For the First Time in Forever... I Did Not Enjoy My Vacation to Disney World

[KYMickey]

Interesting article from Huffington Post that I think expresses the feeling of many people regarding vacations that WDW these days!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris...rld_b_6261760.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000032

 

[BigAlsGal]

Interesting article from Huffington Post that I think expresses the feeling of many people regarding vacations that WDW these days!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris...rld_b_6261760.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000032

This is a very old article. Like when the system was first implemented. They have since worked out a lot of the bugs and the rest was about germs and crowds? Yeah. That's a theme park for ya!

 

[KYMickey]

I'll give you that maybe the magic bands are working better now they were then but everything else in that article it certainly very current and still happening! the fact that nothing is spontaneous anymore at Disney really bothers me and a lot of people. The discussion about stress is certainly very true and even more relevant today that it was then.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I'll give you that maybe the magic bands are working better now they were then but everything else in that article it certainly very current and still happening! the fact that nothing is spontaneous anymore at Disney really bothers me and a lot of people. The discussion about stress is certainly very true and even more relevant today that it was then.

This has been discussed many times before and I will say I was a big ole hater of FP+ when it was announced. I thought my vacations with Disney were over. After using it I changed my mind. I dont feel stressed. I can be as spontaneous as I want to be in between FP+ times. The only thing I stress about ever is ADRs and getting there on time when the buses are hit and miss. That's my only stress. Other than that FP+ is easy breezy. Having everything on your wrist is convenient. I've only had my magic band not work once and that was because the battery on our door was dead. No problems from me. For the record I've gone probably 10 times since its implementation. Not 1 problem.

 

[minnie mum]

I wonder why the OP chose this forum to post this article. It's certainly not news. The article is old. It's not a rumor. The complaints are nothing new either.

I won't poo- poo the actual complaints made, though ( aside from the germaphobe one, which is just the writer's personal bugaboo). We were in WDW in Feb/Mar and had magic band problems every single day of our visit, despite repeated trips to the front desk or Guest Relations. MDE still continues to be unreliable and glitch ridden. Park crowding has been a constant complaint this year. Ive seen the same complaints by others too many times (and have made some of them myself) to deny that they are negatively impacting some guests vacations.

 

[wilkeliza]

We had a pretty spontanious trip this weekend. Yes we had booked thing prior but we also changed things last minute and still hopped into lines because we wanted to ride that ride or swapped out fast passes. We only prebooked 3 tabel service meals and got rid of 1 of them and got the rest day of or two days before. The only restaurant we were turned away from was the palace. We rode every ride we wanted to and didn't feel so locked into a schedule that we were rushing or doing commando style.

 

[FTM22]

I got locked out of the room ONCE (we had connecting rooms) because I forgot to unlock the deadbolt. (insert embarrassed emoticon here) It took the desk a few times to think of that so I didn't feel quite so dumb. But they let me in the connecting room and all was well. My vacation was magical and I read this article a while back too.

 

[Silock]

We had a pretty spontanious trip this weekend. Yes we had booked thing prior but we also changed things last minute and still hopped into lines because we wanted to ride that ride or swapped out fast passes. We only prebooked 3 tabel service meals and got rid of 1 of them and got the rest day of or two days before. The only restaurant we were turned away from was the palace. We rode every ride we wanted to and didn't feel so locked into a schedule that we were rushing or doing commando style.

Yeah, going in late Oct/Nov is pretty good for that.

 

[Planogirl]

I believe that WDW might not be the place to go for some people that used to enjoy it. It's different in many ways and not as much fun for me so I might be moving on for a while after this trip. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Whatsthegoodword]

I just don't understand complaints like no spontaneity - AT ALL. If you want to go to the park with zero plans, drifting from attraction to attraction, taking it in as it comes - YOU CAN STILL DO THAT. However, if you'd like to make some plans ahead of time, you can, and in doing that you will get more done. Disney vacations are better today than they were 30 years ago. We used to stand in line ALL DAY, with a few rides sprinkled in. Last week when we were there, I'll bet that I didn't spend a total of 90 minutes in line and I rode almost everything I wanted to.

 

[davper]

I just don't understand complaints like no spontaneity - AT ALL. If you want to go to the park with zero plans, drifting from attraction to attraction, taking it in as it comes - YOU CAN STILL DO THAT. However, if you'd like to make some plans ahead of time, you can, and in doing that you will get more done. Disney vacations are better today than they were 30 years ago. We used to stand in line ALL DAY, with a few rides sprinkled in. Last week when we were there, I'll bet that I didn't spend a total of 90 minutes in line and I rode almost everything I wanted to.

Just curious, did you not want to ride e-ticket rides?

I was there last week and we skipped many rides because were not going to wait an hour or more. We had FP+ where possible. But even then, E-ticket rides were a 15 minute wait through the FP+ lines.

