What is Walt Disney World doing right?

[kylesmile740]

Disney has been great with food allergies. On our last trip to Chef Mickey's, there was so much more available that was safe for peanut/tree nut allergic people. My daughter lit up when she saw all of the baked goods that were safe! We're going back next trip

I'm thrilled with the level of attention to food allergies! My daughter has Celiac disease, and we've never been disappointed in the access to gluten free food.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Please don’t let your guard down, Disney does feel safer to me also, and when my daughter is a teenager I would also be ok with her doing this. I would also tell her to be aware of what’s going on around her because even with the best efforts, bad stuff can still happen. For one example they found a body burning in a car in the Fantasia mini golf parking lot in August of 2018, can’t be that safe if people are dumping bodies there

Agreed, but the fact is I put my kids on a public bus, through a not-so-nice neighborhood in a major city to get to and from school on a regular basis. Riding a Disney bus with a bunch of families with kids in strollers is a lot less hazardous than that. Rest assured, my kids have the street-smarts and radar up - and so far they've almost always just joined us at rope drop anyway. It's nice to know the option is there though.

 

[KeepCalmAndCarryOn]

So much has already been said, but something that Disney does right and that I was so surprised to LIKE as much as I did are the baby care centers. We went with our twins when they were one year olds and again at two, and the ability to find a quiet space (with AC) to change diapers, allow our potty-training toddlers to have a quieter space to use the bathroom, find those items that you run out of at the worst possible moment; worth it's weight in gold. And every cast member working in the baby care stations that we encountered were not only KIND but HELPFUL. It's this little place where it's ok to be flustered and not perfect. I haven't come across anything even close at any other public park, restaurant, zoo, museum... It's unique to Disney and I am thankful for it. I'm almost sad that in a few years we won't need it...

 

[Dean Kennedy]

I just heard that Bob Iger will be a guest on NPR's 'Studio 1A' sometime next week. It will be interesting if they should decide to talk about WDW and what improvements, renovations, or updates may be made there.

True, can’t wait for the new prez of WDW to begin duties. Looks like a great job at Disneyland. Chapek ( sp ?) needs to listen to his customers.

 

[Lashed34]

From what I can tell the one thing WDW are doing right is getting more money from guests every which way they can.

 

[PetePanMan]

Magic bands / MDE
Disney Springs expansion
new DVC resorts
Epcot update

 

[teach22180]

The best part of the parks is by far the cast members. They are kind, helpful and cheerful.

 

[ScubaCat]

This is a good thread. I complain about many of the things at Disney, but we like it enough to still go nearly every year. One thing I really appreciate is that they are generally so efficient at loading and unloading rides. For example, other parks that we have been to seem to take twice as long or longer to unload, load up, and get a single roller coaster vehicle (I don't know what the proper word is) moving.

That's a great point. The omnimover rides are excellent for keeping lines moving, and they almost always have a different area to deboard which greatly speeds things up. Sure, the line for slinky dog may be long, but they really move those trains through quickly. Having 28 cockpits for Smuggler's Run really moves that line quickly, too. Test Track (and RSR) even have a different area to board vs. checking restraints.

Try waiting in a long line at six flags. You'll see an amazing number of unused seats in the ride vehicles and will realize how slow the dispatch can be if just one person has any sort of issue.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

My big 3...
1. Interactive queues / innovative queues (like the Dumbo queue as well). Ways to make waits seem less.... wait.
2. Deep themeing / environments. We don't have "Star Tours" we have "Star Wars Land".
3. Mobile Ordering / Delivery and Shipping of purchases / Online Shopping - things that mean you spent less time waiting and more time doing. (really this falls under #1).

 

[MrsBooch]

From what I can tell the one thing WDW are doing right is getting more money from guests every which way they can.

Do you sincerely have nothing positive to say with regard to what Disney does "right"?

I think they get more money from guests because people value what they get out of it....

