Bring back more guest experiences please!!

[TikiTikiFan]

Most kids don’t know about one or three, and all of us 90s kids had way worse lines than the ones in the parks literally today on Memorial Day and we are still taking our kids. It’s bad logic.

Ahhhhh I remember our first summer trip to Disneyland as a kid and it was right after Indiana Jones opened. The hours in line in that temple queue are seared in my brain but they're not bad memories at all. On the contrary, they're down right nostalgic now. Not saying nostalgic for a 3 hour line but they're just happy memories of time spent with my dad.

 

[ford91exploder]

When you’re talking about kids, it’s experiences. More importantly, experiences cost money. So what’s the problem we are dealing with?

1) Kids won’t want to take their kids because it cost too much when they’re kids?
2) Kids won’t want to take their kids because the lines were too long when they were kids?
3) Kids won’t want to take their kids because the line/dollar value equilibrium was suboptimal when they were kids?

Most kids don’t know about one or three, and all of us 90s kids had way worse lines than the ones in the parks literally today on Memorial Day and we are still taking our kids. It’s bad logic.

Kids will not take their kids to the park if all they remember is how hot and uncomfortable they are plus not getting to actually do much because as someone who was there in the 90’s. WDW is a pale shadow of what it was in the 90’s because then WDW had a lot more to do and see than just the rides.

 

[ford91exploder]

Ahhhhh I remember our first summer trip to Disneyland as a kid and it was right after Indiana Jones opened. The hours in line in that temple queue are seared in my brain but they're not bad memories at all. On the contrary, they're down right nostalgic now. Not saying nostalgic for a 3 hour line but they're just happy memories of time spent with my dad.

Which was precisely Walt’s goal when he built Disneyland

 

[shawthorne44]

I had a realization about the difference between the people that still find the Magic just going to Disney and those that want more guest experiences.

Those that feel the magic just by being there are like someone in love. They can be happy just being together. So, just going to Disney, looking at the castle, etc. makes these people happy. It is like a happy memory I have with my husband. We went to a friend's house and the friend was confused about the time so we waited in his driveway for about a hour and a half talking. Truly happy memory.

Those that are grumpy about the missing experiences are like a girl that bought a dress and had her hair done for a first or second date that was supposed to be fancy. If the date ends up being to sit in a car and talk that is OK if some emergency happened, like the people that went to Disney this summer. But if the plan all along was to sit in the car, she would be understandably upset.

----------------------------

I have a friend who will never go to Disney again. Her parents took the family when she was too small to ride the 'thrill' rides. Her memory is of waiting in lines that she wasn't big enough to ride but that her older siblings were, and being chastised for being grumpy because kids are supposed to be happy at Disney. Of course that is on the idiot parents.

 

[tgree9369]

I had a realization about the difference between the people that still find the Magic just going to Disney and those that want more guest experiences.

Those that feel the magic just by being there are like someone in love. They can be happy just being together. So, just going to Disney, looking at the castle, etc. makes these people happy. It is like a happy memory I have with my husband. We went to a friend's house and the friend was confused about the time so we waited in his driveway for about a hour and a half talking. Truly happy memory.

Those that are grumpy about the missing experiences are like a girl that bought a dress and had her hair done for a first or second date that was supposed to be fancy. If the date ends up being to sit in a car and talk that is OK if some emergency happened, like the people that went to Disney this summer. But if the plan all along was to sit in the car, she would be understandably upset.

----------------------------

I have a friend who will never go to Disney again. Her parents took the family when she was too small to ride the 'thrill' rides. Her memory is of waiting in lines that she wasn't big enough to ride but that her older siblings were, and being chastised for being grumpy because kids are supposed to be happy at Disney. Of course that is on the idiot parents.

Great analogy. Sometimes even those who "always find the Magic" - need to be reminded why Disney is so special and how few people actually get to go once...let alone several times. Thank you for reminding us just how special Disney is and should be.
First impressions can be a wonderful or catastrophic thing...

 

[mshanson3121]

I had a realization about the difference between the people that still find the Magic just going to Disney and those that want more guest experiences.

Those that feel the magic just by being there are like someone in love. They can be happy just being together. So, just going to Disney, looking at the castle, etc. makes these people happy. It is like a happy memory I have with my husband. We went to a friend's house and the friend was confused about the time so we waited in his driveway for about a hour and a half talking. Truly happy memory.

Those that are grumpy about the missing experiences are like a girl that bought a dress and had her hair done for a first or second date that was supposed to be fancy. If the date ends up being to sit in a car and talk that is OK if some emergency happened, like the people that went to Disney this summer. But if the plan all along was to sit in the car, she would be understandably upset.

