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[pfspock]

I've just seen that the Good Morning Main Street USA parade has been added to the above mentioned channel. Man, a small and sweet parade that was more magical and classy than any stupid painted train. What a perfect way to start a day in the park. And this parade cannot have cost a fortune with ca. 15 performers. What a shame.
But I have to admit, things have improved under the management of Holtz and Gas, if only they would prevent the entertainment department from creating ANY decorations in the future and spend the money on restoring the lost effects.
And don't forget, things started to go downhill in 1997, with Pizza Planet, the Pocahontas playground, the castle makeover and the brilliant idea that every castmember everywhere (including Phantom Manor)  had to wear a stupid Jester's hat.

But the future direction seems to be quite clear. Anyone remember the guest survey in the hotels, if guests would like more "disneyfied" hotels/hotel rooms? Well, regarding the changes at Sequoia Lodge, Santa Fe and Manhattan Restaurant, we can all make an educated guess how this one turned out...

[Riebi]

I think this whole "They have no money to keep the standads up"-thinking is totally wrong. I remember well that they made profit after the opening of space mountain till the opening of WDS.

I work in a marketing/advertising department and we also have some recreational facilities on our plan. The first thing for us is always to make sure that you won´t be disapointed by visiting our places because the advertising was that great. Quality should always be the first thing.

Over the last years DLP rised the prices for hotels and everything year by year. In the same way they seem to have less money for operational things. They took their money to make things come true that haven´t to do much with magic or a deeper feeling for emotions (Dagobert mentioned the points: a stage on central plaza, an on and on of things that were good for a year but not for five (Characters Express, 15. deco on castle and main street....). Just cause you scream loud out "THAT´S PURE DISNEY MAGIC!" it won´t be magical (meanwhile, I hate the sentences "as only disney can create..." it´s so tacky now). Disney magic is a feeling. Not a claim.

Disney magic is the feeling that you get if you have a nice diner at rockefeller plaza with sparkling lights and live music all around you. Disney magic is the feeling of eating a wonderfull skull liquorice lollipop in scull design (which is so tastefull because you can only get it at the POTC shop) while you are searching for a way through the jungle of adventureland (with african tam tam sound in the distance). Disney magic is sitting on a sunny day on main street - watching the people that see the park the first time in its life while eating a freshly baked cookie. Disney magic is that you can´t choice because of tooooo much choices (A lopster at NPBC? A nice diner at walt´s?). Diney magic is to stroll true a real adventure bazar with real craftsmans around you that make wonderful high class merchandise and eating one of this wonderful oriantal sweets that you could bought there for a while. Disney magic is to take a journey to the moon, endor and under the sea in one day, while you realize about great  inventors of the world. Disney magic is the feeling that you get when you leaving the Autoroute 4 and seeing flowers, nice plantings and a magical place from beginning (nowadays flowers don´t seem there anymore). Disney magic is a feeling of beeing home in wonderful lands of imagination.

So the question is: Wouldn´t it be much more cost-effective  and economic to create disney magic then just to scream out what disney magic should be? They´ve done this in the years between 1995 and 2001 - and that wasn´t a bad time on the financial side. What should we do with all this loud and tacky things that seems to base on a marketing claim without any content? New generation, Magical Moments, Mickey magical party.....They also had themed years in the past. But that were years of other tunes. There was no neat to make a tacky stage appear on central plaza.
So DLP come back to the roots: If you deliver quality and real magical feeling you will have guests that spent more money  by choice (good merchandising and good food) and not because they rise the prices again. And you will have more money for everything. But that means also that they hardly have to fix the studios and refurb also the other parts of the resort that aren´t in the parks (For the parks it seems to get better with the refurbs of castle, ships and facades.).

[davewasbaloo]

I love Disney but next time i am rather going to WDW, which can afford to put on a show. I am sorry for Paris i know it is not completely their fault - debts - but too bad, i rather spend my money somewhere else.

Do not go to WDW, in some ways (many) it is worse than DLP. Go to California or Tokyo instead. We went to WDW and stayed in Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2007, it was one of the most disappointing Disney trips as they were shoving toons everywhere and the quality was worse than DLP in so many ways (maitnenance of AAs). We went to DLP that year and DLP was much better (though we still had the Tarzan and Lion King shows). We then went to Disneyland in California the following year and had the best time of all, where still dumbed down compared to my childhood, they put on the best show of all. do not kid yourself, WDW might be huge, but most of the great stuff there was built over 10 years ago and the MK sucks compared to DLP.

