I was at three Disney Parks on January 9th and 10th and was very dismayed at the extent of the construction outside Epcot’s Spaceship Earth and the various areas at Hollywod Studios that needed major attention. There were several high profile rides experiencing breakdowns such as Toy Story Mania and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance…
they had long lines that got even longer Even the downloadable Disney Parks app had issues with setting and confirming dining times with a typical Cast Manager response that the issue with the app was a third party issue…Really?…Then why has Disney Guest Relations touted guests to use their app if there were “third party” issues? The Magic of a Disneyworld visit could use a good jolt of Disney Tinkerbell Magic. Hopefully Bob Iger and others can right the Disney ship and restore a more enjoyable and affordable visit to this Florida destination.
Bring back the Morocco Pavilion to its glory.
Its sad it has become a rest area..
It used to be one of the most immersive and authentic pavilion.. now it seems neglected.
You would think that when the bosses went , they would disguise themselves somewhat like on undercover boss and check stuff out . Nothing like traveling with a dozen execs , and all employees know were and who they are
Oh how we wanted to dine in The Morocco dining pavilion. Open it back up and please bring back the live shows. I used to love turning around each time and seeing something exciting and different happening throughout our days visiting each park especially in EPCOT.
The problem with the Disney parks is the app. Scrap the digital at Disney. The whole point is to immerse yourself in a place away from the reality of life and experience the fantasy. You can’t do that when you’re constantly looking at your device. I want the old Disney back not a digital experience.
Mark, I moved to Florida in March of 2020 and when they opened the parks back up in July 2020 the construction barricades have been there ever since. I have not been in awhile because I got so upset with the attitudes of the visitors, the cast members, the neglected trash overflowing, the vulgar language and lack of dress and smoking. This is just not at Epcot, this is all the Disney parks. None of the cast members know what are going on, they each tell you something different and the magic is totally gone now. i hope they bring it back but it’s going to take some time.
Yes. Figment remains a favorite but whole ride area feels neglected. Was there in early December. Young grandchildren loved it. They don’t know the difference. We remember it’s old glory. Have to say that kids really enjoyed Epcot. Think as much as Magic Kingdom. Dancing to music in Germany. Frozen ride and Mexico rides were fun. 5 year old loved Soaring. Aquarium was a ball. They even loved The Land ride though that could do with an update…esp the garden/farm area.
I haven’t been to Imagination in years. I can only imagine ‘ha!’ what shape it’s in now. Regardless of everyone’s opinions of the newer spaces, if they could make that a righteous pavilion then the world formerly known as future would be more complete.
I have to ‘imagine” that since figment has become the hall of fame icon that he is that they are te imagining an upgrade more suitable for the times… Hope they are considering the high costs the costs as they meander through the parks.
the parks have gone downhill big time……..Especially the rides, they break down occasionally ( 4 times it stopped when we were on peter pan today, and twice on both the people mover and the haunted mansion…………I can see where a lot of things in the rides are worn down, or taken out, I think some of the talking on t he people mover has changed again and for the good, I dont like the script, Some of the rest of it should be changed………….. Honestly I could go on .
soaring has been down several times that we have been there, frozen also and ratatouie has broken down several times when we were in line in the past couple of months, they just shut it down and send everyone out ……….and passholders needing to make reservations at all is insane, we pay for the privilage of going to the parks…………
I have to wonder exactly how much they saw was actually accurate. I worked for an organization that when the CEO left to visit the stores, the person below him would call the store and give the managers a head up letting them know the CEO was headed there. So, he truly was not getting an accurate picture of what was really going on.
Too many companies work this way, Sabrina ( the one I USED to work for included!). My thought is this: you shouldn’t HAVE TO clean and organize and notify just because the bigwigs are coming…the cleaning and organizing should be an everyday thing, so that you are ALWAYS at your best- regardless of who might stop by!
Companies only have staffing issues if they’re not paying an appropriate wage. I’m confident that Disney can afford to pay for good employees.. but are they WILLING?
Those rides all stop like that to load disabled passengers, not because of breakdown. They need to pause the omnimover rides because some people can’t get on them while they’re moving.
They’re probably taking stock of what all will be involved in moving this stuff out of the mess known as Florida and to somewhere that everyone can feel welcome.
Given Texas may be heading down the same road as Florida my money is on S. Carolina over E. Texas as it stands today. SC is already a tourist destination, yet still a red state so they won’t pay much if any tax, the cruise industry is already established so moving operations from FL should be painless and the people there so far haven’t elected screwball’s bent on enshrining bigotry into law then conscripting corporations into their imaginary culture wars. (The war on decency?)
