Disney has spoiled me forever

[Baklava]

I have become a theme park snob. I blame Disney.

I went to the local theme park recently because a friend has season passes with "bring a friend" days. While I am so grateful to her for her generosity...

It was awful!

No outside food allowed and the food there was dreadful with lines that barely moved. I waited over an hour for bad food in the hot sun.

A young woman in front of me FAINTED. The staff didn't notice and when they did, someone had to tell them to give people a glass of water for her, then tell them to call someone to help. She got up, clearly disoriented, and several minutes later as her friends tried to convince her to sit down she dropped AGAIN. The entire time people are crowding and staring and all I could think was that Disney would have had a CM at her side, another directing people away and first aid/security would have gotten to her before the second crash.

Lines were ridiculous. Their 60 second log flume had a line of well over an hour. Their river rafting ride wasn't even open and summer here runs in the 90s and 100s. Their only "fast pass" type option is super expensive.

Disney has it down. Even setting aside the magic, the simple logistics are excellent. I admit it, I'm spoiled, but I won't be back to the local park again.

 

[Becca1007]

We just went to Universal and even with a front of line pass I was so missing the Disney feeling by the afternoon. We saw an altercation between a guy and a family where he was yelling profanities at a mom and her young kids and it took the staff/security ages to respond. Ugh...

My other half (who isn't a huge disney fan) said, "Next time lets just stick to Disneyland" :-o

 

[figment_jii]

I know what you mean! I haven't had to deal with a medical emergency (or see anyone having a medical emergency), but my local park has problems with their food places too! Granted it wasn't the peak season when I went, but it felt like half of the food places were closed. We ended up having popcorn and nachos for lunch because that was the only food stand we found that was open. The only upside is that admission is a lot less expensive...

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I know exactly what you mean. Nothing is quite like Disneyland. I was at USH yesterday, which is even considered a serious competitor, and, while it was great, there were some things that could have been better (like shade while waiting an hour to get into the exhibit I wanted to see). Smaller amusement parks tend to be even worse. I can't really complain because I worked at both USH and a smaller park and know the ins and outs of how and why they aren't quite at Disney level, but it's still really frustrating sometimes, especially when you're waiting forever for disappointing attractions or paying $15 for food you could find in a high school cafeteria.

 

[Baklava]

I know exactly what you mean. Nothing is quite like Disneyland. I was at USH yesterday, which is even considered a serious competitor, and, while it was great, there were some things that could have been better (like shade while waiting an hour to get into the exhibit I wanted to see). Smaller amusement parks tend to be even worse. I can't really complain because I worked at both USH and a smaller park and know the ins and outs of how and why they aren't quite at Disney level, but it's still really frustrating sometimes, especially when you're waiting forever for disappointing attractions or paying $15 for food you could find in a high school cafeteria.

My high school cafeteria is now insulted. I'm diabetic, so I had to choke down something, but wow was I glad to see McDonald's when we left.

 

[ashley0139]

I have become a theme park snob. I blame Disney.

I went to the local theme park recently because a friend has season passes with "bring a friend" days. While I am so grateful to her for her generosity...

It was awful!

No outside food allowed and the food there was dreadful with lines that barely moved. I waited over an hour for bad food in the hot sun.

A young woman in front of me FAINTED. The staff didn't notice and when they did, someone had to tell them to give people a glass of water for her, then tell them to call someone to help. She got up, clearly disoriented, and several minutes later as her friends tried to convince her to sit down she dropped AGAIN. The entire time people are crowding and staring and all I could think was that Disney would have had a CM at her side, another directing people away and first aid/security would have gotten to her before the second crash.

Lines were ridiculous. Their 60 second log flume had a line of well over an hour. Their river rafting ride wasn't even open and summer here runs in the 90s and 100s. Their only "fast pass" type option is super expensive.

Disney has it down. Even setting aside the magic, the simple logistics are excellent. I admit it, I'm spoiled, but I won't be back to the local park again.

