Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I'm not saying we really are curmudgeons, it's just the raving fanboys and girls label us as such. When we know Disney can (and occassionally still does) awesome things. I cannot believe how much the quality slipped last year at WDW compared to 2000, and we know 2000 was nowhere near as good as the 90's, 80's or 70's. Same thing with DLP, it has been slipping for 15 years. I am keen to see if the standards have risen again, as per the conjecture currently on the web. The only resorts that cater to english speakers on the rise seam to be DL and HKDL (good knows they need to grow).
Originally Posted By Mr X Sad to hear you say that, Dave, since I value your opinion and you generally seem really balanced about this stuff. I've not been back to WDW since around 2000 or so, so that sure isn't good to hear! How would you compare Disneyland in recent times. Honestly, though DCA wasn't great shakes I have to say that the resort as a whole was looking great, especially since they were sprucing up for the big 5-0 which was nice to see. Seems like I made the right choice chosing Anaheim over Orlando for my last visit! Funny thing, too. This year over the summer was the FIRST time in my life I was in Florida without visiting WDW! (was there for a cruise out of Miami) I think this was partly subconsious...I COULD have arranged for a day or two at DisneyWorld but honestly really just didn't want to (I mean, it never really crossed my mind is the point!).
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Thanks Dave. I can honestly say I was very dissapointed with our trip last time. we had a great time overall, but certainly standards have slipped. Let's start with the positives: - Expedition Everest was awesome (even though the Yeti was 101 on our trip). - Love Soarin' - Nemo dark ride was cute, and the Living Seas was popular, but it was style over substance - also the Angler Fish kept breaking down. - Nemo Stage Show is one of Disney's finest. - All the bands are still excellent - one of my favorite things about the Disney experience (and one of the things that is greatly lacking at DLP). - AKL was a pretty cool experience. - Epcot and DAK still rock though thankfully. Negatives: - Breakdowns of buses and monorails - Slow waits for the ferries and buses (seemed much faster in 2000) - Dirty floors everywhere - stopped steamcleaning and pressure washing by the look of things. - Less custodial than ever - Attractions in need of refurb - HM, Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy, ToT - Parades were really wanting too - Dumbing down of menus, the menus are virtually the same everywhere with slightly different nuances. - Burnt out bulbs in Osborne Lights, Lights of Winter and the Grand Floridian - Cast have stopped playing at 50's Prime Time And the list goes on. WDW still has a lot of amazing things to offer, and the casual guest will hardly notice (though everyone we saw at AKL noticed the aweful buses). There are still some amazing attractions, live entertainment, dining and hotel options, coupled with some great cast members, but this really was a lesser experience than the stellar DL experience (everything spruced up at DL, more entertainment per sq ft, better cast member experiences. I am glad we went to WDW, but I am disappointed it was not what it once was. As many have said, they have grown too big and treated the property as a cash cow. If you advertise it, they will come. Well not me for a while. DL, TDL, and DLP certainly factor mush higher on the list, and recently the airfares have risen to Orlando so it is less likely I'll be going back to the swampland for a while. A shame. I do love Epcot and DAK.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Oh and the merchandise. I came home with far more money than I anticipated. Most was very dull and sold everywhere. PotC in Epcot's Future World - WTF? Princess gear in Norway???? Same merchandise everywhere you went. Yawn. I still spent a fair amount, but nowhere near as much as I intended.
Originally Posted By Mr X I remember Jonvn commenting about that at one point and I really agreed with him. He was referring to Disneyland, actually, but Epcot and the Magic Kingdom definitely used to apply. He talked about how it used to be cool to be able to buy, for example, moccasins in Frontierland, and how that's not really true anymore. Even TDL has suffered recently, though I still think there's a lot more "original" stuff around that you can only find in certain places. Disneyland though, really just felt like every shop was a "Disney Store" outlet. BORING! I could care less about that generic stuff, and I'm not much of a "shopper" anyway (sorry, TDLFAN lol), but I always used to enjoy browsing through the shops on Main Street and around the Magic Kingdom and especially Epcot's world showcase. Now Main Street (AND World Bazaar, and even Med Harbor to a slightly lesser extent) is so generic it's totally boring to bother walking in for a browse!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Ok, it sounds like Disneyland has slipped on the merchadise front since my last visit. Last time we were there, there were loads of unique things. Thankfully DLP still has some uniqueness in the stores in Frontierland and Adventureland, but not as much as there used to be. Also, remember when the parks had wood carvers, and candle makers. I am astonished they still have glass blowers, thank god they haven't gone to yesterland!
