Why All the Criticisms Towards Disney?!

[disneyphilip]

I just don't understand why Disney gets such a bad rap these days!

Being the Disney fan that I am, I am downright sick and tired of all the overly-harsh criticisms that the Disney company has gotten over the last few years.

Granted, they're all pretty sore from all the mistakes that occured during the second half of Michael Eisner's tenure with the company, and even I agree that he made way too many mistakes (such as promoting the wrong people, alienating creative partnerships, spending money in wrong places, etc.), but since he's gone, they should be nicer to Disney now.

These criticisms tend to make me feel downright sad and crummy for liking Disney so much...and they seem to enjoy putting them down and making them come off as a company that can't do anything right anymore.

The extremely pessimistic and overly-elitist attitudes of a lot of those individuals tick me off to no end!

Sometimes, I think that because of the selfish, close-minded, never satisfied, never happy and lack of inner-child mentalities that have plagued their minds, they don't really like Disney...and if they don't like certain things that they do at Disney, why do they keep coming back anyway? I just don't get it!

It seems that they raise their expectations too high and expect too much from Disney these days (which causes them to say such merciless filth as "all of their new attractions are bad", "they don't make any good movies anymore", "the new entertainment offerings that they've added to the parks were done on the cheap", etc.). IMO, they need to learn to be nicer to Disney and give them a break!

To make matters worse, every single time Disney wants to make a change at one of their parks, they go about with their annoying "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" mentalities! They need to realize that it's best to reserve judgement on certain changes before going to experience them for themselves.

Don't get me wrong. There are quite a few things about Disney that even I am not happy with and points of their's that I do agree with (lack of upkeep at the parks, some cast members having attitude problems and/or doing lousy jobs, etc.). I even agree that they have made lots of mistakes and done stupid things over the last few years. I also don't always agree with the decisions that management makes.

Despite those flaws, I, for one, still try to look past the shortcomings and enjoy myself when I immerse myself in the wonderful world of Disney and enjoy what they have for now...and be optimistic that anything that's wrong in the company and their establishments right now will eventually get fixed (certain attractions will recieve major rehabs, previously-alienated creative partnerships will be patched up, etc.).

To anyone who reads, I hope you will understand and not take offense to what I've said. I'm just expressing my mind and getting some feelings off of my chest.

 

[MJMcBride]

I often fight with the anti-Eisner/new Disney people over on the Rumors board, to the point where it often gets ugly. But I will say that Disney is not as great as they used to be. Many new rides are not built with the same ingenuity that was a hallmark of Disney when Walt was in charge or shortly thereafter. Too often, they just reinvent the wheel. Now thats not always true. Soarin's and Turtle Talk are both brillantly innovatibe in my estimation.

Disney has also become too beholden to the shareholders. I don't blame them, but its a fact of life. Its why we get seasonal closings of attractions. Its also why we had the explosion of "family style" restaurants. It allowed them to reduce the number of servers and ti use cheaper chefs. Its fairly cheap to throw a blob of roasted turkey on your table.

I don't consider myself in the group you are referring too. But nor do I blindly love anything Disney. Mission Space is awful. So is Stitch. Apparently, DCA is a wasteland of ingenuity. Sure they complain all the time. But I do think its from the heart.

 

[cakesnkids]

Well, I am jaded I think by my experiance ther this past week, but that had nothing to do with Disney, but with ONE woman and her ignorance.
I do think that Disney is wonderfully imaginative and inspired, and the people who worked in the parks as well as the campground I found to be pleasantly courteous and eager to please. On the OTHER hand I managed to find a MOST DISCOURAGINGLY UNPLEASANT woman who screamed at my child, called her ignorant and told me I needed to learn to parent my children all b/c my 7yo dropped ice cream on her child ON ACCIDENT. So...to me, Disney is only as good as the people in it.

 

[disneyphilip]

Just as I thought! I post a well-written editorial stating my feelings on the situation and I immediately get slammed!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I think you're right. People have very, sometimes way too over-the-top, expectations about Disney. And then the second something is even a little off, Disney tends to get flamed. You've given good examples; "all of their new attractions are bad", "they don't make any good movies anymore", "the new entertainment offerings that they've added to the parks were done on the cheap."

