What happened to the WDW I knew and loved?

[codimouse]

And remember, just like I tell my children, there ate still plenty of adults and kids who want to go to Disney and may never get to.
Don't complain, just enjoy knowing you get to go.

 

[codimouse]

And remember, just like I tell my children, there ate still plenty of adults and kids who want to go to Disney and may never get to.
Don't complain, just enjoy knowing you get to go.

I meant are, not ate.

 

[eliza61]

And remember, just like I tell my children, there ate still plenty of adults and kids who want to go to Disney and may never get to.
Don't complain, just enjoy knowing you get to go.

See I never understand this. So just because plenty of other adults don't get to go that means I should settle for any thing?

I don't GET to go. I work freakin 10 hour days to earn the money. I sacrifice during the year and save the money. Disney is not granting me some special privelege. I am paying for it. I want to drive a jaguar but I can't afford it, does that me the guy who can afford it should not complain when his new jag breaks down because "hey there are tons of people who want this car but can't get it"?

LOL, if there is one thing I always thank my mother in heaven for doing is not using that "you should be grateful there are children starving in Africa" line on us. I tell my children (which my mom told us) they should be grateful not because some unknown child doesn't get to go but because their parents are making a lot of scarifices for the things we do for them. we do it because we love them and want them to be happy but we work very, very hard to do it. THAT'S why we want them to be appreciative

just a different on look I guess.

 

[Magpie]

Disney definitely has resort specific merchandise available - Josh at EasyWDW is constantly taking pictures of it. See here:

And here:

Etc, etc, etc...

As for my personal opinion on the original topic:

No, I don't agree that the Disney Corporation is going downhill, or has lost its way. People always talk about the "almighty dollar" like it's something ugly, but it's the beating heart of Capitalism. I am GLAD Disney has its eye on the bottom dollar, and I pray they continue to do so for many years.

Disney is not, after all, squatting on its big pile of riches, never spending a dime. They're not making money just to hoard it away from everyone else. They're growing and developing as a company, and money is what fuels that growth. It's bread and butter to them. And it means in return we get goodies like New Fantasyland and the Art of Animation Resort, to inspire us to hand over more money, so they can grow more.

This past summer we spent two weeks on the Gulf Coast. Talk about nickel-and-diming! To take a family of four (with teenagers) to see anything, even a museum, we were often dropping nearly a hundred dollars just on admission. If the museum had an IMAX movie (and they nearly all did), that was more money on top. Food was equally as expensive, if not more so. Want to feed the birds? MORE money! My husband's comment was, "Disney is an incredibly economical vacation, considering how much entertainment you get for your dollar. It just feels like a lot of money, because you pay for everything up front."

So no, I don't think Disney World is going downhill. I think it's growing and expanding in wonderful and exciting ways. It seems every year we go back there's something new to see. But then again - we've only been visiting since 2005, so maybe the "new smell" hasn't worn off on us yet.

And I couldn't care less about the colour of the napkins. If going with generic brown napkins means Disney can put more money into refurbishing rides, I'm all for it!

 

[TDC Nala]

The napkins aren't a big deal (it's not the napkin material - they are saving printing charges by using napkins that can be distributed at ANY Disney venue. If they want to save it further, I'd look for them to someday be using napkins with no logo at all), I am able to find more than 10 varieties of mixed drink (try different resort lounges and ASK the bartender what's good off menu), they're getting better about a variety of merchandise - including the return of some resort-specific merchandise - and yes, the buns are a pain, but I am good with skipping burgers and hotdogs. I did get a burger on the cruise last week. The burger itself was not bad (they seemed to have improved it), but the bun was awful. It'll keep me from getting burgers again, but there is plenty of better stuff around to eat.

I've been down on the current management ever since the Adventurers Club closed though.

It'd be nice if they WERE putting a lot of money into rides at WDW, but it appears to be going to a couple of rides in New Fantasyland and some interactive queues, possibly into some events we may see later and to refurbishments. And goodness knows if they'll ever see anything for what they probably already had to pay James Cameron.

