Disney Leadership Is Damaging the Company Brand 

I genuinely cannot express enough how disappointing it was to go through epcot and barely feel like I learned anything about the countries they showcase. Remember when the Mexico Pavillion was actually about the history of mexico??

honestly as a local, the moment disney really pissed me off was when they fired a bunch of people from their parks instead of furloughing them. and then, made had a mass hiring when they opened up fully again, & made them interview in like spring 21 to get their jobs back. i know quite a few people who never went back to disney after lockdown because of that. my coworker had done the disney college program and landed a nice job at a hotel there, was fired, and she started working with me, then got an amazing job offer to move to germany and work at an american hotel there. really felt bad for her bc she was a huge disney stan, but she moved onto better things just like everyone else will.

Themed entertainment designer here (won’t say for who). There is most definitely a Renaissance happening at Universal Creative, while a Great Depression is occurring at WDI. You highlight this very well in your video. What is most damning is the abandonment of the guest experience at Disney. There is clearly a communication gap between the Imagineers and the Operations teams when creating these new experiences. They should be bouncing ideas off each other, not trying to commandeer the entire development process by excluding each other. Such a shame. There’s no question what Disney is heading towards… and it’s not going to be pretty.

I hitchhiked from Pennsylvania to Central Florida to join the Disney Cast with a college friend who told me about the spirit, inspiration, and opportunity that Disney offered at Walt Disney World. It was 1975. I remember spending my free time being inspired watching Walt dozens of times (at the Disney Story Theater in Town Square, Magic Kingdom) explain his plans for the Florida property. I remember spending HOURS exploring the Magic Kingdom appreciating the physical realization of excellence, and the human capacity to approach perfection. As Cast members, we were self-motivated to be a part of those high standards in everything we did for the company. Excellence was the motivator. The money - mountains of it - came along with it. It was a miraculous formula - Mishandled and eventually abandoned long ago by unimaginative, incompetent company leaders.

The fact that hey're going to rennovate the Grand Floridan Resort -- a hotel whose entire theme is a Gilded Age/Old Florida resort -- so that it's -- wait for it -- more modern and with more IP is a prime example of this unimaginative corporate mindset. Sure, let's gut the thing the place is most notable for and turn it into just another high-priced collection of cubes with gift shops in it.

I'm a cast member and am doing my best to keep the Walt Disney spirit alive.

Creativity and Imagineering at Disney completely died the day Joe Rohde left. He was their last pillar of pure childlike imagination and wonder. Leaving Disney for Virgin Galatic? It makes me think just how much of Disney corporate policies had to do with him calling it quits.

came here from the Schaffrillas video

I can’t believe the short-sightedness of companies these days. Doesn’t Disney realize that they are so profitable right now because of decades of relationship-building with its fans? If families don’t make it part of their kids growing-up experience (because it’s not financially accessible) their kids will turn into adults that aren’t fans, and won’t go regularly with their own families in the future.

Many fans don’t realize it, but Disney IS NOT the golden standard for theme parks anymore. It happened gradual rather than a dramatic fall, but nevertheless they lost that title. Like mentioned in the video, Universal’s Epic Universe will be a game changer- and the fact that Disney doesn’t even have a plan to counter it tell you all you need to know about the current executives… this would have never happened under Eisner

You didn't mention the "nostalgia" factor that I believe also exists. Many of us have very fond memories of family vacations with our parents at Disney parks, and bring our own children back now in the hopes to recreate those fond memories for our kids. I bet a lot of people keep coming back for that reason as well and that probably won't change for a while, until all of the older people are gone and the younger people, more disillusioned with Disney, grow older and decide to go elsewhere.....

I’m very amazed that so many people look at Bob Iger as such a good thing and Chapek as some evil villain. Seems to me that nothing Chapek is doing could have been done if not set up for by Iger. Iger truly started the pay more give less strategy that has been running rampant.

The biggest problem with modern Disney parks is that they have basically been stropped of their personality by out of touch executives who have clearly never been to a theme park in their life, and think they should be centered exclusively around their movies rather than making original, engaging experiences. Sure many of the original attractions weren't based on movies (or in cases like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, would be made into movies), they were still as much of a part of the Disney image as the movies were. Now it just feels like you have attractions based on movies for the sake of having attractions based on them, while lacking the immersion that the movie-based attractions of it's rivals like Universal Studios Orlando have, all while sacrificing the original rides not based on any pre-existing IP for the sake of a quick cash grab. Like what does an Indiana Jones themed park at Animal Kingdom have to do with animals? It's called _Animal_ Kingdom for a reason. If anything, Disney theme parks now honestly feel like the parodies of them you saw in cartoons and movies, or parodies of Disney in general. Disney _as a whole_ now feels like a parody of itself.

I hope there come a day that Disney goes back to their old standards and then I can watch a video on how proud Poseidon is of their decisions.

