Has Disney World lost it's magic?

[Pats Dragon]

DW has been the one place that our family could go together and all have fun. Every year something has been cut out and the prices have gone up. Being optimists we continued looking at the bright side. Then we had a horrible experience with my sister who was dying and was treated with indifference (which is really an understatement). It was such a shock to us and we felt betrayed by a magical family tradition. We have tried to keep going back but last year everything was filthy and 2 of us got stomach viruses. We are going one last time just because we hate to give in but if something happens and we can't go it won't be such a terrible thing anymore. We can only afford a one day ticket anyway!!

 

[tinkbyday]

Please let me start by saying - I love Disney - I have very wonderful thoughts of of my visits and am always thinking about when I can start to plan my next magical visit.

I am, however, not blinded by the magic - I have seen the decline in cleanliness and overall standards. As one PP had put it - Disney set the bar high - that's what made them so different from every other theme park in the world. I don't think I'VE changed - I have only expected Disney to continue to have the bar high - unfortunately, I think they have lowered it just a bit.

When we were there in January - not an overly busy time of year - there was garbage on the ground throughout the parks - MK more so than the others - the outdoor tables at some of the QS locations were left with trays or were just dirty - I was very surprised by that - not because I have a high standard, but because I had seen the CM's on previous visits pick up trash as kids dropped it and clean up tables immediately after a family had left.

We also stayed at the YC - which I loved - it is a beautiful resort and we were quite happy with our stay there - BUT - I will tell you that there was candy and food crumbs next to the cushion on the bench seat in our room from the time we checked in until we checked out. I didn't say anything - I just wondered silently if Mousekeeping would clean it - if I could easily see it - I would guess they could too. Just an example of the types of things that have seemed to change.

Will I stop visiting - I would doubt that - I love the memories I've made there with my family and the magic that I can still find there.

 

[dstevens]

DW has been the one place that our family could go together and all have fun. Every year something has been cut out and the prices have gone up. Being optimists we continued looking at the bright side. Then we had a horrible experience with my sister who was dying and was treated with indifference (which is really an understatement). It was such a shock to us and we felt betrayed by a magical family tradition. We have tried to keep going back but last year everything was filthy and 2 of us got stomach viruses. We are going one last time just because we hate to give in but if something happens and we can't go it won't be such a terrible thing anymore. We can only afford a one day ticket anyway!!

I'm sorry to hear about your sisters situation. Did WDW know about it? According to Lee Cockerell the WDW he knew would have bent over backwards for your sister and family. The stomach viruses were not caused by WDW were they? I would give WDW another try. Maybe go to a park (if possible) that you did not visit during your bad experience. I would also write, e-mail WDW concerning your past experience. Please go one more time with clear open minds. Separate the attitudes of the guests from the cm's. Smile and greet and thank the cm's. If that still does not restore some magic then quit WDW. How many are in your party?

 

[Pats Dragon]

Thanks for the kind words. We have a lifetime of memories that were mostly magical. My sister was a teacher and had her creative writing classes, every year, plan a trip to Disney using her annual brochures as props. She was a neat lady. CM's are like the rest of us- some have been beyond wonderful and some are rude and a lot are just at work. There are more of the latter these days. I feel guilty for posting a negative post when a lot of people are saving for year(s) for a wonderful vacation and maybe DW is going to be that for them.

 

[sherry8253]

