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Disneyana 2003
(Convention Theme: 75 Years, 75 Smiles)
(Yeah...right!)
A Techtite
Review...of sorts
While nobody will say on-the-record as to
how and why, 2003 was the first year in
over a decade, without a Disneyana Convention. Spin control claims
that Disneyana
2002 created so many errors that it would take over a year to correct
them.
As I write this: that was half a decade ago. To some people, it was a
necessary evil based on the disastrous 2002 convention. To me, this sounds like curing the disease by killing the
patient.
When that patient was healthy as a horse just one year earlier, the
decision is particularly inexcusable.
Keep in mind: the prior year's Disneyana
was a disaster.
This is important to consider, when scuttlebutt is that
this is exactly what they had planned, all over again: a completely
bare bones convention that by 2002 standards was almost like someone
wanted to insult Disney fans and not entertain them (one cast member
named Eric, in particular, insulted my own 65 year old mother just
because she wanted to stay in the air conditioned convention building
and not be ushered out into the heat. Geez, Eric; couldn't you have been
nice to a 65 year old woman and just let her sit on a bench while you
did...whatever it is you "do"?).
True, even in 2003,It
would appear someone felt that if they couldn't make Disneyana really
affordable then they should not have it at all. However; Disney has made
many great conventions at affordable costs, and to cancel Disneyana just
because they couldn't make it "really really affordable" is pushing it. After all,
they could've had a better convention, like they used to, with only a
slight increase in expense and cost. However, it seems like the overall consensus
is "if we can't do it dirt cheap, let's not have it, period."
Think about this for a second.
"Economical" is frankly a pretty silly
word to apply to a collectibles convention. There is
already a name for an economical convention package; it's called PUBLIC
DAY. People who spend $300 on an antique Mickey Mouse are hardly going to whine that
they have to spend "extra" for a decent convention package,
decent entertainment, and a decent room, a mere walk away
from the convention hall. These are the
people --the consumers, Disney fans, and diehard conventioneers-- who need
to be pleased; not the penny pinchers!
It's not that the desire for a Disneyana
Convention isn't there, either. We fans just want the same effort that was
offered during unforgettable conventions like the Disney
Villains year in '97, or the flawless Disneyland
Family Reunion in 2001. Someone is yearning to go back to Disney,
while someone else is ruining Disney's reputation. It's time Disney
satisfied the former and frankly, fired the latter.
Consider the following list, of the ten
Biggest Flaws of Disneyana 2002, and how they could've been
easily
improved in time for Disneyana 2003. Then tell me they can't make such changes
with a cost-effective budget:
1) The Parking Lot Tent. Problem:
In order to make the convention easily accessible to people
off-EPCOT-property, the registration hall, package pick-up, and other
important convention locales, were all centralized in a parking lot tent.
Yes, I'm serious. Solution: Two
words: Convention Hall. There's one
in every Disney resort. Use one. End of story.
2) The barebones welcome package. Problem:
Unlike earlier conventions, Disneyana
2002 gave only a barebones number of collectibles for your Registration
price: a cheap coin, a cheap "detective badge" pin, and a thin cardboard folder to keep them in. Solution:
Conspiracy theories notwithstanding; this registration package was
pretty cheap considering the price for registration, and many people
felt cheated...and with reason. If registration is $50 then by all means
give a small pin or something: if it's a lot more then the registration
gifts should show it.
3) "Mousecommunications" was worthless. Problem:
By
placing all preliminary convention tasks in a parking lot tent, they effectively placed everyone who knew
anything about the convention at the same location.Solution:
This is another reason why the parking lot tent was a bad idea; everyone
who knew about the event was outside of the park. Seeing as how the
supposed "Mousecommunications" help desk was there for convention
information, it was pretty frustrating to see them have to call by
walky-talky each time they had a question, to the people outside of the
whole park.
4) "Reserved Seating"? HA! Problem:
Theme Night --the allegedly "exclusive to conventioneers"
night for conventioneers-- was begun with the illuminations show, during
regular park hours. What this meant was that around 1,500 convention
guests were squished into an itty bitty "reserved space" where 90% of us
were peeking over heads in front of us, same as always.
