Theme Parks Quality

[goofybiz]

Mr Disney would be extremely disappointed that his dream is slowly dying. The parks are all getting old. Hollywood Studios has many attractions closed and not enough to do there. The ones that are open are old and dull. Toy Story Mania is impossible to get on and is the only ride worth going on. In general all the parks have many attractions closed and so old, Dinosaur attraction with Ellen in Epcot.....she is so young there. Soaring is another attraction that is just about impossible to get on....
Thank heavens for the new Fanatsyland it was somewhat refreshing, but Tomorrowland needs much updating....Animal Kingdom we only rode the Safari ride as it presented a different picture each time. Much of the live entertainment and shows have disappeared...

Instead of buying Star Wars, etc for billions, that money should be invested in their parks and hotels....

For the money you spend at Disney world after saving for over a year it is very disappointing to see the conditions of the facilities. We overheard that the economy is affecting Disney so Disney should be trying to make itself more appealing to its vistors that made them what they are today. Again Mr Disney would be embarassed.:-o

[MickeysBestPal]

Mr Disney would be extremely disappointed that his dream is slowly dying. The parks are all getting old. Hollywood Studios has many attractions closed and not enough to do there. The ones that are open are old and dull. Toy Story Mania is impossible to get on and is the only ride worth going on. In general all the parks have many attractions closed and so old, Dinosaur attraction with Ellen in Epcot.....she is so young there. Soaring is another attraction that is just about impossible to get on....
Thank heavens for the new Fanatsyland it was somewhat refreshing, but Tomorrowland needs much updating....Animal Kingdom we only rode the Safari ride as it presented a different picture each time. Much of the live entertainment and shows have disappeared...

Instead of buying Star Wars, etc for billions, that money should be invested in their parks and hotels....

For the money you spend at Disney world after saving for over a year it is very disappointing to see the conditions of the facilities. We overheard that the economy is affecting Disney so Disney should be trying to make itself more appealing to its vistors that made them what they are today. Again Mr Disney would be embarassed.:-o

The place is so busy, no one goes there anymore.
-Yogi Berra

;)

[retiredfigment]

Sorry, can't totally agree on this one. Rides are not old, they are treasures - well kept. Nostalgic, not dated. Some things need to stay the same. Remember what happened when they tried to 'update' and change Figment? Lots of people go year after year to enjoy their memories. Carousel of Progress, for example, is 'old' but I still love singing along during every age!

[Ms. Mode]

The place is so busy, no one goes there anymore.
-Yogi Berra

;)

I guess I don't agree totally with you on this either. We are just back from a trip and it was REALLY crowded toward the end of the trip. Also, we did several things that we had never done before and it was our eighth trip!

I know that WDW is not everyone's favorite place to go, but that's ok with me....I LOVE it there for many reasons! :thumbsup:

[azcavalier]

Yeah, just got back yesterday from 8 days in the park. I did notice a few things:

1. No more "Opening Shows" except at Magic Kingdom. They used to have something every morning at all of the parks when opening. I loved the show they had at Hollywood Studios, but now they don't even have a rope drop. They just wait until opening and then start letting people in through the turnstiles. I asked a Cast Member about this, and she said that it was for safety reasons....that people had been doing stupid and dangerous things to get up front. Letting guests in at a trickle is much easier to handle than the crush of people trying to get to ToT, TSM, and RnRC all at once. Too bad.

2. Splash Mountain - OK, there were issues here. So many of the effects broken/down. The "Laughing Place" was pretty much all dead. No jumping water, the turtles that are supposed to be floating on water jets wasn't working, etc, etc. Pretty sad. Hoping that they're just holding out for the annual January "let's shut it down for a month and fix everything" refurb. When we go back in April, I expect it to be working fine.

