Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I only said that because the phone company I work for got sold the same bill of good. The company I work for spent $285 million dollars putting GPS in EVERY truck. Then management complained that their earnings were way down that year ( Gee I wonder why?) Only to find out that we were telling them the true the entire time. Management spent over two hundred million dollars to find out what we actually were working and we were where we where suppose to be doing what we are suppose to be doing. Management was told that GPS would allow the company to cut worker jobs as GPS would provide for workers being more productive ( less goofying off I suppose ). Oh course this never happened. It did allow the company to dramaticaly cut management jobs since with GPS you don't need as many managers "policing" workers. But, as the company found out, looking at where a worker is on a computer screen doesn't make up for actually going out and inspecting someones actual work completed. The phone company places calls to ALL customers in an attempt to do quality control and evaluate employee quality of work. As if a customer has the vaguest idea as to what is involved in setting up service and networking multiple computers. Heck, you ask the customer what operating system their pc is running on and they tell you Microsoft Windows. I can't tell you how many homes I have been in this past year where the operating system on the customers pc is Windows 95. Then the customer tells me that they were told ( by their ISP ) that we would install DSL on a Windows 95 machine ( which is not true ). Microsoft doesn't even support Win95 why should we?
Originally Posted By Socrates After finally finishing this thread, I have a perspective I'd like to share. I don't get that many chances to go to theme parks (long trip from Athens). And when I do, I concentrate on having fun, not critiquing the park. So something usually has to be pretty bad for me to notice. Recently I was taken to King's Island outside Cincinnati. One member of our group was a carrousel enthusiast, so we all rode the carrousel. During the ride, I noticed how worn the horses looked. In fact, the top halves of both ears on my horse were bare wood; bare spots was quite common on most of the horses. I don't like slipping standards at Disney any more than anyone else, but who's pushing them? Where is the competition? Socrates "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I don't like slipping standards at Disney any more than anyone else, but who's pushing them? Where is the competition?>> Oh wise one, that's just the point ... Disney isn't supposed to have any competition. They're supposed to be head and shoulders above any other theme park. And I seem to recall, Disney having to basically rebuild the carousel in Anaheim about three years ago as it was allowed to deteriorate so badly. I dunno ... maybe it's just my 'unique' perspective, but almost every Disney exec I've met with or dealt with in the past decade has been so .. so .. unremarkable in every way and bereft of creativity (except when figuring ways to cut quality and increase the short-term bottom line) ... I think that's why I get so 'down' on Disney. The people running the park are no better than the people running WalMart. Until that changes, I don't see how things can truly get better. Disney can market itself as a premium/elite 'brand' all it wants, but unless it's marketing the OLC's parks, it can't come close to living up to the advertising.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>but almost every Disney exec I've met with or dealt with in the past decade has been so .. so .. unremarkable in every way << A very good way to sum it up.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>Disney can market itself as a premium/elite 'brand' all it wants, but unless it's marketing the OLC's parks, it can't come close to living up to the advertising.<< It needs to do both (minus the brand). And I believe that they can't even start to strive towards the later until they get back to presenting themseleves and pricing themselves as a premiere experience. In the other thread a great point was made about Universal & Busch admission. Yes, those parks cost less. I had more fun on my last Universal-only weekend trip then I have had at Disney for years. I was with pre-teens and we had a great, great time. Looking back, we paid less and never felt we were missing anything between MIB, Mummy, Spiderman, ET, and the rest. So you would think that I would feel that Disney should price the same as Universal/Busch not more. But I don't. Disney has to keep raising their gate prices. Whether they stay with the status quo, or actually improve certain areas, they have to raise admission regardless or the property will decline further. Look at how badly Universal has been beat up by Corporate neglect over the last 4 years.
Originally Posted By Lake Nona Our family just booked a 4 day cruise out of Port Canaveral on RCL, but we will be spending 1 day at WDW, the 4 day Bahama cruise and 4 days at The Dolphin @ WDW. After reading the threads and the fact that DVC is building the new club next to MK, it a shame that new money is not put into the older parks (MK,Epcot,MGM). Plus with Disney at 67 dollars a day, we may go on a 7 day cruise next year with no WDW in the plans. Can't wait to see Pooh's Playground. Just kidding...
Originally Posted By ChiMike I hope you enjoy all parts of your trip, .. and the playground (what do you think made them feel justified in raising the price?! Come on, it's a POOH playground, you're not going to find that at your mall)
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <After reading the threads and the fact that DVC is building the new club next to MK, it a shame that new money is not put into the older parks (MK,Epcot,MGM). < really a separate issue as the money they are spending is being returned many times over - at least short term.. <<Can't wait to see Pooh's Playground. Just kidding< good one though
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I hope you enjoy all parts of your trip, .. and the playground (what do you think made them feel justified in raising the price?! Come on, it's a POOH playground, you're not going to find that at your mall)>> You'll find a whole lot better at my mall!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <After reading the threads and the fact that DVC is building the new club next to MK, it a shame that new money is not put into the older parks (MK,Epcot,MGM). < <<really a separate issue as the money they are spending is being returned many times over - at least short term..>> Are you saying the money is being reinvested in the parks?
Originally Posted By vbdad55 no - completely separate divisions for the money, that money goes to the bottom line but stays within real estate would be my guess
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<no - completely separate divisions for the money, that money goes to the bottom line but stays within real estate would be my guess>> And given all the DVC construction, it's pretty darned clear which division actually makes money, isn't it?? Maybe we well-off and sophisticated DVC’ers should vote to have $5 per month of our maintenance fee sent over to the theme park division for our less fortunate friends.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Just think if 4 or 5 people sent $5 each they could build another Poo Playground.....
Originally Posted By danyoung Labuda - >Totally self-defesting.< Is that what you do at the end of the Food & Wine Festival? Self defest??? <hee hee>
