MK Hours

[Candlelady]

(Coming out of lurk mode to ask a simple question.)

With all the discussion regarding the cutback of hours at the MK, why not try to evoke change with public opinion and publicity?

It worked with breakfast in the castle, no?

(back to lurkdom)

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

What's the story with the breakfast at the castle? Were letters written to the top brass to get it?

I'd be glad to write to someone about MK hours. Who do you think would be the best? My guess is Mr. Roy Disney. He seems like the logical choice to me as it is his family name on the letterhead. What exactly does he do for the Walt Disney Company anyway? Is it just an honorary seat at the Board? How much of a say does he have? Is there someone else better to write to?

Anyway I'd like to hear the story behing the castle breakfast. It's soooo popular! Was it taken away and people demanded to have it back? I'm new to these boards and do not claim to know diddly squat about business matters so don't be afraid to talk to me.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

With all the discussion regarding the cutback of hours at the MK, why not try to evoke change with public opinion and publicity?

WOW!!! A woman after my own heart. But sadly, many people don’t feel as we do. Just ask that frozen head type guy why he first appeared on this site. It is the same reason I did. I really believed that I couldn’t be the only idiot in the world that saw a slip in the old Disney quality. Surely the Internet, where I had never been before, would be loaded with people who would be as willing as me to organize some sort of challenge to Disney!! The loyal customer (guest) cannot be ignored!!! We shall overcome the money grubbing giant and bring things back to the way Walt would have liked!!! A BETTER DISNEY OR DIE!!!!!

That was well over two years ago. Since that time I have fought tooth and nail, gotten emotionally invested and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince a Pirate and a Duck (and currently a Scoop, whatever that is ) that I am right. I have yet to convince them!! I’m sorry if I seem cynical, but I really gotta tell you, a body gets that way after banging his head on the wall for two years straight!! (But it does feel good when you stop!! ) In short, I don’t think it would work, but if you see a way, count me in!!!!!

Will you back me up Mr. Head?

 

[toefungus]

I've sent two e-mails to Disney concerning the park hours so far. I still have herd no explaination on why they have been cut back so far. E-mail them here.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

First of all, emails aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Make a letter out of typing paper and send it to one or more of the addresses on the 'Baron's "Important: Disney Addresses" thread.

My experience is that you'll get a phone call from Weiss' offices (which, again, in my experience, will boil down to them sending you $100 Disney Dollars, which will sit, to this day, in your "Disney - pending" box becuase you can't decide if they're payola or not) and deafening silence from California, in general, but at least I'm on file in all their systems.

Will you back me up Mr. Head?

I'd give you an "Oh Captain, my Captain" moment, but fear it might have a Beetlejuice-ian effect on the temporarily transparent trans-Pirate...

I've mentioned more than once that my main reason for coming here was because I just _knew_ that the general Disney decline I saw would be obvious to everyone who cared enough about Disney to find this kind of place on the 'Net and bother to post here. With such a batch of like-minded people, great action could be taken, great Magic could be ensorcled.

Let me tell you, shocked, SHOCKED I was by the greetings I received from some of the hooliganistic ruffians dwelling hither.

'Baron, take comfort in the fact that some of those that argued so hard against things we said, are now claiming those same stances as their own. You'll never have a victory conceded, but you can claim battles won, here and there. Take comfort, also, in knowing that it was you that compiled the best ammo we have, Disney's snail mail addresses.

I really gotta tell you, a body gets that way after banging his head on the wall for two years straight

I've been meaning to speak to you about that...

-WFH

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

At roughly 9:30 this morning I rolled out of bed. And without even so much as a pit stop I logged on (TALK ABOUT SOMEONE NEEDING A LIFE!!!). Anyway, I read Mr. Head’s post and through bleary eyes didn’t quite understand one sentence.

I'd give you an "Oh Captain, my Captain" moment, but fear it might have a Beetlejuice-ian effect on the temporarily transparent trans-Pirate...

I finished the rest of the post and checked out the other threads and signed off for a while.

We are getting ready for my second daughter’s graduation party today, so there were chairs to be transported, tables and tents to be set up, ice to be purchased, etc. Anyway, about halfway between my parent’s house and my house the sentence re-enters my feeble mind. And I haven’t stopped laughing since!!!!

Thanks Mr. Head, for the laugh and the back up!!!






PS: If it weren’t for you and a pitiful handful of the others the “head banging” would have hurt a lot more than it did!! Thanks!!

