Tom Rants About The State of Walt Disney World Theme Parks
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- Tom Rants About The State of Walt Disney World Theme Parks
If you watch News Today with WDW News Today, you have already seen Tom discuss the state of the parks. This short highlight video from a few recent episodes gives an overview of his thoughts.
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The scary thing I am hearing on a regular basis is people criticizing the "old school" philosophy, and that we're being overly sensitive about the condition of the parks. If the current condition of the parks is acceptable to certain guests, then we've already jumped over the cliff. This should have never been a reality, but here we are. All WDW is to the current management is a cash cow. No respect at all for theming, cleanliness... everything that makes it Disney.
As a FL WDW passholder since 1995 - YES to all that. Unfortunately, there are those who never experienced the previous magical conditions which made WDW other worldly & kept us coming back. Now it's a "one and done" mentality ~ I've heard more guests in the last two years say - "Never again" than in all my combined years.
That’s a scary thought, especially when are spending more to get way less.
Your right a cash cow! Should just change the name to six flags s@%t park, broken rides, food on ground, filthy unpainted buildings, cigarette butts on the ground, no customer service, no maintenance! Terrible!
Forget the past kill it if you have to... Disney star wars
The training that Disney is doing and the Traditions workshop all cast members participate in need to be improved. The bar needs to be raised. Allowing visual tattoos and the blatant lgbt, etc hiring has changed the kind of cast members they are getting. Trust me, there are still a lot of people to hire that could bring back the MAGIC but tolerance to cast members isn’t going to make it a magical place like it was. Cast members are not proud to be there and need to be paid a little more, appreciated and need to get rid of all the CRT, inclusion, etc mentality. It’s not working. Go back to core values that traditional families want to spend their money there.
Your rants are so on point. The Disney theme parks had a reputation where they looked pristine, had great theming, and had great attractions that were well maintained. A good amount of attractions became classics like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Country Bears, Tiki Room, Carousel of Progress, Small World. Nowadays, they look like crap. I’ve been going to WDW since I was seven months old (yeah, seven), and I can imagine that the parks were better then compared to now.
Seems now Disney letting more people in than ever. 3 hour wait for Avatar?
Thank you for speaking out about these issues and bringing back the maintenance report. Walt Disney needs to step up its game and bring some of the sparkle back to Disney parks.
I mean you can apply and help out
@@littyravioli8039 I did see an ad for 3rd shift custodians
@@littyravioli8039 as can you! This "rant" is so important to the Company because Disney Execs have lost the Core Value that once was. So you're saying Apply and Help out, What the hell kind of statement is that? As an Annual Passholder and DVC (Direct) Member for years, I expect Disney Quality. We pay upwards of $2500 per year to maintain DVC Resorts, now multiply that times over 800,000 Members, that's almost 2 Billion dollars annually just in Maintenance fees.
@MK2 lmao I was waiting for this comment, I actually am one at MK and Animal kingdom 😂
@DVC Kev infact I do work for them as a custodian Mk and Animal Kingdom for 3 years now. You have no idea what goes on behind Disney doors, you sound like a Karen that goes to a home depot and say to customer service that u spend alot of money here 🤣. Please come work for Disney custodian so you can fully understand what goes on. There are days when I don't have lunch!
THANK YOU! I am so tired of Disney apologists saying “they don’t have enough staff” (hire more), or “it’s the guests’ fault because people are disrespectful and leave their trash lying around” (they always have, but there were more custodial CMs to clean it up before it became a problem). What’s the excuse for the Small World boats’ condition? No guests caused that issue. I hate when people are chastised for noting when things aren’t “perfect”. That’s what we pay for - for things to be better than the rest of the “real world”.
I remember a time when CMs would go around the hotel lobbies with little cans of paint, touching up chips in the walls, small enough that it would be unnoticed by most. Resort room furnishings were well-maintained, compared to the threadbare,filthy couch I had at the GF a couple of years ago. If I’m paying $700+/night, I expect it to look better than the Hampton Inn (and it looked much worse).
The Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products is the company’s most profitable division. It’s time to start reinvesting in them, and rewarding the guests with the top notch experience Disney once gave, and which the guests are paying for.
The whole point of going to Disney in my point of view was the idea that you paid a premium price for a premium product. When you hear about this stuff, simple “blocking and tackling” of not paying people to keep the parks clean, I struggle to see myself visiting again any time soon.
Exactly correct Tom. I was part of the custodial department, Magic Kingdom, night shift in summer of 1974. The expectation of 2nd to none in cleanliness was drilled into our team. It was the reality that a Walt Disney park would be spotless and everything running properly. This lack of cleanliness is so counter to Walt's philosophy and reason why he open up a theme park in the first place.
People don’t believe me when I tell them that they used to do all their part maintenance at night! Now there’s construction noise and maintenance being done all throughout the day, and it amazes me.
My first trip was as a kid in the early 80s. My Dad was the kind of guy who really struggled to find something positive to say about anything, and he just couldn't stop raving about how clean and well-run everything was. I'll never forget it.
