Has anybody NOT had a disappointing trip lately?

[MatzoBelle]

I want to go, but am hesitant given such widespread complaints here about oversalted food, disgusting bathrooms, declining service, broken technology, layoffs and defections, crowds, construction, nothing new in years and decay/abandonment of whole areas of parks, rising costs in an increasingly poorly disguised effort to gouge the guest, and diminishing value. Oh, and loss of spontaneity due to FP+. So...still a good destination? Do we all just need an antidepressant and lessons in gratitude? I'm honestly not sure what to expect and whether even to go.

 

[lostmypooh]

I had a wonderful time last August and I'm headed back this August. Yes. You should go. It's still a wonderful destination and a fabulous vacation.

 

[nat8199]

Had a great time Oct 2013 and am super excited to go in Sept this year. I know we will have an amazing time!

 

[Gracie09]

We went in sept for food and wine and other than the weather (rainy) it was fabulous!

 

[Disneylover99]

I experienced some of what you mentioned on my last trip, but still had a blast! Totally worth it. I'd go back right this minute if I could.

 

[MatzoBelle]

Yea! Your responses are just what I was hoping to hear! Thanks for answering.

 

[ilovebassets]

We went this past February. We are planning to go back this September. Other than oversalted and bland food, we had a great time and no other complaints. I found the bathrooms very clean. Construction at Poly and MK didn't bother us one bit. I was actually much more upset by AK construction (OK so I guess that's two complaints). We didn't notice any broken technology. We actually like FP+ generally speaking as it lets us hit the headliners without having to run all over the parks grabbing fastpasses with young children in tow.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Keep in mind - while the forums are an awesome device for planning trips and there's a lot of people on here willing to help you out - it's been proven that someone is more likely to write a bad review than a good one... So that may be why you see so many bad reviews. Think how weird it would be to see a post about a bathroom being clean. "Guys you won't believe this but the bathroom in EPCOT was immaculate - great job CMS!" haha - I work in EComm so that's something we've learned.

Anyway -

We went in Christmas - that was our last trip, as well as our next trip. I'll admit - the service has gone down a little. I remember Disney as a kid when everyone seemed so happy to work there. Now, it seems like people are just there to work. A lot of CMs lack the knowledge and courteousness you'd expect from a Disney employee, but it doesn't ruin your trip. Unhappy workers are definitely outnumbered by bubbly, happy ones.

The food could be salty - definitely. That's a given with Disney food. Some places more so than others. We had a salty entree at BOG, but it was still delicious. The big restaurants are still very good. If you want a break from the salty foods, try a place like the Boardwalk Bakery. The sandwiches there have a very fresh taste.

As far as bathrooms - they're not terrible. I really don't see the fuss. You may hit one or two that are bad though.

I'll say this - Christmas is the most crowded time of the year. We've been pushed by crowds, gotten aggravated by people who don't listen to CMs and do whatever they want, nearly missed reservations due to Disney transportation and with FP+ and the crowds, we haven't gotten to go on some rides as much as we'd like. BUT, we wouldn't change a thing. Every year we adapt and work to make our next trip better. We've come a long way since 2009 when we took our first Christmas trip. We had no clue what we were in for. Once you get passed the fact that you may not get to do everything you want and realize that you're in the happiest place on Earth - nothing could seem wrong.

Disney isn't a vacation, it's a mindset.

 

[SamRoc]

Went in October and going back again in October. Had very friendly cast members, especially at fort wilderness. Had a great time, and actually used the fast passes for the first time and they worked out really well. Parking at downtown disney was different, had to park across the street, but it was a really good reason for me to work off all the food we ate (especially the hoop dee doo revue!)

 

[JennyMP03]

I went with my cousin, a first-timer, in June 2014. It was excellent! We used FP+ with no problems and did everything we wanted to do (which included riding RnR and ToT many times in a row).I was glad to have FP+ or we'd never have been able to meet Anna and Elsa or ride SDMT. We didn't have the dining plan, but we ate OOP at Sci-Fi and 50's Prime Time and loved the food at both. Bonus: seeing Mark Hamill at SWW was kind of the best thing ever!

I also went with my husband in September 2013. FP+ was just rolling out so we had a few glitches, but overall, our trip was great and we were able to do everything we planned then, too. We had the dining plan and enjoyed our meals at Le Cellier (sooo good), Ohana and Akershus (breakfast).

 

[kmb584]

We had a fantastic time in November! Aside from a hiccup with my grandmother's AP not linking to her MB correctly, everything went smooth.

 

[gules]

Went in December, February, and will be going again in a couple weeks. Hope that gives you an indication of my opinion!

It's true that there is a lot of construction going on recently, but I view it as necessary work. I mean, Disney has to do things at some time, and I'd rather that they do work before it's needed than have terrible ride experiences. If construction bothers you, though, I'd wait until I hear updates regarding these things being completed. SOMETHING will always be in the works or being refurbed at Disney... It just looks like last year and this year have been heavy construction times. Personally, I don't even care. Last trip me and my friends (party of 6) followed the line being ushered into MK through the staff entrance, which was definitely more bare-bones and over with walls. But we didn't mind at all and in fact ended up with a really clear shot of the castle, and the group started an impromptu contest of whose phone could take the best picture!

