The Cuts... They Just Keep on Coming

No doubt, the value for your dollar, diminishes every year at Disney. But the ONLY thing Disney execs. would take sight of, is a deliberate/announced boycott of going to Disney. Only by standing together and not going to Disney, will they feel the collective economic impact, of some of their used to be biggest fans. There are boycott Disney pages setup, to address Disney outsourcing work. Are there any to boycott Disney trips, to address fan concerns of overcrowding? I am sure Disney keeps an eye on any such pages.

goofy for pluto;2478760 wrote: The reason the boards are quiet is because most everyone is fed up with the experience they are having when visiting the parks. Disney has done nothing to keep up with the ever expanding crowds. Closing attraction after attraction leaving guests with much less to do while visiting. When they do announce something new it is literally years away or has taken years to complete. After you are on here awhile longer you will realize Disney Freak does know what is going on and is not afraid to express what most of us know to be true. That Disney vacation we all fell in love with is gone, most of us still have hope that it will get better but with so many bad dining reviews, closures, and shoulder to shoulder crowds, the magic is harder and harder to find and all while with Disney asking us to pay more and more money for a less than magical vacation.

Very well said!

John;2478763 wrote: ...And another reason things are quiet - Facebook has pretty much ruined the internet and many discussion communities.

There, I said it....

Reading this post from the Chairman was a somber moment for me. For over a year my wife has been coming to me with thing after thing (that I didn't know about) that she has read on Facebook (mostly).

Modern social media (Facebook/Twitter) has left me behind, and definitely created a vacuum as it has grown (and dominated) how information is shared. Facebook is useless for historical or long-term use of information, it's only good for the here-and-now news flash of the day, but it's what the World Wide Web seems to be all about anymore.

:(

So rather than bashing Disney, why not start your own Universal-COT where you can laud all the wonders of Universal? Disney is no different than any other corporation, including Comcast - parent of Universal, in that they will do what's best for the shareholder. It is indeed a problem for our modern economy that so much value is place on the shareholder as opposed to the employee or the consumer. Maybe our next president will figure it out, but we are free market system and right now society values the shareholder over the other two components (employee and consumer). If your perceived value for your dollar isn't meeting your expectations then by all means spend it elsewhere! However there is a difference between constructive criticism and outright disgust as you've shown time and time again.

Many former Disney diehards are spending their time and money elsewhere. Very few of the people I used to discuss Disney with over the years have maintained their "Disney time" at former levels and almost all have dramatically decreased it. By all accounts, attendance is up, but I don't know who is driving those numbers anymore.

Maybe they should just pull a curtain at 7pm closing off the breezeway between the already completely empty Innoventions West and Starbucks.

"Move along folks, there is nothing to see or do here. Buses are through the gate and to your left..." :shake:

Poor Future World.

baldburke;2478794 wrote: If your perceived value for your dollar isn't meeting your expectations then by all means spend it elsewhere! However there is a difference between constructive criticism and outright disgust as you've shown time and time again.

:exactly:

baldburke;2478794 wrote: So rather than bashing Disney, why not start your own Universal-COT where you can laud all the wonders of Universal? Disney is no different than any other corporation, including Comcast - parent of Universal, in that they will do what's best for the shareholder. It is indeed a problem for our modern economy that so much value is place on the shareholder as opposed to the employee or the consumer. Maybe our next president will figure it out, but we are free market system and right now society values the shareholder over the other two components (employee and consumer). If your perceived value for your dollar isn't meeting your expectations then by all means spend it elsewhere! However there is a difference between constructive criticism and outright disgust as you've shown time and time again.

Perfect example of what I have said in the past about people who cannot accept criticism of Disney... Perfect example... Thank you for proving my point...

More people should show disgust for the way they are being treated by WDW management.. But some people are just so blind they cannot see...

Oh and the whole tossing in Universal thing is so silly anymore... If you haven't noticed, we have a Universal section on these boards... And you will find people who find fault with Universal too... There is plenty... But we are talking WDW here, so nice way to try to change the subject..

Anyway, there are now character meet and greets being cut... And food items being cut as well... The cutting continues!!!!!!

DizneyFreak2002;2478809 wrote: Perfect example of what I have said in the past about people who cannot accept criticism of Disney... Perfect example... Thank you for proving my point...

More people should show disgust for the way they are being treated by WDW management.. But some people are just so blind they cannot see...