 

[DisneyKidds]

IMHO, it all has to do with what Disney cares about and whether what the masses are upset about is a result of something Disney did, or just a flaw in something they didn't crew with and screw up.

Disney could give less of a **** about the MK hours (or EE, or insert whatever cut....). They made a decision based on a number of factors they deem important - many we debate, some we don't know - and they stand by it. Rarely they will consider public opinion (like on that rediculous Adventureland late opening thing a while back), but likely not on the big decision, like MK hours. Many, many people have emailed and written and it doesn't seem to have mattered. Please correspond yourself - if anything it makes you fell better to have spoken up. I guess one route for communication would be for everyone to email or write the papers and not Disney. Perhaps a few really negative Orlando Sentinel, or better yet USA Today, articles would get someone nervous.

How is this different from the CRT mess? Well, there you had a highly successful breakfast that Disney hasn't screwed with. You also had an outside influence from a well intentioned party who helps others in obtaining an illusive PS. It created quite a stir on various internet sites, which Disney saw, resulted in many complaints to Disney, and ended up in the paper. As a result Disney started requiring credit cards for CRT ressies. Did this have anything to do with the new Princess breakfast in Epcot? Who knows. If it did, it is likely because Disney saw an easy fix to a problem they didn't create - and they come out the hero. Everybody wins. The people are happy to have another Princess meal option, Disney rakes in the dough, and most importantly, Disney doesn't have to go back on a big decision, admit they are wrong, etc., etc., etc. They probably feel they aren't in their own warped way.

 

[Sarangel]

One thing I will point out is that this board is not the place to organize any sort of letterwriting campaign. It is against Pete's rules and those rules need to be upheld in order to maintain our space here to gripe about what Disney's doing wrong.

If, however, an individual felt strongly enough about something to write to the corporate offices, I don't believe any of the moderators could possibly object (hence DVC-Landbaron's oh-so-useful list of addresses)...

Sarangel

 

[Sarangel]

As for Miss Park Avenue:

Anyway I'd like to hear the story behing the castle breakfast. It's soooo popular! Was it taken away and people demanded to have it back?

Normally, I'd answer a question like this via PM, but MPA refuses PMs (a problem I now recall Landbaron experiencing earlier).

The difficulty with the CRT breakfast was that it was so popular that people weren't getting reservations (after all, the restaurant is awfully small), and then a news story broke about a group called "Howie's Angels" who would call in to make Priority Seatings and then give them away to people that subscribed to their web site. This caused some amount of hullabaloo among the internet community, enough so that Disney had to notice it (and take some fire from the regular press). Once that happened, it was a pretty short step to their changing the policy so that you had to 1) have a credit card to make the PS, and 2) the name on the PS couldn't be changed once it was made.

Sarangel

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

I appreciate the imput! Any letter that I write would be just by me and from the sound of things would just be added to the pile. My theory has always been to make you opinions heard, cause you never know who else has said the same thing, anyway if management hears from their loyal customers, they'd be moved to take action. I wrote to the local mall that just opened in this area about putting in a Disney Store among others. I make suggestions to restaurants. I'm just that kind of person. How else is management going to know unless you tell them!

The gripes on this board never upset me. I read all of them as coming from people who really care about Disney and want to keep the quality of entertainment that it had from the beginning. Feel free to think of me as some grumpy old timer who likes to talk about the good old days. "Listen up you young whippersnapper, back in MY day we had fireworks every night!"

As for my refusing PMs. This is the first time I have ever joined a discussion group and there have been some really scary stories in this area, particularly with the young (which I'm not, but still) and I just would like to keep all my comments and responses public. Maybe, as I got more comfy with this I'd open the private message but I still want to keep my e-mail address private. The candlelady suggested doing the same with CRT as with the MK hours and I didn't know the story on CRT. Thanks Sarangel for the info!

 

[dbond]

I just took a look at the October hours on the Disney website and I'm in the mood to write a letter. Now just where is this "Disney's Important Addresses" thread? I also would much rather do the letter and stamp approach. From past experience, I think it carries a little more weight.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by dbond
I just took a look at the October hours on the Disney website and I'm in the mood to write a letter. Now just where is this "Disney's Important Addresses" thread?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84539

That is the direct link. It is located on the main page for News Rumors. Just look where the post says "Important".