That said, the rest of our time was great! If you think that certain rides are impossible to get on, then you need to take a look at how you are using FastPasses. The longest we waited for ANY attraction all week was 20 minutes for Maelstrom (including Soarin' three times and Toy Story Mania twice). And that was our own fault. They had FastPasses available for just 30 minutes ahead of the current time. We could have gotten FastPasses, gone to ride the Mexico ride, and came back and walked on to Maelstrom.

The parks were spotless, most everything else was either up or being refurbished. We even got to go to the "dress rehearsal" of the New Fantasyland, including eating lunch at Be Our Guest.

I'll be writing a trip report today.

[lawgirl]

Sorry to hear that from the OP. One thing I love about WDW is that it is very nostalgic and "vintage", but still kept up very well. One thing that is so special to me is going through some of the older rides and remembering trips past especially from my childhood. I think I'd be pretty upset if they got rid of the old stuff. And I think just the general atmosphere is what I love...all of the landscaping and theming.

I agree that some things need to be updated, but I hope they don't change the old ones I love (especially the Land ride and the French movie!!!).

Oh and I think on the popular rides, like TSM and Soarin', you pretty much have to get a Fastpass. It just takes a little bit of extra planning, but it's so worth it. We almost always get our fastpasses for Soarin', then plan around that time. It really is the way to go!

[MickeysBestPal]

The place is so busy, no one goes there anymore.
-Yogi Berra

;)


I guess I don't agree totally with you on this either. We are just back from a trip and it was REALLY crowded toward the end of the trip.

I think that you may not be familiar with the many "paradoxical utterances" of Mr. Berra.

:secret:

[Kaps]

please fix splash mountain I will be there in 11 days and it is my favorite ride and my kids as well. How can they even let you in with that much not working?????? They Can fix if it in the evenings we pay enough and it should all work,that would be a big disappointment.:thedolls:

[MickeysBestPal]

please fix splash mountain I will be there in 11 days and it is my favorite ride and my kids as well. How can they even let you in with that much not working?????? They Can fix if it in the evenings we pay enough and it should all work,that would be a big disappointment.:thedolls:

Splash normally goes into extended refurb every year during January.
Last year, however, it did not do the customary refurb as BTBRR was in major refurb at that time.

The previous year, much of the refurb for Splash was spent on adding the lap-bar restraints and not as much time on the animatronics and other effects.

So-
In early January (into mid-February) of 2013, Splash will be going into a much needed, long-overdue refurb.

(Too late for Kaps' upcoming trip, but it should help those who arrive after the winter of 2013.)

[SBETigg]

Actually, you have no idea how Mr. Disney would feel. You can guess, but he's gone. We don't know. I really don't find a lot of disappointment when I go. Yes, there are things here and there, but I still love most of the attractions and enjoy going back.

[DisneyDawgette]

please fix splash mountain I will be there in 11 days and it is my favorite ride and my kids as well. How can they even let you in with that much not working?????? They Can fix if it in the evenings we pay enough and it should all work,that would be a big disappointment.:thedolls:

To be perfectly honest, we went less than a month ago, and they had been having technical difficulties with the ride for MNSSHP. They finally opened it before the end of the night and the cast members were more than accommodating and gave periodic updates every time we came by. Once it was opened, we got to ride it and I kept an eye out for all of these supposed obvious failures in animatronics and decor.

Can I tell you that through the entire ride I only noticed ONE broken animatronic figure? He wasn't broken, just not moving as much as all of the others. And the paint didn't look worn or dirty to me.

Don't believe ALL the hype you hear. Disney is still IONS above other parks (ESPECIALLY that other one in Orlando that I recently visitied as well...) as far as cleanliness and attention to detail. Can't say I much agree with this post. But that's just my :twocents:

[Quadstriker]

. The ones that are open are old and dull. Toy Story Mania is impossible to get on and is the only ride worth going on.

lol no

[villavic]

Sorry, can't totally agree on this one. Rides are not old, they are treasures - well kept. Nostalgic, not dated. Some things need to stay the same.