This is why Tokyo Disney and Disney SEA are some of my all time favorite parks in the world. I've always had a great time there, absolutely astounding theming, service and food. Probably because they aren't owned by Disney, just leasing it.

What Disney was: A theme park and vacation destination that celebrated art, animation, and ingenuity with unique and well thought themes What Disney is now: a dilapidated shopping mall filled with cheap IP merchandise that costs more than a weeklong stay at a luxury resort overseas

Just an hour long roast of Disney leadership and I loved every minute

Former cast member under Iger/Chapek leadership. You hit the nail(s) right on the head. Awesome analysis

Refreshing to see a fact-based take down of the REAL reasons this is happening; as opposed to the nonsensical “cultural warrior” reasons. A+

40:57 that shot of "future epcot covered by emoji's" is the most disheartening thing i think ive ever felt. Simplistic character design makes me feel like im going to die. i dont know how else to explain it but that was genuinely upsetting and terrifying to me.

I'm absolutely shocked that they built 2 massive lands with Avengers Campus and Galaxy's Edge and yet there's only 3 total attractions to show for it.

congrats on the schaffrillas shout-out man, very well-deserved

This is probably a really weird perspective, but I’ve always felt like the frozen attraction in Epcot was really creepy. Like a very on the nose brainwashing. That’s what I describe it as I guess. The constant use of Frozen related buzz words like the literal word frozen and let it go is just creepy to me. Like “BUY OUR FROZEN SHIT👹👹” idk that’s just kinda how I see it

I'm a former Disneyland Cast Member, and I'm watching this video for the Schadenfreude after years of abuse at the hands of mid-management.

An hour long video by Poseidon? One of the best things to see in my subscriptions feed :) But in all seriousness, there's a reason why places such as Dollywood have been winning the customer service awards and not any Disney park.

I just went to Orlando last week, visited Disney first and Universal second (for the first time in 10 years). Everything you said is spot on. I was super underwhelmed and disappointed with Disney. The service, food, theming, everything has gone downhill. It is not worth the price tag anymore. Not to mention the poor cast members who are working understaffed at a stressful environment with a small wage (in comparison to how much these parks actually make in one day). I did, however, have the best time at Universal. They are really picking up and executing all the things Disney is lacking. Definitely worth the price tag, definitely less stressful.

I took a Disney vacation late last year, and despite the one Universal day being cut in half due to an incident, I think I had more fun there than at the Disney parks. The most use that Galaxy’s Edge has to us was a water bottle refilling area.

I once watched a video by a corporate insider who described this problem essentially as, "Corporate culture doesn't know how to create, only to buy." Disney was built on the idea of innovation at all costs, and now their only solution to a problem is to buy one.

I think the perfect example is how now that is coming to light that Genie+ is a total disaster, Disney is telling guests to only expect getting 2-3 rides with the service instead of scrapping the program. The only motivation here is money and guest experience isn't even part of the thought process.

The Iger quote disparaging Expedition Everest really captures the disconnect: the allure of Disney World was never just "here's Disney characters", it was "here's how Disney handles (insert interesting topic here)". As a child I loved everything from dinosaurs to history to film and music, etc.; *all of that stuff was featured at Disney World*, and the fun was in seeing how Disney handled those subjects. That could be done without a single preexisting Disney character! Importantly, this helped create loyal, repeat customers; if all you're getting as a "Disney experience" are Disney characters, you're likely going to turn a lot of people off, as, honestly, not everybody likes Disney properties. Plus, there are simply too many Disney properties now; it's such a sprawling universe that it's hard to find consistency in themed design with them. It feels like imagineering for years would think "here's an interesting concept, maybe there's a pre-existing character we can attach to it" (like Splash Mountain), but under the Bobs it's been "here's a property we own: now figure out a way to get it into the parks" (like the Guardians rides). But it goes deeper: I don't necessarily care about rides that "immerse" me in a movie; if I want to experience a movie, *I'll watch the movie!* Film and theme parks are two distinct mediums with different strengths; grafting one onto the other minimizes those strengths. Potter works at Universal because as a book series it's very sensory driven: you read about the foods, the scents, the lived-in world, and you want to experience it. Star Wars and Avatar are film-based franchises and *do not* work like that; they're visual, so trying to make a whole land based around it that will engage you in the scents and tastes falls flat, because, well...what's the Star Wars equivalent of Butterbeer? Blue milk? Nobody cares about the blue milk. What's a location in Star Wars you want to visit? Star Wars isn't about the locations, beyond "this is the ice world"/"this is the cloud world", etc. Maybe something like Tolkien would work for that, but most film franchises just don't. And yeah, getting into the anti-consumer policies is a whole other ball of sadness.

It’s simple. Disney has shifted it’s focus to a guest that is willing to go into credit card debt for a less sophisticated mire general product. So the quality of the rides, the hotels, the restaurants appeal to the lower consumer. I’m sorry but it’s true. Look around the parks. Scrambling for cheap merch, fist fights, etc. Disney is no longer a high end place…on purpose.

