The State of Walt Disney World: Stardate 2015 – Part 2
Like I said in State of Walt Disney World – Part 1, this two-part post is sort of in lieu of a trip report, with other topics that would have been covered in a trip report handled in dedicated posts. Part 1 covered my observations and speculation as to Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. This installment focuses on Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs, plus my take on the overall state of Walt Disney World and the Resort’s future.
As a preliminary matter, I want to address some of the response to Part 1, as I haven’t gotten a chance to reply to every comment there. I have to say I’m a bit surprised by the positive reaction to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, although that appears mostly to be coming from first time or infrequent visitors. As I said in reply to one comment, when you don’t know what you’re missing, it’s tough to miss it. The Studios is still an enjoyable park with solid headliners…but it’s not what it was even a few years ago.
On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many glowing comments about Animal Kingdom and its potential, and conversely, about how truly abhorrent Dino-Rama is. Usually in fan circles, the bulk of Animal Kingdom is derisively mocked as a half-day park, with praise heaped on Dino-Rama as being “clever” and its supporters saying “you just don’t get it.” Perhaps the readers of this blog are particularly astute…or perhaps my many knocks on Dino-Rama over the years have led to Dino-Rama fans no longer reading this blog and I’m left with you people. Whatever the case, the comments were refreshing.
In terms of Epcot, there’s not much to say. If there’s one thing Epcot still “inspires”, it’s a range of emotions, and the comments reflected that. Some people love what it is, some people love what it once was. The latter group is the biggest wildcard, as they either remain loyal to the park due to nostalgia, harbor resentment for what has been lost, or fall somewhere in between.
Enough recap–let’s get back into the good, bad, and ugly of Walt Disney World: STARDATE SUMMER 2015…
Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom seems like a “Tale of Two Theme Parks” right now. There are huge portions of the park that look great, still glowing from work done over the last couple of years, including Liberty Square, New Fantasyland, and Main Street. Even Adventureland is starting to look better and hopefully will receive some TLC in advance of the Skipper’s Cantina opening late this year. Other lands like the main portion of Fantasyland could use some work, especially on the little things.
Then there’s Tomorrowland. Part of me wonders if the park maps distributed to maintenance teams do not include Tomorrowland. Its blighted state is most evident from the PeopleMover, but even from the ground where most guests will view it, the land looks downright bad in places (and I’m not talking ‘dated’ bad, I mean dirty). Disneyland has the same problem with its Tomorrowland, so I’m wondering if this is part of the unified Disney Parks strategy to present a bleak view of cleanliness in the future?
Overall, I’m torn with regard to the Magic Kingdom. It should be Disney’s crown jewel. It’s the most popular park at the top resort destination in the world, but both Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland top it. It deserves to be Disney’s best theme park anywhere, but it’s not.
With that said, I have to admit that I still feel pretty good about the Magic Kingdom. The new Central Plaza (Hub) project is coming together, and thus far, I like what I see. I will miss the views of the water and wish that it were a bit more lush, I also realize that from an operational perspective, this was a desperately needed project. With that in mind, I think the choices made have been solid, and there are some nice areas that make this area feel like a park. I really like the fountains and manicured shrubbery, and I don’t mind the turf (which has become the controversial focal point of the project for fans). To me, it looks fine and was part of a necessary compromise.
Ultimately, though, I think the jury is still out until the center of the Hub is complete. The Hub used to look great when there were denser trees there, and while I know that level of greenery is unlikely, more foliage would be nice. There is great potential to make this area feel less like a sea of concrete as it did before, and I really hope Disney avails itself of this opportunity.
Aside from this project, all is relatively quiet in Magic Kingdom, and I suspect this will be the case in terms of huge projects for the foreseeable future as other parks (rightfully) receive attention so they can draw some of the crowds away from the Magic Kingdom. In the interim, I hope the team running the Magic Kingdom will focus on maintenance and champion its smaller attractions–even on a meager budget, there are a few attractions that could be noticeably improved upon (Peoplemover, Carousel of Progress, Fantasyland dark rides, etc.). The Magic Kingdom deserves a breathtaking E-Ticket people-eater, but equally important is what’s already there looking wonderful again if the park’s management wants to attain the ‘flagship’ distinction that the Magic Kingdom deserves.
Disney Springs
I never thought I would type these words: I’m looking forward to spending time at Disney Springs. I was there (at Downtown Disney) on 3 separate occasions during my recent trip, which is unheard of for me. In fact, there was a period of several years after Pleasure Island closed that I didn’t go there at all.