@@ttintagel Yes when I worked there, 1974 summer, it was drilled into us; cleanliness and pixie dust. Before we were put on stage we had to go through a week of orientation. Cast member and the Disney company; we were like a family. It was a great place to work and be. I have observed a negative downturn with Disney since Bob Iger took over
I’m hoping there’s change too. I worked there as a musician in the early 2000’s. In our cast member orientation, one of the mangers shared how important it was to keep the magic for guests and actually broke into tears telling a personal story. I always thought that was amazing that a manager cared so much about every guest’s experience. We’ve had passes for over a decade (since we had kids). But we let them go last year. The customer service felt so impersonal and uncaring. The Genie+ and overloaded lines were just a bummer. With fast passes, we could at least plan a few rides. Hopefully it will get back to being magical again.
We are a Disney family, but our next trip will be to DollyWood. Between the stress of genie+, paid rides, property condition, PRICE, etc. We just can’t justify the trip. And I kind of want to support Dolly Parton, she’s done a lot of good over the years.
Always had pleasant experiences at Dollywood! Probably one of the cleanest parks I’ve ever been to.
And her philanthropy ❤
My family had a very similar conversation! My mom and dad love Disney stuff but it honestly doesn’t feel the same anymore. It lost the magic and honestly my sister has special needs and so many people (guest and cast members) were so rude it ruined it for me, it was even her make a wish trip on top of that.
If you still wish to go to DollyWood I 100% recommend catching the dinner show!! The food is amazing and the show is so much fun 🎉
Preach on Tom! The difference from even 2019 to 2022 is just incomprehensible!
I was a cast member in 08-09’ I remember leaving my location every night after close and seeing all the maintenance vehicles and others cleaning and fixing the park. Pressure washers, grounds keepers taking care of plants, painters making touch ups, and lights being replaced. I haven’t been in years, because I cannot afford it, but seeing the videos and photos of the current state just saddens me. I thought I was angry, but I realized I’m just really sad.
What is WDW management thinking? Do they think that we don't notice or care? I guess just as long as people keep showing up, they don't care. This is 100% on management and the culture. I hope Iger and D'Amaro realize that these things actually do matter. I am actually kind of surprised that D'Amaro let it get this bad.
They are doing exactly as much as they need to do to keep the parks rammed full of people who are prepared to absorb the endless price hikes ...Where's their motivation to plus it?
D'Amaro was too busy trying to appease Chapek and focusing on the numbers in order to "keep his job", that he failed to pay attention to his own back yard (WDW)
I agree... as long as we continue to go to Disney and pay their prices, there is no reason to make a change.
Short term mentality - profits over product (or experience). "There's 100s of others waiting to take the place of disgruntled guests not returning to the parks so who cares as long as we get their money & stockholders are happy?"
As long as the money comes in, right? We got to stop.
Too right. We went to Disneyland Paris in 2013 and thought how bad the environment was in the park despite the park having amazing things. We just went again, in 2022, and what a difference! It used to have trash everywhere graffiti on the queue line walls and pealing paint at the resorts. Now, it's Disney beautiful. If Paris can do it, then so can World! Let's do this.
Agree! Went to Disneyland Paris prior to 2013 and there were peeling emblems, dirty boats, people walking in the moat around the castle and garbage on the ground. I wrote a letter to the park executive (don't remember who it was) and attached pictures and surprisingly got a response. It was a snarky response about how I didn't understand the culture in France and D-World and D-Paris were two separate parks, not to be compared. I felt really let down.
I could imagine Walt turning over in his grave to see his dream going to pot. I just never would think that Disneyland would let the parks get into that bad of shape. I appreciate you bringing back those reports.
The aspect of questioning my childhood memories as being nostalgia or not truly resonates with me. My family went several times when my siblings and I were kids, we recently went again now that we have all graduated high school and it was a weird experience. I actually found myself enjoying UP more than WDW. I found myself disheartened thinking that it was just childhood memories that made it feel magical but I don't think that's true. I remember how kind and eager cast members were, how clean everything was, and the magic of just being there. I still cry watching the firework shows during ResortTV1 streams and I'm holding out hope that the parks can be returned to a greater sense of magic and care. I was so excited when my best friend had her baby because it meant I would get to share the magic of Disney with her little one but as of now I'm embarrassed to take them. I'm hoping they get things turned around in the next few years so I can show them all the reasons I love the Disney parks
🌟 Well said 🌟❤️
Tom, thank you so much, as a fellow Disney fan these are the same issues I care about. I appreciate your rants!!
This is so sad to see. When I was a WDW cast member back in 2003, cleanliness in the parks was a big part of the Traditions training. It was ingrained in my head so much that I was picking up stray pieces of trash here and there when I was just in the parks with my parents while they were visiting. I didn’t even realize I was doing it! My mom told me and I didn’t believe her! 😂 Sadly, I got out of that habit once I wasn’t a cast member any longer, especially during the pandemic. I need to start doing that again. In fact, just think how cleaner the parks would be if each of us just picked up one piece of “non gross” trash that we encountered. A little goes a long way! 😁
People need to do this everywhere. I am older and cannot believe how dirty our country has become. I have had the chance to travel during my life to many other countries and usually America was always cleaner, now we are just as dirty as many. People act like they don’t know what a trash can is, we need to point out this to anyone that thinks it’s ok to just throw crap down or dump items.