Foreign tourist here. Disney has ceased to attract many international tourists because of how low the offer is in terms of value for you buck. It certainly feels like Disney thinks that people should be paying premium dollar for the brand and not for the experience. From luxury hotels outside Disney being much cheaper than those offered by them, to overpriced food and merchandise, the Disney experience is much like paying 100 USD + to visit a luxury mall where you have to spend more money to try to experience something you most probably didn’t want to in the first place. Disney is not a destination I would choose in the near future. And frankly my family has much better time at Universal.

So my family's favorite section of Disney growing up was Epcot, whenever we ended up going we would always make sure to spend at least half, sometimes all of the time we spent at Disney at Epcot. One of our favorite rides was actually the Norwegian one (mine is Big Thunder Mountain and was the only reason we ever went to Magic Kingdom other than Space Mountain). And then they changed it to a Frozen themed ride. I don't think we ever went back to Disney because we saw what was coming and decided that yeah no we probably should stop there and instead do other kinds of trips because that really cemented that Disney gave into the cash-grab urge.

The power of the brand is too strong. They can hike up prices and cause pure chaos and the die hard fans will still show up for rope drop every day. Not me. They’re not getting my money. I was in town recently for work and a coworker wanted to go hop on the monorail for fun since it’s free, so we did. I’ve never seen so many miserable people. The kids were excited, but the parents looked agitated and exhausted. Compare that to Universal CityWalk where everyone looked much happier and the place was less crowded.

Like I said previously. I think Bob Iger fundamentally changed the Disney business model, from an entertainment company that does marketing, to a marketing company that does entertainment if that makes any sense. At least thats how it feels, because everything they have made the last, lets say one or two decades, feels so bland and generic that you have got to accept that for modern Disney its just the means to an end, rather than a genuine attempt to sell you a specific entertainment product, like a ticket to a movie theater or a themepark. What they actually seem to sell you is the brand. It has become effectively a fashion company and people are just willing to way overspend on logos. I mean, who buys Louis Vuitton bags because they genuinely think they are of such a good quality that they are actually worth the price? Nobody of course, they buy it for the brand, the logos and all that. And for bragging rights "hey look how much disposable income I have so that I can waste it on stuff like this". It really has nothing to do with the bag itself any longer, the bag is just the vehicle, the method of delivering the marketing, and I feel thats exactly where Disney is at right now. Take the Disney cruises for example. You can get the exact same cruise Disney offers with lets say Royal Caribbean for half the price. So, what have Disney just sold you? Not the cruise, because if that was the actual product nobody in their right mind would buy it from them paying twice as much for the exact same thing... Thats also the reason Disney bought Marvel and Star Wars. Because if you really thing about it, its sounds rather counter productive right? Disney can make their own shows and films so why would they buy them? Well, again, their business is no longer creating memorable experiences, its marketing them, so from that perspective it really doesnt matter if you produce it yourself or just buy them. You can really see how blatanly obvious this is by two themeparks in Europe: The Efteling and Europapark. They offer a park experience for a fraction of the cost that is just superior in every way, just like the Royal Caribbean cruise is. Because thats what they do, thats their business; They sell an entertaining day at a park for a price that matches the enjoyment youll get out of that day. Nothing more, nothing less. And Disney seems to be so far removed from this concept that its almost painful to see.

Man not me getting a disney plus ad on a video criticizing disney 😂

The “more timeless, more relevant” line over the barrage of cringey emojis is poetic cinema

Universal does the same thing but at least they are honest about it. They also focus on making a good ride first.

Hey Posiden entertainment. You got mentioned in a Schafrillas Productions video. Congratulations!!!!!

The last time I went to disney was 2013, we were in the area anyway for my graduation, the last time we had been was early 00s--I had seen Lilo and Stitch and wanted to go to Hawaii so we ditched several years of disney to save up for that instead and...never got around to going back. That last experience was a severe disappointment--for the happiest place on earth everyone was dour, we weren't informed beforehand that the parks would close early to 'casual payers' for the Halloween event, and the few rides we managed to go on felt like they were a few shades away from falling apart (not to mention if you dared to buy any of the merch you then couldn't GO on any of the rides). Compared to the Universal experience, which we went to the next day--we told the ticket lady we were there for the one day only (which we also told the disney ticket lady) and wanted to see the Harry Potter area. She gave us the fastpass, whipped out a map and outlined the fastest way to that section of the park. The entire experience at Universal was WORLDS better than disney, starting with the attitude of the people in front. I might have had years of pleasant experiences at disney, but that one experience destroyed any goodwill I may have originally felt for the parks. It ended up being like the satire theme park from the Foxtrot newspaper comic by Bill Amend--only focused on the price and the purchase over any genuinely fun experience. Strange how that ended up predicting disney's current state.