I agree with this. I'm a 46 years old child when I go to WDW and I love to see again Country Bears, Tom Sawyer Island, Pirates, etc.

But I do admit some rides are getting obsolete. With all the new technology, I'd revitalize for example the Jungle Cruise, the animatronics could be more live-like, dynamic.

And I do agree they sometimes deviate from the Walt Disney original philosophy of the parks. American Idol for example is something I don't know if Walt would agree (yes, I'm speculating, I actually will never know, but that's my 2 cents).

But it's still a lifetime experience to me, no matter how many times I've already been there.

[MickeysBestPal]

But I do admit some rides are getting obsolete. With all the new technology, I'd revitalize for example the Jungle Cruise, the animatronics could be more live-like, dynamic.



The Jungle Cruise has slowly morphed into its own unique attraction.

By that, I mean that it is a allowed to be a campy experience lead by the puns and double-entantres of the Skipper of your boat.
Few other attractions are so dependent on one individual CM for its main
entertainment value. Another prime example of this would be
"Turtle Talk," where Crush's (seemingly offhand/ad-lib) remarks make for most of the fun of the show.

Jungle Cruise doesn't need to be (or really, should not be) a realistic experience, as that is now the provice of the Safari (and other immersive animal experiences) at DAK.
Even if they ramped-up the Audio-Animatronics of the JC animals, they would still be
"mechanical animals on a ride-by" compared to the real deal at DAK.
Therefore, they would still not be offering a credible cruise through the jungle.
They would still need the jokes and such to entertain the guests throughout the ride.
As it is now, the crude (by comparison) animal automatons add to the "amusement park feel" of the attraction.

So, the JC continues to be a traditional, historic, and entertaining little attraction which operates in its own fantasy world of unique and special Disney experiences.

[villavic]

Jungle Cruise doesn't need to be (or really, should not be) a realistic experience, as that is now the provice of the Safari (and other immersive animal experiences) at DAK.
Even if they ramped-up the Audio-Animatronics of the JC animals, they would still be
"mechanical animals on a ride-by" compared to the real deal at DAK.

I agree, but the truth is also that people (and specially new generations) compare. They surely have already seen amazing rides in other parks, and then riding the JC won't be big deal. They are not nostalgic as we are, remembering the first time we saw the JC during our chidlhood.

I'm not asking for a realistic experience, but more fun. If the animatronics are built with more dynamic mechanisms, they could do more funny or near-amazing things, for example with the hippo attack or the naughty elephant (something animals at AK don't do, unless they are trained for a show). I think the reason we take the JC ride is the animatronics, not the Skipper jokes. So "reload" them (respecting the original idea, and not transforming the show into another thing like they did with other rides) could be cool. That was my point.

[faline]

With good planning, even those very popular rides are accessible - Can you ride them over and over again on the same - perhaps not - but you can get on them. We are fortunate enough to not be tied to school schedules so can choose to go at less busy times of year. Even when we are there at busy times, we are typically able to get on our favorite rides - at least once. If it's really, really, crowded, we tend to spend more time on those rides that easily accessible no matter what the crowds are.

What you've mentioned about changes in opening procedures unfortunately, seems to reflect the behavior of a subset of visitors which spills over and affects all of us. I can believe that the bad behavior of some has caused changes in procedures in order to ensure that folks are not injured.

As far as attractions go, it appears to me that Disney has been spending a considerable amount of money on new rides and upgrades - new Fantasyland area and a revamped Test Track come to mind.

Some folks entirely skip over the rides that I like regardless of how "old" they are - like the train ride around the park and the Riverboat - lucky for me - it means I've got something to do no matter how busy the parks become!!

If Disney created additional, new rides that were as popular as Soarin' and Toy Story Mania, do you think you'd be able to get on those any more easily than you can currently get on these rides?

