Walt Disney World is not what it used to be..

[mikep25]

Chicago526 -

A similar thing happened to us on one trip. We went to Epcot and headed directly to see Journey into Imagination (my wife's favorite ride). We got there and found out it was closed! Not only closed, but being changed to a different attraction! My wife actually cried. Then she got over it and we had a great vacation.

I think attitude has a lot to do with it. We go there with the mindset that we are going to have great time no matter what. We were disappointed when we found out that It's a Small World and Jungle cruise would be closed for our trip this year, but we will still have a great time.

Times are tough. Even though people think that companies have money to throw around just because of their sheer size, it's just not true. Yes, Disney is pulling in a lot of money from tickets, but that money does go somewhere. I can't even begin to imagine how much money is spent on upkeep for something of that size. Every corporation in America has been tightening their belts since the economy took a nosedive, so it isn't much of a surprise that Disney has had to do the same thing. Even so, it is still our favorite place to vacation! But, then again, we are total Disney nuts, so we might be biased

MikeP

 

[Donalds_Vacation]

Sorry all, I have to chime in....

Who here owns stock in Disney?

The very interesting part about owning stock is the annual report; besides getting dirt on new rides, shows and movies, the financials are attached. Including the operating expenses of running a theme park. I don't have it in front of me so I really can't elaborate, but just think:
Disney has approx. 30,000 employees in Florida to pay and pay benefits for.
They are running electricity/ water/ sewer 24hours a day to all parks and resorts; alot of the cleaning and maintanence happens at night in the parks.
Groundskeeping is done on an area the size of Manhatten. Daily.

I have read that monorail construction costs 1 million per section of track. That means between each of the pylons holding it in the sky. I believe that there is approx. 100 feet between each pylon. That means one mile would cost approx 500million. I can think of other ways to spend that - like a new ride to take that place of 20K Leagues.

My point is that your approx. $120.00pp/ pd is paying for alot IMO.

Like all things, old attractions have died, while new ones have been 'born' at a cost in the hundreds of millions. Will Disney get a return on their investement? Of course, eventually.

Not to flame, but to say that 300-400millions is a drop in the bucket to WDW is not fair; just think of what is costs to run your household with just the basics.

I do believe that the company has traded its original philosophy from entertaining the masses to making money, but as a shareholder I can tell you that I have not seen it. Stock prices are still low, and dividens are non-existant.

Does Disney still deliver when I go and see Mickey? Every time. My family and I enjoy our vacations immensely and will continue to go back (63 days and counting).

Alright, thats it for me, I'll get off the soapbox now.

~d_v

 

[mmccoy]

Our trip in May was our first time to Disney since 2000. While some have talked about trash and occasional CM attitude problems, we ran into neither. As we walked down main street one afternoon I remarked to DS15 that we could count on one hand the number of pieces of trash we had seen. Pretty impressive.

But, I was disappointed with one thing - Living Seas. Maybe its because so many beautiful aquariums exist around the country, but I was disappointed with the scarcity of exhibits at LS. I would like to see Disney build a "ride" similar to the one at The Land. It could start with a mountain stream at its source, and take you through different habitats as the water makes its way to the ocean. The ride could include an ecological message that discusses the importance of the earth's waters, and the life therein.

 

[deelam]

On my last trip in June I saw sad things like overflowing trash cans, and not as many CM around. Next trip I plan to take pictures. Disney is the greatest vacation spot for families, but it won't stay that way if the neglect isn't corrected.

I think Disney should connect the monorail to the deluxe resorts. It shameful that they haven't already. WL is right there. It should be connected.Maybe they need to cut some of the bonuses paid to the top execs and use that to expand the monorail system.

I love Disney, but I'm hoping for more state of the art rides as opposed to rides like the Alladin magic carpet ride. Even my kids don't care about riding that.

This is just my opinion.

