Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<How'd you know? >> The Spirit is kinda like Jacob ... he just knows. <<Nah, though "emotional", Wishes doesn't do that to me. It gets me that nice, warm, "This is DISNEY" feeling, but not full blown tears. >> I must be getting very soft in my ol..middle age because I teared up three times during Lost and once tonight during 24 and the final time on Lost I was almost blubbering ... (note to critics: I am a softie at heart!) <<Only thing that does that is the American Adventure, and the Peace on Earth finale to RoE. Violin solo, Cronkite, and saying "Peace in Earth" in foreign languages gets me. Dunno why. But iit does. I admit it.>> Those things make me emotional, but not tearful. I still remember being freaked out by a woman at DL about a decade ago who was hysterically crying during Believe. And unlike Danny, she wasn't on fire due to off course pyro either! <<*waits to see how this will be used by the Spirit*>> The Spirit conserves cheapshots ...
Originally Posted By danyoung >I don't know anyone here who has ever advocated boycotting WDW, let alone over a full trashcan.< Of course this is hyperbole, but it's not that far off. I just read something yesterday, here on LP, about "let's just not go and then Disney will get the message and fix everything". Of course, the reality is that there aren't enough Disney park visitors on LP to make a difference. And as I've said, I'm nowhere near a boycott. I still enjoy the place, and look forward to every trip. And yes, I am upset (a bit) when I ride Splash and see several of the fountains in the Laughing Place busted. But as I said, I don't let it get in the way of having a great time. Some day that might happen, but not yet, not by a long shot!
Originally Posted By sjhym33 And therein lies the rub. Disney knows that the avg guest doesnt really notice things like fountains not working or AA figures that dont work properly, or that there are lights out on Main Street. And for the most part they know that the majority of people arent sitting at home planning to cancel a vacation because of those things either. So there is no real incentive to ramp up things like maitnenance and such. The best chance for change I think comes from places like Universal whose Harry Potter attraction could give Disney a run for its money and force them to look at their business model. But I dont even hold out much hope for that. In reality there is no one at the top who sees anything wrong with the way the parks are run today. And honestly there is no one in the wings who would come in and make any changes. In fact, history shows that when mgmt stirs things up they are showed the door. Look at the revolving door at Disneyland since Matt Quimet went in and started to clean up the mess that DL had become.
Originally Posted By danyoung I think DL is cleaning up nicely, and management in SoCal seems to get what we've all been talking about - keep a clean product with exceptional attention to detail, and the people will appreciate it. I'm not sure if the changes to DL over the past few years have actually caused more people to attend, but I'm betting the changes to DCA WILL increase attendance greatly. My hope is that SoCal (and Disney corporate) management will get their DL house in order, and then move on to the east coast and start to work on the World.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 East and West are two very different corporate cultures. There has always been a them and us mentality between the two.
Originally Posted By danyoung As far as park management, yes, I agree. But they're both owned by the same company, which has the right to roll into town and kick some booty out on the street and bring in management that will do the same thing that has kept DL so successful. But of course the big question is, is this drastic move really necessary in Forida?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>> Those things make me emotional, but not tearful. I still remember being freaked out by a woman at DL about a decade ago who was hysterically crying during Believe.<<< Eh, emotional = tear up for me, but it's never in a extreme fashion. I don't get the love for Believe. The soundtrack is VERY "pushed" in my opinion...it's MADE to be emotional. And that kid is just annoying. I prefer the moppets than one solitary brat. ;-)
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Look at the revolving door at Disneyland since Matt Quimet went in and started to clean up the mess that DL had become.<<<< The TDO Building has a revolving door on it, too....Why havn't we gotten a Quimet yet?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Oy. I did a copy/paste, and didn't even see the Q. I should put my glasses on.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 That was my bad. I used the Q instead of the O. But it would be nice to have someone like Matt at WDW.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> If WDW didn't kill that buzz ... hearing about Iger trying to take the Sherman Bros out of WoC pounded a nail ... and then having to sit thru so many extra commercials during last night's Lost finale (although Target's were ... well, on target) pounded another. << Suffering from Lost withdrawl already are we?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<That was my bad. I used the Q instead of the O. But it would be nice to have someone like Matt at WDW.>> They don't want him ... or his type. Just look at the Cruise Line ... the reason it is what it is today is largely because of Matt, Tom McAlpin and Bill Ernest (as well as many folks who worked underneath them). Yet, DCL is being run by Karl Holz these days. A big baffoon (or baboon?) would be the nicest description I can give you of the man (someone too good to stay on his ship in Barcelona recently when he could stay in a four-figure a night suite at the W on his company Visa!) ... just 15 years ago, this man was a food and beverage manager at PI. Somehow ... he has gone on to run DD, EPCOT, all of WDW ops, Euro Disney and now DCL. Why? Well, there are two ways to advance at Disney and he isn't (I don't believe) into dudes. So, he just became the consumate hatchet man for Al Weiss, Paul Pressler and Jay Rasulo. That's the kind of man, Disney wants in the exec ranks. They don't want folks like Matt ... the kind that genuinely care about their guests, cast, Disney Legacy and the bottom line too. They want bottom line guys. That's what they have. The only good thing is most of these guys are now well into their 50s and that's retirement age at TWDC. Over 60 and you may as well be dead. What we're we talking about? Busy watching Craig's skeleton robot sidekick!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Suffering from Lost withdrawl already are we?>> You have no idea. And I wasn't thrilled with the wrap-up, but I knew it would be tough. It was one of the best things TWDC has done this decade ... and I think they were hoodwinked by JJ and Damon (and later Carlton) ... they had no idea how deep and strange and philosophical the show would be. And by the time they figured it out, the show had won an Emmy and was a huge hit and, more importantly, a cultural phenomenon. They'll say otherwise, but they'd take a safe procedural like CSI anyday (even if they stupidly passed on that too!).
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> Disney is NOT just for young kids. << <<Trix is for kids.>> That must be why there's a box of them on my entryway floor right now ... actually since Sunday.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>What we're we talking about? Busy watching Craig's skeleton robot sidekick!<<< Jeff is on fire tonight. Had some new software put in.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Jeff. Geoff was one of the puppets, but we haven't seen him in a while. Wavey made an appearance last night, did you see?
