What is going on with Disney parks?

[Pkltm]

It's funny how a big corporation doesn't have a toll free number huh ?

That has been my biggest compliant this year, we have 3 trips in 12 months and we seem to have to call all the time. This call today was 45 minutes, the first person I spoke to told me that annual passholders cannot get the dining plan. UGH. train the staff.

 

[middlechild]

Disney decided years ago that three big name rides made the day complete. Three fast passes was the result. The management is working on stripping away everything else. Now they ask what's wrong?

 

[Alynw]

Well, WDW has removed the star wars theme for the lunch and dinner food menu at Docking bay 7 restaurant. Their saying it's to make ordering food easier for the guests but let's face it, the star wars theme hasn't performed as expected and their doing damage control. Interesting to see the changes they make to the new hotel.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, WDW has removed the star wars theme for the lunch and dinner food menu at Docking bay 7 restaurant. Their saying it's to make ordering food easier for the guests but let's face it, the star wars theme hasn't performed as expected and their doing damage control. Interesting to see the changes they make to the new hotel.

The original names are still there however they've been relocated to underneath the new names.

Like I said and a few others on the News Thread I think this is more related to how people read, see and choose their menu items based on the names rather than Star Wars related. My example was Skipper Canteen which has undergone several menu descriptions (and menu options) since it's been open. I had the "Tastes like Chicken--Because it is!" but it's not like I actually needed that to be in the name to know what I was ordering. Others probably did need that as silly as that sounds.

 

[Alynw]

The original names are still there however they've been relocated to underneath the new names.

Like I said and a few others on the News Thread I think this is more related to how people read, see and choose their menu items based on the names rather than Star Wars related. My example was Skipper Canteen which has undergone several menu descriptions (and menu options) since it's been open. I had the "Tastes like Chicken--Because it is!" but it's not like I actually needed that to be in the name to know what I was ordering. Others probably did need that as silly as that sounds.

Yea, ur probably more spot on than what I was thinking. What I was saying is that the menu was originally star wars themed and was targeting star wars fans but their not getting the star wars fans as anticipated and the non star wars fans are having trouble understanding the menu and it's for this reason they changed it. But I agree with u, that sounds more realistic.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yea, ur probably more spot on than what I was thinking. What I was saying is that the menu was originally star wars themed and was targeting star wars fans but their not getting the star wars fans as anticipated and the non star wars fans are having trouble understanding the menu and it's for this reason they changed it. But I agree with u, that sounds more realistic.

Your point makes sense too. I think it's more likely what we were discussing on the News thread but that being said I'm sure it wasn't helping that they were not garnering the crowds and the types of crowds they were thinking they were going to. Probably made the decision much easier. I mentioned on the News thread I was hoping they don't change the menu choices over time to make them too blah (which seems to be an answer Disney has for some things).

 

[Minniesgal]

Maybe it's not just Disney parks, but what we notice because of our little bubble here. What if this is a bigger trend being observed across the economic landscape (e.g. Thomas Cook Travel)? Vacations are always the first to go when there is economic uncertainty.

Breaking points move. As consumers (especially Disney consumers with such an emotional attachment to the product), we adjust and push the point a little further each time something is taken away. I don't know what my breaking point is, but whatever it is, someone else will always be willing to fill in should I find Disney has left me by the wayside.

Thomson Cook failed through poor management not lack of people travelling

 

[Jennifer Brooklyn]

Not sure if this was mentioned, I have not kept up with all the post but I just read where now you can get a tour of the castle bedroom and front of the line access for a day for 12, 000. Yike how many can afford that little gem, haha

Yes, you also get a lot of other cool things. Pretty much an Ultimate Ultimate VIP tour. You can have a photoshoot in front of the castle with your family for example.

 

[Jennifer Brooklyn]

The food is a good point, but I'd argue that the other end of the spectrum is a bigger problem than QS. In fact, we feel like the QS menus and options have actually improved a bit over the years - not to great or even on par with many things you can get outside of the parks, but at least to passable. Satu'li Canteen in Pandora is an example of Disney at least trying to improve QS.