[davewasbaloo]

@Reibi  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  :thumbs:  :ears: You totally get it. You understand what I used to love about Disney and why it is getting to the point where I try to pursuade my family we need to go somewhere else now. Heck, Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen inspired Walt, and it now feels more like DL than DLP does.

[dagobert]

Very well written, Riebi. You put that into words what I wanted to say with all my posts. I just couldn't discribe the so called Disney feeling. If I want to ride some attractions, I can go to any amusement park, but I go to Disney to be transported to other worlds.

[dagobert]

I love Disney but next time i am rather going to WDW, which can afford to put on a show. I am sorry for Paris i know it is not completely their fault - debts - but too bad, i rather spend my money somewhere else.

Do not go to WDW, in some ways (many) it is worse than DLP. Go to California or Tokyo instead. We went to WDW and stayed in Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2007, it was one of the most disappointing Disney trips as they were shoving toons everywhere and the quality was worse than DLP in so many ways (maitnenance of AAs). We went to DLP that year and DLP was much better (though we still had the Tarzan and Lion King shows). We then went to Disneyland in California the following year and had the best time of all, where still dumbed down compared to my childhood, they put on the best show of all. do not kid yourself, WDW might be huge, but most of the great stuff there was built over 10 years ago and the MK sucks compared to DLP.

I have to admit we loved WDW, but not the MK. That park is very disappointing compared to DLP. Unfortunately WDW struggels as well to maintain their parks properly, but you get an overall better experience in terms of hotels, food and CMs. I haven't been to DL in Anaheim, but I can't wait for next year, because we plan to visit Walt's park.

[Timbo]

I love Disney but next time i am rather going to WDW, which can afford to put on a show. I am sorry for Paris i know it is not completely their fault - debts - but too bad, i rather spend my money somewhere else.

Do not go to WDW, in some ways (many) it is worse than DLP. Go to California or Tokyo instead. We went to WDW and stayed in Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2007, it was one of the most disappointing Disney trips as they were shoving toons everywhere and the quality was worse than DLP in so many ways (maitnenance of AAs). We went to DLP that year and DLP was much better (though we still had the Tarzan and Lion King shows). We then went to Disneyland in California the following year and had the best time of all, where still dumbed down compared to my childhood, they put on the best show of all. do not kid yourself, WDW might be huge, but most of the great stuff there was built over 10 years ago and the MK sucks compared to DLP.

I agree totally with this , we returned to WDW in Feb 2010 after a 10 year break , and we had been a lot before , every year and sometimes twice in a year , so we knew the parks very well . We were so shocked on our return visit the MK looked awful , so cramped and a bit dated , DLP it simply way ahead in terms of the layout and design . It was only because we had been away so long we really appreciated the differences , the customer service was lacking and the general maintenance was definitely not what it used to be ! TBH we thought the MK was quite tacky and false looking in comparison ,the railroad is so pathetic compared to Paris , I think people assume that  Florida will be so much better than Paris but in reality it is not as pleasing on the eye at all . It does have lots of other parks of course , although after ten years there was very little change to things like shows etc , you think the scripts to some of attractions would be altered a bit , but word for word the CMs were saying what they did a decade ago . Last visit we just missed out on the change to Dinoland , my god it was the most depressing sight of the whole trip , how on earth they got this thing approved to be built in a Disney park is beyond me !!! I was going to do a trip report but was too depressed after the trip to bother !
Overall , and I could go on and on , it really made me appreciate how beautifully themed and pleasant Disneyland Paris is !!

[davewasbaloo]

I was going to do a trip report but was too depressed after the trip to bother !
Overall , and I could go on and on , it really made me appreciate how beautifully themed and pleasant Disneyland Paris is !!

I am so glad to read this. THis web site is not the only one where posters get angry with me, on the American boards people talk about how wonderful WDW is, but they have very little points of comparison. DLP is still in much better state (except the pirate ship) than much at WDW. But DL for me is the crown jewel, and I desperately want to make it to Tokyo as many say that while TDL is the ugliest, the shows and cast are amazing, and TDS does look amazing.