I don't mind criticism of Disney; heck, I dish plenty of it out these days. But see, I always have trouble with these types of "drink the Kool-aid" statements. There's nothing wrong with critical remarks, but when they are made with the insinuation that others are too ignorant or "blind" to see the truth--well, it's a bit like bullying to me. So please, share your information and your opinions, but please respect other posters' right to do the same (without ridicule). No one should be afraid to state their opinions about the state of the parks, good or bad. That's where the discussion part of the boards comes in. :twocents:

MNNHFLTX;2478820 wrote: I don't mind criticism of Disney; heck, I dish plenty of it out these days. But see, I always have trouble with these types of "drink the Kool-aid" statements. There's nothing wrong with critical remarks, but when they are made with the insinuation that others are too ignorant or "blind" to see the truth--well, it's a bit like bullying to me. So please, share your information and your opinions, but please respect other posters' right to do the same (without ridicule). No one should be afraid to state their opinions about the state of the parks, good or bad. That's where the discussion part of the boards comes in. :twocents:

Normal people wouldn't and shouldn't mind other peoples' criticism of Disney, or Universal, or Apple, or whatever... But the issue is, not every fan is "normal"... Some take their love of the brand too seriously... as if their life depends on the success of one brand and a failure of the other... And yes, those fans, and consumers in general, are blind... Blinded by their undying love of something... We can call these people closed minded or whatever... They are what they are... And if they cannot tolerate or handle criticism, then they have options.... They can stay out of the treads here on a discussion board, or they can block the member they don't like... Instead they choose to post nonsense, throw threads off topic, make insane rantings about competitors, try to silence those who dare not see their most beloved brand as perfect, and when things are turned on them, they whine... It isn't just here... It is less of an issue here than it is on other sites (thankfully), but it exists... Consumers are blind... We all are... It isn't bullying when someone says another is too blind to see the truth... it is a fact, a true statement... It is like that in politics, religion, finances, and yes theme park fandoms...

But anyway, back to the topic at hand, no more thread derailments!!!

These cuts are due to, well, now that the cat is out of the bag elsewhere on the net, Shanghai being a mess And cause Paris is sinking...

Ready for the cuts??? Operating hours will be further reduced... CMs are being reduced... Overtime reduced or suspended... Things are just starting... WDW is in for a bumpy ride...

The cuts are draconian... These are cuts that haven't been seen on this level since, probably 2001, and there was a major reason for that (I think it goes without saying what caused it)...

This just screams mismanagement... Shanghai is a disaster... Financially speaking... Paris is tanking... HARD.... Though recent events in Paris could have something to do with it, but not all of it... Paris was tanking before their terrorist attacks several weeks ago....

So record quarter earnings mean absolutely NOTHING... Management is so inept, they are now punishing other areas (WDW) cause they mismanaged Shanghai and have no idea how to fix or handle Paris...

More to come....

MNNHFLTX;2478820 wrote: I don't mind criticism of Disney; heck, I dish plenty of it out these days. But see, I always have trouble with these types of "drink the Kool-aid" statements. There's nothing wrong with critical remarks, but when they are made with the insinuation that others are too ignorant or "blind" to see the truth--well, it's a bit like bullying to me. So please, share your information and your opinions, but please respect other posters' right to do the same (without ridicule). No one should be afraid to state their opinions about the state of the parks, good or bad. That's where the discussion part of the boards comes in. :twocents:

Thank you for finally addressing this. Agree 110% with the sentiment.

best,

.............john

DizneyFreak2002;2478826 wrote: Normal people wouldn't and shouldn't mind other peoples' criticism of Disney, or Universal, or Apple, or whatever... But the issue is, not every fan is "normal"... Some take their love of the brand too seriously... as if their life depends on the success of one brand and a failure of the other... And yes, those fans, and consumers in general, are blind... Blinded by their undying love of something... We can call these people closed minded or whatever... They are what they are... And if they cannot tolerate or handle criticism, then they have options.... They can stay out of the treads here on a discussion board, or they can block the member they don't like... Instead they choose to post nonsense, throw threads off topic, make insane rantings about competitors, try to silence those who dare not see their most beloved brand as perfect, and when things are turned on them, they whine... It isn't just here... It is less of an issue here than it is on other sites (thankfully), but it exists... Consumers are blind... We all are... It isn't bullying when someone says another is too blind to see the truth... it is a fact, a true statement... It is like that in politics, religion, finances, and yes theme park fandoms...