We go to Disney at least once a year and have done so for the last 15 to 20 years. Our last trip was for 12 nights in early Dec '08. We did a split stay at AKL and CR. Our rooms were clean, nothing broken, dirty or worn. Mousekeeping was exceptional. We often went back to our room early in the afternoon for a rest and it was always made up. The CM's were friendly and helpful even the CM who had to listen to a customer loudly complain why the room assigned to the family at the CR was not on a high enough floor. My husband and I never encounterd a stinky or dirty rest room in any of the parks or public facilities in the hotels. We had dinner at the YC, WL, AKL, CR, a few epcot restaurants and the Brown Derby. The food was very good. We never do the dining plan and I have noticed less choices since the dining plan started. Have we noticed some little things.... like some light bulbs burned out, different colors of paint in colored sidewalk areas, fast food restaurants closed, less cast members and because of that having to wait longer in shops. Yes. Does it make Disney any less magical for me? No. My heart always beats a little faster when I first walk down Main Street each trip and see the palace because that means I have arrived at my favorite vacation spot. Maybe I am overlooking what many of you are seeing because I am caught up in the wonder of just being at Disney & losing to my DH playing Buzz Lightyear, laughing at the ghosts at the Haunted Mansion and just being caught up in the Disney Magic. I was diagnosed with cancer in Jan '09 and the thoughts of going to Disney in Jan '10 are helping me deal with the ordeals of chemo, radiation and upcoming surgery in Sept. I am glad that I believe in Disney magic.

 

[idofabric]

I think that there is still Magic to be found at WDW. However, I feel that the more you go the more you see... the good, the bad, and just what is different. All things change and I have photos of things and places we took our first trip many years ago, when I compare them to now I see that places need paint, upkeep, or more magic. I do think that it is lot less clean then it was, but it is still a lot more clean then the last time I was at IOA at Universal. And we had a VIP with us there that took us in all the back doors and stuff..( DH worked with the Project Manger? that built IOA and he has lifetime free entry at ALL the Univ. parks, world wide- so it was free for all of our family and he had entry to all the "backdoors" of the rides/shows and stuff. Took about 4 hours to every ride there with him along. And the backdoor into DD and Spiderman? was kinda cool, but filthy!) And my NDN has a photo of the gum pole at Univ. Can't see WDW letting that pass! I did notice on a trip to WDW in Jan that there was a piece of gum rather high up on a pole and took a photo-in April it was still there, I looked. I don't think that would have happened several years ago. And I also notice that some of the trash cans either get full quicker or are cleaned up less often.
On the third hand... even WDW is having a crunch. I have friends that have been CMs for several years, and they are not able to pick up as many shifts as they were used to. And as we all know, everything costs more every year. I think that like a lot of people I forget that even thou the ticket into a park costs a lot of money and more each year, so does the cost of electricty, water, insurance, and other operating costs at WDW. Maybe not as much as for us- don't know how much is in house- but even then they do have costs for in house stuff.
I think that the more we go down, about 5 to 7 trips a year, the more I notice the little things. I take more time to just be there, don't worry if I get on a ride, see a show, eat someplace. I know I am very, very lucky to go that often- but I have seen that it is less clean, less CMs that care, and more rude visitors-it still has the Magic, only it might be said to be a little tarnished and overworked... LOL I am getting old!

 

[lugnut33]

When we were there in January - not an overly busy time of year - there was garbage on the ground throughout the parks - MK more so than the others - the outdoor tables at some of the QS locations were left with trays or were just dirty - I was very surprised by that - not because I have a high standard, but because I had seen the CM's on previous visits pick up trash as kids dropped it and clean up tables immediately after a family had left.

We also stayed at the YC - which I loved - it is a beautiful resort and we were quite happy with our stay there - BUT - I will tell you that there was candy and food crumbs next to the cushion on the bench seat in our room from the time we checked in until we checked out. I didn't say anything - I just wondered silently if Mousekeeping would clean it - if I could easily see it - I would guess they could too. Just an example of the types of things that have seemed to change.


Will I stop visiting - I would doubt that - I love the memories I've made there with my family and the magic that I can still find there.

This goes back to what I was saying in my previous post about guests doing their part also. I personally think it's wrong that guests throw trash on the ground. It's also guests who should clean up after themselves at QS restaurants (I can't believe some people's lack of disregard for the people who have to clean up after them and for the other guests who might need that table but it's so filthy they can't). Same with your room, why did the previous family leave food all over? (in this instance though, mousekeeping really should have cleaned it before you got there)

We hold castmembers to extremely high standards, standards we don't even hold ourselves to.

