Prices just hit my threshold :-(

[dlavender]

And to play Devil's advocate...

Dear Consumer,

I am sorry that you are disappointed in our new automobile. It sounds like power windows, locks and a radio are key features to you. To produce that specific Sienna is no longer cost effective to our shareholders. As such, we are moving away from the mini-van segment. I believe Honda and Ford are both producing mini-vans.

And to continue...

As there are x amount of families in the market, I think that you are going to regret this decision. Short term gains do not always produce the intended long term results. Good luck!

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I think a better analogy is below:

Dear Toyota,

I am deeply disappointed by your recent price increase on your Sienna mini van. We are long-time admirers of your automobiles. In fact, my fondest memories are taking trips in this car. We are a hard working family, and I don't like that you have doubled the price, yet taken out the power windows, locks, even the radio! Do you think that you are Mercedes? If I am going to pay Mercedes' price, I'm going to drive a Mercedes, not a Toyota. Thank you in advance.

This sums it up perfectly!

 

[Happy_2_B]

I think this details why the stock market might have been the single worst thing to ever hit the modern America economy. Consumers and employees are no longer the concern of publicly traded companies and many of them miss the negative impacts of their decisions until it is too late.

Disney has been publicly traded since the late 50's. One has to ask whether or not WDW would even exist if not for the influx of investor money from the private sector. My guess would be no, as there would have been no other avenue available to acquire such large sums of money on what was then considered a risky venture. Banks don't like risk all that much. Stockholders- on the other hand- tolerate it much better.

 

[mcd2745]

I’m by no means a Disney apologist but they can only do so much. The food sucks because 97% of people are allergic to some sort of ingredient. Try making a mass produced meal when you can’t be near salt, pepper, tree nuts, raw veggies etc…

The parks are a mess because people are just disgusting. Toilet training must be something different now.

A good majority of the issues are caused by the guests themselves. I would look at the ROI on individual guests. Take your average DISer with multiple posts. They are savvy and if Mickey doesn’t take a magical dump on them they will be writing to Corporate.

Too bad there is only a "Like" button and not a "Love" button.

Everything you said is so true. Individuals need to take responsibility for themselves and their actions instead of having this incredible sense of entitlement. People complain about the bathrooms all the time? Who made the messes? The CMs? People demand that Disney make all sorts of accommodations for every possible allergy or medical condition known to man (and some that probably aren't even known to man yet). Well, for every accommodation, there is going to be some negative consequence on the other side. There has to be. Even Disney is not that magical.

 

[dlavender]

People demand that Disney make all sorts of accommodations for every possible allergy or medical condition known to man

Is this really the defense of the poor food quality? I am intrigued. Is this the reason that they give? Speculation, or based off of facts?

 

[Slapshot1188]

And to play Devil's advocate...

Dear Consumer,

I am sorry that you are disappointed in our new automobile. It sounds like power windows, locks and a radio are key features to you. To produce that specific Sienna is no longer cost effective to our shareholders. As such, we are moving away from the mini-van segment. I believe Honda and Ford are both producing mini-vans.

Not sure that would be a great plan, especially if Honda and Ford were growing at 4 times the rate Toyota was over the last 5 years...
But no arguing it would be Toyota's right to do so.


As other have said. If you have reached your threshold, as I have... vote with your wallet and at least explore what else is available. Universal Studios + Islands of Adventure + Sea World + Aquatica Annual Passes + $1250 left over seems like a great incentive for folks like me to go and do so!

Disney will always be the #1 spot for first timers and those with kids in the magical age range. If I still had 5 and 6 year olds I would probably still pay whatever was asked.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I
Then, they built the Value resorts, started to offer discounts and gave away trips on every radio/tv station I turned on and the masses started coming. I think it was our next trip (staying at a Value) when I started noticing how much the visitors weren't respecting WDW as much as I felt it should be - most noticeably in the restrooms at first.

Er, this wasn't a change in guests, it was a well known cut in staff under Eisner.

Walt was pretty strict when it came to keeping parks clean. This is well documented, not my opinion. For a long time, WDW parks maintained the cleanliness principles that Walt established.

It was, in short, one of the things that set WDW apart from other parks.

I think about it from a food safety/pest point of view. If the bathrooms, public spaces, and important ride features aren't well maintained, then what kind of nastiness is going on in the back areas we CAN'T see?

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Disney has been publicly traded since the late 50's. One has to ask whether or not WDW would even exist if not for the influx of investor money from the private sector. My guess would be no, as there would have been no other avenue available to acquire such large sums of money on what was then considered a risky venture. Banks don't like risk all that much. Stockholders- on the other hand- tolerate it much better.

