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

[smiths02]

The interesting part to me is it seems like the issue is all change as others have mentioned.

Growing up, there were no fast passes. So you know what we did? Stood in line. For 2+ hours sometimes for E-tickets. And we stood there, with no drinks, no running into quick rides, no anything. You just stood.

Then fastpass came around. And you had a choice. Stand there, or get a fastpass, wait and do other things, and then ride. But popular attractions started to be an issue (Radiator Springs, TSMM at DHS, 7DMT) - so you had to rope drop fast passes. And the real diehards rope dropped fast passes and then jumped in the line and did it twice. And late risers (like us) didn't get to get fast passes. So guess what we did? We stood in line. Usually for a lot less than 2 hours.

And now? 60 days out, there's the mad dash for fast passes. But lets be fair. Its a mad dash for the E-ticket rides/M&Gs. The regular stuff is still around. Its just the A&E, 7DMT, TSMMs of the world that you can't get. And you couldn't get them before unless you rope dropped. But now I get 3 fast passes instead of 1. And ridership is definitely UP on the mid-tier rides. So they've balanced the load.

So, we took the advantage from the early risers, and moved it to the planners for the "in demand" items. For everything else, they bumped you from 1 fastpass to 3. And, they haven't actually eliminated ANY standby lines, so thats still an option.

And the really interesting thing is this: If now there are longer lines on Pooh, and ISW, and Buzz due to the fastpass situation - where would those people be without those lines? Without fastpass encouraging people into those rides? Thats right... those people would be standing in line at the E-tickets. Supply and Demand. The supply hasn't gone up, the demand has, and yet... 7DMT has not experienced 2+ hour waits. Even TSMM seems to be down a tick. The lower and mid-tier rides are up, and the E-tickets are flat to down slightly. Seems like the system is working precisely as desired.

Chris

I grew up going to Disneyland an average of one day a year. I just laugh when I read "Now rides like Haunted Mansion are 25 minutes. It is soooo crowded." "Pirates is 30 minutes because of FP+." I waited 30+ minutes for those rides consistently as a kid. I only went once a year, and I had the gravestones memorized. I also waited in line for Dumbo before.
That's another thing, the lines/wait areas themselves have gotten progressively better.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Exactly. As stated "for some of us", we have legitimate reasons why we see vast improvements already. FP+ for the evenings, and DVC expansion.

Contemporary, POLY and GF have all gone from $500 a night lost cash stays, to about $100 a night in dues.

I'm assuming you bought long ago...to get it down to that price...

But you can't take a purchase long ago in time and equate it to 20 years later...because if you bought it long ago you had NO IDEA where the thing was gonna go - or even if it would last. They're were no poly rooms then...and there was no way to guess what the redonkulous room rates would be either.

Also...as many point out...rack rate has been "kohls pricing" for a longtime...

As in everybody now gets "30% off"...

So the fair comparison would be to take today's point costs and apply it to the current prices...

And you didn't Invest that much upfront...which means DVC, honesty, can't wait until you and you're contact are gone...or you can pony up.

Conceivably...I should still be fairly mobile when mine ends...but I wouldn't pay whatever random is due then compared to what I was willing to at 29...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I grew up going to Disneyland an average of one day a year. I just laugh when I read "Now rides like Haunted Mansion are 25 minutes. It is soooo crowded." "Pirates is 30 minutes because of FP+." I waited 30+ minutes for those rides consistently as a kid. I only went once a year, and I had the gravestones memorized. I also waited in line for Dumbo before.
That's another thing, the lines/wait areas themselves have gotten progressively better.

From my younger experiences at wdw I completely agree. 2 hour waits for pirates, splash, space...90 for the great movie ride...all par for the course.

But...now twdc themselves have rolled out what they push as this ultra convenient, brave new world of seamless relaxation...making the populace more whiney and impatient than they were before...

They are feeding the beast...part of the mm+ problem.

They also are not offering enough reinvestment...whatever is being built slowly now can't offset the kind of stagnant the decided for in the last period of management.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

I'm assuming you bought long ago...to get it down to that price...

But you can't take a purchase long ago in time and equate it to 20 years later...because if you bought it long ago you had NO IDEA where the thing was gonna go - or even if it would last. They're were no poly rooms then...and there was no way to guess what the redonkulous room rates would be either.

Also...as many point out...rack rate has been "kohls pricing" for a longtime...

As in everybody now gets "30% off"...

So the fair comparison would be to take today's point costs and apply it to the current prices...

And you didn't Invest that much upfront...which means DVC, honesty, can't wait until you and you're contact are gone...or you can pony up.

Conceivably...I should still be fairly mobile when mine ends...but I wouldn't pay whatever random is due then compared to what I was willing to at 29...

They're were no poly rooms then...and there was no way to guess what the redonkulous room rates would be either. Thanks for making my point-its an offering that just happened, and great one at that.


Not necessarily. I have contracts from 4 years ago that are up $40 a point (double what I have paid in dues).

