The Riviera Resort encapsulates all 3 of those: overpriced, poorly-designed, "generic" luxury. You could slap Hilton across its façade and nobody would think it was anything different. A "deluxe" resort with a Murphy bed? LMAO!
@@maxpowr90 I agree on everything but the tower suites. The concept is sound: you’re a couple (say on their honeymoon) & you want the perks of staying at a deluxe resort but don’t want to break the bank. In theory it works. But in practice it doesn’t. The room is severely lacking in storage & what storage there is is of poor design. There is also a severe lack of lighting & outlets for the bed when it’s in bed form. The bathroom is vastly oversized for a room that size. They should definitely have shrunk that down & added more space to the bedroom. But even if they fixed all that there’s still the fact that for a “luxury” property you have to make the bed yourself & you aren’t given a thick comforter or plenty of pillows or anything that a deluxe resort should have. There aren’t that many of these rooms & offering a turndown service where they make the beds up for you is not hard, it’s just that Disney is that cheap these days.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE EXTINCTION OF THE STREETMOSPHERE. I miss my Trolley People so much!!! It was the perfect way to start a day at the Magic Kingdom and it broke my heart when they removed them!
Could not agree more! genie+ has led to longer lines. Presently on the tail end of a vacation that included 3 Disney days. To be frustrated with line ups and crowds at the parks of WDW in low crowd(?) January no less! And I blame it squarely on Genie+ wrecking the crowd dynamics. Tried to use it as best I could, even at Epcot, along with Virtual Queues and paid ILL too.
Having to be on your phone all day is made worse by the fact that there's nowhere to charge you phone. If you don't bring your own power bank, your only option is to buy a $30 one in the park, which is insane
Gen Z here! I’m SICK of having to be on my phone ALL the time just to make a park day remotely feasible. I just watched a video from ‘89, and it reminded me SO much of when I went as a child around ‘07. Being able to leave my phone at the hotel (or just not use it as much) is something I WISH was possible. Especially as the planner of my group.
Even Disneyland of summer 2022 was better than the mess that WDW parks had this past week. And this is January, a supposed slow period! I can’t image navigating this mess in busy season. I feel sorry for the families that go now. You pretty much have to pick and choose now and not plan to do it all…which makes the cost of a single ticket not worth it. Then again, maybe that’s what Disney wants-stay in their expensive resorts and plan to spend more than a single day per park. But even then, there is a good chance you may not get the experience you want. Really, it is a tiresome mess.
We stopped going after 2021, we used to do an annual trip. It's crazy how everything has gotten worse but the prices continue to rise. While planning our 2022 trip I decided to just price out our dream trip to Iceland and was surprised to find out it was cheaper than Disney. I ended up paying less to do 10 days in Iceland with flights, cabins, food, and a rental car than doing a week at Disney World. I haven't looked back since. We are going to the Canary Islands and staying at a beautiful resort this year for about $1,000 less than a Disney World trip at the damn Pop Century.
The overarching theme? They (higher ups) are more focused on how to get every penny out of guests instead of providing the quality of immersion they are known for. They do better than others in theming (Epic Universe honestly is probably going to shake that up though,) but that’s where their strong suits are. Theming. CMs tend to give as quality of service as they can, but it takes larger scale individuals to bring back the greatness that the parks once embodied. I say it all the time. We NEED another Renaissance at this point.
I watched a vlog that was precovid, just to see the difference. The streetmosphere is definitely missing now. It was crucial to the magic of the park. So sad 😞 to see the difference now.
I'd go as far as saying Tangerine Cafe was one of the best quick-service restaurants in any theme park. The Vegetable Platter came with falafel, hummus, pita, olives, tabbouleh, couscous and lentil salad, and was big enough to feed two people, all for $15. Best deal on property lol.
I remember buying the pass that included both Florida and California a few years ago for around $1,200 with no black out dates. Prices just keep going up and up.
My in-laws spent a day at a different theme park in the middle of our WDW trip, and let me tell you, they were ANGRY about having to pay to get water over there. ANGRY. ("Free water" is still a pretty low hurdle, though.)
This is a perfect example of why my family and I look forward to and enjoy your content! You lay out the issue with current managerial decisions with love for our memories of the company hidden in there somewhere. I would only add emphasis on the likelihood that Imagineering is overruled by bean counting administrators when not following through on projects. Thanks for a great episode!
The Incredibles is set in "a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s" (according to Wikipedia), which is also the theming of the Contemporary (and was the original theming of Tomorrowland), so the new rooms really do represent a coherent piece of very intentional theming at the resort. Understandable if it's not your favorite. We all like what we like.
Yeah I got the impression that DFB isn't familiar with the Mid-Century Modern design. The Incredibles are most certainly not just shoe-horned in. "Retro-futuristic 60's is a great way to describe Mid-century modern. Heck, a major Monorail incident is a key plot point in both movies and a Monorail runs through The Contemporary. The theming addition of The Incredibles is on point... though perhaps too heavy handed for DFB.
Worst change was cutting all kinds of previous perks and benefits while continuing to increase the prices. The quality, cleanliness, maintenance, and magic has drastically gone downhill while prices keep going up.
Went to Be Our Guest back in 2019 and the theming was great but the food was “mid” and the fighting to find a table wasn’t worth ever going back. Hearing the cost has gone up so much and nothing has improved sounds much worse.
