I think it may be time to say goodbye to Disney

[MouseMomx2]

I'd never make a major decision as to where to vacation based on what I read on these boards.

Take posts here with a grain of salt OP. A few years ago so many posters were saying the Magic was gone and WDW wasn't the same that I was dreading my trip. Then we went and nothing was different. It was still the same, wonderful place I have always loved.

The bottom line is that most of these posts are someone's opinion (including this one ). If you truly aren't excited about going to WDW then definitely go somewhere else. If, however, it is solely the posts here that are causing you to re-think your trip then it may be a good time to back away from the boards for a little while. Go watch some Disney movies, look at old vacation photos and then see where your heart lies.

Question...have you ever thought about visiting Disneyland? We go every 3 years and absolutely love it there and it is just different enough to feel like a completely different experience.

 

[DizzDoll]

I'm with the OP. Probably because we've gone every year with a minimum stay of 10 nights/11 days since 2006, this year the flame on the candle was pretty much snuffed. Very crowded in August, which has not usually been the case, plus we've done just about everything we want to do. Maybe in 2 or 3 years' time we'll go back, perhaps the family dynamic will have changed, but next year seems to be a "take a break" year. We're planning another trip to Yellowstone and surrounding areas, and we'll go from there. I have a huge trip to China coming up soon and I'm really looking forward to that.

 

[tajz90]

We love Disney and I'm sad when we've been away too long. The DisBoards really stress me out. We don't plan because we prefer the seat of our pants vacation plan! I find that I can have the same experience I've had all the previous years before I discovered the DisBoards.

That being said, Disney is never our "only" vacation a year. We enjoy National Parks, various cruises and the big wide world! Enjoy. Life is short. Do what pleases you.

 

[LilyWDW]

Having to plan ever waking moment of your vacation is just nuts. Vacations are supposed to be fun and relaxing aren't they?

For some, planning IS fun and relaxing. So they enjoy those sorts of things.

Also, even as a planner, I don't "plan every waking moment".

OP, sounds like you are ready for a break. Take one and see how you feel in a few years. Nothing wrong with that.

However, I would also caution about basing ALL your expectations (negative and positive) on what you read here. People exaggerate a lot on these boards.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't like the mega planning either but it is what it is. We weren't planning to go this year either but I got a week off just before Christmas and I'd like to see all of the parks during that time so off we go.

There's a lot of other stuff to do out there and we like to mix it up. I hope that you enjoy your upcoming trip.

 

[mm1971]

We are heading down in 2 weeks for a 4 Night cruise on the Dream and then we are going to spend the rest of the week in the Orlando Area. We are planning to go to MNSSHP on the night we get back from the cruise. Other than that, I doubt we'll go near another Disney Park. We will probably try a day at Universal because the kids want to see Springfield and maybe do Harry Potter.

We have usually gone down every 2nd or 3rd week of November, then that started getting crowded. Then we were going in March or April(non Easter/Spring Break weeks) and that started getting crowded.

We don't like dealing with heavy crowds, and I'm not "planning or scheduling" my day at the Parks, that's ridiculous to us. It's our vacation, at time to relax, not a time to follow a schedule. Plus it doesn't help that Disney is slow to update it's Theme Parks with new attractions. Re-doing an old attraction isn't that appealing, especially considering when they re-do it the old version is usually better.

So with that being said, I think it might be time to bid farewell to Disney and it's crowds and spend our money elsewhere for our vacation dollar(Cruises, National Parks, and maybe see the world)

And, yes, before you even tell me so, I know there will be two families right behind us to take our place at Disney and make it just a little more crowded and the lines a little longer.

I have a positive and a negative. The negative is plan on crowds at US as well. Their attendance levels have been going up as well. The HP area is awesome and worth the visit, we just found it very busy and we were there at a lower crowd level.

The positive is that while Disney is fun and we tend to go every year, there are so many other fun, education and relaxing places to go that I'm sure you'll have many wonderful family vacations. If I may suggest the Outer Banks of the Carolina's are awesome! No negative about families lining up. We love Disney, but have also been to Niagra Falls Canada, Punta Cana in the Dominican, Cape Cod, Long Island and have plans for DC, NYC, return to Niagra and are looking at sunny CA, the Grand Canyon, etc.... The important thing is to have fun with your family.

With all that said, yes, there really are no slow periods any more. Just relatively busy to absolutely crazy. Understand that is what Disney is supposed to do, get people to the parks. If the parks aren't busy, they don't make any money. I do agree they are busier and if that isn't enjoyable then there are plenty of places with a lot less people.

