Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<What scares me is that when I take my kids to Disney, it will have changed so much that they won't understand why I loved the place so much. It won't be any fun to go there any more if the same kinds of experience aren't there for them. That's when the magic finally breaks.>> The Disney we (and I could mean that for anyone over 25) we grew up with is gone forever. There's a whole new group of visitors who are becoming 'fans' based on a much lower quality product. Some of us can actually recall when WDW didn't have things like character dining, the same merchandise in EVERY shop, EMHs (because parks were open late for everyone during summer, holidays and weekends), pintrading and timeshares. I recall when my Dad, who hooked me on WDW when I was a young child, gave up his AP over a decade ago and said 'the quality just isn't what it was ... and everything is the same, they never change anything'. This was the same jaded dude who would smile while I dripped my ice cream cone on him and demanded HE hold MY balloon because it weighed too much (yeah, I was an ornery 'wittle Spirit once) after running around the ONLY WDW theme park for 12 hours. The same guy who would say with amazement that the streets were so clean you could eat off them and say the bathrooms were cleaner than ours at home. It's not the same place. It's still a nice place. Sometimes it can be magical. But fundamentally it isn't the same. It is a LESSER place. More marketing magic than Disney magic. More hype than substance, often. I don't know where I am going with this beyond the obvious ... no, future generations are not ever going to understand how amazing WDW was in 1974, 1984 or 1994 ... they'll be talking about their 2004 visit when they bought into Saratoga Springs and their daughter got to dance with Aladdin in EPCOT and they met the nicest busdriver (78-year-old Harry from Pittsburgh) and got a free anniversary dessert on a $400 dinner tab at Chefs de France. It's a whole different world (maybe they'll 'borrow' that for their next marketing campaign?) now.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip It is a whole different world, and the WDW of 1974 or 1984 just could not exist today. Changing shareholder expectations would make it hard to pursue a "quality at all costs" philosophy today. And while there are still great CM, I think overall it is difficult to find hourly employees today that have the commitment to show quality that they had 30 years ago.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>It's not the same place. It's still a nice place. Sometimes it can be magical. But fundamentally it isn't the same. It is a LESSER place. More marketing magic than Disney magic. More hype than substance, often.<<<< Agreed totally on this statement, especially after NT was so hyped. With all the promotion, perhaps a bit more could have happened.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> The same guy who would say with amazement that the streets were so clean you could eat off them and say the bathrooms were cleaner than ours at home. << You'd better not be talking sh*t about today's WDW bathrooms, esse. The Pixie Dust Potties Club will be coming after you, dunking your head until you admit the supremacy of Mickey's toilets.
Originally Posted By Grumpy Pete Back on topic: I went to MK for the first time last summer and went to the "Tiki room under new management" In my opinion it is a dispicable abomination. It took the wind out of my sails for the morning. The brain dead imagineer(s)who came up with that horrible rip off should be taken out and strapped down on an ant hill and have honey smeared on 'em. The original is just an enjoyable fun time. (Just my not-so-humble opinion)
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost ^^^^Don't hold back Grumpy...if you have a problem with Tiki you should make it known. No more sugar coating, OK? ;-)
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer <<What scares me is that when I take my kids to Disney, it will have changed so much that they won't understand why I loved the place so much. It won't be any fun to go there any more if the same kinds of experience aren't there for them. That's when the magic finally breaks.>> This I agree with, but reluctantly. YES, the "original" Disney and quality that drew us in might be lessened, but even so, there's still a presence a about the place, and there is still some degree of high quality. It still captures the imagination, new fans, and still establishes itself under it's goals of family entertainment. It's doing what it once did, but in a different way.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>The brain dead imagineer(s)who came up with that horrible rip off should be taken out and strapped down on an ant hill and have honey smeared on 'em. The original is just an enjoyable fun time. (Just my not-so-humble opinion)<<< Don't blame them, they were made to synergize it. I've also heard tell of the "hidden" meaning in the dialog that WDI wrote for the attraction...It was their way of protesting changing up so many old classics.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Here, this article explains it better. <a href="http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/2007/02/be-yourself.html" target="_blank">http://imagineerebirth.blogspo...elf.html</a>
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>>This I agree with, but reluctantly. YES, the "original" Disney and quality that drew us in might be lessened, but even so, there's still a presence a about the place, and there is still some degree of high quality. It still captures the imagination, new fans, and still establishes itself under it's goals of family entertainment. It's doing what it once did, but in a different way.<<<< Very well put but be ready to wear your armored underwear. You will be the target of some purist comeback here soon. What we older Disney people do not seem to realize is that Disney still does things better than the others so new people coming to the place are as enamored as those of us that went years ago. It's just different stuff that they are seeing.
