Lakegirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2014
Congratulations on the upcoming retirement!!! Exciting times ahead for you.
VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.0) updated 21 June 2023
- Thread starter sleepydog25
- Start date
jimmytammy
<font color=purple>Swivel, it's a hard habit to br
- Joined
- May 27, 2002
For those who have Disney plus
Please watch Togo
It’s an awesome movie
Please watch Togo
It’s an awesome movie
Granny
Yeah, I'm a guy
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2001
sleepydog25
Been here awhile
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
Well, we made it back from our Days of Eeyore trip. I'll explain more about that later, though you may be able to guess what that title means. Traffic coming back was thick, though flowing at top speeds for most of the way through FL and GA (I was largely set at 78 on the cruise control and being passed routinely). Once we got close to the GA/SC state line, the traffic got even more congested and the slowing began--I was lucky to top 50. I noticed the same thing on the other side as folks headed south. Literally, a couple of miles past the state lines, I-95 locked up in both directions, cars crawling forward, stopping, then crawling for 100 feet then stopping. We made it about three miles like that which took about 20 minutes. Not a fan. Our exit to I-26 was over 80 miles farther north on I-95, and signs were warning "Heavy traffic; expect major delays." Catching a slow-footed driver in the right lane, we swerved and made the exit 5 ramp, determined to find our way through backroads
Fortunately, we always keep an at atlas with all the U.S. state maps, so we pulled that bad boy out. The GPS on our vehicle and our phones, all wanted us to take feeder roads BACK to I-95, so they were no help. That's why it's important to know how to read a map (daughter, are you listening?). We charted our course that, in essence, completed the third wall of a triangle with I-95 and I-26 being the first two. I kid you not, the first 10-15 miles of our drive out of whatever tiny town that was had us swimming upstream--the single lane headed toward where we exited was bumper to bumper and moving slowly. Obviously, I-95 was grinding to a standstill headed south, as well, as these were drivers who got off the interstate hoping to catch a short cut. . .only it wasn't working out for them. I can only imagine their frustrations at having left one rolling parking lot for another one.
On the other hand, we had free sailing. Literally, no one else was behind or in front of us except the occasional local vehicle. We worked our way toward I-26 (about 30 miles northwest of the 95/26 junction) and made it without incidence, averaging about 55. Once back on our intended route, traffic was heavy but flowing at normal speeds. Was it a good decision? Did I-95 eventually open up past that exit 5 we took? We might never have known, except. . .
An hour after hitting I-26, a pickup truck came blazing by us doing what must have been 85-90 mph (I was at 75). I had seen this truck before as it was quite distinctive: jacked up high, sitting on a set of outsized tires, flared fender wells, a Harley strapped into the bed, and a drop-down trailer hitch (since the frame sat so high). Where had I seen it? Back in GA about an hour before we came to the standstill at the state line--it had zipped past us then, and we never saw it again. . .until now. So, our gambit had paid off! Never underestimate the power of paper, folks. Old school does work. And when the zombie apocalypse happens, we'll be ready.
To paraphrase a current idiom, "Way to go, Boomer!"
I'll post more pics and some thoughts about our entire trip in the coming days. For now, we're happy to be home.
Fortunately, we always keep an at atlas with all the U.S. state maps, so we pulled that bad boy out. The GPS on our vehicle and our phones, all wanted us to take feeder roads BACK to I-95, so they were no help. That's why it's important to know how to read a map (daughter, are you listening?). We charted our course that, in essence, completed the third wall of a triangle with I-95 and I-26 being the first two. I kid you not, the first 10-15 miles of our drive out of whatever tiny town that was had us swimming upstream--the single lane headed toward where we exited was bumper to bumper and moving slowly. Obviously, I-95 was grinding to a standstill headed south, as well, as these were drivers who got off the interstate hoping to catch a short cut. . .only it wasn't working out for them. I can only imagine their frustrations at having left one rolling parking lot for another one.
On the other hand, we had free sailing. Literally, no one else was behind or in front of us except the occasional local vehicle. We worked our way toward I-26 (about 30 miles northwest of the 95/26 junction) and made it without incidence, averaging about 55. Once back on our intended route, traffic was heavy but flowing at normal speeds. Was it a good decision? Did I-95 eventually open up past that exit 5 we took? We might never have known, except. . .
