The New ‘Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps’: Including Walt's Apartment

[Disneymike]

Yet you want it held to a higher standard...

There are no mummies, ancient tapestries, curses, gigantic dining halls, dungeons, and nobody went mad there.
It's a cash grab exploiting the Walt mystique pure and simple.

Isn't Disney supposed to be all about higher standards? So you would like it to be held in lower standards?

[JerrodDRagon]

^so allow people in for Free? To AP's only? What....some of us want to go in there, if you don't...DONT. I want to go and just to see where one of the greatest men in American History made his home over seeing a pretty amazing dream come true

[Disneymike]

^so allow people in for Free? To AP's only? What....some of us want to go in there, if you don't...DONT. I want to go and just to see where one of the greatest men in American History made his home over seeing a pretty amazing dream come true

It wasn't opened to the public before so why now? So Disney can upcharge the tours? Did you really give it a second thought that you could not go in the apt before?

[Homan]

Soooo... Exactly where does it say you have to pay for the picture and you can't use your own camera? Perhaps I missed that part or maybe people are freaking out for no reason...

It doesn't. They mention in the thread under the article that there will be "Opportunity for a group Picture" or something like that. Maybe it is free? that would be awesome.

[flynnibus]

It wasn't opened to the public before so why now? So Disney can upcharge the tours? Did you really give it a second thought that you could not go in the apt before?

It's been open to various tours for a long time... just not affordable daily tours like this.

Honestly, every 'barrier' you've mentioned hasn't even really existed making much of your points irrelevant.

This isn't 'opening walts apartment' - its opening it at a higher frequency.

[Broadway Guru]

It's a cash grab exploiting the Walt mystique pure and simple.

Isn't Disney supposed to be all about higher standards? So you would like it to be held in lower standards?

Yes indeed, it's one more way to use Walt in order to access the nostalgia demographic. Don't kid yourself. This is not about Walt the man; it is about Walt the brand. It's about "milking the foamers." Disney sees you and me as uncouth saps for actually caring about "The Dead Guy" and as such, we deserve to be exploited early and often.

[Homan]

A lot of the stuff in that apartment is just a copy of the original furniture. You can see the real stuff over at the Walt Disney Family Museum. There is nothing wrong with this, this has been an open tour and is now just more affordable... I have always wanted to do this but didn't want to spend the $3000 to do adventures by Disney. All I can say is THANKS for adding this BACK to the tour to allow more of us to be able to go. And I do hope they make good money from this, so that they will create more tours like this one in the future.

[Disneymike]

It's been open to various tours for a long time... just not affordable daily tours like this.

Honestly, every 'barrier' you've mentioned hasn't even really existed making much of your points irrelevant.

This isn't 'opening walts apartment' - its opening it at a higher frequency.

Nice. So, I guess you're the relevancy police now . You give no overbearing reason to open the apt to more guests just as I would like to keep the apt to be private like it was.

[Mr Wiggins]

Yes indeed, it's one more way to use Walt in order to access the nostalgia demographic. Don't kid yourself. This is not about Walt the man; it is about Walt the brand. It's about "milking the foamers." Disney sees you and me as uncouth saps for actually caring about "The Dead Guy" and as such, we deserve to be exploited early and often.

Bingo. The most egregious hypocrisy of the whole thing is seeing the same company that for 37 years has smugly blown off Walt's creative and business values opportunistically appropriate him as a brand -- complete with the fawning adoration act, the reverent statues and the pricey tours of his apartment -- and sell it to squeeze more money from the very people their management mocked as "Walties."

[flynnibus]

Nice. So, I guess you're the relevancy police now . You give no overbearing reason to open the apt to more guests just as I would like to keep the apt to be private like it was.

My reasons don't need to be better to debunk another reason that has zero footing to start. Your 'reasons' were based on premises that simply were false or inconsistent.

My reason to open it is simple... 'why not?' - its represents a very essential part of DL's history and a 'window to the past' in terms of the man behind the idea. If it can be done in a way that doesn't hurt the apartment then I don't think it should be horded away just to be whored out in other tours that require a ton more money. Events such as the dinner party they had, etc.

[JerrodDRagon]

Bingo. The most egregious hypocrisy of the whole thing is seeing the same company that for 37 years has smugly blown off Walt's creative and business values opportunistically appropriate him as a brand -- complete with the fawning adoration act, the reverent statues and the pricey tours of his apartment -- and sell it to squeeze more money from the very people their management mocked as "Walties."