I've never had a problem with salty food, except maybe fries. But I kind of expect my fries to be salty. Cast members vary just like regular people. I agree that there seems to be an attitude shift for some, but there are still plenty who you can tell work there out of love of magic. I assume that there is some kind of hiring spree and they're turning out CMs a little faster, which always make quality suffer a little. But Disney always takes its employees' attitudes seriously, so I don't expect that will become a trend. As for prices... They really are on the increase. But, you know, inflation and all that. If I can't afford to go then I simply don't go. The local restaurants I frequent raised prices too (the chains at least). It's everywhere, sadly.

I just don't understand the FP+ gripes. I wasn't the type to maximize the old FP system, though, and really hated going to one place to pick up a pass, then run somewhere else to ride, grab another pass, ride the FIRST pass, etc. This way I only plan certain things and just chill the rest of the time.

 

[marthachick]

Our last trip was December 2013 & we had the most wonderful trip yet. I think like a PP said, usually the only thing people do reviews on are how bad something was. I also think a lot of people go with unrealistic expectations. They expect everything to be 'Magical!!!' And, let's face it, some things are just not.

But, I'd leave tomorrow if I could!

 

[Dawn68PA]

Other than the horrid meal at Wolfgang's, we haven't had any bad times! We've been twice since September and going again this September. The wonderful feeling and experiences are what made our decision to buy DVC last year! We desire to vacation hardly anywhere else and not nearly so often. Disney is our happy place

 

[goofy721]

Ditto. Went in August 2013. Somehow convinced the family to go again in August 2014 since "we wouldn't be going back for a number of years." And got them on board again for this coming August. I don't see how you could have a bad time at DW!

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm honestly not sure what to expect and whether even to go.

We went in November 2014 and had a fantastic adults only trip. While we did not have an amazing experience with FP+ (not terrible, but not awesome either), we had no problems with any other parts of our trip at all. We left excited to think about taking our DD back in November 2015.

 

[clambert1273]

We just got back March 7th and had an excellent trip! No issues at all and all of us had a great time

 

[5DisneyNuts]

I think a lot has to do with the time of year you go and what your expectations are. We usually are there on Thanksgiving week and the crowds are heavy. We know we will run into some people that will be annoying, but hey, it's packed and we go with it.

The fact that you are here has a lot to do with the experience you will have. The folks I see having a horrible time are those that go unprepared - no place to eat, long wait times, etc.

Food is fine - some places are really good, some are ok. In all the years we have been going, I do think there is a drop off in the service probably due to less experienced CMs that don't buy into the show as much as some of the more experienced ones would. I truly wish Disney management would realize that the front line people are their best advertisement and invest in them.

As the previous posters have said, you will see what you look for and sometimes these boards, as fantastic as they are for info, will make you look for things that you may not have noticed if it wasn't pointed out. Flip side, it also made me realize things that might be annoying to others so now I don't do those things

 

[ZoZo]

Our last trip was December 2013 & we had the most wonderful trip yet. I think like a PP said, usually the only thing people do reviews on are how bad something was. I also think a lot of people go with unrealistic expectations. They expect everything to be 'Magical!!!' And, let's face it, some things are just not.

But, I'd leave tomorrow if I could!

I totally agree with this post. I think it's a combination of factors.

As others have said, people tend to write negative posts on a chat board. Maybe 95% of their trip was just fine, but what stands out in their minds is the negative.

And Marthachick is right, some people have unrealistic expectations. Things go wrong sometimes, Disney or not! I've seen post after post about how people want their trips to be "perfect." Yikes, that just sets you up for disappointment. And, let's face it, some folks tend to see the negatives more than the positives in life, in general. I try to go with the flow whenever possible, and try not to get wigged out by the small stuff. I'm not always successful, but I try!

So, OP, please don't let the negative posts get you down. I went on a trip a year ago and had a wonderful time! I wasn't sure if I'd like FP+, but was willing to give it a whirl. When I went, you could only get 3 FP+ per day (this was before they let you get extras if they were available). While I still prefer the legacy FP system by far, I can see some of the benefits of the new system, and have adapted. I didn't notice a decline in CM service, I didn't see any dirty bathrooms, and I thought the food was just fine! We had some great CM interactions and loved our Lion King Suite. It's funny, I saw some posts just before I left where people were complaining about cracked floor tiles in the main building at AoA. I thought, "Wow, if that's the type of thing you're focusing on, you'll probably have a miserable trip!"

Was I 100% happy with our trip? No, but I was 97% happy!!! We had a great time, and I'm definitely planning to return as soon as I can swing it. I urge you to try another trip - I bet you'll have a great time.

 

[MatzoBelle]

Other than the horrid meal at Wolfgang's, we haven't had any bad times! We've been twice since September and going again this September. The wonderful feeling and experiences are what made our decision to buy DVC last year! We desire to vacation hardly anywhere else and not nearly so often. Disney is our happy place

Which Wolfgang's was horrid? The Express nearer to the Marketplace is usually a crowd favorite.