Probably done with Disney World as a family Vacation

[rasclautmangos]

I think my family is done with Disney, and I'm kind of sad about it to be honest. Disney has been our go to large family vacation since I was a child, but man has the experience declined so much. Between the hyper scheduling, constant phone use, decreased onsite resort benefits, crowds, ride breakdowns, and rude guests, it's just not that much of joyous experience anymore.

We have always been the type of family to rope drop and stay til closing at every park. We barely even see our hotel rooms. This was the first time we were all just ready to GO.

We have found Universal to be a much more pleasant and less hectic experience with express passes when we have done split stays over the years. I think we'll just visit Universal along with some other area attractions to fill the week up from here on out. Maybe I'll try Disney again if I'm fortunate enough to go with grand kids in the very very distant future haha. No more for now.

 

[StageTek]

I'm with ya. Sad to feel the same way. Disney has taken away so much of the magic. And added so many upcharges.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Personally,
I would hate Disney too if someone made me get up early on vacation and make me stay up late.
I go on vacation to relax, couple hours in the parks and I m done.
Pool, maybe a show, good food, warm weather, and lots of rest...

"decreased onsite resort benefits, crowds, ride breakdowns, and rude guests, it's just not that much of joyous experience anymore."

Now that, that has become a far more common a thing and I have made more than a few WTH emails to Disney about it, somethings they try to fix, others well... this is America rude people are huge percent of the population.... (If you think that is offensive you should have seen the first two drafts..

There are some areas I think Disney could do better if they tried....

Maybe if you do stay at Disney again try spend more time in the pool at the resort? and the water parks and relax

 

[rasclautmangos]

I would hate Disney too if someone made me get up early on vacation and make me stay up late.
I go on vacation to relax, couple hours in the parks and I m done.

We were honestly just fanatics like that lmao. I'm not joking when I say we were all sad when the Disney trip was over. We also never did more than four park days during an 8 night stay and didn't do more than two days back to back.

I've honestly only ever gotten into with another guest once when I was loudly accused of cutting in line after a CM instructed everyone to move forward and fill in available space. I witnessed more than the usual amount of rudeness on this most recent trip and I hate seeing other guests and CMs upset or get mistreated over minor, silly things. I suppose that's life though. Not really a Disney specific issue.

 

[Lilsia]

Funny how we went years making FP reservations on our phones but now all of a sudden it is "too much" for people with Genie+. I am not on my phone anymore than I was 5-6 years ago. Probably even less since I don't buy Genie+.
I do agree that people are much ruder now. I can't even bring myself to pick up shifts at work anymore because I am sick of dealing with customers.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I have to admit I miss the paper fast passes.....
I used to find the people giving them up when their plans didn't work with their fast passes

 

[rasclautmangos]

Funny how we went years making FP reservations on our phones but now all of a sudden it is "too much" for people with Genie+. I am not on my phone anymore than I was 5-6 years ago. Probably even less since I don't buy Genie+.
I do agree that people are much ruder now. I can't even bring myself to pick up shifts at work anymore because I am sick of dealing with customers.

A lot of people didn't like the digital fp system either because it also increased screen time. The fp system was also much simpler and slightly more intuative, at least it was to me. You also could make 3 fast pass reservations in advance, so even if you didn't make any more reservations you at least had those 3 rides lined up.

 

[Lilsia]

A lot of people didn't like the digital fp system either because it also increased screen time. The fp system was also much simpler and slightly more intuative, at least it was to me. You also could make 3 fast pass reservations in advance, so even if you didn't make any more reservations you at least had those 3 rides lined up.

I know that people didn't like it, but for some reason, a lot of people now are complaining that they are "constantly on their phones", and giving that as a reason why they don't want to go to WDW anymore. I don't find the phone usage to be any more than it was when we were using the digital FP. People are just looking for reasons to complain.

 

[2Lunds]

Funny how we went years making FP reservations on our phones but now all of a sudden it is "too much" for people with Genie+. I am not on my phone anymore than I was 5-6 years ago. Probably even less since I don't buy Genie+.
I do agree that people are much ruder now. I can't even bring myself to pick up shifts at work anymore because I am sick of dealing with customers.

I feel the same way about the phone. I actually LOVE G+ because of the pinning feature to save your favourite attractions each day, and the 2-hour rule. I set an alarm for my phone and just don't look at it again for the next 2 hrs.

Then when I log back in, all my prorities are right a the top and I quickly snag something new.