I think all of these statements are false. True, there are some attractions, that aren't that great, but I'm sure there are some I love, that others hate. And some of there more recent movies are less then stellar, and getting rid of the 2D movies all together, and sticking specifically to computer-animated, was in my opinion, probably one of the worst decisions ever, but The Incredibles, which is the last recent one I've seen, is now a favorite of mine, and I'm looking foward to the DVD release of Cars, since I've heard nothing but good things about that. Even the sequels seem to be a little better, since the two they've released these year, Bambi II and Brother Bear II, are both very good for what they are. (Compared to other sequels, not to the originals. And sure, some of the new entertainment isn't as high-costing, but it is entertaining, which is what it's meant to be.

Qouted from Disneyphilip's post - "To make matters worse, every single time Disney wants to make a change at one of their parks, they go about with their annoying "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" mentalities! They need to realize that it's best to reserve judgement on certain changes before going to experience them for themselves."

I 100% agree with this statement. I've noticed this most strongly on the restaurant board, with the changes to CRT, and making Akershus a all-day princess meal, and last year's Ohana menu change.

Now, granted, I never ate at Akershus, pre-princess, or Ohana pre-menu change, but I thought both meals were well done. I loved Ohana's, and it's now a must-do.

I know I have semi-high expectations for my Disney trips at some of the restaurants. For instance, I'm expecting a better meal at California Grill then at the Grand Floridian Cafe, and, yes, I will be dissapointed, if it's not, but I won't get overly-excited, and flame them for it. Unless it is really horrible, and food and service both have to be really bad for me not to try a place at least twice.

 

[disneyphilip]

Well, I am jaded I think by my experiance ther this past week, but that had nothing to do with Disney, but with ONE woman and her ignorance.
I do think that Disney is wonderfully imaginative and inspired, and the people who worked in the parks as well as the campground I found to be pleasantly courteous and eager to please. On the OTHER hand I managed to find a MOST DISCOURAGINGLY UNPLEASANT woman who screamed at my child, called her ignorant and told me I needed to learn to parent my children all b/c my 7yo dropped ice cream on her child ON ACCIDENT. So...to me, Disney is only as good as the people in it.

That woman who yelled at your child was a fellow guest and not a CM, right?

 

[hmp2z]

Just as I thought! I post a well-written editorial stating my feelings on the situation and I immediately get slammed!

Um, are you kidding? Who was slamming you? Unless you are the woman whose child got ice cream dumped on him - the previous poster seemed to be pretty upset at the dumpee's parent. But I didn't read anyone slamming anyone, beyond this. Also wasn't sure what the whole ice cream situation had to do with the OP.

So confused...
Heather W

 

[disneyphilip]

Um, are you kidding? Who was slamming you? Unless you are the woman whose child got ice cream dumped on him - the previous poster seemed to be pretty upset at the dumpee's parent. But I didn't read anyone slamming anyone, beyond this. Also wasn't sure what the whole ice cream situation had to do with the OP.

So confused...
Heather W

I AM the OP, not the woman whose child got ice cream dumped on him. Besides, I'm not a woman.

Also, my message was directed towards MJMcBride, not cakesnkids. I posted my response there rather on the late side, so please forgive me for my goof there.

Hope this clears things up.

 

[Step]

Just as I thought! I post a well-written editorial stating my feelings on the situation and I immediately get slammed!

Both posters pretty much agreed that some stuff is lower qauility, but urged to consider disney as a business too. How is that slamming you?

 

[disneyphilip]

Can we please stay on topic here?

 

[thornphoenix]

Hi Disneyphilip,

I'm confused along with hmp2z - I don't see where MJMcBride "slammed" you. Can you please point out exactly which sentence(s) you feel you were slammed because I'm in the dark?

BTW, I think you had a well-written post and I think that MJMcBride did as well. Just because MJMcBride may not believe everything you do does not mean that he/she "slammed" you.

Thanks!
Tracey

 

[TheRustyScupper]

No Flame or Blame . . .

