Just home, my thoughts

[ArwenMarie]

I'm sure this comes off as harsh to the OP, but I tend to agree with you. While my daughter does love to meet characters, neither she nor I place a huge amount of importance on it. Being at Disney as a family and having fun together is our "highlight".

So if you don't feel that a character interaction was high-quality/long enough, therefore you must not enjoy being at Disney as a family and having fun together. Ok.

 

[DopeyforDonald]

I have to disagree completely, I've been every year since 2012 and even when twice last year, I'm also going back in June. Every trip we've taken has been 10-14 days with at least 7 'Disney days'. We always ate on site and always loved the food, and we have always had great character interaction.

Our only less than perfect one was at Akershus but that was partly because we're picky eaters and didn't like much on the menu.

I'm not saying anyone here is wrong, just that my experience is completely different.

We're already planning our trip for next September and are very sad that we will have to give up our trips for a few years after that to pay for our wedding, but we will certainly be going back for a honeymoon, the magic is definitely still there for us!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Some of what people call magic such as having fun together can be done in many places. I agree that this is magic but it isn't only to be found in a themepark.

It does sound like we might have a good time. I'm going in with very low expectations and it sounds like that is the wise way to approach the parks now.

Lowered expectations are the answer. And I'm saying that in a positive way. Kind of like how if you go Christmas week you know you are going to get less done, so you go in with that attitude.

 

[ModernArtist]

There's an awful lot of hyperbole in this thread.

 

[Cormoran]

IMO the term Hyperbole is used ad nauseam on these boards.

 

[ModernArtist]

Ok, how about aggrandizing? Is that a more acceptable term?

 

[charmed59]

Tangential question: for those who are seeing the bloom come off the rose/are no longer in the bubble, if you have been on the cruises can you tell me if you get the same feeling there? The reviews seem pretty uniformly positive, especially when you contrast them with reviews of other cruise lines. I have a cruise booked in Sept. I'm not really worried about it but I'd be interested in non-bubble feedback.

My parents are huge cruisers, Holland America is their favorite line but they have cruised on all of them. For that reason they recently booked their first Disney cruise and came off pretty disappointed. The food was not up to snuff, or more specifically, in a whole week of cruising, it was never hot. They felt the cruise organization lagged behind other cruise lines, and the parks. They didn't seem ready for the crowds, it was as though they had never seen all these people on their ship before. However, much like those that love WDW, the people they were seated with at dinner swore by Disney cruises and despite cruising Disney many times a year would not consider any other line. So DCL doesn't really have to keep up with other lines, they have their clientele.

My parents weren't cruising with children, but loved watching the kids interacting with characters. They thought the cruise might be more in line with other cruise lines if you had small children in your party.

 

[Laketravis]

There's an awful lot of hyperbole in this thread.

Typically an inordinate amount of hyperbole is required for one to pontificate.


.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

I think the saddest part of your report is that seeing Anna and Elsa was supposed to be the highlight of your trip. Curious----how much time do you think each child should get with the characters?

I was thinking along those same lines. Perhaps this is a case where expectations and reality just didn't match up? When meeting other characters we have never spent more than a minute or two with them-- even at the character meals. I'm very sorry the OP was disappointed but I think it was more about her having higher expectations than WDW could meet, than an actual failure on their part.

 

[DisneyFive]

I know it might sound abnormal today, but some of my favorite memories from being at Disney where standing in line.

No offense, but to me that sounds abnormal ANY day. That's one of the absolute LAST things I would want to do at WDW. I'd rather have more time 1) Enjoying the parks 2) Visiting more attractions

Dan

 

[luvsJack]

I was thinking along those same lines. Perhaps this is a case where expectations and reality just didn't match up? When meeting other characters we have never spent more than a minute or two with them-- even at the character meals. I'm very sorry the OP was disappointed but I think it was more about her having higher expectations than WDW could meet, than an actual failure on their part.

It seems to me that the difference is that the OP felt like Elsa more or less pushed her dd off to Anna in less than 30 seconds. We don't do meet and greets much anymore but when we did, NEVER did dd or I feel pushed off. Even in situations where there were other characters to meet in the same area. There is a way for the characters to spend only a small amount of time AND make the child feel special. I have seen it done, so I know they can.

 

[mom2rtk]

No offense, but to me that sounds abnormal ANY day. That's one of the absolute LAST things I would want to do at WDW. I'd rather have more time 1) Enjoying the parks 2) Visiting more attractions

Dan

Heck, I'd even prefer shopping.

 

[mom2rtk]

It seems to me that the difference is that the OP felt like Elsa more or less pushed her dd off to Anna in less than 30 seconds. We don't do meet and greets much anymore but when we did, NEVER did dd or I feel pushed off. Even in situations where there were other characters to meet in the same area. There is a way for the characters to spend only a small amount of time AND make the child feel special. I have seen it done, so I know they can.

We've experienced both and you can definitely feel the difference. It can be brief without feeling like an assembly line. (Think Lucy and Ethyl at the candy factory!)

 

[JimmyV]

Im not defending Disney but FP- &+ are new. pre 1999 there where none. It still annoys me that Disney started this craziness of FP's - or + for free.

