BTW, we can bash Disney up one side and down the other, but let's not forget: We wouldn't be signed up for a message board called MiceChat is we didn't love Disney. His criticisms are constructive, and, in my opinion, well put. He says as many good things as bad things.
For years we all complained about the poor maintanence and management at Disneyland. Now, they're doing a great job and we're definately complimenting them over it. Credit where credit id due.
Good point. I love the mouse and for one to truly love something, you have to take the good withthe bad. *insert mickey smile here*Originally Posted by Club 33
Bums me out about the little statues at the Hub - I liked those.
And I'm SO glad the Castle overlay isn't like that birthday cake!!!
Just got back from and I completely agree about the state of MK. IASW is very nice (and
very much nicer than before, BUT it still pales compared to the DL one, both inside and outside).
I actually had horribly low expectations of Cinderellabration (thanks to TDLFAN! :-), but I
was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't great, but it had some highlights (esp. at night). BTW.
I was surprised that the fairy godmother didn't poof off the stage!
Completely agree about the Castle overlay, from the distance, the overall effect is
nice and although I still think the mirror is large, it's not as obstrusive as I had feared.
In addition to garbage though, I was apalled at how many places needed plain old
paint. I'd seen the pics here and elsewhere, but it was almost everywhere. Is Stitch
gnawing at the paint?!? :-)
Things are getting better at WDW (in some areas of upkeep) after reaching their nadir between 2000-03 ... but a lot of things were neglected (like at DL) and the fixes won't be easy or cheap. Disney wanted to pinch pennies, so instead of investing a few grand in regular maintainance, they let things fall apart and now have huge pricetags to bring back up to standards.
I am (VERY) cautiously optimistic that things are on the upswing ... but there's no doubt that WDW is very understaffed in maintainance ... and underfunded as well.
This is very unfair. First of all, strollers are a very good carrying tool (and is promoted as this in many WDW guides). I only see wheelchairs useless if people use them just to get in front of the lines (isn't it a miricle when these people magically get out and walk around). But many people can't walk easily or find it hard to walk long distances. Many people that don't have disabilities still need a wheelchair to get around WDW.Strollers and ECVs are EVERYWHERE. Sorry, but this is largely due to lazy people raising lazy kids. You can barely move anywhere with them. Eight-year-old don't need strollers. Strollers aren't meant as carry-alls. ECV's should be for truly disabled folks, not obese people who are too lazy to walk for their turkey legs.
Really, because sites like TalkDisney have gone for years doing this without it ever getting boring.As noted above, this is a message board, which would quickly becoming boring if we wanted only to sing the praises of Disney.
So anyone who disagrees with you is obviously wrong. This is an opinionated matter, there is no right or wrong answer to whether Disney has gone downhill. It is all in the eye of the beholder.But it's gone way downhill from its glory days in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. Anyone who can't see that either -- 1.) Didn't ever visit before the late 90s; 2.) Isn't a regular visitor. 3.) Doesn't have an eye for detail; 4.) Doesn't understand what sets Disney apart from other theme parks; 5.) Isn't the brightest bulb;
Really, because I don't know many teenagers-young singles (except Disney fanatics) that would love to go on the Carousel or Dumbo. Also, the Matterhorn has a height limit making it unridable to those children under 35".I know Disney didn't use to build attractions that segregated audiences according to age.
All I'm going to say annoying dolls and Aluminum Hall of Fame.I know Disney didn't build attractions around characters belching and spitting on the audience and calling that entertainment.
Uptown Jewlers now sells pins because they stopped selling them somewhere else in the park (I believe Exhibition Hall). So in essence, the pins just moved, none were added.Uptown Jewerlers has reopened its back third filled with pins because as anyone will tell you, there just aren't enough places to buy the little trinkets, which now average $8-12 a pop.
In peak seasons, the parks are open late. In fact with EMH, on many nights MK will be open until 2am, epcot until midnight, MGM until 1:30am and AK until 10pm. Considering the parks are up at 8 or 9am (giving only 6 hours of maintanence on some nights), I think the park's times are perfect.I know Disney used to keep its parks open late because people on vacation (sane ones anyway) usually like to stay out later and sleep in later
-Michael
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” - Walt Disney
No, it isn't unfair. It's reality. I just had to climb over dozens of double wides left abandoned at the entrance to the MK, under the train station and along Main St. You don't need to carry around the kitchen sink when you visit a theme park. Strollers were meant for VERY young children or disabled kids. Now they are an excuse to carry anything imaginable, including fat, lazy 10-year-olds. This has been a problem building for years. Go back 20 years ago, look at pics. You won't see strollers all over the place. And wheelchairs and ECVs should be for those who are truly diasbled, not people who are too lazy to walk.