Shortly after Desantis announces the dissolution of their special district I imagine Disney will announce the move. I wonder if the people in the two counties will get stuck paying off the 1.4bn in bonds or if the bond holders will wind up burnt?
WDW is fifty years old now.Epcot is getting up there, too. Hollywood Studios opened as MGM. All the parks’ rides have aging mechanisms…no machine can run forever without needing things replaced. What stunned me back on 2019 was that the once pristine landscaping and buildings were obviously long missing serious tending. Bathrooms were downright truck-stopish. And that was before Covid.
Walt, you do realize don’t you, that some of the kids in those classrooms have two moms or two dads and they want to talk about their parents as much as anyone else does?
Unfortunately you don’t understand the bill. Those discussions can take place on a case by case basis. The bill only requires that these sexuality issues not be part of the curriculum that is required to be taught.
Jayne 1955 spreading false information is just as dangerous as the group of people that made the lie up to start with. If you read the bill which you should do since you believe it says something it doesn’t, you will see that this whole “Don’t say Gay” was made up in order to put a wedge between people. Personally, I think it was done in order to keep your mind off other issues. NOW, that’s what you should really be worried about.
Well no the taxpayers should have a say in what is being taught in any school not just the parents because it’s tax money that pays for the kids education
You should educate yourself outside of your information bubble. It’s not easy, but I’d you put in the effort you’ll find the world isn’t exactly how they’ve been telling you. People are easier to control when they’re always afraid and mad. Stop being a sucker.
You have no idea what you’re talking about. Disney got the Florida land at 1960’s prices — and even less than that since they bought in secret, before anyone had a chance to jack the prices up. That can never happen again. They’re not going to spend the tens of billions it would cost to move Disney World. It’s a preposterous idea that only most ignorant even talk about.
Rery Ro……laughing my butt off at your response. You hit the nail on the head. This is just more drama to keep people upset about nothing, while they are out there doing something else that we are not paying much attention to. Like having “classified documents” stored where anyone can steal them for many years. Funny how quickly that is fading away now.
Hopefully Iger fires Josh D’Amaro. As chairman of the Disney parks he is responsible for the park reservation system and genie +. People thinking that he is going to change things for the better need to think again.
I never understood why they destroyed the original Journey into Imagination with Figment and Dreamfinder. Were they hoping to make it better? Was maintenance an issue? Was some imagineer trying to make a name for himself? In any case, they obviously failed. Things over there were so much better in the 90’s.
Chris, it was due to a lot of issues: maintenance ( mold and mildew, age of the building, etc.), updating for a new generation (the future changes all the time), etc. My son and I are Figment and Dreamfinder fans and just couldn’t get past the ‘new’ show. I just hope the new movie due to be released will honor Figment and Dreamfinder the way they should be remembered- not some corny satire or full on comic odyssey!
On another note, look what happened with The Land! I liked seeing how veggies and such could be grown differently with hydroponics and other methods only thought of in science fiction books!
Would have been better if they had phone in hand trying to use Genie+. That way they would have gotten notifications on breakdowns and wait time changes.
Well Alicia, several folk have posted about the IN-accuracy of the My Disney Experience app, so…go figure! My family thinks they need to upgrade their WiFi system and add a few cell towers to cover the increased Guest load, since everybody(yeah…right!) has a cell phone in this day and age!
It seems to me with the importance of the parks, top management should be walking them every quarter, with unescorted and anonymous staff under them should be seeing what the guest experience actually is by spending guest days in the parks.
When I was in DHS in 2018, a bigwig was walking around dressed as a CM. We chatted for quite a while in a store while my daughter shopped. I later had another CM come up and tell me it was a bigwig. They should do more of that.
Now visit Hollywood Studios, a total train wreck, no pun intended, starting with what was the centerpiece, “The Great American Movie” ride. Too much digitization. Who wants to stand in line to ride through a video game? What was wrong with the t.v. studio where audience members could participate on stage in iconic t.v. show roles?
As for EPCOT, construction has been endless. It isn’t as if they have to deal with ice and snow curtailing the construction season. Hire a construction management team to enforce a schedule. Content? Bring back the old Figment ride. This one is pointless.
No, they don’t deal with ice and snow, but they DID deal with COVID shutdowns and DO deal with the occasional hurricane, too! Magic can’t cancel the whims of nature!
My family is in agreement over the Runaway Railroad attraction- definitely NOT one of Disney’s best attractions! It’s one of those ‘ride it once and no need to ride again’ things.
D’Amaro is head of the parks and is just getting out there now?? Where’s he been?
Btw Richard, the cruise line is great. It wasn’t as effected by the Chapek regime as the parks were. Also,Venice they purchased a new ship, I highly doubt that they are going to dump it.
