Mistakes

[ValenciaCalling]

What would you consider the worst mistakes when it comes to the Walt Disney World Resort?

Looking back, it's easy to get caught up in the nostalgia of lost attractions, and I still to this day can not figure out why they decided to close the original JII and why they were shocked by the severe backlash when they opened Journey Into Your Imagination.

Some other "What were they thinking?" moments...

-Closing the WOL Pavilion

-Getting rid of the Jeremy Irons version of SE

-The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. And Stitch. They should have just replaced AE with the Laugh Floor and kept The Timekeeper.

-Disney Hollywood Studios as a whole just upsets me because there's no organization to it now. It's just a mess.

And...of course...

Horizons...

:(

[retiredfigment]

I agree with all your observations! Only one I might add was closing the Welch's grape juice stand that was between TL and FL. Does anyone else remember it?

[1DisneyNut]

I have always thought it was a huge mistake removing 20 leagues under the sea submarines instead of just redoing it to work off of electricity instead of diesel engines so it would be more feasible. I remember riding it as a kid and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.....I wish I could ride it again.

[Main Street Jim]

I have always thought it was a huge mistake removing 20 leagues under the sea submarines instead of just redoing it to work off of electricity instead of diesel engines so it would be more feasible. I remember riding it as a kid and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.....I wish I could ride it again.Well, the subs (as a whole attraction) were a maintenance *nightmare*. The lagoon started leaking down into the Utilidors as the heavy subs rolled along on the track. The subs themselves weren't going to last forever in the water and the Florida sun (rusting, leaking, etc.). The biggest thing, though, was the leaking downstairs into the tunnels.


I still to this day can not figure out why they decided to close the original JII and why they were shocked by the severe backlash when they opened Journey Into Your Imagination.Kodak's sponsorship of the attraction was ending. The original turntable for the loading area was slowly "sinking", becoming "unaligned" with the rest of the track. The track in the "new" version is about 1/3 less than the original track.
Now, when they did redo it, they *completely* removed what had become a beloved EPCOT icon - Figment :) Yes, there was a LOT of backlash, because the attraction had become 180 degrees from what it had been - it became dark, loud, and scary. The original was lighthearted, colorful, and full of music. With the backlash from Figment fans, the Imagineers figured out how to work Figment into the "new version" - and it became "Journey into YOUR Imagination (with Figment)".

[Altair]

The lagoon started leaking down into the Utilidors as the heavy subs rolled along on the track.

Didn't anyone think is was a bad idea to put all that water above a inhabited tunnel below?

[Main Street Jim]

Some other "What were they thinking?" moments...

...of course...

Horizons...

:(Again...another ride/show building issue. If you look around on Google, you can find stories and facts about why the attraction was closed. Because of the way the ride system was designed (hanging from track which, in turn, hung from the ceiling, on three different levels inside of a pretty-much "open" building"), the ride system basically slowly collapsed the roof over time. This one was more of a safety issue than anything, as the ride only lasted until (officially) 1999.

Horizons, though, was *genious*. It was meant to be a sequel to Walt's Carousel of Progress, and showed the promise of tomorrow - today :) One of, if not, *the* all-time favorite attraction of mine.

[brownie]

Since this discussion is focusing on attractions, I'm sending this to the Theme Parks forum.

[1DisneyNut]

Well, the subs (as a whole attraction) were a maintenance *nightmare*. The lagoon started leaking down into the Utilidors as the heavy subs rolled along on the track. The subs themselves weren't going to last forever in the water and the Florida sun (rusting, leaking, etc.). The biggest thing, though, was the leaking downstairs into the tunnels.


LIne the lagoon with either elastomeric waterproofing or have a pool type liner fabricated. Replace the subs with new models redesigned and fabricated out of newer lighter weight materials and use electric propulsion instead of diesel engines. It isn't exactly rocket science, if they couldn't have figured out how to do it, they could have given me a call and I would have covered it in about a 15 minute phone call.

Everything mentioned was regular maintenance issues. As an example they replace the monorails with newer, better, lighter, more energy efficient models regularly.

[Jillirose]

I have always thought it was a huge mistake removing 20 leagues under the sea submarines instead of just redoing it to work off of electricity instead of diesel engines so it would be more feasible. I remember riding it as a kid and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.....I wish I could ride it again.