Went to Kings Dominion in Virginia yesterday - the fried chicken lunch was terrible, the sides weren't too bad. A bottle of Coke was $4. There were attractions that cost extra to participate in - my brother's kids wanted to drive a go-kart but that's an extra $6 per person. Stores were stocked with overpriced cheap souvenirs. It's not just Disney.

The Disney bartenders are glad to make drinks from the past - if they have the ingredients and were around to know how to make them - that's the sticking point. Or they'll come up with something for you. The Wave has a nice bar with signature drinks, for instance. Those wont' appear in the generic Disney bar menu, although they are on the restaurant menu. At bars attached to a restaurant, ask to see the restaurant menu for drinks.

 

[ellie05]

Disney definitely has resort specific merchandise available - Josh at EasyWDW is constantly taking pictures of it. See here:

And here:

Etc, etc, etc...

As for my personal opinion on the original topic:

No, I don't agree that the Disney Corporation is going downhill, or has lost its way. People always talk about the "almighty dollar" like it's something ugly, but it's the beating heart of Capitalism. I am GLAD Disney has its eye on the bottom dollar, and I pray they continue to do so for many years.

Disney is not, after all, squatting on its big pile of riches, never spending a dime. They're not making money just to hoard it away from everyone else. They're growing and developing as a company, and money is what fuels that growth. It's bread and butter to them. And it means in return we get goodies like New Fantasyland and the Art of Animation Resort, to inspire us to hand over more money, so they can grow more.

This past summer we spent two weeks on the Gulf Coast. Talk about nickel-and-diming! To take a family of four (with teenagers) to see anything, even a museum, we were often dropping nearly a hundred dollars just on admission. If the museum had an IMAX movie (and they nearly all did), that was more money on top. Food was equally as expensive, if not more so. Want to feed the birds? MORE money! My husband's comment was, "Disney is an incredibly economical vacation, considering how much entertainment you get for your dollar. It just feels like a lot of money, because you pay for everything up front."

So no, I don't think Disney World is going downhill. I think it's growing and expanding in wonderful and exciting ways. It seems every year we go back there's something new to see. But then again - we've only been visiting since 2005, so maybe the "new smell" hasn't worn off on us yet.

And I couldn't care less about the colour of the napkins. If going with generic brown napkins means Disney can put more money into refurbishing rides, I'm all for it!

Honestly what hasn't suffer quality in the past couple of years? Everything has including the food at the supermarket. You get less in a bag but are paying more. Look at the airlines and all the ridiculous fees they have add on for the same thing that use to be free! So considering all that WDW is not that bad.

 

[Colleen27]

At the end of the day, it IS a business. It always has been.

I'd rather have generic napkins, less themed mixed drinks, and a lesser assortment of souvenirs than pay more for a ticket.

Me too. However, right now we get generic napkins, less themed mixed drinks, and a lesser assortment of souvenirs AND we pay more for a ticket.

That said I see some of these trends reversing, albeit slowly. Yes, the bars have a mostly generic menu but the drinks section of the restaurant menus have been expanding and adding some "signature" choices. Resort specific merchandise is making a comeback, and there's been an expansion of ride related merchandise too over the last couple-few years. Newer dining offerings are a step in the direction of unique, themed, interesting experiences (Sanaa, Be Our Guest, etc) those certain elements (like the crumbling buns) remain unsatisfactory.

I think there are at least some voices in management pointing out now that they can continue to offer steep discounts just to get bodies in the park for a Walmart experience, or they can step up the quality and trust that the crowds will come. It remains to be seen which view will win out in the end but I do think there's been some push-back against the homogenization of the overall experience.

The one ongoing issue I do see with Disney is with their maintenance routines. While many of the "window dressing" elements of our last few trips (merchandise, drinks, menus) were improved, I have never seen so many rides experiencing unscheduled closures. We probably saw more in just the 4 days we were there in May than in our first 4 trips combined! I think the success of free dining in eliminating slow periods has led to a lot of deferred maintenance and that does need to be addressed, because for my ticket money I don't mind seeing plain napkins but I absolutely mind seeing 2 or 3 major attractions malfunctioning over the course of a single park day.