Fire D’Amaro. He knew what was going on. All of it. Garbage, rising prices, construction, the total tanking of morale and the disrespect shown to the fans by Chapek’s policies and did nothing. All this tour did was confirm that D’Amaro wasn’t doing his job.
The workers at the park are extremely friendly and helpful.
Many of them go overboard to be of service. The choice of merchandise, however, could be upgraded. My $25 Epcot water bottle leaks, and the plastic flip lid won’t stay on.
However, souvenirs are not the issue. The construction is definitely unsightly, and has been going on too long, but one deals with those things as well.
The most glaring inconvenience is what seems to be a very poorly organized and over- priced pathway to avoid lengthy wait lines. Something definitely needs to be done about genie +. The cost is much too pricey for a family, and the procedure is absurd. Midnight & again at 7:00 am for an opportunity to experience a popular ride without a lengthy wait is ridiculous. Ask the executives to experience this for a week with a family. I’m sure they will then have a talk with the people who came up with this ridiculous idea.
They also should work a day in customer relations to see what those workers have to handle on a daily basis. In addition, the executives should talk with them to hear what “the person on the street” has to say about genie +.
If the people at the top, where the buck stops, go into the trenches, they will demand a change.
This is so overplayed – I was at the parks two weeks ago and nearly everything was as pristine as one would expect. Construction, sure. But Figment was in full working order, albeit old.
Just spent a weekend there. The park seemed unkept! Broken rides. Peeling paint. The lines are awful. I feel they should cut the amount of people they let in! It’s body to body. More like a mall. To spend $30.00 for two hot dogs and two cokes! The average family is being priced out or going in debt to go! Another point is their profit is massive. Why not raise the wages there? Just saying!
First word: COVID. Another thought: uncaring Guests who LOVE to peel paint in queue lines because of ADHD or boredom or lack of child supervision- and drop trash wherever instead of in trash receptacles found every thirty feet throughout the Park or Resort. Another issue: travelers being released from COVID protocols flooding vacation spots (revenge vacationing). Another: lack of supplies from food on up- to materials and personnel needed to correct minor and major repairs and general Resort and Park operations. Need one say more?
When the Boss makes an appearance and he brings his side kick ,with all the cling ons. YOU know that Stuff is going to get D O N E !!!!
Thank you Bob for taking the lead again to protect my investment.
Hopefully they address the filth of the parks. Overflowing trash bins, filthy restrooms, nasty cast members too! Disney use to have the nicest most helpful cast members but they all left and went to Universal! Do better Disney!
I was a CM from about 2009–2020. The majority of changes we don’t like came from Bob Iger, and he’ll laugh all the way to a second retirement if fans don’t remember that. I’m not sure why people think the current trajectory will change dramatically, especially since nearly all the Imagineers who created amazing things you know and love work for Universal (or Virgin) now. Chapek was terrible, but he didn’t create this “insulting” business plan. That came from Iger.
After going to all the Disney parks in Florida twice a year since it opened discussed it at the condition of the parks. We stopped going a few years back because the combination of dirt and gum in graffiti along with them taking away a lot of the magic with the decorations that used to be in the areas where you would wait to get on a ride it made it not very enjoyable anymore.
We used to admire the cleanliness of the Disney parks and we think it was because paint was touched up a little every night where they were scratches and the sidewalks and streets were pressure washed to get rid of the gum and spilled goo from people’s antics, but a few years ago we noticed it was getting dirtier and dirtier. Lots of gum stuck to things lots of food left various places, overflowing trash cans. We even had an incident where we reported teenagers writing graffiti on some of the rides and when we reported them, the cast member was not interested.
The rides were starting to break down way more often than we were used to and the crowd control didn’t seem to be there anymore. People were getting a little more rowdy, a little more rude, and a little more disruptive. It was no longer the happiest place on earth for our family.
Don’t get me started on all the weird genie Plus fastpass make your reservations for various rides a year in advance stuff. How about if you just let people go to the park and if you’re too full they get turned away because they didn’t get there early enough and they can come another day.
I thank you destroyed the magic for a lot of your most faithful customers. And with all that being said you still managed to raise the prices more and more every year to make it unattainable for many families.
The families I’ve spoken to who have never been there before and saved for years to go that one time were really disappointed in their 4 days or 5 days there. They said most of the rides are either dirty or under maintenance or just plain broke down in the middle of the ride. That’s after waiting in line in the heat with children who don’t understand why they’re waiting for an hour or two hours.
Disney should wake up and put the magic back the way it used to be. I used to tell people I would never go to one of the other brand Parks because the one or two times I tried them they were always so much more dirty and worn out and unfriendly compared to disney. Not anymore.