My sentiments exactly! They probably could redesign giving us the illusion we are traeling below the sea....

[Main Street Jim]

LIne the lagoon with either elastomeric waterproofing or have a pool type liner fabricated. Replace the subs with new models redesigned and fabricated out of newer lighter weight materials and use electric propulsion instead of diesel engines. It isn't exactly rocket science, if they couldn't have figured out how to do it, they could have given me a call and I would have covered it in about a 15 minute phone call.
You also have think back to 1970/71, when the park was built, until 1994 when they closed the attraction. These are all great suggestions, but this kind of stuff wasn't available in the early '70s, or cost too much $$$ in the 1990's.


Everything mentioned was regular maintenance issues. As an example they replace the monorails with newer, better, lighter, more energy efficient models regularly.? The last "new" Monorails were put into service in 1991 - over 20 years ago. Doesn't seem like "replaced regularly". Out at Disneyland, they're on the Mark VII's, which were put into service in...2008, I think.

[Main Street Jim]

My sentiments exactly! They probably could redesign giving us the illusion we are traeling below the sea....I'm not understanding why they completely removed the lagoon in Florida in the first place, unless it was just because of the Utilidor issues. The men's and women's locker/changing rooms were directly underneath the lagoon; and I can tell you that when I first started at the park in 2001, there *was* water dripping through the ceiling.

Now, out at DisneyLAND, they closed their Submarine Voyage in 1998. It reopened in 2005 as the "Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage". They never removed the lagoon when the attraction closed the first time. But, then again, there aren't any tunnels under the park at Disneyland, either.

[c&d]

I can't think of the name of it, but the sky ride that used to go over the MK. I loved riding it and looking down on the people in the park. I understand why they took it down but I still miss it.

[CU Tiger]

My thoughts went straight to Stitch. Going from Alien Encounter to Stitch was not an improvement. They could have used their money and time more wisely with something else.:mickey:

[ANG]

I hope it won't be the new My Magic

[SBETigg]

I can understand changing things when safety issues or sponsorship issues come into play. Plus, in a land called Future World, I would expect it to be changing with technology. If the same rides were always there without changing, it would cease to be a vision of the future (which some might argue has happened anyway).

That said, I question the execution of the Test Track refurb-- I think they had some great ideas that could have been done so much better. And, the addition of the carnival-style Chester and Hester's Dinorama to AK seems like a huge misstep to me, not in keeping with my expectations of what Walt Disney World has to offer.

[Gator]

The change of Alien Encounter is the only attraction change that I'm not a fan of. The rest of them I'm pretty ok with.

However, the biggest mistake by my account was when the let the Beavertail's pastry stand escape from the Canada pavilion. That was yummy and truly a taste of the world.

[kbean]

It's not really a mistake, its more because of lawsuits, and parents afraid to control their kids, but I miss when characters could roam the park freely.

[Cheshire_Girl]

It's not really a mistake, its more because of lawsuits, and parents afraid to control their kids, but I miss when characters could roam the park freely.

I miss this too. I only got to go to DLR once when I was a kid, and what I remember the most was seeing the characters walking around the park...Some where there is a picture of my sister and me with goofy, and she is crying her eyes out!!! I will never forget that.
Yep-it is sad that you now have to wait in line to see Donald...You should just run into him around the corner...that's pretty magical.

[Polynesian Dweller]

However, the biggest mistake by my account was when the let the Beavertail's pastry stand escape from the Canada pavilion. That was yummy and truly a taste of the world.

Not really a mistake but nonetheless a disappointment. The Beavertails company decided to leave because it wasn't financially viable for what was then a very small Canadian based company.

Most of the mistakes mentioned in Epcot are very much sponsor based or lack of sponsor such ad WOL. In TT GM wanted to change it to a Chevy based attraction, Imagination gets changed because Kodak wanted updates and do on. The biggest mistake was getting so dependent on sponsors that they've let the sponsors control the Imagineering.

[Juggalotus]

Replacing Mr. Toad's (Awesomely) Wild Ride with a Poo(h) Bear attraction will always stand out as one of the biggest mistakes.

