Has anybody NOT had a disappointing trip lately?

[richmo]

I can never remember going home happy to get away from WDW. Usually quite the opposite. I guess that means no bad trips. Other than disappointment at this attraction or the other closed due to a refurb, I can't think of anything that happened that would come anywhere near calling a trip a disappointment.

I've done 3 trips in the FP+ era. While the process is different, has its +'s and -'s and has room for improvement, any impact due to FP+ is so small when considering the entire experience.

 

[Mickey&Mouse]

I actually get more out of the negative experiences posted on this (or any other type of forum) as they give some insight on what I may have to look out for. I can also compare/contrast them with my past trips to see if it's something that I encountered before so I can be prepared to avoid that situation again.

So far, I've never had something go so wrong that I wouldn't return, but this weekend starts my first FP+ trip, so we'll see how that goes!

I agree with this- the negative critiques have been incredibly useful for me while planning our upcoming trip in May.

I am debating whether to go in August or fight the crowds in April. How bad is the heat & rain in August? What about crowds? We usually get to parks at rope drop & come back to resort for break in the afternoon, as we are traveling with 3 kids.....?

The heat and humidity in August is to the extreme; however, the later in the month you go the crowds will be lighter- which is a big bonus!

 

[Luv2Run]

We were there for a week in Feb. for the Princess Half Marathon, and it was a stellar vacation. The only (minor) complaint we had was the way the Haunted Mansion queue forms once you exit the stretching room on your way to the doombuggy loading zone. We didn't like the disordered corral of people that led to pushing and shoving (one lady even snapped at another guest to quit pushing her!). For that reason, we most likely won't be riding HM on our next trip and use that FP+ on a different ride, then maybe just do stand-by at a less busy time of day.

It's all about strategy. And since I'm such a planner, I'm pretty good at coming up with a good touring strategy. Live, learn, and improve.

 

[lostmypooh]

I am debating whether to go in August or fight the crowds in April. How bad is the heat & rain in August? What about crowds? We usually get to parks at rope drop & come back to resort for break in the afternoon, as we are traveling with 3 kids.....?

I think you'd do well in August if that is already your touring style. The crowds in late August are definitely easier than in April with school breaks. Your 3 kids will love the afternoon breaks at the pool and gives them time to refresh. It's hot and humid, but it really doesn't hinder the vacation. Even the rain is welcomed for the hour or two that it shows up. I hope this helps with making your decision a little easier

 

[vrajewski10513]

I am debating whether to go in August or fight the crowds in April. How bad is the heat & rain in August? What about crowds? We usually get to parks at rope drop & come back to resort for break in the afternoon, as we are traveling with 3 kids.....?

I do have thick northerner skin so my opinion may be irrelevant lol but when we went in early September last year it was SO HOT! The year before we went in October, and while it was hot, the humidity wasnt as bad. I think we are going to stick to the winter months lol

 

[Carnator]

Went in Oct 14, for a split stay. Part solo, part with family. I had a great time. Was everything perfect, of course not. But I didn't let little things bother me. Just went with the flow.I have another trip planned with the kids in August.

 

[939913Noles]

We went last November and plan to go again this November. We had a blast. I feel it's all about expectations. Expect crowds. Expect some fellow guests to be great, and some to be not so great. Expect mostly great cast members and expect some who probably wish they were elsewhere. I expected my kids to have a great time and be mesmerized....they did and were, so my trip was complete.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

We went last Thanksgiving on our annual trip - with another planned this November. For us, it was as magical as ever. I am glad so many others have chimed in with their positive viewpoints.

 

[Squirlz]

Two wonderful week-long trips last year. There are a lot of complainers here.

 

[erij11]

We went in July of last year for the first time and had a blast.....so much so we are going back again this July. Yes, it was hot, humid and crowded, but we made great use of rope drop, afternoon breaks and late nights. It was the best vacation ever and honestly I'm a little scared that our next trip won't live up to the last one....not because of negative reviews I've read but because it was just that great!

 

[amandals2007]

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.

im not sure where you heard all that from, but I was there in September and had an AMAZINGLY PERFECT time, and my cousins were there in December and they said the same thing. Nothing is perfect. I never heard anything about oversalted food. My food is always amazing. The bathrooms for the most part are always clean IMHO. for the amout of people going through there they really do keep up with them. I always have great service and if I dont i complain and it gets fixed. If there was not construction there would be nothing new coming so why would people complain with construction? Its what keeps everything looking nice and expanding for new things. I think the value is going up with how things are priced now with free dining that we get every september and the water park and fun option is a great deal. I HIGHLY reccommend you go, ill be going every september for many many years to come and would tell anyone to go as well.

 

[Chime]

It's been more than year since we last went (November 2013). Loved the magic bands actually, we changed plans and FPs daily and never had trouble. We loved watching the cast members interact with our children. Tried some new restaurants and enjoyed some old favorites. One of our favorite things was watching the movie on the lawn in the evening at our resort, we'd never made time for that before and it was just the perfect end to the day.
We're looking forward to going again soon.