Disney Springs certainly hasn’t “arrived” yet, but it is progressing nicely, and seems to have turned a corner in terms of the obtrusiveness of the construction. It’s now to the point where small chunks of it have congealed into a near-finished state, and those pockets look great.
Equally as important, Disney has started announced some of the concepts coming to Disney Springs, and many of the restaurants are interesting and unique concepts. The Indiana Jones-inspired Hangar Bar is the most interesting concept to me, but the pleasant surprise is that even the non-Disney locales will be relatively unique, rather than being common, popular chains.
Where I think Disney Springs will succeed is in being more than an upscale shopping mall with some Disney flourishes. This isn’t because of the backstory (which I think will be conveniently ignored in areas of Disney Springs) but because the overall design will be cohesive and inviting, and the number of unique draws will be sufficient to set it apart. Sure, there will be places where it’ll look like Disney’s take on a fancy outdoor mall, but I think largely, it looks like it will be able to differentiate itself enough that it’s not simply a mall.
Where Disney Springs will likely fail is if it doesn’t open a ShowBiz Pizza Place. For those of you who aren’t cool and don’t know what this is, think of it as the classier cousin of Chuck-E-Cheese.
Overall, I am really optimistic about the future of Walt Disney World. Some might attribute this to my inveterate optimism, some might think I’m wearing rose-colored glasses. My excitement centers mostly around Animal Kingdom, which I think is really about to come into its own and draw a whole slew of new fans. I’m also really optimistic about the long-term prospects for the Studios.
We fans can–justifiably–complain about the current pace of construction, and I think progress has mostly been slow in the past because the resort has been viewed as “mature” in business terms. With the number of large projects potentially on the horizon, I’m not so sure this view of Walt Disney World as mature remains the prevailing line of thought. I know it’s a ways off, but I think Walt Disney World will look radically different from the place we know today upon its 50th Anniversary in 2021.
All of this excitement is tempered by the reality of the experience in the here and now. Looking forward to 2021 or some other far-off date overlooks the fact that right now, things aren’t where they should be given the high cost of a Walt Disney World vacation. The Studios is a mess with its long-existing deficiencies exacerbated by the closure of more attractions. Animal Kingdom is still a couple years away from really being great. Epcot looks good, but it’s probably not going to get the help it needs as long as food & booze sales keep it going strong on the balance sheets.
Despite that, I am excited. I am optimistic. Foolhardy, too, perhaps. I think we are on the cusp of a development boom for at least 2 of the parks that will wholly transform them. So long as that boom doesn’t come at the expense of the “little things” elsewhere, I think Walt Disney World is on the right course. For me, it’s about the long game, and I think that long term, things should be pretty good.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides” are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
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Your Thoughts…
If you’ve been to Walt Disney World recently, what do you think about its current state and its future? Are you optimistic about things? Pessimistic? What excites you the most about the future of the parks? What disappoints you? I’d love to hear your takes on the present and future of WDW, so if you have any thoughts, post them in the comments
I agree completely on Tomorrowland – especially the dirty part. My husband and I have commented on this the last several years we’ve gone, and weren’t sure if it was just us, or if it really was getting that dirty. So much attention has been spent updating and redoing other parts of the park, and now Tomorrowland just looks like a thrown-together afterthought. I hope they update it soon.
And for Dino-rama…. I get it, but I don’t like it. I know what they were going for, but it just doesn’t match the rest of the park. It’s just too much concrete and sticks out like a sore thumb. We generally just walk right by it.
That’s good to hear about Disney Springs. We haven’t been down there since last year, and haven’t had a chance to see some of the new places that have opened. And my cousin will just die if they actually open a Showbiz Pizza there! I was terrified of animatronic wolf growing up, but she was so obsessed with that place we went there every time we visited them.
Heather, I’m concerned, too. We took our almost 3 year old to WDW in 2014 on a rather impromptu trip, and we were thinking about going back and doing it “right” in Fall 2016 (the last time we would be able to take her in the “low” season without taking her out of school). We won’t be annual visitors, but we anticipate it will generally be a couple of years between visits. She will be 5, and I thought the magic of the World would be perfect then. But perhaps we would be better off taking a trip to Disneyland instead?
