Is anyone getting as turned off as I am?

[lacrosse_lady72]

Just for some background....
I live in Florida and have been going to Disney for over 40 years.
Recently, though, I've noticed changes that are turning me off to want to visit, or spend my money there.
For example: * the fastpass+ thing and having to plan before you go.
* ending the American Adventure Fife and Drum Corp. (and not replacing it with any other patriotic program)
* people reserving throwaway campsites at Fort Wilderness just to get their magic bands
*......and don't get me started on those!
* and now we're gonna have to start paying between 10 and 20 dollars just to park at Downtown Disney.
* oh, and Starbucks

The list goes on, but these are just a few at the tip of my fingers.
Sorry. Had to vent.

FP+ I agree sort of. I guess I just wish there was the option for both. There would be % allotted for pre-arrival selections, and a % similar to legacy FPs. It was one thing having to get ADRs, they were a choice and there's still food but for attractions, I don't like that either.

I never saw the American Adventure thing but honestly, it's those little things that I love about Disney so it's alway sad to see them go.

Throwaway rooms are a scam to me if you don't plan on using them. Disney resorts are often booked to a higher capacity so you're taking a room/campsite away from someone who might actually want to use it.

Parking at DTD… we hardly ever drive but I can definitely see how that'd be frustrating.

I love Starbucks, so…
I get some nearly every day. It's usually an iced venti americano with 4 pumps white mocha, cinnamon and vanilla. Last year, every single one of my snack credits went to this.

It's okay OP, vent away. I understand.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

about the restaurants. I was trying to point out that you do not have to make ALL your reservations at 180 days or eat nothing but counter service. BoG, yes, maybe CRT. Otherwise you will find something to book even if you wait a couple of months unless you are going at Christmas/New Years.

For some places and for certain times of year, it is NECESSARY to make your ADRs 180 days in advance if you want to eat there.

For some places. Not for ALL places. I'm at WDW a lot. I can count on one hand the number of times I've made reservations at 180 days in the past 5 years. And those were BOG and 'Ohana for 14.

 

[Mkrop]

about the restaurants. I was trying to point out that you do not have to make ALL your reservations at 180 days or eat nothing but counter service. BoG, yes, maybe CRT. Otherwise you will find something to book even if you wait a couple of months unless you are going at Christmas/New Years.



For some places. Not for ALL places. I'm at WDW a lot. I can count on one hand the number of times I've made reservations at 180 days in the past 5 years. And those were BOG and 'Ohana for 14.

And as you can see from our signature we go often and we have had issues switching ADRs around for the places we enjoy after the 180 day mark. So each experience I guess varies

 

[GatorChris]

7 trips and 55 days in a WDW park. I'm a vet and a fan. Well, was a fan. The FP+ just makes me nervous about returning there - booking months in advance for ride, getting up super early to make sure I get the time I want before someone else. It was nerve racking enough getting ADRs, but rides????

All the holiday parties drive me crazy, too. It means if you show up in October or December, you'll have to pay $300 extra for your family to experience.... the same thing if the party wasn't happening and the park closed at normal hours.

And finally, the Epcot entertainment cuts. If there ever was a reason for me to fly my family from one coast to another for Disney, it was Epcot - WAS Epcot. Eo needs to be replaced. Imagination needs updating. Ellen needs to be eaten by a dino on UoE. But "let's cut the good stuff instead".

Between making the vacation more of a hassle, driving prices through the roof for parks & hotels, and entertainment cuts.... I just bought an AP to Disneyland. No flight costs. No buses. No vacation planning to the second. And actually good upgrades. Just good and relaxed Disney...like WDW used to be.

 

[gamerlovesdisney]

"Between making the vacation more of a hassle, driving prices through the roof for parks & hotels, and entertainment cuts.... I just bought an AP to Disneyland. No flight costs. No buses. No vacation planning to the second. And actually good upgrades. Just good and relaxed Disney...like WDW used to be. "

I couldn't have said it better!