[Main Street Jim]

The addition of the carnival-style Chester and Hester's Dinorama to AK seems like a huge misstep to me, not in keeping with my expectations of what Walt Disney World has to offer.A lot of guests may not care for the "roadside carnival" look of Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama....but that's *exactly* the look that Imagineering was trying to evoke with the area. Does it "fit" into Animal Kingdom and its theme/message? *Ehhh*. Maybe not. But it *is* what Disney was *trying* to make it look like. Mistake? *Ehhhh*. Maybe. What *I* don't care for, is the "carnival games" that you have to pay extra for. I *love* Dinosaur! and Primeval Whirl ('n Hurl)...I just don't care for the games.

[joanna71985]

It's not really a mistake, its more because of lawsuits, and parents afraid to control their kids, but I miss when characters could roam the park freely.

I can understand why they did this. The characters at WDW get swarmed just walking to their location, so it would be crazy having them wander around. This is for safety reasons

[1DisneyNut]

You also have think back to 1970/71, when the park was built, until 1994 when they closed the attraction. These are all great suggestions, but this kind of stuff wasn't available in the early '70s, or cost too much $$$ in the 1990's.

? The last "new" Monorails were put into service in 1991 - over 20 years ago. Doesn't seem like "replaced regularly". Out at Disneyland, they're on the Mark VII's, which were put into service in...2008, I think.

They didn't need it in the early 70's, the lagoon was fine. At some point it started leaking and at that time they could have done some maintenance. The technology was available in the early 90's. I cannot imagine it was cheaper to dig the lagoon up, fill it in, build a playground that was rarely used, tear it down and dig it up and now totally redevelop the area again.

My point about the Monorail trains is that maintenance are advancements are needed and it can be done.

I guess some knuckle head over the park just didn't like it and wanted it gone. Most people have never even seen or heard of the movie but nonetheless most everyone that rode it as a kid, wishes it was still there so their kids could ride it as well. As a kid, it was a really cool ride. I mean, where else can a kid go and experience going under the sea in a submarine? As adults we realize it is just an illusion but as a kid you are blown away.

[SandmanGStefani24]

i think they do a great job with things, but a few changes really stick out to me...IMO

1. the massacre of El Rio del Tiempo...I got nothing against Donald Duck, but it was so unnecessary to shoehorn him into this one, and it boarders on annoying. DW refuses to ride it now.

2. Test Track's dumbing down. I loved the bumpy road test, I loved the ABS test, I loved the environmental tests, and now they are all gone.

3. Stitch...i think we can all agree it's enough already. :D

I wanted to put Body Wars' removal on here, but i know that it was a little too similar to Star Tours and I was probably one of the few who liked it.

[1DisneyNut]

i think they do a great job with things, but a few changes really stick out to me...IMO

1. the massacre of El Rio del Tiempo...I got nothing against Donald Duck, but it was so unnecessary to shoehorn him into this one, and it boarders on annoying. DW refuses to ride it now.

2. Test Track's dumbing down. I loved the bumpy road test, I loved the ABS test, I loved the environmental tests, and now they are all gone.

3. Stitch...i think we can all agree it's enough already. :D

I wanted to put Body Wars' removal on here, but i know that it was a little too similar to Star Tours and I was probably one of the few who liked it.

I agree on El Rio del Tiempo. They really messed that attraction up. We all much preferred the old version over the new with Donald screaming....it is rather annoying.

Does anybody actually like Stitch? Everybody I know hates that attraction.

[crltkcagle]

I agree with Mr. Toads Wild Ride. We loved that one as kids and I wish my kids could have experienced it. I also wish the Skyway was still there. It was really cool to hover over MK.

[DisneyDawgette]

I'm most certainly the minority, but I LOVED Body Wars and the Wonders of Life Pavilion. It was a big part of my childhood memories. :)

Also, I miss AE. That's been mentioned already.

And Jeremy Irons. WHY did they take him out of SE? And I'm pretty sure that they either turned it down or got rid of most of the music on the attraction... So sad. :/

*sighs* But, you can't complain too much. There are a lot of great things they've changed too. :)

[paragon]

I wish the Swan boats were still there, I think it added to the Castle to have those boats floating around in the moat. Removing the Arcade, and original theater from Main Street, as well as turning all of Main Street basicly into a shopping mall, seems to me, to not be what Walt intended it to be.
I sort of wish the sponsorships could be a little more discreet, Magic Kingdom should be about fun and fantasy, an escape from the real world, and having sponsor logos all over takes away from that.
Removal of the Animation studio at DHS was another huge mistake- ( I understand that there is less call for tha actual hand drawn animation, but they could still have kept a studio ) considering that the park is called Hollywood Studios, and now, nothing really resembles a studio any more. Backlot tour was slightly better when they were a "working studio" with the residential street area-taken away for the stunt car show.
I think overall, they have seriously lost alot of what the original vision for all the parks was, and not to many of them are thinking, "what would Walt do?"

