[coasterman2002]

I still feel that WDW is one of the cleanest and most appealing resorts in the world. I live a few hours from Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital of the world, and even though it is very clean and very friendly, it still doesn't come close to the service and quality of Disney. Sure, the Magic Kingdom doesn't have the upkeep that it had 10 years ago, but it isn't that bad. I think that because we are Disney fanatics, we tend to look and find something that Disney has done wrong. Sure, trash stands out, but to the average park-goer, they usually don't think that much about it. I can only hope that they get their acts together and pick up the trash and replace some of that wood that is rotting. Repainting would also be nice. Just get the parks back to and pass the quality that WDW started with in 1971.

[gladstone]

Am I the onlyone who thinks that maybe if there were no Euro Parks et.all maybe the money could be better spent in WDW or DL? Just a question:cry:

[phayes93]

I think you indeed may have a point there.....

:hmmm

[tinkerbell]

Originally posted by gladstone
Am I the onlyone who thinks that maybe if there were no Euro Parks et.all maybe the money could be better spent in WDW or DL? Just a question:cry:

a very very good point

[disneyguy]

I totally agree. Does anyone know if their overseas are making money?? I heard something say that WDW and DL were the only ones making money.

[dznygrl]

Originally posted by gladstone
Am I the onlyone who thinks that maybe if there were no Euro Parks et.all maybe the money could be better spent in WDW or DL? Just a question:cry:

No, you are not the only one. I absolutely agree!

[coasterman2002]

I totally agree. Does anyone know if their overseas are making money??

Disneyland Tokyo is the most visited Disney park, and could be the most visited theme park in the world. So their new park, Disneysea, was probably a good decision. I don't know about Disney Studios in Paris, but I've heard that it isn't doing very good attendance-wise. So I think that the Tokyo resorts are making good profits, but the Paris parks aren't doing so good.

[mickaholic4077]

I deliberately went on IASW yesterday(March 31st)and I noticed a couple of tiles missing,but the article made it sound as if the whole structure was going down,and it wasn't.

[MerlinMatt]

Isn't it going to be completely refurbished starting this year? I heard it was going to be closed for a year.

That's funny to me because it was closed for an overhaul back in 1991 when my wife and I were on our honeymoon. Thing is, besides the entry gangplanks and the control tower, did they really change anything? It's still as goofy as ever.

My son an I giggled all the way through it. My wife was angry at us at first, but then she started laughing too. It's a fun ride, but it's really cheesy. I think they could take a page out of El Rio Del Tiempo and spruce it up a bit.

[MerlinMatt]

Originally posted by gladstone
Am I the onlyone who thinks that maybe if there were no Euro Parks et.all maybe the money could be better spent in WDW or DL? Just a question:cry:

I've never really been a fan of Eisner. I really felt that he bastardized Walt's vision. He spread everything out too much.

That said, I think Roy's a phony as well.

All in all, things are likely to come around. Walt's vision was so solid that it will take many more years of outright neglect to suck the magic out of WDW.

It's still the most magical place on Earth. :)

[disneyguy]

What is IASW??

[GrumpyDad]

Originally posted by disneyluva
What is IASW??

It's A Small World - Land of evil dolls, insidious music, and an overall sacrin overdose. Actually one of my favorite rides, drives my DW batty!

-harry

[disneyguy]

OMG how did i not recognize that!!!! It is not that bad. I wish I had been able to do it last time I was there but the wait was 30 minutes.

[GoingtoDisney]

Just returned from my first trip with my children, ages 8, 5, and 18months. I have been about 20 times.

The one thing I noticed about this trip was the fact that customer service amongst the cast members was not up to par. We encountered rude cast members, ones that were not willing to help, and ones that simple could not help. Two episodes stick out:

1. At 8am I left my hotel (Carribbean Beach) and went to the laundry area, at the bottom of the stairs there was broken Corona Beer bottles, pushed to the side. I passed several housekeeping staff and I assumed that this would be cleaned up and they were working on it. At 10 am, I returned to my room to find the broken beer bottles still there, at 10:30 am left with kids to go to the park, walked again past the broken glass - I then stopped someone in a cart and let them know and he apologized. In the "old" disney, this would never had happened, the glass would have been picked up pronto!