----------------------------

I have a friend who will never go to Disney again. Her parents took the family when she was too small to ride the 'thrill' rides. Her memory is of waiting in lines that she wasn't big enough to ride but that her older siblings were, and being chastised for being grumpy because kids are supposed to be happy at Disney. Of course that is on the idiot parents.

I think Disney magic means something different to everyone, and that is okay, and it's wrong to judge people for that.

For some people, Disney is about the characters. For others, it's the shows and entertainment, for others the theming and decor, some the rides etc...

Some people can go and feel it's magical just being there, just walking into the place. For some people, without the special elements that are important to them, it's not so magical.

All of that is fine. What is not fine is insinuating there's some personality or attitude flaw in those who aren't feeling the magic right now.

 

[HeyGirlHey]

I’m literally here to watch psychology in action at this point....someone could write a thesis paper on grown adults and their feelings about Disney. I was so confused at so much negativity but it’s past that and is simply captivating! ...and I mean this genuinely before I get roasted or banned or something.

 

[mshanson3121]

I’m literally here to watch psychology in action at this point....someone could write a thesis paper on grown adults and their feelings about Disney. I was so confused at so much negativity but it’s past that and is simply captivating! ...and I mean this genuinely before I get roasted or banned or something.

I'm a bit surprised there aren't courses on the psychology of Disney. Aside from religion, I really can't think of anything else that has created such large-scale visceral attachments, which for some turn into an almost cult-like following. They are truly geniuses in what they have done.

For myself, as someone emotionally attached to Disney, I think it's because Disney truly brought to life the feeling of fantasy and magic, in a way that no one else ever has.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

So you are into stereotyping? This is just as negative as you claim others are being.

Um... no. But thanks for playing.

 

[ford91exploder]

I'm a bit surprised there aren't courses on the psychology of Disney. Aside from religion, I really can't think of anything else that has created such large-scale visceral attachments, which for some turn into an almost cult-like following. They are truly geniuses in what they have done.

For myself, as someone emotionally attached to Disney, I think it's because Disney truly brought to life the feeling of fantasy and magic, in a way that no one else ever has.

Small correction past management teams were geniuses at creating the magic, Current management team is busily ‘unlocking shareholder value the first step on the road to bankruptcy, second step being ‘focusing on core competencies’. Considering that imagineering is now a empty buildings with a few executives with the title ‘imagineer’ there to manage the contract work with whichever so called creative team who submitted the low bid for latest project. The lights went out for good when Joe Rohde left for a company who appreciates his talent rather than denegrates it.

so they are well on the way to step two, covid allowed them the opportunity to ‘rightsize the organization’ which is step. 1.5 in road to bankruptcy

 

[movie77]

The problem with your POV is that it’s exactly that… just your POV.

Given where attendance and revenues were from the parks pre-pandemic… hard to argue that it’s being ‘destroyed.’

Lots of other people are paying huge money to go and enjoy the parks and seem to think the experience is still pretty excellent.

With all due respect, just because you have a lot too Disney sacred cows doesn’t mean every other consumer agrees.

nah. I would say the majority of long time fans are somewhere on this continuum of recognizing that each new generation of Disney leadership seems worse and cheaper than the one before it. It doesn’t mean we still don’t find things to enjoy about it and spend way too large sum of money at Disney. We can actually do both things at the same time.

 

[ford91exploder]

nah. I would say the majority of long time fans are somewhere on this continuum of recognizing that each new generation of Disney leadership seems worse and cheaper than the one before it. It doesn’t mean we still don’t find things to enjoy about it and spend way too large sum of money at Disney. We can actually do both things at the same time.

Precisely - my favorite channel on XM is now 302 which is all Disney music everything from songs from Mary Poppins to X Musical.

Does not change the fact that objectively the parks are being run into the ground by Chapek and his minions for short term profit. Almost cried when I heard Chapek had been given the top slot, Because the guy is the reincarnation of Paul Pressler who ran the parks so far into the ground people got killed by his refusal to maintain park infrastructure

 

[jhglassman]

Ahhhhh I remember our first summer trip to Disneyland as a kid and it was right after Indiana Jones opened. The hours in line in that temple queue are seared in my brain but they're not bad memories at all. On the contrary, they're down right nostalgic now. Not saying nostalgic for a 3 hour line but they're just happy memories of time spent with my dad.

I legit hated my Disney Trip as a kid because it was nothing but waiting in lines. We grudgingly took out kids for what was going to be a once in a lifetime trip and we found out about fastpass+. We returned each of the next four years and purchases DVC. It will be heartbreaking if Fastpass+ or at least something we can afford doesn't come back.