Be Our Guest was literally the worst sit down service we had at Disneyworld. And we had sit down dinners for 6 nights. I was so disappointed with Be Our Guest. The service sucked, the food was meh. And it was loud as hell. It was ridiculous.
I feel like the contemporary resort has a dated 1950s 60s futuristic look to it and that same style is the background of the Incredibles movies so it seems to fit in my opinion.
I actually really like the projected faces on the Mickey Runaway Railroad ride but I think that's just because they're 2D animated characters so a fully 3D animatronic would be weird to me. Definitely agree though that it looks offputting on the animatronics of the CG characters that are meant to have more human, flesh-like faces.
I remember (atleast in uk for Brits buying Disney packages as I’m a brit) it used to be children under 10 stay and play free at Disney. Then it went to age 8, then age 5 & now age 3 😭. What’s next? Those under 1 or are they going to ditch toddlers being free entirely and crate a baby/toddler ticket? Makes me soooooo annoyed that the Brice is going up and up with Disney while the things we get for the money are decreasing.
I’m pretty sure the baby pink of the castle works better to give balanced colors during projection shows too. A white canvas giving a harsher saturation.
@@magicaldays7099 you mean the rethemeing of Splash Mountain? I'm kinda excited to see it actually. They are thinking ahead with this one really. The people that know the OG movie are all aging.
The funny thing is, when you read the news, Disney claimes their US parks aren't meeting their crowd expectations, and yet its always packed... I would definitely GO MORE often if they brought back pricing from 2015 back. Also, remember that commercial of $24 for the day to celebrate 24 years in the 80s? Bring that back!!
My sister was so sad when I told her that one of the best memories she ever had with her husband on her honeymoon no longer exists: The Great Movie Ride. She went in thinking it would be a really cool and neat experience but she wasn't prepared for just HOW good it was. She loved the immersion and she loved how it respectfully looked back at the older movies that shaped cinema history. She wanted to experience it again but was so heartbroken when I told her TGMR was decommissioned :(
I believe that it just shows that all the wrong people are in charge of making every decision that needs to be made, and corporate creed is slowly chipping away of what the parks are supposed to be…. How does nobody realize giving away free queso and salsa that probably only cost them cents had probably sold hundreds of thousands of dollars of T-shirts that people had to buy because of accidents. There was probably hundreds of other trickle down things that the people in charge don’t even realize. I know with every magical experience I’ve ever had at Disney has only wanted me to come back and spend more money
Bob Iger has made it his mission to focus on streaming and he has made that clear. The parks are not in his view view. This is why we are becoming less and less interested in Disney.
Sorry...my thought is Walt is spinning in his grave...as someone who has been to the parks for years, I miss when not EVERTHING was branded...Mars, pandora, Starbucks and on...and who wants to be attached to their phone in a place with the worst cell service to make it through the day...hours have gotten shorter...remember midnight and later resort time extra hours for no extra fee...now we have to pay a premium to walk in AND extra for rides...not all change is good...maybe go back and watch some of Walts dreams for his creation.
That Goofy has been the main reason I can't watch the newer Mickey short films when he's in them. It was like 2013 when they introduced those designs and I thought all of them were good except Goofy because he just had this nasty vibe with his look. The way he's used in those shorts doesn't help either. I remember reading threads of people complaining about it too at the time.
I have to say, AJ, you hit the nail on the head for a lot of these. A lot of complimentary stuff gone, the IP invasion, no Play Pavilion or Spaceship Earth improvement, etc. I have two personal gripes with Disney at the moment: one makes sense, and one is personal. My one that I believe makes sense is the removal of paper times guides and AP booklets. My Disney Experience IS good, but I hate that now you have to look up EVERYTHING on your phone instead of a quick glance like you do with a park map. A lot of the older generation aren't savvy with phones (I loathe QR codes) and by having to look up everything on the app drains phone battery quickly and a lot of memorizations. My personal one has to do with replacing Splash Mountain with Tiana's Bayou Adventure. While I praise the concept for Disneyland, to me it doesn't fit well in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, and I have a well-earned place in my heart for the Br'er's as it took me a LONG TIME to warm up to their attraction (I'm not really a fan of rides where you get wet). However, keeping in line with trying to stay optimistic, I AM pleased with EPCOT's newest additions and I'm looking forward to the second incarnation of the Voyage of The Little Mermaid show.
Spaceship earth needs some TLC indeed. I got stuck between two scenes for 15 mins. Bad enough, but probably worse for those stuck at the falling of Rome/burning building. (Iykyk) You know it hasn’t been updated because one of the scientists still has a cigarette in the ‘70s-‘80s era.
I totally agree with the ugly character designs on the Runaway Railway and oh YUCK! Incredibles theming in the Contemporary sucks! We were going to spend an entire week there for our 50th anniversary as we honeymooned there, but now we'll only do one night there and go somewhere else for the remained of the visit
Streetmosphere is something I really noticed this time around. Watching the Festival of Fantasy and seeing how much they removed from that in was pretty upsetting. Genie+ as well but I dont think that will ever be removed now.
I love this channel. I love Walt Disney and the legacy he left behind, but unfortunately I’m over it. It’s not the same anymore, less magic, less clean, cast members do not look like they are enjoying themselves. Too much nickel and diming their patrons, can’t do anything without your phone, which takes the immersion away. I’ve been blessed to visit WDW and Disneyland over 50 times, first one in 1975. I’m done, I’ll just enjoy TH-cam videos and reminiscence and tell anyone who’ll listen about the glory days of the past.
