First off... I would not go to Disney if you paid me! If Disney would be Disney instead of carrying water for the politically correct, there would be no problem at all. Disney is supposed to be for the kids, right? Well it isn't anymore. It is a money making leviathan that could give a rat's backside about kids. For all intents and purposes Disney died with Walt... All they are now is a bank statement!
The big difference is that now there is a small collection of large families (with money) who still reliably go to Disney. Regardless of what they take away or reduce.
If they had that in the 80's? They would have been going down this path in the early 2000's instead of now. They used to have executives who listened to their creatives or at least tried to be somewhat creative themselves. Now, it's completely centered around putting as many kid-friendly IP's around the park as possible and charging everyone for $12 buttons and $6 waters...because Toy Story!
My friend surprised his adult kids with a dad & kids only trip this week to Disney. No spouses, no littles. Spouses were in on the surprise. Saw the first pic what s blast! He said the last time he took his “ kids” to Disney it sucked, somebody was always crying, lost, and he was exhausted. This was his Disney redemption trip. 😂
Hotel amenities…100% pls have a decent coffee in my room, before I venture out!
Once on a biz trip staying in Sonoma, after bad flight delay, called the hotel on my way for some reason. It was late. Before the call was over, they asked if I had time to grab a bite, knowing of my extended delays. Nope. Well, there won’t be much available once you get here, do you have any allergies or dietary needs? Nope. That was it. They checked me in over phone, gave me info so I could go right to room
When I walked in, wine, (it is Sonoma) lovely mini charcuterie board, chocolate. Fruit. Perfect. In the morning, knock on my door same person arranged for coffee & a lil fruit & pastry “to help me wake up”
This was not a Four Seasons, just an amazing level of cust service!
At least she had water at her disposal.....there are thousands down here still with no water (or power or Internet or cell service.) The timing of this particular post could be a bit insensitive to what's happening in Florida? Sorry - I live down here and we're all still reeling from the destruction Ian caused.
And I wasn't trying to be snarky with that comment....just coming from a place of sincerity and sadness. It's a lot to deal with. Trust me, I hope Molly and her family had fun. Really. Me and my cats are good. Thanks
Melissa! I'm so sorry for what you and many Floridians are experiencing right now.
One of my biggest criticisms of the whole Disney experience is that there is zero acknowledgment of the hurricane and its damage within the parks (I understand that people on vacation may prefer to not hear about the *real world*, but I found the lack of any note of it alarming). It is as though it didn't even happen. AND I was shocked at how little the parks encourage greener practices. Almost everything is single use, and when you consider hundreds of thousands of visitors at the park every day, there is just so much waste. In a state so greatly affected by the climate, it makes me sad and angry. I just don't get it.
Thank you, and I completely agree! Disney is much like Naples in that it's a "bubble." They rarely report a murder here in Naples because they don't want to ruin the image, and make all of the wealthy people uncomfortable. I am probably leaving the sunshine state next year. :(
It's safer, yes Disney makes money from it but it is safer to have bottled water than a public water fountain. That being said, Disney should lower the price.
Hi, there are many water fountains in the lines to the rides and placed strategically around the parks where you can fill your water bottles with difficulty. But there are probably only one or two bottle filling stations.
We did Disney when my kids were 9 and 5, with my mother in law, which was good having that 1 and only 1 extra set of adult supervision. But we kind of did the Orlando marathon of 9 days of Disney, Seaworld and Universal.
WOW Andrew, this GFY segment certainly ruffled some feathers... their comments have merit, yet I try to look at all 3 sides of that coin... Yes it was a horrific tragedy, yet Molly works hard, so she's on vacation, leave her 'peeve' out of this.
Look at it this way, Molly and her family, along with thousands of other families vacationing, are impacting the Florida economy by being there... thus people stay employed, kids get to be distracted from the constant news stories and videos...
Molly notices the lack of water stations, which IS odd, yet she could of been ANYWHERE and she would of noticed the same thing... Water is something most take for granted, so when it's NOT available, you notice...
When my small town had a 4th of July festival, each year they would have vendors selling soda, icee drinks, etc. Many people, especially older folks, didn't want to buy these just to get a drink.
I had a house across the street from the fairgrounds, and together with my church, we set up a booth on the fairgrounds site, and got water from my house, and gave away free ice water. We always had people coming up to get drinks, and they were extremely grateful, often thanking us for giving them water to take medications, or just water instead of sugary drinks.
We used this as an outreach for our church, and also gave out tracts, that is, small papers with religious messages on them, but we didn't force that on anyone. Our primary purpose was to serve people physically, and then spiritually if we could. Of course, we were not in the business of making money, the way Disney and other companies are. I can't blame them for trying to sell drinks, but they really should provide more potable water via drinking fountains, if for no other reason than the health of their guests.
