Why I Gave Up on Walt Disney World

[jjb1974]

My first thought was just to reply "Ok Boomer".

Which would just be insulting and add nothing to the discussion. Good thing you didn't decide to post something purely insul...

But this whole "effort" mentality that he has, but he doesn't want to put the effort to plan a trip 6 months ahead of time? Seems lazy.

Never mind.

 

[YesterDark]

Which would just be insulting and add nothing to the discussion. Good thing you didn't decide to post something purely insul...



Never mind.

Oh I'm sorry, I can't critique an article as some had done on the first few pages? The whole premise is a mix of legitimate complaints and a lot of "Get off my lawn sentiment". The paragraph I quoted is eye roll worthy in my opinion. It shades the whole article from my viewpoint.

 

[jjb1974]

Oh I'm sorry, I can't critique an article as some had done on the first few pages? The whole premise is a mix of legitimate complaints and a lot of "Get off my lawn sentiment". The paragraph I quoted is eye roll worthy in my opinion. It shades the whole article from my viewpoint.

"OK, Boomer" and "you're lazy" aren't critiques, they're insults.

 

[PiratesMansion]

That’s how disney works. You get a FP, pay for an add on event or wait in line. We don’t live in the 70s where most rides had minimal waits because the park was so much less crowded.

Slight correction, that's how Walt Disney World works now. It is not how the other Disney parks around the world work, and it's not how WDW itself worked until very, very recently.

It wasn't that long ago that it was vastly different, and a superior experience. If you love it, great. I don't, and neither do many many others.

 

[rteetz]

Slight correction, that's how Walt Disney World works now. It is not how the other Disney parks around the world work, and it's not how WDW itself worked until very, very recently.

It wasn't that long ago that it was vastly different, and a superior experience. If you love it, great. I don't, and neither do many many others.

Well I would say it’s worked that way for close to a decade now. The Uber planning for WDW has been around for a long time. FPs even before FP+ was very coveted. You had the FP runners. One person in a family would run and grab FPs in the morning and what not.

 

[Moliphino]

The lines weren’t bad in the 90s. And the old ticket fast pass worked fine. This planning rides months in advance is a terrible system.

Fastpass+ is massively better than paper fastpasses for people who don't rope drop. In the old paper fastpass days, if you wanted a FP for a headliner you had to get to the park for opening and do the mad dash to the FP machines only to get a return time in the afternoon. It was awful.

 

[RamblingMad]

Fastpass+ is massively better than paper fastpasses for people who don't rope drop. In the old paper fastpass days, if you wanted a FP for a headliner you had to get to the park for opening and do the mad dash to the FP machines only to get a return time in the afternoon. It was awful.

It was great. And max pass makes more sense since it’s not months in advance.

 

[Moliphino]

It was great. And max pass makes more sense since it’s not months in advance.

But you have to be in the park to use it, so it still has the same issue of needing to be in the park early to be effective. I've been to DL and DLP in the past couple years after getting used to FP+ and did not enjoy having to use paper fastpasses again at all.

 

[RamblingMad]

But you have to be in the park to use it, so it still has the same issue of needing to be in the park early to be effective. I've been to DL and DLP in the past couple years after getting used to FP+ and did not enjoy having to use paper fastpasses again at all.

I love it. I’m not a planner, so it works best for my family. We stick to DL for our Disney fix. We only go to FL for Universal.