Very well said Nancy. Between the behavior of the guest that visit Disney these days and cast members that ignore what is going on when you point it out, I have lost all interest in going back. Our $1,200 each passholder tickets will not be renewed this year. Disney wanted to embrace the “woke” supporters so I say, let them have it and see what the park looks like in a year or two.
Really? Like Biden visiting at the southern border and most large businesses do you really think the day-to-day managers weren’t given advance notice that they were going to be there & started sanitizing their areas of responsibility like scheduling more employees for work that day etc. Naive very, very naive.
Although I’ve meet both of these Gentlemen and there both good that being said , the Parks definitely know in advance that they will be on property , and there is a quick facelift and best behavior in place , if Disney was Serious they would hire a 3rd party and have secret shoppers to observe and collect data of park reediness , park maintenance , ride conditions & maintenance, shops & Food establishments , guest & Cast members interactions etc .
Have an Action team to implement corrections to meet then high standards that Disney once had . Disney needs to re-hire and hire new people to meet these high standards with a staff that meets a merit based requirements that are actually qualified to do the job .
Walking thru the park will not replace the “magic” …the magic comes from the employees. The last two visits were disappointing as before I even got into the park cast members were screaming at people to walk this way and screaming at people to get in this line …their rudeness put a cloud on the entire day …
VIP tour? An anonymous visit like a guest would have been even more telling. Once a Disney fan, I am disillusioned and only see the greed behind the corporation and shareholders. Walt must be turning over in his grave seeing what has become of his dreams.
LOL. Well we know better than that! They have VIP treatment all the way. They don’t know what their customers have to contend with in the middle of August on black asphalt.
Oooh! That is some juicy bit of gossip regarding Figment. I hope something comes of it, because I think out of everything at Epcot, this ride made learning fun. Such a fantastic ride when it opened up and is a shell of its former glory, this and the exhibition hall.
When Mr. Iger and company was touring EPCOT, did they ACTUALLY talk to any of the paying guests?? For what they charge now..
That’s who they need to listen to..
Growing up in the 80’s in Lakeland, my sister and I spent many weekends and summer days in the parks. We loved being there.
Went again in October of 2021 for my four granddaughters’ first time and couldn’t have been more disappointed. The parks were filthy and overcrowded. In six hours, my granddaughters were able to ride three rides. Not everyone can afford to do fast passes. Pitiful! My kids had to save up for five years to make this trip. Definitely not worth the money any more.
Comments for Disney Execs Finally See “Insulting” Park Conditions
John
I definitely believe that the Imagination Pavilion needs a serious upgrade. Restore it to the way it was with Dreamfinder.
Mark
I was at three Disney Parks on January 9th and 10th and was very dismayed at the extent of the construction outside Epcot’s Spaceship Earth and the various areas at Hollywod Studios that needed major attention. There were several high profile rides experiencing breakdowns such as Toy Story Mania and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance…
they had long lines that got even longer Even the downloadable Disney Parks app had issues with setting and confirming dining times with a typical Cast Manager response that the issue with the app was a third party issue…Really?…Then why has Disney Guest Relations touted guests to use their app if there were “third party” issues? The Magic of a Disneyworld visit could use a good jolt of Disney Tinkerbell Magic. Hopefully Bob Iger and others can right the Disney ship and restore a more enjoyable and affordable visit to this Florida destination.
Skip
Bring back the Morocco Pavilion to its glory.
Its sad it has become a rest area..
It used to be one of the most immersive and authentic pavilion.. now it seems neglected.
ThomasDurkan
They should build an American Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage in the Morroco Pavilion.
Lisa
Talk to the Kingdom of Morocco…they were the hosting agency and decided not to return to World Showcase.
Jayne1955
People forget this.
Btb
You would think that when the bosses went , they would disguise themselves somewhat like on undercover boss and check stuff out . Nothing like traveling with a dozen execs , and all employees know were and who they are
Ken
Each of the pavilions is maintained by the country in question… but Morocco pulled out… so there’s no real cultural push behind it.
Sandy
Oh how we wanted to dine in The Morocco dining pavilion. Open it back up and please bring back the live shows. I used to love turning around each time and seeing something exciting and different happening throughout our days visiting each park especially in EPCOT.
Jason
Just watched dancers and singers in Morocco, and drummers in Japan..
Ashley Mead
The problem with the Disney parks is the app. Scrap the digital at Disney. The whole point is to immerse yourself in a place away from the reality of life and experience the fantasy. You can’t do that when you’re constantly looking at your device. I want the old Disney back not a digital experience.
DISNEYCASTMEMBERMOM
Morocco was run by a third party vendor who had financial issues. Disney took it back and a decision as to what will happen next has not been decided.
Caleb J Fisher
No they actually ran away in the middle of the night without notifying Disney. Disney ended up placing a lean on them because they owed money
Rery Ro
You should look up the definition of touted. It doesn’t mean what you think it does.
