Is Disney REALLY that great to you guys?

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When I was a much younger enthusiast I felt exactly the same.

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Absolutely.

As a teen, Epcot was booooorrrrring. Magic Kingdom was okay---but really, only Space and Mansion were cool. Thunder was just another boring mine train. This was pre-splash, but I suspect that my opinion of splash would have been: do we need the 10 minutes of boredom just to get to the drop?

Now? Totally different. The Mrs. and I are going on a no-kids trip for Memorial Day weekend. We're not really going for the attractions, much, though we're looking forward to checking out Toy Story Mania.

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eightdotthree said:The Disney experience is awesome from the time you walk through the gate until the time you leave. I love it.

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Disney has taken quite awhile to get around to the *thrill* thing - but they've got everything else DOWN. Everything else.

We were queueing for SheiKra just yesterday, line was around 30-35 minutes. Yet every other train was being sent with several empty seats. The guy at the top of the stairs basically lets *about* the right number of people in, then HOPES they figure out how to spread themselves and fill the train. At Disney, they have a cast member (maybe another person?) actually telling people which row to get in to fill the trains...the reduced confusion probably could have shaved 5-10 minutes off the wait times...

Why's Disney so great? Theming, cleanliness, efficiency, friendliness...most of which revolves around the cast memebers.

For me personally, I kinda burned out on WDW (well, MK) from visits as a kid, and then again when I had annual passes thru UF prior to becoming a lunatic enthusiast. After I got into the hobby, I started going to alot of different parks and began thinking I had become immune to "the magic". Then I went to DL, and everything changed...everything. That park totally rejuvenated my love for Disney, and even rekindled my passion for new parks again.

Now, being a little older, even going with my nieces to MK in January seemed entirely fresh, as I get to experience it thru THEIR eyes...

I have always like Disney (Universal, Sea World and Six Flags too for that matter) but I consider myself a Park Enthusiast who likes coasters; not a coaster enthusiast who likes parks.

Disney has thrills...and unique attractions you can't find anywhere else. I loved Disneyland as a young kid and enjoyed EPCOT and Magic Kingdom in my preteen years. I enjoyed those two as well as MGM Studios as a teen and enjoyed all the parks as a young adult.

Now that I am the father of two I love all those parks even more as I see them through the eyes of my children and I appreciate the "family environment" they establish. I've said many times that there is little that my entire family (Dad, wife and two kids under 5) CAN'T do together at the Disney parks and there is little we CAN do together at the Cedar Fair/Six Flags parks. They can wait for me while I ride coasters or I can wait for them while they ride kidde rides. But, at Disney there are only a handful of attractions I wouldn't take the little one's on.

I always enjoyed the educational aspects of Epcot and MGM (though they've got away from that at both parks). But, that might just be the geek in me.

If you told me I could only visit Disney parks for the rest of my life, I'd be somewhat disappointed but understanding.

If you told me I could only visit non-Disney parks for the rest of my life, I'd be utterly disheartened and depressed.

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Absimilliard said:
Disneyland (CA) is the true heart and soul of parks worldwide. Enduring classics, great coasters, awesome dark rides and just the best operations around.

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This pretty much sums up my opinion about Disneyland. Everything we love about parks today can be directly attributed to something at Disneyland. It's one of those places that enthusiasts must visit at least once in their life to truly get the Disney experience. There's just something about that place that gets to me. Like someone mentioned above, it's the only place that makes a 30-something act like a 10-year old. The best part is the history that just oozes from every ride, building and sidewalk. Everything in the park has a story and that's why I love the place so much.

When I was about eight, my grandmother gave me a couple maps of Magic Kingdom (then simply Disney World). I had never been to the parks, and in fact my entire amusement park experience consisted of one annual trip with family to Kings Island. So staring at those maps was kind of like dreaming for Mecca, all through my childhood and into my adult years.

I finally got to MK for the first time in my thirties, and it was as if I were that kid again. (Damn if those commercials aren't correct.) Since then I've been to every North American Disney park except Animal Kingdom. And even as my love for all things amusement park blossomed into the full blown obsession it was always meant to be, I will always treasure Disney.

We had season passes a couple years back because they were cheap for us locals. We actually spent more time at DCA.

But now that we have a little tyke to take with us, it's almost as exciting for us as it was when we were kids.

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rollergator said:
At Disney, they have a cast member (maybe another person?) actually telling people which row to get in to fill the trains

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I remember being blown away by how many people they took to get California Screamin' locked and loaded but I don't remember the number now.

Anyone more familiar with DCA wanna make a quick headcount?

I've seen 1 assigning rows and 4 per side to check restraints...not sure if that's a full crew or not.

Yeah, that sounds like what I saw, or similar.

Of course, it didn't matter to me because Disney let me go as a single rider and it never took me more than 5 mins to get on. :)

Yes, it is.
Will there be anything else, sir?