If the asset is up, or even staying even-then I am staying on the cost of dues. And that's not even considering when we rent out points for $15 XMAS week, just did a bunch in July for $13.

The GFV/BLT/POLY now costs me around $100 at most, down from $300 to $700 depending on when.

No matter how you slice it, the POLY/GF/CR are now resorts available to all DVC members at well under the cash rates-that is a good thing IMO.

 

[Roxyfire]

Same with Disney. If you didn't plan 1 single bit, woke up Tuesday morning, decided you wanted to go to Magic Kingdom that day, you could get Fastpasses for everything you wanted EXCEPT 7DMT and Anna & Elsa. So get your 3 fast passes day of, go to the park, enjoy it, and stand in line for 7DMT for 70 minutes instead of 5, and A&E for 60 minutes instead of 10. But if the thought that other people "planned" their day 2 months prior and stood in line for about 2 hours less and did the same things you did upsets you... I'm not sure anyone can help with that conflict. The option is there, and if you don't use it nothing is taken away and hopefully you are happy with the choices.

I think another part of it is psychology, too. People see and hear all the things others say about their vacation, especially anecdotes, and measure their experience and ability against that. When someone reads over and over again that FP+ is awful or lines are so long and how it used to not be that way, it'll color their experience. I might be singing a different tune a year from now but as long as the technology works I'll be happy.

 

[Planogirl]

I still vaguely remember the days before fastpasses. Those in the know bought the Unofficial Guide and followed their touring plans. They worked very well. Plus if you did come upon a long line that line moved steadily. It was simple and you could also change your plans and go elsewhere if you wanted to. That isn't always so easy now.

Today's lines seem to stop often while an endless stream of FP+ holders goes by. That really stood out at the Buzz ride which is why I insisted that one of our FP+ had to be for that ride. I want to be the one streaming by this time.

 

[SoarinSC]

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.

I think the whole spontaneous thing is totally subjective. I've done four trips under MDE and magic bands with plenty of spontaneous moments.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think the whole spontaneous thing is totally subjective. I've done four trips under MDE and magic bands with plenty of spontaneous moments.

#1 and #2 don't count...


...I couldn't resist

 

[diznygirl]

Same with Disney. If you didn't plan 1 single bit, woke up Tuesday morning, decided you wanted to go to Magic Kingdom that day, you could get Fastpasses for everything you wanted EXCEPT 7DMT and Anna & Elsa. So get your 3 fast passes day of, go to the park, enjoy it, and stand in line for 7DMT for 70 minutes instead of 5, and A&E for 60 minutes instead of 10. But if the thought that other people "planned" their day 2 months prior and stood in line for about 2 hours less and did the same things you did upsets you... I'm not sure anyone can help with that conflict. The option is there, and if you don't use it nothing is taken away and hopefully you are happy with the choices.

I think another part of it is psychology, too. People see and hear all the things others say about their vacation, especially anecdotes, and measure their experience and ability against that. When someone reads over and over again that FP+ is awful or lines are so long and how it used to not be that way, it'll color their experience. I might be singing a different tune a year from now but as long as the technology works I'll be happy.

Okay, we just did this. We are local and decided we wanted to do MK. Got Fast Pass for Mansion, Pirates and Winnie the Pooh. We were happy with those choices. But we hadn't done Seven Dwarfs yet even tho we live here. So we stood in line. The wait time said 100 - but luckily it was only 60. Then we did the rest and shopped and had dinner.

The difference is that we aren't reading what other people are saying about how it used to be - we experienced it ourselves pre-paper fast pass, then paper fast pass. We know that it's just not that easy anymore.

Another note - as a seasonal CM my DH has the cards for us, no magic bands. We noticed the cards were a lot quicker!

 

[disneysteve]

the fact that nothing is spontaneous anymore at Disney

There has definitely been an increase in things you can plan but nobody is forcing you to plan anything at all.

DW and I just returned from a week in Disney. We made no ADRs. We made no FPs in advance. In fact, we only used the FP system on 2 days of our trip. Guess what. We didn't starve and we didn't wander aimlessly in the parks unable to enjoy any attractions. We rode "big" rides like Space Mountain, Mine Train, Everest, Pirates, Tower of Terror, and more, though I will admit we didn't ride Soarin or TSM, but we made no effort to either. We didn't do TS restaurants, but we never do, so that's no different than before for us. And we had an awesome time!

I think the ability to pre-plan everything leads people to believe that you need to do so. You simply don't. You can still go and have a great time without methodically scheduling every moment of every day.

 

[davper]

We didn't do TS restaurants, but we never do

If you don't do TS, then you have no problem. But if you suddenly decided, you wanted a TS meal, you are SOL unless you get lucky that someone just canceled. Or wait standby until they have an opening.

2 weeks ago my wife decided she wanted a TS meal instead of the F&W kiosks we had planned. The only reservation I could get at 3 resorts close by and Epcot was the italian restaurant at Boardwalk.