I've said and felt this for a very long time now and always felt I was one in the wilderness doing so; Disney has more than enough of its own characters to use; it does NOT need to buy other companies' IP. I was and am still against their buying The Muppets, Pixar, Star Wars, Lucas, Marvel, Fox, and who knows what else. In addition, they are making some of the worst decisions in history closing down learning attractions such as Universe of Energy and World of Motion. To replace World of Motion with Test Track: what were they thinking?????? Ditto for Universe of Energy, soon to be an attraction based on comic book characters instead of teaching about the energy crisis. It boggles my mind. Thank you for a great video and speaking your mind.

Eisner built things, Iger bought things, Chapek broke things.

Agreed on everything you’ve said! What I loved about going to any of the parks was the escapism and immersion, the theming is really what I want from the parks. The amazing shows, fun rides that don’t rely on just screens, and dining that is good quality. All of that quality has gone down massively, unfortunately!

For me the the older rides with no Disney movie theming always felt like new movies I’ve never seen before! They are telling a new story for me that is by Disney still. Now that so many rides are getting the Disney treatment it just doesn’t feel the same. Also I always loved the educational stuff that Disney rides had. I feel like that has been going away too :( also I don’t think you mentioned it but dinosaurs is also a well themed area of animal kingdom with a great ride. It fits with the rest of the park while it still being a Disney franchise movie. It’s possible to make it work. I just really really hope they don’t overly “disney stamp” animal kingdom ever because right now it has the least amount of it.

Many are hoping Disney will reverse recent decisions. The decisions aren’t recent, and reverse is a long gone option. Disney needs to eliminate positions, and hope the damage is short term.

Disney is developing a cult through DVC and it’s members will press hard to guilt you into joining them. Most magical rip off on earth.

I greatly appreciate Poseidon Entertainment's discussion of leadership beyond Bob Chapek. Bob Iger marked a major departure from Walt Disney's original vision for the parks. EPCOT Center was a celebration of certain essential ideas, not all of which could be linked to or boiled down to Disney IP. But it was part of what made the Disney brand, and the Disney story. Iger covered himself in glory for increasing Disney's bottom line exponentially, and Chapek seems to be doing likewise, but I agree that the current trend of catering to high spenders seems very likely to result in a diminution of the generational transmission of enthusiasm for Disney cultural products. The real question is whether we will see a meaningful fall-off in Disney Parks attendance over time. I continue to be surprised by the number of guests at Disney Parks despite what this video describes as pervasive "anti-consumerist policies."

There's some schadenfreude in your videos, but for the people who truly love the parks and the cast members, (maybe more than the IP), these videos feel cathartic. Even beyond that, they feel like reassurance that old school fans were not going crazy about the decline in the parks. I went in May 2011, then January 2018 and that was a long break from the parks for me. Or, at least, it was a long break. I looooved my trip in 2018, best food ever and perfect weather. There was a ton of construction, in prep for the 50th Anniversary, which I was happy to see. I want the property to look good, that's where I want my dollars to go. But, something changed. Retailed popped up everywhere, in places NO ONE asked for. I don't want an expensively- cheap do-dad, I want an overpriced, delicious cookie. I want jewelry that looks like it came from one of the treasure chests in Pirates, not a plastic necklace with Jack Sparrow. Now, with all these changes I don't know if I'll ever go there again. Why, why, why Disney have you decided to turn off and price-out people who come to the parks every couple years consistently, looking for a unique experience, in favor of IG and influences?

I had been wanting to plan a trip because I was trying to stay oblivious to the fact that Disney is a shit stain, but this made me realize once again how horrible Disney has actually gotten. The last time I went (in 2019) I had such an amazing time. Of course, that’s when the world felt normal but with that being said it was a good time. I didn’t spend a crazy amount on it and it was fun! I worked there in the spring of 2017 at animal kingdom. It was right before pandora was opening. I was always confused why they were building it, but when you said that it was the highest grossing film at that time it all clicked. Honestly, I love pandora a lot but like you said had Joe Rhode not been the head of it, it would have been garbage. I miss the old Disney. I miss all the old promo videos, the shit that felt cheesy, and I miss the quality over quantity. It doesn’t matter that they just made all these rides and worlds. I had high hopes for toy story land and Star Wars land, as I should have, and they’re just so disappointing. (I’ve not been to Star Wars land, but just from what I’ve heard). I want fast passes back. I want the entertainment back. The parks don’t feel alive anymore and they need to. The cast members are burnt out because they’re overworked and they don’t care as much anymore to make meaningful connections because they don’t have the energy. I know when I worked there, I was exhausted constantly because of the amount of hours I was given. I couldn’t give it my all. I feel like the magic is still there, but Disney executives are trying everything in their power to take it away. What we really need is a hardcore fan to be ceo, or perhaps a group of fans who are dedicated to the work. Not these stuffy men in suits who really don’t give a shit about what Disney really means. It’s not about IP, it’s not about the money, it’s about the memories you make and seeing your kids face when they meet Mickey Mouse for the first time, having meaningful interactions with cast members… Stuff like that. The average family can’t afford that anymore and that really sucks. Makes me so mad and sad.