Your channel is where I dream to be in the future! Thank you for what you do and your constant inspiration to me of where my future could be some day!!!
Might come off as bitter, but here's my interpretation some of the changes: - Forgotten projects--changed to save Disney some money - Be Our Guest--changed to earn Disney more money - Missing Freebees--changed to save Disney some or earn Disney more money - Price Increases--changed to earn Disney more money - Character Meals--changed to save Disney some money (fewer face characters) - Morrocco restaurants--changed to save Disney some money - Streetmospher--changed to save Disney some money - Projection Mapping--where used, used to save Disney some money So, most are related to Disney spending less money or finding a way to grab more money from "guests"...
There are two plans: sit down and quick service. I was there last week and we got our money’s worth on QS. (Just don’t try to use at Earl of Sandwich, even if on the plan. We didn’t get our meal because “our account was locked.” Funny… worked fine Goofy’s candy store…)
a lot of these changes i’m pretty sure came from chapek’s short, terrible, but very effective run! disney became a total cash grab but i’m still disappointed they never fully rolled back on these changes once they fired him😢
I've not stayed at the contemporary but I feel like the incredibles fit well. It's a 70s looking hotel and the incredibles happened in the 60/70s. I feel like it really fits and makes the outdated hotel works
something so depressing about listing the free things that are still available at the park and they include things like the single rider line, water, and wi-fi
100% agree on contemporary change, was also our fav & we stopped staying there. 🙁 wilderness is our new #1. I do miss the old contemporary and hope they change it.
I was a regular park goer since first experiencing the parks at 15 (now 50) but I have to say after my most recent visit (February 2024) for me the magic has finally died. The parks are too crowded, everything is too expensive, Disney is squeezing you for every cent they can get, the level of service for what you are paying simply isn’t there any more and staff having to lie to cover for it was the final straw. I don’t blame the front of house cast members, they are just doing the best they can with a bad situation, but it’s clear the company overall no longer cares about customer experience because they don’t have to, covid has taught them that they can do pretty much whatever they want and people will still come and pay. I can’t see myself returning now unless things drastically change, but with no impetus for Disney to do that I don’t see it happening.
The cups of water are tap instead of bottled and mot good. So they are pushing you to buy. They got mad at Starbucks since they have good filtered water and make them look bad for using tap
I'm not defending Disney for their price increases, but we mustn't forget that other places, including Disney's rival Universal, have had to increase their prices in recent years due to inflation hitting really hard
i would argue that's exactly what has people really upset. Yes yes inflation, and if they were giving me what they always had I'd agree with you. They've cut so much back AND raised prices. They need to pick one. Enjoy your pixie dust.@@jackwilkinson4911
Had the worst Disney trip as a kid but that was due to McDonald's food poisoning the night we landed as got a quick bite to eat. But that was years ago
Taking away the free paper fast pass and replacing it with Genie + has to be the Disney change most hated by park visitors. Monetizing the act of standing in a line is disgusting and greedy. On my days off (I live 45 minutes from Disney World) I don't ever set foot in the Disney World parks, which is fine with Disney. Disney doesn't want the locals in the parks. They want the whales (rich families taking a once year trip spending $15,000, $20,000, or more).
Went to Disney World in 2019 and Disney Land in 2020, no need to go again, especially when the cost of a week at Disney or Universal can afford you a nice trip abroad, such as the real Morocco.
If they wanted IP in the contemporary, wouldn't it be so lovely if it was snow white or bambi? Films Walt personally worked on in one of his last projects? I'm not a Walt fan myself but it would have made more sense
Universal says their goal is to b a week long destination. With their new park opening and Disney dropping the ball people are going to start having universal vacations instead of Disney vacations
Genie + and being on your phone has sucked every last drop of magic out of the experience. Seriously, how fun is it to be part of tens of thousands of people who are glued to their phones all day in this ridiculous rat race where everyone is scrambling...doesn't sound like a magical time to me. Bring back Fast Pass and wipe the dust off the early 2000's playbook.
Street atmosphere may not be Avenue to charge customers but the absence is going to lose them customers I for one will not be going back or renew my Disney pass until they start bringing in more street atmosphere
I love the new Mickey design but it’s only because I watched the new Mickey cartoons. The Mickey cartoons are finally actually laugh out loud funny. 10/10 Highly recommend.
Disney is becoming a shell of its former self, it’s so sad. The fact that it has become so expensive, less magic, other than cast members, and down right poor decisions. I’m afraid that it is going to take years for any course correction to become reality So so incredibly sad 😢😢😢😢😢
14:32 🤨What? Um maybe the ppl who have told you that all made the same mistake OR it’s changed since I got my Incredipass when they started selling them again, but either way I pay $107.&change monthly for it so you definitely don’t have to pay it all at once. I also agree with y’all about the incredibles theming BUT imo it’s the best characters to go with the contemporary because of the “art deco” styling that stuff in the original incredibles movie had.