Bridget
Mark, I moved to Florida in March of 2020 and when they opened the parks back up in July 2020 the construction barricades have been there ever since. I have not been in awhile because I got so upset with the attitudes of the visitors, the cast members, the neglected trash overflowing, the vulgar language and lack of dress and smoking. This is just not at Epcot, this is all the Disney parks. None of the cast members know what are going on, they each tell you something different and the magic is totally gone now. i hope they bring it back but it’s going to take some time.
Carla
I agree with this. Worse thing they ever did was remove Dreamfinder and break the relationship between he and Figment!
Rosemary
Yes. Figment remains a favorite but whole ride area feels neglected. Was there in early December. Young grandchildren loved it. They don’t know the difference. We remember it’s old glory. Have to say that kids really enjoyed Epcot. Think as much as Magic Kingdom. Dancing to music in Germany. Frozen ride and Mexico rides were fun. 5 year old loved Soaring. Aquarium was a ball. They even loved The Land ride though that could do with an update…esp the garden/farm area.
Stan Kerns
Just maybe they can get their heads around the idea that Disney’s guests are not a crop to be harvested
Ritachan
Both Bob Iger and Josh D’Marco were at Disneyland a few days early.
Tyler
I haven’t been to Imagination in years. I can only imagine ‘ha!’ what shape it’s in now. Regardless of everyone’s opinions of the newer spaces, if they could make that a righteous pavilion then the world formerly known as future would be more complete.
DJT luvsputin
I have to ‘imagine” that since figment has become the hall of fame icon that he is that they are te imagining an upgrade more suitable for the times… Hope they are considering the high costs the costs as they meander through the parks.
lorraine
the parks have gone downhill big time……..Especially the rides, they break down occasionally ( 4 times it stopped when we were on peter pan today, and twice on both the people mover and the haunted mansion…………I can see where a lot of things in the rides are worn down, or taken out, I think some of the talking on t he people mover has changed again and for the good, I dont like the script, Some of the rest of it should be changed………….. Honestly I could go on .
lorraine
soaring has been down several times that we have been there, frozen also and ratatouie has broken down several times when we were in line in the past couple of months, they just shut it down and send everyone out ……….and passholders needing to make reservations at all is insane, we pay for the privilage of going to the parks…………
Sabrina
I have to wonder exactly how much they saw was actually accurate. I worked for an organization that when the CEO left to visit the stores, the person below him would call the store and give the managers a head up letting them know the CEO was headed there. So, he truly was not getting an accurate picture of what was really going on.
Lisa
Too many companies work this way, Sabrina ( the one I USED to work for included!). My thought is this: you shouldn’t HAVE TO clean and organize and notify just because the bigwigs are coming…the cleaning and organizing should be an everyday thing, so that you are ALWAYS at your best- regardless of who might stop by!
Puckles
Wal mart?
Bob
Iger is finally seeing the end result of the Business Process Optimization started under his last tenure.
The forever construction timelines are his doing as fiscal engineering.
Tron should have been a 19-24 month construction schedule.
Lisa
Uhhh… and COVID-19 was just a cold, I suppose.
Wendy Coupar
Thank you for bringing that up. People we’re laid off and some never returned. I would imagine that there still staffing issues.
Jason
Companies only have staffing issues if they’re not paying an appropriate wage. I’m confident that Disney can afford to pay for good employees.. but are they WILLING?
Nancy Thorsby
Actually a bad flu.
Bridget
I’ve never had a flu damage my lungs and give me breathing issue that will linger the rest of my life.
CM
I hope they used the restrooms while there. The last few trips they have been awful and used to be kept so nice.
WJ
Those rides all stop like that to load disabled passengers, not because of breakdown. They need to pause the omnimover rides because some people can’t get on them while they’re moving.
RedQueen
You do know they stop the rides to load/unload disabled right?
Dee_Hos
They’re probably taking stock of what all will be involved in moving this stuff out of the mess known as Florida and to somewhere that everyone can feel welcome.
Given Texas may be heading down the same road as Florida my money is on S. Carolina over E. Texas as it stands today. SC is already a tourist destination, yet still a red state so they won’t pay much if any tax, the cruise industry is already established so moving operations from FL should be painless and the people there so far haven’t elected screwball’s bent on enshrining bigotry into law then conscripting corporations into their imaginary culture wars. (The war on decency?)
Shortly after Desantis announces the dissolution of their special district I imagine Disney will announce the move. I wonder if the people in the two counties will get stuck paying off the 1.4bn in bonds or if the bond holders will wind up burnt?
Eddie
Let me guess, primary color hair and lot’s of cat’s.
