things added in the last couple of years, and figure that some of that is thanks to redirecting some attention towards those things over the bedtime stories.

One of the things I absolutely LOVE about WDW is that they are constantly changing. You can go down there 2 or 3 times in a 12 month period, and find something new each time.

But, do you really think, in the big picture, the character wake-up calls and the bedtimes stories really cost that much to maintain?

Whether people would not go to Disney because of the fact they no longer exsist, I doubt it. But I also doubt that when the bedtime stories started, it was what drew people to Disney. I don't think Disney started them as something to get people to come back. I think it was just a little MORE Magic they gave us at the end of the day. And NOTHING started the day off better than a 4yo getting a wake up call by Goofy. Who can top that???

The resort amenities are what made me a Disney Snob. I refuse to even consider staying off property. Staying in a Disney resort is pure heaven. The stories and the calls were very much a part of it. Will I not go now because they don't exsist? Hell no! But I would like to let Disney know how disappointed many of us are.

 

[MzDiz]

You know, I'm starting to wonder why they have the televisions in the room in the first place. There's nothing on. I have an idea! Why not lull the kids to sleep with that annoying what's-her-face telling you about things going on in the parks!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I have an address!!!

PLEASE~! Help bring back the bedtime stories. Write to this address telling them how disappointed/upset you are at the fact that the bedtime stories are no more. The CM told me to be sure to include your phone number.

Walt Disney World
Guest Communication
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

 

[bicker]

But, do you really think, in the big picture, the character wake-up calls and the bedtimes stories really cost that much to maintain?

Hard to say, but Disney would know, and be able to use that information to make the best decision. I'm a software developer. Right now there are over 30 features in my product which are deliberate hidden. These are real features, reflections of what at least one customer somewhere asked for. The code is already written, and unit-tested. What would be the cost, you might ask, of just turning the feature on? Why would my management deliberately decide to have me go back into the code and add more code to hide these features? It does boggle the mind, a bit, but the reality is that they're correct. Those features, while desired by a few, would add complexity to the product, making it that much more difficult to support. It means that our documentation people would need to learn each feature, and write up Help documentation for it. Our implementation people would need to learn each feature, and take up limited training sessions to train customers on the feature. Our support people would need to learn each feature, and then we can expect more support calls because the more features, the more some users will get confused! So while it may not be apparent to us what the costs are, there are almost always costs associated with anything, and when those costs are in excess of the benefit, there's no real reason to incur the cost.

I think it was just a little MORE Magic they gave us at the end of the day.

I like the idea of them changing the magic we get each day, as the years go along.