Andrew, I apologize that this comment is long, but I hope you will read it to the end. First of all, I enjoyed this video a lot. You sound like a carbon copy of me when it comes to hotels, amenities, and service. I don't drink, so having a beer with you is out, but I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with you. Regarding Disney, you are spot on about them offering up too many water refill stations. They sell tons of bottles of Dasani water for 5 bucks a pop, so that kind of revenue is too valuable to give away. About the Disney hotels, my wife and I will stay at only the Deluxe Resorts because we value the hotel experience as much as the park one, and the Value or Moderate Resorts do not offer the type of amenities we prefer. Our favorite Disney hotels are The Boardwalk and The Yacht Club. We take advantage of our hotel room and do the exact thing you recommended in your last Disney video, which is go to the parks early, take a midday hotel break during the heat of the day, and return to the parks in the evening for dinner and more comfortable temperatures. There is nothing better in a Disney hotel than sitting on your balcony and looking out over the Boardwalk, people watching, or looking out at the fabulous pools at The Yacht Club. In the last couple of years, the Disney Deluxe Resorts have replaced those old, crotchety coffee makers with the pre-packaged coffee to the fantastic Keurig Coffee Makers with the pods. They furnish just a couple of pods in the rooms, although the maid service will bring you as many as you need. But we have learned it's best to bring our own pods from home, and that way we can have the same great coffee in the hotel room that we do at home. Like you, coffee is very important to us, and the ability to have a cup right away in the morning without leaving the room is paramount. We usually have a cup in the afternoons, too, while on our midday break, so the new Keurig service is much appreciated. Thanks for this video. It's nice to hear people talking your own language.
Disney's in-park services are suffering as a direct result of one executive—Bob Chapek.
He, like the new head of Six Flags, believes that fewer, premium customers who tolerate a gradual degradation (or initial lack) in amenities is better than having to consistently improve and grow to attract larger audiences who might spend less.
Universal has filtered water stations everywhere and a new park opening. Hydrate there, it's now better than Disney.
- A long-time Disney kid / adult and AP holder at US
First off... I would not go to Disney if you paid me! If Disney would be Disney instead of carrying water for the politically correct, there would be no problem at all. Disney is supposed to be for the kids, right? Well it isn't anymore. It is a money making leviathan that could give a rat's backside about kids. For all intents and purposes Disney died with Walt... All they are now is a bank statement!
It's always been for the kids AND making money.
The big difference is that now there is a small collection of large families (with money) who still reliably go to Disney. Regardless of what they take away or reduce.
If they had that in the 80's? They would have been going down this path in the early 2000's instead of now. They used to have executives who listened to their creatives or at least tried to be somewhat creative themselves. Now, it's completely centered around putting as many kid-friendly IP's around the park as possible and charging everyone for $12 buttons and $6 waters...because Toy Story!
My friend surprised his adult kids with a dad & kids only trip this week to Disney. No spouses, no littles. Spouses were in on the surprise. Saw the first pic what s blast! He said the last time he took his “ kids” to Disney it sucked, somebody was always crying, lost, and he was exhausted. This was his Disney redemption trip. 😂
Hotel amenities…100% pls have a decent coffee in my room, before I venture out!
Once on a biz trip staying in Sonoma, after bad flight delay, called the hotel on my way for some reason. It was late. Before the call was over, they asked if I had time to grab a bite, knowing of my extended delays. Nope. Well, there won’t be much available once you get here, do you have any allergies or dietary needs? Nope. That was it. They checked me in over phone, gave me info so I could go right to room
When I walked in, wine, (it is Sonoma) lovely mini charcuterie board, chocolate. Fruit. Perfect. In the morning, knock on my door same person arranged for coffee & a lil fruit & pastry “to help me wake up”
This was not a Four Seasons, just an amazing level of cust service!
At least she had water at her disposal.....there are thousands down here still with no water (or power or Internet or cell service.) The timing of this particular post could be a bit insensitive to what's happening in Florida? Sorry - I live down here and we're all still reeling from the destruction Ian caused.
I don't think we need to think too much into someone's random (and logical) thought that they had while thirsty.
We can walk and chew gum (or drink water) at the same time and get a lot more done.
I hope your family is ok.
And I wasn't trying to be snarky with that comment....just coming from a place of sincerity and sadness. It's a lot to deal with. Trust me, I hope Molly and her family had fun. Really. Me and my cats are good. Thanks
Melissa! I'm so sorry for what you and many Floridians are experiencing right now.
One of my biggest criticisms of the whole Disney experience is that there is zero acknowledgment of the hurricane and its damage within the parks (I understand that people on vacation may prefer to not hear about the *real world*, but I found the lack of any note of it alarming). It is as though it didn't even happen. AND I was shocked at how little the parks encourage greener practices. Almost everything is single use, and when you consider hundreds of thousands of visitors at the park every day, there is just so much waste. In a state so greatly affected by the climate, it makes me sad and angry. I just don't get it.
