Some Ask if the Disney Magic Is Slipping

[calisota]

I posted a news article on the "Disney news" page a couple of days ago with this title and I've been mulling it over ever since.

The article starts out by listing problems that guests have had staying at WDW (including the author) and goes on to wonder if the "bottom line" is affecting the way the parks are now being run. This is probably a salient point but hardly one that's restricted to Disney these days. Going to Dreamworld on a regular basis I am probably more aware of the slipping facade there than most.

At the end of the article the author also wonders if Disney has dug itself into a bit of a hole by creating an atmosphere that it may not be able to maintain. To quote the article " What started as a surprise offering has now become a de rigueur part of the Disney experience."

Do we expect a form of magic every time we go into a Disney park (or see a Disney movie, or buy Disney merchandise etc) that it's impossible to maintain? At what point does the magic become the mundane?

Greg

[handicam]

It was quite noticeable on our last trip that the magic had somewhat evaporated and all was not as it used to be at Disneyland. The Peter Pan ride for instance in the queue area a lot of the fence palings were missing or lose and looked like they needed painting. Weeds had begun to spring up in the garden beds and the moat at the castle has very little water in it.
The big difference we noticed was the cast members were nowhere near as friendly as they used to be and I think the Eisner years are now beginning to haunt Disney with their cutbacks.

[calisota]

That's sad to see.

Are they spending more money on new attractions in an attempt to lure visitors and cutting back on the maintainance of the existing attractions?

Disneyland would still have to be on everyones list of places to go if they won lotto so how important is it to keep expanding? What percentage of visitors are locals who need to be enticed back and how many are first timers who just want to experience the magic?

Greg

[calisota]

I think the Eisner years are now beginning to haunt Disney with their cutbacks.

I just put a new article on the news page that you may be interested in reading. It's all about Bob Iger taking over from Eisner and what he's planning on doing. Interesting stuff.

Greg

[KeithS]

Now that's interesting Handicam - see, when I was in Disneyland in May, I thought the place looked fantastic. Now I don't have the benefit of having been there more than that one time, so I can't comment on a decline, but I have read numerous reports of how it had been looking run down in recent years - so I went there with low expectations...

...but when I got there, I couldn't believe how good it actually looked. I thought the place looked clean and very well presented - they had made a real effort to get it looking good for the 50th and I believe they had given substantial budget to repainting the place.

Yep - the moat water was low, but that was probably because they had built a stage in it when we were there - though I would have thought they'd have filled it up by now.

As for the cast, I thought they were terrific - at least the ones I met - although the weather was still cool and the crowds weren't at their greatest levels. I suppose the further into the summer they get, the more jaded they become!



KeithS

[KeithS]

It is interesting looking at this thread almost twelve months on and seeing how far things have come.

A new CEO.
Ownership of Pixar.
Parks undergoing a revival.
New Creative teams.

It seems there is a great atmosphere is growing around the Disney Corporation at the moment - I hope this momentum can continue - Disney fans are riding a crest of optimism after years of downright pessimism!

Go Bob Iger and John Lasseter! =D>

[Lion711]

The big difference we noticed was the cast members were nowhere near as friendly as they used to be and I think the Eisner years are now beginning to haunt Disney with their cutbacks.

I think this is too true. I also think the way CMs act is a sign of the times. Is it just me or is it the majority of people who you meet these days never all that friendly? I guess for alot of CMs are probably on a low wage and working long hours and unless they are a Disney nut or one of the higher paied staff members in a more important job it will just be "another" job to them.

[calisota]

I guess for alot of CMs are probably on a low wage and working long hours and unless they are a Disney nut or one of the higher paied staff members in a more important job it will just be "another" job to them.

There are a lot of people working in the parks and to keep all of them happy would be impossible. It would certainly just be a job for a lot of them and I would assume that (even though they are all called cast members) we only see a small percentage of the people actually employed. It would probably be easier for the "surface dwellers" to keep up a happy face than the ones in the dungeons.

I know that I would be much happier at work with honest management, equipment that worked and a safe/healthy work environment even without a pay rise. If you keep people happy at the bottom then it will flow up and out through your entire business.

Greg

[sandie]

I have the benefit of going to both the US parks every couple of years (gotta love those constrictive marriage vows!!) I have always found the cast members at WDW friendlier than those at DL.

I have spent many a late night hanging out at the reception desk of my WDW hotel chatting to new friends. Of course I am such a talker i probably wouldn't notice if they didn't want to be talking to me!

Sandie

[KeithS]

I found most of the CM in Disneyland were really good although it was May, so the summer season hadn't really started. I haven't been to Florida yet so I can't comment on them.

But the HK CMs were awesome! They just couldn't do enough for you, were really friendly and made our stay there even more memorable.