[Ian]

The massacre of Main Street and the slow destruction of what it was in its glory days to what it has become ... one big, long series of merchandise locations.
The disaster that Future World has become. It was once an area tightly woven together with one coherent storyline and filled with top-notch, Disney-worthy attractions. Now it's a hodge-podge with no clear point or vision. Some of the new attractions are shells of their former selves and some (*cough* WONDERS OF LIFE *cough*) are gone completely, leaving just mind-boggling empty space.
The decision to eliminate Beastly Kingdom from Animal Kingdom. This gutted the park and made it nothing more than (imo) a half day novelty that I probably wouldn't even visit anymore if they hadn't added Everest.
Trying to address the deficiencies they created in Animal Kingdom by adding cheap carnival rides. I know people claim that the area is supposed to feel cheap, but it's a chicken and an egg. The Imagineers had to come up with something that felt cheap and shoddy, because they had a cheap and shoddy budget to work with.
The "lost" feel of DHS. Another park, much like Future World, that has lost its identity. By shuttering the actual "studio" part of the Hollywood "Studios" they sort of robbed it of its identity.

[SBETigg]

The massacre of Main Street and the slow destruction of what it was in its glory days to what it has become ... one big, long series of merchandise locations.
The disaster that Future World has become. It was once an area tightly woven together with one coherent storyline and filled with top-notch, Disney-worthy attractions. Now it's a hodge-podge with no clear point or vision. Some of the new attractions are shells of their former selves and some (*cough* WONDERS OF LIFE *cough*) are gone completely, leaving just mind-boggling empty space.
The decision to eliminate Beastly Kingdom from Animal Kingdom. This gutted the park and made it nothing more than (imo) a half day novelty that I probably wouldn't even visit anymore if they hadn't added Everest.
Trying to address the deficiencies they created in Animal Kingdom by adding cheap carnival rides. I know people claim that the area is supposed to feel cheap, but it's a chicken and an egg. The Imagineers had to come up with something that felt cheap and shoddy, because they had a cheap and shoddy budget to work with.
The "lost" feel of DHS. Another park, much like Future World, that has lost its identity. By shuttering the actual "studio" part of the Hollywood "Studios" they sort of robbed it of its identity.


Yes, Ian nailed it. Well done. I agree.

[Aurora]

[LIST=1]
Trying to address the deficiencies they created in Animal Kingdom by adding cheap carnival rides. I know people claim that the area is supposed to feel cheap, but it's a chicken and an egg. The Imagineers had to come up with something that felt cheap and shoddy, because they had a cheap and shoddy budget to work with.


Yes, we all KNOW that they meant to do this, that it was part of the plan, that it was meant to be reminiscent of a roadside carnival, blah, blah, blah. We don't object to them doing it very well, we just didn't like the idea in the first place.

Now, if they would have taken the carnival rides and games and made them into something, well, extraordinary and creative, something we'd never seen before and was surprising, that would have been something else. But the surprising part was that it turned out to be so un-Disney.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Removal of the Animation studio at DHS was another huge mistake- ( I understand that there is less call for tha actual hand drawn animation, but they could still have kept a studio ) considering that the park is called Hollywood Studios, and now, nothing really resembles a studio any more.

I was shattered by this. I think I still am . . . I want to cry every time I walk past the quiet animators section. IMHO, they were (are) the heart of Disney magic and imagination. I am one of the few people that LOVE the hand drawn animation and am NOT so much of a fan of pure CGI. Alittle is okay in combination with handdrawn.

Either way, miss the animators with all my heart . . . . :cry:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Mistakes um how bout Nescafé coffee:sick: I agree with the carnival section in dinoland

[Dulcee]

Spaceship Earth. They killed it with the new ending. I hate the computer screens. I hate the new dialogue. Argh. I wish they hadn't ripped the end to pieces.