Finally, Disney certainly doesn't promote renting strollers as carry-alls. Maybe ignorant guidebook writers suggest it. But it doesn't make it right.
Sorry, that's a crock. Disney doesn't have the same standards it did in 1975 or 1985. Not an opinion, a fact. Now you can say you like WDW better now than ever, and I can't argue that point. But if you say Disney is maintained like it was in the past, you're just wrong. They used to pressure clean the streets at night. They don't anymore. They used to replace lightbulbs before they ran low. they don't anymore. They used to have enough custodial help, so that Main Street doesn't look like a Miami Dolphins parking lot after a game, every night after fireworks. They don't anymore. Those are FACTS.
Folks of all ages ride the attractions you conveniently picked. Folks of all ages don't play in the Boneyard or the new Pooh playground at the MK. Folks of all ages don't ride RnRC or Mission Space. Folks of all ages don't enjoy the Playhouse Disney Show. Folks of all ages don't find Triceratops Spin all that etc ...
That is correct. But my point stands. Disney is selling pins everywhere and homogenizing and WalMarting merchandise to aim as low as they can. And because Uptown added pins, they took away space that once went to collectables and, before that, more high end jewlery and clocks and watches.
Do you really think every shop has to sell pins?
In peak seasons, the parks USED to be open late for all guests (on and off property). Then came years of cutbacks, followed by the horrible E-Ride Nights. Now, it does appear WDW management has gotten the idea that everyone doesn't get up at 5 a.m. on vacation to have a breakfast at Chef Mickey's. I spent my entire day at my resort today and went to the MK from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and had a GREAT time. But I want to see regular midnight closings in summer at MK AND Epcot with ADDED EMH's for resort guests. None of this 9 and 10 p.m. closings that became in vogue over the past five years.
And hours have no baring on maintanence. Or shouldn't. When I was a kid the MK was open until 1 or 2 a.m. on EVERY summer evening and the next morning the place was pristine. they simply don't have enough maintanance CMs and budget. They also do not have nearly an adequete number of custodial CMs at the MK. In the evenings, the place has trash all over the place. People may be pigs, but Disney has to clean up from them.
>>Uptown Jewlers now sells pins because they stopped selling them somewhere else in the park (I believe Exhibition Hall). So in essence, the pins just moved, none were added<<
Not quite correct. Exhibition Hall still sells the rack pins but not the Limited Editions ones as they have moved that part of the Pin Trading "experience" to Uptown Jewelers, *with* the same rack pins they still sell at Exhibition Hall.
Pins were moved from EH to UJ. My point is that no pins were added, they were just moved. Anyway, Disney sells pins because they are really popular. Pin Trading days are always crowded and people are always buying/trading pins. Disney is a company, do you think they are going to stop selling something that is in demand (and being bought a lot)?
So, what your saying is that everyone loves to ride Dumbo, but Tricerotops Spin segregates ages? They are the same ride. Just because Walt was around during Dumbo doesn't mean everyone loves to ride it. Also, Space Mountain was born in 1975 in WDW. That ride is certainly not rideable by everyone.
That's just your personal preference. There are people who prefer mornings and those who prefer evenings. There are many people who prefer waking up really early rather than staying really late. I'm not one of those people, but still, like the saying goes "You can please some people some of the time, but you can't please all people all of the time"But I want to see regular midnight closings in summer at MK AND Epcot with ADDED EMH's for resort guests. None of this 9 and 10 p.m. closings that became in vogue over the past five years.
-Michael
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” - Walt Disney
I have to admit, guests are absolute pigs when they visit. There is no sense of resposibility as they know that someone usually would be right behind them to clean up. It's ashame that this goes on. People, find a trash can, please. I think my wife and I are the only ones that go out of our way to put trash in trash cans and clean up our trays after eating.
