Has Disneyland gone downhill?

[DodgerGirl]

When it first opened in 1955 Disneyland was such a treat to visit and have fun and the image continued though the 80's but it wasn't until the 90's ended and the 2000's began up until today that Disneyland started going downhill and I can't figure out why Disneyland has adopted a new image? Is it because Disneyland wants to attract a new audience or is it because Disneyland wants to show the new generation what it is now? Because when 2004 ended you could tell that Disneyland was changing direction and going downhill by getting rid of iconic rides and shows in favor of new shows and rides. Take for instance Fantasyland had great shows like Snow White An Enchanting New Musical and was the home of The Spirit Of Pocahontas show and the Beauty And The Beast stage show in the 90's and even though those shows lasted a while Snow White An Enchanting New Musical was only shown for two years then replaced with Mickey And The Magical Map. Is this Disneyland's way of making their shows like Broadway shows or Las Vegas style shows? A second thing that Disneyland was known for was their iconic parades like the Very Merry Christmas Parade and were fun to see but just like the shows Disneyland had a smash parade and then it disappeared and replaced as well with another parade and was this a new way for Disneyland to save money now? A third thing was the characters and I can't figure out why they don't bring back some of the lesser known characters like Roger Rabbit Dodger Gadget and Darkwing Duck for a change and bring out Scrooge McDuck as well. Because it seems that the only characters that are popular is Mickey Mouse Donald Duck Daisy Duck Minnie Mouse Goofy and Pluto and Winnie The Pooh and Tigger And Eeyore and in the princesses the same thing occurs and you always see Snow White Cinderella Ariel Aurora and Tiana and why don't they bring out Elena Of Avalor more or show Jasmine a lot more because it's always those five princesses and Anna and Elsa and Belle. Lastly I noticed that Disneyland always used to have good restaurants but then they disappear and replaced with another restaurant. Take for instance Tomorrowland Terrace was a good restaurant but then they renamed it Club Buzz when it reopened it became a meet and greet stage for Toy Story characters and the second restaurant to disappear was Aladdin's Oasis and it had a neat show then it closed too. I think had they not gotten rid of iconic rides and shows Disneyland would not be going downhill today

 

[mom2rtk]

Honestly I’d be more likely to read with a few paragraph breaks.

 

[Karin1984]

Disney is giving the people what they want.
- For shows: A show with a mix of songs and characters will be more popular than a show dedicated to one character, because there is something for everyone.

- Rare characters: People do not want to meet characters they do not recognize. They offer what most people like to see.
Elena of Avalor was only shown between 2016 and 2019 on the Disney Channel and then to Disney Junior. Before Disney + was released and has not had a theatrical movie. People who know her best, are those who had young children in that period. There is no sense of nostalgia for the people who pay for the trip. Unless you are a character hunter, most people only meet characters they know and have a conection with.
Maybe Elena will be popular for nostalgia but that's going to be about 20 years from now when the target audience has grown up.

- Same for restaurants and shows, most of the time: If it's not popular, it gets replaced or remodelled.

You have asked some of these questions several times. The answer remains the same and boils down to: What does the majority of visitors want to see? What will bring in the most money?
That's what they are going for. That can be downhill depends on what you expect from Disney.

I think for most people it means that Disney goes downhill when the service goes down, lines get longer and longer, CMs are overworked and grumpy because of it, those kind of things.

 

[Dreams&wishes]

I loved Mikey and the magical map!but I agree with you in terms of food not nearly as good as Disney world or as it used to be.
..

 

[bsmcneil]

Unless you are a character hunter, most people only meet characters they know and have a conection with.

Couldn't help but picture Mickey's head over a fireplace.

 

[Karin1984]

Couldn't help but picture Mickey's head over a fireplace.

Let's keep Gaston away from him

 

[MillauFr]

I loved Mikey and the magical map!but I agree with you in terms of food not nearly as good as Disney world or as it used to be.
..

? 20 years ago it was mostly meh burgers and greasy pizza. Vegans had no options. Food is far superior today

 

[MonocularVision]

Betteridge's law defined.

 

[katherine52478]

Honestly I’d be more likely to read with a few paragraphs breaks.

and commas…

 

[evilmommie]

As someone who worked at Disneyland in the 80’s/90’s, it hasn’t gone downhill. It’s evolved and changed with the times. That can be subject to the user’s opinion whether that may be a positive or negative experience.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

I have some fun memories of that Aladdin show where Tropical Hideaway is now.

