First Time I Ever Felt That WDW Wasn't Worth The Time and Money

[Hisgirl]

I think we will see more and more posts like the OP. There just aren't enough fun places like WDW in the nation and yet, our population keeps growing and international visitors keep coming too. Each year it's more and more and more visitors.

Short of WDW building another park, it's only going to get worse. I just wonder what some other choices would be for middle aged couples who want to have fun, eat well, laugh, play, rest, and touch the child inside?

 

[amberpi]

It REALLY bothers me that Disney doesn't do more about this stuff. I have to assume it is partially short-staffing and/or a lack of empowerment on the part of cast members to take action. Either way, it is truly unacceptable the physical misbehaviour that guests get away with. I've pretty much made up my mind that if I get hurt when I go next I'm speaking up. Maybe I'll take photos if I can. I just wish the crowds united against this kind of thing instead of turning a blind eye. Messed up.

No one offered to help me, but I don't expect it. I have balance issues so I have less of tolerance for being bumped, especially from behind than most would, so I hate to complain. I don't know what WDW would do, because they can't make people be decent. I agree, it sucks though.

 

[acwsmom]

I haven't read all the responses but just wanted to say I have had one of those trips. Sometimes things aren't so magical and I remember thinking, if this was my first trip, I would never want to come back. It was upsetting so I gave it a break for a few years. I have been on 2 trips since then and had a great time both trips. Hopefully the magic will return for you in the future.

This! I remember a few trips ago where I walked away from the trip feeling miserable. It just didn't have the same magic to it. We had a break in trips after that and, honestly, I think it helped. I think it also helped that we've started making lists of things we've never done (a ride, a tour, driving a car instead of taking the busses) that we want to try on our next trip. That way, we don't get stuck in a rut just doing the same things and always have something fun and new to look forward to. I suspect that if you give it some time, make a few trips to other places, and then come back, you can find that old magic again. As WDW fanatics, we always get ourselves so excited with anticipation that it's easy to be let down when little things don't happen or little bumps in the road pop up. But that doesn't mean it will forever be horrible and you should never go back again. Sometimes a break is all you need to find the magic again.

 

[Planogirl]

It's not the same to me but then we've been going for a long time. I don't normally feel nostalgic but I do think that Epcot and DHS aren't worth much now. I also see the bigger crowds as Disney's fault. They provide a service and if the service isn't great and yet many things cost more then I see it as poor management.

We still go sometimes though but mainly to revisit old favorites. I'm not saying that Disney hasn't added anything good lately but I think that they have ruined way more than they've improved. YMMV.

 

[SimonSez]

I was there 9/15-9/23, and it was pretty crowded although not worse than the first week of October which is when I went last year.

I am over the Food & Wine Festival after this year. The prices for wine samples skyrocketed. Between the threat of hurricanes and the Magic Kingdom being closed at 7:00 for the parties for half the week, I think my next trip will be in spring or summer.

I remember when Sept-Oct was a really quiet time to go--but now you have the Food and Wine. We went this past August, and although there were quite a few people, I think the Sept to Oct. corridor has surpassed the summer months for crowd levels. My DBF is going down there Saturday, thought about changing resorts, but nothing is available. When we were there in August, there were signs saying rooms were available. People on here were talking about how summer is the new low season, I'm starting to believe it So you should try spring/summer. You don't seem too bothered by the crowds, but the prices, weather, and crazy hours--that would do it for some. I have to say the only time I've been to F&W, was when it was in its infancy. Nothing like it is now.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't understand how so many people can just flip their vacation ahead one week. I'd never be able to do that.

There are many types of jobs and many companies with easy policies. As long as dh didn't have travel scheduled and ds doesn't have a performance, we could flip a vacation like that without a single problem.

What did it for us was the bus waits for AoA at the end of the night. They were INSANE. I'm sorry, but paying that much to be on property you shouldn't have to wait 40 minutes for a bus back to the resort.

That's not new. We only *started* wdw trips in December 2010 and have experienced that sort of wait on every trip when we're foolish enough to leave the car at the resort.

As far as MNSSHP though, I would assume long lines for characters at every party. And I wouldn't expect walk ons for the rides. I've never been to the ticketed parties but I'd expect 30/45+ min character waits and around 30 min waits for the rides.

Same. The party we went to in 2011 at mk (and maybe the following year at dl) was like that. And huge lines for candy too.

We don't "stress" on our park days, in fact we usually park hop around.

That sounds like a stressy trip to me!!! Too few days in the parks and wanting to hop? That's a lot of pressure without he time to just relax in a park.

Why not support the legitimate taxi services and use them instead? They pay a fee for their license and are regulated. I'm surprised WDW lets Uber and Lyft on property, into the parking lots and into resort parking lots. Do they have to pay to get into the park lots? They should.