The whole experience has changed when visiting Disneyland for me. It's so busy for starters I can't help but compare when I went as a child in the 80s. We could easily do 30-40 or even more rides in a day. Having to use an app takes away from the magical experience. However if you don't use it you won't be able to maximize how many attractions you can do during your visit. Also agree on all.the nickle and diming of food/merchandise etc..

They're supposedly big on changing the parks to push the IPs, but they still make baffling decisions like only giving the high-quality and well-loved "Tangled"...a bathroom.

I've never been to a Disney park (I'm from the UK and we've never had enough money to really go), but I was so jealous when some of my friends got to go when I was younger. Now if I had the chance for a once in a lifetime US trip, I'd probably go to Universal and/or Busch Garden Tampa Bay - the rides and theming interest me more than what Disney has (this may be mostly because one of my special interests is roller coasters specifically which those parks give me more variety of (like Velocicoaster, the Hulk, Iron Gwazi, Sheikra you get the idea)). Came from a Schaffrillas video, this is a very well made video!

Great video, as always! The replacement of the Great Movie Ride is probably the most blatant slap in the face to Disney fans I have seen. I wouldn't have believed you if ten years ago you told me Indiana Jones would outlive the Great Movie Ride. Replacing arguably one of the best attractions which held together the theming for the entire park for a cheap feeling ride just to cut on maintenance costs is disheartening and does not make me hopeful for the future. Though I preferred Malestrom, at least its replacement made sense given the demand for a Frozen attraction. Who was asking for a Mickey Mouse cartoon ride? Some points of contention: I don't think Winnie the Pooh is as bad of an attraction as you make it out to be, plenty of value there for an attraction with little wait, though certainly not on the level of what it replaced. Also, I actually enjoy the theming of the France pavilion expansion as it sort of transitions into an aesthetic that more closely resembles the world of Ratatouille, so the detail of the original theming may not fit as well.

I feel like Iger really started the whole "ip before quality" and just handed the dumpster fire to Chapek. That being said Chapek clearly isn't doing anything about it and is just making things worse

I think adding in characters from the potc movies to the potc ride actually works and it’s the only instance where ip inclusion doesn’t seem forced to me. Plus it led to Shanghai’s amazing and innovative version

Thank you for these videos Mr.Poseidon. I find it hard to make my non-theme-park-goers friends understand how much damage has been done (and will continue to be done) but your videos are a good introduction to our common 'plight'. It's so disheartening to see this company that practically raised many of us fall so hard. Blizzard, Bioware, Disney... so sad.

I worked with Steven Davison on Harmonious and the entire experience was a disaster. Steve was in the midst of a substance use addiction and his partner served him with a divorce and a domestic violence restraining order. The management kept throwing money at the project the show went from a budget of $240 million to a final price of $580 million. With the chaos swirling around Steve It isn't surprising that the show is a mess.

The people in charge aren't worried on quality. It's just a machine to make money. For investors, and their bonuses. Without someone in charge wanting to offer quality for consumers and encouraging their teams to explore artistic ideas, Disney won't be anything more than a money pit. Because that's all it is for the leadership now.

I’ve only been to each of the American Parks once but Animal Kingdom was by far my favorite specifically because of Everest. I was so impressed by how immersive it was. I had so much fun in the queue that by the time I got to the ride I had no time to be nervous. It’s also was just a really beautifully designed park. I’m sad to see that all the parks are being chipped away at slowly. They really had something special and impressive.

Very much enjoy your video essays! They are all very thorough and well researched. Been a Disney fan for as long as I can remember and the nostalgia of it is why I keep defending the parks but your videos definitely brings a lot of issues into the light. Thank you for creating! Will keep my eye out for more.

This problem is replicated in the Disney Theatricals business unit. The Lion King musical was groundbreaking, but every subsequent attempt at stage adaptation has been simply to convert the film to the stage, rather than creating a theatrical experience in the way that Julie Taymor did with TLK. The epitome of this problem is the Frozen musical, which is merely a piece of merchandise itself, as well as a trigger to sell the copious physical merch in the theater foyer. As a piece of theatre, it's dull as dishwater - reflected in its premature closure on Broadway. Formula, formula, formula. Innovation, originality and risk are now rare factors in Disney's business practice.