I also found that mobile order saved us a ton of time waiting in QS lines as well.

 

[georgina]

Our last 'family' vacation was a few days in 2018. In a few years will probably have some with grandson. I have been many times on solo trips and a few times with DH, still having fun but more relaxed!

 

[weather_lady]

Totally understandable. We've never done G+ and won't, to avoid the "being on the phone all day" aspect, nor are we rope-drop-through-closing tourists, but I feel the same way. I used to really enjoy all the pre-planning: now, the amount of planning necessary to intelligently tour the parks (four different kinds of lines in play, and you have to memorize them and keep up with changes if you don't want to lose out), choose a hotel, set up transportation (now that DME is gone), plan our touring (park reservations, parkhopping restrictions, reduced park hours, and date-specific tickets which limit flexibility, and the need to account for the ways G+ and ILL have altered touring patterns), etc., has tipped the scale in the opposite direction.

It's been years since I felt like Disney was my partner in crafting a magical vacation -- and I really did used to feel that it was! Now, Disney is like the moneygrubbing villain I have to outwit if we want to have a good time without getting nickel-and-dimed into countless extra expenses. We're visiting this summer to use up the gift cards we have leftover from a prior trip that was canceled. I'm sure we'll have a great time there -- we always do -- but we'll have endured what now feels like a disproportionate amount of stress and "homework" to make it happen. I'm grateful for all that Disney has given us in the past (especially when our kids were little), but we have no plans to return again for many years.

 

[rasclautmangos]

Our last 'family' vacation was a few days in 2018. In a few years will probably have some with grandson. I have been many times on solo trips and a few times with DH, still having fun but more relaxed!

I've never tried a solo trip, but it's good to hear you are still enjoying yourself. I hope that I am fortunate enough to give it a try with a grandchild in the future.

 

[Lilsia]

Totally understandable. We've never done G+ and won't, to avoid the "being on the phone all day" aspect, nor are we rope-drop-through-closing tourists, but I feel the same way. I used to really enjoy all the pre-planning: now, the amount of planning necessary to intelligently tour the parks (four different kinds of lines in play, and you have to memorize them and keep up with changes if you don't want to lose out), choose a hotel, set up transportation (now that DME is gone), plan our touring (park reservations, parkhopping restrictions, reduced park hours, and date-specific tickets which limit flexibility, and the need to account for the ways G+ and ILL have altered touring patterns), etc., has tipped the scale in the opposite direction.

It's been years since I felt like Disney was my partner in crafting a magical vacation -- and I really did used to feel that it was! Now, Disney is like the moneygrubbing villain I have to outwit if we want to have a good time without getting nickel-and-dimed into countless extra expenses. We're visiting this summer to use up the gift cards we have leftover from a prior trip that was canceled. I'm sure we'll have a great time there -- we always do -- but we'll have endured what now feels like a disproportionate amount of stress and "homework" to make it happen. I'm grateful for all that Disney has given us in the past (especially when our kids were little), but we have no plans to return again for many years.

But don't you plan any other vacations? Europe keeps being brought up so let's say you are going to Paris. Don't you think that you would do just as much, if not more planning for that trip? You have to find a hotel, and make sure it is in an area that you want to be. Book transportation, and tours, book your tickets to the Louvre, etc. You also need to find out about local customs and laws, make sure you have your passport, figure out what you are going to eat, etc, etc, etc. ANY vacation takes planning. Be a traveler, not a tourist as Anthony Bourdain always said.

 

[snikki]

I kind of feel the same way.

My last trip was with DD17 in November. We are an every 2-3 years kind of family when it comes to Disney. Disney has always been an expensive vacation and we like to go other places so that's why it's not an every year thing for us. The last two trips have just been myself and my daughter.

We still have a great time! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I liked using G+. Wasn't crazy about paying for it but it worked well for us. We love the parks and the CM. I like to plan the trip. I enjoy that part. I basically do that for all of my vacations.

What makes me think we won't be there for a long time is I can spend my money elsewhere and get WAY MORE bang for my buck on a vacation. This is for the way WE like to do Disney and I don't think I want to go if I have to give up how I like to vacation at Disney (staying 8-9 days in a moderate or deluxe, eating in the parks either QS or TS, flying and not driving from NJ). If I have to stay offsite for 4-5 days, pack my food and drive from NJ I would much rather go elsewhere and get more value out of my vacation.