Thank you, and I completely agree! Disney is much like Naples in that it's a "bubble." They rarely report a murder here in Naples because they don't want to ruin the image, and make all of the wealthy people uncomfortable. I am probably leaving the sunshine state next year. :(
Water is a basic human right and if a company is not treating it as such, this is an indication that they do not respect you as a human being.
This is *exactly* how I felt.
75% alcohol wipes and nice water refill stations.
Having said that, agree with some of the comments - I would NOT go to Disney (same as cruise ships) if you pay me, more multiple reasons.
It's safer, yes Disney makes money from it but it is safer to have bottled water than a public water fountain. That being said, Disney should lower the price.
Hi, there are many water fountains in the lines to the rides and placed strategically around the parks where you can fill your water bottles with difficulty. But there are probably only one or two bottle filling stations.
I hope you said something about that burger.
We did Disney when my kids were 9 and 5, with my mother in law, which was good having that 1 and only 1 extra set of adult supervision. But we kind of did the Orlando marathon of 9 days of Disney, Seaworld and Universal.
And we lived to tell the tale.
Disney, from the start could be characterized as painfully frugal. He demanded it.
WOW Andrew, this GFY segment certainly ruffled some feathers... their comments have merit, yet I try to look at all 3 sides of that coin... Yes it was a horrific tragedy, yet Molly works hard, so she's on vacation, leave her 'peeve' out of this.
Look at it this way, Molly and her family, along with thousands of other families vacationing, are impacting the Florida economy by being there... thus people stay employed, kids get to be distracted from the constant news stories and videos...
Molly notices the lack of water stations, which IS odd, yet she could of been ANYWHERE and she would of noticed the same thing... Water is something most take for granted, so when it's NOT available, you notice...
When my small town had a 4th of July festival, each year they would have vendors selling soda, icee drinks, etc. Many people, especially older folks, didn't want to buy these just to get a drink.
I had a house across the street from the fairgrounds, and together with my church, we set up a booth on the fairgrounds site, and got water from my house, and gave away free ice water. We always had people coming up to get drinks, and they were extremely grateful, often thanking us for giving them water to take medications, or just water instead of sugary drinks.
We used this as an outreach for our church, and also gave out tracts, that is, small papers with religious messages on them, but we didn't force that on anyone. Our primary purpose was to serve people physically, and then spiritually if we could. Of course, we were not in the business of making money, the way Disney and other companies are. I can't blame them for trying to sell drinks, but they really should provide more potable water via drinking fountains, if for no other reason than the health of their guests.
Andrew, I apologize that this comment is long, but I hope you will read it to the end. First of all, I enjoyed this video a lot. You sound like a carbon copy of me when it comes to hotels, amenities, and service. I don't drink, so having a beer with you is out, but I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with you. Regarding Disney, you are spot on about them offering up too many water refill stations. They sell tons of bottles of Dasani water for 5 bucks a pop, so that kind of revenue is too valuable to give away. About the Disney hotels, my wife and I will stay at only the Deluxe Resorts because we value the hotel experience as much as the park one, and the Value or Moderate Resorts do not offer the type of amenities we prefer. Our favorite Disney hotels are The Boardwalk and The Yacht Club. We take advantage of our hotel room and do the exact thing you recommended in your last Disney video, which is go to the parks early, take a midday hotel break during the heat of the day, and return to the parks in the evening for dinner and more comfortable temperatures. There is nothing better in a Disney hotel than sitting on your balcony and looking out over the Boardwalk, people watching, or looking out at the fabulous pools at The Yacht Club. In the last couple of years, the Disney Deluxe Resorts have replaced those old, crotchety coffee makers with the pre-packaged coffee to the fantastic Keurig Coffee Makers with the pods. They furnish just a couple of pods in the rooms, although the maid service will bring you as many as you need. But we have learned it's best to bring our own pods from home, and that way we can have the same great coffee in the hotel room that we do at home. Like you, coffee is very important to us, and the ability to have a cup right away in the morning without leaving the room is paramount. We usually have a cup in the afternoons, too, while on our midday break, so the new Keurig service is much appreciated. Thanks for this video. It's nice to hear people talking your own language.
Love this video! I'm with you Andrew....all hotels should have a decent coffee maker!!!
Disney's in-park services are suffering as a direct result of one executive—Bob Chapek.
He, like the new head of Six Flags, believes that fewer, premium customers who tolerate a gradual degradation (or initial lack) in amenities is better than having to consistently improve and grow to attract larger audiences who might spend less.
Universal has filtered water stations everywhere and a new park opening. Hydrate there, it's now better than Disney.
- A long-time Disney kid / adult and AP holder at US
My next article on my political/historical substack, Elementary School is titled, "America (And Its Theme Parks) Are On The Decline"
Drops next week!
*Shameless related plug*