An hour after hitting I-26, a pickup truck came blazing by us doing what must have been 85-90 mph (I was at 75). I had seen this truck before as it was quite distinctive: jacked up high, sitting on a set of outsized tires, flared fender wells, a Harley strapped into the bed, and a drop-down trailer hitch (since the frame sat so high). Where had I seen it? Back in GA about an hour before we came to the standstill at the state line--it had zipped past us then, and we never saw it again. . .until now. So, our gambit had paid off! Never underestimate the power of paper, folks. Old school does work. And when the zombie apocalypse happens, we'll be ready.
To paraphrase a current idiom, "Way to go, Boomer!"I'll post more pics and some thoughts about our entire trip in the coming days. For now, we're happy to be home.
jimmytammy
<font color=purple>Swivel, it's a hard habit to br
- Joined
- May 27, 2002
twinklebug
Home is where the heart is.
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2005
jimmytammy
<font color=purple>Swivel, it's a hard habit to br
- Joined
- May 27, 2002
Happy New Year!!!!
claire_ont
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2007
Wishing one an all a Happy and Healthy New Year, filled with love and Disney!
sleepydog25
Been here awhile
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
Whew! We were at the fold, so I'm glad I checked.
A quick review of our trip
- 1 day in Melbourne to visit family
- 3 days in Disney at VWL (studio) to enjoy the lights, a Mickey party, and soak up the ambiance of the Lodge
- 4 days on a Merrytime Christmas cruise on the Dream
- 1 day at AKL CL
- 1 day in Melbourne mostly to look at various areas and their associated house costs
Highlights from Disney parks/resorts
- The Lodge, despite how crowded it was, and seeing the marvelous tree
- The gingerbread house addition
- The VWL lobby and its serenity (even though the lobby fireplace wasn't lit our last day there)
- Seeing the Christmas parade at a GREAT location on Main Street, albeit during the day
- The lights at FW which we saw on a sleigh ride
- Our meals in the lounges, particularly Nomad and Jock Lindsay's
- The decorations at MK and DHS, the latter actually has a better holiday feel to it if I'm honest
- Rise of the Resistance, a highlight in that we actually rode a brand new, hard to get ride
- The wine at AKL CL lounge--a very nice white and lovely red, both from S. Africa which is a gem of a wine region
- The butter chicken they served at the AKL CL the one night we were there
Highlights from the cruise
- Our room steward was topnotch
- The over-sized veranda in our stateroom--had to be at least 100-120 sq feet. (Room 10658)
- The beauty of the Dream
- The huge gingerbread house in the atrium which you could smell walking down the main passages on the atrium level
- Getting to see all three new(er) Disney movies: Maleficent 2, Frozen 2, and SW: Rise of Skywalker
- Palo and Remy dinners
- Walking the Castaway Cay 5K in the sun (more on that in a moment)
I'll post disappointments in a second note. . .
A quick review of our trip
- 1 day in Melbourne to visit family
- 3 days in Disney at VWL (studio) to enjoy the lights, a Mickey party, and soak up the ambiance of the Lodge
- 4 days on a Merrytime Christmas cruise on the Dream
- 1 day at AKL CL
- 1 day in Melbourne mostly to look at various areas and their associated house costs
Highlights from Disney parks/resorts
- The Lodge, despite how crowded it was, and seeing the marvelous tree
- The gingerbread house addition
- The VWL lobby and its serenity (even though the lobby fireplace wasn't lit our last day there)
- Seeing the Christmas parade at a GREAT location on Main Street, albeit during the day
- The lights at FW which we saw on a sleigh ride
- Our meals in the lounges, particularly Nomad and Jock Lindsay's
- The decorations at MK and DHS, the latter actually has a better holiday feel to it if I'm honest
- Rise of the Resistance, a highlight in that we actually rode a brand new, hard to get ride
- The wine at AKL CL lounge--a very nice white and lovely red, both from S. Africa which is a gem of a wine region
- The butter chicken they served at the AKL CL the one night we were there
Highlights from the cruise
- Our room steward was topnotch
- The over-sized veranda in our stateroom--had to be at least 100-120 sq feet. (Room 10658)
- The beauty of the Dream
- The huge gingerbread house in the atrium which you could smell walking down the main passages on the atrium level
- Getting to see all three new(er) Disney movies: Maleficent 2, Frozen 2, and SW: Rise of Skywalker
- Palo and Remy dinners
- Walking the Castaway Cay 5K in the sun (more on that in a moment)
I'll post disappointments in a second note. . .
sleepydog25
Been here awhile
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
My follow on post. . .