 

[Tormania]

I've been to WDW a grand total of 3 times in my life, first back in 2001 then with my wife and son in 2013 and again in 2017. (Disneyland in 1984 when I was a kid as well) I'm not one of those people that went to WDW twice a year since it opened in 1970. As a few others have said, this article just seems to be a list of complaints, of which I have heard others rant about the same things for a couple years now or longer. When we went in 2017 it was the same thing then, people were complaining that things were just "terrible" compared to just a few years earlier, FP+ was the worst thing ever, etc, etc, etc.... Funny thing, we went and everything was just as pleasant and "Disneyfied" as I remembered from 4 years earlier. Clean parks, friendly staff, good food, nice hotel (AKL), etc.... Everything we expected from a WDW vacation. Now I'm a planner by nature so doing that for a WDW trip wasn't a burden for me, and having to do ADRs 6 months out was really not a big hassle. So you make RSVPs 6 months out instead of 3 days in advance, still have to make them. Having to book FP+ 60 days out was new compared to 2013 but again, not the end of the word, and we even scored a FoP FP and avoided a 4 hr wait for that attraction. Time well spent IMHO.

WDW is going to be BUSY, and that is to be expected. If you want to stay at certain hotels, dine at certain places, avoid lines for certain attractions, this is how the game has evolved. Before it was get up at 6am, rope drop, sprint to rides, grab FPs like a crazy-person, fingers-crossed your favorite restaurant had availability for lunch and dinner. Why is it a negative to be able to book in advance? It doesn't mean you CAN'T ride the rides or eat where you want, it just means you have to WAIT. But this goes for ANYTHING popular, not just WDW. Want to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster on opening night?? Back when we were growing up it meant first come, first serve, but you better get there early and there would be lines. And even then you might not get in that night. Bummer. Today you can book your ticket ahead of time, compare seating availability for different showings and decide what works best for you. No more scrambling or wasting time waiting in line. Want to eat the newest restaurant that just opened in town? You and everyone else apparently, get ready for an hour wait. Good thing we made a reservation, it's called planning.

Using apps to book activities in advance is how EVERYTHING is moving toward if not there already. Businesses know that customers don't like waiting in lines for the most part. WDW is no different. Some folks adapt to the changes, others would rather just complain about how things aren't how they used to be. Our memories of prior experiences are often shaded with rose-colored glasses, especially from times when we were kids. We should enjoy those memories as well as enjoy making new ones rather than complaining that today is not as good as yesterday. Being upset, angry, and bitter most certainly colors newer experiences in a negative light, and being around negative people and reading about how angry they are really accomplishes very little. In our social media society anymore everyone seems to complain about everything, it's a wonder some of these people can make it through the day. Just relax.........

 

[Lashed34]

When I went 18 years ago - first 2 weeks of Feb - we rode everything multiple times, got fastpasses throughout the day and evening, ate exactly where and when we wanted and had an incredible holiday at Disney. Seaworld, Busch & Universal were the same. We had the time of our lives and pre-planned absolutely nothing AND it was our first visit from the UK.

Fast forward 18 years we have planned our park days with FPs booked - no other planning.

People can choose planning it all, we have chosen not to - everyone has a choice. However if we feel overwhelmed by 2 hour plus queues on multiple rides every day and only poor eating options available we will simply not return. I very much doubt we'll feel like that but we'll certainly have the option to go elsewhere for further holidays.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Fastpass+ is massively better than paper fastpasses for people who don't rope drop. In the old paper fastpass days, if you wanted a FP for a headliner you had to get to the park for opening and do the mad dash to the FP machines only to get a return time in the afternoon. It was awful.

Two sides of the same coin, IMO.

Both systems are great for those who are able and willing to take full advantage of them. Both systems royally suck for those who cannot. That TSMM run still exists in a way, it’s just for different attractions and happens 60+ days before.

 

[RamblingMad]

Two sides of the same coin, IMO.

Both systems are great for those who are able and willing to take full advantage of them. Both systems royally suck for those who cannot. That TSMM run still exists in a way, it’s just for different attractions and happens 60+ days before.

One favors the on site guests, where the other doesn’t. That’s a big deal given how expensive the WDW hotels are these days.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

One favors the on site guests, where the other doesn’t. That’s a big deal given how expensive the WDW hotels are these days.

Yeah, I won’t argue with that.

The people who benefit from each system most are going to think its best and most fair. At the end of the day there are a limited number of FP for the popular attractions in order to keep it somewhat fast, so someone is always going to be missing out.

