Originally Posted By vbdad55 Okay, after my recent trip I seemed to notice that the sound was better on several rides than it has been in recent trips. I was wondering if anyone else had noticed, or if I just got lucky in my cars ? Haunted Mansion stood out as very clear sound ( and seemingly much cleaned up projections of the ghosts in the ballroom) - and SSE with excellent sound. Even Great Movie Ride had better sound...except for the movie at the end -- this needs to be replaced badly as the grainy quality of it hurts my eyes. The only ride where the sound was poor was Peter Pan..... finally did this on last day using a FP ( only waited 5 mins) - as the line was 60+ all the rest of the time...
Originally Posted By Skylardad I think it is hit and miss with audio and lighting. I am at WDW at least once a week and frequent my favorite rides. This Friday on Haunted Mansion for example, the audio was very audible (including the Ghost Host) and the lighting was perfect - not too bright to spoil effects and dark enough to give it that haunted feeling. On past trips, over the course of a few weeks, HM was too dark and it was hard to see some of the effects and the Ghost Host was inaudible at times. JIYI at Epcot suffered audio and video issues for months. At the beginning when we are introduced to Dr. Channing each monitor's color levels were different - almost washed out and pastel looking - and the narration was very quiet on some spots. It seems like someone from management finally rode the ride for themselves because the color has recently been adjusted and consistent; however, there is one spot where the dialogue between Figment and Channing are still a strain to hear (the slot machine where you get the skunk). I think there needs to be more quality control ride-throughs from management and WDI to keep things tip-top.
Originally Posted By Kimrue I thought the same thing back in January. I noticed Splash Mountain was MUCH clearer to the ear. I could actually understand the plot behind the ride.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think there needs to be more quality control ride-throughs from management and WDI to keep things tip-top.>> More??? I'd settle for SOME!!!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <JIYI at Epcot suffered audio and video issues for months. At the beginning when we are introduced to Dr. Channing each monitor's color levels were different - almost washed out and pastel looking - and the narration was very quiet on some spots. < JIYI was the only ride in my recebt visit to break down ....after sitting thru about a 5 minute stioppage-- we completed the second half of the journey without effects
Originally Posted By Skylardad For the amount of money (and time planning) a guest invests on a visit to WDW, one should NEVER feel as though they have to settle for anything quality related. But that is something that WDW management should know, not for us to point out.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "JIYI was the only ride in my recebt visit to break down ....after sitting thru about a 5 minute stioppage-- we completed the second half of the journey without effects" Are you sure it broke down? I have often seen them stop JIYI for disabled guests to embark and disembark.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I think there needs to be more quality control ride-throughs from management and WDI to keep things tip-top.>> There is a whole division of Parks & Resorts that deals with show quality (called SQS) and it is ultimately their responsibility. WDI are not involved once the project is handed over to Park Ops.
Originally Posted By crazyformickey I don't know if I just missed this place or what I thought some of the rides sounded and even looked better then I remembered.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <"JIYI was the only ride in my recebt visit to break down ....after sitting thru about a 5 minute stioppage-- we completed the second half of the journey without effects" Are you sure it broke down? I have often seen them stop JIYI for disabled guests to embark and disembark. Yes, it had nothing to do with a disembarking passenger and the 5 minutes may have been closer to 10 minutes... they turned the lights on and announced they had some issues and to remain in your seats...then the remainder of the ride for us ( inclusing the smell chamber ) - was inoperable
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I don't know if I just missed this place or what I thought some of the rides sounded and even looked better then I remembered. < that was my feeling too for many rides I mentioned..( except Peter Pan)
Originally Posted By Skylardad <<There is a whole division of Parks & Resorts that deals with show quality (called SQS) and it is ultimately their responsibility. WDI are not involved once the project is handed over to Park Ops.>> I'm not well versed in all of the hierarchy at WDW, but it seems like this is part of the problem. Yet another division that is responsible for an attraction. I am assuming that there is a manager for each attraction. (I got this from two cast members at The Living Seas who I overheard complaining about how there were 6 managers on duty and none of them were actually on the floor. This is bad show in itself.) If so, what would it take for them to at least ride through the attraction once a day to ensure everything is tip-top. If something is sub-par can't a phone call be made, an email submitted? Afterall, the adjustments being discussed here are audio levels and the color on a few projection tv's. The GM at the hotel I work for was a prominent manager at one of the deluxe resorts at WDW and one of the things he enjoyed about managing outside of the WDW Resort was the elimination of red tape. For exmple: if he wanted to change something as simple as the brand of chocolates for a guest amenity it would take up to 6 months of pushing paper and phone calls to get the approval. So, if there is that much hoopla over chocolate I can't imagine (no pun intended) what the procedure is like to get the SQS team to come out and turn the knob on a projector or amplifier.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<There is a whole division of Parks & Resorts that deals with show quality (called SQS) and it is ultimately their responsibility.>> Why do I feel they are as elusive as the yeti?
Originally Posted By Skylardad Maybe the Yeti ate them for breakfast - which is why they can't return phone calls. And for the Yeti's second course...
Originally Posted By danyoung >I think there needs to be more quality control ride-throughs from management and WDI to keep things tip-top.< Boy, talk about yer dream job! Getting to ride the rides all day long, but from a critical standpoint. With my background in audio, video and projection, I'd be the perfect guy to come in and fix things up. And I'd be a hero to all of online-dom. Can I have this job, Uncle Iger? Can I? Please please please???
Originally Posted By Skellington88 How comes SQS never does there job right? Haunted Mansion and many other attractions have serious audio problems and rides like Splash Mountain have special effects that never work right (like the hoping bunny) or the carnotaur on DINOSAUR. Why do they not actively tour the parks making notes of what needs to be fixed??
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Boy, talk about yer dream job! Getting to ride the rides all day long, but from a critical standpoint. With my background in audio, video and projection, I'd be the perfect guy to come in and fix things up. And I'd be a hero to all of online-dom. Can I have this job, Uncle Iger? Can I? Please please please???>> No. Sorry, Danny. We need someone younger, more charismatic than you. Ultimately, if these jobs do indeed still exist, they need to be eliminated because clearly they are doing NOTHING ... no, less than nothing. You then start from scratch. You hire someone to head the department that isn't beholden to anyone at Disney except Bob Iger himself. That person then gets to handpick a team. That team operates in a vaccuum. Cost is never considered. Safety for guests and cast comes first. Then show quality. The cleanliness. Then preventative upkeep. The dept. works apart from all others, so if they say the pavement on Main Street needs $123,000 of work immediately, it isn't send thru eight departments where it's scheduled for third quarter of fiscal '08 (subject to change). The money comes from a dedicated Disney Quality account ... a pipe dream? In today's environment, definitely. But needed? If you think otherwise come spend some time with me in a Disney park or resort ... you be the judge.
Originally Posted By ChiMike ^ It is something that is badly needed. Even buercratic messes like a state's transportation department have outside quality control divisions that have straight line reporting to the Governor. It can be done. But I agree, with Disney's hothouse of every manager/exec trying to justify their role/salary you're not going to see it unless Bob Iger directly wants it. I think there's a better chance of that happening than with Eiser (who thought HE WAS the Quality Control dept.), it could happen with a guy with the mindset Iger apparently has, but it still will only work as well as Iger would let it. After Pixar, he doesn't have a vault like Uncle Scrooge anymore.