Disappointments from Disney parks/resorts
- CMs were beleaguered by the crowds. While we didn't witness any rude behavior, we didn't see a lot of magical moments, either.
- Food quality seems to have dipped again. We had a few tasty things, again mostly at the lounges which offer the best bang for your buck, too.
- Sleigh ride. While the lights were gorgeous at FW, the ride itself was disappointing. Was supposed to last half an hour but was barely 20 minutes. We arrived at FW via boat from WL at 7:50 p.m. with ride beginning at 8:30. Well, unknown to us, Disney switched the location to the Trading Post area which can only be accessed by bus. We had to ask four different CMs where we needed to go to catch said bus before getting the correct answer. Once there, we ran afoul of the crowd that had just let out for HDDR, and the bus stop was packed. They hadn't seen a bus heading where most needed to go (the Purple bus) in 45 minutes claimed one man. The next bus up was Yellow (which we needed), so we got on. However, that same gentleman then proceeded to forcefully state to the bus driver about how long the group had waited. I can't say as I blamed him. The bus driver called a supervisor, yada, yada, then finally left. And we were already by that time late for our ride. She then proceeds to go right by the drop off point, so we mentioned it to her, and she turned around. We arrived 10 minutes late for our ride, and I guess they took that 10 minutes away from us.
- Crowds at DHS. It's festive there but the whole park felt like a giant emergency waiting room. Many hang around waiting for RotR, and many others wait around for the lone FP or two they can muster at the newly minted, mostly Tier 1 rides. Everyone else is in line to ride said attractions with waits ranging from 50-90 minutes at 7:30 in the morning! I like DHS a lot, always have since it has two of my fave rides, RnR and ToT. But, it's a total dud now unless you don't mind waiting and sitting and dodging people.
- Rain. Not Disney's fault, but it rained every single day, and was gloomy when not raining. Washed us out of our Mickey Christmas party as it was pouring and we just didn't feel as though we could last in that environment with the cruise starting the next day.
- VWL room. As mentioned earlier, we got the very last room on the even side, so the Linen Loading View, second only to the dumpster. That wasn't so bad, but the room was dark, darker than we recall. And it seemed spartan, somehow, with the couch looking as though it had seen much better days. Given we saw little sunshine didn't help, either.
- Overall cleanliness, especially bathrooms. Some were in terrible shape, but it seems clear that labor cutbacks are real.
- Bell Services. Honestly, they get an F, and this spans more than one resort. We pulled up to the Lodge and no bell services, just valet types. We waited 10 minutes and saw no one. One of the valets wound up helping us. Every time we came through the main entrance, we saw no bell service CMs, including when we checked out. Same thing at CR when we went there for breakfast one day and at AKL. We had to hunt for a CM to help us with the CL check-in. She said they used to have two full-time CL CMs but that had been reduced to one, and that person only worked the hours between 10 and 2. Not good.
- RotR: Not a bad attraction, but not worth waiting 7.5 hours for, even if you can go off and do things while waiting.
Disappointments from Dream
- Food at Cabana's. It has been better. They still have a huge buffet, but they switched some things which likely saved money but also lowered the quality, such as the lamb chops, the Mickey waffles consistency, and the pasta options.
- Food at rotational restaurants. Granted, we only hit one, but the food seemed clumpy and uninspired. Perhaps the weather was getting to us.
- Overall CM friendliness. Again, perhaps it was the holiday frenzy, but the CMs were less engaging this time around (our 5th cruise). Very peremptory service in many instances.
- Mixology. No longer recommend this activity which has been on of our faves. According to the CM who headed the class, Disney decreed a few months ago--again, we hadn't been told or we would have cancelled--that no one but employees behind the bar. So, we wound up sitting on couches, listening how to make a drink instead of making it, and then being served the drinks. Rather boring though a good deal if you like to drink.