Deneen

 

[Aquagirl]

We must remember that Disney does not only consist of the parks. There are many smaller "companies" that reside within Disney. Disney Store, ABC, ESPN, Disney Radio to name a few. All are under the same stock. Disney cannot put all of there $ into the parks. Although I think that it would be great to have a monorail or "subway" system at Disney, I would have to vote for more attractions.

 

[deelam]

I think Disney should consentrate on the parks more then anything. Maybe they have spread themselves a little thin with all the different companies they own. Maybe it is time they sold the companies that haven't been profitable. The parks and resorts in Florida are the bread & butter to corporate Disney, not ABC, ESPN etc...I must admit that I back Roy Disney in his efforts. I really hope he succeeds.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by brunette8706
Someone said the monorail would cost 300-400 million dollars...Well my contention is that's a drop in the bucket for WDW. WDW on peak season has approximately 80k visitors PER DAY multiply that by $58.00 per ticket per person and add about another $40.00 p.p for food, drinks and miscellaneous items.and that's a conversative estimate. Oh, yes and $8.00 per day for parking....

And that would be closer to true if everyone DID pay $58 to get in and DID spend $8 on parking. But even you didn't pay that, because you got an annual pass (which means that the more often you go, the less you "pay" to get in). Think about the number of people with specials and multi-day tickets and free tickets, and it's much less. But even then, sure ... WDW takes in a lot of money a day.

So, where does it all go? Well ... they pay 55,000 employees, plus benefits on at least 2/3 of those. They pay for gas and power and water and all the stuff you don't necessarily see -- laundry, waste-water management, parking lot maintenance, etc. They pay for the entertainment -- stages, performers, sets, lights, costumes, effects, parades, music royalties, licenses, copyrights, wigs, make-up. They pay for nightly fireworks in three parks, plus the equipment to load, store, clean up after, and provide safety for those fireworks. They maintain rides, computers, vehicles, monorails, monorail track, boats, animal living areas, cast member break rooms, cash rooms, storage facilities, warehouses, parade storage buildings, garages, greenhouses, kitchens, and cafeterias. They pay for office space, copiers, office supplies, phone bills, fax bills, internet bills, subscriptions, document storage and retrieval, financial audits, security and safety, free admission for CMs, merchandise discounts, Christmas parties, health facilities, credit union offices, and probably a couple of other things here and there, like .. oh ... research and development.

If all WDW had to pay for with what was coming in the gate was what was in the parks, it would be a lot easier for you to say, "They take in all this money and still no replacement for 20K?" But what happens at WDW is supported by a huge network of people and processes that you don't see but still need to be paid for.

My question for you, though, is why did you buy annual passes? It sounds like you haven't been to WDW in quite a while, and you obviously haven't kept up on what's new or what's been changed. I would think that you'd check and see if the cost of the passes was worth it before you bought them.

 

[Tron72]

First off, this response is not to flame any person, as we are have opinions, and in some cases some of the issues mentions are rightfully so. There is a site that also about Diseny and its holdings. In this site there is a section that mentions future projects or plans for the parks (all of them) and movies, ect.

http://www.disneycorner.com/

(I hope this works)


In this site it mentions a lot of what others have suggested Diseny should do to update their parks.

I do agree about the Star Wars Ride that they need to update the movie, I think Disney will only gain by spending money to update the movie and its ride technology, Everyone knows they make a killing during their Star Wars Weekends. But come one change the movie, get with George Lucus and create a more update film, and they can even created multiple movies and programs that the computer randomly cycles through so that it is not the same film everytime (kind of like how TOT has multiple drop sequences) I have read they are finally bringing the Indiana Jones thrill ride (that is in Disneyland California) to MGM in the near future, about time.

But those who say MGM and AK is a half day park they are right, more needs to be offered there to entice the guest to stay there and spend their hard earn cash.

I do think Disney (those who run it) at times like any company forget the mission of the orginal creator, and lit think slip. I mean I remember Diseny stayed open to Midnight all time when it was busy, during their slower periods they close way too early, I mean I went in last April and Disney closed at 6:30 on a Thursday that is SAD, Diseny if any park should be open to 9:00 PM since that is the park drawing in the most guest.