I'm 31, and I think I have been to my fair share of parks (CF, SF, Disney, Busch parks, etc.). I have to say, if I could instantaneously be in any park, it would be Cedar Point. That said, I am very much looking forward to taking my daughter to Disney in a couple years when she is old enough to enjoy it; I would much rather take her to Disney than to Cedar Point, as there is simply infinitely more we could all do together, and all enjoy in an entirely different way.

I am one of those, however, that feel comparing Disney and Cedar Point is rather futile. I see them as two very different experiences, and I would go for different reasons.

I would never be "disappointed" at Disney, because I would not go there looking for the big thrill, and vice versa for Cedar Point.

Am I not allowed to enjoy both?

Good grief, Charlie Brown. *** Edited 4/21/2008 10:11:56 PM UTC by OhioStater***

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Mamoosh said:
I've seen 1 assigning rows and 4 per side to check restraints...not sure if that's a full crew or not.

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I would imagine this is one reason Disney parks cost more but how it adds to the overall enjoyment of their parks is worth the extra cost to me. They move people because they have people to move people. And their whole setup is designed with moving people through the lines, which usually have theming out the whazoo.

Here's an interesting factoid:

If you read the annual reports, Disney's operating margin for parks & resorts is lower than Cedar Fair's, on a percentage basis. *** Edited 4/22/2008 1:11:18 AM UTC by Brian Noble***

Here's a question I have -

What do the people in the parades and stuff do the rest of the time? Like one of the performers in the Electrical Parade or something like that, do they have a different Disney job during the day and then leave to get into costume for the parade in the evening? Or is that their gig - they go in for the parade and then go home.

I've seen how this works personally at a medium-sized regional park but the cast at a Disney production would be 20x bigger then what I've seen in action, not to mention 20x better in terms of production value.

1. Top dark rides and themed rides on the planet. I always choose the park with the best variety of thrill rides.

2. Fewer hight restrictions. Why even take your kid to the park if he can't even ride the main attractions?

3. Disney magic targets kids, and the younger parts of ourselves which is what parks are about anyway. Target the youth if you want a loyal fan base.

4. Highest rider capacity. On any given day SFGAdv. deals with 1/3 the volume of people of any Disney park with lines three times as long. There's really no excuse.

5. They know how to run virtual queues. By not by profiting from long lines but by actually shortening them.

6. Large capitol investments on big high quality attractions. Who else but Disney could spend 100 million on a roller coaster without charging people an arm or a leg to ride an Expedition Everest? And Disney's indoor roller coasters are simply the best.

7. The customer is always right. Staff are actually contactually obliged to be happy and treat people well. Few leave a Disney park feeling scammed or ripped off.

8. Best bang for your buck. No amusement park company is more consistent in delivering on high expectations.

9. Success builds on success. Many amusement park companies acknowledge Disney's success by choosing not to compete on any of these points. With the exception of Islands of Adventure, what park is challenging Disney?

10. And finally Disney's perfectionism. All the little things Disney attends to that goes unnoticed for the most part. Added up these intangibles blows the competition away. Disney's reputation is hard earned and well deserved. Just look at the numbers.

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matt. said:
Here's a question I have -

What do the people in the parades and stuff do the rest of the time? Like one of the performers in the Electrical Parade or something like that, do they have a different Disney job during the day and then leave to get into costume for the parade in the evening? Or is that their gig - they go in for the parade and then go home.

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They have different jobs. Many of the parade performers are character or show performers also. But some work in attractions, merchandise or service.
As for crowd control these people come from all over. The cast deployment system that controls the rotational bumps will send people to parade. When I worked in Asia attractions at Animal Kingdom a few cast from each of Maharajah Trek, Kali Rapids, and Everest would help control the parade from the Asia bridge to half-way towards Africa. *** Edited 4/22/2008 5:28:45 AM UTC by CoasterKiwi***

I did crowd control for MK parades while working on the Jungle Cruise. This was one of the more enjoyable aspects of the job. Of course, I did this while Spectromagic was still "new and fresh" and the crowds were HUGE!

Yeah, it's that great. I've been a Disney fan now for 20+ years. I loved DL when I went there @ 11. Really liked MK when I went there @ 15. Still loved DL @ 21, loved WDW @ 24, 29, and 31.

I just feel that the parks give you that feeling of really being transported to another place. Much like others have said, it starts with the customer service. I'm sure that many of the people working there get pissed off during the day, dealing with the plethora of whiny brats. However, the management instills in them that no matter what, you dont treat a customer poorly. And it just seems like they genuinely *want* to give you 'superhappyfuntime'.

And when you add in the *best* dark rides "on the planet" (:) for those who remember) and some fairly thrilling rides (e.g. ToT) that's more than enough for me. Hell, much of the last visit to WDW was spent just looking and absorbing. I'm not even sure we re-rode any thrill rides other than RnRC and EE. I just love the place.
lata, jeremy

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dealing with the plethora of whiny brats

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Not to mention their children!