- Rain. Again, it's just nature happening, but it followed us except our Castaway Cay day when it was mostly sunny until that evening.
- The systems that produced the rains gave us 6-8 seas the entire voyage. We don't get seasick, but it does get annoying having to sway and roll and vibrate all day and night long. I felt it for 36 hours after we got off the ship!
- Oh, this is a positive I forgot: Senses Spa. We got the couples package for $129 for the entire cruise, and it was worth it. Uncrowded hot tubs, rain forest showers, saunas. Loved it!
Okay, I've blabbed long enough. We had a lot of fun experiences, but I will say that this was not a trip we'll look back on particularly fondly. I think our expectations were too high, frankly, and the weather dampened our mood more than we should have allowed it to do. On to the new year, 'cause we're going back in March!
Disappointments from Disney parks/resorts
- CMs were beleaguered by the crowds. While we didn't witness any rude behavior, we didn't see a lot of magical moments, either.
- Food quality seems to have dipped again. We had a few tasty things, again mostly at the lounges which offer the best bang for your buck, too.
- Sleigh ride. While the lights were gorgeous at FW, the ride itself was disappointing. Was supposed to last half an hour but was barely 20 minutes. We arrived at FW via boat from WL at 7:50 p.m. with ride beginning at 8:30. Well, unknown to us, Disney switched the location to the Trading Post area which can only be accessed by bus. We had to ask four different CMs where we needed to go to catch said bus before getting the correct answer. Once there, we ran afoul of the crowd that had just let out for HDDR, and the bus stop was packed. They hadn't seen a bus heading where most needed to go (the Purple bus) in 45 minutes claimed one man. The next bus up was Yellow (which we needed), so we got on. However, that same gentleman then proceeded to forcefully state to the bus driver about how long the group had waited. I can't say as I blamed him. The bus driver called a supervisor, yada, yada, then finally left. And we were already by that time late for our ride. She then proceeds to go right by the drop off point, so we mentioned it to her, and she turned around. We arrived 10 minutes late for our ride, and I guess they took that 10 minutes away from us.
- Crowds at DHS. It's festive there but the whole park felt like a giant emergency waiting room. Many hang around waiting for RotR, and many others wait around for the lone FP or two they can muster at the newly minted, mostly Tier 1 rides. Everyone else is in line to ride said attractions with waits ranging from 50-90 minutes at 7:30 in the morning! I like DHS a lot, always have since it has two of my fave rides, RnR and ToT. But, it's a total dud now unless you don't mind waiting and sitting and dodging people.
- Rain. Not Disney's fault, but it rained every single day, and was gloomy when not raining. Washed us out of our Mickey Christmas party as it was pouring and we just didn't feel as though we could last in that environment with the cruise starting the next day.
- VWL room. As mentioned earlier, we got the very last room on the even side, so the Linen Loading View, second only to the dumpster. That wasn't so bad, but the room was dark, darker than we recall. And it seemed spartan, somehow, with the couch looking as though it had seen much better days. Given we saw little sunshine didn't help, either.
- Overall cleanliness, especially bathrooms. Some were in terrible shape, but it seems clear that labor cutbacks are real.
- Bell Services. Honestly, they get an F, and this spans more than one resort. We pulled up to the Lodge and no bell services, just valet types. We waited 10 minutes and saw no one. One of the valets wound up helping us. Every time we came through the main entrance, we saw no bell service CMs, including when we checked out. Same thing at CR when we went there for breakfast one day and at AKL. We had to hunt for a CM to help us with the CL check-in. She said they used to have two full-time CL CMs but that had been reduced to one, and that person only worked the hours between 10 and 2. Not good.
- RotR: Not a bad attraction, but not worth waiting 7.5 hours for, even if you can go off and do things while waiting.
Disappointments from Dream
- Food at Cabana's. It has been better. They still have a huge buffet, but they switched some things which likely saved money but also lowered the quality, such as the lamb chops, the Mickey waffles consistency, and the pasta options.
- Food at rotational restaurants. Granted, we only hit one, but the food seemed clumpy and uninspired. Perhaps the weather was getting to us.