Thank you for adding the castle changes- when we were planning our Honeymoon for WDW, it was so exciting, since my new Husband had never been there (but I had) we were SO excited for him to see that magical castle in 'real life' for the first time. Imagine our shock & dismay (not to mention my sort-of anger) and disappointment when catching the first glimpse while on the monorail of a half-finished Pepto-Bismol-tinted, Life-Saver-covered sorry excuse for that once- magical experience! I was just heart-sick......it was SO wrong! And as for tee-peeing it & spray painting 'Stitch is King' on it is nothing short of disrespectful- almost Sacreligious as far as I am concerned! Not funny AT ALL! Just Tacky AF; it was nothing but vandalism! There's only one word for those changes; just "DON'T!"
I might be a minority/odd one, but I'm excited with the changes on the Contemporary since I think of it as a retro hero. I have stayed there before as a wee-little kid and appreciate the upgrade since my kids might not relate to the old theme/decor.
Extended evening hours for deluxe is a win, all the rooms are basic so I’m willing to pay more for actual perks like the evening hours. Why should people paying $200 a night share the same benefits as me paying $600 a night???
Why? Because ALL resorts had the extended evenings hours for many, many YEARS. Taking this benefit away from everyone EXCEPT the deluxe resorts is a fairly new slap in the face. I've been going to WDW since it opened in '71 when I could barely afford to stay on property. However, I grew up and did well. In recent years, before the pandemic, I've stayed at the Grand Floridan, the Contemporary and the Poly multiple times but I don't anymore for just this reason.
One worse change is Rise of the Restances isn't a single lane line. You want to save money on food, don't buy any. Character dining is such a rip off. we took my niece when she was 7 and the food was too expensive and you can just meet characters walking around the park and just give the kid a hot dog which is all they are sadisfied with anyway,
Getting rid of the Citizens of Hollywood ruined that park for me. Sucked the spirit out of the place. They were a truly magical part of Hollywood Studios. I miss Jack Diamond and Paige Turner every time I walk into that park.
Almost every bad Disney decision can be traced back to one of three causes: greed, short sightedness, or simple pig headedness.
The Riviera Resort encapsulates all 3 of those: overpriced, poorly-designed, "generic" luxury. You could slap Hilton across its façade and nobody would think it was anything different. A "deluxe" resort with a Murphy bed? LMAO!
@@maxpowr90 I agree on everything but the tower suites. The concept is sound: you’re a couple (say on their honeymoon) & you want the perks of staying at a deluxe resort but don’t want to break the bank. In theory it works. But in practice it doesn’t. The room is severely lacking in storage & what storage there is is of poor design. There is also a severe lack of lighting & outlets for the bed when it’s in bed form. The bathroom is vastly oversized for a room that size. They should definitely have shrunk that down & added more space to the bedroom. But even if they fixed all that there’s still the fact that for a “luxury” property you have to make the bed yourself & you aren’t given a thick comforter or plenty of pillows or anything that a deluxe resort should have. There aren’t that many of these rooms & offering a turndown service where they make the beds up for you is not hard, it’s just that Disney is that cheap these days.
playing devil's advocate, most of these changes happened post covid
So... Disney.
It’s a _take_ on luxury, you can have a generic room for the price you’d get for actual luxury at Four Seasons
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE EXTINCTION OF THE STREETMOSPHERE. I miss my Trolley People so much!!! It was the perfect way to start a day at the Magic Kingdom and it broke my heart when they removed them!
The performers and street people made it magic. The CEOs and bosses don't.
@@leegaskins5506 Definitely. Disney World is so sterile now. There's nothing fun or magical like there used to be.
They were ✨WONDERFUL ✨
Genie plus & having to be on your mobile phone all of your holiday & getting rid of fast passes
Could not agree more! genie+ has led to longer lines. Presently on the tail end of a vacation that included 3 Disney days. To be frustrated with line ups and crowds at the parks of WDW in low crowd(?) January no less! And I blame it squarely on Genie+ wrecking the crowd dynamics. Tried to use it as best I could, even at Epcot, along with Virtual Queues and paid ILL too.
Having to be on your phone all day is made worse by the fact that there's nowhere to charge you phone. If you don't bring your own power bank, your only option is to buy a $30 one in the park, which is insane
@@emilykawaii123 I always bring a fully charged power bank…but of course that takes planning too.
@@arlencarlson I bring two power banks and at least two charging cords.
When Genie+ was first introduced it allowed advance purchases, but they got rid of that. Why?
Gen Z here! I’m SICK of having to be on my phone ALL the time just to make a park day remotely feasible.
I just watched a video from ‘89, and it reminded me SO much of when I went as a child around ‘07.
Being able to leave my phone at the hotel (or just not use it as much) is something I WISH was possible. Especially as the planner of my group.
Even Disneyland of summer 2022 was better than the mess that WDW parks had this past week. And this is January, a supposed slow period! I can’t image navigating this mess in busy season. I feel sorry for the families that go now. You pretty much have to pick and choose now and not plan to do it all…which makes the cost of a single ticket not worth it. Then again, maybe that’s what Disney wants-stay in their expensive resorts and plan to spend more than a single day per park. But even then, there is a good chance you may not get the experience you want. Really, it is a tiresome mess.
Couldn't've said it better myself.
Agree
It’s such a shame
We stopped going after 2021, we used to do an annual trip. It's crazy how everything has gotten worse but the prices continue to rise. While planning our 2022 trip I decided to just price out our dream trip to Iceland and was surprised to find out it was cheaper than Disney. I ended up paying less to do 10 days in Iceland with flights, cabins, food, and a rental car than doing a week at Disney World. I haven't looked back since. We are going to the Canary Islands and staying at a beautiful resort this year for about $1,000 less than a Disney World trip at the damn Pop Century.