Times were simpler in the 50s and you're probably right in that the issues really started in the early 90s when Congress and the SEC drove changes to link CEO salaries to stock performance. I guess like many things what started out as a positive idea took a downward turn when the government decided to over regulate.

 

[mickeymom629]

Er, this wasn't a change in guests, it was a well known cut in staff under Eisner.

Walt was pretty strict when it came to keeping parks clean. This is well documented, not my opinion. For a long time, WDW parks maintained the cleanliness principles that Walt established.

It was, in short, one of the things that set WDW apart from other parks.

I think about it from a food safety/pest point of view. If the bathrooms, public spaces, and important ride features aren't well maintained, then what kind of nastiness is going on in the back areas we CAN'T see?

I'm the one you quoted. I was in the restroom one night at the MK and the cleaning person was working on a disgusting stall!! She was doing her job. I just couldn't believe the condition the stall was left in and there were a couple of others that she would have to clean that were appalling. I felt so bad for her that I gave her a tip and thanked her.
Maybe bathrooms aren't freshened as frequently as they should be if there has been a decrease in staff, but I can tell you that if visitors would respect their surroundings, it wouldn't make a great deal of difference. Just like people shouldn't leave trash in nooks and crannies or stick gum in places. It's the visitors, imo.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm the one you quoted. I was in the restroom one night at the MK and the cleaning person was working on a disgusting stall!! She was doing her job. I just couldn't believe the condition the stall was left in and there were a couple of others that she would have to clean that were appalling. I felt so bad for her that I gave her a tip and thanked her.
Maybe bathrooms aren't freshened as frequently as they should be if there has been a decrease in staff, but I can tell you that if visitors would respect their surroundings, it wouldn't make a great deal of difference. Just like people shouldn't leave trash in nooks and crannies or stick gum in places. It's the visitors, imo.

It is the visitors who make the mess,but it is the mouse'sjob to clean up after them. Disney can't control guest behavior...yet. They CAN control staffing. End of story.

 

[sunshinemelody]

This thread makes me want to vomit.

Literally giving my stomach the rumbles; I feel like my planning my first (yet second) trip out to WDW is not even going to be worth it for the boyfriend and I.

 

[tlmadden73]

It's a weird thing .. pricing.

We always want more ... but complain when prices increase because more was provided (like the consumers asked). I mean no one wants to pay more, but in general in the world .. you get what you pay for.

As stated above .. look at mini-vans. These things cost a lot of money compared to when my parents had a mini van to cart me around.
Are the car companies trying to gouge us?
Not really.
Mini-vans are in high demand .. and with that high demand is the desire for tons of more options - power everything .. tv screens .. usb ports .. power seats ..power doors .. doors that open when you move your foot ... and they are simply LARGER.
So should we be shocked that prices have increased every year?

Same with Disney .. they have not only added 2-3 parks since a lot of us started going as children, but tons of hotels .. making our stay more convenient. They have extravagant night shows at all the parks (and adding another one at AK .. they are adding THREE new lands coming up .. plus a new (remake) Frozen ride. They've added special parties at all times of the year. They recently redid FantasyLand and added one of the most popular rides in the whole resort (SDMT). They also now have it where every guest in the park can skip 3 rides every day and added the convenience of the MBs (as your ticket and room key) and the MDE app that you can use in the park (with the FREE wifi throughout). They also have redone their entertainment/shopping district. Plus, people are coming to Disney like wildfire. It is in great demand.

There is more to do and see at Disney then there ever was (despite the few attractions that have closed at DHS and Epcot) and easier to do it with technology available (like it or not) .. Yet we are shocked and appalled when prices go up?

 

[tlmadden73]

This thread makes me want to vomit.

Literally giving my stomach the rumbles; I feel like my planning my first (yet second) trip out to WDW is not even going to be worth it for the boyfriend and I.

Don't let the negativity get you down.

It is still a magical place and you will enjoy it if you ignore things the people who go yearly complain about. Just like anything .. if you do it enough .. you can find things to complain about.

Go for your first or second time? The good massively outweighs the bad.

 

[mickeymom629]

It is the visitors who make the mess,but it is the mouse'sjob to clean up after them. End of story.

And she did. This was not your typical bathroom yuck - it was as if someone wiped something all over the stall...if you get my drift. My point was/is that it opened my eyes to a total disrespect for one's surroundings and to the person who would have to clean up. It was not the way you would leave anyone's bathroom. I don't know who would do such a thing and leave it that way, but it doesn't seem like someone who thought of WDW in the same light as I do.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Er, this wasn't a change in guests, it was a well known cut in staff under Eisner.