But anyway, back to the topic at hand, no more thread derailments!!!....

In my opinion, "normal" people don't have such a negative outlook and negative view of people who don't agree with them. I'm sure you don't agree with me seeing as we have differing views but anyway I'll just agree to disagree here and I'm done with this thread.

j2k;2478834 wrote: In my opinion, "normal" people don't have such a negative outlook and negative view of people who don't agree with them. I'm sure you don't agree with me seeing as we have differing views but anyway I'll just agree to disagree here and I'm done with this thread.

I have been watching this thread silently. To say the least I'm saddened by it. I agree with you j2k and a few others.
It's one thing to see a need for some changes but I am sorry DizneyFreak, you are not doing what you say you expect others to do. It seems you want people to accept your critique of WDW but suddenly everyone else is wrong if they disagree with you?
I know it is strongly worded but you are being rude and over the top.
I don't enjoy coming here much because of so much negativity.
However I guess you are right, there are others places on the net. I think I may even go ahead and start my own happy place. But it saddens me after nearly 13 years here those of us who choose to see the magical side seem to be told to hush up more or less and not share our opinions if they don't mesh with this movement to hate how Disney has become.
Peace. Hope you all find a little magic today.

Well this thread quickly turned into a clash of perspectives. This thread by it's mere topic is and will be negative. If you popped in here with the rose colored glasses on, riding a unicorn hopping over rainbows into Disney utopia and posted with a "there's a great big beautiful tomorrow" type statement; you sort of brought it on yourself. lol Why can't we have a thread that is full of contempt and disgust for the direction WDW is headed without someone popping in and trying to hand out lollipops?

Back to the topic, I find it downright disgraceful that Disney was just bragging about how busy the parks are and record profits, etc. and then turn around and announce they will be closing attractions early and cutting back on labor costs. It just screams corporate greed and money grabbing. I know they are running a business but what about the kids that will not get to experience those attractions because they closed them early. I mean seriously, with that many people paying to get in the park every day at high ticket pricing and they can't pay a couple of people $8 or $10 an hour or whatever low wage they pay, to run the attraction for 2 hours. What would it cost, $50 to $100? In my mind, it would be worth every penny of $100 to potentially bring a little magic to a few more kids each day. How are we as guests supposed to be able to keep up with all these random attraction hours? We already have enough going on just trying to wade through all the FP+, ADR's and other nonsense.

Agree with some here the criticism is ok (and at least in my mind - valid) but the way you take personal anyone who disagrees with you Bobby is disturbing and really needs to stop.

Now, to everyone else...

Look, I've been going since 1976 - so I have a lot of perspective. The last time I saw this kind of disregard for the parks was right before there was almost a takeover and split up of the company - which eventually lead to Eisner coming into power. Great book called Storming the Magic Kingdom: Wall Street, The Raiders and the Battle for Disney - by John Taylor ( Amazon has it from 1 cent http://amzn.to/1okIEhE )

I am hopeful that things like the Star Wars Land and Pandora additions to the park will start to turn the tide but right now, it's hard to see that far out. All I see is increasing prices and declining value - and that makes me, a super long time visitor sad. Especially the direction of my favorite Epcot which is a shell of it's former self. Sad to the point where (as others have said), we're going elsewhere for now. I don't feel like I've left the magic, I feel like the magic has left me. And it's not just me, it's friends, family and co-workers I talk to as well.

Now, stepping back - I am totally and completely certain that much of what many of us see as decline, the average park goer doesn't see much at all. In fact, when cuts are implemented, I'm sure it's done with a thought to what effects park operations.

However, I don't want Disney to be that kind of company. I want them to be what they show on their commercials - the one that exceeds expectations and goes the extra mile. That values their guests above profit (ok, that may be a bit too far) - but you get the idea. I want it to be everything that Walt dreamed it could be.

That 92 members have read this thread to date shows me - people DO care and want things to improve. I could go on much longer - but I'll just say this...

DISNEY CAN DO BETTER.

Without vocalizing our collective displeasure, as the thread title says, the cuts will keep on coming - but there is a right and wrong way to do it. Be kind to your fellow member and respect them like you are speaking in person.

As Stephen R. Covey said in the 7 habits of highly effective people - SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN to be understood.

Keep it civil. This is an important topic that needs to be discussed. I don't want to have to shut it down because a few people on both sides can't keep their emotions in check.