The overarching theme?
They (higher ups) are more focused on how to get every penny out of guests instead of providing the quality of immersion they are known for.
They do better than others in theming (Epic Universe honestly is probably going to shake that up though,) but that’s where their strong suits are. Theming.
CMs tend to give as quality of service as they can, but it takes larger scale individuals to bring back the greatness that the parks once embodied.
I say it all the time.
We NEED another Renaissance at this point.
I used to love receiving the free wristbands in a box in the mail. It was like the official start to the vacation..
There are three things:
Genie +
Genie +
Genie +
bring back fast pass
@@annlavine3576 I right with you there, I think a lot of people are! Genie + SUCKS!!
@@kristinschermann6581 They used to have park pass..it is bettter
Pretty much anything that is going to be "reimagined', is going to be ruined.
Too bad they didn't learn this about their movies.
I watched a vlog that was precovid, just to see the difference. The streetmosphere is definitely missing now. It was crucial to the magic of the park. So sad 😞 to see the difference now.
I also hate what they replaced the snorkelling with at Typhoon Lagoon...literally nothing but beach chairs
I love that "we'll talk about Goofy's pants another time."
This topic could cover a whole video, ngl.
I agree 😆
I'd go as far as saying Tangerine Cafe was one of the best quick-service restaurants in any theme park. The Vegetable Platter came with falafel, hummus, pita, olives, tabbouleh, couscous and lentil salad, and was big enough to feed two people, all for $15. Best deal on property lol.
I remember buying the pass that included both Florida and California a few years ago for around $1,200 with no black out dates. Prices just keep going up and up.
Thankgod “cups of water are free” 😂😂
My in-laws spent a day at a different theme park in the middle of our WDW trip, and let me tell you, they were ANGRY about having to pay to get water over there. ANGRY. ("Free water" is still a pretty low hurdle, though.)
@@ellene4833 water is one of the things in life that should always be free. especially in America
@lazr4096 rain water, crick water, ocean water is free. Treated water comes at a cost because it takes money to treat and infrastructure to deliver
@@daa589given that humans literally need it to survive and will die without it, treated water should always be free, period.
@@wren8423 but who will pay for the treatment.... nothing is free
This is a perfect example of why my family and I look forward to and enjoy your content! You lay out the issue with current managerial decisions with love for our memories of the company hidden in there somewhere. I would only add emphasis on the likelihood that Imagineering is overruled by bean counting administrators when not following through on projects. Thanks for a great episode!
I’ve no plans to visit again any time soon (let my AP’s expire)…
But I love AJ and this channel so much, I continue to watch!
same. i'm going to cut my annual pass and reopen my universal pass
The Incredibles is set in "a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s" (according to Wikipedia), which is also the theming of the Contemporary (and was the original theming of Tomorrowland), so the new rooms really do represent a coherent piece of very intentional theming at the resort. Understandable if it's not your favorite. We all like what we like.
Yeah I got the impression that DFB isn't familiar with the Mid-Century Modern design. The Incredibles are most certainly not just shoe-horned in. "Retro-futuristic 60's is a great way to describe Mid-century modern. Heck, a major Monorail incident is a key plot point in both movies and a Monorail runs through The Contemporary. The theming addition of The Incredibles is on point... though perhaps too heavy handed for DFB.
Worst change was cutting all kinds of previous perks and benefits while continuing to increase the prices. The quality, cleanliness, maintenance, and magic has drastically gone downhill while prices keep going up.
Oh boy! Free water! That sooooooo soothes the pain of having to pay an up charge for every ride I don’t want to wait an hour for. 🙄
Went to Be Our Guest back in 2019 and the theming was great but the food was “mid” and the fighting to find a table wasn’t worth ever going back. Hearing the cost has gone up so much and nothing has improved sounds much worse.
Be Our Guest was literally the worst sit down service we had at Disneyworld. And we had sit down dinners for 6 nights. I was so disappointed with Be Our Guest. The service sucked, the food was meh. And it was loud as hell. It was ridiculous.
I would love to see more Muppets in the park and in the hotels
I agree with your assessment of the contemporary
I feel like the contemporary resort has a dated 1950s 60s futuristic look to it and that same style is the background of the Incredibles movies so it seems to fit in my opinion.
Yes!! I don’t know why AJ missed this! The mid-century modern design in the movies fits perfectly at this hotel.
Great comment, but will AJ ever see it? Do they ever reply here? Can someone tweet this to her?
Not to mention that a monorail incident is a key plot point in both movies... remind me again what transportation runs *through* The Contemporary..?
I actually really like the projected faces on the Mickey Runaway Railroad ride but I think that's just because they're 2D animated characters so a fully 3D animatronic would be weird to me. Definitely agree though that it looks offputting on the animatronics of the CG characters that are meant to have more human, flesh-like faces.
By far, the worst face projection is the bride on Haunted Mansion. Her head looks like a balloon, and her face is distorted.
I remember (atleast in uk for Brits buying Disney packages as I’m a brit) it used to be children under 10 stay and play free at Disney. Then it went to age 8, then age 5 & now age 3 😭. What’s next? Those under 1 or are they going to ditch toddlers being free entirely and crate a baby/toddler ticket? Makes me soooooo annoyed that the Brice is going up and up with Disney while the things we get for the money are decreasing.