 

[meggiebeth]

I think WDW is fine. Cutting EMHs really got to me and also the high rising price of the DDP put me off a bit. It seems like they are just getting way too expensive.
That being said, I think WDW is exemplary and still the WDW I love. I'm just not sure it's right putting prices up so much.

 

[Colleen27]

See I never understand this. So just because plenty of other adults don't get to go that means I should settle for any thing?

I don't GET to go. I work freakin 10 hour days to earn the money. I sacrifice during the year and save the money. Disney is not granting me some special privelege. I am paying for it. I want to drive a jaguar but I can't afford it, does that me the guy who can afford it should not complain when his new jag breaks down because "hey there are tons of people who want this car but can't get it"?

LOL, if there is one thing I always thank my mother in heaven for doing is not using that "you should be grateful there are children starving in Africa" line on us. I tell my children (which my mom told us) they should be grateful not because some unknown child doesn't get to go but because their parents are making a lot of scarifices for the things we do for them. we do it because we love them and want them to be happy but we work very, very hard to do it. THAT'S why we want them to be appreciative

just a different on look I guess.

We work too hard to earn and save our money to accept a mediocre product at premium prices, and I don't buy the notion that we should be so grateful to have money to spend that we shouldn't be thoughtful, careful consumers with regard to where and how we spend it.

 

[Jennasis]

Meh. Maybe I'm just easy to please...or a huge sucker, but I didn't find any particular decline in WDW service or offerings on our week long visit ending this past weekend. I actually had to hunt down through just about every shop to find the perfect hoodie. Trudged through the Emporium, Mouse Gears, gift shops at Poly, GF and BLT and AKL as well as a few shops in DHS before I found what I wanted at WoD.

Napkins? I fail to see how something I use to wipe my mouth with and throw away has any impact on my trip.

CM's were above and beyond all week.

The park was clean.

Food was delicious (except for Ohana, but I just didn't care for the flavors...DH loved it).

Prices are going up but...newsflash...the price of EVERYTHING has gone up. I had to raise my prices this year too. It's just how you have to run a business.

I could spend my money elsewhere but I love my time at Disney. As a poster on page 1 said, much of the complaints seem to stem from childhood or early memories of Disney.

 

[QueenElinor]

See I never understand this. So just because plenty of other adults don't get to go that means I should settle for any thing?

I don't GET to go. I work freakin 10 hour days to earn the money. I sacrifice during the year and save the money. Disney is not granting me some special privelege. I am paying for it. I want to drive a jaguar but I can't afford it, does that me the guy who can afford it should not complain when his new jag breaks down because "hey there are tons of people who want this car but can't get it"?

Well, right. In the big picture, I'm grateful I can go, but my gratitude is not reserved for Disney. They're a company I pay to provide me with a nice vacation experience, and if I think it's not worth the price, I have every right to complain.

That's the difference between value and cost, and that's what Disney has to struggle with.

Just as inexpensive doesn't mean cheap, costly isn't synonymous with valuable. At any price point, when people feel they aren't getting their money's worth, they will protest. I'd rather have them raise prices than keep chipping away amenities; but I'm sure Disney has legions of analysts figuring out the price elasticity of every single product they sell.

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

I find these posts interesting.

Last week I was reading a business magazine in a waiting room and the only reason I read it was because it said "Disney" on the cover.

Disney was listed along with Southwest Airlines, Zappos, Google, and one other I can't remember as true innovators in working with meeting the needs of their customers along with their staff.

In Branson, which I really love that place, Silver Dollar City had opened a 2nd theme park right before the recession hit. And it closed. Just closed. I would rather have Disney use plain napkins than have the park close. Or one of the parks close.

 

[ttintagel]

I would rather have Disney use plain napkins than have the park close. Or one of the parks close.

Considering that they posted record profits last quarter, that seems like a bit of a false dichotomy to me.

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

Considering that they posted record profits last quarter, that seems like a bit of a false dichotomy to me.

Logical fallacy. Hm. OK. You're right. Record profits last quarter means it COULD NEVER HAPPEN. I'm so wrong. My apologies for cluttering up the thread.