But "Signature" Dining on the other hand? We've seen a noticeable decline in both service and food quality in the last 5-10 years in this space. There are still some special experiences, but many have declined to average at best. Our last dinner at CG in August was a huge letdown, most notably because our server was downright rushing us and not particularly attentive at that. And this has been a trend - as I think someone else noted earlier about special "magic" touches like Mickey confetti at dinner or personalized menus like we got on our honeymoon at nearly every dinner. I don't demand or even always expect these things, but it's noticeable when they almost disappear. And I'm not sure how Disney is expecting to capture the upper end of the market by skimping in these areas.

I noted to DW on our last trip that as for Signature dining Shula's seems to be the best on-property. And there is nothing particularly Disney about Shula's, in fact we had one down here in S FL until a few years back.

You are quite right that with the quality of food at most signature restaurants at WDW it will not continue to capture the high end clients Disney depends on.

while our family eats at all the signature restaurants we do it more for the experience than the quality of the food. It’s disappointing the disparity between a Signature restaurant and say Victoria and Alberts.They are very different but in the real world when you pay almost $100 per person for a lunch reservation (signature restaurant)you would have a much higher expectation than what you receive for that same amount at Disney World.

 

[Brianstl]

nm

 

[Brianstl]

You are quite right that with the quality of food at most signature restaurants at WDW it will not continue to capture the high end clients Disney depends on.

while our family eats at all the signature restaurants we do it more for the experience than the quality of the food. It’s disappointing the disparity between a Signature restaurant and say Victoria and Alberts.They are very different but in the real world when you pay almost $100 per person for a lunch reservation (signature restaurant)you would have a much higher expectation than what you receive for that same amount at Disney World.

There are some outstanding signature restaurants. Yachtsman is an outstanding steakhouse.

 

[kandb]

I so strongly agree with this.

I feel like a broken record but I think attractions like Haunted Mansion, POTC, BTMRR, and Splash are the gold standard for Disney attractions. Those exemplify what made Disney the innovators. They didn’t need popular IP or mind blowing ride systems to draw people in. They thrive purely on the creativity, storytelling, and attention to detail that put Disney at the top.

I want that back.

Yes, this and getting rid of a great ride like Great American Movie Ride was a big mistake. Everyone I know loved that ride and it was a classic, which most people who go to disney love. I am the one in my family who always scheduled rides and getting rid of the classic rides are making disney less attractive for us to go.

 

[Toolulu22]

You are quite right that with the quality of food at most signature restaurants at WDW it will not continue to capture the high end clients Disney depends on.

while our family eats at all the signature restaurants we do it more for the experience than the quality of the food. It’s disappointing the disparity between a Signature restaurant and say Victoria and Alberts.They are very different but in the real world when you pay almost $100 per person for a lunch reservation (signature restaurant)you would have a much higher expectation than what you receive for that same amount at Disney World.

This is one reason my husband insists on renting a car on our vacations- we can drive (offsite) to eat.

 

[DisLiss]

For me, personally, my two biggest complaints right now are the cast member and entertainment cut-backs. And by entertainment I mean the smaller shows or performances, not the nightly spectaculars or any parades.
So, in other words, the people who make the magic in the park. If WDW could find a way to automate the entire park, I'd never go again. The cast members add that special touch. They add the pixie dust. They make the magic moments, fix the problems, make people smile. (Oh, and Disney, if you're listening---they're the ones that take awesome photos. Ban the darn boxes!)
The entertainment is part of what people can point to and say "This is part of what I'm getting for my ticket." when Disney's busy adding layer upon layer of up-charges. The entertainment helps disperse crowds. The entertainment can be a pleasantly unexpected part of a day at Disney, if things pop up that are not mentioned in the time guide. The smaller entertainment acts & shows are things you can look forward to at different times of day, with no line, no Fastpass, no ADR, no dessert party seating. And people often need that. They need to know there's a fun thing they can do without sitting on the sidewalk for an hour saving a seat or planning 3 months in advance. Plus there's a playfulness to so many of them, and that again comes back to the people performing.

Keep your people, Disney. You need them. They are the ones who breath life into your parks.

 

[DisLiss]

I feel like a broken record but I think attractions like Haunted Mansion, POTC, BTMRR, and Splash are the gold standard for Disney attractions. Those exemplify what made Disney the innovators. They didn’t need popular IP or mind blowing ride systems to draw people in. They thrive purely on the creativity, storytelling, and attention to detail that put Disney at the top.