I think for a 5 year old, Fall 2016 will be fine. The new Frozen attraction should be open by then. New Fantasyland is open and looks great. Disney Springs will be fully completed. The main construction is for Avatarland and potential Star Wars land/whatever they announce at D23, and I don’t think either of those would be suitable for her as they are geared more towards older children/teenagers/adults. So I’m not sure it’s anything to worry about. I would suggest before making plans, to keep an eye on changes to see what is being added and when, and what is being taken away.
Crap, seems like I picked the wrong time for a Disney re-visit.
Hi Tom,
Again great article. I agree with you on…well almost everything. I have to say that my wife and I see Magic Kingdom as our favorite castle park, yes we like it even more than Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. But Tomorrowland can use an overhaul.
We had the same experience with Disney Springs. On our last trip 2 weeks ago we also visited the place 3 times. In other years we also hardly took notice of the place. I liked it a lot even with all the construction going on. The place was just bubbling with energy every night. I thought all the live music everywhere was great, I never really noticed that in previous years, is that new?
I think the future looks bright and also feel that Disney can’t afford, and don’t want, to fall back in it’s old regime. I don’t mind that it takes long to build stuff if done the right way.
Thanks again for all your great articles, you are one of the better (maybe best) on the net. Photos and text are always inspirational.
Greetings from Holland.
I have a soft spot for Magic Kingdom, as it’s the park that I grew up on, so I can’t knock you there.
It does feel like there’s more live entertainment at Disney Springs now than there was before, but I’m basing that on reports I’ve heard, since I hadn’t been going to Downtown Disney in the last several years.
We have so many magical family memories at WDW that I have soft spots for all four parks for various reasons. I loved Disney films as a kid (the older ones, I’m 40) but I never expected to keep returning from Iowa with the kids every year. That said I Agree with everything Tom said. Dinoland is truly a blight. It is awful. Even my 6 and 8 year olds said that Dinosaur and Primevil Whirl completely stink and were disgusted we waited in long lines for such time wasters. Hollywood Studios has two of our faves – ToT and Star Tours, but there needs to be a new big wow attraction there for folks like us who visit yearly and spend 7 – 9 days on property. My kids did Jedi Training last Dec and I cannot speak highly enough of the actor who led the padawans and just the entire experience getting to battle Darth was a memory they won’t forget. It’s was awesome. But For us, HS has become the park that has the least to offer. Epcot – we love the worlds and the holidays were awesome, but they desperately need an innovative experience not Frozen related. Something with cutting edge science, a unique attraction that has guest leaving with their mouths open ooing and awing, something that gets back in line with Walt’s vision. Once you have rode Radiator Racers at Disneyland, Test Track is snoozeville.
I visit disneyland more frequently and I’ve been to disneyworld only once. When I visited animal kingdom with the my other first-timer friends, we really loved animal kingdom and the atmosphere. Even though rest of my company were not disney fans at all to the point the only characters they knew were the fab 5. But, we enjoyed animal kingdom EXCEPT for the dinorama. That place was just.. really puzzling for us and did not seem to match the rest of the park. That area still puzzles me even after I became a disney fan. Of course the back story is clever but the execution is just poor in my opinion. Just like california adventure before its huge overhaul. Love your posts by the way 🙂
You had me at Showbiz Pizza!
I’m glad that the Showbiz Pizza part is what stuck out to a few of you. I pour my heart out, and all you guys care about is some dumb, obscure reference! 😉
For our family who gets to Disney once a year, Hollywood Studios is a 1/2 day park, Animal Kingdom is a 2/3rd day park and usually Epcot one full day with Magic Kingdom taking up 2 full days!
I am looking forward to seeing the work on DOWNTOWN DISNEY, (never!) to be called Disney Springs, we will be there at Halloween this year.
And Tom, a question on a completely unrelated subject, I read your bio, how do you practice law, visit Disney a jillion times a year and have time to write all of these great/fun/informative articles?!
Please keep them coming!
As compared to other attorneys, I have a relatively flexible schedule (I certainly *do not* work 80 hours per week doing that) and do all of my work remotely now. Aside from that, I spend a ton of time in front of a computer, and typically use this as a nice change-of-pace. I’m currently up to my neck briefing a case involving a 419(e) defined contribution plan, and it is pretty dense stuff. Writing up a snarky blog post is a good way to cool down, so to speak.
your the type of attorney I like then 🙂 plus your a disney fan- another positive. I like the critical piece you just wrote on WDW. Are you considering one on DLR too?