[jnfr2424]

Getting rid of the Lights of Wonder at the holidays in Epcot - the tree is just not enough

Horizons I can't even talk about it :(

[SandmanGStefani24]

Spaceship Earth. They killed it with the new ending. I hate the computer screens. I hate the new dialogue. Argh. I wish they hadn't ripped the end to pieces.

yeah that's not my thing either. too kitschy and not like the rest of the ride. i could ride it over and over and see something different, but the "movie" is pretty redundant. the only thing i like to do is hide my face or obscure it with a hat to see it distorted or made up on the screen. :D

[Ian]

Getting rid of the Lights of Wonder at the holidays in Epcot - the tree is just not enoughIt's bigger than just this ... they've cut back dramatically on the holiday decorations across the board.

In the past, the parks were decorated front-to-back with almost every square inch draped a bow or ribbon or wreath or something.

Now there are often spots you can stand where you wouldn't even know it's the holiday season. They've probably reduced the amount of holiday decorations by 50% or more.

[IwannabeinNarnia]

Does anybody actually like Stitch? Everybody I know hates that attraction.

:stitch::stitch2: I love Stitch! :stitch2::stitch: his attraction? well, I don't 'hate' it.. but they could have done something better for him.

I agree with all comments on Dinoland.. just seems cheap and cheesy...

[MOJoe]

When i first considered this question, i first thought of old attractions i miss, but after reading some of these posts, i have to give Ian credit about the destruction of Main Street. I think it's the number one mistake.

Main Street is more than an attraction, it is a nostalgic symbol of a more innocent time. It is supposed to be a magical place where young people can discover history and seniors can rediscover their youth.

But now? It feels like one big T-Shirt shop that you might find at some strip mall in any Florida beach town. It's a crime to have corrupted Walt's vision in this way.

[Granny Jill A]

A lot of guests may not care for the "roadside carnival" look of Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama....but that's *exactly* the look that Imagineering was trying to evoke with the area. Does it "fit" into Animal Kingdom and its theme/message? *Ehhh*. Maybe not. But it *is* what Disney was *trying* to make it look like. Mistake? *Ehhhh*. Maybe. What *I* don't care for, is the "carnival games" that you have to pay extra for. I *love* Dinosaur! and Primeval Whirl ('n Hurl)...I just don't care for the games.

Don't care for this one at all. The Dinosaur ride is WAY too scary, and all the area needs are some seedy looking characters running the rides and games. I wish they would have had a different "vision" for this part of the park.

[Stu29573]

I think WDW's biggest mistake is loss of vision.

MK was neglected for years (its FINALLY getting an expansion that will make Fantasyland bigger, although it is still tiny compaired to DLR)

Epcot has forgotten why it is there, as attractions have been dumbed down or completely removed. And what about that new country in the World Showcase...oh, never mind.

DHS is a park that isn't in Hollywood, isn't a studio, and actually isn't very Disney. It's a half day park, and hardly that.

DAK is a beautiful park, but if you actually want to do something you run out of attractions pretty quickly. Another half day park, really.

Add to that the fact that it has gotten so big and so focused on being technologically innovative that it can't even keep track of its own computers (and when things break down as the always do, it completely destroys customer service) and you have the perfect combination to send me to Disneyland!

At least they made the decision easier!

[SandmanGStefani24]

I think WDW's biggest mistake is loss of vision.
)

Epcot has forgotten why it is there, as attractions have been dumbed down or completely removed. And what about that new country in the World Showcase...oh, never mind.

DHS is a park that isn't in Hollywood, isn't a studio, and actually isn't very Disney. It's a half day park, and hardly that.

DAK is a beautiful park, but if you actually want to do something you run out of attractions pretty quickly. Another half day park, really.
!

AMEN!! :high5:

[joanna71985]

I miss the CBJ Christmas version :(


Don't care for this one at all. The Dinosaur ride is WAY too scary, and all the area needs are some seedy looking characters running the rides and games. I wish they would have had a different "vision" for this part of the park.

It's not that scary. Maybe for the little kids, but for adults not too much

[Awesome_guy]

I guess maybe looking at others' posts and thinking of mistakes with potential solutions:

* I agree with it being a mistake that cohesion is decreasingly evident in Epcot in particular, adding back unifying features to Epcot and addressing the fact that some if it is really showing its age (World Showcase theatres, etc.). Families (and adults!) have a lot of nostalgia and enthusiasm for what is represented here. Maybe it's time for a night show or celebration or something new that people can get excited about again. ...something with more of an Olympics Opening Ceremony flavour.