I saw a Photopass photographer at Galaxy’s Edge (Oct 2022) pick up dropped paper maps…some CMs definitely still do everything they can to help keep the parks nice. She didn’t wait for cleaning crew to come by; she took care of it right away. As a guest, I REALLY appreciated her proactive actions and submitted a CM compliment on my way out of the park.
unfortunately there are WAY too many things expected of undertrained cast members who are dealing with the staffing issues and it's only going to get better with continue additions to staffing and better training/management ::
:/ *
Thanks for reporting on these issues Tom. We spent the day at AK today and I’ve never seen Disney bathrooms this unkept before. The park experience is no where near what it was before Covid.
I was in the line for Rise and there was trash at every turn and a lot of it looks like it was there for weeks. Pisses me off people think it's ok to put empty cups and wrappers in the Que, but not having enough trash cans or not cleaning it up is pathetic. I always said they should have a team called QQ. Que Quality...
Thank you Tom for your review. I am of that mind set with all of Micheal Eisner problems he seemed to be the last CEO who appreciated the domestic Disney theme parks and resorts for what they were and at least tried to do creative things with them. Under Bob Iger and Bob Chapek they’ve just become IP dumping grounds that have abandoned their unique themes.
Get it Tom. Greedy lazy management. They have taken money, increased prices and then turned around and painted all theme restaurants, rooms etc. beige. Glad you speak up.
The first time my family went to Disney World was in the 1980s. I was amazed with how clean and friendly it was. With my Grandchildren I'm constantly telling them not to touch anything and stay close. I've seen rats and roaches in the last few years and the occasional staff member that creeped me out, and that was before covid. My kids no longer want to go, which means my Grandchildren don't get to go.
Take them to Universal, we stopped going to Disney and go there. We stay at Portofino Bay which includes express pass and the resort is beautiful. The parks are clean and fun and welcoming.
I haven't even seen the video, just the 2 words "Tom rants" and clicked immediately.
So true. I was in MK in December and dumbo is a mess. Broken signals the park dirty and people with garbage bags… I feel so bad
I remember hearing Walt in an interview saying how he wanted the Park to be clean and safe, not like a carnival atmosphere. WWWD? Everything . . . EVERYTHING . . . can always be attributed to one thing . . . and that is management. And no Tom, you're not the mental case. You're spot on. MTC
I went to Disney World when I was 5 and 6 years old. Disney World was the epitome of magic. It was amazing, surreal and beyond impactful. I remember everything about it just like it was yesterday. I went back in 2019 and it was obvious the magic is slipping away. Spaceship Earth was literally leaking water on our heads. Space Mountain had mildew. Test Track was closed. It was clear that Disney is putting profit ahead of everything else. This needs to change and change now. You’re 100% Spot on here.
Tom's Disney rants are always so accurate. I have hope for the future though, I don't think it's a coincidence that right when Iger comes back a bunch of attractions announce they are going under extended refurbs, I mean, Indiana Jones is getting its snake back! I am really hopeful for the future, it's the 100th anniversary and like you said, this is make or break. I just hope I'm not disappointed. I agree with you though, I can never imagine myself abandoning Disney, even if the ship starts to sink.
I am looking forward to the return of these reports. The west coast parks have so much damn trash in the ride queues and on the actual rides, I saw floating water bottles in the pirates of the Caribbean water.
Disneyland is just soooo poorly maintained. Every time I'm there, I'm surprised that I see broken doors or things just falling into disrepair. And that's ignoring the trash strewn about and constant filthiness of the bathrooms, floors, queues, tables, overflowing trash cans...
Amen!!! Thanks for putting pressure on them.
I saw “Tom rants” in the title of this video and it was immediately a must-click, thumbs-up. Couldnt agree more with the points being made here, as someone who has been visiting Walt Disney World over the last 40 years…let’s see what they do next. Keep ranting, Tom! ❤
I agree with every point made, Disney needs to start listening again. My dream has always been to be an Imagineer, but I’m just not sure anymore.
Tom ranting about Disneyland/WDW operations and logistics is my ASMR.
Tom, your rants are spot on. We saw you at fantasmic btw, and we said how dirty all the parks were the week between 12/24 and 1/1 - worst we've seen ever. and the TTC to magic kingdom monorail smelled worse than ever, the musty odor was off the chart. keep up the fight!
You are spot on. I have a Disney podcast, and I have not wanted to go back to the parks in a while. There is definitely a problem with not only the cleanliness (which is just a symptom of the real problem), there is a real lack of storytelling in all of the new/revamped areas. You used to be able to go into any location at Disney World, and there was some story being told. Now you go in, and you sometimes even question whether or not you are in Disney World. A very sad state of affairs. And personally, I think it is more than Chapek. While he made the problem worse, it is a direction I feel they have been going in quite a while. I will always love Disney, but I may have to decide whether or not to go to the domestic parks anymore.
Shaming, sad but true. The expectation Walt set is not being met!