Current Disney reminds me of Sega back in the day. Bad decisions one after the other while a competitor looms with a killer product. Back then it was PlayStation, in this case, its Epic Universe. I’m a former Cast Member and was compelled to apply back to Disney recently, just because I want to make a difference. Sadly, even recruiters seem to have their heads up, well, you know…

The Disney Formula according to Walt: Detail-rich immersion in entertaining stories for all ages, delivered daily with respect and charm from our cast members to our guests. The Corporate Media Empire Formula according to Bob Iger: Conceal creative bankruptcy by going on a shopping spree of intellectual properties (Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox) in order to shoehorn more mass-produced merchandise into any available square footage of the parks and resorts that’s staffed with a skeleton crew of sales clerks.

I completely agree! We have visited many times over the years. We always felt like we were in a beautiful, clean, happy bubble when visiting Disney. Our recent visits have been disappointing. The lack of cleanliness, obvious employee dissatisfaction, limited/reduced access to attractions, exorbitant prices for less/poor services left us sad and wistfully reminiscing past experiences. We, who regularly visited, have decided to not go back.

It's sad what's happened to Disney World. All of the reasons you mention in your video plus how complicated it's become. Disney was always great for it's unusual attention to detail, but also for how easy it was. We just planned what will probably be our last trip there. In contrast, as you said, we went to Universal in 2019 and had the most incredible time. I'm not big into rides, but loved Diagon Alley so much I wanted to move there... which is how I used to feel about sections of Disney World. Now it's anemic and dirty. Thanks for your reporting!

In the 90s, when I was a child, Disney was the gold standard of everything entertainment. From attractions to movies, no one did it like the house of mouse. Now, not only has everything Disney become a disingenuous cash grab with little to no new innovation in most everything done under their brand but they have also become have followed suit of so many others in the entertainment industry. Add on top the way producers/actors/etc. attack when someone tries to bring up any legitimate issues and it makes it 10 times worse. For example, if a Star Wars fan has issue with the many problems of the new movies it’s not because they made a inferior movie. It’s because the audience if filled with bad people that don’t like the movies because they are/believe *INSERT “IST” & “ISM” ACCUSATIONS HERE* so they should be ignored and their concerns shouldn’t be addressed. I never thought that when I became a parent that I wouldn’t allow my children to watch, own or interact with anything Disney but that is exactly how things are in my home. My baby has zero idea who Mickey Mouse is and my oldest has zero interest in anything Disney even though they are at the age that most people start becoming fans of the Disney IPs. My family and I will continue to boycott everything Disney until things change for the better. That includes not even using free trials of Disney plus much less signing up for any of their services. I suggest anyone else that fees like myself and many other’s start doing the same thing. That way we send a message to the people in charge at Disney. The mess is we will vote with our money. Make inferior products/attractions, then we won’t waste our time or money on them. If they continue, then many of this new generation of children will not grow up with the Disney name and brands. There is plenty of quality content and attractions available to be entertained without ever giving a penny to Disney.

Although eisner was a controversial ceo, he was willing to take bold risks that actually benefited the parks and 'the disney brand'. Now under Iger, and now Chapek, they are turning a much loved brand into just boring, basic and unoriginal

It really is unfortunate, especially since the Disney Parks used to have so much love poured into it's artwork. I think it was really valuable that the imagineers were more focused on education and teaching about the world, whether it be our real one or one of fictional creation. Universal Studios is definitely climbing above them, while they use more IP they make it far more immersive and seamless. If Disney really wants merchandise sales, then they need to start with good experiences and movies. The demand for merchandise will follow. Not the other way around.

Disney is bleeding cash in pursuit of its very aggressive streaming ambitions. They are trying to make some of it up by squeezing every dime it can out of Parks. They could certainly do a much better job managing public relations regarding the changes to the park experience, i.e. do it in a way that's less damaging to the brand. However, this is what's behind most of their moves, particularly the ones over the past year.

Disney is creating rides now with no animatronics! I just can’t believe this is happening. Spiderman at DCA has literally zero animatronics. And not only that but it’s literally all screens. Between the screens are walls with paint on them. It’s sickening what Disney execs are doing to the theme parks.

I really like the "it's as small world!" additions. They're so easy to miss (except for stitch) that it's not distracting. Plus, it's a fun game to find them when you know they are there. The sound design of is also great. You only hear the character's music when you look right at them. Crazy. I will continue to repeat: The problem is that Disney won't build a third park. They have too much demand so they respond by raising prices, which is normal, but it's causing an overall loss of surplus compared to building a third park. A company always looks greedy when they stop caring about consumer surplus. That's why people who are sensitive to greed based issues are always complaining about inelastic goods: goods where the demand isn't based on the supply and the producer captures most of the surplus. Disney is fairly inelastic good due to copyright protections on their content and the lack of competition for their immersion level. Looks like Universal might be catching up on immersion though.

I went to Disney World in December 2022 and it was awful. The only part I liked was Frontier Land. Everything else just sucked especially for the amount of money I payed for it.

Great video 100 percent truth! I’m an annual pass holder since 2010 and they ruined the place.

