What is Disneys biggest FAIL!?

[Mouse Man]

The dining plans in general, the 'free' dining in specific, and the resultant dumbing down and outrageous pricing of dining.

I agree with Dan's assessment of the Dining Plan. My family now chooses to eat primarily Counter Service when at WDW. We have no need for the hoards of food available on the Dining Plan. We always enjoyed dining at a few sit-down restaurants while on vacation. In the past few years the food quality and service have gone downhill. Meanwhile, the prices have climbed. It's not worth it to just "walk up" to a full service restaurant anymore.

 

[Planogirl]

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.

We noticed this in August. I love the villains and I was so disappointed in the lack of merchandise in the Villains Store. What's the point of even having a Villains Store if there's no villains stuff in it?

 

[Coconut36]

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".

Very well said..these were the discussions we were having during/after our last visit. I mean really the crowds and the difficulty in getting on a ride (and the wait just to get a freakin' FP) was horrible to us and a huge disappointment. All we could say was that if that was off peak we are unlikely to ever return during "peak" time because it was miserable enough as it was. At one point we could not even walk past the area around HM. It was seriously just a big deadlock of bodies and strollers and nobody moving..you had to push and shove to get through the crowd (at that time I think the wait time at HM was like 90 minutes so I don't know how that played into it but these people were not in line)

 

[Dax]

Do I have enough room to post them all? Some of my biggest...

- Pleasure Island Closing. I was a HUGE AC/CW fan...miss them both terribly.
- Dining Plan/Free Dining. I will not beat this dead horse
- EPCOT changes - Removal of great classics, for OK rides. Letting other attractions slip in the process. Bring back Dreamfinder!
- Removal of Mr Toad's Wild Ride!
- Removal of 20,000 Leagues!
- I do not like how the characters have become. Its a wait in line at this specific spot to see these people for 15min. If you miss out, try again later. I remember when characters wandered a bit more.
- General lack of caring. Overworked, underpaid employees is beginning to show.
- Bad Show Overall. Lack of paint, dirty bathrooms, these type of things..
- New Ideas not very original. The jury is still out on FantasyLand, but Avatar? Really?

Just a few from me..

 

[sorcerormickey]

The dining plans in general, the 'free' dining in specific, and the resultant dumbing down and outrageous pricing of dining.

I'm torn between this answer and Avatar. Both HUGE GIANT FAILS.

 

[PeterPan09]

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 agree. Every manager at Disney seems to be working for that end of year bonus instead of for show quality and above and beyond service. How much can we cut and still have full hotels and full parks? How hard can we work the CM's before they can no longer perform? How little money can we spend on the food before people stop buying dining plans or paying rack rate for rooms to eat "free"?

The problem is-the parks are full, the hotels are full. The people who are dissatisfied are either still going or they are being replaced by others who don't notice the effect of all that budget cutting.

I'm reserving judgement on both Avatar and Fantasyland until the work is done. If they continue to try and do it on the cheap, both will SUCK. However, if they actually give the Imagineers the budget to do something spectacular, I believe it can still happen.

 

[happygirl]

I agree. Every manager at Disney seems to be working for that end of year bonus instead of for show quality and above and beyond service. How much can we cut and still have full hotels and full parks? How hard can we work the CM's before they can no longer perform? How little money can we spend on the food before people stop buying dining plans or paying rack rate for rooms to eat "free"?

The problem is-the parks are full, the hotels are full. The people who are dissatisfied are either still going or they are being replaced by others who don't notice the effect of all that budget cutting.

I'm reserving judgement on both Avatar and Fantasyland until the work is done. If they continue to try and do it on the cheap, both will SUCK. However, if they actually give the Imagineers the budget to do something spectacular, I believe it can still happen.

what are they doing to Fantasyland?

 

[PeterPan09]

what are they doing to Fantasyland?

HUGE expansion that will double the size. New rides, a new TS/QS restaurant, a second Dumbo ride...lots of work going on over there behind those walls.

 

[happygirl]

HUGE expansion that will double the size. New rides, a new TS/QS restaurant, a second Dumbo ride...lots of work going on over there behind those walls.

I didn't know about that. When is it supposed to be completed ?

 

[Minnesota!]

The Wonders of Life pavilion in Epcot. It never was that great and now it's just wasted, empty space.

I was in here the other day for the F&WF center...and it was so depressing. Even my son asked why it was so boring in there.

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!

I could have written this. We went on SE at least 10 times last week and it made me so sad to see the whole area of NOTHING after you choose your stuff on the computer. Just black...but you can see the outlines of what used to be there. And on the left side of the vehicle, it's where the speakers are and they look old, worn, etc. The whole last 1/2 of this ride is pathetic. And the interactive part is a joke.

I would have loved to see Pop: Legenday, too.

After our vacation last week, there are a few things:

Counter service meals suck. I am a pescatarian, and the veggie burgers are pathetic, the salads taste like cardboard, and the only fish they seem to offer at CS is salmon...which I cannot stomach.

The crowds were insane at points. At a "slow" time. Disney keeps filling their hotels, building new ones...but they don't have the park space to hold them.