You are spot on and your honesty is why you're my favorite Disney UA-cam channel. I live in CO now, but was raised in Disneyland country. It's been 10 years since I have been and seeing pics from a dirty broken park just saddens me. I really hope I get and Demaro can get the parks in shape. We had planned a trip to WDW when my kiddo turns 21, but he no longer wants to go. Crossing fingers! 🤞
I remember the guys at Disneyland, we stayed very late one night a few years ago and stopped at a churro stand on our way out and there just happened to be an older man who worked for the janitorial staff there. This was pre plague mind you, and what I saw was a man that used to work for an aerospace company as an engineer who was taking pride in cleaning up after guests and spending time talking to people and laughing with people and that is what I see as the gold standard of Cast Member and service, polite, hard working and trying to make someone's day a little brighter. I don't know if it's lack of staffing or quality of staffing or what it is at Disney World but it's not that way there anymore. Even there, we would see people that took pride in their work, they took pride in what they were doing for us as guests and for us as customers. I don't know what the problem is, but I hope what you're doing shows them what they are not doing and haven't been doing for a while and what they need to do to make this better. You aren't crazy, not by a long shot. Thank you for this, they pay attention to you. I hate the fact you have to shame them into fixing things, but if that's what it takes...then that's what it takes.
I think you came into this pretty measured. I've been a regular Disney parks attendee since '89 and I have definitely felt a decrease in the over all product over the last 6 or so years. I've been to the parks during pretty bad times but it just doesn't feel Disney anymore at times.
Awesome rant Tom! Disney is losing it's way in many respects. Will be very interesting to see if the leadership makes decisions to get back to that magic level again. If not Universal will be happy to assume that place!
When we went in 2005 and stayed at the Polynesian at 2 am you could look across the water and see the work / maintenance lights on in the Magic Kingdom. When we stayed at the Polynesian this past October for 10 days we never saw the work lights even once for cleaning or maintenance.
Tom’s rants are always on point!
Me and my husband work so hard to try and get in a WDW, if we are lucky, once a year. Coming from the UK, it would be easier and cheaper to go to Paris but there is a special place in our hearts for WDW.
In 2022 we finally got back since pre Covid and it was so, so noticeable how the magic was missing.
Very few cast members acted how we expected cast members to (no disrespect to them), guests were very short tempered, the parks were insanely busy and dirty, entertainment was few and far between (sometimes cancelled without notice and not due to weather) and everything felt ‘rushed’. We almost felt unwelcome at times.
We are saving hard to come back this year but it’s a lot of hard earned money for us to part with to only get part of the Magic we used to (but at a higher premium). We are so hoping last years missing Magic was a fluke but reading the comments on here, I’m worried the damage is already done and irreversible.
If so, I’m gonna start learning basic Japanese for a trip to Tokyo Disney.
It would just be such a shame to see WDW decline like this. Walt would be heartbroken.
Why would you still wanna go back after what's happened?
Your rant is on point, Tom. It's obvious (mostly to us older crowd) what that state of the parks have become and the loss of immersion and theming. I've come to realize that it's mostly the younger generation (gen-z or younger) that is willing to let things like this slide and just push it under the rug like, "ah whatever, its just a coffee shop" or "Ah, it's cool new stickers on the wall in the Contemporary"...No, those of us that actually remember the lengths Disney used to go to back in the day to make you feel like you were in a completely different world, cannot accept this absolute laziness route they've been taking lately. With all the taking away of perks and removal of theming, pretty soon there will no longer be a point in staying on property. Might as well pay sometimes even less than half the cost to stay off property at a nice hotel.
I hope they listen otherwise we are done with WDW. We went to DLP this past September and we would love to go back there. Great cast members, still feels magical, sparkling clean and the rides work.
When Tom rants I listen
“The Chapek years”. It makes me sad that so many think all the problems were on Chapek and Iger is going to make everything better. Iger was only really gone for around a year. The vast majority of the problems we’re seeing were started by Iger before he left. I don’t know what the new hope for Disney is but it wasn’t Chapek and it’s not bringing Iger back either. Hopefully there is another…
I’m agree with everything you said because over the holidays there is a noticeable lack of cleanliness in the parks
As someone who's loved visiting Disney world since child hood, I haven't been there in 15 years, so I visit vicariously through vloggers, this breaks my heart. It's sad the state of things.
Thank you Tom. Happy New Year! You’ve summed it up perfectly. There in August with my family for 2 weeks. Couldn’t believe the state of the parks and resort. We had adjoining rooms booked and the state of the rooms and grounds were so bad (sheets not changed, hair in the sinks, air conditioner not working in one of the rooms, to name a few), we moved resorts completely. Even though conditions were much better, still nothing like our past visits. So sad…Thank you for your time and attention. Here’s hoping with the Maintenance Report 🤞🏻. Thanks again
I agree with you completely, Tom! It's so sad to see how little the Disney company cares about the parks and park guests. Thank you for keeping them accountable!
coming soon, Disney will roll out a "maintenance and cleaning" surcharge to ticket prices, because our shareholders matter!!
I miss the Eisner-era. The back then, the company as a whole literally made "Be Our Guest" their unofficial motto.
You are 100% correct, when I visited Tokyo Disney I felt the same. The memories of the 90s and the 2000s Disney were not just nostalgia, they were legitimately better.
Hey tom, Good job on wdwn today and all the content you develop. I am an international visitor coming to WDW since 1980, went to inauguration of epcot, mgm studios and animal kingdom.