 

[dstevens]

We go to Disney at least once a year and have done so for the last 15 to 20 years. Our last trip was for 12 nights in early Dec '08. We did a split stay at AKL and CR. Our rooms were clean, nothing broken, dirty or worn. Mousekeeping was exceptional. We often went back to our room early in the afternoon for a rest and it was always made up. The CM's were friendly and helpful even the CM who had to listen to a customer loudly complain why the room assigned to the family at the CR was not on a high enough floor. My husband and I never encounterd a stinky or dirty rest room in any of the parks or public facilities in the hotels. We had dinner at the YC, WL, AKL, CR, a few epcot restaurants and the Brown Derby. The food was very good. We never do the dining plan and I have noticed less choices since the dining plan started. Have we noticed some little things.... like some light bulbs burned out, different colors of paint in colored sidewalk areas, fast food restaurants closed, less cast members and because of that having to wait longer in shops. Yes. Does it make Disney any less magical for me? No. My heart always beats a little faster when I first walk down Main Street each trip and see the palace because that means I have arrived at my favorite vacation spot. Maybe I am overlooking what many of you are seeing because I am caught up in the wonder of just being at Disney & losing to my DH playing Buzz Lightyear, laughing at the ghosts at the Haunted Mansion and just being caught up in the Disney Magic. I was diagnosed with cancer in Jan '09 and the thoughts of going to Disney in Jan '10 are helping me deal with the ordeals of chemo, radiation and upcoming surgery in Sept. I am glad that I believe in Disney magic.

Keep believing in the WDW magic. It is still there. I think i'm learning we just have to concentrate more on the positive then the negative because the positive definitely out weighs the negative. Good luck on the chemo and upcoming surgery. When in January are you going? We are going for marathon weekend.

 

[NMW]

We have been going to WDW since 2003 as a family. Do we see a decline in customer service? Maybe slightly but not enough to ruin our vacation or to take that much notice of it. As for rude cm's I say this, always treat someone as you would like to be treated yourself. We just returned from a week stay in May. The weather was horrible. At the YC when we returned to our hotel there were towels in the lobby for us to dry off. The entire staff was fantastic and except for the weather had a magical time. I guess what I am trying to say is you make your own memories of your vacation with your family not the cm's or sometimes bad food or dirty bathrooms. As your kids get older they will remember the times you went to WDW with them and the great times you had not the other things. The more times you go you just can't compare it to the first time and that is where the problem lies.

 

[NMW]

Also subscribing

 

[Joshua_me]

Don't get me wrong, I love and BELIEVE in the Disney magic, (I wouldn't be a 'regular' on these boards if I didn't)

I believe that the helpful and friendly cm's well outweigh the less than wonderful ones. I can even excuse some poor mousekeeping from folks that are out-sourced and over-worked.

But, when it comes down to the condition of the rooms, from bathtubs peeling at the POR to holes in the carpet at the all stars to worn furniture at the deluxe's, I find that inexcusable.

These are hotels that are packed year 'round, and the profit margin, I can assure you, is *huge*

This is an example of Disney greed, pure and simple. There is more than enough money to keep every hotel on the property spotless, but instead we are left with something resembling blood from a stone.

Disney does the bare minimum they can to get by with it...

And, yes, compared to the way it "used to be", that breaks my heart.

 

[pepe of ohio]

I've read most of the posts but to me, the magic is there, the luster has dimmed by the internet. All these Disney forums on every little thing and direction has taken the thrill of the hunt out of a stay. Everyone knows all the tricks, little mysteries and how to get the most and than some out of a stay. Back before computers, you did a stay and discovered the hidden magic on your own, accepted the little extras CM's gave out, now, everyone knows what everyone got and they demand the same, takes the magic right out. For example, towel animals, given randomly by a mousekeeper that knew how to make them to shed alittle of her talents and own personal magic, spread across the internet boards and everyone and their brother demands them. Hidden mickeys, you discovered them on your own, now you can print out pages with all their locations, some hunt. This goes on and on across all the boards, best viewing, how to get this for free, comped for this and that, how to do it cheap, how to beat the system, guests don't have to discover anything on their own anymore, where's the magic, ask and others will tell you where to find it.