 

[cakebaker]

about the restaurants. I was trying to point out that you do not have to make ALL your reservations at 180 days or eat nothing but counter service. BoG, yes, maybe CRT. Otherwise you will find something to book even if you wait a couple of months unless you are going at Christmas/New Years.



For some places. Not for ALL places. I'm at WDW a lot. I can count on one hand the number of times I've made reservations at 180 days in the past 5 years. And those were BOG and 'Ohana for 14.

If your point is, that at some time less than 180 days you'll be able to find A restaurant somewhere within the entirety of Disney World, at SOME point in time during the day- yes, that's probably true. But book your entire dining for your vacation? No. At least not in my experience and not during free dining. And adjust to eating dinner at 4....

But walk up to one? No, never. Not anymore.

 

[Mkrop]

If your point is, that at some time less than 180 days you'll be able to find A restaurant somewhere within the entirety of Disney World, at SOME point in time during the day- yes, that's probably true. But book your entire dining for your vacation? No. At least not in my experience and not during free dining. And adjust to eating dinner at 4....

But walk up to one? No, never. Not anymore.

I remember one time we were there in Dec, we could not get an ADR for anywhere in DHS. DH was convinced we could get a walkup. So our gameplan was to head back to the BW and eat at Big River. We go there and after heading to TSMM, we went right back to Guest Relations. They told us there were no ADRs in all of DHS for the entire day, lunch or dinner. DH was floored, and I gave him the I told you so look. Then at lunch and dinner time, we walked up to every place except Brown Derby, too pricey, and we were told there was no availability so we went with our original plan and went back to Big River, a place that doesnt take ADRs, very frustrating experience.

ETA Oh and this was the first week in Dec, so not Christmas week crowds.

 

[maxiesmom]

If your point is, that at some time less than 180 days you'll be able to find A restaurant somewhere within the entirety of Disney World, at SOME point in time during the day- yes, that's probably true. But book your entire dining for your vacation? No. At least not in my experience and not during free dining. And adjust to eating dinner at 4....

But walk up to one? No, never. Not anymore.

I guess that may depend on what you idea of a walk up is. Because last year I was able to get an evening ADR in Epcot for only a few hours later in the day. But walk up to Le Ceiller at 6 pm and expect to get seated immediately? Nope.

I've used FP+ twice now, and like it. I like knowing I have a FP for a popular ride like Toy Story Mania ahead of time, instead of having to get to the park before open and try not to get mowed over as everyone head that way. I like not having to walk around the park to get to Splash, only to see the FPs are all gone, or that the time is 5 hours in the future. So for me FP+ is way more + than it is-.

 

[cakebaker]

I guess that may depend on what you idea of a walk up is. Because last year I was able to get an evening ADR in Epcot for only a few hours later in the day. But walk up to Le Ceiller at 6 pm and expect to get seated immediately? Nope.

I've used FP+ twice now, and like it. I like knowing I have a FP for a popular ride like Toy Story Mania ahead of time, instead of having to get to the park before open and try not to get mowed over as everyone head that way. I like not having to walk around the park to get to Splash, only to see the FPs are all gone, or that the time is 5 hours in the future. So for me FP+ is way more + than it is-.

I like FP+ too!

My idea of a walk up is that somewhere in the park I'm in I can count on being able to find at least 1 restaurant that I can walk up and get in at some point soon- So if I'm at the MK, the fact that there's an adr at Epcot doesn't really help me.

I'm not so concerned about being able to walk up to a restaurant and get in. What drives me insane is that 60-90 days out, I can't find a single restaurant to make an ADR at that anyone would consider to be dinner time.

And because I was doing my nightly hunt for dinner ressies for this trip here's what it looks like:

For example:

We'll be there 9/27- let's make an adr for dinner, shall we? Let's say 6 ish Pay no attention to the fact that our plans are for MK that night.