And so often when I talk about Disney or watch vlogs about it and people are discussing their favorite rides, these are the type that show up. Yes, people also will list newer rides, but most people include one or more of these as well. And occasionally I'll hear someone list only these.

You see how popular they can become if Disney goes out of their way to play them up. Look at Haunted Mansion---I feel like it's just becoming more and more popular all of the time.

When they rely on IP, they need to hope those IP remain popular enough to always bring in the crowds, and that just doesn't always happen. But if these non-IP rides can still draw up queues after decades, then with some imagination, Disney should still be able to come with a non-IP attraction to capture people's attention (and their wallets---have you seen all the Haunted Mansion merchandise they're always adding? A girl could go broke fast! )

 

[kandb]

I so strongly agree with this.

I feel like a broken record but I think attractions like Haunted Mansion, POTC, BTMRR, and Splash are the gold standard for Disney attractions. Those exemplify what made Disney the innovators. They didn’t need popular IP or mind blowing ride systems to draw people in. They thrive purely on the creativity, storytelling, and attention to detail that put Disney at the top.

I want that back.

Yes, this and getting rid of a great ride like Great American Movie Ride was a big mistake. Everyone I know loved that ride and it was a classic, which most people who go to disney love. I am the one in my family who always schedules our vacations and getting rid of the classic rides are making disney less attractive for us to go.

 

[Alynw]

For me, personally, my two biggest complaints right now are the cast member and entertainment cut-backs. And by entertainment I mean the smaller shows or performances, not the nightly spectaculars or any parades.
So, in other words, the people who make the magic in the park. If WDW could find a way to automate the entire park, I'd never go again. The cast members add that special touch. They add the pixie dust. They make the magic moments, fix the problems, make people smile. (Oh, and Disney, if you're listening---they're the ones that take awesome photos. Ban the darn boxes!)
The entertainment is part of what people can point to and say "This is part of what I'm getting for my ticket." when Disney's busy adding layer upon layer of up-charges. The entertainment helps disperse crowds. The entertainment can be a pleasantly unexpected part of a day at Disney, if things pop up that are not mentioned in the time guide. The smaller entertainment acts & shows are things you can look forward to at different times of day, with no line, no Fastpass, no ADR, no dessert party seating. And people often need that. They need to know there's a fun thing they can do without sitting on the sidewalk for an hour saving a seat or planning 3 months in advance. Plus there's a playfulness to so many of them, and that again comes back to the people performing.

Keep your people, Disney. You need them. They are the ones who breath life into your parks.

Couldn't have said this better. It one of those things that people dont think they will miss until it's gone. Then they realize how much they really enjoyed it. Whether people realize it or even believe it but those small little encounters and interactions count as a experience. This is one of Disney most important contributors. You can go to Disney and literally only ride 2 rides but still feel like you got to do and see so much because of the small little cast member shows, street shows, little interactions. This is also a big part of what makes people feel like their getting their money's worth. I hope Disney dosent become to corporate and stays true to itself.

 

[snappy]

Couldn't have said this better. It one of those things that people dont think they will miss until it's gone. Then they realize how much they really enjoyed it. Whether people realize it or even believe it but those small little encounters and interactions count as a experience. This is one of Disney most important contributors. You can go to Disney and literally only ride 2 rides but still feel like you got to do and see so much because of the small little cast member shows, street shows, little interactions. This is also a big part of what makes people feel like their getting their money's worth. I hope Disney dosent become to corporate and stays true to itself.

I agree with your post. For me, the attraction of Disney is similar to experiencing live music. It’s the spontaneity of it. Listening to recorded music makes me nostalgic for the live performances I have enjoyed. It seems Disney is walking away from some of the things I enjoyed the most.

 

[TDSAXX]

You can go to Disney and literally only ride 2 rides but still feel like you got to do and see so much.

That may be true for you; but if I paid that much and only rode two rides, I would feel ripped-off.

 

[Wmuflyguy]

The out of state AP price needs to be walked back to under $1000. We have gone 2-3 times a year the past few years, but after taking our first cruise (albeit a Disney Cruise) we are thinking we may drop one of those park trips in favor of a cruise and it may not be a Disney Cruise as there are some amazing boats on other cruise lines we want to see.