Let them mock me...call me names. It's not about them, It's about me as a fan wanting to go in

Walt will always be Walt, they can't destroy him as long as we remember him and what he did. This is a deal for a fan like me who has wanted to go there for years...and the lobby of Club 33 is just a bonus for me.

[Disneymike]

My reasons don't need to be better to debunk another reason that has zero footing to start.

My reason to open it is simple... 'why not?' - its represents a very essential part of DL's history and a 'window to the past' in terms of the man behind the idea. If it can be done in a way that doesn't hurt the apartment then I don't think it should be horded away just to be whored out in other tours that require a ton more money. Events such as the dinner party they had, etc.

Well then my reason is simple as well, "Why". As I said earlier in this thread "Why" does everything need to be open to the general public? "Why" can't we have spaces that continue to have an aura of mystery and are, maybe, exclusive? How about the whole Club 33 letting the general public in deal? You good with that? How about Disney start offering tours of WDI for a price? Perhaps lift the curtain of mystery of what goes on in there so we don't have to be amazed and wonder "How did they do that?". Why not open all of the backstage area up for a hefty fee so we can all see where the CM's go to the bathroom? I'm sure there would be takers for these type of things but once again "Why"?

[flynnibus]

Well then my reason is simple as well, "Why". As I said earlier in this thread "Why" does everything need to be open to the general public?

Why? There is a demand for it and it doesn't detract from anything else to do so.

"Why" can't we have spaces that continue to have an aura of mystery and are, maybe, exclusive?

The apartment was none of these prior. It's been open to tours by Adventure by Disney for years, has been used by events for ages. It simply wasn't open daily at an affordable price.

How about the whole Club 33 letting the general public in deal?

They aren't letting them in - they are going in the lobby.

How about Disney start offering tours of WDI for a price?

You mean like how Disney offers tours of their studios? How is that really any different for the 'mystery' you want to build? They don't let people tour WDI because it's a workspace with no real attraction except for seeing unreleased stuff and would impede on Disney's actual work. Neither which are concerns for something like the apartment.

Why not open all of the backstage area up for a hefty fee so we can all see where the CM's go to the bathroom? I'm sure there would be takers for these type of things but once again "Why"?

They already do this too with the tours... you are playing Chicken Little, yet those things already exist.. and the sky hasn't fallen.

[Disneymike]

Why? There is a demand for it and it doesn't detract from anything else to do so.



The apartment was none of these prior. It's been open to tours by Adventure by Disney for years, has been used by events for ages. It simply wasn't open daily at an affordable price.



They aren't letting them in - they are going in the lobby.



You mean like how Disney offers tours of their studios? How is that really any different for the 'mystery' you want to build? They don't let people tour WDI because it's a workspace with no real attraction except for seeing unreleased stuff and would impede on Disney's actual work. Neither which are concerns for something like the apartment.



They already do this too with the tours... you are playing Chicken Little, yet those things already exist.. and the sky hasn't fallen.

Well then I guess we will continue to disagree. You say let them all in, I say no.

[Homan]

Well then my reason is simple as well, "Why". As I said earlier in this thread "Why" does everything need to be open to the general public? "Why" can't we have spaces that continue to have an aura of mystery and are, maybe, exclusive? How about the whole Club 33 letting the general public in deal? You good with that? How about Disney start offering tours of WDI for a price? Perhaps lift the curtain of mystery of what goes on in there so we don't have to be amazed and wonder "How did they do that?". Why not open all of the backstage area up for a hefty fee so we can all see where the CM's go to the bathroom? I'm sure there would be takers for these type of things but once again "Why"?

I actually would like all these open. They do Backstage Tours at WDW. Imagineering has tours via ABD and friends and family of employees, that is how I have toured. So yes, I think these should be open for a price as long as there is a market for them and they don't interrupt Disney's operations. Universal Studios has a Backlot tour that is similar in concept. These kind of tours have always existed. And the key is that Walt's apartment is part of tours and was once a part of this tour and is once again. I understand what you are saying, but don't understand why you wouldn't want this. I love backstage tours, I guess you do not. It's why I loved Universal Studios growing up. It why I loved seeing the studios and imagineering as a kid. It's why I love DVD extras. I guess it's just difference of opinion, I love these organized backstage views. And YES I think Disney should make money of it. Disneyland was originally going to be tour of the studios on the lot.