I feel like you should look into what Uber and lyft have to go through to get into each city. And they are dropping people off, just like cabs, so why would they pay?

It was a tedious hassle to get everyone in the car, park, open trollers, walk to trams, close strollers, ride trams, open strollers, walk to monorail, close strollers, wait, ride monorail, open strollers, walk.... then finally to the gates.

I would just carry the kids or let them walk to and from the trams. Or just forget the trams and walk.

Sorry to thread jack here but I'd like to know how your Scotland/England/Ireland trip went. Wifey is 3rd generation pure Irish, I'm of Welsh/English ancestry and we're considering just such a trip in a few years when i retire. Have a good time?

Bill From PA

Bill, why not go sooner? My mom put off seeing Turkey and never made it because she died at 55. My FIL put off fun travel his whole life, retired at long last at 78 and was gone a year later (with no life insurance so MIL has never been able to travel for fun without the generosity of her sons and daughter in law). Just go. No more waiting. You can take longer trips after retirement but get some sampler trips in now.

Buy the latest Rick Steves guidebooks, download his audio walking tours. Use sites like Expedia or kayak to check flight prices but book directly through the airlines.

 

[LSUmiss]

OP - I'm sorry that your trip was less than magical. I just wanted to provide a counter opinion. We traveled for a quick getaway Sept 14-18 and found the exact opposite. Our first trip ever was back in June 2015, so we never experienced life before FP+ and MDE and MagicBands. During each of our previous trips (in April and June), we found days when parks were more crowded than others, and afternoons where crowds felt tough to navigate. However, this trip had some of the lowest crowds that I've ever spotted in Disney parks. When we arrived at Epcot on Thursday morning at 10:30am, Frozen Ever After was a walk-on. Some of this was probably due to hurricane hangover and some of this had to do with lower crowds in the fall. With smart time management, our group was able to accomplish every one of our goals that we set for ourselves over the five day trip. We even had one group member arrive late on Saturday morning and over just two days - we got him on each of the major attractions at DAK, Epcot and Magic Kingdom.

I like the newer electronic systems because it allows us to have a plan that guarantees we will be able to accomplish some of the items on our bucket list. If we have a last minute change of plans, I've never encountered problems calling the dining reservation lines and getting cancellation fees waived. I've also never had issues switching fastpasses at the last minute when we decide to visit Epcot instead of Magic Kingdom. Are the hardest-to-get Fastpasses available at the last minute? Usually not - but we still make the best of it with smart touring strategies (like getting there for rope drop).

I was there those exact same dates & agreee about the crowd. However, I think that was a fluke b/c so many ppl had rearrange plans b/c of Irma.

 

[StraightToDumbo]

That sounds like a stressy trip to me!!!

Nope, it was perfect. We used a break in between to cool down, load back up on waters and relax. Then, we'd decide whether to go back to the same park or go somewhere else. It was a good pace, there were just waaaaaay too many human beings during a time I THOUGHT would at least have average crowds.

 

[famsen]

We were there September 23rd-September 28. We had to cut the trip a day early because hubby was not feeling well at all. Our biggest issue was the heat. It was unbearable every day and there was no relief at all. There were no overcast days or even a pop up rain shower. We went to MNSSHP twice. Each party I felt was equally as crowded. Just too many tickets being sold. Who wants to spend half your precious party time just sitting waiting for the parade or a good spot for fireworks and a show? Ride wait times were long for the bigger attractions like 7DMT and even Haunted Mansion. Food and Wine Fest was very crowded on Monday the 25th. Animal Kingdom was also a madhouse on Wednesday the 27th- and again HOT. Standby line for FOP reached about 3 hours. Thank goodness we had a fast pass.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Were the MNSSHP maybe overly crowded because they were allowing people were displaced my Irma move their party dates thus overselling them?

 

[SimonSez]

We had the five-day military ticket, so adding 5 days would have added over $2,000.

Besides, I'm comparing apples to apples here. We always do the same number of days with the same number of "off days". We took FOUR YEARS OFF! We've NEVER been so disappointed in the total experience. We don't "stress" on our park days, in fact we usually park hop around. It has everything to do with noticeably larger crowds, higher costs, and a sense that you're constantly trying to cross the Mississippi River to get anywhere in the parks. I guess we just have to find a better time to go? Does one even exist anymore?

I have family in Orlando, they say best time is November. It's (mostly) after F&W, and before the big holiday rush.

 

[Colleen27]

Why not support the legitimate taxi services and use them instead? They pay a fee for their license and are regulated. I'm surprised WDW lets Uber and Lyft on property, into the parking lots and into resort parking lots. Do they have to pay to get into the park lots? They should.