 

[dbond]

Found it and I'm working on my letter now. I've had things on my mind since our trip last October, now that I see the hours posted for this coming October, it's time!

 

[raidermatt]

Baron, I always had you pegged for a head-banger. You know, used to watch MTV's Headbanger's Ball in the early 90's, and has now switched to VH1's Rock Show...


Seriously though, don't think that everything falls on deaf ears. I'm probably one of the posters that the Iced Noodle is referring to when he says:

'Baron, take comfort in the fact that some of those that argued so hard against things we said, are now claiming those same stances as their own.

My basic stance that the Magic has not faded that much has not really changed. However, I have come to the conclusion that current management either cannot or just plain will not solve the problems that are chipping away at the Magic. Why have I come to that conclusion?

1-Personal observation and analysis. I've done hours comparisons, listened to market analysts, done background reading, monitored park developments, uses a more critical eye when in the parks, etc, etc, etc.

2-Discussions here on this board. I've picked up a lot from a lot of the posters here. Regardless of whether I agree or disagree with a specific point, the different perspectives are always helpful.

Without posters like yourself and the Head, we would be missing a critical side to many discussions, and we would all miss out.

So just because I may disagree about how far the parks have fallen, that doesn't mean my hide is not chafed by some of the cockamamy things that are going on in the world of Disney. Nor does it mean I am complacent about it.

So when you get right down to it, no, I was not ready to start firing off letters to Disney a year ago. Now, I am, and that is due at least in part, to the discussions hear on this board.

For whatever that's worth...

 

[airlarry!]

No offense taken, Scoop. By the way, I finished up your leftover tuna melt from Blimpie's that you left on your paralegal's desk, but forgot to tell you. Sorry 'bout that.

Hey, Baron. Looks like you have had a rough time readjusting to non-Disnified air. The following quote from our welcomed newcomer should show you that not all people are offended at our frequent discussions of the future of the Magic.

The gripes on this board never upset me. I read all of them as coming from people who really care about Disney and want to keep the quality of entertainment that it had from the beginning.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

Disney could give less of a **** about the MK hours (or EE, or insert whatever cut....). They made a decision based on a number of factors they deem important

Here lies the crux of the problem and further exemplifies the underlying philosophical differences between “Walt’s” Disney and Disney®. Just what did they “deem important”? Was it the spreadsheet? Was it saving a couple bucks? Was it the quarterly report? Was it CM overtime? Or was it the guest experience?

Let’s see how his should work. Now, what criteria does the company have to gage something like this? What measuring stick is used? What was it that set the Disney Company far apart from and head and shoulder above other companies in the world? Anyone? Anyone? Yes!! You’re right!! We can go straight to the ‘big four’!!! That innovative business plan that placed a premium on the Disney Experience, thereby insuring ‘value’!! What were they again?

Safety
Courtesy
SHOW
Efficiency

IN THAT ORDER!!!

So did they ‘consider’ the “insert whatever cut” based on that? You bet your sweet… Well, you can bet they did not!! They jumped (as is their tendency lately) straight to number 4. Efficiency!! Without a glance at #3 at all!! And while that may be an expeditious and proper business procedure for most other companies in America it is NOT for Disney. It is NOT how they built a reputation. It is NOT how they built a legacy. And it is NOT how they built such a loyal following!!! And until you understand that it was this criteria that brought us all (yes, all three car passengers) to the dance, you cannot understand how deeply these cuts affect the long-term business of this company.

Rarely they will consider public opinion (like on that ridiculous Adventureland late opening thing a while back)

Hmmm. Everyone seems to be on the same page on that issue. Everyone except Disney management, that is!! This plan didn’t just come out of the ether, you know. It had some roots in some board room in Disney. They are the ones that first postulated such a “ridiculous” concept. And they were serious about it!! To me it shows a utter and complete disregard for the business plan which turned me into the Disney nut I am. If something like that were considered by any executive within the company, their boss should have shoved the criteria in front of his face and told him, in no uncertain terms to study it well or think about a career change!!!

But that didn’t happen, did it? Instead, only public pressure saved the day. What makes you think the loss of EE or the reduced hours or even the after dinner chocolates are any different? (see my restraint at not mentioning Mickey head butter! )


PS: Mr. Matt. Through you're writing I know what car you are in, even if you don't. That's why I mentioned thrying to convince a Duck, Pirate and Scoop. I don't need to convice you. You are already mine!!!!!