Category Archives: WDW May 2012

A further update on the subject of Disney disrepair

I felt it would only be fair to update my post about disrepair at the Disney Walt Disney World resort. After we returned from our trip I received a phone call from a very friendly member of the Walt Disney World guest relations department who expressed concern about the issues that we experienced While on vacation
They informed me that they were working on some of the issues and particularly the issues pertaining to transportation. I had assumed and surmised that The reductions in transportation coverage were a result of cost-cutting measures. They assured me this is not the case and that they were hard-pressed to perform the maintenance required on transportation equipment, in particular the monorail. Citing safety as a prime concern, which is a concern that we can all agree with, They said that they would catch up soon and be able to expand the hours of operation back to something like they used to be, so Apparently some of the things that We observed on our trip will not be long-term issues.
And by the way don’t lose track of the fact that it’s very impressive the Walt Disney World company takes the time to make a personal phone call to an individual who had a problem and that they not only called, but provided lots of good factual information and follow up and were very very kind and helpful in their attempt to help me understand the issues that led to my experience at the Walt Disney World resort. That intense focus on guest satisfaction is something that sets the Walt Disney World resort apart from most vacation destinations.

Update on the subject of DIsney disrepair

I received a link to a YouTube video which was directly on topic, demonstrating that the “Big Bertha” 1900 Park Fare organ is not dead yet. Watch for the Mad Hatter’s editorial at the end! Thanks to Youtuber NICKELINTHESLOT!Here is a great Seeburg KT that has been at home in the Main Street train station for as many years as I can remember (1994 for WDW). Same problem as the 1900 Park Fare Limonaire, except hopefully the KT has a minor problem…

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And of course,
20120521-231644.jpgAnd notice how professional and permanent that Out Of Order sign looks. I hope that doesn’t mean anything…

An update or correction on my previous post is provided by Youtuber NICKELINTHESLOT (check out his other Youtube posts) a dedicated Disney fan and mechanical music fan who provided the following video showing the organ in 1900 Park Fare actually working recently although obviously it’s not in the best condition that it could be–at least it’s still operable and protected from the elements!!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

I didn’t have an overwhelmingly positive opinion of DAK until Callie and I went a couple of years back. I don’t know what changed my mind, and I never really disliked the park, I just didn’t find a lot to do there. I find it more interesting now, and TWDC has certainly added attractions there over the years… Anyway we went and had a bang-up good time there.

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And of course here is a group of intrepid adventurers setting out on foot to the Himalyas
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A calm moment in the jungles of Asia
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Ducks At Epcot

It’s fun to watch the ducks at Walt Disney World–no, not the Mighty Ducks but the wildlife that are so accustomed to most people. Here are a few ducklings and their mom in a pond at Epcot, in the Japan portion of the World Showcase. As cute as these are, some people don’t understand that the ducks are actually wild residents of a rather populated area, not Disney Cast Members. I saw a guest pick up a duckling and pass it around between her kids. It turned into a problem or the duckling because his family ran for cover, leaving him, and once the guests kids were done playing with the duckling, he took off at a frantic pace in the opposite direction his family had gone, quacking frantically. I figured that the ducks had a fair chance of being reunited, but who knows? Interestingly, a Disney Cast Member showed up and moved the duckling back to his family. There’s some attention to detail!

More MK fireworks

Here is a short clip with imperfect sound of the MK fireworks from the Seven Seas Lagoon. Our boat pilot Juan Carlos was very informative and congenial, giving us a fun tour of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. Did you know that the defunct River Country water park Is right on Bay Lake? Did you know there is an old wave machine on an island in the SSL that once was used to provide surf to the Polynesian resort? Neither did I !

Anyway, big fun as usual

Nighttime Disney Magic

I’ve complained a little about a couple of areas where I perceive Disney to be slipping, but back to he 99% with this clip of some of the after-dark magic that nobody but Disney can do this well. This is cell phone video, so it won’t BEGIN to show how really cool this is, but along with thousands of my new best friends, we thought this was fantastic! BTW, it might not be obvious, but the projections on the castle include hundreds (or more) of pictures taken in the park that day. Too cool!

WDW Transportation

Okay, I’m a big fan of WDW resort. I choose to vacation here because of the great lengths to which they go here to make good vacation memories. Disney has cut back many times over many years, and some of the cuts are imperceptible to most guests, while others are more of an inconvenience. I’ve complained about the mechanical music travesties here, which few people are going to get excited about. But one thing that guests are grumbling about, and not just me–is the shortened service hours of the extensive WDW transportation system. Transportation is included in the resort overhead and shows up in room rates, ticket prices, and possibly other places.

I expect to be able to get around the resort during reasonable hours for vacationers. We very nearly got stuck at a resort hotel after dinner because we had 8:30 reservations (earliest available) for dinner but the last bus that would connect to our resort left at 10:35. I know because I watched it pull away, unable to board–I didn’t run for a bus, but I assumed there would be another. Before you question a two-hour dinner, consider that we weren’t seated at our reserved time (no big deal) and the dinner was at a very nice table service restaurant which wasn’t fast. Anyway, since the Magic Kingdom closed at ten, the ENTIRE WDW TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM went nighty-night by eleven. Which in my case meant ten-thirty five.

Shame on you Bob Iger! I’m a Disney guest and a stockholder, and I want reasonable cost control like any stockholder would, but to strand resort guests to save a few bucks, while key restaurants are still operating at the resorts is bad business. Never mind those who might stop for a $12.00 drink at a hotel bar that is open until 1:00 AM.

Is WDW still fun? Of course it is. But it isn’t quite the example of excellence it once was, and I’m more worried about where it’s going than where it is now. I hope Six Flags doesn’t become a top competitor for WDWs theme park operations.

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