They don't pay to get into the lots for drop off/pick up. Neither do cabs. And as far as letting them on property, I'm not sure how they could keep them out or why they would want to. Attempting to force guests to use a more expensive system (cabs rather than ride sharing) isn't in the interests of guest satisfaction and Disney isn't going to do that unless it boosts their own bottom line.

Besides, aren't the Minnie vans a joint venture with Lyft?

As someone who despises driving on property even when I drive TO Orlando, I've used both traditional cabs and Uber as well as Disney transportation to get around. Of the bunch, I think cabs are the least convenient. We have too many people for a cab so getting one without calling specifically to make a request is tough, while summoning an Uber with room for all of us is simple. And I've never had to wait as long for an Uber as I have for a minivan cab. I still mostly use Disney buses, but when we have dinner plans that are too late for an easy transfer or a breakfast before park transportation is running, I'm on my Uber app, not searching for the phone number to call Mears.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think we will see more and more posts like the OP. There just aren't enough fun places like WDW in the nation and yet, our population keeps growing and international visitors keep coming too. Each year it's more and more and more visitors.

Short of WDW building another park, it's only going to get worse. I just wonder what some other choices would be for middle aged couples who want to have fun, eat well, laugh, play, rest, and touch the child inside?

Universal?

 

[FRANKTSJR]

"No one goes there anymore, its too crowded"

Love that!

 

[JerseyJanice]

@SimonSez The crowds didn't bother me. Hot weather doesn't phase me. My interactions with fellow guests were all pleasant.

The rain I experienced last year before Matthew was horrible. The insane prices for wine samples at the Festival were super annoying.

But the thing that irked me the most are the Halloween parties. It made the Magic Kingdom packed for HEA on the nights it played. It caused Epcot to be packed every night that there was a Halloween party.

My family and I are looking at dates for March now. We'd be there during the Flower and Garden Festival. I just hope Iger won't get around to ruining it like he did F&W.

 

[k5thbeatle]

We just got back from a trip from 9/16-9/27. A nice, long, 12-day trip with 5 park days and a party night. It was way more crowded than I thought it would be in mid-September. Uncomfortably crowded at that. Prices for food keep climbing to the point that we cancelled all but TWO of our ADR's because they were just so expensive.

The guests are getting ruder and ruder, and there's an air of "every man for themselves" where you kind of have to be a jerk to get anything done. The planning has gotten maddening and stressful and now is a must with the FP+. The new security procedures for the monorails and such are just ridiculous.

Even an event I THOUGHT wouldn't be slammed (MNSSHP) was just that. Uncomfortably crowded with ridiculous character waits and even RIDE WAITS until about 10:00.

For the first time ever, my family walked away from this thinking "Well, that wasn't really worth it. Next time: Regional Park."

I get why people love Disney. We love it too. But it's really getting to the point where the amount of effort, money, and time you have to put in just doesn't cut it for most people no matter how much you love the place.

Congratulations on coming to this realization. We came to this same conclusion in 2014.

 

[tigger2002]

Yes I agree, a lot of the problem is just the sad state of today's society. I noticed the same thing on Disney cruises. Remember the good old days when you wore a suit when flying or dressed up to go out and eat?

 

[wgeo]

OP sorry your trip wasn't super magical. I think I totally get what you're saying. You had a good time, but have that nagging feeling that maybe what you paid doesn't quite equal what you got. I've often had that feeling at Disney, but eventually usually come away with the idea that it was worth the value, but sometimes it's awfully close.

I think people are missing the point when they tell you to tour the parks differently or get more days in the park. The point is that you should feel that the money you paid is the right amount for the vacation you got. That's tricky. Hopefully it was just because things were pretty significantly affected by Irma - it really did add a lot of stress to life in general, and everyone around here was on "edge" while life got back to normal, perhaps that affected people in the parks too. I can only imagine there were more people in the parks due to rescheduling and less staff available to handle them.

If you do head back to Disney, I hope you can figure out a way to make the "return on investment" feel worth it for your family.

 

[gdrj]

Yes I agree, a lot of the problem is just the sad state of today's society. I noticed the same thing on Disney cruises. Remember the good old days when you wore a suit when flying or dressed up to go out and eat?

melancholy, I can hear the music playing now (just a bit sarcastic). I do know what you mean, though you can still choose to get suited up to go to Dinner. Heck I remember when a tweet was a sound a bird made, and World Leaders would make announcements with in a formal setting. of course I also remember the gas lines in the late 70's and Mortgages with interest in the teens.

 

[Farro]

In the end, it's a trip to Disney World. If you didn't have fun, go somewhere else next year. It really is as simple as that.

Then go back when you are ready. If you are ready. While you are lamenting times past, there are people going for their first time who are being totally bewitched by the magic!