You know what’s funny? Diagonally feels like they’re prioritizing immersion over sales and it’s a FRICKING SHOPPING MALL. That’s some dedication right there. Disney would foam at the mouth for that kind of opportunity and they’d do it wrong. Glad they passed her up tbh Uni was the right one for the job.

If Disney wanted to sell merchandise so badly, then why did they close Disney Stores all over the country? Oh... Disney Execs need you to actually come to the parks to buy the merch and along with that spend major bucks on lodging, admission and food.

My experience with Disney started with the hotels and campground, and then came the theme parks. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, but we did come upon a cheap pop-up camper that we cleaned out and used frequently. Fort Wilderness campground was our spot, and I have a lot of good memories, riding our bikes throughout the campground, enjoying the pools and amenities, and sitting on a rocking chair, watching the boats, bringing back tired families from the theme parks. My sister and I would take a boat to the contemporary and ride the monorail around all day, hotel hopping, and just enjoying the Disney “vibe “. As time went on and we grew up my parents were able to afford tickets for the parks, and we soon found every nook and cranny in all of them. That cohesive Disney “feeling” was there as well in the parks. I was there for the opening of Animal Kingdom, rode space Mountain more times than I can count, took advantage of their after hours events, ate my weight in Mickey head ice cream and turkey legs, basically if we had a free weekend we were at Disney. I know things change, and nowadays things change quicker than before, but that Disney “vibe/feeling” isn’t there. My wife and I have two kids and had taken them to Disney when they were younger. Seeing Disney through the eyes of your children is something indescribable, even still, Disney just feels off. I’m not pining for nostalgia, I want new stuff that’s cohesive and feels like it fits. That spark is still there and can be found throughout the property, but that’s the thing, it’s not altogether, it doesn’t flow. Needless to say, with 2 kids it makes Disney way more expensive. My wife and I never renewed our Annual Passes and shortly thereafter Disney removed the majority of perks for Passholders, cause reasons I guess?!? The Disney I miss exists in my memory. I’m sure we will visit off and on but it won’t be with the same wide eyed wonder that I still had as a mid 20 year old. As this channel has pointed out there are a lot of other options throughout the Florida area and beyond that my family has had a blast at. Hopefully with the new change in CEO and pushback from Disney fans the ship can right itself. If not, you bet your ass I will be at the estate sale trying to grab a piece of Disney Memorabilia before the ship sinks.

My man gave CARS LAND a shout out!!! Thank you!!!!! Very well said - one doesn’t have to be a fan of the Cars franchise to appreciate the imagineering & attention to theming in Radiator Springs. This is coming from a Florida resident/WDW AP wishing I could be a Disneyland local instead. Poseidon, did you ever mention how DLR management seems to care more about their parks than WDW mgt? Curious what your thoughts are on the difference…

I’m still not over the replacement of Tower of Terror in DCA with Guardians of the Galaxy. Possibly one of Disney’s dumbest choices and a clear sign of the IP driven new management they’ve been taken up by.

Our stay at the Polynesian and visit to 3 parks during that stay in February, reflected the negative points mentioned here. The paid for Genie experience was disappointing and nearly useless, as was reducing the early entrance from 1 hr to 1/2 hour. I was scouting it out for a family trip next year for 12 of us and my decision was that Sea World and the Hilton would be better for the age of the kids...waits in the Magic Kingdom for toddler rides were 90-135 mins....parents told me they got on 2 rides and saw 2 shows for their day in the MK park.

This summed up my feelings on how immensely corporatist Disney has became so well… It honestly makes me sad. They really only care about IPs now instead of creating anything genuinely interesting or of substance. It’s honestly amusing to watch Universal outdo them these days as before Harry Potter, Disney was considered 1st and Universal 2nd. But this is suddenly not becoming the case because of Disney’s mindless consumeristic ways.

I enjoy having Disney+, so many classics and recent bangers like Tangled and now Encanto, but for me the parks are now too overpriced. I can’t enjoy it when the greed is too difficult to overlook.

Another good video; I don't think I recalled the parks getting hurt this bad & this long under Iger (it's even a shell from when my family & I went to Florida back in 2014!); I hope things are allowed to improve with Susan Arnold and Chapek (if he can get past his own vices as a student of Iger) as well as to refocus on what want Disney the company was in its best days - I'd love to see them undo the Mickey Mouse Protection Act or let Marvel, Fox & Pixar be their own companies again with their own IP ownership reset more-or-less, but I know they'd need to crawl & walk first. Also, I'd be curious to see how you might lead your own idea for a park for Universal, Disney or someone else as a creative exercise (as well as possibly getting the attention of some aspiring Imagineers).