As far as painting and upkeep there is no excuse for that to slip. I mean during the slow months when Diseny and the other parks close early on a nightly bases, that is when the painting and up keep should be done. I remember one time doing an early morning at MK and I saw grounds keepers finishing up their fresh plants and you know what that did not bother me, it least showed that they were doing a good job to maintain the image.

An Image that Walt Disney created long ago. Do not get me wrong I am a hugh Disney Fan, I am a Annual Pass holder and go back at least twice a year. I go because I love what Walt Disney stood for and believe what Walt Disney World Stands for.

I do believe though if those in power of Disney want to maintain Walt Disney Parks being No 1, and it is getting harder when you have the likes of Universal and Bush Gardens, they need to step upto the plate and do what is right by the Disney's loyal guest.


Enough Said: GO WILDERNESS LODGE I'll be back in 33 days. Can't wait.

 

[Tron72]

First off, this response is not to flame any person, as we are have opinions, and in some cases some of the issues mentions are rightfully so. There is a site that also about Diseny and its holdings. In this site there is a section that mentions future projects or plans for the parks (all of them) and movies, ect.

http://www.disneycorner.com/

(I hope this works)


In this site it mentions a lot of what others have suggested Diseny should do to update their parks.

I do agree about the Star Wars Ride that they need to update the movie, I think Disney will only gain by spending money to update the movie and its ride technology, Everyone knows they make a killing during their Star Wars Weekends. But come one change the movie, get with George Lucus and create a more update film, and they can even created multiple movies and programs that the computer randomly cycles through so that it is not the same film everytime (kind of like how TOT has multiple drop sequences) I have read they are finally bringing the Indiana Jones thrill ride (that is in Disneyland California) to MGM in the near future, about time.

But those who say MGM and AK is a half day park they are right, more needs to be offered there to entice the guest to stay there and spend their hard earn cash.

I do think Disney (those who run it) at times like any company forget the mission of the orginal creator, and lit think slip. I mean I remember Diseny stayed open to Midnight all time when it was busy, during their slower periods they close way too early, I mean I went in last April and Disney closed at 6:30 on a Thursday that is SAD, Diseny if any park should be open to 9:00 PM since that is the park drawing in the most guest.

As far as painting and upkeep there is no excuse for that to slip. I mean during the slow months when Diseny and the other parks close early on a nightly bases, that is when the painting and up keep should be done. I remember one time doing an early morning at MK and I saw grounds keepers finishing up their fresh plants and you know what that did not bother me, it least showed that they were doing a good job to maintain the image.

An Image that Walt Disney created long ago. Do not get me wrong I am a hugh Disney Fan, I am a Annual Pass holder and go back at least twice a year. I go because I love what Walt Disney stood for and believe what Walt Disney World Stands for.

I do believe though if those in power of Disney want to maintain Walt Disney Parks being No 1, and it is getting harder when you have the likes of Universal and Bush Gardens, they need to step upto the plate and do what is right by the Disney's loyal guest.


Enough Said: GO WILDERNESS LODGE I'll be back in 33 days. Can't wait.

 

[Tron72]

First off, this response is not to flame any person, as we are have opinions, and in some cases some of the issues mentions are rightfully so. There is a site that also about Diseny and its holdings. In this site there is a section that mentions future projects or plans for the parks (all of them) and movies, ect.

http://www.disneycorner.com/

(I hope this works)


In this site it mentions a lot of what others have suggested Diseny should do to update their parks.

I do agree about the Star Wars Ride that they need to update the movie, I think Disney will only gain by spending money to update the movie and its ride technology, Everyone knows they make a killing during their Star Wars Weekends. But come one change the movie, get with George Lucus and create a more update film, and they can even created multiple movies and programs that the computer randomly cycles through so that it is not the same film everytime (kind of like how TOT has multiple drop sequences) I have read they are finally bringing the Indiana Jones thrill ride (that is in Disneyland California) to MGM in the near future, about time.