Right now I would like to go in 2025 with DD again. She will be 19. But we've been throwing out so many other places we want to go as a family and it will keep pushing a 6-8K Disney vacation further back if we decide to do other trips.

 

[rasclautmangos]

I'm grateful for all that Disney has given us in the past (especially when our kids were little), but we have no plans to return again for many years.

Yeah. It's not that our last few trips were outright terrible, or else we would have stopped long ago, but the decline in the overall experience is glaring. If I didn't have close to 3 decades worth of trips to compare the current situation to, I probably would be none the wiser. It's probably similar to cruising. I just started doing that and I'm like "wow this is great!" while seasoned cruisers are able to point out how things have declined lol

 

[weather_lady]

But don't you plan any other vacations? Europe keeps being brought up so let's say you are going to Paris. Don't you think that you would do just as much, if not more planning for that trip? You have to find a hotel, and make sure it is in an area that you want to be. Book transportation, and tours, book your tickets to the Louvre, etc. You also need to find out about local customs and laws, make sure you have your passport, figure out what you are going to eat, etc, etc, etc. ANY vacation takes planning. Be a traveler, not a tourist as Anthony Bourdain always said.

In the past 10 years, we've been to Canada (multiple times), Mexico (multiple times), the Caribbean (twice), Sweden (twice), Scotland, and all over the United States, from Los Angeles to Minnesota to Boston to the South. Planning and booking the components of those trips was a cake walk compared with the way we now have to plan for Disney World. More to the point, planning Disney trips 3 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and 20 years ago, was all prodigiously easier and more enjoyable than planning one now.

 

[Karin1984]

But don't you plan any other vacations? Europe keeps being brought up so let's say you are going to Paris. Don't you think that you would do just as much, if not more planning for that trip? You have to find a hotel, and make sure it is in an area that you want to be. Book transportation, and tours, book your tickets to the Louvre, etc. You also need to find out about local customs and laws, make sure you have your passport, figure out what you are going to eat, etc, etc, etc. ANY vacation takes planning. Be a traveler, not a tourist as Anthony Bourdain always said.

The difference, in my opinion, is that Disney forces you to do it their way. For example, if you decide not to book a sit down restaurant on time, you will have to hope for walk up availability or go for quick service.

On a city trip that doesn't really happen (of course there are certain Michelin restaurants which are the exception). And you can explore more if one restaurant is full, go to the next, you might find a hidden gem easier.

On a different vacation you do not have to be on your phone constantly to get the most out of your stay.

Yes there might be more steps to take before a non-Disney vacation, but once you are there, you have more freedom.

 

[Lilsia]

In the past 10 years, we've been to Canada (multiple times), Mexico (multiple times), the Caribbean (twice), Sweden (twice), Scotland, and all over the United States, from Los Angeles to Minnesota to Boston to the South. Planning and booking the components of those trips was a cake walk compared with the way we now have to plan for Disney World. More to the point, planning Disney trips 3 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and 20 years ago, was all prodigiously easier and more enjoyable than planning one now.

I disagree. I don't find planning a Disney trip to be anywhere close to be as complicated as any other trip. To go to WDW, I book my flights, hotel and transportation to and from, which you would do with any vacation. I have an AP, but even buying tickets takes all of 30 seconds. And then the only thing left is park reservations, which is no different then having to figure out what parks you wanted to go to to book your advanced FP. It sounds as if you are just not very keen on going to WDW and so it feels more like a chore to you. That is completely different than it being logistically different.
And honestly, everyone should spend months planning a trip to someplace that they have never been to, especially if you are going to another Country, before you even consider booking. People don't do that. That might be why Americans get such a bad rap about being bad tourists, their lack of knowledge.

 

[rasclautmangos]

But don't you plan any other vacations? Europe keeps being brought up so let's say you are going to Paris. Don't you think that you would do just as much, if not more planning for that trip? You have to find a hotel, and make sure it is in an area that you want to be. Book transportation, and tours, book your tickets to the Louvre, etc. You also need to find out about local customs and laws, make sure you have your passport, figure out what you are going to eat, etc, etc, etc. ANY vacation takes planning. Be a traveler, not a tourist as Anthony Bourdain always said.

Honestly no, I haven't had to do the same level of mirco planning for international trips to have a good time, but then again I don't go on those with a large group of people either.

 

[MillauFr]

Big reason why we go to Disneyland. Very little planning, better weather, and better rides.