* I think it is a mistake that there has only been one real instance of parks sharing their assets worldwide (bringing Soarin' and Lights Motor Cars Action, etc.). Wouldn't it be great to experience a Crush's coaster, a Journey Into the Earth, even a parade from Shanghai or Hong Kong or Paris or Tokyo? I guess it keeps us all travelling or aspiring to!

* I think it's been a mistake to have attractions in DLR and elsewhere not to be given more of their own twists or surprises. Sometimes it's quite evident WDW got the most basic version of the attraction, especially disappointing.

* I think mistakes and missed opportunities with Stitch are quite evident. I agree Pooh could have been something much more! I haven't been at the new Beauty and the Beast attraction or TS but people LOVE that story and music. This too, was a real opportunity, to WOW people.

* I think it's a mistake to keep Fantasmic and Illuminations going on so long without any new investments in story or innovation. We're now seeing so much (from World of Color, Castle Projections, waterscreen projections, effects) that these are starting to show their age.

Crowds keep coming and just want to escape and love some of their time. I think Disney needs to keep up. Sometimes it feels energy is going into commodifying good spots/access to certain aspects rather than adding new or listening to where some of the excitement is..... or could be.

[Ian]

I think WDW's biggest mistake is loss of vision.I don't think they have a loss of vision, necessarily. I just think their vision is one of MASSIVE profits at the expense of all else.

They've been nibbling at both ends for years. Prices keep going up and up and up (more than a nibble's worth really) and offerings keep going down and down and down and down.

Why? Easy ... maximize profits. Total short-term, rampant profit taking which is unfortunately becoming the norm in the corporate world. Leadership teams fly in, do whatever they can too boost the margins, get filthy rich doing it, and then by the time anyone cares that they've run the company into the ground they're cashing in their options and moving on to do the same thing somewhere else.

[Stu29573]

I don't think they have a loss of vision, necessarily. I just think their vision is one of MASSIVE profits at the expense of all else.

They've been nibbling at both ends for years. Prices keep going up and up and up (more than a nibble's worth really) and offerings keep going down and down and down and down.

Why? Easy ... maximize profits. Total short-term, rampant profit taking which is unfortunately becoming the norm in the corporate world. Leadership teams fly in, do whatever they can too boost the margins, get filthy rich doing it, and then by the time anyone cares that they've run the company into the ground they're cashing in their options and moving on to do the same thing somewhere else.

Ok, I have to agree with you here. I was really talking about artistic vision, but I guess greedily plundering a company can be seen as an art form. Sigh.......

[indytraveler]

How about this Catch 22... The mistakes that WDW corporate make are small really. Because of us, me included, we keep going back year after year after year after year. So we keep them profitable where they can use the profits to tinker. Back in 2001 when attendance was down the park was getting run down a little and improvements had to be made.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but Alien Encounter was put in place because Universal studios was the new guy in town at the time and Disney had all these "kiddie rides". Something for the teenagers maybe?

All told, with all of these mistakes that are mentioned in previous posts I'm still going back December 2013 and spend some of my money in the kingdom.

[Granny Jill A]

It's not that scary. Maybe for the little kids, but for adults not too much

This adult hasn't ridden Dinosaur with her eyes open since the first time. My grown daughter feels the same way. Too many things jumping out at me. :covered:

[Goofster]

I feel that getting rid of Timekeeper and Alien Encounter was a mistake...especially to replace it with cartoony stuff. I liked how Tomorrowland felt different from the other lands and had a cool science-fiction edge to it...to me, it's lost that entirely.

[Gator]

Here's another mistake: getting rid of Four 4 a Dollar as the pre-show for B&tB:mad:. I would show up early just to catch the act up close. They really need to bring these guys back. There's even a facebook fan page to "Bring back Four 4 a Dollar" back to Disney World. I don't know if Disney watches that kind of stuff, but I signed on just in case.

[MNNHFLTX]

DAK is a beautiful park, but if you actually want to do something you run out of attractions pretty quickly. Another half day park, really.
I disagree with this--I could easily spend the entire day at Animal Kingdom. There are so many underrated things to do there that people overlook. :)

In broader terms, I would say that WDW's biggest mistake is how complicated the whole process is becoming to vacation there. Having just spent a week in the relative simplicity of Disneyland, it made me appreciate how relaxed a Disney can be, minus the dining reservations, itinerary planning and even minus the fastpasses. I think the true spirit of WDW is getting lost in its vastness.