 

[KimmiP]

We were there for a week in Feb. for the Princess Half Marathon, and it was a stellar vacation. The only (minor) complaint we had was the way the Haunted Mansion queue forms once you exit the stretching room on your way to the doombuggy loading zone. We didn't like the disordered corral of people that led to pushing and shoving (one lady even snapped at another guest to quit pushing her!). For that reason, we most likely won't be riding HM on our next trip and use that FP+ on a different ride, then maybe just do stand-by at a less busy time of day.

It's all about strategy. And since I'm such a planner, I'm pretty good at coming up with a good touring strategy. Live, learn, and improve.

I will give you a hint about the stretching room... if you stand right by the wall underneath the picture of the lady with the parasol, that is the door that opens to the queue. You will be one of the first ones out and no pushing . We do that every time. Haven't seen that picture in years

 

[CinderElsa]

YOu really have to take bad reviews (and sometimes even good one) with a grain of salt. I've learned from working in the service industry that something one person may deem as "filthy" or "poor service" etc, etc.. may be over exaggerated, or completely fine to someone elses standards. I've never had terrible service, terrible food, or been in a filthy bathroom at Disney World. Sub-par service and food (50's prime time cafe) yes, so I wont be going back there. But there are plenty of people who absolutely rave about it so you really cant take a review as truth until you've tried it out. Like a PP said, people are more inclined to write a bad review than a good one. For every bad review I'm sure there are 1,000 other people who who think otherwise, but dont voice their opinions on it. If everyone was having such an awful time their attendance wouldnt be going up every year...

 

[KimmiP]

We went end of August 2014 and had a blast (me, DH, DD and DNiece). And we went during the biggest hot spell they've had in a looong time. Sun, Heat, Humidity, hardly any rain. But it was great. CMs were awesome, so were most visitors. Our only big issues came from the occasionally moody teenagers we traveled with .

Loved it so much we booked a BB for me and DH for this September!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I also think the more negative reviews are helpful because it helps set expectations. For us, our "disappointing" trips have both come on the heels of really amazing trips. You can't go in expecting everything to be perfect and magical and awesome, but when you've just had a really awesome time at Disney, it's hard to think that your experience won't be the same on a subsequent trip. I think the thing to keep in mind is that no matter how magical Disney is, ultimately it's a popular tourist destination. "Popular" means crowded (generally) and "tourist destination" means sense of entitlement (generally) from other guests.

Our last trip had many disappointing elements for me, but the kids and my husband had a blast and have no complaints, so who cares what I think. LOL. Overall, we did have a lot of fun. We were on vacation together and that's really all that matters. We're going back in June and again in October, so clearly we're not staying away. I will say that I'm a little happy to be moving on from Disney, though. We have no trips planned beyond 2015; our "big" vacations are going to be spent elsewhere in 2016.

 

[lustergirl]

I for one can't wait for my upcoming trip. I have always enjoyed our trips to Disney and never had any issues.

 

[MiMiDebbie]

We went from Feb 28-March 6, 2015 and had a perfectly wonderful time, made some amazing memories with my kids and grandkids. Great food, fun rides and family time, who could ask for more? FP+ worked like we planned and stand by at RD was minimal. CMs were all helpful and polite, weather was awesome, can't wait to return to my "Happy Place"!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I think you have to take the source into account. The people who post on this site are those who are likely to nitpick their vacation experience. They've been any number of times and had great service, then maybe they go once and have a bad experience, so to them it seems things are "going downhill". Some will say they've gone several times in a row and seen a decline, and maybe they have....or maybe out of their 10 past trips their 2 most recent were less than perfect, which still gives Disney an 80% success rate, but gives those guests the appearance of decline.

Have I seen less than perfect bathrooms at WDW? Yes, once, back in 2010. Have I had less than perfect service? Yes, also in 2010, and not from a Disney employee. Have I had experiences with ride breaks, technology malfunctions and the like? Of course! Every time! But then, how frequently does my computer system at work go down? You gotta expect these little glitches. Do I feel that Disney has taken out some of my favorite rides and not replaced them? In some cases yes. But in some cases they've removed things I thought were past their time and replaced them with amazing new experiences. That sort of thing is hit and miss. Do I think Fastpass + has killed spontaneity? Well, maybe. Haven't done it yet. It certainly requires more planning work and attention to details.

There were people on these Boards saying they were "done" with Disney when I joined back in 2007. There will always be people for whom Disney has lost it's shine and appeal. However, I think the majority of guests, and even a majority of people on this Board, still love their Disney vacations, despite the little mishaps along the way.

 

[DISNEYD14]

My best trip ever was October 2014
I've gone several times but with my family, it was incredible with FP+ and having must haves locked in place before we left.
We loved being able to dilly dally around more.

I also found a sneaky way to get what I wanted as my 4th and 5th FP selections. Not sure if it worked for others.
But I would pick whatever was available on kiosk and walk away and change it in my app for something better. I found things on my app that the kiosk did not offer every time!