Originally Posted By Mr X Wood carvers and candle makers sounds neat (and very Disney!)...never saw that myself. I do remember the sillouette shop in Florida though, is that still there? The glass blowers are still alive and well in Tokyo as well. I like those "special touches".
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo DL's and DLP's frontierland had woodcarvers to make signs for people's homes. DL used to have a candlemaking shop on Main Street. WDW used to have a Silversmith in Liberty Square if memory serves. They used to make brass plates at DLP's Adventureland Bazaar in 1992, just like they used to sell Vintage Cars at Main Street Motors. Now it's plush, charm, pin, rubbish hell for the most part everywhere. It was only 8 years ago DLP had a proper china shop where one could purchase dining services of the bespoke settings from Walt's, Auberge de Cindrillon, Blue Lagoon and Silver Spur restaurants!
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<I don't view myself as crabby at all ... I'm a very upbeat (albeit sarcastic, witty and highly knowledgable) spirit.>> And oh so very modest, Spirit.
Originally Posted By goinagain True and very sad the merchandise has gone too comercial, it was fun years back to get items from different areas and years later remember where you got them, my last trip to WDW my son was almost 3 and everytime he found water I had to find a shop to get him new clothes after about the 3rd or 4th time I had to start buying him pajamas to walk around the park in because they had no variation in items from shop to shop and park to park. don't get me wrong I still spent about $500 in clothes for him but with no reminders of where we were.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <- Cast have stopped playing at 50's Prime Time And the list goes on. < yikes - anyone been there very recently and noticed this too ? I am hoping maybe it was for a while, or training or something, but I am know I am likely dreaming and besides menus being the same, the servers might now be also -- but if true I may switch out my PS for August there
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I had to find a shop to get him new clothes after about the 3rd or 4th time I had to start buying him pajamas to walk around the park in because they had no variation in items from shop to shop and park to park. don't get me wrong I still spent about $500 in clothes for him but with no reminders of where we were. >>> I noticed that the Disney Parks clothing appears to be gone, but they replaced it with Walt Disney World: Where Dreams Come True or something like that. They may very well have park-specific clothing, but I didn't see any just walking by. I'll have to look closer. BTW, yesterday when I went to the MK, I was wearing a T-Shirt from DL's 50th celebration. It featured the original Disneyland sign with the inidividual pastel letters. I really like that shirt, and I remember the CM that sold it to me thinking it was a great design as well (I apparently was at DL just after they got the new designs). Anyway, I got a "Kudos on your shirt!" last night from a WDW Splash Mountain CM as I was unloading. The sight of a park-specific Disney T-shirt must have really stood out to him!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<DL's and DLP's frontierland had woodcarvers to make signs for people's homes. DL used to have a candlemaking shop on Main Street. WDW used to have a Silversmith in Liberty Square if memory serves. They used to make brass plates at DLP's Adventureland Bazaar in 1992, just like they used to sell Vintage Cars at Main Street Motors. Now it's plush, charm, pin, rubbish hell for the most part everywhere. It was only 8 years ago DLP had a proper china shop where one could purchase dining services of the bespoke settings from Walt's, Auberge de Cindrillon, Blue Lagoon and Silver Spur restaurants!>> The only places I find worthy of ANY time shopping are Epcot, DAK, DLP and DL (although much less so than say a decade ago). Everything truly is a P: princesses, pirates, plush and pins. Themeing means nothing and crap rules. I used to always spend hundreds (a few times thousands) on gifts. Now, most times I spend under $30 if anything at all. <<And oh so very modest, Spirit. >> Nikki, while I have countless wonderful attributes I can't say that modesty is one of them.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Lol!!! I hear you Spirit. When I was in my early 20's and had no money because a Disney trip took all of it just to get and stay there, there were $1000's of dollars worth a gear I could have purchased. As my economic means, the desireability of much of the merchandise has decreased as cheap crap has been introduced. Not good. I am glad I have little ones, otherwise I would hardly buy anything at the resorts now.