Getting rid of fastpass and adding genie+ is the worst decision Disney has ever made PERIOD
I disagree. I like fast pass. I would pay more for a better version.
😂 at the new Mickey animation. My 6 year old likes it but reminds me of Ren & Stimpy instead of Disney.
Omg same! Very Ren & Stimpy-ish! But I still like it 😄
Yup. Everyone is calling me crazy when I make the comparison but I absolutely hate the look.
Contemporary Concerns! Missing the classic charm in Contemporary's new Incredibles makeover. Nostalgia wins!
I’m pretty sure the baby pink of the castle works better to give balanced colors during projection shows too. A white canvas giving a harsher saturation.
Atlas Fusion also performs in the Morocco Pavilion.
1. Fire Iger.
2. Replace the Board of Directors.
3. Get rid of Genie +
And remove the Tatiana Hobby Lobby project
@@magicaldays7099 you mean the rethemeing of Splash Mountain? I'm kinda excited to see it actually. They are thinking ahead with this one really. The people that know the OG movie are all aging.
The funny thing is, when you read the news, Disney claimes their US parks aren't meeting their crowd expectations, and yet its always packed... I would definitely GO MORE often if they brought back pricing from 2015 back. Also, remember that commercial of $24 for the day to celebrate 24 years in the 80s? Bring that back!!
My sister was so sad when I told her that one of the best memories she ever had with her husband on her honeymoon no longer exists: The Great Movie Ride. She went in thinking it would be a really cool and neat experience but she wasn't prepared for just HOW good it was. She loved the immersion and she loved how it respectfully looked back at the older movies that shaped cinema history. She wanted to experience it again but was so heartbroken when I told her TGMR was decommissioned :(
I believe that it just shows that all the wrong people are in charge of making every decision that needs to be made, and corporate creed is slowly chipping away of what the parks are supposed to be….
How does nobody realize giving away free queso and salsa that probably only cost them cents had probably sold hundreds of thousands of dollars of T-shirts that people had to buy because of accidents. There was probably hundreds of other trickle down things that the people in charge don’t even realize.
I know with every magical experience I’ve ever had at Disney has only wanted me to come back and spend more money
Bob Iger has made it his mission to focus on streaming and he has made that clear. The parks are not in his view view. This is why we are becoming less and less interested in Disney.
And that is not going great 😬
His focus has been on money. *Wasting* it. Don't understand how shareholders keep him and Kennedy around...
Sorry...my thought is Walt is spinning in his grave...as someone who has been to the parks for years, I miss when not EVERTHING was branded...Mars, pandora, Starbucks and on...and who wants to be attached to their phone in a place with the worst cell service to make it through the day...hours have gotten shorter...remember midnight and later resort time extra hours for no extra fee...now we have to pay a premium to walk in AND extra for rides...not all change is good...maybe go back and watch some of Walts dreams for his creation.
Resorts you get in a half hour early.
I’ll agree on some things but disinformation doesn’t help bring change.
I just laughed SO HARD at your rant over the new Goofy design. 100% agreed. Thank you, I needed that.
That Goofy has been the main reason I can't watch the newer Mickey short films when he's in them. It was like 2013 when they introduced those designs and I thought all of them were good except Goofy because he just had this nasty vibe with his look. The way he's used in those shorts doesn't help either. I remember reading threads of people complaining about it too at the time.
I have to say, AJ, you hit the nail on the head for a lot of these. A lot of complimentary stuff gone, the IP invasion, no Play Pavilion or Spaceship Earth improvement, etc. I have two personal gripes with Disney at the moment: one makes sense, and one is personal. My one that I believe makes sense is the removal of paper times guides and AP booklets. My Disney Experience IS good, but I hate that now you have to look up EVERYTHING on your phone instead of a quick glance like you do with a park map. A lot of the older generation aren't savvy with phones (I loathe QR codes) and by having to look up everything on the app drains phone battery quickly and a lot of memorizations. My personal one has to do with replacing Splash Mountain with Tiana's Bayou Adventure. While I praise the concept for Disneyland, to me it doesn't fit well in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, and I have a well-earned place in my heart for the Br'er's as it took me a LONG TIME to warm up to their attraction (I'm not really a fan of rides where you get wet). However, keeping in line with trying to stay optimistic, I AM pleased with EPCOT's newest additions and I'm looking forward to the second incarnation of the Voyage of The Little Mermaid show.
Spaceship earth needs some TLC indeed. I got stuck between two scenes for 15 mins.
Bad enough, but probably worse for those stuck at the falling of Rome/burning building. (Iykyk)
You know it hasn’t been updated because one of the scientists still has a cigarette in the ‘70s-‘80s era.
@@tigremalabarista3461 I always end up stuck in the Renaissance by the snoring monk.
I miss the whimsy of the characters who used to inhabit Main St USA, and Hollywood Blvd.
Morocco is sad nowadays.
I totally agree with the ugly character designs on the Runaway Railway and oh YUCK! Incredibles theming in the Contemporary sucks! We were going to spend an entire week there for our 50th anniversary as we honeymooned there, but now we'll only do one night there and go somewhere else for the remained of the visit
I agree with you AJ. I don't like staying at the Contemporary Resort with the new theme.
