OK!! I have read this entire thread twice now and I am ready!!! And I found that Chicken reference my Captain! And just like Lucy, you got some splainin to do!! Rustle feathers indeed!!!!
Mr. R (or should it be Mr. D-R? Hmmm?)
As much as word of mouth does. But dont you think that the effect could be equally positive as it
IS negative. I mean I visited a Tolkien site when I first found out the movie was being made two years ago. I never posted on it and in fact never even registered. I just lurked a bit to find out what I could about the movie. And while there were certainly some die-hard fans that SCREAMED about every little word of dialogue, by and large the balance was that a pretty good film was in the offing!! You read the posts and the linked articles and anyone with any type of intelligence came away with a pretty evenhanded portrait of an eagerly awaited film. I visited after the film came out and found the same sort of reasonablness. Some absolute FLAMES and some that appeared to be on New Lines payroll. But by just lurking I was able to tell that the film was pretty well received and liked by the vast majority.
Somehow I think that that if that site, of admitted Tolkien nuts, existed when that cartoon version came out in the late 70s early eighties, I think I would have gone away with an entirely different feeling. One of negativity. One of the film being a failure.
Is this the fault of the Internet? Or is it the fault of the product?
I think that if Disney were producing top-notch stuff all the LandBarons, Frozen people, Mr. Matts and AVs in the world could not out shout the masses. When I got here I was pretty much a lone voice in the wilderness. I was definitely being out-shouted by the folks here. But about a year and a half ago I noticed a great change. Many more posts started to agree with me than disagree. Slowly. Much more slowly than I had hoped, but slowly those masses started to acknowledge that something was rotten in the state of Denmark!! I point to Peter Pirate, Gcurling, Mr. Matt (now riding shotgun!) and many, many others. Even the head of the resistance, our own Scoop, now admits that it is time for a change in head mouse!! Now thats something!!!!
Now I agree that the internet was the mode of communication. And it didnt carry a pretty message (at least from me). But if all were rosy, we would be out shouted, out thought and out-posted!! And a lurker here, with no vested interest, would take away a picture of magic and pixie dust. As it is I believe that most carry away a picture of greed and knuckleheadedness!! But I could be wrong!!
I honestly believe that they keep the park hours open based upon the attendance levels, and I have witnessed hours being extended based upon need.
So you are telling me that when the MK closes EVERY night at 10:00 during July it is solely bases on attendance and has nothing whatsoever to do with cost cutting and profit boosting? And that the crowds were LESS this July than say in 1972 or 1975 or 1981 or 1985 or 1991 or 1995 or 1998 or
Whoops!! Heres when the crowds evidently started to go away because thats when they started cutting hours in July!!!! Is that what youre saying?
They want the parks to be open later - because the parks will be less crowded. The major reason that they seem to want the longer hours is so the crowds will be thinned out - but if the crowd is thinned out, how is economically viable to keep the park open those extra hours?
NO!!! That is wrong!! TOTALLY WRONG!!! It is merely a side benefit for those who preserver to the very end (of which I am one). Now please understand the concept. It is the same concept that is employed with EE. And even though I never used it personally I was greatly impacted by its elimination!! Same as you, whether you know it or not, are impacted by the reduction of hours (if you visit in the summer) no matter if you stayed late or not!!!
Why? Because it gives EVERYONE options!!!! Want to watch a parade!! No problem!! Youve got two to choose from!! Not one where EVERYONE is packed like sardines, 40 deep, the poor little kids not having a chance of seeing even the top of the floats. Want to skip the parade and go on a couple rides!! FINE!! Have a ball. You want to get away for a few hours!! Go for it. People like DisDuck are now in the park, but they wont be there tonight!! Want to enjoy the afternoon sunshine in the MK? Great!! Those idiots like LandBaron arent there. They are sitting beside the Old Key West swimming pool and not forced to see EVERYTHING with EVERYONE in the blazing sun!!! Want to stick around to the very end at midnight on am Monday (the best day to do that BTW)? Fine!! Youll love it because half the crowd got up early to do EE and theres no way they are going to stick around!!
Do you get it yet? It offers choices. Options. And it thins the crowd throughout the entire day. Your entire stay. And if the rains come, as they always do in July and August, thats just fine!! Why? Cause MKs open until midnight again tomorrow!! Akuna Matata! What a wonderful phase!! Akuna Matata! Unfortunately a passing phase, cause the current management wont let me use it!! Instead they FORCE me and you (collectively) to do it all together! And while I love my fellow Disney fans I dont want to be herded like cattle with them, at the whim of management, all to save a couple bucks!! How about not making stupid business moves that the parks have to finance and letting us make some choices again!!!
{quote]Many of the same people who seem to cheer any sign of bad economic news for the Disney company - because it might oust Eisner - seem to be unable to understand that cut backs are necessary.[/quote] Cutback!!!?? Necessary!!?? Just what are they cutting Mr. R? You seem to think that they are cutting expenditures. Saving a few bucks, eh? Youre as mixed up as Ei$ner!! He thinks hes selling you a ticket, some plush toys, a Pecos Bill burger and a soda!! And the hours, cast members, and paint is merely considered overhead, which can be added in good times and reduced in bad times. He, and you are terrible wrong!!
I see it in a totally different light. They are cutting their product! They are cutting what they used to be so good at selling. And we bought and bought and even bought some more. We bought with our dollars and more importantly we bought with our return business and most important we bought with our FAVORABLE (alomist gushing) word of mouth!! Yes sir!! They sold us an experience. They sold us magic. D-R!! They sold us a SHOW!!! And we ALL bought it. Lock stock and barrel!! And the SHOW is what they are cutting!! Not mere expenditures!!
I think they have made some really good moves to weather the storm.
Really!!?? Gee! I dont see any!!
I also read about Walt, and I can understand some of the comments that are basically "what would Walt do?" but right now is a time that you also have to ask "what would Roy do?"
Again we disagree. In the middle of the Great Depression did Walt listen to Roy, or did he make Snow White anyway (mortgaging himself, his company and even Roy to the hilt!)? During the gas crisis and that poor economic time of the late seventies early eighties, did they listen to the Roy types? Or did they add the Electric Light Parade and extend hours to 1:00 a.m.
AND open EPCOT, which cost over a billion at the time!!??
I find myself often getting turned off by this board lately.
Is it because there is a tremendous amount of complaining regarding the current administrations philosophical choices lately? Cause if it is, then yes!! I have to agree with you!! The truth does hurt sometimes. And I can understand that as you see the reality of the situation you may want to blame the conversation vehicle instead of the ones who are truly at fault. Its a very old problem that stretches way back to the ancient Greeks. You know, dont kill the messenger!!
There is less about rumors and news than there is about moaning and whining (and yeah, I remember how bad I got flamed a year or two ago for calling something whining).
Yeah! I know. Not many rumors at all!! I wish there were, but its kind of hard to dream those impossible dreams when your job may be in the dumper the next day!!
But I do take issue with your phrasing. And maybe it was a mistake. Moaning? Yes!! Good lord, theres a bunch of well deserved moaning!! But whining!?!? I really dont see it. And Im not being purposely obtuse. I really dont!!! Please let me know, even in a PM, when you see it! Cause, quite frankly, I dont!
Also let me know if this post made you feel flamed, because that was NOT my intent!!