Cam
Disney is not going anywhere. Too much money involved and that would screw you guys, too
Ava
You’re smoking something cause that won’t be happening
CM
WDW is fifty years old now.Epcot is getting up there, too. Hollywood Studios opened as MGM. All the parks’ rides have aging mechanisms…no machine can run forever without needing things replaced. What stunned me back on 2019 was that the once pristine landscaping and buildings were obviously long missing serious tending. Bathrooms were downright truck-stopish. And that was before Covid.
Jayne1955
They’re going to get stuck with the bond issue no matter what.
Jayne1955
Walt, you do realize don’t you, that some of the kids in those classrooms have two moms or two dads and they want to talk about their parents as much as anyone else does?
Bruce Holberg
Unfortunately you don’t understand the bill. Those discussions can take place on a case by case basis. The bill only requires that these sexuality issues not be part of the curriculum that is required to be taught.
Bridget
Jayne 1955 spreading false information is just as dangerous as the group of people that made the lie up to start with. If you read the bill which you should do since you believe it says something it doesn’t, you will see that this whole “Don’t say Gay” was made up in order to put a wedge between people. Personally, I think it was done in order to keep your mind off other issues. NOW, that’s what you should really be worried about.
Shane
Well no the taxpayers should have a say in what is being taught in any school not just the parents because it’s tax money that pays for the kids education
Jason
You should educate yourself outside of your information bubble. It’s not easy, but I’d you put in the effort you’ll find the world isn’t exactly how they’ve been telling you. People are easier to control when they’re always afraid and mad. Stop being a sucker.
Rery Ro
You have no idea what you’re talking about. Disney got the Florida land at 1960’s prices — and even less than that since they bought in secret, before anyone had a chance to jack the prices up. That can never happen again. They’re not going to spend the tens of billions it would cost to move Disney World. It’s a preposterous idea that only most ignorant even talk about.
Bridget
Rery Ro……laughing my butt off at your response. You hit the nail on the head. This is just more drama to keep people upset about nothing, while they are out there doing something else that we are not paying much attention to. Like having “classified documents” stored where anyone can steal them for many years. Funny how quickly that is fading away now.
Sherri
While I am happy, they are experiencing the parks firsthand. Perhaps they should stand in line for two hours and see what it’s really like.
Nick
With a screaming child and a dead cell phone 😂
NJ
I agree with you. Figment and Dreamfinder represent the basis for all that is Disney. Yet they are unappreciated and under utilized.
Richard strauss
Dump the cruise line
Bring the parks back to the magic they once had
Lisa
Uhhhh…no.
Jayne1955
I love their cruises. I’m going on the Wonder to Alaska soon.
Ken
Cruise Line is the only piece getting it right at that moment. Service dropped all over… except the cruise line.
Mickey
Hopefully Iger fires Josh D’Amaro. As chairman of the Disney parks he is responsible for the park reservation system and genie +. People thinking that he is going to change things for the better need to think again.
Lisa
And just who was this fella named Bob Chapek? The guy who was needed to sign off on changes in the Company, yes?
Chris
I never understood why they destroyed the original Journey into Imagination with Figment and Dreamfinder. Were they hoping to make it better? Was maintenance an issue? Was some imagineer trying to make a name for himself? In any case, they obviously failed. Things over there were so much better in the 90’s.
Lisa
Chris, it was due to a lot of issues: maintenance ( mold and mildew, age of the building, etc.), updating for a new generation (the future changes all the time), etc. My son and I are Figment and Dreamfinder fans and just couldn’t get past the ‘new’ show. I just hope the new movie due to be released will honor Figment and Dreamfinder the way they should be remembered- not some corny satire or full on comic odyssey!
On another note, look what happened with The Land! I liked seeing how veggies and such could be grown differently with hydroponics and other methods only thought of in science fiction books!
Alicia R.
Would have been better if they had phone in hand trying to use Genie+. That way they would have gotten notifications on breakdowns and wait time changes.
Lisa
Well Alicia, several folk have posted about the IN-accuracy of the My Disney Experience app, so…go figure! My family thinks they need to upgrade their WiFi system and add a few cell towers to cover the increased Guest load, since everybody(yeah…right!) has a cell phone in this day and age!
LouiB
It seems to me with the importance of the parks, top management should be walking them every quarter, with unescorted and anonymous staff under them should be seeing what the guest experience actually is by spending guest days in the parks.
S Nogg
When I was in DHS in 2018, a bigwig was walking around dressed as a CM. We chatted for quite a while in a store while my daughter shopped. I later had another CM come up and tell me it was a bigwig. They should do more of that.