Streetmosphere is something I really noticed this time around. Watching the Festival of Fantasy and seeing how much they removed from that in was pretty upsetting. Genie+ as well but I dont think that will ever be removed now.
Yes, the runaway railway gang looks sooooo bad! Goofy looks downright creepy!
This time next year y’all gonna change it to Universal FoodGuide 😂😂😂😂
I love this channel. I love Walt Disney and the legacy he left behind, but unfortunately I’m over it. It’s not the same anymore, less magic, less clean, cast members do not look like they are enjoying themselves. Too much nickel and diming their patrons, can’t do anything without your phone, which takes the immersion away. I’ve been blessed to visit WDW and Disneyland over 50 times, first one in 1975. I’m done, I’ll just enjoy TH-cam videos and reminiscence and tell anyone who’ll listen about the glory days of the past.
Your channel is where I dream to be in the future! Thank you for what you do and your constant inspiration to me of where my future could be some day!!!
Might come off as bitter, but here's my interpretation some of the changes:
- Forgotten projects--changed to save Disney some money
- Be Our Guest--changed to earn Disney more money
- Missing Freebees--changed to save Disney some or earn Disney more money
- Price Increases--changed to earn Disney more money
- Character Meals--changed to save Disney some money (fewer face characters)
- Morrocco restaurants--changed to save Disney some money
- Streetmospher--changed to save Disney some money
- Projection Mapping--where used, used to save Disney some money
So, most are related to Disney spending less money or finding a way to grab more money from "guests"...
WE NEED A JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION RETHEME, BRING BACK THE DREAMFINDER!
The dining plan coming back and paying more for less! One snack a day, 2 meals a day not a full course meal anymore.
There are two plans: sit down and quick service.
I was there last week and we got our money’s worth on QS.
(Just don’t try to use at Earl of Sandwich, even if on the plan. We didn’t get our meal because “our account was locked.” Funny… worked fine Goofy’s candy store…)
Bye bye Disney….I’ll be a few miles down the highway at the OTHER theme park
Competition is such a good thing. Universal stepping up their game and starting to overtake.
i just loooove the voices of the DFB crew! - they sound like the nicest, happiest, lovely people! - super jealous of their job too lol xoxoxo
What a way to start my day!
Your videos make me so happy. From your into to your voice
Skip Be Our Guest and do Cinderella's Royal Table instead. You get a lot more for the money snd the experience far surpasses Be Our Guest
a lot of these changes i’m pretty sure came from chapek’s short, terrible, but very effective run! disney became a total cash grab but i’m still disappointed they never fully rolled back on these changes once they fired him😢
We're gonna be looking forward to that discussion on Goofy's pants, AJ! :D
I've not stayed at the contemporary but I feel like the incredibles fit well. It's a 70s looking hotel and the incredibles happened in the 60/70s. I feel like it really fits and makes the outdated hotel works
retheming Splash, bring back free fastpass and free transport to and from the airport
something so depressing about listing the free things that are still available at the park and they include things like the single rider line, water, and wi-fi
You are so right.
100% agree on contemporary change, was also our fav & we stopped staying there. 🙁 wilderness is our new #1. I do miss the old contemporary and hope they change it.
And we do love the incredibles too just not at contemporary, bring back the nostalgia 😊
@@calistew2766 The sheer irony of this is not lost on me.
I’m sad about Country Bear Jamboree.
I was a regular park goer since first experiencing the parks at 15 (now 50) but I have to say after my most recent visit (February 2024) for me the magic has finally died. The parks are too crowded, everything is too expensive, Disney is squeezing you for every cent they can get, the level of service for what you are paying simply isn’t there any more and staff having to lie to cover for it was the final straw. I don’t blame the front of house cast members, they are just doing the best they can with a bad situation, but it’s clear the company overall no longer cares about customer experience because they don’t have to, covid has taught them that they can do pretty much whatever they want and people will still come and pay. I can’t see myself returning now unless things drastically change, but with no impetus for Disney to do that I don’t see it happening.
The cups of water are tap instead of bottled and mot good. So they are pushing you to buy. They got mad at Starbucks since they have good filtered water and make them look bad for using tap
I think it’s time for the Morocco pavilion to transition into another country. Perhaps Ireland or Australia….
It’s built to include I think 3 more countries.
I agree with everything you said regarding the changes. 😢
Why you gotta hate? That castle cake was fantastic!
Getting rid of great movie ride and splash mountain. Also making star tours in 3D.
I'm not defending Disney for their price increases, but we mustn't forget that other places, including Disney's rival Universal, have had to increase their prices in recent years due to inflation hitting really hard
Yeah but they didn't take away a bunch of previously included perks and benefits while doing so.
@@knriggzThat's not the point. The point is, we shouldn't complain about Disney raising their prices as if they're the only business to do it
i would argue that's exactly what has people really upset. Yes yes inflation, and if they were giving me what they always had I'd agree with you. They've cut so much back AND raised prices. They need to pick one. Enjoy your pixie dust.@@jackwilkinson4911
12:00 WOW YOURE FREE TO GO BUY STUFF WHAT A DEAL
Had the worst Disney trip as a kid but that was due to McDonald's food poisoning the night we landed as got a quick bite to eat. But that was years ago
i love the celebration buttons. though i think i´ll stop wearing them after my birthday....