As for strollers, I really don't think much will change. True an eight year old shouldn't be in a stroller, but kids do get tired. Unfortunately, I will be one of the masses this December when we bring our daughter down with us. She'll be two years old. It's a family park. We all have to live with it. But stroller people, please be considerate and expect every single person to get out of your way. AND don't hit the back of my ankles to get my attention.
As for the ATWs (am I correct), it is unfair for someone to say that obese people shouldn't use them. That would be like saying that if you can't walk the parks, you can't visit. Most of the time it is a health issue. How old does one have to be to use one? How handicapped does one need to be to use one? How skinny does one have to be to be able to enjoy the parks? There's too much discrimination in this world, please don't bring it to the parks.
I agree that this pin business is getting out of control, but remember that it brings in millions of dollars a year for Mickey's House. I do feel that it is starting to overrun most shops. Remember the olden days where you could only find specific land merchandise in those lands only? Well, to the same with the pins. I don't need to find the same pin in 14 different locations in the same park. It's the thrill of the hunt to find certain merchandise. I remember at the beginning of the beanbag craze that you could only find Song of the South beanbags at the tiny Briar Patch shop. That was fun trying to locate items.
Ending on a good note, I think the castle looks absolutely beautiful. I cannot wait to see it in person. Hopefully I'll have a good time hitting people with my daughter's stroller while my mother-in-law is in her ATW dodging trash after the parade on our way to buying pins every ten feet.Cheers!
The motorized wheelchairs are called ECVs (Electric Convenience Vehicles). Also, I agree with pretty much your whole post. One more thing with wheelchairs...the way I see it, the main purpose of the WDW wheelchairs is for people who have a hard time walking long distances. If a person needed a wheelchair for disability reasons, they'd most likely have their own.
-Michael
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” - Walt Disney
I'm so suprised to hear all of this about WDW's MK... I remember when I went to Disneyland in 2001, something on the ground, and within 10 minutes, it was gone! DL is so clean... I thought since WDW was bigger, they'd be better with cleanliness... Suprise Suprise...
Talk Disney is probably the worst well done Disney site I've ever been to in my many years online. You say anything bad on Talk Disney and you get attacked to death and banned. I would never, ever, support a site like Talk Disney. It is clearly a money-making operation, and Ryan does a good job of it too. I was not impressed with Talk Disney. The users are a tad looney there and act like Disney can do no wrong...
TD is for Disney fans in a state of denial.
Actually, the height requirement is something that is new...
That's just totally false.
Actually, in peak seasons, The Magic Kingdom will be open until midnight, Epcot open until 9pm, the Disney-MGM Studios open until 10pm, and Disney's Animal Kingdom until 8pm.
Extra Magic Hours are only one night a week for each park. One night a week the Magic Kingdom will be open till 3am. One night a week part of Epcot will be open until midnight. One night a week Disney-MGM Studios will be open until 1am. And one night a week Animal Kingdom will be open until 11pm.
If I compare that to previous summer months, you will find that the hours are considerably less for each park, even with Extra Magic Hours. For example, Instead of having Epcot open till 10pm nightly, it's 3 hours extra for only some rides for hotel guests on only one night a week. And World Showcase opens later than the rest of the park. You can do the math. It's definately less hours no matter how you look at it. The only exception might be the Disney-MGM Studios, which now stays quite a bit later because of Fantasmic, which is marketed as a real fireworks show, but in reality can't hold a candle to Sorcery in the Sky in terms of fireworks.
I'm sorry about having to go against ya, becuase I really like ya as a user, but if you're wrong, you should be corrected.
Granted the summer hours haven't been released this year yet, I'm just taking them from last year and what I believe will be done this year.
>>I agree that this pin business is getting out of control, but remember that it brings in millions of dollars a year for Mickey's House. I do feel that it is starting to overrun most shops.<<
Yes, and that is because the "pin demand" has dimished to some degree. THere used to be a time when limited edition pins had to be bought the morning they were released or risk not getting them. Now, limited edition pins from months ago still sit on the shelves and do not move. Today at Epcot, they still had limited edition pins from the Christmas event, valentines, and most other holidays since January. It's time for Disney to give it a rest and stop this "pinsanity". Ironic that TDR stopped Pin Trading because it was way too popular and was creating traffic and clutter problems at TDL. So they decided to put guest safety, show and comfort ahead of profits and lunatic craze. WDC needs to learn a bit from OLC in that regard.
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