Mary-Anna
Now visit Hollywood Studios, a total train wreck, no pun intended, starting with what was the centerpiece, “The Great American Movie” ride. Too much digitization. Who wants to stand in line to ride through a video game? What was wrong with the t.v. studio where audience members could participate on stage in iconic t.v. show roles?
As for EPCOT, construction has been endless. It isn’t as if they have to deal with ice and snow curtailing the construction season. Hire a construction management team to enforce a schedule. Content? Bring back the old Figment ride. This one is pointless.
Lisa
No, they don’t deal with ice and snow, but they DID deal with COVID shutdowns and DO deal with the occasional hurricane, too! Magic can’t cancel the whims of nature!
My family is in agreement over the Runaway Railroad attraction- definitely NOT one of Disney’s best attractions! It’s one of those ‘ride it once and no need to ride again’ things.
DHC
D’Amaro is head of the parks and is just getting out there now?? Where’s he been?
Btw Richard, the cruise line is great. It wasn’t as effected by the Chapek regime as the parks were. Also,Venice they purchased a new ship, I highly doubt that they are going to dump it.
Fire D’Amaro. He knew what was going on. All of it. Garbage, rising prices, construction, the total tanking of morale and the disrespect shown to the fans by Chapek’s policies and did nothing. All this tour did was confirm that D’Amaro wasn’t doing his job.
Lisa
Guess everyone is entitled to an opinion.
Thomas S
Management by walking around. The best there is!
CJ Simmons
The workers at the park are extremely friendly and helpful.
Many of them go overboard to be of service. The choice of merchandise, however, could be upgraded. My $25 Epcot water bottle leaks, and the plastic flip lid won’t stay on.
However, souvenirs are not the issue. The construction is definitely unsightly, and has been going on too long, but one deals with those things as well.
The most glaring inconvenience is what seems to be a very poorly organized and over- priced pathway to avoid lengthy wait lines. Something definitely needs to be done about genie +. The cost is much too pricey for a family, and the procedure is absurd. Midnight & again at 7:00 am for an opportunity to experience a popular ride without a lengthy wait is ridiculous. Ask the executives to experience this for a week with a family. I’m sure they will then have a talk with the people who came up with this ridiculous idea.
They also should work a day in customer relations to see what those workers have to handle on a daily basis. In addition, the executives should talk with them to hear what “the person on the street” has to say about genie +.
If the people at the top, where the buck stops, go into the trenches, they will demand a change.
Caleb
Genie+ and lightning lane are awesome.
The price point is what it is for a reason.
Caleb
This is so overplayed – I was at the parks two weeks ago and nearly everything was as pristine as one would expect. Construction, sure. But Figment was in full working order, albeit old.
I can’t understand this griping and nonsense.
J
All I see is “lip service” so far and all the “school kids” are placated already.
Iza Ellis
Just spent a weekend there. The park seemed unkept! Broken rides. Peeling paint. The lines are awful. I feel they should cut the amount of people they let in! It’s body to body. More like a mall. To spend $30.00 for two hot dogs and two cokes! The average family is being priced out or going in debt to go! Another point is their profit is massive. Why not raise the wages there? Just saying!
Lisa
First word: COVID. Another thought: uncaring Guests who LOVE to peel paint in queue lines because of ADHD or boredom or lack of child supervision- and drop trash wherever instead of in trash receptacles found every thirty feet throughout the Park or Resort. Another issue: travelers being released from COVID protocols flooding vacation spots (revenge vacationing). Another: lack of supplies from food on up- to materials and personnel needed to correct minor and major repairs and general Resort and Park operations. Need one say more?
Mason
Disney should keep Splash Mountain then because most people want to keep it. Bring back my boy Trader Sam too.
Jayne1955
They should have put a Bayou on Tom Sawyer’s island and tied it in with the riverboat. THAT would have been awesome.
Shar
True
Chastity Elizabeth
Chastity Elizabeth
BT
When the Boss makes an appearance and he brings his side kick ,with all the cling ons. YOU know that Stuff is going to get D O N E !!!!
Thank you Bob for taking the lead again to protect my investment.
Jayne1955
This is what they SHOULD be doing. I’m glad they did it.
Shar
Hopefully they address the filth of the parks. Overflowing trash bins, filthy restrooms, nasty cast members too! Disney use to have the nicest most helpful cast members but they all left and went to Universal! Do better Disney!
Ed
Hope it was a hot day and they had to park in Discovery Row 74 and had to walk! Bring the Trams Back.
formerCMMagic
I was a CM from about 2009–2020. The majority of changes we don’t like came from Bob Iger, and he’ll laugh all the way to a second retirement if fans don’t remember that. I’m not sure why people think the current trajectory will change dramatically, especially since nearly all the Imagineers who created amazing things you know and love work for Universal (or Virgin) now. Chapek was terrible, but he didn’t create this “insulting” business plan. That came from Iger.