I went to WDW for new year for 3 days, and I totally agree with u, the parks are filthy (spider webs, dust in fans, paint chips falling, discolored printed media, amongst other).
The issue that WDW news today covered about its a small world boats being filthy, is no relevant, that is tire decoloration from the bumbers that stop the boats, over time you can't remove rubber tires stains.
Walt Disney's vision was to make u feel in another land, in a fantasy, in an adventure, everything in the future was supposed to be pristine and clean, 50 years later something has gone wrong (management, understaffed, time)
Just subbed :-) This is a great channel to hang around, to be updated on all things Disney World…
I’m from Denmark, and only as an adult (30 years old) I visited USA/Disney World for the first time in my life, back in 2015! It was truly everything I had always dreamed it would be, and we had some FANTASTICK couple of days visiting all the parks. Florida/Disney World was a childhood dream coming true, and because of my adult age I appreciated it so much more, being completely aware and present :-) From the moment we once again set foot on Danish ground, my girlfriend and I felt the blues, lol. We wanted to go back ASAP!! So her and I planned for a solo 2018 vacation, wanting to do it bigger and better than last time. In 2015 we went with a group of friends, staying off-site. In 2018 we went solo, staying ON Disney property! 5 days & nights at the Polynesian, right in the heart of DW - it was amaaaazing!!! Expensive, yes, but worth it - ABSOLUTELY! :-) We also stayed 3 nights at Universal’s Portofino Bay, to cap off that vacation. There’s something about staying in the heart of the magic (Both Disney and Universal) that you just can’t beat. Every day, leaving the parks back in 2015, we joked about feeling sad, but truthfully there WAS something to it. When we stayed on property, in 2018, we never felt sad, because leaving the parks at night, the magic stayed with you - we never left it :-) Being a deluxe resort-guest is costly, but you’re also paying for stuff you can’t see, which is absolutely the constant feels of magic/wonder AND easy accessibility to/from parks/Disney Springs/restaurants, etc. Point is it truly was a deluxe-stay, and from our experience ALL worth it…. Back_then! :-(
Just like when returning home in 2015, it was no different when returning home in 2018; we were STILL eager to go back again-again! :-) On our way home from Orlando, we discussed on the plane how we could go back for a 3’rd time in a few years, bringing my younger brother, his wife and two kids, doing it even BIGGER and more awesome than ever before - damn the cost! We didn’t know that a worldwide pandemic would soon hit though, changing our world forever..
Ever since Covid, all has changed. We still want to go back to Florida for a 3’rd Disney World-vacation, staying longer and planning it even grander! But right_NOW, it feels damn near Impossible :-( Following channels like this one here, and also a few others (to stay updated) I just can’t believe how bad Disney World have fallen :-( I write all of this with such a heavy heart and I pray Bob Eiger, in time, can steer the ship right again :-( I KNOW, in light of the pandemic, that some things had to change. But then I take a look over at Universal, and from what I can tell they’re still as awesome as ever! They’re offering the SAME perks to deluxe-guests as before, and everything else.
My god, Disney has truly dropped the bucket. Bob PayCheck, in the short two years he was in charge, practically ruined everything in the parks. A “few” key things from pre-pandemic, that he has screwed fans over with, are these:
1. He canceled the free Magical Express busses, from/to the airport and to your DW-hotel (which was a HUGE part of the magic, starting out your vacation)
2. He completely eliminated the beautiful free FastPass-system, which was absolutely amazing! (and it was also what helped set DW apart from DisneyLand)
3. He got rid of free Magic-Bands for resort guests.
4. He’s raised prices in obscene ways! (and it’s still going strong for now)
5. Resort guests have to pay for parking now as well.
6. Then there’s their stupid “Parks Reservation” system (dear lord - it doesn’t work anyways!)
7. WHY did they get rid of the Poly’s awesome and authentic “Luau dinner-show”? Jeez.
These are just some of the obvious things. Then there’s stuff like making it damn near Impossible to pre-plan a perfect vacation from home, months in advance (like in the good old days!) Their Genie+ system is a JOKE. Not only is it dirty expensive, but they’re also forcing resort-guests to get up at 6:30 in the morning, to try and pre-book those fancy-rides.. It’s NOT ok.
Last but not least, the parks are CLEARLY in horribles states right now. Dirty and worn - which is something Walt Disney would’ve NEVER stood for! Bob Eiger truly needs to make these elements shine again, and I pray he manages to do so over the coming two years.
We so wanna go back, doing it bigger and better than ever, but right now there’s no chance in hell :-( The magic was LOST, it’s time to RE-capture it!
From Becky Burkett's article April 2022: The Big Thunder Mountain crash was one of three major accidents during a five-year period at Disneyland in which ride maintenance arose as an issue. A patron was killed in 1998 when he was hit by an iron cleat that a taut rope tore from the Columbia sailing ship. Two years later, nine passengers were injured on Space Mountain when a bolt broke on a wheel assembly.
Thank you for shining a light on these topics. As you say, the cleanliness level leaves lasting impressions, but maintenance budgets need to be increased, and priorities need to be overhauled. The facade around the "Max Factor" door at Keystone Clothiers in Hollywood Studios fell apart months ago. They put up green panels around it right away because they have a warehouse full of them. Apparently, they have no budget and/or people to restore the facade, though, because they've done ZERO work on that very public-facing building since the plywood walls went up.
