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The great movie ride at DCA was another failure
Closing 1/2 of Hollywood Studios
Disco Yeti
No easy transportation from the hotels to the parks (Unless you go to a Monorail hotel)
Removing Horizons
Countdown to Extinction to Dinosaurs
Dinorama (Walt Disney would cuss the Imagineers out who built that)
Point 1... Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991, won't have a ride until 2020.
I was involved in the construction of both garages. The biggest problem with this part of your article is stating that Disney bungled the construction of the garages. They are, in fact, the property of RCID not Disney. And the roadways are RCID owned/operated also. All of the traffic problems fall on them, not the Mouse.
Guys...what about getting rid of the Adventurer's Club!?!?
Marching along we're adventurer's...singing the song of adventurer's..............
Number 6 goes to Getting rid of Off Kilter And number 7 goes to the upcoming closing of Disney Quest to be replaced by a basketball themed restaurant. Instead of improving and expanding it.
The biggest mistake in WDW history was letting Off Kilter go! So many people love their music. We planned out days at Epcot based on when we would visit. The music is now gone at Epcot and replaced with an act that should be reserved for a state fair.
In my opinion, getting rid of the Tarzan show and replacing it with a lame Nemo show was a BAD idea! My family used to go to Disney about once a month, and the Tarzan show was always one of my favorite things to see. I have seen the Nemo show one time, and it will be the last time I ever see it too!
Harsh opinions on what is a blunder. I've never done Little mermaid so I cant comment on that but I enjoy the other parts of Disney you claim to be blunders. Journey into your imagination could be better, but it was not forgettable, I liked the charm of the ride, I imagine that there are a few things, unbelievable things, I would have tried to add if I had a hand in the design but I was smiling, I remember that, and that is good enough for me.
I really miss Hunchback of Notre Dame in Hollywood studios. I also cannot understand the buildings that are closed in Epcot. Michael Jackson was good in its time, but it's horrible now. Honey I shrunk the audience was way better.
I think that getting rid of Off Kilter, voted #1 band Orlando 2014 and Best Theme Park Show (only theme park award that went to WDW) has to be the biggest blunder of all.
As an Annual Passholder and frequent park-goer, I feel that there are several things I am missing at the parks. I am mostly missing the musical acts at EPCOT as well as the group who used to do the pre-show entertainment at Beauty and the Beast. Another pet peeve of mine is the focus on being too "PC" and getting rid of the original Diamond Horseshoe Review with the dancing girls. That was FAMILY entertainment!!! Once again some of the attractions need either refurbishment or updating but don't throw away the baby with the wash tub. American Idol Experience was a great venue as well as the Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Let's get back to the basics. I will continue to travel to WDW as often as possible but will still revel in the past.
If you watch the behind the scenes features of the original Mermaid DVD, they have a virtual ride through of the Little Mermaid ride. It was actually designed back in the 90s, but was shelved until recently.
Also, the original Journey Into Imagination was a maintenance nightmare. Especially that opening rotating scene. That may have contributed to its demise more than anything else.
Boy if you ever rode the little mermaid ride (I have 2X only) you could totally believe that It looks like something from the 90's awful. Probably trying to save money and use old plans. I thought it was BAD, next to the new Stich.
I agree with lots of people here i wish that they would of kept Off Kilter to represent the Canadian Pavilion.
Getting rid of Off Kilter, voted #1 band Orlando 2014 and Best Theme Park Show (the only theme park award that went to WDW) has to be the biggest blunder of all time.
I really miss PUSH the talking trash can in Tomorrowland.
People are only hitting the tip of the iceberg. For starters lets talk blunders they made by eliminating attractions they should have never gotten rid of, such as In the Magic Kingdom Mr. Toads wild ride, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mickey's Starland, the Adventureland Veranda (which they finally have realized was a necessary resturaunt to have in that land). In Epcot The Kitchen Kabaret, Listen to the Land ( way better then living with the land), of course Journey into Imagination as well as Magic Journeys ( still the best 3-D movie they ever had in that theater in my opinion), Horizons, World of Motion and its entire post shows, and of course most recently the the performers in world showcase and The Maelstrom. In the Hollywood Studios, the original Tram Tour along with the entire residential street and the entire Animation Department. At Disney Springs aka: Downtown Disney and the Market place, Pleasure Island and the Empress Lilly. Just to name a few there are probably others that I have looked over.
You left out changing the alien encounter to adding Stitch. It is awful. The originally ride was brilliant and pretty scary. This attraction is just silly.
I was actually kind of a fan of the tiki room under new management. I was fairly young when it rolled out though so I definitely saw it through different eyes. That being said, I would replace that entry with stitch's great escape which may possibly be the only thing at wdw that I absolutely hate.
In my opinion, Stitch is by far the worst attraction on Disney property. Followed by Universe of Energy! (the dinosaurs are really cool at the end however!)
The totally largest blunder was getting rid of Off Kilter and the other musical acts at Epcot this past fall....there is NO COMPARISON NO CONTEST. Worse yet is replacing them with non eco friendly Lumberjacks and noise and polution
You're right! Bring back Off Kilter!!!!
I feel the name, "Disney Springs," is a very poor choice. It sounds like a retirement community. The biggest blunder is truly the end of Pleasure Island.
I have to say that another of the biggest blunders has to be the removal of the musical acts in the World Showcase! Most specifically Off Kilter!! Music trumps chainsaws!
This was sort of a passive/aggressive review if you ask me. You highlight all of their failures, questioning their ability to run a company even, and then turn around and state that you hope they aren't afraid of failure in the future and still advance technology.
Even Disneyland was a disaster on opening day. That's worked out pretty well in the long run; I'd say.
Well, I certainly didn't intend for it to be passive-aggressive. My point is that any company, and Disney specifically, should not be afraid to make mistakes. But, when they do, they should be honest about them and try to learn from them, so they do not repeat them again.
For the most part, I think Disney actually does this rather well -- or, at least, they have in the past -- but that doesn't preclude us from studying those failures and trying to understand why they happened and what there is to be learned.
Getting rid of one of the most popular groups at EPCOT in exchange for chainsaws and log rollers worthy of a state fair or carnival was a major mistake. Bring back Off Kilter.
#6 getting rid of Off Kilter in Epcot.
Totally agree! How could WDW let Off Kilter go?!
Getting rid of one of the most popular groups at EPCOT in exchange for chainsaws and log rollers worthy of a state fair or carnival was a major mistake. Bring back Off Kilter.
While I've never had a bad experience at Disney World, I have been disappointed. I so looked forward to Figment and Journey through Imagination that when I was done with the current version I almost cried. It was such a wonderful experience and now a shadow of it's former self I was not thrilled with The Universe of Energy either. The ride is a horror with Ellen and I'm a fan of hers! They need to put that back the way it was too! Back then you felt learned something!