 

[TiggerBouncy]

The best part of the parks is by far the cast members. They are kind, helpful and cheerful.

The reason I did not answer Cast Members in my response is because I am not sure that's something Disney is "doing right". It's almost like they have good cast members despite themselves, not because of themselves.

The fact is we can't say that Disney pays better then anyone else. They do not install company loyalty. They do not treat their cast exceptionally well. In many ways, they almost are doing it all wrong there (EXCEPT for CM training which is still one of the best in the industry).

Agreed the CM's make the difference and they are what makes Disney shine. I just can't say that it;s the company that is the reason for it.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

So much has already been said, but something that Disney does right and that I was so surprised to LIKE as much as I did are the baby care centers.

That's one I missed. Not the Baby Care Centers, but if you have ever had the need to call on First Aid at Disney. I never did until my last trip and they were just... WOW. Amazing. So incredibly amazing.

 

[revdon64]

For my part, it's hard to see the things they're doing right when they're doing so much that's wrong. It feels like going for a swim in the pond and getting bled by leeches. Sure, the water is nice and cool, but I'm getting lightheaded and weak and might drown.

 

[Dean Kennedy]

From what I can tell the one thing WDW are doing right is getting more money from guests every which way they can.

Yeah but they have a way of making you feel good about it.

 

[disneygirlsng]

For my part, it's hard to see the things they're doing right when they're doing so much that's wrong. It feels like going for a swim in the pond and getting bled by leeches. Sure, the water is nice and cool, but I'm getting lightheaded and weak and might drown.

Yea, definitely not getting that. Not anywhere even remotely close.

 

[Lumpy1106]

That's one I missed. Not the Baby Care Centers, but if you have ever had the need to call on First Aid at Disney. I never did until my last trip and they were just... WOW. Amazing. So incredibly amazing.

AGREED on both! If you've never seen them I suggest you drop in and take a look - SO impressive!

 

[ScubaCat]

Yea, definitely not getting that. Not anywhere even remotely close.

I know, right? I have more than enough complaints, but if it's that bad for someone, there are actually other vacation destinations. And, there are threads you can air your grievances in without filling a thread specifically for good things. So on that note, thank you to everyone for staying on topic starting now!

There's still no other theme park that is even close to as solid with themeing through-and-through. Universal has come a long way, but I still run across the occasional unsightly service entrance or walkway every now and then. And while I'm no fan of the idea of Starbucks on main street, it's nowhere near as gaudy as the lovely Panda Express sign I walk by on my way into Islands of Adventure or the "Auntie Annie's" pretzel cart in the middle of the park. (And Disney doesn't have anything nearly as terrible as the fast and furious attraction. The best thing Universal could do with that is demolish it.)

 

[TreAntDeu]

the fast-pass system. My father used to go all over the park with our tickets(since my grandpa could not keep up) to the machines to make sure we got fast-passes. We ususually ended up with a stack of paper by the end of the day that we could then blitz through.

so, no question we could do more in the past. But i just love the initial limit of 3 rides and the ease it puts on that part of the day. We all can stay together and there is no arguing about what ride to get since it is already done.

 

[Tink1987]

I think the Space Restaurant is one of the best things right now. It’s the most original idea/thing to open in the parks for years and in the exact right location.

 

[yorkieteacher]

There are still some cast members who pixie dust=they are usually ones who have been employed in the parks longer. When we checked into Art of Animation in August, the manager saw how excited my grandson was, and later came to our room to give him a welcome letter. When our younger grandson spilled his speciality drink, a cast member brought him another, along with a cookie. During MNSSHP ,our grandsons were dressed as BB8 and R2D2, cast members at the candy stations said things like "the force is strong with these boys," and "Those aren't the droids we are looking for", things like that. When our waitress at the Storybook Dinner found out our 2 year old grandson adored Dopey, she made sure Dopey came to our table to dance with him. For us, it's always been about the cast members who go beyond their job description and sprinkle the pixie dust.