DisneyKidds
<font color=green>The TF thanks DisneyKidds for mo
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2001
UPDATED FOR THOUGHTS ON AK VS OTHER ZOOS (See my second post below)
Good to see we have so many compadres returing from WDW and DL soon to give us state of the union addresses. They are much anticipated and of great value. That being said - we all seem to be there often and have a pretty good idea - although a fresh perspective from a recent visit is great.
Another report of value comes from sizing up the competition. Being that we just visited Hershey Park I have some comments to share and how I feel they reflect on WDW.
First I must say we had a lot of fun at Hershey Park. They offer a lot of nice rides for the little kids - we have a 3 yo and a 1 yo and they could each go on a lot of stuff. 8 coasters is also a nice attraction and I made good use of those. Milton Hershey was a wonderful man and great benefactor and the town of Hershey, and beyond, owe him a debt of gratitute. He was a great man in the sense that Walt was. Certainly not the showman - but he did a heck of a lot besides make chocolate. (Not looking for a comparison to Walt here because Milt would fall short - just trying to give a modicum of credit where credit is due.)
Now for the meat and potatoes - and the appreciation gained for WDW after being at the competition.
Service. No place does it like WDW. Most of the attendants at HP could care less about their jobs - at least none that we observed. Slower than a hurd of turtles. No enthusiasm. No concern for the guest experience. No show. Now they are effective, even if slow. They load and dispatch the rides. They drone out the safety speil. They do what they get paid to do. However, I can't wait to get back to WDW. Disney CM's do all of the above with flair and style. They interact with you. They help you. They make you feel good. This is a legacy that Walt instilled and it is a HUGE part of the Disney Magic. Even though some think WDW is going to he** in a handbasket - the CM's are still wonderful. I still am amazed at the fact that in HP you queue yourself - even on the busiest of rides. Knowing how well things are done at WDW you notice such a thing and it makes a BIG difference in the experience.
Quality and Attention to Detail. Again, WDW is like no other. Even if they do a 'spinner' it is a quality spinner with a good theme (even if you feel it doesn't fit - i.e. Dino Rama). The spinners at HP have no theme. The grounds, the maintenance, the food etc. - while HP is not falling apart, it looks like a slum compared to WDW. Where there is a space in the middle of a ride that has weeds at HP it would be full of elaborate plantings at WDW - at a huge expense when you consider an entire park. You can't imagine the difficulty finding good food at HP at 9:00 when they don't close until 10. They roll up the carpets early in many service areas and it shows that there is little concern for the overall guest experience. Again, all these seemingly small things make a BIG difference in the experience. Again, this quality and attention to detail are a legacy that Walt instilled and is a HUGE part of the Disney Magic. Again, the Disney committment to this type of quality and attention to detail transcends the multitude of changes we discuss around here.
What does all this mean? We'll - I'll keep my seat in Car #1.5 for a while longer
.
Good to see we have so many compadres returing from WDW and DL soon to give us state of the union addresses. They are much anticipated and of great value. That being said - we all seem to be there often and have a pretty good idea - although a fresh perspective from a recent visit is great.
Another report of value comes from sizing up the competition. Being that we just visited Hershey Park I have some comments to share and how I feel they reflect on WDW.
First I must say we had a lot of fun at Hershey Park. They offer a lot of nice rides for the little kids - we have a 3 yo and a 1 yo and they could each go on a lot of stuff. 8 coasters is also a nice attraction and I made good use of those. Milton Hershey was a wonderful man and great benefactor and the town of Hershey, and beyond, owe him a debt of gratitute. He was a great man in the sense that Walt was. Certainly not the showman - but he did a heck of a lot besides make chocolate. (Not looking for a comparison to Walt here because Milt would fall short - just trying to give a modicum of credit where credit is due.)
Now for the meat and potatoes - and the appreciation gained for WDW after being at the competition.
Service. No place does it like WDW. Most of the attendants at HP could care less about their jobs - at least none that we observed. Slower than a hurd of turtles. No enthusiasm. No concern for the guest experience. No show. Now they are effective, even if slow. They load and dispatch the rides. They drone out the safety speil. They do what they get paid to do. However, I can't wait to get back to WDW. Disney CM's do all of the above with flair and style. They interact with you. They help you. They make you feel good. This is a legacy that Walt instilled and it is a HUGE part of the Disney Magic. Even though some think WDW is going to he** in a handbasket - the CM's are still wonderful. I still am amazed at the fact that in HP you queue yourself - even on the busiest of rides. Knowing how well things are done at WDW you notice such a thing and it makes a BIG difference in the experience.
Quality and Attention to Detail. Again, WDW is like no other. Even if they do a 'spinner' it is a quality spinner with a good theme (even if you feel it doesn't fit - i.e. Dino Rama). The spinners at HP have no theme. The grounds, the maintenance, the food etc. - while HP is not falling apart, it looks like a slum compared to WDW. Where there is a space in the middle of a ride that has weeds at HP it would be full of elaborate plantings at WDW - at a huge expense when you consider an entire park. You can't imagine the difficulty finding good food at HP at 9:00 when they don't close until 10. They roll up the carpets early in many service areas and it shows that there is little concern for the overall guest experience. Again, all these seemingly small things make a BIG difference in the experience. Again, this quality and attention to detail are a legacy that Walt instilled and is a HUGE part of the Disney Magic. Again, the Disney committment to this type of quality and attention to detail transcends the multitude of changes we discuss around here.
What does all this mean? We'll - I'll keep my seat in Car #1.5 for a while longer
.