While there are some rides that I may not go on each trip, I suspect there may be folks out there that find those same rides "favorites". While not all the rides at Disney Studios are favorites that I want to do each and every trip, there are still a number that I enjoy - The Great Movie Ride, Muppet Vision 3D, Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coast (though once per trip is usually enough for me) come to mind.

What would bother me would be if every ride were a "thrill" ride rather than a themed ride or if all became "virtual reality" based. Some of my favorite rides can't in any way fall into the category of thrill rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion (which was also recently updated), and, yes, even the Jungle Cruise.

I just returned a couple of weeks ago and was not at all disappointed in what I found in Disney World. Sorry you had a different experience.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Serious question: when did they stop doing the morning show for MK? I haven't seen or read or heard anything that they stopped doing this... They do the park opening show and then they have a good morning song and dance on Main Street... Did they really cut that entertainment out of MK? I faintly remember Epcot had one, and DAK did too, The Awakening I think they called it... I don't ever recall DHS having one but I could be mistaken..

As for the rides, well, yes, they are getting old and need much more maintenance than they get now... And the rides are showing their age... Peter Pan isn't in good shape... Jungle Cruise is in dire need of a major refurb (and has needed it for years now).. Dinosaur's effects have been shut off... This is their answer: shutting off effects and not fixing the ones that are broken instead of maintaining a proper maintenance budget to fix anything that happens to break, such as the horrible state Splash Mountain is in...

As for DHS itself, I agree there isn't much to do (the park can be done in half a day), but I don't agree with most of the attractions being closed... The only one closed is Sounds Dangerous and that should never see the light of day again... And there are more rides than Toy Story that are fun... Tower of Terror is awesome... The new Star Tours is fantastic, Great Movie Ride is pretty cool still (despite having some issues in there as well with effects that are shut off and some stop working), and Rock N Roller Coaster... One Man's Dream is a pretty decent walk through... And the shows are ok (though they may be getting replacements sometime in the very near future)... The only attraction that needs to really go (well there are two, maybe three) is Back Lot Tour... LMA and American Idol can go along with it... And LMA/Back Lot Tour are on the chopping block if Cars Land wins the battle for Extreme Make Over, Theme Park Edition: DHS...

And what makes things worse for Disney is Universal has caught up and surpassed them in many areas... Universal's parks are clean... They are maintaining their rides better than they ever did (and some could argue doing better at it than Disney does)... Universal has raised the bar twice with Spiderman and Forbidden Journey... And will raise it even more with Gringotts and Hogwarts Express... SeaWorld is starting to learn now too... Give them a few years and they will be major players again...

[MickeysBestPal]

Serious question:

1- when did they stop doing the morning show for MK? I haven't seen or read or heard anything that they stopped doing this... They do the park opening show and then they have a good morning song and dance on Main Street... Did they really cut that entertainment out of MK?

2- I faintly remember Epcot had one, and DAK did too, The Awakening I think they called it...

3- I don't ever recall DHS having one but I could be mistaken.....

1- They have not stopped it ( AFAIK nobody said that they did.)
And, they still offer the "Good Morning/Trolley Car Show," too.

2- Epcot has not had an opening "show" for at least 5 years.
DAK did, yes.

3- Yes, DHS had a show. No Disney characters, however.

[DizneyFreak2002]

1- They have not stopped it ( AFAIK nobody said that they did.)
And, they still offer the "Good Morning/Trolley Car Show," too.

2- Epcot has not had an opening "show" for at least 5 years.
DAK did, yes.

3- Yes, DHS had a show. No Disney characters, however.

I didn't think MK stopped it... But, that was my bad.. I read the post by AZ wrong... However, I never knew DHS had a show... Never got there early enough to ever see it... I'll have to check it out online, see if there are any videos of it... Thanks!

[mom2morgan]

Oh my... Toy Story is impossible to get on? check. And is the only ride worthing going on? uhhhh.....:confused:
(for the record, I love, love, love several rides at DHS, but think that Tower or Terror is the most brilliant ride EVER)