[Stu29573]

I disagree with this--I could easily spend the entire day at Animal Kingdom. There are so many underrated things to do there that people overlook. :)

In broader terms, I would say that WDW's biggest mistake is how complicated the whole process is becoming to vacation there. Having just spent a week in the relative simplicity of Disneyland, it made me appreciate how relaxed a Disney can be, minus the dining reservations, itinerary planning and even minus the fastpasses. I think the true spirit of WDW is getting lost in its vastness.
My wife would second your disagreement, but for me, personally, that is how I feel.

However, I whole-heartedly agree with your simplicity statement. I am looking at Disneyland for our next trip (as you know, we Texans can pretty much pick either coast) and I am amazed at the contrast. You can book a room literally across the street from the parks (Five minute walk) for less than a moderate WDW resort and you don't have to worry about ADR's or FP+ (actually there are fewer Fastpass attractions in general) and everything is right together so you have much less time walking or bussing to your next experience. The attractions stack up quite nicely to WDW, as well.... Advantage, Disneyland.

[kemps@wdw]

STITCH...that area would be a perfect place for a TRON-inspired attraction.
SOARIN...since we're in Florida, Soarin over Cali really doesn't fit right. Should be Soarin over America and inlcude all the iconic American sights.

[bunnykoko]

Spaceship Earth. They killed it with the new ending. I hate the computer screens. I hate the new dialogue. Argh. I wish they hadn't ripped the end to pieces.

I'm fine with Judith Dench; she one of my favorites. For me, this is now a half ride. It's as if the Imagineers simply ran out of ideas, and so they just tossed in the computers. What a waste of a signature ride.

[bunnykoko]

STITCH...that area would be a perfect place for a TRON-inspired attraction.
SOARIN...since we're in Florida, Soarin over Cali really doesn't fit right. Should be Soarin over America and inlcude all the iconic American sights.

Completely agree. Would love to see a Soaring over America. I also think the restaurant at the American Pavillion is a disgrace. What a great opportunity to showcase all the regional foods of this great country.

[Clay's Mom & Dad]

Not really a mistake but nonetheless a disappointment. The Beavertails company decided to leave because it wasn't financially viable for what was then a very small Canadian based company.

Most of the mistakes mentioned in Epcot are very much sponsor based or lack of sponsor such ad WOL. In TT GM wanted to change it to a Chevy based attraction, Imagination gets changed because Kodak wanted updates and do on. The biggest mistake was getting so dependent on sponsors that they've let the sponsors control the Imagineering.

Well said. The dependency on sponsorship truly has taken away from the way the attractions are developed.

[jefmblrd]

Well any discussion of this topic has to start with the closing of Horizons. I understand the issues as Main Street Jim has so eloquently put them, but there had to be something that could have been done. This ride was iconic and really showed the imagination and the story of the future that Walt Disney himself was so interested in. I miss this attraction more than any other.

The SE refurb is a disaster. Jeremy Irons narration and the music were just so perfect and the last part of the ride where you just tilted back and took in the vastness of the experience was relaxing and thought-provoking at the same time. The present ending is ok the first time but doesn't hold up to repeated rides. I agree with the poster who said this was now half a ride.

I used to look forward to boat ride in Mexico on every trip. It was a relaxing way to get out of the sun and off your feet for a few minutes while enjoying the ride-especially the blue sky ceiling which was gorgeous under the lights. This was a ride that I never missed--now it's one that I can take or leave.

There's more, and I'll stop for now but want to say that there is way more right with WDW than wrong with it, and I look forward to going back on every trip.

[hauntedmansiongirl]

I really think that the whole bus transportation system would have horrified Walt. His vision was of monorails and of the latest technology and taking chances. I honestly think that he would be saddened to see that everything is connected by bus instead of monorails and boats. It makes me sad every time I look at the monorail gap in the Swan and Dolphin hotels and think of what should/could have been....

[figgie]

I agree with the Spaceship Earth people, it is a half ride. I also like Judy Dench but the last part is just lame. Bring back the song "Tomorrow's Child"! I still sing that around the house...