2. We had pictures made at the Imagination ride in Epcot, close to closing time. The cast member told me that they would be ready at 7:30, but they closed at 7, so I asked where to pick up the pictures, he said to come back and knock on the door, and I said "really?" and he said yes, so when I went to do that, a cast member stopped me to inform me that "sorry, the ride has closed". When I explained that I was here to pick up the pictures, she said sorry, but they are probably at the gift shop under the globe. So I went to the gift shop where a cast member told me she didn't know anything about that, but they might be at package pickup - outside of the park! What a waste of time running around. Not one person seemed real apologetic.

These are just a couple of incidences, overall, we had long waits and sometimes rude cast members. Not what I remember at all.

This all being said, we had a great time, did notice a difference between the MK and AK (one old park, one new park) but it was to be expected.

Heading back in 2 years - got to wait for the 18month to get a little older!

[downsouthtigger]

Looking to see how this thread has been going since I last posted and lots of good comments have been made.

Al Weiss is a great guy, but we all know he can only tell you the good with whats going on with the parks, all part of guest relations. Just like if you talk to Phil Holms, both of them work, and being a Cm at MK, I know both of them are always out there everyday! Well Phil more than AL, but Al is usually around. I'm not saying either of them are deceiving, it's just they can only say what Eisner will let em and that goes for pretty much everyone in the co.
Anyways on the flip side I've read the responses about the guests. Yes it's true, guests have now seen this as, Disney is so clean and I'm on vaca, they can pick it up. IN preserving the magic it hurts us on our side as well. How would everyone feel if they kept an emmaculate house only to have a relative stay over and mess it up constantly. You'd get to the point where it feels no matter how hard you try, it's just not worth it. You feel run down and run over. To be honest I've seen a change in the guests. It's not wow I'm at the most magical place on earth, its more get outta my way I wanna do this!
The up bringing has a lot to do with things to as I've noticed some foreigners causing more problems, due to their customs or language barriers. On the flip side being from the south and dealing with "white trash and rednecks" (for lack of a better term) there's an increase of that too. I'm not stereotyping or judging, just how people were raised is very much a problem. Richer people will allow their children to virtually do what they want and poorer people will be more vocal about prices and everything else. Middle income america, the people that grew up with Disney who remembers who Disney was, are a fading group. They were the families that cared, the ones who cleaned up after themselves. If the American society hadn't changed I think Disney as a whole wouldn't change either. Remember Cm's are trained with old customer service values, but with an everchanging time it's hard to maintain.
This leads to my next point about the changing attitude about Cm's. It's very hard to put on a show and do a little song and dance when the customer isn't happy anymore. We get yelled at for little things, but we have to grin and bear it. During parades parents won't hold their kids back and just let them run up to the floats, or they stand in front of handi capped sections blocking the view for wheel chairs. Yet when a Cm tells them to stop or move, they are met with swear words and constant yelling. The price of a coke, the length of a line, all met with the same results. Then when a guest gets on an attraction or done with their coke, they throw it wherever they **** well please! Why?? They paid their money and thats what we get paid for! Just remember when you do come up with less than stellar Cm's it's for a reason, they've probably had a less than stellar guest. Disney hires people who are outgoing and fun, I mean I should know! :D but we all get pushed to that point. So when you do interact with a cm that lost their magic, just talk to them. Let them know that its ok and that some guests are willing to share their magic. After a long flight/drive I know you only want to settle in your guest room and lay down, but if your room isn't ready or what you reserved, don't take it out on the desk clerk, they only know whats on the computer. Remember the person who may have gotten your room couldve put a Cm through **** and back and yes I have seen it!
In closing, after reading all remarks I'm on the fence, we try to keep things clean but with budget cuts and yes European parks not doing so hot it's very hard. Still with the way guests have become, it is like swimming upstream and the currents just keep getting worse!