100% with you on this. Been going to disney for the better part of 25 years regularly, as an out of town passholder. Once i got married n started having kids (4) it was like literally being a kid on our visits 2 n 3 times a year. 5 years ago is when we started to see it turn and then covid so we gave it chances, both during and after. It hasnt gotten better. But what has is the competition. I always saw universal as "the other park" but what theyre doing know in all honesty is on par if not better than whats being put out at Disneyworld. We stayed for the first time at hard rock and loved it. As of this point we even chose to let our passes expire and will go for a day after or cruise. Disney cruises are still worth it in my opinion. In lieu of being passholder weve decided to save n go to Tokyo Disney. You and a few others always rave and after watching the vids it looks like the Disney of old and I am super excited. Thank you for your honesty and what you bring to the discussion. Whoever compares the monorail to public transportation needs their head looked at. Last i checked its not public and people pay an arm a leg and kidney for a week at the most magical place. That should mean something
Great Job Tom! Keep saying the truth. We need Disney to return back to the way Walt wanted it to be. Disney now is not Walt’s Dream it’s a Money Making Disaster.
I hate them to death for this negligence crap
I am happy to hear that you and your team will be focusing on maintenance at the parks and hopefully the resorts. We have stayed many times at Disney Saratoga springs and honestly we’re happy with the refurbishment but our issue with he resort is sadly maintenance and cleanliness. Last time we stayed, the last guests must have left wet bathing suits in the washer and when we arrived to check in the room clearly stunk like mold/mildew. We also noticed there was old food smudges on the dishwasher and a hole in the wall. I felt that these were all issues that should have been taken care of before we checked in and clearly they weren’t. It’s hard to believe that housekeeping didn’t catch this before we checked in and for a dvc resort to have these issues to me is ridiculous. I hope that you guys can make a difference, you have a large following and loud voice, hopefully the right people on the Disney side are listening.
I agree with what you said. You are spot on!
Went to Disney every 2-5 years from opening day until now, since my grandparents lived in Orlando before the mouse came to town. The worst time I ever saw was in the years just before Eisner. It seemed everything had gone downhill then. Now is the worst time for money grubbing, I remember my parents staying at the Poly instead of the grandparents house and it didn't break the bank like it would now. During our last trip in June was the first time we ever said, "I think it will be a long time until we return again."
Excellent rant! You're absolutely correct! Hopefully we will see a 180 with the company real soon!
When I worked at Disney, my trainer said “this is what we are serving to our guests. This is what they pay for. This is unacceptable. We need to do better.” And show us something gross that needed to be clean. More people need his attitude! The lack of caring is sad. It all comes from the top and tickles down. But the managers need to get on it!
Hope this rant helps clean things up.
Tom you are my favourite! I agree with you usually 💯. Keep up the great job
The issues you mention are exactly the reason that I have been reluctant to spend money to travel to WDW lately. I have been to Walt Disney World nearly ten times since they opened their doors, and most recently for three years in a row just before the COVID shutdown. To me, WDW was the one place I would go where I felt like it was everyone's job to make sure I had a good time, and they delivered every time, with possibly the most recent trip in 2019 being the exception. I agree with everything you said. Disney always held themselves to a higher standard than anyone else. There was no such thing as being "good enough," they always prided themselves in being the best, and that's what drew me back time and again. The "magic" of the Disney parks was that they paid attention to the smallest of details to insure that their guests felt transported to a different world, a world of make believe where they could forget their every day stresses and enjoy getting lost in the world of their favorite characters and movies. You can't deliver the same experience if you shortchange the maintenance and cleanliness of places. There is an expectation that when I spend money to go to Disney world, I will have the time of my life and everything is in working order, the food tastes good, the bathrooms are clean, the trash cans miraculously empty themselves and people who visit appreciate and respect the opportunity to be there. I don't want to see guests fighting with guests, guests fighting with cast members, rides being shut down regularly because they aren't working or guests being disrespectful of property that doesn't belong to them. Granted, some of those issues reflect how society has changed in recent decades, but they still detract from the Disney experience. I can think of other places worth spending my hard-earned dollars on until standards are once again elevated to what I was used to experiencing there. And this comes from someone who has been a die-hard Disney fan for nearly 60 years.
Tom, WOW! you are the RANT KING this company needs to hear! Everything you speak of is 100% accurate. I remember joking back in the 90's that if someone drops something on the ground and walks away (which by the way happens all to often these days) a Cast Member is right there at the ready to clean it up. These days, people don't give a **** at all, they drop trash on the ground and continue on their way, horrifying!! And what do I see most often on the ground? POPCORN! lame Ass guests dropping popcorn on the ground! and Ice Cream! little runts can't eat it fast enough in the Florida heat so on the ground it goes. And what's with Dogs everywhere in the Parks. I was recently in line for Flight Of Passage and this person in front of us had a Service Dog. When she got ready to go on the attraction she released the dog to a Cast Member and they put the dog in a crate until after the ride finished, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!! If You can ride Flight OF Passage what the Hell Do you need a Service Dog for? Tom, I apologize for my Rant in your comments but I would love to sit and discuss all this nonsense with you. We built a new house near the Tampa area to get away from the cold winters in Maine and to be closer to the Magic but we're getting to the point of going back up north where life is a little more normal. Thanks Tom! Always enjoy WDW News Today. Keep The Peace! ✌
Your report is spot on. It’s very noticeable for those that have gone for many years. Last year was our last. Universal this year. Hopefully they turn it around. I’m not thinking they will.