But those who say MGM and AK is a half day park they are right, more needs to be offered there to entice the guest to stay there and spend their hard earn cash.

I do think Disney (those who run it) at times like any company forget the mission of the orginal creator, and lit think slip. I mean I remember Diseny stayed open to Midnight all time when it was busy, during their slower periods they close way too early, I mean I went in last April and Disney closed at 6:30 on a Thursday that is SAD, Diseny if any park should be open to 9:00 PM since that is the park drawing in the most guest.

As far as painting and upkeep there is no excuse for that to slip. I mean during the slow months when Diseny and the other parks close early on a nightly bases, that is when the painting and up keep should be done. I remember one time doing an early morning at MK and I saw grounds keepers finishing up their fresh plants and you know what that did not bother me, it least showed that they were doing a good job to maintain the image.

An Image that Walt Disney created long ago. Do not get me wrong I am a hugh Disney Fan, I am a Annual Pass holder and go back at least twice a year. I go because I love what Walt Disney stood for and believe what Walt Disney World Stands for.

I do believe though if those in power of Disney want to maintain Walt Disney Parks being No 1, and it is getting harder when you have the likes of Universal and Bush Gardens, they need to step upto the plate and do what is right by the Disney's loyal guest.


Enough Said: GO WILDERNESS LODGE I'll be back in 33 days. Can't wait.

 

[Tron72]

First off, this response is not to flame any person, as we are have opinions, and in some cases some of the issues mentions are rightfully so. There is a site that also about Diseny and its holdings. In this site there is a section that mentions future projects or plans for the parks (all of them) and movies, ect.

http://www.disneycorner.com/

(I hope this works)


In this site it mentions a lot of what others have suggested Diseny should do to update their parks.

I do agree about the Star Wars Ride that they need to update the movie, I think Disney will only gain by spending money to update the movie and its ride technology, Everyone knows they make a killing during their Star Wars Weekends. But come one change the movie, get with George Lucus and create a more update film, and they can even created multiple movies and programs that the computer randomly cycles through so that it is not the same film everytime (kind of like how TOT has multiple drop sequences) I have read they are finally bringing the Indiana Jones thrill ride (that is in Disneyland California) to MGM in the near future, about time.

But those who say MGM and AK is a half day park they are right, more needs to be offered there to entice the guest to stay there and spend their hard earn cash.

I do think Disney (those who run it) at times like any company forget the mission of the orginal creator, and lit think slip. I mean I remember Diseny stayed open to Midnight all time when it was busy, during their slower periods they close way too early, I mean I went in last April and Disney closed at 6:30 on a Thursday that is SAD, Diseny if any park should be open to 9:00 PM since that is the park drawing in the most guest.

As far as painting and upkeep there is no excuse for that to slip. I mean during the slow months when Diseny and the other parks close early on a nightly bases, that is when the painting and up keep should be done. I remember one time doing an early morning at MK and I saw grounds keepers finishing up their fresh plants and you know what that did not bother me, it least showed that they were doing a good job to maintain the image.

An Image that Walt Disney created long ago. Do not get me wrong I am a hugh Disney Fan, I am a Annual Pass holder and go back at least twice a year. I go because I love what Walt Disney stood for and believe what Walt Disney World Stands for.

I do believe though if those in power of Disney want to maintain Walt Disney Parks being No 1, and it is getting harder when you have the likes of Universal and Bush Gardens, they need to step upto the plate and do what is right by the Disney's loyal guest.


Enough Said: GO WILDERNESS LODGE I'll be back in 33 days. Can't wait.

 

[Tron72]

First off, this response is not to flame any person, as we are have opinions, and in some cases some of the issues mentions are rightfully so. There is a site that also about Diseny and its holdings. In this site there is a section that mentions future projects or plans for the parks (all of them) and movies, ect.

http://www.disneycorner.com/

(I hope this works)


In this site it mentions a lot of what others have suggested Diseny should do to update their parks.