Walt was pretty strict when it came to keeping parks clean. This is well documented, not my opinion. For a long time, WDW parks maintained the cleanliness principles that Walt established.

It was, in short, one of the things that set WDW apart from other parks.

I think about it from a food safety/pest point of view. If the bathrooms, public spaces, and important ride features aren't well maintained, then what kind of nastiness is going on in the back areas we CAN'T see?

Gordon Ramsay made a similar comment on Kitchen Nightmares about the state of the bathrooms reflecting the state of the kitchens. Oddly enough if I'm not mistaken there was a thread recently about all the the violations found during inspections of Disney kitchens.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I'm the one you quoted. I was in the restroom one night at the MK and the cleaning person was working on a disgusting stall!! She was doing her job. I just couldn't believe the condition the stall was left in and there were a couple of others that she would have to clean that were appalling. I felt so bad for her that I gave her a tip and thanked her.
Maybe bathrooms aren't freshened as frequently as they should be if there has been a decrease in staff, but I can tell you that if visitors would respect their surroundings, it wouldn't make a great deal of difference. Just like people shouldn't leave trash in nooks and crannies or stick gum in places. It's the visitors.

I don't disagree that people can be complete slobs. (sorry for the double negative) You are probably correct that people have become more sloppy over time. I also agree the parks would be cleaner if guests weren't complete slobs.

But slobs also existed long before the cutbacks in staff, and there was a distinct change at WDW.

I was initially going to mention US in my post. Back about the time you mention, US was the ugly stepsister to WDW.

Nowadays, US is beautifully maintained. I've always taken time to look at the landscaping and chipped paint. Many years ago, when WDW was just MK, the ride between the TTC and MK was dotted with beautiful topiaries. They were fun and playful. They are long gone.

Topiaries are difficult to maintain.

This past spring, I was amazed to see the beautiful topiaries in Seussland. Most guests walk right past them, but wow! They reminded me so much of the playful ones WDW used to have.

There's one other tidbit I noticed, Disney used to do a better job of reminding guests effectively, how to behave. Take the Living Land ride. When it had live CM's guests were much better behaved. Take away a live CM, and guests talk all through the ride.

 

[sunshinemelody]

Don't let the negativity get you down.

It is still a magical place and you will enjoy it if you ignore things the people who go yearly complain about. Just like anything .. if you do it enough .. you can find things to complain about.

Go for your first or second time? The good massively outweighs the bad.

I sure do hope so! I'm so excited and my experience will definitely be different from someone who has frequents the parks, but this makes me worry that I'm going to analyze the park and watch out for things that I shouldn't have to worry about. And I guess I'll just have to relax and let this vacation take its course. That's all.

Whatever happens, happens.

But this is an expensive trip and if it doesn't work out, I'm going to sit in Hogwarts at Universal for all upcoming Orlando trips.

 

[amylevan]

I don't disagree that people can be complete slobs. (sorry for the double negative) You are probably correct that people have become more sloppy over time. I also agree the parks would be cleaner if guests weren't complete slobs.

But slobs also existed long before the cutbacks in staff, and there was a distinct change at WDW.

I was initially going to mention US in my post. Back about the time you mention, US was the ugly stepsister to WDW.

Nowadays, US is beautifully maintained. I've always taken time to look at the landscaping and chipped paint. Many years ago, when WDW was just MK, the ride between the TTC and MK was dotted with beautiful topiaries. They were fun and playful. They are long gone.

Topiaries are difficult to maintain.

This past spring, I was amazed to see the beautiful topiaries in Seussland. Most guests walk right past them, but wow! They reminded me so much of the playful ones WDW used to have.

There's one other tidbit I noticed, Disney used to do a better job of reminding guests effectively, how to behave. Take the Living Land ride. When it had live CM's guests were much better behaved. Take away a live CM, and guests talk all through the ride.

While I'm sure that people were always slobs, have you ever seen pictures of those early visitors to DL? They were wearing dresses and their "Sunday best". Something tells me that they were far more likely to be respectful of the property in Walt's days.

(And I'm not negating the cutbacks in staff...I think it's just a combination of both. Cutbacks in staff + an increase in folks who are disrespectful.)

 

[Nigel Channing]

My $10K vacations will not involve rubber bracelets or anything that has the word "frontier" in it.

This is quite possibly my favorite line I've read on this board. Love it.

 

[crazyventures]

For those currently planning trips, are you just buying tickets now? I'm wondering if I should just bite the bullet and get the tickets before any changes to prices occur.