I can understand where Tom is coming from in his rant about the state of the Walt Disney World theme parks. It's clear that the parks have faced some challenges in recent years, and there are certainly aspects that could be improved upon. However, it's also important to remember that the Disney parks are constantly evolving and working to provide the best possible experience for their guests. From what I've seen and heard, the parks are still magical and exciting places to visit, and I'm sure that the dedicated teams at Disney are doing their best to address any issues and make the parks even better. It's understandable to have concerns and critiques, but it's also important to remember the joy and magic that the Disney parks bring to so many people.
They charge a tremendous amount just to walk in the Gate BECAUSE it’s supposed to be immaculately maintained. Either maintain it or cut the price. People with Terminal diseases want to go there before they die. The least they could do is clean it.
I agree 100%. I remember and it was not that long ago when we would time how long it took for a cast member to pick up a piece of trash. We would sit on the sidewalk before a parade and watch as popcorn was dropped by passers-by and see how long it took. I am sure I am exaggerating but it felt like no more than a minute. That was not always custodial cast, others as well (not fully knowing cast member outfits) I assume supervisors wearing nice business dress cloths would stop and pick up trash. Was there in August and I watched a custodial member walk right over a water bottle and and cup.
SO, keep it up Tom and the rest of WDW crew, someone has to keep Disney honest
What a fabulous thing to do! All for it! Cleanliness has been a hallmark of the Disney brand. Thank you, thank you!
Could not agree more. With every word. Thank you.
You are exactly right brand is what Disney is selling I can remember my stay at Fort Wilderness many years ago and the thing I remember most was how clean the place was. When I told friends about the park I would always mention that.
WDW certainly was a cleaner place years ago, every cast member did their part no matter who you were. I think Disney management needs to hear the feedback and complaints for the sake of the guest so they can have a magical experience when visiting, instead of wait don't touch that or eww don't sit there, or why isn't that working.
I also sent in photos from the gobs of human hair clinging to the ramp walls in Its A Small World from our Oct 22 trip. Hairbands abound on rides in themed areas. Not what it was when I went growing up and hasn’t been for quite some time. Cast members used to be seen cleaning landscaping with grabbers - not anymore.
Very well said 👏. As a visitor from the UK, it costs us £10,000 to visit for 2 weeks that's without food and merchandise. Things need to change for it to be worth the money.
Tom always telling how it is!
Hi Tom, one nitpick here: I think you are confusing the Tokyo Monorail with the Tokyo Disney Resort Monorail. The Tokyo monorail is the one connecting Haneda Airport with downtown Tokyo and has more passengers than the WDW monorail; however the Tokyo Disney Resort monorail connects the Tokyo parks with the nearest rail station and has fewer passengers.
These are incredible thank you Tom
In 1990, my visit to the parks was magical. Every inch squeaky clean.
Overpriced + Dirty, + Underwhelming = WDW Now
Tom, you are definitely 100% on the money. I live in England like the family you mentioned and to take my family to Caribbean Beach for two weeks at the start of my daughter’s summer holidays cost me £8275 ( direct with Disney ). After staying at CB in 2019 the change with the whole of Disney World was incredible. The lack of bus transport from CB to Epcot and Hollywood was ridiculous. Yes you have the Skyliner but if you have someone in the group for who the flight over is a mammoth undertaking getting in a glass box and being dangled under a wire is a non starter. These are things not even thought of. With regards the parks the atmosphere has gone. We had one day at universal which was more enjoyable than WDW and I never thought I’d say that.
I just commented on this issue on a different channel. The parks are just nasty. I remember the days of the guys walking around with brooms and dustpans sweeping up popcorn, and any thing on the ground. Walt did a study about how far someone will carry trash before they throw it on the ground, which was 30 feet, therefore trash cans were placed every 30 feet. I have been going to the parks since 1972 and I remember how clean it was. This is not the Disney I grew up with. And don’t even get me started about maintenance.we have had a boat sink, a log ride sink, evacuations left and right, it’s a disaster. And no, it isn’t the cast members. They are great and do the best they can with what management gives them to work with. Management should be ashamed, hire more cast members and treat them well. The stories you hear from cast members who self termed the college program are unreal. Medical accommodations being completely ignored, promises of being moved to a position that will accommodate them never coming through, poor pay, high rent, long unreasonable hours, going days and days with no days off. Disney, the public is seeing all of this and watching all of this. Have you forgotten that people put out videos about this stuff?
I also remember the days when each restroom had a cleaner in them all day, and for the prices they charge it should be!
Speaking on my own beliefs as a cast member at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the custodians just hang backstage and play on their phones most of the time. Just yesterday I watched as two custodial cast members started yelling at each other IN FRONT OF THE GUESTS.