MK- nothing available.

HS- Yay! Hollywood & Vine- but not till 7:50 and since the 2 yr old gets a little cranky that time of day- especially when he's hungry, I'm going to do the other diners a favor and say no.

AK- Not unless you want to eat before 5.

Epcot- Well there's the treasure trove of dining!- IF you want to eat dinner before 5. Otherwise it's Chef de France.

So yes, you can find something- but this is one of the slowest times of year- and still the list is virtually non-existent. And it has looked like this for the most part since July when we first decided to go.

 

[maxiesmom]

Cakebaker--I'm sorry you are having such a tough time of it. Have you tried any of the resorts for ADRs? I guess I've been very lucky, as just a few days ago I snagged a Le Ceiller ADR for 5 pm. On a Friday night no less. And my trip is only 6 weeks away.

Anyway, keep trying, don't give up! You never know when you will get very lucky.

 

[cakebaker]

Cakebaker--I'm sorry you are having such a tough time of it. Have you tried any of the resorts for ADRs? I guess I've been very lucky, as just a few days ago I snagged a Le Ceiller ADR for 5 pm. On a Friday night no less. And my trip is only 6 weeks away.

Anyway, keep trying, don't give up! You never know when you will get very lucky.

Thanks! It's not the end of the earth, we can always do counter service. Specifically we were want Prime Time Cafe on this trip since it's one we've never tried. Our schedule is pretty tight, so there's only 1 day at HS and I'm just amazed that we can't get a decent time there. Never thought it was a hot spot.

It's just really, really irritating spending so much time trying. Once we're there, and I can't hunt anymore, it'll be much better!!

 

[Ellwood970]

I like fsstpass+ worked well memorial day weekend. The downside is visiting with friends and family from different places and trying to tour as a group. Everyone with different tickets buying them at different times some on day of arrival. Cannot plan. Someone told me it is my fault the family is not able to coordinate not Disney's problem. Well I agree and that is why we won't be going as often.

 

[LisaBi]

I have to agree with OP. We leave this Saturday for our annual trip. I have to admit that I am going into it with the attitude that it's going to be our last trip for a long time. I have noticed the last several trips that it just didn't seem as magical. At first I blamed it on the fact that DS is no longer a cute little kid but is a crazy teenager. But the more I think about, it is really just all the little things that are going away.

Don't get me wrong. Disney is a business and they have a right to make money. But I also think that Walt is rolling over in his grave. Disney is no longer the magical family experience that he envisioned. The prices have gone sky high but what you get for that money has decreased. The customer service is so far below what it used to be. Things like the paint brushes on Tom Sawyer Island, or waking Tinkerbell, or the reduction in entertainment. I know there are lots more little things like that that I am not thinking of right now. And all of the add on packages. I don't have an issue with premium packages being offered but it seems like nowadays they are popping up at every turn. I am pretty sure that the nail in the coffin for me is fast pass plus. I have never been one to want to schedule my time on vacation. For Disney trips I usually schedule one or two ADRs and have a rough idea of what parks we are going to what day and things we want to accomplish there. But we pretty much just go with the flow. For this upcoming trip I feel like that if I don't stick to the schedule it will result in us completely missing out on something we want to do. For many attractions there is no choice to just do it later.

 

[alan68]

It's kind of geeky, but I actually use a whole excel spreadsheet and plan months in advance.

I use Excel spreadsheets to make out my Christmas gift lists! Always nice to meet a fellow geek

 

[disney1990]

I don't agree with or like many of the changes we've seen at WDW over the years, but from a pure business perspective I can't blame them.

As long as there are enough people willing to fork over seemingly unlimited amounts of cash with a smile on their face for things that previously nobody in their right mind would have paid for or paid as much for, WDW will continue to do so.

All I can do is hope that market segment grows smaller over time and is replaced with more and more customers who demand value for their dollar.

Only then will we see the pendulum swing the other way.