Robin
I am still hoping Iger will reduce the new raise for Annual passes. I think its ridiculous to charge so much.
Nancy Ayles
After going to all the Disney parks in Florida twice a year since it opened discussed it at the condition of the parks. We stopped going a few years back because the combination of dirt and gum in graffiti along with them taking away a lot of the magic with the decorations that used to be in the areas where you would wait to get on a ride it made it not very enjoyable anymore.
We used to admire the cleanliness of the Disney parks and we think it was because paint was touched up a little every night where they were scratches and the sidewalks and streets were pressure washed to get rid of the gum and spilled goo from people’s antics, but a few years ago we noticed it was getting dirtier and dirtier. Lots of gum stuck to things lots of food left various places, overflowing trash cans. We even had an incident where we reported teenagers writing graffiti on some of the rides and when we reported them, the cast member was not interested.
The rides were starting to break down way more often than we were used to and the crowd control didn’t seem to be there anymore. People were getting a little more rowdy, a little more rude, and a little more disruptive. It was no longer the happiest place on earth for our family.
Don’t get me started on all the weird genie Plus fastpass make your reservations for various rides a year in advance stuff. How about if you just let people go to the park and if you’re too full they get turned away because they didn’t get there early enough and they can come another day.
I thank you destroyed the magic for a lot of your most faithful customers. And with all that being said you still managed to raise the prices more and more every year to make it unattainable for many families.
The families I’ve spoken to who have never been there before and saved for years to go that one time were really disappointed in their 4 days or 5 days there. They said most of the rides are either dirty or under maintenance or just plain broke down in the middle of the ride. That’s after waiting in line in the heat with children who don’t understand why they’re waiting for an hour or two hours.
Disney should wake up and put the magic back the way it used to be. I used to tell people I would never go to one of the other brand Parks because the one or two times I tried them they were always so much more dirty and worn out and unfriendly compared to disney. Not anymore.
Bridget
Very well said Nancy. Between the behavior of the guest that visit Disney these days and cast members that ignore what is going on when you point it out, I have lost all interest in going back. Our $1,200 each passholder tickets will not be renewed this year. Disney wanted to embrace the “woke” supporters so I say, let them have it and see what the park looks like in a year or two.
michael
Really? Like Biden visiting at the southern border and most large businesses do you really think the day-to-day managers weren’t given advance notice that they were going to be there & started sanitizing their areas of responsibility like scheduling more employees for work that day etc. Naive very, very naive.
Al
this is a joke; D’Amaro claims he’s out in the parks all the time.
KMAN
Although I’ve meet both of these Gentlemen and there both good that being said , the Parks definitely know in advance that they will be on property , and there is a quick facelift and best behavior in place , if Disney was Serious they would hire a 3rd party and have secret shoppers to observe and collect data of park reediness , park maintenance , ride conditions & maintenance, shops & Food establishments , guest & Cast members interactions etc .
Have an Action team to implement corrections to meet then high standards that Disney once had . Disney needs to re-hire and hire new people to meet these high standards with a staff that meets a merit based requirements that are actually qualified to do the job .
Sandy
Walking thru the park will not replace the “magic” …the magic comes from the employees. The last two visits were disappointing as before I even got into the park cast members were screaming at people to walk this way and screaming at people to get in this line …their rudeness put a cloud on the entire day …
Susan
VIP tour? An anonymous visit like a guest would have been even more telling. Once a Disney fan, I am disillusioned and only see the greed behind the corporation and shareholders. Walt must be turning over in his grave seeing what has become of his dreams.
Jonathon N
Hopefully they had to WALK from the Epcot parking lot to the main gate entrance.
Because, there was no parking lot tram…
Bridget
LOL. Well we know better than that! They have VIP treatment all the way. They don’t know what their customers have to contend with in the middle of August on black asphalt.
Geoff Oltmans
Oooh! That is some juicy bit of gossip regarding Figment. I hope something comes of it, because I think out of everything at Epcot, this ride made learning fun. Such a fantastic ride when it opened up and is a shell of its former glory, this and the exhibition hall.
Barry R
When Mr. Iger and company was touring EPCOT, did they ACTUALLY talk to any of the paying guests?? For what they charge now..
That’s who they need to listen to..
Bobbi
Growing up in the 80’s in Lakeland, my sister and I spent many weekends and summer days in the parks. We loved being there.
Went again in October of 2021 for my four granddaughters’ first time and couldn’t have been more disappointed. The parks were filthy and overcrowded. In six hours, my granddaughters were able to ride three rides. Not everyone can afford to do fast passes. Pitiful! My kids had to save up for five years to make this trip. Definitely not worth the money any more.
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