 

[MND]

I know the bottom line is about the almighty $, but WDW in the past wasn't like the 1 I just came back from. They keep trying to nickle and dime us each and every time--something in the past you didn't see. Be it all the same napkins that now say Disney Parks instead of diffierent ones for each restraunt and resort--like the cool ones at Sci-fi as an example. Or the fact that you have about the same 10 hats and 20 shirts to pick from at just about each and every shop/resort store. There was a time where you get a hard to find character hat/shirt (say scrooge mcduck) and when you found it, it was truly special becuase you had to look at many shops to find it. Now 1-2 shops and you got all covered. Add to it the mixed drink list is down to about 10 drinks becuase 'all restraunts and bars get the same supply". We looked forward to the different drinks, now same drinks just under different name at each place. The worst change was at Casey's Corner where they not only switched the Hot Dog , but the bun. The reason behind this was the old buns wouldn't hold all the toppings for their chicago style and Barbque slaw dogs which is a higher mark-up. Guess I really got a bad bun becuase #1 it was rock hard, and #2 its still managed to fall apart, that I had to eat with a fork.I can go on and on, but like I said the bottom $ wins out over the poast at WDW.

Your post is an attempt at humor, right? You're compaining about a hot dog bun, napkins, and t-shirts. Sorry that someone moved your cheese.

Mike

 

[QueenElinor]

Considering that they posted record profits last quarter, that seems like a bit of a false dichotomy to me.

Well, now I feel better. I just checked and DIS is number 13 on my list of holdings by market value. Or maybe that's bad luck because it is number 13. At least I'm making money off of myself!

 

[jarestel]

I'd rather have generic napkins, less themed mixed drinks, and a lesser assortment of souvenirs than pay more for a ticket.

How about having both? Because it's a pretty sure bet that your next ticket will cost more than your last one.

 

[JimmyV]

Considering that they posted record profits last quarter, that seems like a bit of a false dichotomy to me.

I'm not a shareholder, so I don't have a copy of the 10K....but did park operations show record profits last year, or the entire Disney Company? Because it is perfectly possible for the entire company to show record earnings on the strength of ESPN, ABC and the movie divisions, while the parks were suffering (or vice versa). But if one of the divisions is underperforming, it is always possible for that division to be closed or spun off.

 

[Magpie]

Or to quote Josh of easywdw.com, whenever he spots a generic brown napkin: "VACATION RUINED! MEMORIES FORGOTTEN!"

Threads like these are the reason why I love his blog so very much (besides for the excellent touring advice, I mean).

 

[mm1971]

Great post, let me just say all I want is the same consideration.

If I say the resort was dirty, I don't want to be told to "lighten up, I should be happy that I'm blessed to be able to go to disney". I am not "blessed" to go to disney, disney is not some omnipotent God. I worked darn hard to PAY for the trip. Disney entered into a contract to provide me with certain standards which I forked over money. I expect them to uphold that contract.

If I say the rolls are stale, once again I don't want to be told I'm whining about nothing. Bad food is NOT "nothing" to me. I'll take the crazy label because whether it's a hot dog or a filet mignon I would like to be able to actually enjoy my food. Disney is not giving it to me free so why shouldn't I complain.

So maybe some times a napkin isn't really about the napkin. I just hate it when I'm told that my concerns are not worthy to be laid on the alter of Walt.

But then I've definitely learned that this is 100% not the place to ever say any thing negative about the mouse world. It can only lead to pain.

Let me start with the fact that I love Disney and that love was fostered when I was a kid and we saved for several years in order to go.

I understand where you are coming from completely and you have every right to feel you are not getting your monies worth(as worth is an individual decision). Unfortunately, I think this is the way everything is going at this point. With the economy and pressure to deliver to stockholders, every public company in all areas of business are in the same cost cutting/increase net income dilemma.

We have gone with our children several times in the last 4 years on vacation and for sporting events. While I agree that the changes are good and bad, I do see that Disney is still a better value than most other detinations we have been able to go to. I think what you get for the money spent is still very good. Most people that complain or make a point about things changing in a negative way still go and enjoy the vacation, but I do understand that as things change, expectations are not met and may leave us feeling a little less "magic" than before.