Yep, I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain last year on a bring a friend day. I was shocked especially at the food as well. I think we paid $17 for gross nachos. I was also shocked that their was no one directing people where to go for roller coasters. It's so inefficient. People just choose their row and half of the coasters end up going out half filled.

Side note, bring a friend days are usually the worst to go because it's so crowded with everyone wanting to get their friends in for free. Definitely better to go on a different day.

 

[Comicbookmommy]

Yeah I went to Legoland for the first time recently and was incredibly let-down. There was come cool stuff, but it felt like a poor imitation of Disneyland. My biggest complaint, other than lack of imagination with rides, was it felt dirty everywhere. Not like litter, but like it just like the pak hadn't had a good clean in a while. My 6 y/o still wants to go back to LL though, and in my head I'm just like NOoooooo I want to spend that money at Disneyland, haha.

I've never been to USH or KBF, how would you compare those parks to Disney?

 

[smartlabelprint]

Yeah I went to Legoland for the first time recently and was incredibly let-down. There was come cool stuff, but it felt like a poor imitation of Disneyland. My biggest complaint, other than lack of imagination with rides, was it felt dirty everywhere. Not like litter, but like it just like the pak hadn't had a good clean in a while. My 6 y/o still wants to go back to LL though, and in my head I'm just like NOoooooo I want to spend that money at Disneyland, haha.

I've never been to USH or KBF, how would you compare those parks to Disney?

KBF was a fail for us. USH too. The first time I went I swore I'd never go back. Nice to see once... Then we went back. Why?! ETA I stay away from this sort of thing so Harry Potter doesn't enter the equation the way it may for some.

 

[GeneralTso]

I know exactly what you mean!!
Only exception for me is Universal. I think they out-Disney'd Disney with their Harry Potter stuff. But that's a one day park for me.
I can do several days at a Disney park.
Most of us on these boards "get it" though. The people that don't just don't.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Yeah I went to Legoland for the first time recently and was incredibly let-down. There was come cool stuff, but it felt like a poor imitation of Disneyland. My biggest complaint, other than lack of imagination with rides, was it felt dirty everywhere. Not like litter, but like it just like the pak hadn't had a good clean in a while. My 6 y/o still wants to go back to LL though, and in my head I'm just like NOoooooo I want to spend that money at Disneyland, haha.

I've never been to USH or KBF, how would you compare those parks to Disney?

I let my oldest kid and my husband pressure me into getting Legoland annual passes this year instead of passes for Disneyland. So disappointing. I had been before, but it's different when you go for one day vs. being there multiple times in a year. Once in a while, it's cute for the kids. But, after my 4th visit, I was so sick of it. It doesn't feel dirty to me, but it feels cheap. The only ride that felt like it even came close to DL in quality was the new Ninjago ride.

Knott's is another disappointment for me. I liked it as a kid when it was mostly a ghost town. Now, it's so commercial and it just feels run down. The ghost town area is still pretty nice, but the rest is a waste of time. The kiddie carnival rides are great for my kids, but with lines longer than Peter Pan, it's not worth it.

USH is actually pretty good, which is why I consider it a real competitor with DL. Harry Potter has really made USH step up their game. They have come a long way in the last 25 years. That being said, they still need to work on customer service. The people they have working in the Wizarding World and on the tram are fantastic, but the other areas, you have some that go above and beyond and most that just don't seem like they want to be there.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

My kids (4.5 and 2.5) looooove Legoland. I also really like staying at the Legoland hotel, it just makes things so easy with 2 little ones. 2 minutes from the park. They can literally hang out in the lobby of the hotel all day in the Lego moat. They also love the zero entry pool with the big foam Lego blocs in it. Free breakfast buffet in the mornings. Lego blocks in the room to play with, etc.

For adults, there's no question Disneyland is better. But have 2 kids under 5, Legoland + Legoland Hotel is prett tough to beat.