Add me to the list of people in agreement about Tomorrowland. In 2000, I spent 95% of my College Program working in custodial in Tomorrowland. At that time, the theme was still (mostly) coherently “the tomorrow that never was,” even with controversial attractions like Alien Encounter and Timekeeper. In addition to the dinginess of that area, the land’s theming escapes me. I could call it Spaceland, but I was under the impression the Monsters, Inc. characters were, well, monsters and not aliens. It is interesting to me that Tomorrowland and Epcot’s Future World have allegedly similar themes, but both seem to be struggling to find an identity. Here’s to hoping they find one.
Tom, great post. I laughed out loud when I read the sentence about a bleak view of cleanliness in the future, and the reference to showbiz pizza. As a kid that attended a showbiz pizza next to an old Kmart in a run down strip mall, I understand how a showbiz pizza will take Disney Springs to a whole new level. If anybody hasn’t told you, you are a great writer.
Ah yes, all great writers focus their talents on Showbiz Pizza! 😉
I agree on Tomorrowland. I was hoping that with the movie, they would renovate and make Tomorrowland better, but with the film’s poor showing I’m afraid that they will just turn it into something else.
I’ve been closely following the Disney Springs developments, and it sounds awesome. Especially Jock Lindsay’s and The Edison. I know that some people are complaining about chains such as Blaze, Sprinkles, STK, and even The Edison coming in, but the majority of Americans and International visitors have never been to those places or even heard of them. They are not like Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock which are everywhere. So I might not get around to ever going to those places, but I like the fact that I have the option. And I know that a lot of Orlando residents are excited for those chain places.
“ShowBiz Pizza…Where a kid can be a kid!”
I feel you.
Great two part write up. Hollywood needs help, backlot was a staple. Epcot is just kinda all over the place and rides are really dated. I can see how tomorrowland is a little ruff.
I love hearing your opinions on things. Having been to Disney World quite a bit this spring, I feel I’ve been there recently enough to have formed an opinion. It’s nice to see I’m on the same page as seasoned Disney vets!
I’m glad you’re liking Disney Springs. We were several times (December 2014, April 2015, May 2015) and really, really loved it. I think you hit the nail on the head with this statement: “the pleasant surprise is that even the non-Disney locales will be relatively unique, rather than being common, popular chains.” I think that really sets is apart, in my opinion, from CityWalk, where it’s just a pile of chains I can get anywhere. Plus, DS just feels nicer.
And also, Dino-Rama is an eyesore and horrible. I have vehemently hated that monstrosity long before I stumbled upon your blog. I just keep reading because I see that you have good taste. 🙂
I have somewhat mixed emotions as well, although I still lean more towards the positive side. I strongly believe that Animal Kingdom will be an absolute home run once Pandora is complete and the night entertainment is up and running. I already think its great as it is now (except for one certain area… yeah you know), and everything they are doing seems like it will only make it better. I’m not a huge Avatar fan (I thought it was ok), but I really believe that World of Pandora will be breathtaking. I am not a Harry Potter fan either but Hogsmead and Diagon Alley are easily the two best areas of the Universal Parks. Speaking of Universal, hopefully their fast aggressive expansion plans will light a fire under Disney to speed up a bit.
As for the other parks, Magic Kingdom will always be my favorite at WDW. I agree it needs some TLC but other than that I think its best to focus attention else ware in the immediate future.
Hollywood Studios is frustrating because it has some of my favorite attractions of all the parks (Tower of Terror, Fantasmic) and my favorite restaurant at WDW (Hollywood Brown Derby), but the rest of it does not justify spending a whole lot of time there these days. This is the current half day park, not Animal Kingdom.
Epcot for me is probably the toughest to say how I feel about. I love walking around Epcot. Its beautiful and relaxing. I love everything about World Showcase, and am not even really too upset by the Frozen takeover of Norway. My frustration is with Future World. I hate the Nemo themeing of the seas (although I enjoy Turtle Talk). I desperately miss the original Journey into Imagination. I very much miss Horizons as well, although I at least like what was put in place of that. And it drives me crazy seeing Wonders of Life just sitting there as a waste. It seems like there is a ton of fan agreement on things such as the imagination and wonders of life pavilions yet they continue to do nothing about it, which is frustrating.I guess you could argue that they are more focused on “once in a life time” family trips than the regular fans, however if thats the case then there is no excuse for the current state of Hollywood Studios as pointed out in the part 1 article.