The magic is there and is still alive for us. I don't follow every Disney internet space, subscribe to any tour plan or follow any schedule or guide book on a Disney vacation. We discover most at Disney by just going out and seeing and trying the little things, asking a CM what's new or something to do. Printing out pages of internet forum tricks, schedules, tips and what not is killing the adventure of discovering for yourself. Now, everyone knows, wants, asks and demands and if they don't get it, they come home mad, and complain on these forums and want to file complaints. No, I believe we created our own monster with the Internet and publicizing all we know, want or got, just makes the next person want the same and more. I remember back in the 70's, you booked a room, that's it. No special building, special floor, exotic view, this many steps from the elevator.........Times have changed but for us old timers, most not in a good way but our stays are very simple with no wishes, demands or wants and we do see the magic, even after 42 trips and 30 some years, we just keep it simple.

 

[KatMark]

I believe the magic is still there. I also believe the "magic" is what you make it. I think people have come to expect too much of Disney and a lot of it is from reading these boards. If someone doesn't get a towel animal, it ruined their vacation. If they didn't get an upgrade to a better room, it ruined their vacation. If a CM didn't wipe your child's nose, it ruined their vacation. As for the dirty parks yes, of course, they may on occasion look dirtier. But I don't believe that is totally Disney's fault...that is the people who don't care and don't want to walk those five or ten extra steps to a garbage can to dispose of their garbage. A crabby CM...yes, it happens. And really I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often than it does. I've stood behind some people who were downright ugly and mean to a CM because they didn't get the room they wanted, didn't get a surprise in their room, etc.

Our oldest son (age 23) is at Disney right now. When he was 14, we took his baseball team down to Disney to play in Disney's Salute to Baseball Tournament. He's been with this group of boys for four years and they will all now be going to high school. He thought what better way to end their four years together than by taking them to Disney as we did his team. He called me yesterday to tell me they had won their first game. He said as much as we want to win (my son HATES losing), he is so happy he did thish because the kids (mostly 13 and 14 year olds) are having the time of their lives. They are all DEFINITELY feeling the magic. Half of that team has never been to Disney and Andy said it was an awesome experience seeing the looks on these kids faces when they went to the pool, or when they walked into Epcot yesterday afternoon. They are laughing, having fun and enjoying this last time together as a group. They even got Andy to go on Mission Space...something we could never do (and, no, he is NOT a fan). He said he hopes to win the tournament but, even if they don't, all of the hard work in raising money to help pay for the trip, all the practices, was worth it to enjoy this special time with his kids.

 

[WDWKOOK]

And, yes, compared to the way it "used to be", that breaks my heart.

Ours, too

We were trying to come up with ways WDW has improved or added enhancements over the 13+ years we've been staying on-property, and we keep coming up only with amenities and/or perks they have removed or that have declined over the years. Other than adding new attractions in the parks and more and more DVC resorts, we couldn't think of anything added that makes our stay more enjoyable. It seems that every year something disappears that was once included or available or cleanliness or service declines or becomes erratic, at best.

On another thread which asks what WDW should return from the "old Dis", it made me realize that too much that I value is disappearing, sometimes just the little things. But, those little things used to add up to great enjoyment.

WDW: Charge us more if you need to, but please stop this rapid decline in resort/park cleanliness, attention to detail, customer service/appreciation. Bring back the consistent quality and high standards which separated WDW from all the rest, and put the customer satisfaction surveys back in the rooms.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I was just over on the DL side of disboards and a thread over there got me to thinkng about this one.