What did you do before 1999????, because I still remember standing in line to ride space mountain for 2 hrs in June, July, August, September many many times.

I know it might sound abnormal today, but some of my favorite memories from being at Disney where standing in line.

Take a look at the "Things You No Longer See At WDW Thread" and the crowd levels, (or lack thereof) back in the day when FP did not exist. The attendance at the MK in 1992 is reported to be 11.5 million. 1994 was 11.2 million. When FP was introduced in 1999, it was 15.2 million. Now?17-18 million. Limit attendance to 11 million per year and you can take FP away. A typical wait time for a headliner would be less than 30 minutes. If you let 18 million people loose in the park without a ride avoidance system, you would be back to the days when you bought an 8 Attraction Ticket Book and would have difficulty using up all 8 tickets. If all you did today was wait in lines, that would not form your best memories.

 

[mom2rtk]

ride avoidance system

But only because it's so true!

 

[Angel Ariel]

It seems to me that the difference is that the OP felt like Elsa more or less pushed her dd off to Anna in less than 30 seconds. We don't do meet and greets much anymore but when we did, NEVER did dd or I feel pushed off. Even in situations where there were other characters to meet in the same area. There is a way for the characters to spend only a small amount of time AND make the child feel special. I have seen it done, so I know they can.

I agree with this. I think the OP would have had a different view on the length of the experience if the quality of the experience had been different. We don't spend much time with characters when we see them, but we generally have wonderful interactions with them even in a brief visit. If the interaction weren't so great, the combination of that and the short length would make me feel differently about it. The OP, I believe, said there was no other family in the room - so perhaps the girls were about to go on break. Regardless, though, there's no reason to make a family feel like you're rushing them out of the room. That is something I would visit guest relations about, or e-ail about after the trip. I have on many occasions given character CMs glowing compliments at GS - both in the parks and by e-mails. It's unfortunate, but sometimes the not so glowing reports need to get there too. OP, I hope you give Disney your feedback on that interaction!

 

[JimmyV]

But only because it's so true!

Freudian slip. Or perhaps not. For those not quite getting it, take your pick:

• line avoidance system
• ride avoidance system

 

[mom2rtk]

Freudian slip. Or perhaps not. For those not quite getting it, take your pick:

• line avoidance system
• ride avoidance system

I thought you might have meant "line avoidance system" ..... but then I thought about it a bit and "ride avoidance" seemed much more fitting.

 

[jeanico2000]

Does anyone not find it crazy that we are talking about a potentially several thousand dollar vacation and going into with low expectations? Seriously? I mean no one should expect perfection but I think some high expectations should be met at the price tag these vacations have.

Bingo! When threads get as long as this one, I usually read them diagonally. This, however caught my attention because I agree 100% with the poster. At the price people are paying for their Disney vacations, they should not have to lower their expectations. In general, we work very hard for our vacations, and it's normal to expect to get what you pay for. Lowered expectations, IMHO, lead to lowered standards, and that (to me) is not acceptable. Realistic expectations, however, are what's needed to make a vacation more enjoyable. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[minniemous]

That is too bad it was not the best trip for you and the family. I totally understand what you are saying except as far as the meet and greets and table service meet and greets. If you think the lines are long now or if getting a character ADR is hard if they took 5 minutes with every child it would be crazy long! I agree that it would be nice if the experience could be relaxed and not rushed but I do not agree that they should take more than a minute or two with each person.

I have been in the room waiting with my daughter to meet Anna and Elsa and have watched families taking a ridiculous amount of time with the princesses. Also at restaurants. I do not think paying for a meal entitles a person to that much time with the characters. You were perhaps shuffled by fast because other people monopolized the character for too long. I have seen this time and time again where we get breezed by because a family took much much more time then they should have. It is unfortunate and I am certainly not saying that was your family. Your experience may be the result of people taking too much time. The CMs are just trying to get you prepared so that they can keep things moving for the hundreds of kids out in the line waiting to meet the princesses or other characters. Everyone has paid to be in the parks or in that restaurant and there are many more people waiting to come in after.

I wish they could have a more uniform time period. However I think that would kill the spontaneity of the meet and greet. Last trip it was very funny at MK two adults in front of us spent a very long time with Woody and Jessie. The man would yell "reach for the sky".."Woody! There is a Snake in your boot!", and all sorts of other things and it was quite funny because Woody would react to all of the comments accordingly. But guess what? We were next and we were moved along because everyone was waiting and these two guests spent literally 10 minutes or more with them. I have witnessed the same thing at the Anna Elsa Meet and greet and we were ushered right along because of the family in front of ours also took a ridiculous amount of time and would not take the cues to move along. Perhaps they need to play music like the oscars LOL.

I think there is a lot of entitlement when it come to these meet and greets and character meals that spoils the experience for everyone. I do not think it is Disney's fault it is the fault of those families and individuals who think time has stopped when they are with the characters and start telling the characters their life story and need every conceivable picture so that when it is your turn and if you are nice they move along fast to make up time. Again it is what we have noticed and encountered. Also many more people at the parks these days.