Disney used to regularly send me surveys after a park visit. One I gave them a completely honest review they no longer send surveys, not one since. I take a great deal of pride now in writing reviews of the poor quality of the food and the dishonesty of the food vlogs claiming they ate at the various "quality" restaurants in WDW. Each of the food vloggers makes claims about the food that was prepared for them. I have friends who like to go to Ohana, Boma, etc. We watched the food reviewers claim various food items were on the menu when they were not for available for anyone other than the food reviewers. Even one reviewer claimed Ohana was serving Hawaiian rolls instead of the advertised two types of dinner biscuits. The Hawaiian rolls were "heat and serve" biscuits we used to buy for $1 a package a few years ago at Publix and they weren't heated. They give you sweetened butter to give the impression you are getting something special. Ordinary, cheap biscuits with a $55.00 meal. I tell people to go to Fogo de Chao a couple miles away and they were get a meal that surpasses any meal they will get at any disney, institutional food serving establishment with better service and superior meat choices to the tough steamship beef disney serves at prime rib.

This is so true, you need to be the leadership in Disney. You know more than any of their execs. I actually scheduled my next trip to Universal. There is no longer a reason to stay there. There are so many off site hotels so close to Disney or actually in the center of everything that exist. They removed the nostalgia in place of a shopping mall with half ass attractions. Thank you for these videos, you put into words what us Disney people are feeling....

I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic lately. Thanks!

We have been going to WDW since shortly after it opened going on our honeymoon, later taking our kids and grandkids for years. I am sad to say with all the price increases and complications of trying to get on rides that we will no longer be going and that really makes me sad. I am a very big Disney fan but I think they have gotten away from having a place that you could take your family and have a good un stressful vacation. This is NOT what Walt had in mind.

Bob Iger began chipping away with an ice pick, Bob Chapek came in with a sledgehammer, and now Iger is back to finish the job with a bulldozer.

I really appreciate you talking about Iger's role in all of this. With Chapek's many blunders since taking over, I've seen a lot of people starting to remember Iger more fondly when a lot (but not all) of Chapek's decisions continue the direction that Iger started!!

I do notice there's a lot of vids of Disney rides looking old and unkempt/ broken down. Like how are they going charge a premium price and have rides looking like that?

Honestly, it’s sad to see Disney becoming something unrecognizable..Sure, it does give us good movies, and some other things. But the problem, it’s relying too heavily on IPS for new rides and toys. I love new rides like the next guy but relying too much on your new movie for another cool ride or so you can get more merchandise is just makes it a tad silly. I still love the Disney company itself and it’s fanbase/group. But, I miss the old days where we they didn’t have to shove too much IPS down people’s throats. I just want the best for the company even if their boss is cheap like Mr.Krabs from spongebob squarepants lol. Sorry for my rambling, I was just giving my opinion but doing it in a respectful and understanding manner.

I think what iger and chapek didn't understand is that these rides are their own ips in themselves, and when they alter to mix in ips they consider to be more popular it becomes more like smash bros than just a self contained property.

I hate that Disney just completely ignores sightlines now, it's sad

I miss the Michael Eisner risk taking. I know Euro Disney was a huge blunder, but so is the Star Wars experience, and the Jedi Hotel debacle

The Disney Company does not care about the parks, in fact they are just an annoyance. Like the closing of bank branches in lieu of virtual transactions, Disney is looking to grow its virtual presence where they can really rake in the money and affect the culture in all sorts of dark and corrupted ways. They even admitted as much.

Wow, Bob Igers statements on the commercialization of the Disney Parks are disgusting. I assumed his poor management of the parks was based on incompetence, but it sounds like it's all very calculated. I felt real magic and a quiet sense of dignity when I visited the Magic Kingdom last year for the first time, but I felt nothing when I was in Star Wars Land. It was tacky and everything interesting available in that area is nickled and dimed out of you. Or, more realistically, 50s and 100s'd out of you. The Cantina doesnt even have seating for 80% of its patrons, to ensure you don't stay too long. They make you stand and eat, and rush you out to get new money in faster. Its despicable. I wish Walt were alive to see his company being ran into the ground.

Intelligent, perceptive and observant (a real rarity anymore). Thanks for the great content in all your vlogs!

I'm so thankful you called Disney out for only showing sequel trilogy scenes, it's completely ridiculous and never gets called out for some reason

As a now adult who started going to the parks almost 30 years ago, I was most recently disappointed with the insistence of IP at Hollywood Studios and Epcot. I used to love those parks because if I wanted 'stereotypical' or traditional Disney, I found that at Magic Kingdom. But if I wanted something different, exploratory, but still magical, I could visit the movie or international magic of the other parks. I agree that this downfall is the direct responsibility of the corporate figureheads who do not actually appreciate the artistry and imagination that are required to make their parks a success. I hope this trend will reach a peak and those in charge will finally listen to those fans who fund their paychecks. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but continue to lose hope each day.

The level of detail in the Harry Potter areas of Universal is extraordinary. I think Epcot has great detail, but the missed opportunities to include area specific rides is ridiculous. There should be a CoCo ride in Mexico, and a Mulan ride in China to give an example.

legit find myself watching these videos because of how well the narration is done. like almost too perfect of a speaking voice