The thing is…it’s not like ‘once in a lifetime’ guests are dolts (at least, not all of them). Journey into Imagination and several other unpopular attractions have AWFUL guest satisfaction ratings. “Superfans” aren’t the only ones that hate them.
Improving the overall guest experience could turn many of those once in a lifetime guests into something more. I wonder how many people only go once because they have a less than amazing experience? If you look past the hardcore fans, there are a lot of people in the “real world” who don’t exactly have positive things to say about Disney. Some of those people will never be convinced, but some of them do have legitimate complaints.
Very good points.
Just this past May my girlfriend and I were on one of our weekly trips to WDW, and it just so happened that two of our best friends were in the Orlando area the same week visiting family. They had not been to WDW since they were little kids so I suggested the come spend a day with us there. They only had one free day so we decided to do one day at a single park with them (they didn’t want to pay for park hopper for only 1 day).
They chose Hollywood Studios as they remembered loving Tower of Terror from when they were young and also we wanted to do the Fantasmic dining package at the Brown Derby. After we did the 5 or 6 main attractions they were like “okay whats next?”. Our only options were to see some of the less known shows / attractions (which I love, but they were more interested in rides), or re-ride everything again (also great fun in my opinion). They opted for the latter. While we had a great time and they enjoyed the park, they definitely left with a feeling of “that’s all this park has to offer?” I still stress to them all the time that its a transition time for that particular park right now and as a whole WDW has a ton to offer, but with their small sampling size I’m not sure how much they really believe it.
I agree that we are sort of in a weird Disney limbo time where attractions are being taken away without any concrete evidence of what’s to come, so I’m hopeful that some big announcements will be made at the D23 expo in August. Until then though I feel that Disney has been offering room/ free dining discounts to entice people (especially during Food and Wine Festival) to make trips down to the World that they may have been on the fence about taking.
Don’t be surprised if a proper Star Wars Land announcement isn’t be made at the D23 Expo, as it might wait until December. If an announcement is made, it will be low on concrete details, or simply include generic concept art.
Could be totally wrong on that, though…
I see I’m not the only one who thinks that Tomorrowland needs some basic cleaning, spackle, and paint. I have a theory. Let’s face it, The mouse knows our movement and spending patterns and I’m gonna guess that the money demographic is there about the princess experience. They want the meet and greet (new, fresh location), they want the parade (hey! new parade), and they want some fireworks (new hub!).
Everybody knows the arcade in Tomorrowland is where Disney makes its big bucks. It’s right behind ESPN in terms of revenue hubs for TWDC.
I share your hope, loved the post but don’t know how you can say Disneyland is better than the Magic Kingdom. As a life long Southern California native, 1 month older than Disneyland, I was amazed the first time I set foot in the Magic Kingdom. So much more room and the castles don’t even compare. When I visit Disneyland after having been to Disneyworld 10 or 12 times now I realize how small the Disneyland castle is and how so many people are so compacted into what seems like 1/2 the space. I have baby pictures of me being held by Darlene of the original Mouseketeers so I’ll always have a soft spot for Disneyland, but given the choice I’m off the Florida.
MK is certainly more beautiful and better spaced out, but DL has far more worthy attractions.
I’m also a So Cal local, and I agree WDW>DLR, but DL>>MK.
Likewise. I’ll take Walt Disney World Resort over Disneyland Resort from the perspective of a vacation destination, but give me Disneyland (park) over Magic Kingdom any day.
Cinderella Castle is certainly more grandiose, but Sleeping Beauty Castle has grown on me. The castle doesn’t define the park, anyway.
Tom, I’m in a similar boat in terms of a mix of optimism and frustration with Disney World. The Magic Kingdom still has the most attractions that draw me, but I still find it sometimes a little maddening to be there. Part of the issue is the larger crowds. Despite the issues, EPCOT (especially with kids) is a more relaxing place to visit. The Magic Kingdom is fun, but it struggles with crowd flow in certain places. I also think that FP+ has changed some rides that were refreshing walk-ons like Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and It’s a Small World into something else.
I’m also optimistic about the future of Disney World but wish they didn’t move so slowly. I want to be excited about new rides coming next year, not five years from now! The gigantic size of the Disney company makes it slower to act than Universal, and that makes it seem worse when it moves slowly. I hope they can find a way around these delays, but I’m not that positive in that area.
For what it’s worth, I think you are just the right balance of optimism and realism when it comes to WDW. Here’s hoping things pan out the way we hope it will!
the way we hope *they* will