Originally Posted By Manfried You know everyone complains about the quality going downhill. "I remember how good it used to be..." Memory about Disney is always going to be better than the actual. Particularly as the place gets older. Now want proof? Step into your way back machine and return to the 1960's and the original "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." Same soundtrack, but it has a lot more hiss in it. And the esteemed AA figure? It moves like a stiff mannequin. America Sings? We would have been clamoring for Disney to please close it down. And frankly, if not for nostalgia, the Tiki Birds would have been closed down long ago. Not saying Disney made it better with the show they put into WDW, but if they had put in a good show with some fun songs we would have let go the old show. So, it's not the generic term "quality" you folks always bandy about, it's really about a good show you should be talking about. Please WDI, let the Tiki Birds retire and bring in a really good new show that would have an hour and a half wait please.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<So, it's not the generic term "quality" you folks always bandy about, it's really about a good show you should be talking about. Please WDI, let the Tiki Birds retire and bring in a really good new show that would have an hour and a half wait please.>> The two go hand in hand. And the over all quality has gone down. Food-worse Merchandise-worse Maintenance-worse
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Very well put but be ready to wear your armored underwear. You will be the target of some purist comeback here soon. What we older Disney people do not seem to realize is that Disney still does things better than the others so new people coming to the place are as enamored as those of us that went years ago. It's just different stuff that they are seeing.<<< Thanks! And yes, that's how I feel, too. Disney is still very much prominent, still very much at the forefront, though they are in a position to loose that position. Also, there still is quality, as you and I said. It's just not AS good as it nice was.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>> So, it's not the generic term "quality" you folks always bandy about, it's really about a good show you should be talking about. Please WDI, let the Tiki Birds retire and bring in a really good new show that would have an hour and a half wait please.<<<< Doesn't quality mean "Good Show"? Otherwise, I agree.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Less bumpkins than WDW. << Yeah Dude. Those toads or kind of gnarly. Not as sophisticated as those cats in the bankrupt, and freak Capitol of the US! One of the most beautiful States with some of the best beaches best weather, most beautiful women, and freakest people/cults in the Union. A State where the automobile is God, and you are judged by the price you paid for the wheels on your car. Not at all like those bumpkins from other States. Groovy Dude.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I need to turn some music on ... and decide whether I want to eat my first meal of the day at 8 p.m.! << To live a health life style you should eat 5 small meals spaced out through the day. This message is brought to you by the people who basicly want to tell you how to live your life, and or now going to dictate what we think you should eat, and point out other bad habbits you should give up. HEY FATTY, put down that piece of apple pie!
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Happy even makes her kids watch Rocky Horror. << Have you considered turning her into Child Protective Services?
Originally Posted By MPierce >> What scares me is that when I take my kids to Disney, it will have changed so much that they won't understand why I loved the place so much. It won't be any fun to go there any more if the same kinds of experience aren't there for them. That's when the magic finally breaks. << That scenerio will break the generational chain that exists now.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> This was the same jaded dude who would smile while I dripped my ice cream cone on him and demanded HE hold MY balloon because it weighed too much (yeah, I was an ornery 'wittle Spirit once) << I thought that happened last month when you, and your Dad visted WDW,
Originally Posted By MPierce >> You'd better not be talking sh*t about today's WDW bathrooms, esse. The Pixie Dust Potties Club will be coming after you, dunking your head until you admit the supremacy of Mickey's toilets. << How could you not be talkin' s**t when discussing WDW bathrooms?