1) Like big companies, I think Disney does a lot right.
2) Like big companies, I think Disney does a lot wrong.
3) Like big companies, they are slow to admit their wrong doings.
4) Like big companies, they need criticism before they change.

NOTE: Disney is not the Darth Vader of corporate America, but neither is it the Mother Theresa. Sometimes complaints and criticism are good to inspire positive change.

 

[Shir Kahn]

If you consider that response "getting slammed", perhaps you're a bit too sensitive.

 

[disneyphilip]

No Flame or Blame . . .

1) Like big companies, I think Disney does a lot right.
2) Like big companies, I think Disney does a lot wrong.
3) Like big companies, they are slow to admit their wrong doings.
4) Like big companies, they need criticism before they change.

NOTE: Disney is not the Darth Vader of corporate America, but neither is it the Mother Theresa. Sometimes complaints and criticism are good to inspire positive change.

I DO understand all that and agree that Disney needs to hear our opinions in order to make changes for the better...and even I express myself when I think that they are making a mistake, such as their decision to not do the Country Bear Xmas show this year.

 

[MJMcBride]

I AM the OP, not the woman whose child got ice cream dumped on him. Besides, I'm not a woman.

Also, my message was directed towards MJMcBride, not cakesnkids. I posted my response there rather on the late side, so please forgive me for my goof there.

Hope this clears things up.

How exactly did I slam you? That ridiculous. I stated some of the things I don't like that Disney does. Sorry. As for a "well written editorial", well....

 

[MJMcBride]

Can we please stay on topic here?

Huh? Aren't we on topic here. What is the topic then "hey only post stuff that agrees with disneyphilip"

 

[cakesnkids]

The story about the ice cream was meerly telling you that I was "jaded" at this moment about Disney, and then giving my opinion in the following paragraph....as I said, noone is any better than the people in it make it, I said this meaning the GUESTS.
And to the poster that asked, no, it ws NOT a CM, is was a guest, the CMs were very nice about it.
I wasn't trying to start controversy, I felt Disney itself was great, it was some of the guests attitudes that bothered me.

 

[ransom]

Although I haven't been to a Disney theme park for nearly 20 years, I can offer some general observations about how these things tend to work. I have some experience with this sort of phenomenon.

About ten years ago, I was involved with an update and rewrite of a well-loved and venerable twenty-year-old piece of intellectual property with a large fan base. I was originally involved in the fan outreach effort, then later in the creative process (as well as fan outreach).

On the creative side, our task was to stay true to the original vision, but update it to be more marketable to the current generation. We worked closely with the original creator of the property, and he had final say on every change made.

Even so, the fans would often rake us over the coals for every little change. Or, rather, one segment or another of the fan base would do so, depending on what it was we were changing or adding.

At first, I was very sensitive to this (as were most of the others involved in the creative process). But as time went on, we realized that we could do no right in the eyes of many, solely because what we were doing wasn't simply a copy of the old, well-loved product. Every little change represented the goring of someone's sacred cow.

Eventually, we came up with a process where we consulted the fans, but set a pretty high threshold for how many people had to be angry before we would reconsider something we were planning on doing or that we had done.

What I learned was that no matter what you do, if you're changing something that people love, you're going to get criticism. Some of it will be justified, but most of it will be overblown and very over-reacted to.

Since then, I've taken what fans of *anything* complain about with a judicious amount of salt. I reserve judgment and come to my own conclusions.

And, most importantly, I don't worry very much when people complain online about something as popular and well-loved as Disney World. Sure, what they say is probably very valid for them. But it probably isn't for me. And it probably isn't for most fans and especially those new to the parks.

Of course, that holds true for me as well. While I am very much saddened that the PeopleMover is gone from Disneyland, for example, I know I'm in the minority of people who care very much at all about that. And, of course, it won't stop me from going back to the park.

In short, don't worry about all the complaining you see, unless you've experienced the change yourself and agree with the criticism.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Huh? Aren't we on topic here. What is the topic then "hey only post stuff that agrees with disneyphilip"

I had to laugh at that.

This is going to be one of those threads that ends up locked, isn't it?

 

[disneyjunkie]

This is going to be one of those threads that ends up locked, isn't it?