Even though this thread has dealt primarily with WDW resorts the overall WDW quality control, cleanliness and money spent on the parks has been brought up a lot too. And Disneyland and its current state of being in better shape, has been brought up.

Remember that the way DL looks now hasn't come without some major inconveniences and lost magic too. For instance when its castle got its makeover, it was covered in a tarp for some time. Not just walled off, completely covered. I was there in September of 2004 and believe me, while I knew it would be beautiful and it was good to see DL management taking a huge interest in the park, it stunk to see it covered in a huge blue tarp!

Right now DCA is getting a huge udate and overhaul to the tune of one billion dollars. You also have rides down for total rehaul, walls up and the big lagoon drained and empty. Magic buster for now for sure.

Fantasmic is improved and wasn't showing at all for months. From what I hear its incredible, but I also know that if and when WDW shells out the money to do those improvements on DHS's version, people on this board will complain about how its down for their trip, which is understandable but still contrary to all of us wanting them to update and make everything magical and perfect.

Some DL rides shut down for 2-4 weeks twice a year for holiday overlays which while very neat and fun, stinks while they are down. I have seen people on this side of disboards comment that HM and IASW at MK should do that too, but for those going in the weeks they are putting up and taking down those overlays, that won't feel magical. They shelled out big money for their trip and they want to take their kids on those classics. Maybe WDW execs have figured this out and that is why they don't do those overlays.

At one point a whole section of DL's walkway was torn up making one of the most frequented routes getting from Tomorrowland into FL a no go. And from the monorail it looked awful. But its nice now.

I guess my point is that DL can do this stuff because their dymanic is is more of a local guest population who come regularly not so many tourists, doing once in a lifetime type trips they have saved years for. But when its happening its a bummer. I am excited for the DCA changes but know that walking through a torn up park with a bunch of stuff closed will sort of stink this October. It will be like 2011 before that park is really what I'd call magical.

So maybe WDW hesitates to do the big overhauls because they know that in doing that, thousands of guests will lose out on classics and experiences they want to do since they are shelling out the big bucks. And of course part of it is the greediness of execs which you see in any major corporation. And the economy too.

WDW seems to have spent more money creating whole new parks. DL can't do that (not since the late 90's when they built DCA from what was a parking lot) so they spend their money working with what they have.

I agree with others that the magic is there. I know some of you have gone for years and you compare it those days. Its easy to have a critical eye for something that you have been looking at for years. But for me, I still find it and still see it in the looks on my kids' face and the looks on other people's faces. We roade Soarin with a family who had never ridden and it made the ride so magical. In spite of the fact that for the first couple of sequences there was some big spot on the screen that I swear was there last time! Which had I not ridden so many times, I wouldn't have had the time or wherewithal to notice. Its not perfect but then for me, its still as close as anything comes.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Pepe and KatMark, those were very good posts!

I fell victim to my own overplanning last trip. We took family members, I tried to maximize their experience and in doing so, ruined my own. Next trip its going to be back to simplicity and just smelling the roses. I am done with spreadsheets etc. So Pepe and Kathy, thanks for just reiterating what I already knew I had done wrong! byt telling me your own experinence (Pepe) and your son's (Kathy).

 

[kellieb71]

I look at my Dis vacations like this - a bad day at The World is better than a good day at the office. I have only been going to Disney for the past 3 years - my first trip was made when I was 35 - so I don't have a lot to compare it to - but each time I go, it's just as magical as the first. (And trust me, we had a truly awful experience at VWL last year, but even that trip wasn't horrid).

I think a great deal of the problem comes from a sense of entitlement that many people have. We call it the 'me bubble'. There is no one else in the world but 'that person', and if they don't get what they want - then, well the world just may as well end. I've been cut off, run over by strollers, pushed around, have had rude comments made to and about - by GUESTS - but each interaction with a cast member I've had (outside of our VWL experience) has been polite, friendly, and what I would expect from Disney. Why? Because I treat them like the people they are. I read name tags, and greet people by name - if they're from my state, or where I grew up, I ask them when the last time they were home. They're not animatronic creations - they're people. People that work HARD to make sure you're having a great experience - and even if they're having a bad day - they're still people. If you were treated like they are day in and day out by some of the people that have been described here - could YOU put on a happy face for everyone?