They've never been to Disney land/world. Their first trip to DLRis in September , so we'll see how it goes.

 

[StayClassy]

I got a season pass to six flags after my Disney trip and experienced the same thing. Despite being my childhood park, and what should have been a nostalgic wonderland it was more of an overpriced nightmare. The rides were dirtier than I remembered and despite being spring and just opening to the public there was already litter all over the park. The 'greenery' around the park was patchy. The rides were all desperate for refurbishment. The staff were all teenagers with attitudes and poor training. There's no set schedule for entertainment or characters, and if there is it's not followed. I asked one girl on a ride which side was the entrance and the exit and she replied with 'I don't know'. I went to one ride climbed all the steps and when I got to the loading area there was literally no employees. The ride was apparently closed, no signs, no blockades, no warning whatsoever. My park was built in the 60s or 70s and I'm almost certain half the park hasn't changed since. I was so horrified I haven't been back. I live about 30 minutes away and for me it's a long drive... Their customer service is a joke and they have a no exception refund policy so long story short I wasted $200 on a joke of a park.


In case anyone is wondering my six flags is Over Texas.

 

[lalasmama]

We have two local amusement parks.

We went to one last summer. It had a medieval laser shooting game with zero themeing beyond characters with the laser thingy around their necks. Their log flume showed us one scene, lots of unplanned plants (i.e., weeds), and then flume time. Their bobsled ride lacks any feeling of Switzerland, except for the yodeling in the background during loading. Their show had a main actor that had clearly seen (and borrowed) the Genie's act from the Aladdin show, despite it not being Aladdin. Their haunted mansion was fair, but a dark walk-through with stairs, which is hard when I have depth-perception issues. We'll go again regardless; DH and MIL enjoyed it more, and didn't seem as annoyed with the differences.

The other park we went to last weekend. Zero themeing. Zero shade. 15 rides, all spinny. Each ride was a basic copy of the last with different colors or different cars.

Just couldn't hold a candle to DL, and felt like we wasted a lot of cash.

 

[Metalliman98]

Although our Disney trips started only relatively recently (2009) we feel exactly the same way.

2009, my wife and I go to WDW for our honeymoon. Both our first trip there, and my first trip to a Disney park since the early 80s. We go for a week, five days in the park, and figure "let's go to Universal" too. Big mistake. After five days in WDW, Universal was such a let down. Park was clean, but the rides were so cheesy (Jaws? Twister? Really???) and food was subpar. We agreed we would have been much better off taking the day off completely than going to Universal.

Did we learn our lesson? No. 2012, a trip to DL, my first since the early 80s, and we decide to go to Knotts for a day after doing DL. Again, big mistake. Park looked so run down, rides were horrible. Only redeeming quality was the chicken restaurant, but Disney has the Plaza Inn.

Fast forward to this year. DW has a conference in San Diego. We start with DL and then do a day at Legoland and then SeaWorld. Legoland is cheesy and poorly run. No real complaints about SeaWorld though; the focus on animals makes it more like a more impressive zoo than a wannabe DL.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Although our Disney trips started only relatively recently (2009) we feel exactly the same way.

2009, my wife and I go to WDW for our honeymoon. Both our first trip there, and my first trip to a Disney park since the early 80s. We go for a week, five days in the park, and figure "let's go to Universal" too. Big mistake. After five days in WDW, Universal was such a let down. Park was clean, but the rides were so cheesy (Jaws? Twister? Really???) and food was subpar. We agreed we would have been much better off taking the day off completely than going to Universal.

Did we learn our lesson? No. 2012, a trip to DL, my first since the early 80s, and we decide to go to Knotts for a day after doing DL. Again, big mistake. Park looked so run down, rides were horrible. Only redeeming quality was the chicken restaurant, but Disney has the Plaza Inn.

Fast forward to this year. DW has a conference in San Diego. We start with DL and then do a day at Legoland and then SeaWorld. Legoland is cheesy and poorly run. No real complaints about SeaWorld though; the focus on animals makes it more like a more impressive zoo than a wannabe DL.