It’s probably difficult for supervisors (when they are short staffed) to come down on people.
AMEN! You hit the nail on the head, but I do rest a LOT of the blame at the feet of Josh D'Amaro. This is an issue specifically under his umbrella of Parks & Resorts. As the chairman, it's his responsibility, his very job, to maintain and upkeep the parks to the highest possible standards, and he has rested on his laurels on this. I've been going to the parks as long as I've been alive (40 years), and you are absolutely right when you say the parks used to be absolutely spotless and immaculately maintained. It was a HUGE deal if you use to see an animatronic broken, it was on the level of sheer blasphemy for Disney. Not anymore, and it's absolutely inexcusable in my book. If you could do it once... you can do it again, and they NEED to make it happen, no ifs or buts about it. Now, where can we recommend making TOM the next CEO for Disney? 😀
Just venting, Thanks Tom.
Tom THANK YOU for being honest. That makes must trust you 1,000 times more my vacation time is precious I work hard for it.
My last visit to WDW was back in 2006. I remember a magical place where the parks were clean and almost everything was operational. Even at the age I was back then (40's) I loved hugging the characters, riding the rides and eating the food. This past summer (North of the equator, I'm in South Africa) I took my wife to Disneyland Paris. You're absolutely right in saying that this park has come a long way in the cleanliness and general operation of the park. I've been telling my wife all about WDW and how special it was. We're now talking about going there in 2023, but I'm afraid to go there and destroy my memory of the parks in Florida. You had me in tears thinking about what Chapak has done. We may have to go to Disneyland Tokyo if we can financially afford it.
I go a lot as an AP, and feel the same as you. On top of it some of the rides are badly outdated/neglected. I just don't get how they justify the prices. Hopefully they can do something, it's going to be a big undertaking.
We have been going to the parks since EPCOT opened. We were there for a week in October and it's the worst we have experienced. The rest rooms rivaled a baseball stadium. Dirty floors, out of everything. Litter through the park. I remember the day when people walked around and if you dropped a kernel of popcorn, they cleaned it up before it hit the ground. The damage done by BC will take a long time to resolve.
Could not agree more. Have only been going over the last 8 years but the decline is noticeable. And without the nostalgia factor, the parks are now overpriced, crowded, dated and dirty. Simply not worth it so we don't do the parks any more. And now there are so few benefits to staying at Disney Resorts, I'm not sure how much longer we will continue to go there. Just so many other clean and affordable options out there to justify paying double for an inferior vacation.
You are so right. I visited DW in December 2022 and have to say I don't think I will return. My visit was with friends that go MULTIPLE times per year and this was the worse trip for all of us. The crowds we were stuck in place tring to get out of the Candle Light Procession for almost 30 min.due to everyone trying to enter the same time we were leaving the pavillion. The cleanliness(not on the staff so much as the guests) People were throwing up in the bushes we seen this multiple times GROSS! , The rides breaking down, the day we were at the MK multiple rides were down and then there was the horrible food.We waited 2 hours for our 6pm reservation just to get the most unpalatable food ever.Guest serves was less than helpful with the waiting time or the food issue. I could go on and on. This is just so sad.
Great takes. Is there a WDWNT podcast?
We are with you. I have noticed a difference I've been going since 1981.
I agree with you. Although it saddens me to do it, I'm taking a break from Disney. I was so disappointed by the state of things in Disney World and how dirty and unfriendly cast members were, that I've scaled back 3-5 trips a year to none. It's too much money for very little fun. Looking forward to your reports.
USA Disney is probably cutting back cleanliness, but i believe the culture of Japan has more pride in keeping things nice and clean. I think at the world cup, the Japanese fans would help clean the stadium after games.
Completely agree with you Tom, also when we went in November I was saddened to see that rides were not being fixed or maintained as quickly as in the past. Tower of terror only had 2 lifts running every time we rode it, we rode it 3 separate days spread out over two weeks, so they had time to fix the other lifts, lots of other rides went down while we were there making lines for the rides that were running extremely long! If we hadn't of got genie+ we wouldn't have got on many rides, sadly it's made me doubt whether I want to pay so much money to go back.
That is because the woke heads at Disney are too busy firing employees who do not agree with their woke politics and firing g employees because all they care about is $$$$$!
Tom, I whole heartedly agree. WDW is in Carnival operation status, just barley doing enough to get by. I know you said that these issues predated covid, but that actually DOES speak to the need to pay employees a living wage. There's a common argument that it won't change anything, but truly there is no merit, cause or proof to back up any argument against paying cast a living wage. Truly, there would be 0 staffing issues if people got paid enough money to work there, and the work they did would be better, disney could easily say to employees not performing up to standards hey I have 100 people who will do a better job waiting for this opening and keep only good employees. I'm sorry to say but hiring people desperate for work at any wage gets you poor performance employees-management included. Please keep making these and don't worry if some don't agree. It's not for the people who don't care its for the people that do.
Reminds me when it was published EVERYWHERE in news with photos on how ItsASmallWorld had the boats full of grime and dirt.
And then 3 days later they appeared clean.
It seems either they the CMs are again overworked, Managers are refusing to do their jobs for that sweet bonus.. or training has been the worst of all times..