Orlando Sentinel Highlights Maintenance Problems

On October 14, 2000 the Orlando Sentinel ran an article about the declining quality of Walt Disney World. An official statement from The Walt Disney Company claims that their standards haven't dropped, but I think that it isn't difficult to see otherwise.

As John Hornbuckle strolled down Main Street at Walt Disney World, he saw something unexpected: more than two dozen burned-out lights at the train station and atop several stores.

For Hornbuckle, who grew up near the Magic Kingdom, such a sight was inconceivable -- and embarrassing. He had just finished explaining to his wife, Linda, how company founder Walt Disney had been so adamant about keeping his California park in tip-top shape that he even insisted on daily checks for burned-out bulbs.

"Those little bulbs help make the park look magical, but just a few of them being out makes it look sad and cheap," lamented Hornbuckle, 27, a network manager who lives in Perry. "This was not the Walt Disney World I remember."

A recent photo shows burned-out bulbs at City Hall at Walt Disney World. The company`s founder, Walt Disney, insisted on daily checks for missing bulbs at his California park. It`s that attention to detail that`s missing now, critics say. So say many other diehard Disney fans, annual pass holders who expect the company to meet the highest standards. They contend the Magic Kingdom and other Disney World parks risk losing some of their charm because their caretakers aren`t taking care of the details.

They cite a litany of blemishes -- from the burned-out light bulbs to chipped paint on rides and torn seats on the Monorail; it is evidence, they say, that Disney`s legendary commitment to aesthetics is slipping.

There`s no indication that the disrepair has hurt business at Disney World, which has helped the parent company rebound from a two-year financial slump.

But attention to such nit-picky details has always been a hallmark of Disney, separating it from lesser competitors. And while the faults aren`t serious, they could eventually hurt the bottom line if enough guests -- and investors -- start to question Disney`s commitment to sustaining high standards, observers say.

"The little things add up," said Arlen Miller, who trades Disney collectibles online. "If you ignore something long enough, the molehill becomes a mountain."

Customers, employees and union officials say the disrepair reflects a shortage of custodial staff in a tight labor market and equally tight company budgeting.

"The Disney legacy is in great hands," said Disney World Vice President Jeff Vahle, who heads a team of 4,000 maintenance workers. "We are definitely focused on making sure the property is improved every day, and that the parks look as good today as they did five years ago."

Keeping up appearances has always been paramount for Disney, echoing the values of the company`s founder.

Walt Disney often would walk through Disneyland, checking for anything amiss, from light bulbs out to chipped horse-head hitching posts and dead flowers. Disdainful of dirty-looking carnivals, he even objected to selling gum, snow cones, candy apples and cotton candy at his park.

"The whole corporate culture was based on developing and paying attention to the small things, the attention to detail and the guest experience," said Steve Baker, an Orlando theme park consultant and former Disney World executive. "Walt was obsessed with the details."

And generations of Disney workers have learned in "Traditions" training that everyone from the sweeper to the CEO must pick up trash.

"The whole aesthetic, the look of cleanliness and upkeep is unbelievably important for a company like Disney," said Warren Bennis, a business professor at the University of Southern California. "The whole Disney model is based on image."

But Disney`s image is taking a few knocks from some of its most diehard supporters, such as Hornbuckle. He developed a Web site -- Walt Disney World Blues -- to highlight various imperfections in the theme parks. The site was inspired by a similar one for Disneyland.

He and other Disney visitors cite trash in queue lines; overflowing garbage cans; stained buildings at Epcot; duct tape that, until recently, was used between some seats at Star Tours at Disney-MGM Studios; and torn Monorail seats and carpeting.

Disney World`s street sweepers are still in evidence, but not in the numbers of four or five years ago, said Miller, the Disney collector. "When you see popcorn spilled on the ground, and you come back several hours later and it`s still there, that says something," he said.

Tampa systems analyst Jeff Carter said he was aghast during a recent visit to the Magic Kingdom to see workers painting support beams for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in full view of park guests. "Up until three or four years ago, all the painting would be done at night," said Carter, 25.

Disney World, because of record-low unemployment in Central Florida, has not been able to attract enough custodial workers to keep the parks clean, said Mike Duffy, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 362.

"People are working giant amounts of overtime just to keep up. They are woefully understaffed," Duffy said. "Our folks take great pride in their work, and they just can`t keep the place looking the way they want to because there aren`t enough people to do the work."

One Disney employee, who asked not to be identified, said workers are embarrassed about the condition of "friendship" boats at Epcot. "They cut the money to wash the boats," the worker said. "They`re dirty; the windows are smudged."

Many Disney observers say such problems began to surface in the mid-1990s, after the death of Walt Disney Co. President Frank Wells, a strong advocate for the theme parks and a much-respected mentor to CEO Michael Eisner.

The focus on the bottom line, critics say, accelerated after Paul Pressler took over the attractions division in late 1998. Although respected on Wall Street, Pressler developed a reputation as a cost-cutter during his four-year tenure as president of Disneyland in California.

"He`s more concerned about cost issues than he is about the appearance of the parks," said Al Lutz, co-founder of MousePlanet, a California company that helps families plan theme-park vacations.

Pressure to cut costs in the theme parks mounted last year after Disney`s profit slumped 30 percent because of weak sales of videos and merchandise and struggles at its ABC-TV network. Eisner targeted $500 million in annual savings by 2001.

But Disney officials say any belt-tightening has not hurt park upkeep. And they say there is no dire shortage of custodial workers.

"The information we`re getting from our guests is that we`ve never done a better job," Vahle said. "We do over a million and a half work orders on this property a year. Unfortunately, you`ll find some of that [chipped paint], but you correct it as quickly as possible."

"That`s not something we should be doing," he said of laborers painting in sight of guests at Tomorrowland. He also said the aging lighting system on Main Street is being replaced by a system that will be easier to maintain.

And he admitted that duct tape was used on some seats at Star Tours to cover sharp edges from cracked plastic. But that, he said, was an interim safety measure until the ride could be refurbished.

Disney has fixed many problems identified by Hornbuckle and others. Several buildings on Main Street have been refurbished, as have some attractions, including It`s a Small World, which had chipped paint on its exterior.

But imperfections remain. Some examples at the Magic Kingdom as recently as last week included chipped paint at Cinderella`s Golden Carousel and several burned-out lights above City Hall.

"It lends itself to that `we don`t care as much` attitude," park visitor Carter said. "You`ve got people who`ve spent thousands of dollars on their vacations. They`re coming to a place that they picture as absolutely perfect."