What is Disneys biggest FAIL!?

[MELSMICE]

I'm a huge Disney fan, but I think there are a few things that have failed. Honestly, I think they expected much more from Mission: SPACE & it has disappointed.

I think they dropped the ball on Harry Potter by not outbidding Universal.

 

[robinb]

Replacing the Alien Encounter with Stitch's Great Escape in MK!

Alien Encounter and Stitch's Great Escape in MK. Alien Escape was far too scary. There was not a single time I did that attraction when some young child wasn't sobbing by the end. Stitch's Great Escape is, IMO, the worse active attraction in all of WDW.

ETA: I'm not that wild about Ellen either. Mostly because it's a big, long, wet kiss for the petroleum industry. I remember when ExxonMobile sponsored it.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I've got to admit I am still just a bit bitter over Toad being replaced with Pooh

Me too. Thankfully they didn't make the same mistake at DL.

 

[dngnb8]

Walt said the parks would never be finished. I live on the west side so my DLR disappointments was seeing Country Bear Jamboree go.

But when my DD14 was a DD5, she sure loved Pooh

You can please some of the people some of the time.......

 

[jcieutat]

I think the biggest failure is being too politically correct. Especially with the catering of the scooters.

I am actually stoked about the Avatar idea. I think the movie was great and anything that James Cameron does is first class.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I totally agree with Avatar. What would make them chose that?

Stitch is terrible!

Not building anything in Wonders of Life or at least keeping it open.

Family suites without bunk beds. I don't want to pull out the sofa and put the table down so the kids can sleep.

 

[Nancy]

I think this whole new Avatar land in AK is dumb. Of all the things they could choose, they picked this lame idea.

I'll agree with this one. The whole Avatar thing doesn't appeal to me at all. Right now AK is a half day park for us. I don't see this expansion making me want to spend any more time there. The last trip we were on in July we didn't even go over to the section with Dinosaur. First of all it was way too hot and all the rides with their outside queues were just brutal to stand in due to most of the fans not even working.

Another big mistake from my standpoint was all the free dining. I know why they did it, but all it did was make all the food there very generic and not as good as it used to be. Less choices on the menu and lower quality of food.

 

[Coconut36]

I found some rides poorly modified. My Mom and I were a bit sad and amused to see what used to be the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse with a sign poorly slapped on it to say "Tarazan" Treehouse (you could see bits of the old words sticking out around/under it) and cheesy modifications to try to make it Tarzan themed. It came across as very poorly done and done with minimal effort. Not what I expect from Disney at all. Similar feeling regarding Tom Sawyer now being Pirate's Lair. The sign also just had something slapped on it. This is Disney..they can't replace it with a new sign rather than screwing a block with a new name on it (and so poorly you can see some of the old text peeking out?).

My only other big disappointment is with crowds and how poorly things seemed to run. In all my life of going (and I generally always went in peak summer season) I never encountered crowds like we hit going in October and what was supposed to be "off season". It was seriously bothersome and made it a very unpleasant experience for my young kids. There were lines and lines 100s deep just to stand with Mickey. In my day characters roamed the park...we saw none. Nada..zip except for that one time with Mickey in the front and even that required a huge wait in line. This might be a no no topic but does Disney exercise any form for crowd control or number control in the parks?

I also felt in my last visit DLR came off very poorly managed. CM seemed indifferent or unable to answer basic questions. Not the magic I remember from Disney castmembers.

 

[SetzKitten]

I would have to say when they "improved" Journey into Imagination.

 

[wdw4rfam]

Sad to say there are so many to choose from.

Generally speaking, I would lump them into Disney losing the attitude that used to make WDW so special. That includes everything from dwindling quality, to replacing classic attractions with thrill rides, to a decline in dining and entertainment. I guess that would single out Disney management as the one failure.

YES!!!!

 

[quentina]

To me it would be

Epcot, I hate this park LOL I know one will think that but me.

I don't like the Ellen ride
Or Drew Carrey thing

When I was younger, I hated Epcot now......as I get older, I enjoy it. I think it appeals to the mature crowd LOL. Now, they have since added many newer, family, good rides thus, it is more appealing to the family.