They need more headliners in each park so that there isn't the running of the bulls for TSM (lame, BTW), Soarin (needs serious updating on the film), and Everest.

Overall, the CM's were great, but there were a few who you could tell just didn't care/want to be there. And they are the ones who ruin the illusion.

And Avatarland is just the icing on the cake - if there is anything that would push me away from AK...this is it.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Gosh, it would be be hard to pick just one. I'll give you my top 4:

1. Capacity issues within the parks
2. Not investing enough money to expand ride offerings (more extreme rides for the older kids and adults-like more roller coasters)
3. Free dining
4. Bus transportation

 

[Dan Murphy]

I didn't know about that. When is it supposed to be completed ?

http://allears.net/tp/mk/fant_expansion.htm


http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland.htm

 

[happygirl]

http://allears.net/tp/mk/fant_expansion.htm


http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Fantasyland.htm

Thanks

That looks really neat

 

[diz8297]

The biggest failure IMHO is the failure to get Harry Potter. That would address the crowd issues and the lack of innovation. It goes hand in hand with the attitude that is shown with the generic merchandise and food quality. It seems like they are going for the lowest common denominator. For example: I get it that the Princesses are a big draw. But ya know......we aren't all 6 year old girls. I have been a faithful vacationer for 30 years. I own DVC, I have an annual pass. I totally love Disney-always will. But it is not the same as it was 10 years ago.

 

[Owlpost23]

The biggest failing of Disney? Why don't they have a loyalty program? A huge amount of Disers proudly display the number of times they've gone,and Disney does Doodlysquat to reward those who are repeat visitors.The first time we went to Universal,we signed up with Loew's you first program,and on our first stay were upgraded to a pool view.Disney needs to tap into that huge group,and reward them for such loyalty.

 

[surfgirl]

The biggest failure IMHO is the failure to get Harry Potter. That would address the crowd issues and the lack of innovation. It goes hand in hand with the attitude that is shown with the generic merchandise and food quality.

From what I understand, Disney wanted to do a Harry Potter "ride". Universal was willing to up the ante and do an entire "land". I've been to Universal and it is very well done and it is (obviously) pulling the crowds in.



Back OT:
biggest fail? crowd size management/capacity issues as stated above. I'm disappointed in the TSM sprint. I can't imagine walking in and saying "what should we ride?" like we did 20 years ago. You would stand in line all day and ride 2 rides...

 

[PeterPan09]

The biggest failing of Disney? Why don't they have a loyalty program? A huge amount of Disers proudly display the number of times they've gone,and Disney does Doodlysquat to reward those who are repeat visitors.The first time we went to Universal,we signed up with Loew's you first program,and on our first stay were upgraded to a pool view.Disney needs to tap into that huge group,and reward them for such loyalty.

They don't need to. People come back year after year after year without a loyalty program-even while they complain about the decline in quality. There's no reason for Disney to reward them, they'll come anyway.

Disney figured out a LONG time ago that the real money comes from the family who makes maybe one or two trips to Disney in a lifetime. They spend more because "we're just doing this once, so let's go all out". They don't notice the reduced quality because they don't know that it ever was better. Same with the tour groups that bring in enough money to make an entire season. You think they care about food quality or bad show? Heck no, they're so busy with that once in a lifetime trip that they could care less. Disney is only one piece of a vacation for them, they go all over Florida while they stay on property for up to 3 weeks at a time.

Until Disney sees an impact dollar wise they are NOT going to make changes. They are like any other company, they're about the bottom line.

 

[PeterPan09]

From what I understand, Disney wanted to do a Harry Potter "ride". Universal was willing to up the ante and do an entire "land". I've been to Universal and it is very well done and it is (obviously) pulling the crowds in.



Back OT:
biggest fail? crowd size management/capacity issues as stated above. I'm disappointed in the TSM sprint. I can't imagine walking in and saying "what should we ride?" like we did 20 years ago. You would stand in line all day and ride 2 rides...

Disney wanted to control more of the process with Potter and JK Rowling was not having it. Disney seems to have learned from that and has involved Cameron deeply in the Avatar project.

I love Potter-land-but I think Disney would have done a few things better like crowd control and having actual British cast members in the land so the feel was more authentic. Nothing like a CM from Tennessee waiting on you at Three Broomsticks to throw off the mood.

 

[Feralpeg]

Disney wanted to control more of the process with Potter and JK Rowling was not having it. Disney seems to have learned from that and has involved Cameron deeply in the Avatar project.

I love Potter-land-but I think Disney would have done a few things better like crowd control and having actual British cast members in the land so the feel was more authentic. Nothing like a CM from Tennessee waiting on you at Three Broomsticks to throw off the mood.

While I agree that British cast members would vastly improve HP, I do remember when they opened the first Narnia exhibit DHS. I was standing there before the wardrobe door to enter and a CM started reading the script in a very heavy Hispanic accent. Talk about breaking the mood.

I still don't understand why Alice at WDW isn't played by a British CM. The ones they have now do a really poor job with the accent. I am really big on accents, so it really bothers me!

 

[pigletgirl]

The food. Hands down. Expensive and highly mediocre.