 

[RamblingMad]

Yeah, I won’t argue with that.

The people who benefit from each system most are going to think its best and most fair. At the end of the day there are a limited number of FP for the popular attractions in order to keep it somewhat fast, so someone is always going to be missing out.

Economically, the FP system is far more time intensive and costly in FL. You can find many threads here about people getting up early to get their fast passes. You also have people refreshing all day or calling Disney for stuff. This is fine if you have a dedicated person to do this for you. But I find it super stressful. It’s a different mentality.

I still like Disney. I just prefer DLs system.

 

[rteetz]

One favors the on site guests, where the other doesn’t. That’s a big deal given how expensive the WDW hotels are these days.

WDW also has a ton more onsite hotels though and targets a destination traveler. Disneyland does not target that and only has 3 onsite hotels.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Fastpass+ is massively better than paper fastpasses for people who don't rope drop. In the old paper fastpass days, if you wanted a FP for a headliner you had to get to the park for opening and do the mad dash to the FP machines only to get a return time in the afternoon. It was awful.

I 100% agree that the old fastpass system’s biggest problem was that it penalized late risers. We are not morning people and It did suck that most of the headliners were either gone or had a long return times by the time we arrived.
I think fp+ is great for magic kingdom because we get 3 real fast passes, it’s good for animal kingdom because there are a fair amount of attractions in tier 2 category and is awful at Epcot & HS because we only get 1 usable fastpass at each park.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Well I would say it’s worked that way for close to a decade now. The Uber planning for WDW has been around for a long time. FPs even before FP+ was very coveted. You had the FP runners. One person in a family would run and grab FPs in the morning and what not.

Yes, uber planning has always been there, and those who planned have always been better off than those who have not. But FP+ and its tiers, and the fact that it has been added to attractions that never needed it before, is relatively recent.

And with it, increased favoritism of the FP lines over the standbys.

And the operational cuts enhanced by all sorts of data gift-wrapped to Disney by FP+ that also help to make lines longer while overall attendance is *decreasing*.

And tiering of FP in every park except MK because the other three parks don't have sufficient capacity.

And the combination of all of these things that mean if you don't plan, you're walking in with a significant disadvantage. A MUCH more significant one than those walking blind into any other Disney park will face.

Again, if works for you, great. Happy for you that you've mastered the system. Personally I think most people would be happier not planning all of this stuff, just walking in, getting FP day of, and *gasp* being MUCH more likely to actually experience everything they want to do in a day, just like they can in California and elsewhere. You'd still be at an advantage based on your experiences, and anyone who wanders in will have a better day without nearly the hoops and convoluted-ness of modern WDW.

Hoops and convoluted-ness that, if they were truly necessary, would theoretically exist at all other Disney parks in the world. But that's not the case; only in Florida are there so many hoops. And the Florida parks certainly aren't operating under this system because they are so unbelievably better than the other parks, like many people (that probably haven't even made it to Disneyland) would love for everyone to believe.

But, again, maybe this is all just me.

 

[rteetz]

Yes, uber planning has always been there, and those who planned have always been better off than those who have not. But FP+ and its tiers, and the fact that it has been added to attractions that never needed it before, is relatively recent.

And with it, increased favoritism of the FP lines over the standbys.

And the operational cuts enhanced by all sorts of data gift-wrapped to Disney by FP+ that also help to make lines longer while overall attendance is *decreasing*.

And tiering of FP in every park except MK because the other three parks don't have sufficient capacity.

And the combination of all of these things that mean if you don't plan, you're walking in with a significant disadvantage. A MUCH more significant one than those walking blind into any other Disney park will face.

Again, if works for you, great. Happy for you that you've mastered the system. Personally I think most people would be happier not planning all of this stuff, just walking in, getting FP day of, and *gasp* being MUCH more likely to actually experience everything they want to do in a day, just like they can in California and elsewhere. You'd still be at an advantage based on your experiences, and anyone who wanders in will have a better day without nearly the hoops and convoluted-ness of modern WDW.