WRT the upkeep of the parks - I will say, that I've noticed things going south a bit. But the blame is not purely on the side of the Mouse. Paper wouldn't be on the ground to pick up, unless a guest dropped it. Bathrooms wouldn't be so sloppy, unless someone splashed water, or let their kids play in the sinks. It goes both ways - I try to leave a space a little cleaner than when I left it, to help out - so if that means picking up a piece of paper off the ground and putting it in a trash can, I do it. It makes a CM's life a little easier, and makes things a little more 'perfect' for the person who follows behind.

Maybe it's just me - but I know that I'm not alone on this planet - and do what I can to make the ride that much nicer for my fellow travellers. I believe that I got a little extra 'dose' of the magic, and do what I can to share it with people.

 

[copperbrick]

We went last September, Animal Kingdom Lodge. For us the magic was still there -- exceptional CMs, excellent (we heard improved) bus service, very nice bus drivers . . . dining was good but we were careful to pick the best rated places to make sure we'd be happy.

I booked my October dinner reservations today and have to admit that the service I received was good by normal standards, but poor by Disney Standards. The CMs (I called twice) weren't as knowledgable as in the past and even a bit "attitudy" -- I told myself that this was probably because it was at the crack of dawn on July 4, and they were probably less than best staffed.

We'll see how it goes this October . . . for now, I'm keeping my expectations positive.

Added later in the day PS: I had to call Disney Dining Reservations two more times on July 4, later in the day. THE SERVICE WAS 5 STAR both times, I'm happy to say -- very experienced CMs who gave the finest customer service. Bravo!

 

[avahoneybee]

Ours, too

We were trying to come up with ways WDW has improved or added enhancements over the 13+ years we've been staying on-property, and we keep coming up only with amenities and/or perks they have removed or that have declined over the years. Other than adding new attractions in the parks and more and more DVC resorts, we couldn't think of anything added that makes our stay more enjoyable. It seems that every year something disappears that was once included or available or cleanliness or service declines or becomes erratic, at best.

On another thread which asks what WDW should return from the "old Dis", it made me realize that too much that I value is disappearing, sometimes just the little things. But, those little things used to add up to great enjoyment.

WDW: Charge us more if you need to, but please stop this rapid decline in resort/park cleanliness, attention to detail, customer service/appreciation. Bring back the consistent quality and high standards which separated WDW from all the rest, and put the customer satisfaction surveys back in the rooms.

Disney really does need to work on adding attractions and more things to see. I'd especially like to see another park.

I also agree with your sentiment about charging more. I rememeber a day when families considered trips to Disney a luxury and had to save up for years to visit. Now with DVC, Disney Visa, etc...it's almost a given that people go once, twice, even 3 times per year and expect the "magic" every time. I think it's great that Disney has expanded, but when there were only a few resorts to maintain, the service was better all around.

 

[Planogirl]

I always say that Magic is in the eyes of the beholder and I really believe that. If a person thinks that WDW is magical then it is for that person. Others may not feel that but that's OK too.

I used to feel this Magic but I rarely do now. I still enjoy WDW and always intend to return but it's not the same for me as it once was. I think that WDW has changed and so have I. That doesn't make me wrong or right, I just see things differently than some others.

I will say that overflowing trash cans or the occasional messy bathroom aren't what decreased the magic for me. In my case, it's a sense that the company no longer is the same creative and inspiring Disney that it once was, at least not for me. I think that the current company relies too heavily on the past which is fine up to a point but I think that they overdo it.

This is not to say that Disney doesn't still create wondrous things. It's just that something unique is truly rare whereas it seemed normal at one time. Again, that's just my perspective and of course YMMV.