I do agree about the Star Wars Ride that they need to update the movie, I think Disney will only gain by spending money to update the movie and its ride technology, Everyone knows they make a killing during their Star Wars Weekends. But come one change the movie, get with George Lucus and create a more update film, and they can even created multiple movies and programs that the computer randomly cycles through so that it is not the same film everytime (kind of like how TOT has multiple drop sequences) I have read they are finally bringing the Indiana Jones thrill ride (that is in Disneyland California) to MGM in the near future, about time.

But those who say MGM and AK is a half day park they are right, more needs to be offered there to entice the guest to stay there and spend their hard earn cash.

I do think Disney (those who run it) at times like any company forget the mission of the orginal creator, and lit think slip. I mean I remember Diseny stayed open to Midnight all time when it was busy, during their slower periods they close way too early, I mean I went in last April and Disney closed at 6:30 on a Thursday that is SAD, Diseny if any park should be open to 9:00 PM since that is the park drawing in the most guest.

As far as painting and upkeep there is no excuse for that to slip. I mean during the slow months when Diseny and the other parks close early on a nightly bases, that is when the painting and up keep should be done. I remember one time doing an early morning at MK and I saw grounds keepers finishing up their fresh plants and you know what that did not bother me, it least showed that they were doing a good job to maintain the image.

An Image that Walt Disney created long ago. Do not get me wrong I am a hugh Disney Fan, I am a Annual Pass holder and go back at least twice a year. I go because I love what Walt Disney stood for and believe what Walt Disney World Stands for.

I do believe though if those in power of Disney want to maintain Walt Disney Parks being No 1, and it is getting harder when you have the likes of Universal and Bush Gardens, they need to step upto the plate and do what is right by the Disney's loyal guest.


Enough Said: GO WILDERNESS LODGE I'll be back in 33 days. Can't wait.

 

[mmccoy]

Okay, okay, Tron72, we get the message. Just kiddin'.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by brunette8706
No joke here, just a factual observation.

brunette

Maybe an observation but definitely not a factual one. I think WDW is great. I would be willing to pay MORE. When compared to any other park WDW is a bargain.

 

[Jen D]

There is a lot I adore about MGM but I think because of the fact that they have the two greatest thrill rides in all the World they are kind of coasting everywhere else. TOT and RnR are great, no question, and Fantasmic is obviously a must see. But...

Star Tours needs an update. Bad. Indiana Jones is tired and dated. Great Movie Ride also needs an update and perhaps a reimagining-- and the montage at the end that includes early 90's Touchstone stinkers like "Sister Act 2" is just embarrassing. They should not have closed Hunchback without having something in the wings to replace it!

I think Beauty and the Beast is solid, and Millionaire is fine. Drew Carey-- does anyone like this? Playhouse Disney and Mermaid are fine, not much else for the tots here.

It sounds like I'm not an MGM fan but I am-- I adore all the theming and always look forward to the park because of the fabulous centerpiece attractions. But I think with a little more attention, it could be much greater.

 

[princesstommi]

Originally posted by WDSearcher
And that would be closer to true if everyone DID pay $58 to get in and DID spend $8 on parking. But even you didn't pay that, because you got an annual pass (which means that the more often you go, the less you "pay" to get in). Think about the number of people with specials and multi-day tickets and free tickets, and it's much less. But even then, sure ... WDW takes in a lot of money a day.

So, where does it all go? Well ... they pay 55,000 employees, plus benefits on at least 2/3 of those. They pay for gas and power and water and all the stuff you don't necessarily see -- laundry, waste-water management, parking lot maintenance, etc. They pay for the entertainment -- stages, performers, sets, lights, costumes, effects, parades, music royalties, licenses, copyrights, wigs, make-up. They pay for nightly fireworks in three parks, plus the equipment to load, store, clean up after, and provide safety for those fireworks. They maintain rides, computers, vehicles, monorails, monorail track, boats, animal living areas, cast member break rooms, cash rooms, storage facilities, warehouses, parade storage buildings, garages, greenhouses, kitchens, and cafeterias. They pay for office space, copiers, office supplies, phone bills, fax bills, internet bills, subscriptions, document storage and retrieval, financial audits, security and safety, free admission for CMs, merchandise discounts, Christmas parties, health facilities, credit union offices, and probably a couple of other things here and there, like .. oh ... research and development.