 

[happygirl]

When I was younger, I hated Epcot now......as I get older, I enjoy it. I think it appeals to the mature crowd LOL. Now, they have since added many newer, family, good rides thus, it is more appealing to the family.

the only ride I really like there is Test Track

 

[wdw4rfam]

I think the fact that they keep building new hotels to hold more peole, but they need another park or more to do to put all those extra people. I remember when going to wdw was fun to just wake up and decide what park, and where to eat, walk around and ride whatever you passed. Now you have to make ADR's 180 days in advance, decide what parks you are going to 180 days if no park hoppers, have a "tour plan", decide whos going to race to FP in the morning so you dont miss TSM totally, etc. Although I still go every year- it is NOT the same Disney as 5-10 years ago. Sad to say right around when they added the dining plan and "free dining".

 

[Dan Murphy]

The dining plans in general, the 'free' dining in specific, and the resultant dumbing down and outrageous pricing of dining. If I can have two, the slow but sure elimination of entertainment groups throughout the parks.

 

[Gina]

I will hold a grudge against Disney until the end of times for destroying Spaceship Earth (Oh! But it's so hilarious now!! ), and a slightly lesser grudge for making El Rio del Tiempo the ridiculousness it is now.

I am currently not happy with them for scrapping the very intriguing Pop Century Legacy Years, and instead going with the ever-so-original All-Star Movies part II theme!

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

I think the fact that they keep building new hotels to hold more peole, but they need another park or more to do to put all those extra people. I remember when going to wdw was fun to just wake up and decide what park, and where to eat, walk around and ride whatever you passed. Now you have to make ADR's 180 days in advance, decide what parks you are going to 180 days if no park hoppers, have a "tour plan", decide whos going to race to FP in the morning so you dont miss TSM totally, etc. Although I still go every year- it is NOT the same Disney as 5-10 years ago. Sad to say right around when they added the dining plan and "free dining".

This!

I think it's sad that you drive for 20 hours to visit (is it just me?) and when you get there you can't even ride Toy Story Mania. Unless of course you realize that looong line is for fastpasses and send someone to wait in it for an hour. For FASTPASSES. If rides like Toy Story Mania and Soarin' are so popular, why not build another one of each? Surely they've collected enough $ to be able to make sure everyone (not just the best rope drop sprinters) gets to ride the rides already.

Don't get me wrong, I love love love WDW. But being able to ride a ride more than once (or at all) per visit would be awesome.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

The idea of Avatar is gross.

Would have liked to have seen Horizons and Motion updated.

Also the quality of food in the parks has hit rock bottom. I know it's food costs but also the DDP.

 

[mjaclyn]

Mars Needs Moms

 

[Planogirl]

I won't judge them for what hasn't been built yet. Besides there's plenty already done that bothers me.

The biggest one is Epcot. They made Spaceship Earth worse. They built Mission Space. It's in a cool building but to me the ride is lame. The Wonders of Life is closed. The Imagination pavilion is ruined. The great entertainment in Future World is pretty much gone. Also, the first thing you see when you walk in are those stones.

World Showcase could use an expansion but is still mostly OK. Epcot used to be my favorite Disney park but now I don't know what to think of it.

 

[Feralpeg]

Sad to say there are so many to choose from.

Generally speaking, I would lump them into Disney losing the attitude that used to make WDW so special. That includes everything from dwindling quality, to replacing classic attractions with thrill rides, to a decline in dining and entertainment. I guess that would single out Disney management as the one failure.

I totally agree.

I also hate the generic merchandise everywhere. I was at Hollywood Studios yesterday. The Villains shop has no villain merchandise except Nightmare. Nothing. Most of the shop is just generic stuff found everywhere else. The back is Jack Skellington. I have nothing against Jack Skellington, but he is not the only Disney villain. Sad. Even the Christmas store at DTD is stocked with tons of non-Christmas merchandise found in every other store at DTD. Bad deal.