 

[prgal0715]

We are heading down in 2 weeks for a 4 Night cruise on the Dream and then we are going to spend the rest of the week in the Orlando Area. We are planning to go to MNSSHP on the night we get back from the cruise. Other than that, I doubt we'll go near another Disney Park. We will probably try a day at Universal because the kids want to see Springfield and maybe do Harry Potter.

We have usually gone down every 2nd or 3rd week of November, then that started getting crowded. Then we were going in March or April(non Easter/Spring Break weeks) and that started getting crowded.

We don't like dealing with heavy crowds, and I'm not "planning or scheduling" my day at the Parks, that's ridiculous to us. It's our vacation, at time to relax, not a time to follow a schedule. Plus it doesn't help that Disney is slow to update it's Theme Parks with new attractions. Re-doing an old attraction isn't that appealing, especially considering when they re-do it the old version is usually better.

So with that being said, I think it might be time to bid farewell to Disney and it's crowds and spend our money elsewhere for our vacation dollar(Cruises, National Parks, and maybe see the world)

And, yes, before you even tell me so, I know there will be two families right behind us to take our place at Disney and make it just a little more crowded and the lines a little longer.

I totally get what you're saying. I got to a point where I was headed to WDW two or even three times a year and I actually got tired of it. So I took time off - seven and a half years to be exact! I saw Big Ben and Stonehenge in England, centuries old castles in Scotland, glaciers and waterfalls in Iceland. I've taken road trips with friends from one end of this country to the other and had an amazing time doing it all.

Then, after nearly eight years, I went back to Walt Disney World and it was a more magical experience than I could have hoped for. The time away did me lots of good; hopefully it will do the same for you.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We spent 8 days at Disney World this past March and may not go back for a while. It definitely is becoming more crowded and I refuse to spend thousands of dollars to stand in line. I'm also not at all excited about what I've heard regarding the changes to Fastpass. Primary driver for me is going to be crowds/cost. If I can't find a time where the crowds are manageable (and the last two trips in February and March were more crowded than I prefer) then I'll spend my money on trips to the beach, mountains, etc.

 

[LilyWDW]

Also, I do think it is very good to mix up your vacations. Yes, I love Disney. However, I usually only go every 3ish years, though I will be going in both 2014 solo and 2015 with my cousin and her family. VERY different types of trips though! Part of this is because limited vacation dollars makes it that I get one real trip a year if I am lucky. So if I want to visit somewhere else, I can't do Disney as well.

I have also been able to have trips to Chicago, New York, London, Paris, Munich, Amsterdam, and Rome. So I don't "miss out" on traveling the world... and not just the World!

 

[Kristibo42]

More room for us!!

 

[Tigger's ally]

I would take some posts here with a large shaker of salt. Some people let the most minor things impact their vacation. Others are happy to be on vacation and trivial issues don't even make it onto their radar. Your vacation is what you make it. You will probably have a great time, although beginning a post with "It's time to say goodbye to Disney" does make it sound like burnout.

This. Really when you read forums for anything, you have to keep in mind that people are more apt to write about their bad times than their good times. To see as many people write good things about everything ad WDW means they are doing something right.

And, if you are taking a cruise and don't want to particularly spend time at Disney, I would head down to the Keys, over to Daytona or up to Savannah. Orlando really doesn't trip my trigger other than WDW.

 

[Minnesota!]

I hear ya and I agree 10000% with. We are done with Disney. Our last trip was beyond "Not Magical" and moved right into "Ridiculously stressful". I go to WDW b/c it's an escape from the real world. It has always been a world where I don't have to think of anything other than having fun with my family. But now every thing comes down to a schedule. Meals, rides, fireworks, etc. We had major issues with our MB's and, as I stated in my letter to Guest Communications, it was the first time we have left vacation and been OK with going home. It had it's moments of fun, but overall, the entire vacation left a very bitter taste to all of us.

I wrote a letter to GC with the good and the bad. They called and offered me 1 day park hoppers. I said "we are not planning on coming back".

 

[NancyIL]

While I am not ready to say goodbye to Disney World, I plan to cut back on my trips. I have been visiting multiple times per year (usually solo) since 2001 - because my annual pass burns a hole in my pocket. However, with increasing airfare, hotel, food, and ticket prices - as well as crowds - I am rethinking my WDW trips. Disney theme parks have never been my only vacation destination, but my non-Disney trips have gotten longer and more expensive. I can't do everything.

P.S. I have been checking airfare to Orlando for mid-April - before my AP expires. However, that's the week before Easter, and airfares are more than I want to pay. This may be the first year I don't go to WDW around my birthday.