- Overall CM friendliness. Again, perhaps it was the holiday frenzy, but the CMs were less engaging this time around (our 5th cruise). Very peremptory service in many instances.
- Mixology. No longer recommend this activity which has been on of our faves. According to the CM who headed the class, Disney decreed a few months ago--again, we hadn't been told or we would have cancelled--that no one but employees behind the bar. So, we wound up sitting on couches, listening how to make a drink instead of making it, and then being served the drinks. Rather boring though a good deal if you like to drink.
- Rain. Again, it's just nature happening, but it followed us except our Castaway Cay day when it was mostly sunny until that evening.
- The systems that produced the rains gave us 6-8 seas the entire voyage. We don't get seasick, but it does get annoying having to sway and roll and vibrate all day and night long. I felt it for 36 hours after we got off the ship!
- Oh, this is a positive I forgot: Senses Spa. We got the couples package for $129 for the entire cruise, and it was worth it. Uncrowded hot tubs, rain forest showers, saunas. Loved it!
Okay, I've blabbed long enough. We had a lot of fun experiences, but I will say that this was not a trip we'll look back on particularly fondly. I think our expectations were too high, frankly, and the weather dampened our mood more than we should have allowed it to do. On to the new year, 'cause we're going back in March!
twinklebug
Home is where the heart is.
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2005
Attempting to put together a stay (1-8) for next December at AKV. So far it's pretty piecemeal as I have no idea if I'm trying for a 1 br or 2 studios. Somehow it always works out in the end. I'd change it up for VWL-BR in a heartbeat if I could, it's been around 4 or 5 years since our last stay.
Anyone else working on theirs? I glanced at VWL-BR and saw there seems to be walking going on with the studios. Is this typical of December?
Anyone else working on theirs? I glanced at VWL-BR and saw there seems to be walking going on with the studios. Is this typical of December?
Granny
Yeah, I'm a guy
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2001
Cindy...I think it is very typical that studios are being walked at all sorts of times of the year, but especially in those high DVC demand times such as the first half of December. I think a significant number of members have taken up this walking practice out of sheer need. I'm surprised that AKV is booking up so quickly but this demand time of the year seems to be getting bigger and bigger. It will be interesting to see if the new point charts for 2021 will help as this period will no longer be in the lowest point time of the year (it will still be 2nd lowest out of 7 though).
I will be booking a 1BR for that time so usually not so difficult at the 11 month mark. I will be very frustrated if I have trouble with that, but historically 1BR is the least demanded type of villa and most frequently available.
Good luck to you and all Groupies trying to book that time of year!
Granny
Yeah, I'm a guy
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2001
Sleepy...thank you for the detailed impressions of your recent trip. I find them to be valuable and honest appraisals.
I know exactly what you mean. We had a trip last year with several days of rain, and yes it did affect our daily routine and enjoyment of the trip. I remember that I kept thinking of how sorry I felt for people who had planned a "once in a lifetime" trip and wound up with constant rain. They were easy to pick out....matching t-shirts and ponchos....they just weren't going to be denied their fun! I know this applies to many frequent-trip visitors too but some people looked even a little more determined, and I can't say that I blame them one bit.
I think VWL is on the list for the next full refurbishment. I am surprised since it doesn't seem that long since the last one. Hopefully it won't hit our dues...management seemed to indicate that OKW got hit with the 8% dues increase this year in large part because they had depleted their reserves with the refurbishment.
I am afraid that this was inevitable. I can't see how Disney could absorb a 50% increase in labor costs over three years....yes, they have increased pricing on all services but that's still a huge pill to take and Disney will always try to create a balance between service and cost. And until the service reductions cut into attendance, they will probably think that they are okay. They are also balancing the huge park investments of the past few years with cost reductions elsewhere. Those same investments can alleviate some of the other issues....ie, does the immense popularity of the new Star Wars land and attractions offset some concerns about bathroom cleanliness, etc?
Disney does a ton of guest polling, and my thought is that if people are generally satisfied with their trip, Disney will continue with the status quo.
As I said, the weather is a real factor in our enjoyment. On our October trip a few months ago, it was over 90 degrees on 7 of the 8 days we were there. Just made for hot days and cut down our park time.