I may have liked Knotts if I wasn't vegetarian. LOLOLOL

 

[McNs]

Welcome to the club!

Our first visit was 2013. We had 3 days in the parks then went to Legoland. I hadn't quite appreciated just how good Disney is, I think the fact you don't notice it until you go somewhere else says how good it is.

We were thinking of aGold Coast holiday this year, but decided we would just be disappointed. Going to NYC instead!

 

[lorijohnhill]

I have become a theme park snob. I blame Disney.

I went to the local theme park recently because a friend has season passes with "bring a friend" days. While I am so grateful to her for her generosity...

It was awful!

No outside food allowed and the food there was dreadful with lines that barely moved. I waited over an hour for bad food in the hot sun.

A young woman in front of me FAINTED. The staff didn't notice and when they did, someone had to tell them to give people a glass of water for her, then tell them to call someone to help. She got up, clearly disoriented, and several minutes later as her friends tried to convince her to sit down she dropped AGAIN. The entire time people are crowding and staring and all I could think was that Disney would have had a CM at her side, another directing people away and first aid/security would have gotten to her before the second crash.

Lines were ridiculous. Their 60 second log flume had a line of well over an hour. Their river rafting ride wasn't even open and summer here runs in the 90s and 100s. Their only "fast pass" type option is super expensive.

Disney has it down. Even setting aside the magic, the simple logistics are excellent. I admit it, I'm spoiled, but I won't be back to the local park again.

It is so funny that you posted this! I was going to post almost the same thing, just wasn't sure where to post it. As you know, we recently went to this same park you are talking about. The place is filthy! Railings are sticky, there are cobwebs everywhere, trash on the ground, etc. My husband, who is not a huge Dusney fan, said that you'd never find a Disney park in this condition!

The food lines were beyond ridiculous. And soooooo slow. Quite pricey also.

Don't get me started on the deplorable conditions they keep their sea lions in. The show was pathetic and the water was filthy.

On every ride they are begging you to go on the headliners. It was very strange. One ride announced that another ride was finally open after being closed for a year due to a bunch of people dying on it. Really! That's what you say to encourage people to ride it????

They advertise that the characters roam around. In our experience, not so much. We spent three full days there and saw a total of four characters. Pepe LePew we saw three times. The others were Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig, and Sylvester. When I asked about it I was told that sometimes they are out, sometimes not. It depends on what they feel like doing. Really?? Very disappointing.

The other way Disney has spoiled me is the hotels/motels? I've found that we can stay at Disney less expensively than every other place we've tried to visit. Plus, the difference in service. In other places we've stayed, they looked at me like I had three heads when I asked if they'd store our luggage before check-in or after check-out.

Yep. I've been spoiled by Disney. So had my daughter. She had asked to go to Legoland for Easter, but after our foray to Six Flags I mentioned possibly going to DLR for Easter and she jumped all over that. "DL is so much better than anywhere else, Mommy! You don't even have to ask which I would prefer!"

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

I feel the same way so it's been years since I've gone to any other theme park. Nothing compares so why set myself up for disappointment!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Great post! I can 'come out' now also and admit I felt this at a day at Universal. I know a lot of people like it I mean no offense this was just my experience. As a wheelchair user it did not work for me. Too many high thrill rides and not enough show type attractions. Cms not as good when it came to my needs. Harry Potter was good but man I could hardly get down Diagon Alley or in the stores.

For us it just lacked something. An atmosphere? At Disney we can sit and just soak the atmosphere up. I didn't feel that at Universal maybe that was just us.

Seaworld I did enjoy and Aquatica very nice. Staff were excellant. Still not Disney though lol..

 

[I459WDW]

Ha! So agree! Went as a chaperone on a music trip for my daughters school to Kennywood in PA. So dirty compared to Disney. And I kept looking around for wait times posted for the rides! LOL!!! So spoiled!