 

[redsbe]

When our kids were between ages of 5 and 12 we would go to either WDW or DL at least every year, sometimes each year, resulting in perhaps 7 trips over a 12 year period (last in 2012), but now as teenagers their interest is not as great and for last several years we have been mixing in annual non-disney trips to national parks and cities across the U.S and regional states. They key for us was always variety plus getting to WDW or DL in those important young ages.

 

[MomofKatie]

I guess I don't understand all the problems people say they have with Disney vacations all of a sudden. Maybe because MBs and FP+ are being talked about so much on the boards right now? Unless I am mistaken, nobody is forced to plan ahead, and there have always been ways to plan way in advance IF WANTED. Those who want to wing it and just relax during their trip can still do that with no problem. Those who are into planning can still do that (granted, they can do a bit more planning than they used to...), but it is in no way mandatory.

Long story short- you don't HAVE to change the way you vacation if you don't want to. Am I missing some big obvious reason everyone suddenly feels the need to become rigid planners if they weren't before? I don't really plan on changing the way we "do" the parks, even with MBs and FP+.

 

[redsbe]

Opps, I meant at least every other year, sometimes every year.

End result was between all those trips they each got to DL or WDW five times between ages of 5 and 14 and were able to enjoy at various ages and with additions to each park, we have plenty of good memories and photos of those trips to last a lifetime.

We would stay for 4 or 5 days, sometimes off site (especially at DL) and varied trip in terms of meal plans and reserved character dinners keeping costs reasonable. As experienced Disney travelers made ready use of rope drop and FP with some planning to avoid crowds, including visiting off season (never summer, spring break or major holidays) by working around weekends and a few days off school, especially when they were younger. Also went with grandparents (major Disney travelers) a few times.

At this stage unlikely we will take any more family trips but wife and I (and perhaps grandparents) may make a few future trips, but stick to our usual plans and how we have learned to make the Disney experience manageable (avoid crowds!) and cost effective (off season and limit number of days and meals)

 

[Mousemommy1]

I guess I don't understand all the problems people say they have with Disney vacations all of a sudden. Maybe because MBs and FP+ are being talked about so much on the boards right now? Unless I am mistaken, nobody is forced to plan ahead, and there have always been ways to plan way in advance IF WANTED. Those who want to wing it and just relax during their trip can still do that with no problem. Those who are into planning can still do that (granted, they can do a bit more planning than they used to...), but it is in no way mandatory.

Long story short- you don't HAVE to change the way you vacation if you don't want to. Am I missing some big obvious reason everyone suddenly feels the need to become rigid planners if they weren't before? I don't really plan on changing the way we "do" the parks, even with MBs and FP+.

 

[Bullseye]

Then I guess this is...goodbye

 

[redsbe]

I guess I don't understand all the problems people say they have with Disney vacations all of a sudden. Maybe because MBs and FP+ are being talked about so much on the boards right now? Unless I am mistaken, nobody is forced to plan ahead, and there have always been ways to plan way in advance IF WANTED. Those who want to wing it and just relax during their trip can still do that with no problem. Those who are into planning can still do that (granted, they can do a bit more planning than they used to...), but it is in no way mandatory.

Long story short- you don't HAVE to change the way you vacation if you don't want to. Am I missing some big obvious reason everyone suddenly feels the need to become rigid planners if they weren't before? I don't really plan on changing the way we "do" the parks, even with MBs and FP+.

I guess it all depends on how you like to plan your trip and the role that such advance planning and current FP system comes into play. For us current FPs were an important planning tool, not so sure how FP+ will play out except that such an advanced planning would not appear to help us, personally looking to see how the FP+ experience plays out then look to use or not in the future (fortunately no plans to visit DL or WDW in next few years)

 

[mom2rtk]

I guess I don't understand all the problems people say they have with Disney vacations all of a sudden. Maybe because MBs and FP+ are being talked about so much on the boards right now? Unless I am mistaken, nobody is forced to plan ahead, and there have always been ways to plan way in advance IF WANTED. Those who want to wing it and just relax during their trip can still do that with no problem. Those who are into planning can still do that (granted, they can do a bit more planning than they used to...), but it is in no way mandatory.

Long story short- you don't HAVE to change the way you vacation if you don't want to. Am I missing some big obvious reason everyone suddenly feels the need to become rigid planners if they weren't before? I don't really plan on changing the way we "do" the parks, even with MBs and FP+.

I think it still remains to be seen if you can still do a trip to Disney without planning ahead. You know..... if you want to do many of the headliner attractions. If you will be happy to be relegated to standby for most headliners, then by all means continue on. But we really just don't know yet how FP+ will affect one's ability to ride headliners with little advance planning.