 

[DLgal]

I didn't even read the whole original post, but as a VERY frequent visitor of the parks since 1996, I can say it has definitely only gotten better. DCA, in particular, was pretty terrible/lame for its first 10 years.

 

[dtrain]

No.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Based on your profile it looks like you are 36. I think you should take a step back and think about if the park has actually changed negatively or if it's just rose tinted glasses from your childhood.

Regarding characters: The characters at meet and greets will always reflect what is popular with kids today. No one under the age of 30 would recognize Darkwing Duck or Rodger Rabbit.

 

[MillauFr]

I didn't even read the whole original post, but as a VERY frequent visitor of the parks since 1996, I can say it has definitely only gotten better. DCA, in particular, was pretty terrible/lame for its first 10 years.

Exactly. That Cars Land is one of best lands at any Disney Park in the US. 25 years ago it was a parking lot.

 

[Dory92130]

Avenger's Campus - extremely well done and programming around it is phenomenal for such a tight space --- and it's still short one ride.

Quality is fine. recent restart during pandemic and great resignation is hard to assess for long term changes.

Peering across to WDW - Epcot really does look exciting improvements coming online.

 

[DizMe]

I don't think DL itself is going downhill at all, but I think management is and if that doesn't change, DL will eventually follow.

 

[Malcon10t]

When it first opened in 1955 Disneyland was such a treat to visit and have fun and the image continued though the 80's but it wasn't until the 90's ended and the 2000's began up until today that Disneyland started going downhill and I can't figure out why Disneyland has adopted a new image?

So, you feel there shouldn't have been any changes since 1955?

Parades and shows change. Why? To keep people returning. Why would I return year after year to see the same shows for 10-30 years?

Yes, the Very Merry Christmas Parade, changed to The Christmas Fantasy Parade in 1995, and has been a staple since. I personally prefer the Fantasy parade, as it feels more Christmas like. And it makes minor changes each year. I enjoy watching to see the changes each year.

I am not sure how you think changing a parade or show would SAVE Disney money, as every show/parade has to be created, trained, designed, and defined. It is much cheaper to keep showing the same parade than it is to design a new one.

Since you like the older characters, you should keep an eye open for events where they have some of the characters you like. I know my grandkids would likely not know who Dark Wing Duck is, but they love meeting Loki and Thor. They wouldn't really know who Scrooge McDuck is, but they loved seeing Mirabel.

As for food, our counter service is usually said to be pretty good. And the sit down restaurants seem to be pretty well liked, since they sell out on the day they open for reservations. We have a lot of options.

I do wonder why you continue to go to DIsneyland as you really do not seem to like it. You really should vote with your wallet and abstain since you feel it has gone downhill.

 

[PirateBrigade]

Replying to topic and not original post (functionally not unreadable as displayed).

Answer = no. DLR in 2010s/2020s is far superior than the DL of my youth.

The problems today (crowding, mostly) are FAR better than the problems of yesterday (running out of things to do).

Plus, I don’t think anyone in their right mind wants to go back to the days of culturally insensitive portrayals (Native Americans, and more), sexist policies (ban on female Jungle Cruise skippers confirmed by current Disney executive JL), hostile treatment of LGBTQ people (Exler vs. Disneyland re: Videopolis, 1980s), and the horrific/deadly consequences of not calling competent medical personnel to the park in case of emergencies (many, many cases…go read the Koenig legal book for all of them)

Yeah…definitely better today.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I don't think it's gone downhill at all. To keep people coming back over and over, it needs to keep evolving. Everyone won't like the changes, but they have to gamble on what new and exciting things will bring people in the gates. We visit at least every other year, sometimes more frequently. Many times, we plan our trips around new attractions.

We just went during Thanksgiving week and really enjoyed that there were a few new things to do. It was our first time seeing the Avenger's campus (including riding Webslingers), riding Rise of the Resistance and the new version of Snow White. We enjoyed the little pop-up parades and character cavalcades. I really hope they eventually put a new show in the Fantasyland Theater. I've enjoyed all the shows I've seen there. I loved the Aladdin musical at DCA, but was glad they replaced it with Frozen. I don't enjoy Frozen quite as much, but it was nice to see something new.

Personally, I hope Disneyland continues to evolve and change.