Hoops and convoluted-ness that, if they were truly necessary, would theoretically exist at all other Disney parks in the world. But that's not the case; only in Florida are there so many hoops. And the Florida parks certainly aren't operating under this system because they are so unbelievably better than the other parks, like many people (that probably haven't even made it to Disneyland) would love for everyone to believe.

But, again, maybe this is all just me.

I’m not sure what you mean by favoritism of FP.

The data is the key thing and FP+ does essentially help spread out crowds or control them in ways disney wants. They have ratios they stick by.

Also not sure what you mean by overall attendance decreasing. The only numbers we have are the AECOM/TEA numbers and those have gone up for the most part every year especially with things like Pandora opening.

Disney has always required some level of knowledge or planning even before FP+ that’s nothing new. You can’t go in to a Disney vacation even at Disneyland with 0 research or planning and expect everything to go perfectly.

Tiering is to spread out crowds and help spread out those FPs. If you didn’t tier the headliners would be worse to get than they already are. And in AK the tier is only for Pandora which was the hot new thing. Its not necessarily due to capacity it’s to spread people out.

Each Disney Park is targeted differently. The current system at WDW wouldn’t work anywhere else. WDW is a world destination. None of the other disney parks are.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I’m not sure what you mean by favoritism of FP.

The data is the key thing and FP+ does essentially help spread out crowds or control them in ways disney wants. They have ratios they stick by.

Also not sure what you mean by overall attendance decreasing. The only numbers we have are the AECOM/TEA numbers and those have gone up for the most part every year especially with things like Pandora opening.

Disney has always required some level of knowledge or planning even before FP+ that’s nothing new. You can’t go in to a Disney vacation even at Disneyland with 0 research or planning and expect everything to go perfectly.

Tiering is to spread out crowds and help spread out those FPs. If you didn’t tier the headliners would be worse to get than they already are. And in AK the tier is only for Pandora which was the hot new thing. Its not necessarily due to capacity it’s to spread people out.

Each Disney Park is targeted differently. The current system at WDW wouldn’t work anywhere else. WDW is a world destination. None of the other disney parks are.

Attempting to go point by point, pardon if the order of some things is a bit off:
-The FP to standby ratio has been further increased to favor FP guests over standby in addition to FP being on significantly more rides than in the past. Multiple cast members have corroborated this on other boards.

-You know what else has increased significantly as of late? Halloween and Christmas Parties. After hours events. Selling the same day twice. That's where your attendance increases are coming from.

-I'm not saying WDW doesn't require planning or hasn't always. I'm saying that the planning is disproportionate, especially for the quality of product you're getting. Spoiler: WDW is NOT the best Disney product in the world. It has unique stuff you can't do anywhere else, sure. But it's also the most disproportionately priced resort for what you are actually getting, by far.

-Sure, tiering is partially for that reason, but it wouldn't be nearly necessary if the parks had more attractions. The DLR parks have nearly as many attractions in their two parks as WDW has in their four. That shouldn't be the case.

-WDW may draw more tourists than other destinations, but AS CURRENTLY RUN, it is absolutely not a higher quality destination than the other Disney parks. If we're looking at it as a World Destination based on quality, it can't compete. It has quantity in the macro sense, but that's about it. If I had to rank which Disney resorts in the entire world I would most like to be at right now, WDW would be in dead last, and that's unfortunate, given that there are still many things they do well and it is by far the closest one to me.

I don't get the impression that you've ever been to a Disney resort out of Florida. I'd encourage you to venture out. WDW is its own beast, in both good ways and bad, and because of that many people have never made it out to the other parks, and they have no concept of how differently they run. Maybe wherever you venture to won't live up to WDW for you, but it would provide perspective on how other Disney resorts are, and can be, just as good, if not better.