Need to mention your grey stuff recipe on your website when talking about "be our guest restaurant"
Announcements and real action are bizarrely separated.
Character meal!! I wanted the breakfast with Tangled and Little Mermaid.
"They can't charge for it, it gets cut.
Taking away the free paper fast pass and replacing it with Genie + has to be the Disney change most hated by park visitors. Monetizing the act of standing in a line is disgusting and greedy.
On my days off (I live 45 minutes from Disney World) I don't ever set foot in the Disney World parks, which is fine with Disney. Disney doesn't want the locals in the parks. They want the whales (rich families taking a once year trip spending $15,000, $20,000, or more).
Went to Disney World in 2019 and Disney Land in 2020, no need to go again, especially when the cost of a week at Disney or Universal can afford you a nice trip abroad, such as the real Morocco.
Cut projects? Thank the Phoenicians!
If they wanted IP in the contemporary, wouldn't it be so lovely if it was snow white or bambi? Films Walt personally worked on in one of his last projects? I'm not a Walt fan myself but it would have made more sense
OMG I agree... hate the new character animation style
Universal says their goal is to b a week long destination. With their new park opening and Disney dropping the ball people are going to start having universal vacations instead of Disney vacations
Genie + and being on your phone has sucked every last drop of magic out of the experience. Seriously, how fun is it to be part of tens of thousands of people who are glued to their phones all day in this ridiculous rat race where everyone is scrambling...doesn't sound like a magical time to me. Bring back Fast Pass and wipe the dust off the early 2000's playbook.
Gaston's Tavern is a great alternative. You don't have to break the bank to enjoy some good food and drink.
Mom and I agree the hame and cheese on pretzel bread was definitely worth the quick service.
Disneyland applications now open to apply for a job as a Castmember go to their site and apply if you wish.
Street atmosphere may not be Avenue to charge customers but the absence is going to lose them customers I for one will not be going back or renew my Disney pass until they start bringing in more street atmosphere
I love the new Mickey design but it’s only because I watched the new Mickey cartoons. The Mickey cartoons are finally actually laugh out loud funny. 10/10 Highly recommend.
Will they ever open the the walkway from Shades of Green to the Polynesian?
This is the 4th video I've seen with this theme. Im starting think I'll never make it to DW, I'll probably only go to DL while I can
I love a Disneyland day, tho
@@DFBGuide just gotta make sure you time it around the CA schools vacations. Made that mistake once, oof.
Disney is becoming a shell of its former self, it’s so sad. The fact that it has become so expensive, less magic, other than cast members, and down right poor decisions. I’m afraid that it is going to take years for any course correction to become reality
So so incredibly sad
😢😢😢😢😢
If it doesn't bring them extra profit, they don't care anymore. That is sadly a fact now. It's disgusting.
I'm still trying to understand why they offer so much less now but damn near double the price smfh
14:32 🤨What? Um maybe the ppl who have told you that all made the same mistake OR it’s changed since I got my Incredipass when they started selling them again, but either way I pay $107.&change monthly for it so you definitely don’t have to pay it all at once.
I also agree with y’all about the incredibles theming BUT imo it’s the best characters to go with the contemporary because of the “art deco” styling that stuff in the original incredibles movie had.
I say Jack up the price is three times. That will weed out a lot of people.
Thank you for adding the castle changes- when we were planning our Honeymoon for WDW, it was so exciting, since my new Husband had never been there (but I had) we were SO excited for him to see that magical castle in 'real life' for the first time. Imagine our shock & dismay (not to mention my sort-of anger) and disappointment when catching the first glimpse while on the monorail of a half-finished Pepto-Bismol-tinted, Life-Saver-covered sorry excuse for that once- magical experience! I was just heart-sick......it was SO wrong! And as for tee-peeing it & spray painting 'Stitch is King' on it is nothing short of disrespectful- almost Sacreligious as far as I am concerned! Not funny AT ALL! Just Tacky AF; it was nothing but vandalism! There's only one word for those changes; just "DON'T!"
I might be a minority/odd one, but I'm excited with the changes on the Contemporary since I think of it as a retro hero. I have stayed there before as a wee-little kid and appreciate the upgrade since my kids might not relate to the old theme/decor.
Extended evening hours for deluxe is a win, all the rooms are basic so I’m willing to pay more for actual perks like the evening hours. Why should people paying $200 a night share the same benefits as me paying $600 a night???
Why? Because ALL resorts had the extended evenings hours for many, many YEARS. Taking this benefit away from everyone EXCEPT the deluxe resorts is a fairly new slap in the face. I've been going to WDW since it opened in '71 when I could barely afford to stay on property. However, I grew up and did well. In recent years, before the pandemic, I've stayed at the Grand Floridan, the Contemporary and the Poly multiple times but I don't anymore for just this reason.
One worse change is Rise of the Restances isn't a single lane line. You want to save money on food, don't buy any. Character dining is such a rip off. we took my niece when she was 7 and the food was too expensive and you can just meet characters walking around the park and just give the kid a hot dog which is all they are sadisfied with anyway,
Hot Take: The Pink Cake was the best Cinderella Castle
Getting rid of the Citizens of Hollywood ruined that park for me. Sucked the spirit out of the place. They were a truly magical part of Hollywood Studios. I miss Jack Diamond and Paige Turner every time I walk into that park.