Having said all that, we too are looking forward to our trip in May!
I know exactly what you mean. We had a trip last year with several days of rain, and yes it did affect our daily routine and enjoyment of the trip. I remember that I kept thinking of how sorry I felt for people who had planned a "once in a lifetime" trip and wound up with constant rain. They were easy to pick out....matching t-shirts and ponchos....they just weren't going to be denied their fun! I know this applies to many frequent-trip visitors too but some people looked even a little more determined, and I can't say that I blame them one bit.
I think VWL is on the list for the next full refurbishment. I am surprised since it doesn't seem that long since the last one. Hopefully it won't hit our dues...management seemed to indicate that OKW got hit with the 8% dues increase this year in large part because they had depleted their reserves with the refurbishment.
I am afraid that this was inevitable. I can't see how Disney could absorb a 50% increase in labor costs over three years....yes, they have increased pricing on all services but that's still a huge pill to take and Disney will always try to create a balance between service and cost. And until the service reductions cut into attendance, they will probably think that they are okay. They are also balancing the huge park investments of the past few years with cost reductions elsewhere. Those same investments can alleviate some of the other issues....ie, does the immense popularity of the new Star Wars land and attractions offset some concerns about bathroom cleanliness, etc?
Disney does a ton of guest polling, and my thought is that if people are generally satisfied with their trip, Disney will continue with the status quo.
Okay, I've blabbed long enough. We had a lot of fun experiences, but I will say that this was not a trip we'll look back on particularly fondly. I think our expectations were too high, frankly, and the weather dampened our mood more than we should have allowed it to do. On to the new year, 'cause we're going back in March!
As I said, the weather is a real factor in our enjoyment. On our October trip a few months ago, it was over 90 degrees on 7 of the 8 days we were there. Just made for hot days and cut down our park time.
Having said all that, we too are looking forward to our trip in May!
sleepydog25
Been here awhile
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
Thanks, Granny, for your always reasoned and reasonable look at things Disney. Yes, I agree that Disney is counterbalancing costs and future costs against what customers will take and still be satisfied. I do feel rather like that's the frog in the pot of water story to an extent. We don't know what we're missing as the cuts take hold very gradually. How easy is it to compare 2019 to 2009? Not easy at all, so we accept the inevitable. What I fear most is that Disney is losing the one thing that truly stood them apart from other theme park mega-corporations: untouchable customer service. While newbies go for the once-in-a-lifetime trips don't know any better, those who have been going a long time see the difference, and they've been the core supporting Disney's meteoric growth. Will that catch up to the Mouse in the future? Remains to be seen. As for the rain, it's simply a fact I ain't a young, spry fellow anymore and my tolerance for things like bumming around in the rain all day has plummeted. And that's got nothing to do with Disney!Sleepy...thank you for the detailed impressions of your recent trip. I find them to be valuable and honest appraisals.
I know exactly what you mean. We had a trip last year with several days of rain, and yes it did affect our daily routine and enjoyment of the trip. I remember that I kept thinking of how sorry I felt for people who had planned a "once in a lifetime" trip and wound up with constant rain. They were easy to pick out....matching t-shirts and ponchos....they just weren't going to be denied their fun! I know this applies to many frequent-trip visitors too but some people looked even a little more determined, and I can't say that I blame them one bit.
I think VWL is on the list for the next full refurbishment. I am surprised since it doesn't seem that long since the last one. Hopefully it won't hit our dues...management seemed to indicate that OKW got hit with the 8% dues increase this year in large part because they had depleted their reserves with the refurbishment.
I am afraid that this was inevitable. I can't see how Disney could absorb a 50% increase in labor costs over three years....yes, they have increased pricing on all services but that's still a huge pill to take and Disney will always try to create a balance between service and cost. And until the service reductions cut into attendance, they will probably think that they are okay. They are also balancing the huge park investments of the past few years with cost reductions elsewhere. Those same investments can alleviate some of the other issues....ie, does the immense popularity of the new Star Wars land and attractions offset some concerns about bathroom cleanliness, etc?
Disney does a ton of guest polling, and my thought is that if people are generally satisfied with their trip, Disney will continue with the status quo.