[dagobert]

I agree totally with this , we returned to WDW in Feb 2010 after a 10 year break , and we had been a lot before , every year and sometimes twice in a year , so we knew the parks very well . We were so shocked on our return visit the MK looked awful , so cramped and a bit dated , DLP it simply way ahead in terms of the layout and design . It was only because we had been away so long we really appreciated the differences , the customer service was lacking and the general maintenance was definitely not what it used to be ! TBH we thought the MK was quite tacky and false looking in comparison ,the railroad is so pathetic compared to Paris , I think people assume that  Florida will be so much better than Paris but in reality it is not as pleasing on the eye at all . It does have lots of other parks of course , although after ten years there was very little change to things like shows etc , you think the scripts to some of attractions would be altered a bit , but word for word the CMs were saying what they did a decade ago . Last visit we just missed out on the change to Dinoland , my god it was the most depressing sight of the whole trip , how on earth they got this thing approved to be built in a Disney park is beyond me !!! I was going to do a trip report but was too depressed after the trip to bother !
Overall , and I could go on and on , it really made me appreciate how beautifully themed and pleasant Disneyland Paris is !!

I'm sure most people here knoe that I don't like TSPL, but compared to Dinoland, especially Hester and Chester's Dinorama, TSPL looks really nice. Dinoland is the worst thing I have ever seen in a Disney park. It's really a shame that those tacky carnival rides were built in such a lovely park. At least Dinosaur is a great ride in that area. It's really a shame for Disney that attractions like TSPL and Chester and Hester's Dinorama got built.

I don't get it why so many people think that Florida is so much better than Paris. I have already mentioned that we we enjoyed our stay there a lot, just because the hotel was nicer, the vegetarian food options are A LOT better than at DLRP and we really liked DAK and EPCOT. But it is the MK that represents Disney and it is the worst park in Florida. The park is dated, except Haunted Mansion, and it is far behind Disneyland Paris. Even WDS is in many aspects better than DHS. I have to admit that I liked that park, because I think it is nicely themed, but the attractions in Paris are better, more modern. Disney just has to fix Production Courtyard and improve the STT and WDS would be a lovely park.

I am so glad to read this. THis web site is not the only one where posters get angry with me, on the American boards people talk about how wonderful WDW is, but they have very little points of comparison. DLP is still in much better state (except the pirate ship) than much at WDW. But DL for me is the crown jewel, and I desperately want to make it to Tokyo as many say that while TDL is the ugliest, the shows and cast are amazing, and TDS does look amazing.

I just purchased a book about TDR and now we want to go there as well. Judging from pictures I have seen TDL doesn't look that great, but TDS is just amazing. Jack Spence from Allearsnet.com did wonderful blogs about TDR, HKDL and DLRP. And there is tdrfan.com to get jealous about TDR.

[Timbo]

Great to read your feedback , davewasbaloo I just knew you would agree with what I said , glad I am not the only one who is not in awe of WDW , though once I was ! I really love AK for its immersive  theming and some of the rides , and DS because I like the way it is laid out and the architecture , except of course for the disgusting sorcerer Mickey hat that blocks one of the best views in any theme park , and doesn't really serve much purpose either !
As you both said a trip to Tokyo would be amazing  , especially TDS , have to see if we can get a group booking rate !! LOL

[*TIMMIE*]

So back to DLP instead of how worse other resorts might be?

I find it a pity those little touches disappear and are replaced with recycled entertainment. Quality pays itself.

I found a may 1993 video including the Main Street Electrical Parade (presenté par Philips), Belle et la Bête and live country music in Billy Bobs. If anyone is interessted I will upload and post it?

[lil-shawn]

yaay^^ post it, right now please :-D

[*TIMMIE*]

I will do my utterly best to post it asap. I first have to edit it and upload it on youtube. It appears to be over 1,5 hrs of footages.  :shock:  

[dagobert]

I will do my utterly best to post it asap. I first have to edit it and upload it on youtube. It appears to be over 1,5 hrs of footages.  :shock:  

Thanks for your efforts. I can't wait to see it.

[davewasbaloo]

Oh wow, I look forward to seeing it, especially seeing the Moody Brothers again at Billy Bob's