 

[wilkeliza]

When did we become a society that couldn't wait. I waited on line for things all weekend this trip. The parks were actually crowded due to the runDisney event as well as Jersey week so it wasn't like this weekend was super low crowds. We went with old old school mentality and if we had to wait, we waited! No biggie. We had snacks in our backpacks and brought extra batteries so we could keep electronics charged. Also we talked with the our friend and had a great time. The waits for attraction actually made memories for us that we wouldn't have if we were just zipping from attraction to attraction. I got to know my fiance's best friend on a level I didn't know him before simply from waiting in lines.

 

[Spacedog1975]

I'm about to go on my 3rd post magic band trip next week. I've certainly enjoyed myself each time.

 

[saskdw]

We love everything about FP+, MDE, and Magic Bands. These great improvements will keep us coming back!! WDW makes everything so easy and convenient.

 

[davper]

There is waiting and then there is wwwaaaiiitttiiinnggg.
If you are only in the park 6 to 8 hours, waiting an hour or more just to get on a ride is just a waste. There are other things I can do that is much more enjoyable.

If you go for just 8 hours and got in for free and had to pay for each ride individually but had no wait, would you pay $12 to ride 7dmt?

 

[smiths02]

There is waiting and then there is wwwaaaiiitttiiinnggg.
If you are only in the park 6 to 8 hours, waiting an hour or more just to get on a ride is just a waste. There are other things I can do that is much more enjoyable.

If you go for just 8 hours and got in for free and had to pay for each ride individually but had no wait, would you pay $12 to ride 7dmt?

So the problem is really the crowds and not enough attractions to disperse them.

WDW has more people and has a more complicated planning system. Some people don't enjoy it anymore because of that. From the Disboards you would think that nobody goes to WDW because it's too crowded.

 

[desertbloom]

This whole article sounded so whiny to me. Uhhh, you couldn't just grab a quick snack at the oodles of snack stands all around Epcot somewhere in that hour time slot you have available for your fast pass? really? Or carry some sanitizer or handi wipes to clean off after touching the screens? What about all the railings you touch all day long? Those are germ free? Geesh! Clearly theme parks are not the best choice for your vacations. I'm a germaphobe and even I don't complain about that. It comes with the territory.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I believe that WDW might not be the place to go for some people that used to enjoy it. It's different in many ways and not as much fun for me so I might be moving on for a while after this trip. We'll see how that goes.

I think this is pretty fair.

It's for some...it's not for everyone...as the case since day 1.

Big change with 10
Years worth of "operational upgrades" is that some who once did love the place likely will not. That's just the way it is.

No amount of dust (and I see the bucket brigade already lined up) is gonna change that Disney made a conscious decision that there was no money to be made in spontaneity...Bottomline. That is a conscious choice.

What's the other? To have continued with steady development/reinvestment to stay ahead of the crowds and not have 180+10 or a 3 hour waits on the zippy dippy mine train (barnstormer 2.0)...but it is not so.

Some people are gonna love the system...some aren't.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

We love everything about FP+, MDE, and Magic Bands. These great improvements will keep us coming back!! WDW makes everything so easy and convenient.

Generally...I actually like the new system and agree...

But...when many things become "take it or leave it" due to crowds or long histories that diminish some of the repeatability...I'm trained to "leave it".

Now...and here's where the longtimer "rub" goes in...

Will you like the system then?
Go 3-5 more times when the "newness" of fantasyland is gone goodbye...maybe avatar is one and done...maybe Disney "springs" is a glorified mall?

Maybe Star Wars land is underwhelming or "big things coming" still in 5 years...

What then?

You see there are two types of colonists:

Type A - we'll call them Tories...who are just unquestioned. No matter what the deal is for them - they're in. You can find them wearing "just married" mouse ears with pin lanyards in line for chef mickeys...

Type b - are the rabble rousers...

like where they are...but start asking questions of "why" and "when"...even of King Iger...
They end up dumping the Coke into the world showcase lagoon.

Call me Sam Adams. But eventually everyone stops by the meeting at the pub and starts to ask a few questions...

 

[Planogirl]

Generally...I actually like the new system and agree...

But...when many things become "take it or leave it" due to crowds or long histories that diminish some of the repeatability...I'm trained to "leave it".

Now...and here's where the longtimer "rub" goes in...

Will you like the system then?
Go 3-5 more times when the "newness" of fantasyland is gone goodbye...maybe avatar is one and done...maybe Disney "springs" is a glorified mall?

Maybe Star Wars land is underwhelming or "big things coming" still in 5 years...

What then?

You see there are two types of colonists:

Type A - we'll call them Tories...who are just unquestioned. No matter what the deal is for them - they're in. You can find them wearing "just married" mouse ears with pin lanyards in line for chef mickeys...

Type b - are the rabble rousers...

like where they are...but start asking questions of "why" and "when"...even of King Iger...
They end up dumping the Coke into the world showcase lagoon.

Call me Sam Adams. But eventually everyone stops by the meeting at the pub and starts to ask a few questions...

I love this post. It fits so well.

I don't know if I have the energy to be a rabble rouser right now though. I'll think that I'll make like Ben Franklin and head to Paris.