As I said, the weather is a real factor in our enjoyment. On our October trip a few months ago, it was over 90 degrees on 7 of the 8 days we were there. Just made for hot days and cut down our park time.
Having said all that, we too are looking forward to our trip in May!
claire_ont
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2007
Thanks, Granny, for your always reasoned and reasonable look at things Disney. Yes, I agree that Disney is counterbalancing costs and future costs against what customers will take and still be satisfied. I do feel rather like that's the frog in the pot of water story to an extent. We don't know what we're missing as the cuts take hold very gradually. How easy is it to compare 2019 to 2009? Not easy at all, so we accept the inevitable. What I fear most is that Disney is losing the one thing that truly stood them apart from other theme park mega-corporations: untouchable customer service. While newbies go for the once-in-a-lifetime trips don't know any better, those who have been going a long time see the difference, and they've been the core supporting Disney's meteoric growth. Will that catch up to the Mouse in the future? Remains to be seen. As for the rain, it's simply a fact I ain't a young, spry fellow anymore and my tolerance for things like bumming around in the rain all day has plummeted. And that's got nothing to do with Disney!
Sleepy - I agree that it is like a frog in the boiling water. I was discussing this very topic with my husband the other night. Comparing when we first started going, to now, Disney has changed. The crowds have grown significantly. The CMs are still wonderful, but there are fewer of them and with the increase in crowds, they are getting harder to find. We notice those changes, but for those on their once in a lifetime trip, they will never know the difference. Sometimes I think it is just that I am getting older and I like change less and less.
However, even with this I still travel from Canada to Disney roughly twice per year and will go maybe even more often once I retire in the spring. Disney still has appeal. When I first started going, the rides were all mild and many were just kind of quaint such as Jungle Cruise and PotC , my perennial favorite. To compete with Universal and other theme parks Disney had to up their game when it comes to attractions, and they have responded. Those upgrades require BIG bucks and thus either prohibitively higher prices or more people and lower overhead costs. Disney is a publicly traded business whose primary concern is increasing shareholder value. Their job is to squeeze every last penny out of the business that they can, and they are very good at it. I know the new Star Wars hotel may squeeze a bunch more out of me, LOL. I am a little scared to see what it will cost.
sleepydog25
Been here awhile
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
I highlighted the last sentence of your opening paragraph--perfectly said and exactly how I feel. LOL I do realize some of the agita I feel is related to resisting change. Long time Groupies know my thoughts regarding the start of building the cabins and Copper Creek.
(And you are a very gracious group to let me vent.) Like you, despite my increasing annoyances with Disney, we still visit at least once a year, often twice such as this year, because we find some value in nostalgia and memories. Yet, much of that desire has to do with having prepaid future accommodations owning at VWL as we do. Without that commitment, I don't think we would return so often.And that's the larger question for me. In their quest to stay ahead in the theme park arms race, has Disney sacrificed what made them unique and the industry leader? Bluntly, yes. Sure, it's a corporation and, as you say, its obligations are to the major shareholders. Yet, Disney used to set the industry standards, driving people to return repeatedly to experience that one-of-a-kind service. In Disney's own words anymore, they often refer to "industry standards" as their goal. In some ways, they're a victim of their own success; in other manners of distinction, they're creating new issues and alienating some of their core. In regards to CMs specifically, using the excuse of having to pay more for labor so we're raising costs and cutting back on personnel doesn't resonate with me. I'd be inclined to sympathetic for a company struggling for economic viability, less so for one that has made an average of $6.6B in net profit per year over the last 14 years (a low of $3.3B; high of $12.B). Again, I realize that's what companies do. . .but knowing such doesn't make their decisions regarding issues that impact my enjoyability any more palatable.
On a lighter note, it's Saturday, and we realized last night that we had missed our window for FPs for our trip in March! Fortunately, we got everything we wanted except Slinkydog. . .and that's more of a Luv thing anyway.
Lakegirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2014
Sleepy thank you so much for your trip report. The wines at AKL are amazing. I truly enjoy a nice glass of wine and Kick myself for not shipping some home. It’s been 5 years since we stayed there and I still think of how good it was. I think this trip I will make the time to go over and have some and ship some home.
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