If all WDW had to pay for with what was coming in the gate was what was in the parks, it would be a lot easier for you to say, "They take in all this money and still no replacement for 20K?" But what happens at WDW is supported by a huge network of people and processes that you don't see but still need to be paid for.

My question for you, though, is why did you buy annual passes? It sounds like you haven't been to WDW in quite a while, and you obviously haven't kept up on what's new or what's been changed. I would think that you'd check and see if the cost of the passes was worth it before you bought them.

This is exactly what I was thinking.

And also consider that the WDW parks haven't been operating completely in the black this whole time. The entire travel industry has suffered, and Disney is probably still working to cover losses due to things out of their control, and losses due to bad decisions. It may be awhile, if ever, that there will be the kind of cash sitting around to pour into a non-revenue-generating project like a monorail.

Right now, assests need to be going into things that generate revenue. New attractions = more park revenue in tickets and everything else. New resorts = revenue. New transportation system to get people who are already spending money to their destination more quickly? While it would definitely be a nice perk, it's not something that would generate revenue on it's own immediately.

Other than attractions, I think WDW needs to spend more money on front line workers, maintenance and customer service to get the experience (both physical appearance and service) back up to where it should be.

 

[Horizons16]

but they also have to pay for all expenditures...

 

[deelam]

I bet that if Disney expanded the monorail service to WL & AKL they would raise the room rates by about $50 per night. So really, the question would be who is really paying. Also, Does anyone know how much the Disney Board made in bonuses, say over the last 5 years? I bet the number would be surprising. Besides the monorail improvement, We should still have state of the art rides too. The money is there, just mismanaged. And corporate Disney's interest are spread out into too many areas.
I usually go 1 or 2X per year. this year was the first time that I noticed cut backs. trash on the ground and overflowing from cans. The lack of CM's. You would have never seen that a few years ago. Lets just hope it doesn't get worse.

Deneen

 

[brunette8706]

It seems like you are just contradicting what I'm saying...Maybe I wasn't clear...I'll explain again...

Each person that enters WDW will cost them $120 a day on average (this includes food, misc. items and a ticket) this does NOT include lodging. This is also a very conservative figure multiply that by 45,000 people (below average attendance figure) per day. That figure comes to 5,400,000.00 A DAY!!! Not including parking and again not including lodging! That total amount comes to a whopping $1,971,000,000.00, that is nearly 2 BILLION dollars a year just in PARK REVENUES, and that total amount is below average! This figure doesn't include all the other "DISNEY STORES world wide either! I'm sure they rake in billions of dollars! Along with all the multimillion dollar films and film sponsors. With that said how much would it cost to paint a few building??? $50,000.00 maybe??? How much would it cost to change the George Lucas film in Star Wars like another poster mentioned??

Also, some people asked me why I bought an annual pass. I bought the pass because I'm going to use it! LOL! I'm going to continue to go to Disney! I just had to give my opinion to a park which 30 years ago nothing could compare....Like I said, I like WDW and I will continue to patronize them...but they need alot of work to do to keep up with there once pristine image...that's all...I made these observations along with quite amount of people here that have responded kindly. If you want to be on the top of your league then show some pride...For heavens sakes like I said earlier paint is very low cost.

thanks for your comments, I have enjoyed reading them and certainly have learned a few things..

Brunette

 

[brunette8706]

Another question I have...You mean to tell me the parks are not open at 12 midnight any longer???? Why is that???? I think at one time they were open till 1 am on the weekend....

GEEZ!

Brunette