It has happened before and it will happen again. Remember when the second half of Pop Century sat 1/2 way built and Disney offered massive room discounts. Disney is not too big to fall if it upsets enough people and people decide to take they money and go someplace else.

 

[MouseClubMama]

I had every intention of reading every post in this thread , but my post reading came to an abrupt halt when I saw the OP's first post that mentioned the demise of the American Adventure Fife & Drum Corp, and the fact that it will not be replaced with anything 'patriotic'. How very sad to hear that the sounds of liberty will be silenced in Epcot. The Fife & Drum Corp is much more than just a musical performance; it is a living representation of our Nation's heritage, honoring the courage and vigilance of the Americans who defended our country’s independence. I can usually handle any kind of change that Disney throws out there, but this one is a challenge for me. I will miss hearing those wonderful patriotic tunes that were always so proudly played.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I guess that may depend on what you idea of a walk up is. Because last year I was able to get an evening ADR in Epcot for only a few hours later in the day. But walk up to Le Ceiller at 6 pm and expect to get seated immediately? Nope.

The party I spoke of at DHS (Mama Melrose's) - they were told there were no tables available at all the rest of the night - all were taken with reservations. In mid-December, at an early dinner time, with incredibly low crowds. Mama Melrose's, while good, is not the DHS equivalent of Le Cellier.

 

[surferdave]

It's funny, this thread. I was ready to start one four years ago. (And yet I'm going back to WDW this fall).

I'm still ready to start a thread, but it wouldn't have anything to do with the nickles and dimes stuff -- fastpasses, and what I can and can't do, and what's been charged, etc. My Disney doubts always strike at me in the more philosophical/ethical/political/personal sphere. What am I doing, indulging a taste for increasingly more poorly produced juvenilia and "no-brow" pablum? What does it mean that I subject myself to continued corporate maintenance of an original nostalgia trip that was socially questionable when it debuted a half decade ago? Who is that forty year old man child in the mirror and why cant he separate from something so clearly tied into the all-too-American race-to-the-lowest-common-denominator? It's a hullaballo inside my head. Freakin' fastpass reservations and food complaints? Chicken feed ... and not enough to severe the tether to that inexplicable Disneyland something that the corporate bean counters have yet to eradicate.

All this time I thought Howard Cosell was dead.

 

[Planogirl]

Just for some background....
I live in Florida and have been going to Disney for over 40 years.
Recently, though, I've noticed changes that are turning me off to want to visit, or spend my money there.
For example: * the fastpass+ thing and having to plan before you go.
* ending the American Adventure Fife and Drum Corp. (and not replacing it with any other patriotic program)
* people reserving throwaway campsites at Fort Wilderness just to get their magic bands
*......and don't get me started on those!
* and now we're gonna have to start paying between 10 and 20 dollars just to park at Downtown Disney.
* oh, and Starbucks

The list goes on, but these are just a few at the tip of my fingers.
Sorry. Had to vent.

I was in your corner until you said Starbucks. Sometimes I really want some chai.

But otherwise, I'm getting more and more discouraged. We've been going for many years too but it's not the same any more.

 

[Planogirl]

I had every intention of reading every post in this thread , but my post reading came to an abrupt halt when I saw the OP's first post that mentioned the demise of the American Adventure Fife & Drum Corp, and the fact that it will not be replaced with anything 'patriotic'. How very sad to hear that the sounds of liberty will be silenced in Epcot. The Fife & Drum Corp is much more than just a musical performance; it is a living representation of our Nation's heritage, honoring the courage and vigilance of the Americans who defended our country’s independence. I can usually handle any kind of change that Disney throws out there, but this one is a challenge for me. I will miss hearing those wonderful patriotic tunes that were always so proudly played.

I agree with this. I'm not a super patriotic type but there was just something heart stirring about the Drum & Fife Corp. It's sad that they will be removed and not even replaced with anything.