Orlando Sentinel article...CEO says park goers happier now than before Covid

[BrianL]

My beef is Disney's replace instead of expand strategy,

Well, tha'ts certainly fair. Thay are building SOME new stuff though really, but not every expansion pad is being used. The thing is though that sometimes th eold attractions do need to be overhauled so, you know, sometimes it's just an opportune moment.

 

[ford91exploder]

Well, tha'ts certainly fair. Thay are building SOME new stuff though really, but not every expansion pad is being used. The thing is though that sometimes th eold attractions do need to be overhauled so, you know, sometimes it's just an opportune moment.

Of course some old attractions need to be rebuilt, JIYI v1.0 was one of the most amazing rides ever in fairness the control systems of the age were not up to operating the ride properly, However the cheap out versions 2 and 3 are an insult to the spirit of the ride.

Too often recently disney lets the finance department design the ride, Classic example is 7DMT the orginal version had 3x the ride length and more show scenes. It's a good ride which minus the financial engineering could have been a GREAT ride. The feeling you get is 'Is that all there is ???" at the end of the ride.

Another is the Ariel ride, the queue is amazing the ride itself blah, But you like I probably have seen what Imagineering originally wanted on a video to do and once again a meh ride could have become an instant classic right up there with PoTC because in the originally pitched version it felt like you were going underwater.

Look at everyone's favorite ride in HS TSMM yes all Screenz but it's exciting and fun and is just long enough too much longer and it would be tiring and the way objects gradually grow larger (to give the effect you are shrinking to toy size) brilliant.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I'm sorry WDW has closed more far more rides shows and attractions in the last 10 years than they have added in that same time period.

That’s only true because of COVID. If you counted back 10 years from March 1 of 2020, it certainly would be false.

 

[PetePanMan]

So....longer lines, no parades, no fireworks, no character meet and greets, few sit down restaurants, no fast passes, need for park reservations, no parking hopping (until recently), delayed restaurant / ride openings etc. Etc. - and people are happier? Maybe get rid of more things and people will be happier yet.

 

[ford91exploder]

So....longer lines, no parades, no fireworks, no character meet and greets, few sit down restaurants, no fast passes, need for park reservations, no parking hopping (until recently), delayed restaurant / ride openings etc. Etc. - and people are happier? Maybe get rid of more things and people will be happier yet.

The Finance people will be in a constant state of ecstasy...

 

[Nabas]

So....longer lines, no parades, no fireworks, no character meet and greets, few sit down restaurants, no fast passes, need for park reservations, no parking hopping (until recently), delayed restaurant / ride openings etc. Etc. - and people are happier? Maybe get rid of more things and people will be happier yet.

We have been back to WDW several times since the reopening.

There are many things we enjoy much more.

No FP+ means that Standby lines move quickly. It's wonderful to be in a WDW line that actually keeps moving.

No FP+ means that there aren't hundreds of people walking past you while you silently suffer standing still in the Standby line.

No FP+ means I can be spontaneous. I can change my plans at any moment and not worry about how it will affect my FP+ selections later.

Social distancing means no super excited 5-year old constantly bumping into me in line.

No touching means no waiting in line to get into the park while the group in front of me can't get their figure scans to work or, it seems, even remember who has which ticket.

No Character Meet & Greets means I don't have to deal with Disney lifestylers telling me about the 86 previous times they got Bell's (or Ariel's or Mickey's) signature.

No nighttime shows means I don't have to decide between leaving the park early to avoid the mad rush or fighting with hundreds of others who are trying to get on the bus the same time that I am.

As a result of COVID, WDW has gotten very good at mobile ordering. No more waiting in painfully slow, crowded lines to order food. With mobile order, I'll never have to do that again!

A 35% theme park capacity means that even at the most crowded time of day, I can walk about without having to constantly dodge other Guests who are crowded together yet still not paying attention to where they are walking.

Yeah, there's a lot to like about WDW right now.

 

[StuckInKS]

I would say some of the happiness comes from finally getting to do something because we've all been trapped in out homes and communities by Covid. The fact that we are able to go do something fun and get away and get some sense of normalcy again contributes to that happiness score. It's the Covid effect.

This 100%. I had literally did not leave my house from March 2020 to March 2021 (too many kids and they catch everything, so easier just to stay home and left hubby run the errands). Even though we have been to Disney 1-2 times a year since 2009, the feeling that I had when we finally walked into our POP Century room was something else. Like a whole year of worry and stress just lifted off of me and thing were normal again.

I do miss several shows but the reduced attraction list and lower crowds allow us to experience everything at a park without having to go crazy commando style, joylessly marching from attraction-to-attraction to try to squeeze everything in.

We had the opposite experience, but with all of the protocols in place, we were able to do much less. Most days we were only able to ride 4-5 rides and one day we only rode 2. We have a large group and it just seemed to take us longer to do everything. We left without riding many things and only got to ride most things once, which has never happened before.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Yeah, but they are rolling out and testing the barges for a big fireworks show. The idea that "fireworks are never coming back" is what I take issue with. Clearly they will. You can pontificate on what they are or are not spending on and why you hate everything they do, but I am pretty sure that HarmonioUS will happen.

I don’t think anyone doubts fireworks will come back in some form. But nightly shows? Eh, that’s expensive. Best case scenario in the near future? Probably one or two times a week. Worst case scenario? Only as part of a paid upcharge event. They’ve got to make back the cost of the pyrotechnics somehow!

 

[New Mouse]

The bigger the fireworks show the less frequent they will do it.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

The bigger the fireworks show the less frequent they will do it.

I do think upcharge fireworks events are the most likely. If they can't make money off of it, they're not doing it just to be nice to base ticket holders. This started even before covid when you paid for prime fireworks viewing spots. It's just the natural progression.

 

[bsmcneil]

Is it me or does Winnie look super menacing in this picture?! I actually thought it was a joke about the guy who was arrested for trespassing...

Please allow me to preface this article by not meaning to to stir up controversy but rather to get honest feelings about anyone who has experienced WDW since its re-opening. We were there in late Feb and the one thing that made me happier than pre covid days, social distancing. But the WDW of today is not enough to draw me back in. I look forward to a return of the old WDW.
Whats your thoughts after reading the article?

Disney CEO Says Disney Guests Are Happier Now Than Before The Pandemic
Posted by: Mike and Jamie Sylvester