Solution:
This is simple: if you're expecting 1,500 guests then yes; their
reserved location should reflect that size of people. Simple...!
5) Theme Night had two rides open.
One...two. Problem: Theme night
is supposedly the chance to have a section of the park open all to
yourself. Yet what good was that when all major EPCOT attractions were closed,
including Test Track, Energy Adventure, Body Wars, and even Spaceship Earth-- with
the only open attractions being "Journey into
Imagination," and "The Land" Solution:
Even E-Ride Night --which costs a mere 15 dollars for resort guests--
has more rides than this "Theme Night" had. So if you're going
to be "cheap" about it, why not simply give conventioneers free E-ride
night status? It's better than throwing them the bone of only two open
rides, I'll say that!
6) Return Transportation on Theme Night. Problem:
Guests who paid to be at EPCOT Resorts were not allowed
to WALK to their hotels --which indeed, are just a walk away from EPCOT-- but
instead had to go clear down to the regular exit, to the buses, to
get
to their resort that was just a walk away!!! What's even worse; if you
were on a bus with guests at a farther resort, they went to that hotel first,
yours last! The feeling was not
unlike being asked to fly from Boston to New York with a connecting flight
in Japan. Solution: Let me be frank:
all I wanted was to be able to walk to my hotel, and I wasn't allowed.
The idea is that they had enough security to usher me to a bus station
clear out of the park in the opposite direction, though not enough
security for me to get to the turnstiles for my resort just a short walk
away. This was nonsense.
7) The parting "breakfast."
Problem: If you're going to be
economy-friendly and replace banquet night's from prior conventions with
a breakfast, fine. However, if you're going to have assigned seating, do
not have provide the servers on hand with no seating chart to tell you
where that table even was. Solution:
This is an easily corrected mistake that's just another sign of how
slipshod the 2002 convention was and how easily the problems can be
corrected now.
8) Unfriendly Cast Members. Problem:
Not all of them, mind you: just the ones made in "charge" of the Disneyana
convention for 2002.
There were, to be fair, several nice, sweet, polite cast members at the Disneyana 2002
convention. Sadly, they were all low men on the totem pole, taking the
orders of the nitwits in charge. They really wanted to help any struggling
conventioneer, yet lacked the resources or the "authority" to do
so. Solution:
Another easily corrected problem that's yet again,
another sign of how slipshod the 2002
convention was and how easily the problems can be corrected now.
9) You suck, Eric! Problem:
In particular, there was one total blowhard named ERIC, the (or so he
claimed) head of security on the last day of the convention, who not
only acted like my 65 year old mother had " no reason" being in the
convention hall waiting for the silent auction to end; he effectively
demanded that she LEAVE. Mind you, my mother was a registered
conventioneer with her badge and all proper credentials handy, though
for some arbitrary reason only Eric can explain; a 65 year old woman
trying to stay in the shade and avoid heat stroke was a "security
threat" of some kind. Why? Dunno. Ask Eric...presuming he is still
working there! Solution:
Suffice to say Eric's idiocy proves how just one cast member can spoil
an entire vacation. Thanks, Eric.
10) "Your parting gift is clear
across the park. Please get out." Problem:
It's the parting thoughts of a convention that matter the most.
So what was the parting moment most remembered by conventioneers at
Disneyana 2002? Well, while finishing our coffees at our free
complimentary breakfast, a sardonic "surprise" was announced: our
"free gift" for coming to the convention would not be handed to
us at your table, yet was instead clear across the park.
Solution:
Only a nimrod would not see the common sense of handing someone their
free gift instead of sending them on a trek across EPCOT to get it (!).
Though in case such a refresher course is required:
Why hand a conventioneer his parting gift? Because 1) some of the
conventioneers are handicapped and in wheelchairs and could not
go clear across the park easily, and 2), frankly: because
it's polite.
So, I ask you: does this list sound so hard? Of course not.
Dozens
of conventions are held in Disney World each year. Disneyana was among
them, for over a decade. It's time to return Disneyana to
its rightful status in Disney World. It's that simple.
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