 

[hereforthechurros]

I had a realization about the difference between the people that still find the Magic just going to Disney and those that want more guest experiences.

Those that feel the magic just by being there are like someone in love. They can be happy just being together. So, just going to Disney, looking at the castle, etc. makes these people happy. It is like a happy memory I have with my husband. We went to a friend's house and the friend was confused about the time so we waited in his driveway for about a hour and a half talking. Truly happy memory.

Those that are grumpy about the missing experiences are like a girl that bought a dress and had her hair done for a first or second date that was supposed to be fancy. If the date ends up being to sit in a car and talk that is OK if some emergency happened, like the people that went to Disney this summer. But if the plan all along was to sit in the car, she would be understandably upset.

----------------------------

I have a friend who will never go to Disney again. Her parents took the family when she was too small to ride the 'thrill' rides. Her memory is of waiting in lines that she wasn't big enough to ride but that her older siblings were, and being chastised for being grumpy because kids are supposed to be happy at Disney. Of course that is on the idiot parents.

You can be neither. Disney is the #1 entertainment company in the world and deserves to be held to the highest standard. I never expect pixie dust, I just want them to deliver on the experience they market for what they charge. Which they aren’t doing right now.

 

[hereforthechurros]

I legit hated my Disney Trip as a kid because it was nothing but waiting in lines. We grudgingly took out kids for what was going to be a once in a lifetime trip and we found out about fastpass+. We returned each of the next four years and purchases DVC. It will be heartbreaking if Fastpass+ or at least something we can afford doesn't come back.

Agreed. As a kid I liked DL but the lines were all I really remember. I avoided Disney as an adult until a wedding trip to FL left us with some days to explore WDW with our three year old. We only became hooked because FP made it so manageable.

 

[yorkieteacher]

I think most of us who are veterans of this board must be in love with Disney. I get 60 years younger going under that entrance sign and can't stop smiling. And I am willing to happily accept a lot of inconveniences (park reservations, less housekeeping meaning I do the picking up and wiping up on my vacation, waving at characters instead of hugging them, mobile ordering an hour or so before I'm hungry, no nighttime experiences that took my breath away and made me tear up. Some of which I suspect are still gone due mostly to cost cutting at this point.)Heck, I've always been willing to wait in lines so that's a moot point. But as a responsible adult, I should think about the money/experience factor. More and more money for less and less good experiences can make me pause. At what point will I stop going? I don't know, but at some point if happy things keep disappearing (fewer cast members so that current ones are overworked, live shows, restaurants like Casey's Corner and Columbia Harbor House street entertainers in AK and Epcot, fewer chill out and play areas for the kids) there may be a break up with my Disney love. I hope not. I want that going under the entrance sign to continue to be magic. My daughters and their children feel the same, although the crazy lines for the Skyliner in October one of them had so loved in January gave her pause to reevaluate. My son, who grew up going to Disney with me and his sisters, has already said that Universal is cheaper, easier, and just as much fun. I almost called him Blasphemous! I hope some of the experiences that caused me to fall in love with Disney will be returning. I still believe corporate Disney cares about it's customers. Time will tell-

 

[ChipnDale79]

My son, who grew up going to Disney with me and his sisters, has already said that Universal is cheaper, easier, and just as much fun. I almost called him Blasphemous! I hope some of the experiences that caused me to fall in love with Disney will be returning. I still believe corporate Disney cares about it's customers. Time will tell-

Universal could force disney into turning itself around, but they wont. With the new park coming at Universal, they could really run some specials, be cheaper than disney, and do things that Disney used to do (like bring you from the airport to their resort for free). They can really steal people from disney for a few days. But, they gotta do it, and they wont.

 

[ford91exploder]

You can be neither. Disney is the #1 entertainment company in the world and deserves to be held to the highest standard. I never expect pixie dust, I just want them to deliver on the experience they market for the full price they charge. Which they aren’t doing right now.

I’d say the BBC is the #1 entertainment company in the world now based upon quality of output.

Now Disney is just another brand holding company which makes money by hawking products based on its brands. There is no company behind those Brands any more. If their market research said you can make more money by using the Marvel brand, All Disney signage would be gone in 24 hours.

 

[ford91exploder]

Universal could force disney into turning itself around, but they wont. With the new park coming at Universal, they could really run some specials, be cheaper than disney, and do things that Disney used to do (like bring you from the airport to their resort for free). They can really steal people from disney for a few days. But, they gotta do it, and they wont.

They are doing many of those things and if you are a AP holder there is some new AP exclusive every week. But i dont want to make this about Disney Vs. Uni all I will say is one of them says we want your repeat business, they other you are lucky we allowed you to visit

 

[Grumpy by Birth]