You are right, you don't have to plan. But without planning, your choices are very limited.

 

[Roxyfire]

Another note - as a seasonal CM my DH has the cards for us, no magic bands. We noticed the cards were a lot quicker!

I bet! I imagine there's a lot of backup due to malfunctions or confusion, too.

 

[diznygirl]

I bet! I imagine there's a lot of backup due to malfunctions or confusion, too.

We noticed that a lot of people just couldn't get the angle. There was a backup while they twisted the band and tried, twisted and tried....lol

 

[Jake]

If it's your first time to the world,and you have to do all the rides. I can see it could be a problem. If you have gone a few time. And you only see what you want to see and not care about the other rides. It is easier. If the weather is nice it makes it more enjoyable.

 

[dwheaton]

I agree that the lines were long before FastPass. However, I still think that it feels more frustrating to not move while people stream past you in the FP+ line. At the Barnstormer in January, we were first in line at the meeting point and waited 15 minutes before they let us through. There were no FP people in line, but they just kept waiting for more. To me, that's worse than steadily waiting in line for the same time period. I know it's in my mind, but it still feels different.

 

[wilkeliza]

I agree that the lines were long before FastPass. However, I still think that it feels more frustrating to not move while people stream past you in the FP+ line. At the Barnstormer in January, we were first in line at the meeting point and waited 15 minutes before they let us through. There were no FP people in line, but they just kept waiting for more. To me, that's worse than steadily waiting in line for the same time period. I know it's in my mind, but it still feels different.

Wow that would be frustrating. I don't know why CMs don't just override the system when there are 0 FP riders standing there. I know they are suppose to let so many FP per an hour through but it makes 0 sense to run empty cars while waiting for FP people. Looks like Barnstormer CMs are playing by the books and not using some common sense as well.

 

[dwheaton]

Yeah. This is totally anecdotal, but it was the last thing we rode on the trip so it stuck with me. My daughter had been talking about riding it the entire week, so we had to do it. I didn't think we'd need the extra FP with such a short posted wait.

 

[LindaBabe]

Oddly enough, I got a long and intensive survey from Disney on just these very topics last night, and I can tell you I gave them an earful! The questions were far ranging, they asked the same question in several different ways with positive/negative choices and pretty much covered the whole park experience with the exception of dining. I'm a vet of approximately 100 trips in the last 16 years, DVC, AP holder, yada yada. I had a lot to say, and I hope they listen.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Oddly enough, I got a long and intensive survey from Disney on just these very topics last night, and I can tell you I gave them an earful! The questions were far ranging, they asked the same question in several different ways with positive/negative choices and pretty much covered the whole park experience with the exception of dining. I'm a vet of approximately 100 trips in the last 16 years, DVC, AP holder, yada yada. I had a lot to say, and I hope they listen.

I really hope, with their huge, supposedly high-priority investments in China and Paris now under a dark cloud caused by financial upheaval and civil unrest, that Disney wakes up and realizes what a tremendously successful operation they have going in Florida. I hope in other words, that they listen to feedback from people such as yourself, and weigh it carefully the balance.

Maybe they thought they could treat WDW like a cash cow and condo development play, while the real action happened overseas. But they were wrong. They should start paying more attention to the core business on their home turf.

 

[loveshak22]

We are leaving WDW today and, for the most part, I felt the FP system worked well. Except at DHS where the FP line was still 30 minutes for TSMM and wrapped around to where the old Jack Sparrow show used to be located. I asked the CM to be sure it was the right line and he said the 30 minutes would be better than the standby 90. So we skipped the ride.

For MK and Epcot we had very little waits in line but we did PPO breakfasts and I think I had a good FP plan. I was fine with the waits. But at MK we left around noon because the crowds were getting ridiculous. Epcot wasn't as bad and we stayed until 3:00.

I just want to weigh in on the crowd issue though. I grew up in the Orlando area until I was 13. And I usually come back and visit every few years. And the crowds really have become insane. Foe those of you comparing 30 years ago or trips as kids to now, and arguing that lines were long then and not any different than now....I am guessing those childhood trips were in the summer or holiday months? And yes, 30 years ago lines were long then as well. But, in the off season like January and February and September and October, you could visit the parka with little crowds. You could walk without being in swarms of people, you could walk on most rides, and you could get on and off the monorail and boats without waiting 20 minutes. But, those days are gone. I think when people complain about crowds, or at least when I complain about crowds, it's the fact that they are all the time now.

I just have to accept Disney has done an amazing job selling their brand. We used to come at the end of January and it was so nice. Last time we came in January with little to no planning and only used the paper FPs a couple of times. Now it's so crowded and with the big tour groups everywhere it is miserable.

So yes - Spring Break season, summer, and the holidays have had long waits for 30 years but it has only been the last 5-7 that you can't find true low crowds anymore. I read this week, the week before Thanksgiving, was one of the lowest weeks for crowds - not anymore. My resort was booked 3 months out and in the afternoon wait times for popular attractions were well over an hour.